Beneath the Flesh: They kept all the demons out … except one (3 page)

“I talked to Dr Patel like he asked.”

“Mhm?” Richard Carter settled back on the frayed but comfortable chair cushion, put his feet up, and lit a cigarette.

Cigarettes! They lived in a world of necessities – luxuries were often impossible to make, too hard to scavenge, and often too rare when they were scavenged. And yet cigarettes kept going. Just like in prisons and, so he had heard, war-zones. In fact, he suspected more people smoked now than before the collapse. Keeping plenty of cigarettes on you, and handing them out to those who needed them, was a great way to get people to trust you – he'd learned that quickly.

“She told me how bad things could get,” Alice Mason continued. “We're missing antibiotics, running low on others. And since we don't have vaccinations even a normal disease, an easily-fixed one before the collapse, could get us. The demons won't even have to bother.”

“Sounds bad.”

“I just wonder how I could have missed this. How could things get this bad without my noticing?”

Oh, thought Richard. That was it. She needed comfort again. That was the thing about cosying up to these be-strong-for-my-community types. They always needed someone to be weak in front of. He didn't really mind, but it was a pain to have to deal with.

“What have you been working on lately?” he asked

They both knew the answers: Trying to set up some system of justice that walked the line between the hardline authoritarian survivalists who thought hoarding deserved a death sentence, and the civil-rights lot who wanted all the freedom of pre-collapse society. Trying to give the compound a proper sewer system and a proper irrigation system when they were already short of labour. Trying to deal with the newest arrivals, all of whom had their own set of ideas on how to run the compound.

When she was halfway through the list, Richard stopped her. “You're doing plenty already. You can't be expected to keep up to date with everything essential to survival. Just be glad you know now while you can still fix it.”

“I suppose so.”

“Who asked, again? About the medical supplies?”

“Luke Bishop.”

Richard considered this for a moment. “The guy on the guard shift yesterday morning, who helped stop the demon?”

“That's right.”

“Does he have a special interest in medicine?”

“I don't think so. Never asked for a shift in triage. Mostly does guard and maintenance duty.”

“Ah. How odd,” Richard said nonchalantly. Meanwhile, though he didn't show it to Alice, something in him perked up. Someone like that suddenly displaying knowledge about the lack of medical supplies – so he could justify going on a trip into Bridgham? Sure, it might be nothing. But another thing Richard had picked up was that when you saw behaviours like that, it meant someone had something to hide. Something, perhaps, to exploit. It was worth investigating, at least.

Things around here were getting boring anyway. He was getting restless.

That was the trouble living in compounds – it was hard to get away with misbehaving too much, because the social structure was so close. If you were often around things going wrong, you started to get a reputation.

He'd had to leave his last compound nine months back, after he'd (purely accidentally, of course) let a scavenging team go out into the wilderness without working weapons. One of them had insulted him. He was careful enough in arranging it so that there were only suspicions, rumours – but in this world, suspicions and rumours could grow easily, and quickly become lethal. So he'd set out travelling in trade vans until he came across Paradise Compound.

“I still hate to risk it,” Alice said. “The chance of success is low, and we can't spare the vehicles or the people.”

After a few moments of silent thinking, Richard stubbed out his cigarette and stood. “I have an idea,” he said, walking across the room. From the desk in the corner, he pulled out an old map of Bridgham and brought it back. He unfolded it on the table and studied it for a few seconds, as much to build up the anticipation as let himself think.

“Our vans go down this route,” he said, running his finger across one road. “Nice and safe away from the demon temple.” Glancing up, he checked to see if Alice was paying attention. Then he went on: “But last month, remember they had to detour because a strider demon was blocking the path. They managed a safe passage by going north. They said they took this route, down Bachmann Street. The drivers didn't feel any affect from the temple on that route.”

Alice looked up at him. “And the hospital …”

“Is only a little further north. If we send the next van by this northern route instead, and if Luke goes along and gets dropped off
here
.” Richard indicated a point of Bachmann Street with his pen. “He'll only have to walk a a kilometre or so to get to the hospital.”

“That's a long way in a demon-infested city.”

“Maybe, but we already know it's a long shot. Now, to get back, the van can pick him up on its return journey. He'll have to spend the night in Bridgham, though.”

No reply.

Richard continued: “And if he does fail, as you said, he only contributes to guard and maintenance duty. He's expendable.”

Alice stared at him. He saw on her expression that he'd overstepped.

“I mean, purely from the point of view of the compound. If you want to think about this from a rights perspective, it's his choice whether he wants to go or not.”

Alice sighed, mollified if not at ease. “All right,” she said at last. “I'll tell him about your plan tomorrow, and see who his volunteers are.”

Folding up the map, Richard said, “There's one more thing. I've been meaning to visit Foxglove Compound for a while now. If he goes along, I'd like to see him off from the van.”

Luke took hold of another box of vegetables and, after checking to see to guy on the other side was ready, lifted it and hefted it into the back of the van.

He'd done it. Everything was ready. In just over an hour, he and Jess would be leaving in the van to get dropped off by the hospital.

He and his parter went back to the stacked boxes of food and picked up another. This one had oats and roast crickets.

They'd told him the plan: They'd drop him and Jess at the head of a pedestrian street not too far from the hospital. For carrying the equipment back, they had an old shopping trolly between them and a backpack each. If necessary, they'd drop the trolley. To keep themselves safe, they had some body armour (scavenged from a police station, by the look of it), two pistols and a submachine gun.

They'd have to spend overnight in the hospital. This was the big risk – but doable so long as they found a clear room and could barricade it. Then – and this had been made very clear – if they weren't back at the rendezvous point at the appropriate time, the van wouldn't wait for them.

Jess walked across the loading bay towards them. She already had her armour and backpack on. “You need any help?” she called when she was close enough.

Luke was about to tell her to wait, when his partner said, “Yeah, sure. You see those boxes there? Just pack 'em in, any old way will do.”

She shrugged off her backpack and and got to work. From the way she winced when she lifted the first box, he could see she was in pain. Part of him was annoyed – there was no reason for her to hurt herself doing that when he could have done it just as easily. But she did it anyway. He stifled the feeling and gave her a smile anyway. She smiled back.

They had almost run into another problem when she revealed herself as his only volunteer. Her work in trading, in writing letters to convince the other compounds to trade, was more important that the labour he contributed. For a moment it seemed like Mayor Mason was going to forbid them. But Jess had argued her point, again, as a matter of freedom. And after a brief discussion with Richard Carter, the had been allowed to go through.

Richard Carter. An interesting man. He had arrived only eight months ago, and yet already half his shifts were taken up helping the mayor administrate the town. He helped work out rotas and shift schedules. He decided whether the compound was to work on improving its water filtration for the next couple of months, or work hard to produce extra food. In many ways, he was her second-in-command, appointed rather than elected. He was one of those people who were hard to dislike at first – instantly friendly without being overbearing, positive without being annoying, and relentlessly confident. But Luke couldn't help but feel there was something ever-so-slightly repellent about the man. Maybe it was just simple jealousy?

Anyway, Richard had said he would be accompanying them in the van. He would see them off at the departure point on Bachmann Street, then continue with the van's crew to Goat's Head Compound. Afterwards, he'd return with the van and – if they were still alive – help them load the medical equipment in.

It was a job that seemed ill-suited to his position as an administrator. In fact, Luke had got the impression that the mayor didn't want him to go on this trip. Still, Richard would be in the van the entire way, and far safer than Luke or Jess.

Eventually they finished loading the van. It was nearly time to go. While the drivers were checking the van's engine, Luke put on his armour and backpack.

Richard came sauntering up. He was a little taller taller than Luke, and offered them a each a friendly smile. “Luke and Jessica, right? Hello!”

Luke shook his hand.

Jess was coming out of the van. She waved, “Hello. It's just Jess.”

“Jess, then. Ah, yes, I know you. You're to thank for all the good trade deals we have.”

“I'm sure you can find someone to replace me,” said Jess.

“Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that,” said Richard. “And Luke? Thank you for fighting off that demon yesterday.”

In the back of the van there was just about enough space for the three of them to sit together with the trolley.

The rear doors were closed, cutting out most of the light. Then, from the van's cab one of the drivers called, “you ready in there?”

“We're ready,” said Richard.

Luke heard the engine start, and then the van rolled away.

They drove through open ground for some hours. It was difficult having Richard there. Luke couldn't say anything about their real plan, so instead they talked quietly about work, or looked out the grating-armoured window onto the empty roadway.

“I think you're very brave, going to all this trouble,” said Richard.

“Oh … thank you,” said Jess. She rubbed her arm.

“What made you decide to do it?” Richard aimed the question at Luke.

Luke, who was looking out the window, squeezed past the trolly and sat down beside Jess. “We need these supplies,” he said.

“We certainly do,” said Richard. “And I certainly hope you manage to get them. You'll probably be heroes when you get back.”

“Yeah …” said Luke. He hadn't thought about that. They might well be famous in Paradise Compound for while. He wondered for a moment if that would make it harder to get the operation done in secret – then he noticed how intently Richard was staring at him.

Richard's attention moved away instantly.

“Well, it's either risk our lives now, or risk dying of measles or flu or something a couple of months later,” said Jess. She shrugged. “Personally I'd rather take action.”

“Ah,” said Richard.

“And if you're wondering why we chose to do it and not someone else I think it's just because we thought about it first. All the people who survived the Fall and made it to Paradise Compound are the sort to take action, after all.”

Richard smiled. “You're being too modest, I'm sure. Not everyone would risk their lives when someone could do it. That heroes' welcome? I think you'll deserve it when you get back.”

“
If
we get back.”

“You will.”

Jess shrugged.

After that the conversation lulled. It was slow going along the road – the van had to weave around potholes or debris in the road, take alternate routes in a couple of cases where the road had been completely torn up, and in one case, edge around a deformed-looking animal skull the size of car.

Later, just as Luke was thinking they weren't going to see any demons at all, they saw one in the distance, in a dead field. It was massive – a hundred feet tall at least – and with its leathery black skin it reminded him of a leopard. But instead of its head, there was just a lump of flesh with six or seven pale, greasy-looking eyes scattered randomly.

It was standing over the body of another smaller demon lying dead on the floor. As they passed, the leopard-demon's chest cracked open, with the ribs on either side like teeth. Several spiny tentacles dropped out of the chest cavity, wrapped around the bloody carcass of the other demon, and lifted it up. Was it eating, or something else?

Jess clutched at her arm again.

“Don't worry about that guy,” called one of the driver from the front. “He's pretty harmless.”

Sure enough, they passed the leopard-demon without incident, and soon after headed into the suburbs of Bridgham.

Rows of empty houses with broken windows. Brown lawns. They passed an old children's playground with the burnt-out hush of a crashed car resting against the climbing bar. Something inside it moved. They passed without incident.

Luke checked his watch. Half an hour before they reached their drop-off point.

The van slowed.

“Oh, shit,” muttered one of the drivers. “Here we go.”

“What?” asked Luke.

“Demons. Hold on to something.”

Jess sighed. “This should be fun,” she muttered.

Luke, still standing, braced himself against the boxes by the door.

The van accelerated without warning, engine roaring. They swerved a couple of times, left and right. The stacked boxes creaked and nearly fell over. Then came a loud thump; they'd hit something. From Luke's vantage near the window, he saw a cluster of demons outside. Runners – vaguely human, but with broken, bloody faces. They ran towards the van. The body of the one they'd hit a moment ago was lying on the road. It quickly got up, arm hanging at the wrong angle, and joined in the chase.

The van took a hard right. Luke grabbed the top box before it fell on Jess. Glancing out the door, he saw the daemons rounding the corner behind them. They were't fast enough, though – they were being left behind.

All save for one, who tried to grab at the van's exterior. Its claw-like hand cut in two. Luke guessed it must have touched one of the lawnmower blades on the van's exterior.

Still, it tried again. This time it managed to find something to hold on to.

It's face was at the window! A human face, once – but without eyes, and what looked like tentacles coming out of the empty sockets.

It crashed on the side once, twice –

The van swerved again. Towards a brick wall on one side of the street.

The demon slammed into the wall with a dull thus, held on for a fraction of a second, then rolled away behind them leaving a bloodied smear over the window.

A cheer rose from the cab. “Alright, guys,” said one of the drivers. “You can calm down now. For a bit, anyway.”

Only then did Luke notice that Jess was still clutching her arm. From her expression, she was in pain.  A glance told him Richard had noticed too.

But what could they do? They couldn't look at it without Richard knowing. They couldn't even talk about it.

He sat down between the two of them where he would block Richard's view, doing his best to avoid looking suspicious. He gave Jess's free hand a gentle squeeze. They were nearly at the drop-off point now.

She gave him a knowing smile.
Thank you
it said. Then the smile faded and she took a shallow shuddering breath.

“Is everything okay?” said Richard quietly, leaning forward.

Silence for a moment. Jess nodded.

“Yeah,” she said. “I just banged my elbow when we were …”

“Looks like a pretty bad bump,” said Richard.

“Yeah.” Jess's throat bobbed. “Just give me a moment. I'll be fine.”

Luke tried to pull her closer, but she shrugged him off.

Then he saw something move beneath the sleeve of her shirt. A wave of revulsion swept through him, and without meaning to he sat back and grasped the edge of his seat. What on Earth
was
that? Jess didn't seem to notice through the pain, though, and after a moment the motion went away.

Jess's arm didn't seem to be getting any less painful. Luke had known it to hurt sometimes, but he'd never seen her this bad.

Suddenly she grabbed his hand. “It's getting worse,” she whispered. “I don't know if –” She slid forward off the box to her knees.

In a moment, Richard was on his feet. He moved past where Luke was sitting and supported Jess's free shoulder. For that moment, Luke didn't care. Being found out didn't matter, so long as Jess was alright.

“Wait,” said Jess. “It's okay. I'm okay.” She swallowed. “The pain's getting better.”