Death's Children (Book 5): Aiden's Mark Read online

  A shudder traveled up his spine at the thought of becoming a zombie. A walking corpse intent on only one thing. Feeding.

  Before he could stop himself, Aiden punched the mirror. It shattered, shards of glass falling into the basin. Drops of blood leaked from his cut knuckles, dark red and rich with life. Not for long.

  He gripped the edges of the basin and breathed through his nose to regain a sense of calm. I can’t give up now. What about Dee? I promised to pick her up.

  Still, he hesitated. “What if I turn on her? I might hurt her, maybe kill her, the one person I really care about. I can’t do that, but I can’t abandon her either.”

  With uncertainty warring within his breast, Aiden continued his ablutions. His stained clothes joined the discarded pile of bloody gauze on the floor, and he washed before slipping on the clean shirt. More plasters covered his hand, and a few sips of water quenched his thirst. As he walked back to the room, new determination filled him. “I’ll find Dee, and I’ll get her safety if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Lolly still lay where he’d left her, and he averted his eyes. Moving fast, he searched Eliza’s room for a weapon, but the only thing he could find was a can of pepper spray which he doubted would stop a zombie. His eyes fell on her bed, and an idea rose in his mind.

  He lifted up the corner and grabbed hold of the steel bar that made up the foot. It unscrewed from the frame, and he hefted the rod in his hands. It was better than nothing, and the thing had a comforting weight to it. “It’ll have to do.”

  With his weapon in his right hand, he strode from the room but paused to phone Dee again. It went straight to voicemail, and he cursed. “Damn it, Dee. Just wait for me. I’ll be right there.”

  As he walked down the hall, screams cut through the silence, and he froze. They were coming from the living area, and raspy growls formed the base note in a symphony of horror.

  “Somebody help, please,” a girlish voice called.

  “I’m coming! Just hold on!” Aiden replied, breaking into a sprint with the pipe raised in both hands.

  This was it.

  The moment he’d feared would come.

  The zombies had arrived.

  Chapter 3

  Aiden burst into the room with his pipe raised above his head, ready to bash in the brains of the first zombie he came across. His shoes squeaked on the tiles as he slid to a stop, and he paused for a split-second to get his bearings.

  Two zombies, boys around his age, had one of the girls pinned to the floor. Her cardigan was drenched in blood, and droplets sprayed through the air as she fought against their hands and teeth.

  Her screams were piteous, and with a fearsome war cry, Aiden launched himself at her attackers. He hit the nearest in the temple with a heavy blow worthy of a champion golf player.

  It snarled and looked at him with one eye; the other had popped out from the force of the hit and dangled against its cheek. Vomit rushed up Aiden’s throat, and he gagged, eyes watering from the sour stink in his nostrils.

  The thing reached for him with clawed hands, and he swung again. The pipe connected with a solid clunk and knocked the zombie onto its ass. It fell off the girl and lay on the floor, twitching as brain matter leaked from its misshapen skull.

  The other infected boy launched himself at Aiden, but a wooden stool came out of nowhere and hit him in the face. It was Nicky. She followed up her attack with another blow and knocked the zombie sideways. As it lay on the floor, she bashed it in the face again and again and again.

  Cartilage crunched, bone collapsed, blood sprayed, and teeth flew in every direction, but still, she wouldn’t stop hitting the boy. At last, Aiden stepped up and grabbed her hands. “That’s enough for now. He’s dead.”

  She looked at him with wide eyes. Her clothes were blood-spattered and stained, her breathing short and ragged, while her glasses sat askew on her nose. “He’s dead?”

  “Pretty much,” Aiden said, not wanting to look at the thing lying at their feet again. It no longer appeared human and more closely resembled ground meat.

  “He was going to hurt you. I couldn’t let that happen,” she continued. A pleading note entered her voice. “Could I?”

  “Of course not,” Aiden said with a nod. “You did the right thing.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I am. In fact, you probably saved my life,” he said, hoping it would help her calm down. The last thing he needed was a nervous Nellie fluttering around. Not for the first time that night, he missed Dee and her tough as nails attitude. Soon. I’ll see her soon. Even if it is for the last time.

  “Your welcome,” Nicky replied in a faint voice before stumbling off to hurl into the nearest pot plant.

  Aiden was sorely tempted to join her, but first, he needed to secure the room. He rushed from window to window, checking they were closed before sliding the latch on the door into place. A few well-placed couch cushions hid the worst bits of the bodies from view, and his nausea subsided a little. Though he’d never had a weak stomach, the sight of so much flesh and blood was enough to make anyone sick.

  Meanwhile, the other two girls had rushed over to help their injured friend. She was in pretty bad shape; her face, throat, and hands were torn and bleeding. Paper towels from the kitchen provided padding, and they ripped strips from their clothes to bandage the worst of it.

  Afterward, they helped her onto a couch where she collapsed with a whimper. One of the girls, the same one who’d tried to call the police earlier, pulled out her phone and dialed the emergency services. She had no luck either and gave up with a cry of disgust. “What do we do now? Nobody’s answering. Neither the police nor the hospital. I can’t even get through to my mom.”

  “The networks probably crashed with all the traffic. Keep trying,” Aiden said before he turned to Nicky. “How did they get in? The two guys, I mean.”

  She pointed a shaky hand at the injured girl. “Lacy opened up for them when they banged on the door. She thought they were just students, but then they attacked her out of nowhere.”

  Aiden paced up and down. “I told you there were zombies about. Why didn’t you listen?”

  “Zombies?” Nicky repeated. “There’s no such thing. I told you that already.”

  “Then what do you call them?” Aiden asked, flinging a hand at the two corpses lying motionless on the carpet. “Unicorns?”

  Nicky didn’t answer, and her glazed eyes reminded him of a goldfish in a bowl. Mindless and stupid.

  “Wake up, Nicky,” he said. “We don’t have time for weakness. There’s more of those things out there. A lot more.”

  “No, it can’t be. It’s you,” she whispered before her voice rose to a shrill pitch. “You killed Lolly. You killed that boy. You’re a murderer.”

  “You killed one of them too,” Aiden pointed out with growing impatience. “So what does that make you? A killer?”

  She closed her mouth at that and sat down on a chair with a thump. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, aware that he was trembling. “Look, just try to relax. You didn’t have a choice, and neither did I.”

  “Are they really zombies?” the girl with the phone asked in a subdued voice.

  “Yes, a thousand times, yes,” he said, throwing his hands in the air. “Why didn’t you watch the bloody news like I’d told you to in the first place?”

  “But that means…” She glanced at Lacy. “Is she infected?”

  “Yes, unfortunately, she is,” Aiden replied with brutal honesty. “So am I. In a few hours, we’ll both turn into one of them.”

  Lacy began to sob, while the other two stared at him in silence. It was clear they didn’t know what to do. After a while, he sighed and asked in a softer tone of voice. “What are your names?”

  “I’m Stephanie,” the girl with the phone answered, “and this is Danielle.”

  “Do any of you have family or friends nearby? Somewhere you can hide?
” he asked.

  “My mom lives nearby. We should be okay there. She’s got a gun and everything,” Danielle said.

  “What does the house look like? Will it keep these things out?”

  She shrugged. “It should. There’s a concrete fence all around it and security bars on the doors and windows.”

  “Well, that’s better than nothing. Do you have a car? Can you get there on your own?” Aiden asked. Once again he cursed Eliza for leaving him stranded.

  Danielle shook her head. “Sorry, but no.”

  Aiden ground his teeth together. He wanted nothing more than to leave. Dee needed him, and time was running out. “This is ridiculous. What am I going to do with you lot?”

  “Please don’t leave us,” Lacy said, her wounded hands folded into her chest. Her eyes rested on his, and tears shimmered on her cheeks.

  Aiden slumped, knowing he couldn’t abandon someone in need. “Fine, I’ll try and get you all to Danielle’s mom, but after that, I’m leaving.”

  “Deal,” Danielle replied.

  “And you’ll have to watch her,” he added, pointing at Lacy. “If she turns…”

  Silence met his words.

  “First things first,” he said, silently cursing Eliza for stealing his car. “We need a vehicle.”

  “The girl who lives next to me in the hall has one,” Nicky said, seemingly coming out of her funk. “She went out with friends earlier, so it’s still in the parking lot.”

  “Good. Can you get the keys from her room?”

  “Of course.” Nicky jumped off the couch. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I suggest all of you dress warmly and grab a few things. If there’s anything you can use as a weapon, take that too. We might have to fight our way out of here.”

  With those grim words, the girls set off, and Aiden prowled around the living room until he spotted the kitchen. In the drawers, he found a few knives of a good size and a meat cleaver. The cleaver he kept for himself, tucking his pipe into his belt as a backup, instead.

  Danielle returned first, dressed in jeans, boots, and a jacket. She waved a tennis racket at him. “This is all I’ve got, sorry.”

  Aiden laughed despite himself before handing her a knife. “Here, take this as well. I’m not sure the racket will do much good.”

  “Thanks,” she said with a faint smile, hefting the blade. Turning away, she rummaged through the cupboards for food and drink which she loaded into a backpack. “Figured we might need it.”

  “Good thinking.”

  Nicky walked in next, followed by Stephanie and Lacy. Though injured, Lacy appeared stable for the moment, and Aiden hoped she’d stay that way. I’ll keep both eyes on her at all times, though, just to be safe.

  Both Nicky and Stephanie had put on practical outfits, and each carried a small bag. They look scared but determined, which Aiden appreciated. He had a feeling the night was going to get worse before it got better, and they’d need all the courage they possessed. He handed each of them a knife as well, even Lacy, though she hardly looked fit to use it.

  “Where’s this car you mentioned? Is it far?” he asked Nicky.

  She shook her head. “No, it’s quite close to the dorms. I’ll show you.”

  “Right, so here’s the plan. I’ll go out first and make sure it’s safe. Once I give the signal, you all run outside and join me. With me so far?”

  Silent nods did the rounds.

  “From there on, Nicky will take the lead.”

  Nicky nodded her agreement, even though her face was pale. “Okay.”

  “I’ll be next in line. Lacy, you stay in the middle. Stephanie, Danielle, you take up the rear. Agreed?”

  “Yes,” Stephanie replied.

  “I’m in,” Danielle agreed.

  “Me too,” Lacy said.

  “Once we start, we don’t stop. Keep quiet, and run fast. Got that?” Aiden asked. Without waiting for an answer, he strode toward the front door. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 4

  Aiden first looked through the windows flanking the front door. The porch light cast a pool of yellow on the steps, and within that pool, nothing moved. The rest of the grounds were cloaked in darkness, though he could see lights shining in the windows of the other buildings around them.

  All seemed quiet, and after a moment’s hesitation, he opened the door. When nothing jumped out at him, he slipped outside. With slow steps, he walked across the porch and down the stairs.

  Tension coiled within his breast, and his hands grew slick with sweat. He tightened his hold on the meat cleaver as darkness enveloped him. Faint moonlight painted the lawns and shrubbery in silver, and as his eyes adjusted, he could make out finer details in the night.

  In the distance, music blared, and he wondered if someone was having a party. The news of the outbreak had yet to spread, and he wondered how many more innocent victims it would claim before word got out.

  After scanning their immediate surroundings, Aiden turned toward the waiting girls and gave them the thumbs up. Nicky went first and joined him below the steps. The others followed after a moment’s hesitation until they all stood out in the open.

  “Which way?” Aiden asked in a low tone.

  “Over there,” Nicky answered, pointing at an open parking lot to the left. The way to it ran past two buildings, each with lights shining in their windows. It was a lot farther than Aiden would have liked.

  “What are those?” he asked, pointing at the bulky shapes of the buildings between them and the lot.

  “More dormitories.”

  “Crap. It’s quiet for now, but we have to hurry. We don’t want to get caught out in the open,” he said.

  The girls nodded their agreement, and Nicky took off, leading the way. Aiden fell in behind her, and the rest followed in single file. His head swiveled as they ran, keeping a constant eye out for danger.

  Nicky took them along a paved sidewalk, and their shoes made little noise on the layered bricks. They moved at a brisk but steady pace, and at first, all was quiet. The only sounds were those of the crickets in the background, the sawing of their breaths in and out of their chests, and the distant beat of the music.

  The first dorm loomed to their left, and Aiden’s muscles tightened in anticipation of trouble. The front doors were closed, though, and the block was silent. No screams. That’s a good sign, right?

  He allowed himself a brief moment of relief as they made it past the brooding hulk without incident. “One down.”

  The music grew louder as they progressed, and Aiden realized with horror it was coming from the second dormitory they had yet to face. Lights streamed from both the windows and the front door, casting circles of golden light all around the building. Low bushes in the garden obscured his view of the walkway up to the steps, and Aiden slowed automatically as they grew nearer.

  “Wait,” he whispered to Nicky, and she slowed to a halt.

  “What is it?” she asked, her eyes wide and frightened in the faint moonlight.

  “Where’s the car? How far is it?”

  She pointed past the dorm. “It’s straight through there; then you turn left. It’s a blue Honda, parked against the wall of the dorm.”

  “Against it?” Aiden asked, aghast at the implications. Not only did they have to run past the brightly lit doorway and windows, clearly lit for anyone to see, but the car wasn’t far from the entrance either, parked right by it, in fact. “Crap. This isn’t good. Is there any way around this?”

  She hesitated. “We could go back and circle around the tennis courts.”

  “But that would take us past one of the boy’s dorms,” Danielle interjected. “And we know they’re infected for sure. Or some of them, at least.”

  “Yeah, but this party. The music is sure to draw infected,” Aiden argued.

  “Maybe,” Danielle said. “But can we afford the risk? This is a straight shot. Who knows what’s waiting everywhere else on the grounds?”

  “She’s right,
” Lacy said. “Besides, I don’t know how much further I can go.”

  Aiden considered Lacy’s words. “Okay, look. We run as fast as we can, past the doors and straight for the car. Nicky, you unlock it and get it started right away. The rest of you, make sure you get in.”

  A murmured chorus of agreement sealed the deal, and Aiden turned back toward the beacon of light the dorm represented. A beacon for people? Or zombies? He had no idea, and could only pray the next few seconds didn’t prove to be the mistake of their lives.

  Nicky sprang into action and hurtled past the front of the building. Aiden followed her with his heart bouncing in his chest like a frightened jack rabbit. As he drew level with the front doors, his gaze fell on a knot of people standing on the steps. They’d been hidden from view by the bushes and shrubbery of the gardens, and for a moment, he thought they were just ordinary teens enjoying the party.

  But alarm bells went off in his head when he noticed two crucial facts. First off, they weren’t talking and laughing as ordinary people at a party would. The second thing he saw was the blood. It was smeared on the walls, on the windows abutting the doorway, and on the faces of the students. It was pooled on the ground, and a trail led all the way up the steps and inside the dormitory.

  He’d been right after all. The music and lights had acted as a signal, drawing in the infected who found the rooms filled with easy victims. Nobody had even heard their screams. Not above the beat of the bass.

  As Aiden and his group ran past, several sets of diseased eyes turned their way. A howl went up from the zombie student’s throats. A howl answered by a score or more within the building itself. Dozens of feet sprinted toward them, and bodies spilled from the doorway like maggots from a wound.

  The chase was on.

  “Run!” Aiden screamed, panic lending an extra burst of speed to his feet.

  Nicky was just as fast, racing ahead at a pace he would never have believed her capable of. Behind him, the frightened cries of Lacy, Danielle, and Stephanie added to the chaotic din that blanketed the air, overlaid by predatory growls.

  His heart beat a frantic rhythm in time to his footsteps, and the hair on the back of his neck rose as he sensed the nearness of death. He wanted to look over his shoulder but dared not. Not when every step could mean the difference between life and death.