Part 9 (1/2)
*Come on you d.a.m.n thing,' he muttered to himself.
As he spoke, Liz could smell his rancid breath, mingling with the stench of sweat and s.h.i.+t, just the thought of him even touching her spurred her into action. With his head so close to her waist, Donaldson didn't see the knee that Liz jerked up with as much force as she could, until it slammed into the side of his head. With a yell he fell to the side, clutching his right ear. Liz fighting her body's need to fall into darkness, pushed herself up on one elbow.
*You f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h!' he said, spitting with fury as he pushed her back down to the road.
With his face now inches from hers, she could see the madness in his eyes. This family had been on their own for far too long. Like a cancer, they had fed on each other's depravity, twisting the norm to suit their own desires. Liz desperately tried to reach the can of pepper spray she had put in her trouser leg pocket but as he pushed down on her she just couldn't move her arms out from under her.
*Get off me you f.u.c.ker!' Liz spat in his face.
*You want me to cut you up a bit first, c.u.n.t?' the man said, pulling a knife from his belt, *I don't mind f.u.c.king you while you're bleeding.'
The smile that spread over his filthy face made her want to gag. There was no point getting killed to stop him. She just had to pray Imran and Charlie would come back before he got bored with just rape, this one looked like he had other darker tastes. Using the knife to slice through her belt the Donaldson man began to pull down her trousers. Smiling with a crazy excitement, the man put his face down to her now exposed underwear. Liz tried in vain to squirm away, as he began nuzzling and smelling her through her knickers. With shaking hands he hooked his fingers through the band of her underwear, savouring the view as he slowly pulled the band lower.
*f.u.c.king h.e.l.l, come on Imran,' Liz thought to herself.
Just then a shadow fell across the man's back. Too engrossed in undoing his own belt and fly with one filthy hand, while pawing Liz's body with the other, he didn't notice the figure now standing behind him. With the sun throwing the figure in silhouette, Liz was unable to see who it was but guessed Imran would not just be standing there if it was him. Then with a lurching motion the figure bent forward. Two Dead hands grasped the man's shoulders from behind and before he could look around to see who it was, a Dead face fell on his neck. The Donaldson man tried desperately to push the Dead man off his back, but already its jaw was biting into the exposed flesh of his neck. The man let out a panicked high pitch scream as the Dead man's head drew back, skin and flesh stretching and tearing. Blood splashed across Liz's chest and face as the chunk of flesh was torn from the Donaldson brother's neck forever. Wriggling even more frantically, Liz tried to push the hysterical man off her, before the Dead man, who had inadvertently come to her rescue, decided she looked good to eat too. With a bucking motion from her hips, the brother rolled off her to the side taking the Dead man, who had gone in for a second bite, with him. The grappling pair came to a stop with the brother on top.
*You f.u.c.king piece of stinking s.h.i.+t!' the brother yelled, repeatedly as he stabbed his knife into the dead man's face over and over again.
Abruptly the Dead man's hands that had been reaching for the brother fell to the floor, now lifeless. Panting heavily, the Donaldson man sat back on his heels, the corpse beneath him. Looking to the sky above he screamed in rage, knowing his time in this world had been abruptly cut short. Suddenly rape was the lesser of two evils for Liz. The brother, bitten and losing a lot of blood would be dead in minutes. He would then come at her again but this time it would not be s.e.x on his mind but her living flesh.
*Oh Christ...' Liz said, in barely a whisper to herself.
Then out of the corner of her eye she caught some movement by the trees. Straining her head so she could see better, a wave of relief swept through her, as Charlie & Imran crept over the gate. They encircled her to come up behind the man. When Imran caught her gaze she could see the pain and anger bubbling beneath the surface. She silently mouthed the word *bitten' to him so he would know what he was dealing with. When Imran was only half a metre behind the Donaldson brother, his iron piped raised above his head, Charlie stepped out in front of the bitten man.
*We came to help you people and this is how you treat us, you f.u.c.ker!' Charlie said, anger bringing the blood to his face. *We should leave you so you can eat up the rest of that sick family of yours.'
The brother looked pale, the front of his t-s.h.i.+rt and trousers now completely red from the blood spilling through his fingers.
*f.u.c.k you!' he managed to say through the gasps of pain, anger in his eyes.
*Hey a.r.s.ehole!' Imran shouted from behind him.
The man turned his head slightly, his eyes bulging in pain while more of his blood was pumped from his body. Imran brought the pipe down with as much force as he could muster. With an audible crack the man's skull broke, and when Imran pulled the pipe away a large section of the temple was crushed, caving inwards. Releasing one last long breath, the man fell forwards, dead, his bladder and bowels emptying slowly, to join his blood spreading over the road surface. Imran dropped the pipe and ran to Liz. Cradling her in his arms while Charlie gingerly moved some of her blood matted hair to see where the man had hit her.
*I think you'll live,' Charlie said, with a rea.s.suring smile, *but we need to get her in the cart and get out of here asap, we don't want the rest of the Donaldson's descending on us'
Slowly they helped Liz to her feet, and with a flick of a knife her arms were free to drape around their shoulders.
*I'll be ok in a few minutes, I'm just dizzy that's all and...' but Liz's words were cut short as the darkness enveloped her once again.
Laying Liz gently in the back of the cart, Charlie left Imran dabbing a wet cloth on her face. Wiping away both her own blood and that of the brother splattered across her face, Imran willed Liz to open her eyes. With a flick of the reins, Charlie urged Delilah into a canter. They needed to put some distance between the Donaldson's lake and themselves, so they would have to forego their usual slow quiet pace.
After a mile or so at this unusual speed, Charlie pulled Delilah back into her usual pace. Turning back to see how Liz was doing, he was happy to see her eyes were open. Still looking a little dazed, Liz was patting a damp cloth to the side of her head, while at the same time trying to stop Imran fussing over her.
*Don't worry,' Charlie said, *scalp wounds always bleed a lot, even if they're only minor.'
*Didn't feel very minor when the bat connected with my head,' Liz replied, grumpily, *and where's my sword? Don't say you left it behind.'
*Please, do I look like I have a death wish?' Charlie said, with a smile *it's hanging up behind you'
With a grunt Liz reached up to take down her sword swinging on a hook. Like a child's security blanket, the sword brought her instant peace and comfort the moment her fingers touched its hard casing. Rubbing the strap between her finger and thumb, Liz thought if she ever lost the sword, it would feel like losing an old friend. She knew every scratch, nick and thread of its corded handle. She knew exactly how the blade was balanced and how it would move with the slightest flick of her wrist. She had trusted her life, and the lives of so many of those she loved to this blade. It was more than a weapon, it was part of her, part of who she was.
*Do you feel like you're going to be sick or feel very sleepy?' Charlie asked, giving Liz a quick concerned glance over his shoulder. *Because if you do, we might have to worry about a concussion.'
*No, I don't think so, just a splitting headache really and a lump the size of an egg on the side of my head,' Liz replied, *Oh, and thanks you two, but next time try not to leave it to the last minute.'
*Hmm... Grateful much?' Imran said in mock annoyance, *I say we don't bother next time Charlie, she's too much trouble this one.
Liz reached over to grab Imran's jacket. Pulling him down so his face was level with hers, she kissed him gently on the mouth.
*Thank you,' she said softly.
*That's better,' Imran said, smiling *here, I'll open the top hatch, the air will do you good.'
*Oh stop fussing Imran,' Charlie said, chuckling, *Liz knows that if she needs air to ask for it.
Charlie loved both of his two charges sat in the back of the cart, like they were his own children. So when he had seen Liz on the ground bleeding, a mix of fear and anger had boiled inside of him. Charlie knew that it had been Imran's place to take retribution but he would have happily smashed the man's skull to pieces himself, even if he hadn't already been bitten.
*Anyway what happened at the lake? Did you tell the Donaldsons about the raiders?' Liz asked.
Even if the men of the Donaldson clan deserved to get their throats cuts, the children didn't and she wanted them to be safe.
*They told us to f.u.c.k off, basically,' Imran replied, looking not at all impressed that they had gone to the trouble to show concern for the group and then been treated in such a c.r.a.ppy manner *Look, you don't suppose it's actually them that are going round killing the Outposters, do you?'
*Doubt it,' Charlie said. *I don't think they ever leave the forest and as far as I know they didn't know about the Penhaligans.
*And if my new best friend back there was anything to go by, they wouldn't have just killed Mrs Penhaligan or her daughter like that. They would have had their fun with them first' Liz added, remembering the body of Louise Penhaligan lying face down in the gra.s.s with her head smashed, while her Dead daughter roamed the attic with her throat slashed *and there weren't any signs of rape on either of them, so I think we can rule the Donaldsons out for that one.'
*Pity,' Imran said, reaching for a rag to clean some of Mr Donaldson's skin and blood from the pipe that had killed him.
*That would be too easy,' Charlie called over his shoulder, *but life doesn't tend to tie problems up in such a neat little bow. The Donaldsons are incestuous, unfriendly and attacked Liz, so it would be great if we could just blame them for the attacks too. We could then go in and wipe all the adults out with a clear conscience, with right on our side. But they didn't, so we can't.'
*As I said before... Pity.' Imran grumbled under his breath.
Two hours later they had left the dense woodland with the lake far behind them, the countryside around them returning to the overgrown fields and high hedgerows they felt comfortable with. Liz was feeling a lot better, though each time the cart went over a pothole, pain shot through her head reminding her of her injury. It was now late afternoon and they had stopped briefly for a toilet break.
*At this rate we should reach the O'Briens just before dark. We've made good time.' Charlie said, as they set off again.
The two piglets they had been given were starting to come round from their alcohol induced doze. The little sow had started to lazily snuffle through the straw bedding in the bottom of the crate, while her mate lay on its side looking up at Liz. Putting her hand through the slats, Liz gave the small boar a gentle scratch on his belly. The pig wriggled and kicked its legs in enjoyment.
*Give the pigs some water Imran, they must be thirsty,' Liz said, amused by the male pigs friendly demeanour.
Pouring some water into a bowl, Imran opened the crate lid to give them their water.
*So are you going to name them?' Imran asked.
*Well as those two will be our breading pair until we can do a swop with Patrick, we might as well be on friendly terms,' Charlie said, as he steered Delilah around the rusting frame of a motorbike that had crashed into a tree many years ago.
At that point the small boar got a little over excited by the belly tickling and let out a noisy fart. Shocked by the sound it had produced, the boar jumped to his feet looking around wondering where the noise had come from.