Chapter 40
Chapter forty
Liam
‘Sit,’ Malcolm instructs me and his lap dog doesn’t waste any time before pushing me towards the chair.
Or more accurately, I’d describe it as a pathetic nudge. I’m a big guy — Pam’s roasties have helped with that fact — it is beyond me why twiggy over here even thought he could test his luck and nudge me. But I’m being good, making allies and all that so I’ll let it slide… for now.
‘No need to be embarrassed, mate. You gave it your best shot,’ I offer him some grace.
Me mam always said not to be a bully like my old man. She’d probably smack me over the head if she was still alive to see me now. I don’t know if being a killer comes under the category of being a bully but I don’t think it exactly falls under model citizen.
Does it make you a bad person if you kill a killer?
Na, surely not.
‘Shut it or else.’ Malcolm is staring at me, his left eye twitching and he presses his lips together.
‘You alright, mate?’ I ask, concerned. ‘Your eyes are doing something funny.’
The lapdog smothers a laugh.
‘Get out,’ Malcolm barks at the guy as he continues to stare at me with bug-like eyeballs.
‘Seriously, you might want to get one of your scientist friends to check that out for ya.’
‘Out!’ Malcolm drags the guy who is full on laughing now by the collar like the good little lapdog he is, desperately trying to ignore my comment.
It’s an absolute mystery why anyone listens to Malcom. From what Ruaridh said, the guy can’t fight, hasn’t got a sense of humour, and his sister has all the brains for both of them. So how the fuck is he the one in charge?
‘You Skulls are as dumb as you look,’ Malcom leers. A singular strand of greasy hair falling into his eyes.
Bah, he’s also an ugly fucker.
I lean back in the metal chair, kicking my boots up onto the seat opposite me.
‘You have something I want.’
‘And you have something I want,’ Malcolm grins.
‘Yeh no shit,’ fucking idiot. ‘That’s how deals work.’
Nothing between the ears this one. I bet if I were to look into his ear, I’d see straight out the other one his brain a speck of dust floating around his empty skull.
I glance down the carriageway but have no luck in spotting anyone else. For being underground, it looks surprisingly clean up there where the light is a lot brighter.
Malcolm slams his fist on the seat opposite me, making my boots vibrate a little.
Well, that was cute.
‘I want your leader.’
Oh how original. How could someone seriously think I’d make the journey all the way down here and not for a second consider — knowing the beef he has with Ruaridh — that he would be interested in some payback.
Luckily for him, I couldn’t give a shit.
‘After I get what I need.’
That surprises the idiot. He doesn’t even try to hide it on his expression as his thin eyebrows hike up and his mouth pops open slightly.
As always my trusty mask hides my cockiness as I watch the fool fall right where I want him.
‘Where is your sister?’
His shock hardens as he looks up the carriages. ‘You’re not getting my sister.’
Seriously? What does he fucking take me for?
‘I don’t want a person,’ unlike you fucker. My teeth grind. ‘I want a piece of equipment. One I want her to get me.’
Ruaridh had spoken with his sister once when making a deal.
It was back when Pam had just arrived and she’d taken ill.
We had tried everything but she was half frozen when she turned up with little Elsa.
I’ll never forget how cold she was, letting all of her body heat go to the granddaughter that she was protecting.
Ruaridh had decided to come down here after hearing a rumour that there was a medical group hidden in the subway tunnels.
He'd somehow found Malcolm’s sister first who had quickly given him some medicine to try for Pam. That stuff had saved her life, she had saved her life. But before Ru could say anything else, Malcolm turned up, and it all went to shit.
Ruaridh had insulted him. The fucker can be a cocky dickhead sometimes. Which, for some people, isn’t taken very well.
Most of the other groups we’ve come across hate Ruaridh. He’s half of the reason we have such a bad reputation, but I can’t criticise him. Afterall, he’s the reason we’re all alive, sleeping safe and sound at night. Hiding behind the big scary walls that he and we other Skulls built.
‘I’ll get you what you need.’ Malcolm states.
Not a fucking chance am I letting this twat even guess which is the right equipment. Even if he found me what I want I’d be half inclined to think it was broken or him touching it would infect it somehow.
‘No.’
Malcolm scowls, shifting from foot to foot as if he is weighing up his options.
I know I have him by the balls. Ruaridh said he’s all about ego, he doesn’t think situations through. Right now I am dangling Ruaridh on a stick ready for him to have. And I can tell by the hungry look in his eye, he wants Ru way more than he cares about anything I need.
Malcolm grunts, inclining his head for me to follow, and barks for his minion to come too.
I feel his glare on my back, the anger radiating off of him but the thing about growing up in the apocalypse is that I’ve seen just about it all now and some Chihuahua yapping at my heels is more entertaining than concerning.
As we walk through the carriages I become more and more impressed. Somehow, they have connected up each of the subways, ripped out the interior and replaced it with different sections.
There is no way either of these idiots managed to organise any of this and by the way they carelessly stomp through each carriage, it’s obvious they don’t care for any of it.
But I can’t help but be intrigued. Not only do they have electricity, but they also have a spotless space. It even smells clean.
Well, apart from the two accompanying me. They look like slimy bastards. Old sweat darkens Malcolm's shirt, the blue a darker shade in certain areas. Looks like he doesn’t wash his clothes either.
‘Kate,’ he shouts out as he takes a sharp turn out of one of the sliding doors.
We hop down onto gravelled flooring and into an open space littered with different subway carts.
Some are noticeably older than the others, those ones are less lit and some windows have coverings concealing whatever is inside.
The newer white ones are bright with white light illuminating the immaculate insides.
‘Where the fuck is the useless bitch. Kate!’
I have never taken kindly to men speaking poorly of women. Even when I was a kid, I’d get myself into all sorts of fights with the other lads over name-calling.
If Malcolm’s not careful, he’ll experience the same treatment.
A small head peaks up in one of the brightly lit carts. Her features strained as she searches for the man shouting. Then her gaze lands on Malcolm and I watch as her eyes hone in on him, narrowing as something passes over her face before she shakes it off and softens her features.
Hmm, strange creatures these subway people.
‘Here. Now.’ He barks and I really don’t like his tone.
Kate scrambles out of the cart and I don’t miss the way her hands tremble a little as she approaches us. Jaded eyes flick my way, taking in my masked appearance and no doubt the meaning behind it all.
The Skulls have a bad reputation around the city. There's no two ways about it. But we did what we had to do to survive, especially back a few years ago when the city was nothing but a hunting ground to destroy the weak.
I still remember the screams we would hear echoing through the night. Every now and then, there are random sounds in the night that cause me to wake. The noise often reminds me of their fear. I’ve gotten up to find at least one of the others suffering the same way I was.
But ever since Isla I’ve not had that. I've not heard them. I’ve only heard her, only thought of her and what could make her smile.
I wonder if she’s noticed my absence yet? Is it selfish of me to hope she has?
I never want her to suffer, not ever again. Even if she has noticed me not being there I hope she’s keeping herself occupied, like I know she will.
Fuck that woman’s amazing. And she doesn’t stop for a second. Her drive is admirable and her strength and courage are nothing short of an inspiration. I’ve seen her struggle, so anything I can do to help alleviate that, I have done it, just like I will continue to do until I die.
‘Yes?’ Kate asks her voice louder than I expected.
‘He wants…’ Malcolm trails off. ‘What do ye want?’
I eye him, weighing up whether I want this asshole to know my weakness.
Fuck it. I can always kill him anyway.
‘Equipment to help give birth.’ I state, watching for their reaction.
Kate surprisingly doesn’t give anything away. Schooling her features into utter blankness.
Malcolm, on the other hand, is not so secretive in his thoughts, preferring to come straight out with his useless questions.
‘What you need that for?’
‘We need to repopulate the city don’t we.’
Malcolm thinks it over then grins. ‘That’s what you’re doing behind those stadium walls?’
I don’t answer, the thought sickening me and Kate turns her back on me, disappearing into a carriage.
A hand claps my back and a whiff of sweat clings to my nostrils. ‘I didn’t take you Skulls for that type, but you never can tell what goes on behind closed doors, eh.’
I suppress a grimace reminding myself that I need them and everyone out here to think we are monsters. If they were to find out the truth the rest of our group, our family would be in danger and I can’t let that happen.
Not bothering to give the sweaty bastard a response, I step away from his grip, looking around to see where his sister had stalked off to.
She’s different, out of place somehow and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
‘How many bitches you got? Maybe I’ll rethink my price and get a night in there as well.’
I crack my knuckles, focusing on the sensation to distract me.
The idea of any outside men near my girl — or any of the others, for that matter — makes me want to crush their heads in.
And as if just in time to piss me off even further, the slimy lapdog decides to pipe up and join in with the vile conversation.
They all refer to us as the monsters. Yet whenever our behaviour is spoken of, others always want in on the action. They are always too willing to be part of the monstrosity of our reputation instead of standing up for what is right.
It's one of the strategies we have used to weasel out the sick bastards in the past. It seems that most of the evil ones, after hearing about our reputation, want to join us rather than destroy our group.
No one worth saving would ever seek us out and ask for a seat at our table without knowing the truth behind our lies.
Malcolm and his dog start up again, his vile opinions about women sending my rage boiling over the edge.
‘It’s all they’re good for, lying on their backs—’
I crush my fist straight into the side of the yappy cunts face, silencing him. His body hits the floor in a crumpled heap as he lies out cold.
The stench of sweat is on me as his idiot keeper grapples at my back. The slapping of palms against my shoulders is laughable as he tries to reach my neck.
I don’t know what he plans to do if he were to actually reach me. His pathetically small hands wouldn’t be able to wrap around enough to cause me to cough, never mind choke me.
No wonder the pathetic fucker doesn’t leave the sanctuary of the subway tunnels. He’d be eaten alive out there on topside.
Slowly, I turn, stopping as I'm face-to-face with a very pissed off Malcom.
Add being an incredibly ugly fucker to the list of reasons why he doesn’t go top side. I don’t doubt he’d cause anyone who laid eyes upon such a face to go blind with how traumatic it would be to see such an unfortunate combination of features.
‘Now, are you going to play nice. Or do I need to put you in a time out like your pup here?’
‘You’re going to regret—’
I knock him out with a quick bop to his big red nose. I mean, what other reason would there be for a guy to have such a big bullseye on his face other than to show me exactly where to aim?
On the rubble subway floor, I tower over the crumpled body of the exact person Ru told me not to go pissing off further. Ah fuck, he knows I have a short fuse for sick fucks like these — there’s no way he expected me not to cause a bit of a ruckus.
Now, where did the scientist go? Stepping over their crumpled forms, I decide to leave the honours of what to do with them to Kate. Judging by her fear reaction it may be good for her to have the decision of what to do with these disgusting fuckers.
‘So I think we got off on the wrong foot just there,’ projecting my voice I climb into the carriage I watched her get into earlier. ‘I need the birth equipment but—’
I trail off as I feel a sharp sting in the back of my neck.
What the?
I stumble forwards, knocking over a bunch of tin dishes as I fall to the ground.
The back of my head hits the metal flooring and I blink up at the beaming white lights.
Words won't form on my tongue as I lose all function of my mouth.
A figure stands above me, blocking the blinding light that stings my eyes. I blink trying to focus as my eyelids begin to droop, feeling unbelievably heavy.
She’s the same but different as she stands above me, her lips moving as she speaks.
‘I won’t let you make them suffer for your sick gain.’
I try to speak and explain that it’s all wrong. That it was an act but nothing comes out. My body is incapable of moving at all and when my eyelids close this time they do not open again.