The spread book 5 turnin.., p.1
The Spread: Book 5 (Turning Point), page 1
THE SPREAD
BOOK 5 (TURNING POINT)
IAIN ROB WRIGHT
ULCERATED PRESS
CONTENTS
FREE BOOKS
Quotes
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
CONTINUE THE STORY
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Thanks to Stephanie Hardy, David MacKinnon, and all my other trusty proof readers. You make my blemishes less unsightly.
“Health is not valued till sickness comes.”
- Thomas Fuller
“Two possibilities exist. Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”
- Arthur C. Clarke
“From the moment the invaders arrived, breathed our air, ate and drank, they were doomed.”
- Narrator, War of the Worlds (2005), Paramount Pictures
CHAPTER ONE
A curdling at the back of the throat. Thick odours mingling in the sinuses. Sweat and chemicals. Sophie opened her eyes.
Where am I?
A knife. I was stabbed.
I died. Didn’t I?
She tried to move but found her body stiff, like it was encased in setting cement. It took effort to lift her head from what felt like a cheap pillow and blink the bleariness from her eyes. Opposite, she saw an old woman sleeping fitfully in a narrow bed, a drip stand rising beside her and a tiny blinking monitor to her left.
I’m in a hospital, thought Sophie. I’m alive.
But the world has ended.
Or did I imagine it all? Please say I did.
She slid an elbow beneath herself and shuffled – painfully – up the bed. Fishhooks tore at her abdomen, yet the pain seemed somehow distant. Her body felt… dull. Had she been given pain relief?
The room she was in was cavernous, with a shiny wooden floor. A basketball hoop fastened to one wall made her realise she was lying on a trolley bed inside a gym, along with two dozen strangers. A pair of women in white tabards pottered about at the back of the room, which was an area cluttered with cheap desks and wheeled filing cabinets. Only a few of the room’s patients were on their feet, walking gingerly back and forth. All around, monitors beeped in and out of time, each keeping to their own rhythm.
“Sophie!”
Sophie jerked her head to the left, and she paid the price as a jolt of electricity shot through her neck. The pain was worth it, though, when she saw who it was running towards her. “N-Nancy? What’s happening? Where are we?”
Nancy smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. She hurried through the space between the rows of trolley beds, clutching a mug of steaming hot liquid in a trembling hand. “Everything’s fine, honey,” she said. “You were hurt, but they’ve been taking care of you here.”
“Where is here?”
“Edinburgh.”
“We made it? We made it across the border?”
“And then some. After that psychopath stabbed you” – Nancy shook her head and scowled, as if the very memory angered her – “you were in a bad way. Luckily, the army found us and brought you here. You almost died, Sophie, but…” She shook her head again, and this time it looked like she was fighting back tears. “You’ve been unconscious for three days. I’ve been so worried.”
Three days? I’ve been out for three days? “I… I’m sorry, Nancy.”
“Don’t be silly. All that matters is that you’re okay.”
Sophie felt tired in every cell of her body. She could barely believe she’d been asleep for so long. “Are things still… bad?”
Nancy sat down on the bed and offered Sophie her weak-looking tea. Sophie declined. Her throat felt swollen; her stomach was unsettled. All she wanted was to know what was going on. “Yes, things are still bad,” said Nancy, “but I don’t know how bad. From the number of patients coming through here each day, things don’t seem to be getting better, that’s for sure. Although…”
Sophie shuffled up in the bed a little more, now almost sitting. “What? What is it?”
“There’s an area everyone goes to at night to relax. I think it was an indoor market before, but now it’s a gathering square where people can get a little alcohol and junk food. Anyway, last night, a group of off-duty soldiers seemed excited about something. It sounded like good news.”
Sophie rubbed at her eyes, which were still blurry. “We can only hope. Thanks, Nancy… for staying with me. You look tired.”
“Ha! I’m beyond tired, honey. Tired was two months ago. I thought we were going to die out there on the road. Now that we’re safe and sound, I think it’s all finally caught up with me. I feel like I could sleep for a thousand years.” She covered her mouth with a fist and coughed. “Make that two thousand.”
Sophie reached out and cupped Nancy’s wrinkled hand on the bed. “How many people are in the city? Do you think Ryan and Aaron could be here? Have you found anything out?”
Nancy shook her head. “I’ve asked a dozen people about my boys, but nobody knows a thing. They say the North was completely covered by the fungus – no survivors. I hate to say it, Sophie. In fact, I can barely even think it, but—”
“Don’t give up, Nancy. We’ve made it this far. Ryan and Aaron could have, too. Ryan is strong,” she smiled, “like his mam.”
Nancy smiled back at her, but it still failed to reach her eyes, which were underscored with dark bags. She sipped her tea and let out a weary sigh. For a moment, they both just sat there in silence, listening to the beep-beep-beep of the monitors. Some of the patients appeared to be in a bad way, hooked up to ventilators and covered with wires. Others were awake, reading magazines and paperbacks. None of them were cheerful. Even if they recovered from their injuries, it wouldn’t make the situation outside any better.
“Why are these people being treated inside a gym?” asked Sophie. “Surely the city has hospitals.”
Nancy nodded. “Yes, but they’re all full. It seems half of Scotland made its way here after the invasion. You can barely move outside in the streets.”
“Invasion? Is that what they’re calling it?”
“Aliens. That’s what everyone says. Not so unbelievable at this point, is it?”
“Still, crazy to have it confirmed.”
There was a sudden kerfuffle at the far end of the gym, causing both Sophie and Nancy to turn their heads. Nancy’s expression turned grim and she put a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “You’re not going to want to watch this, honey.”
Sophie was about to ask what she meant, but then fell to silence as a pair of uniformed soldiers marched into the gym, heavy boots clomping against the wood. Their sandy-coloured trousers made it look as though they had just come from fighting in the desert, and each shouldered a combat rifle but ignored them in favour of handguns. A nurse led the soldiers over to a bed where an elderly woman was coughing and spluttering. When the patient saw the armed men approaching her, she wailed and begged. One of her flapping arms was discoloured and strangely elongated.
Without a word, one of the soldiers shot the woman in the face with his handgun. Her body slumped back against the pillow and the nurse quickly pulled a blanket over her. Blood seeped through the white linen.
Sophie covered her mouth to keep from yelping. Nancy grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, which caused a stab of pain to shoot through her abdomen, but she didn’t resist it. “Wh-What just happened, Nancy?” she whispered.
“That woman must have been infected,” Nancy whispered back. “I’ve seen it happen a dozen times. There’s no way to help the infected, and they’re a danger to everyone, so nobody takes any chances.”
“I… I understand. This is war, I guess.”
“It’s something all right.”
The soldiers marched out of the room, and the nurses started spraying the bed down with chemicals. Most of the conscious patients in the room barely reacted. It was clearly a normal occurrence.
Nancy eased Sophie back down on the pillow. “You need to get your rest, honey. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Sophie tried to get comfortable but failed. Her body was still stiff, and a cramp kept threatening to seize her calf. How long had Nancy said she’d been lying here? Three days? That was crazy. The last thing she remembered was walking through a field, then encountering a crazy cannibal who had stabbed her. Her memory was blank after that.
“Am I allowed to get out of bed?” she asked. “I… I want to stretch my legs and get some air.”
Nancy raised an eyebrow, the first expression to make it past her mouth. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t feel good just lying here. I want to move about.”
“Okay. Let me fetch a nurse.”
Sophie licked at her lips. “Water, too. Thanks, Nancy.”
“No problem. Just relax.”
Sophie settled on her pillow and stared at the high ceiling. The events of the last few months filtered through her mind. The chaos early on at the supermarket. Mike and Maisie hiding out in the woods. Her bludgeoning Jake, a boy, to death with a golf club. The nightmare had only grown worse, never better. But now… was she truly safe? Should she stay here and give up the search for Ryan? Perhaps he would find his way here.
Or is Nancy right? Are you gone, Ryan? Are you gone?
I can’t believe that. I feel you out there. I know you’re still alive.
We’re going to find our way back to each other.
Nancy returned a few minutes later with a plump Indian woman wearing a name tag reading: Shiv. She didn’t look happy about the notion of Sophie getting out of bed, but Sophie persisted until the woman agreed. First, however, she was required to have an assessment, which turned out to be a harsh groping as Shiv checked every inch of Sophie’s naked body for infection. By the time the woman was done, Sophie’s flesh was red raw. The area around her stitched-up abdominal wound was an angry purple.
“You don’t have any signs of infection,” said Shiv, sounding disturbingly close to disappointed. “I’ll get you some painkillers, but I want you back in bed in two hours. And if your stitches burst, you can bleed out, because we have none to spare.”
“You need to work on your bedside manner,” said Sophie, but the nurse didn’t dignify it with a response. She handed Sophie some painkillers in a small paper cup, while Nancy handed her some water to wash them down with. Once Sophie had swallowed the medicine, she got dressed – with Nancy’s help – and prepared to leave.
What am I doing? All that time on the road and I finally have a chance to rest…
Why am I so restless?
Sophie’s tummy turned a somersault. Inside the gym, she was a patient to be looked after, but she had no idea what to expect outside. To add to that, she was in pain, and her body was stiff. Walking around would be an ordeal, so why was she so adamant to do so.
Nancy and I stayed alive on the road because we kept moving. If we had stayed in one place, we never would have made it.
It took Sophie almost an entire minute to take her first step, and the razor blades in her abdomen took her breath away.
“Easy does it,” said Nancy, and she took Sophie under the arm, helping her to amble over to the exit, which was a set of double doors at the far end of the gym. The exit led out into a carpeted reception area with a high desk and a set of chairs arranged around a circular table. Old fitness posters hung from the walls, and a bank of empty vending machines sat against one wall. Shiny brochures littered the floor, advertising a gym that was now a makeshift hospital.
“New people flood the city every day,” explained Nancy. “Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.”
“I suppose,” said Sophie between laboured breaths, “it’s both. At least there are still people surviving. I was beginning to worry we were all that was left. Us and the lunatics.” She rubbed at her bandaged stomach where she’d been stabbed. Surprisingly, it just felt like a severe bruise.
Nancy rubbed Sophie’s arm. “You’re safe. He got what he deserved.”
“But he gave me something to remember him by, huh?”
“Or a reminder of how strong you are.”
They exited the gym building and stepped out onto a cobbled road that made up a wide thoroughfare. Food banks operated on both sides of the street, overseen by soldiers. Long lines of people trailed off in both directions. The air stank of smoke, tasted like weak vinegar.
Sophie sniffed. “I smell burning.”
Nancy wrinkled her nose. “Bodies. Rubbish. Fuel. Fires burn constantly all over the city. Keeps everyone warm, but the smell never goes away.”
“All these people lining up for food… Is there enough to feed everyone?”
“Seems to be, for now. Everyone gets a ration ticket every day that they can use whenever they want. I ate this morning. Dried noodles and this horrible strip of chewy meat. I’m hoping it was beef jerky, but I have my doubts. It wasn’t a Maccies breakfast, that’s for sure. Beats starving, though. The nurses will feed you, so you don’t need to worry about queuing up yet. In fact, you’ve got the best of it. I spent last night asleep on the floor of a public library. My back is killing me.”
Sophie stopped, out of breath, but also wanting to study Nancy. “Are you holding up okay? You look exhausted.”
“I’m doing better than most. Better than you, in fact. Why don’t we just—”
A ringing bell cut her off, a noble sound reminding Sophie of church weddings and the News at Ten. It was also jarring. “Wh-What’s that?”
“The main gates are opening,” said Nancy. “Someone’s coming in or going out.”
Sophie pictured Ryan staggering into the city and calling out her name. It was ridiculously hopeful, but she couldn’t help herself. “Do you know the way?” she asked. “I want to see.”
Nancy took her arm again and led them, cautiously, along the thoroughfare. Sophie had never visited Edinburgh before; its majesty surprised her. Every building seemed old and distinguished, witness to kings and queens and the passing of years in the hundreds. Part of the city slept upon a hill, a grey sky hanging over the angled roofs and jagged spires.
Fortunately, the city gates – which were really just a gap in a vast makeshift wall composed of razor-wire and mesh – were less than a mile from the gym, so Sophie was just about able to make it there with Nancy’s help, although the pain in her abdomen was starting to nauseate her. En route, she had seen the appalling state of the ancient city. Dishevelled, under-fed zombies slept in doorways and bus shelters, while filthy children played in streets without the eyes of parents upon them. A bleak tapestry of misery with barely a bright spark to be seen. Humanity hanging on by a thread.
Sophie bent over and took in a deep, painful breath. I know the feeling.
“Are you okay, honey?”
“Yeah, I just… maybe this was a bad idea.”
“You want to go back?”
“Not after coming all this way. I’ll be okay. Let’s just keep moving.”
“Okay, well here’s the gate,” said Nancy, and she pointed to a roll of mesh that a group of soldiers had pulled back out of the way to create a ten-foot gap across a grassy common. Outside the perimeter, multiple fires burned, sending up black clouds into a sky that had an unusual purple tint.
A small group of people approached the city gate from a straight road that cut through the park.
“Identify yourselves,” a guard demanded from a perch atop a green double-decker bus. He had a large rifle with a scope, but didn’t aim it.
“We’re survivors from Culdrake,” one of the newcomers shouted, a middle-aged man with shaggy brown hair. “The location has been abandoned. There was an attack.”
“Yes,” said the guard. “We got word of it several days ago. Other survivors have already made it here. What took you so long to reach us?”
The shaggy-haired man limped forward, a thick branch beneath his armpit being used as a crutch. Close to twenty people stood behind him on the road, most of them bandaged, shell-shocked expressions on their faces. “We’re medics,” said the man. “We stayed behind to help as many of the wounded as we could. Not that many could be helped.”
“Are any of you infected with the fungus?” the guard enquired.
“No, and that’s a miracle. When Culdrake fell, some of us camped upon the hilltop behind it so we could tend to our wounds. For several days we rested, intending to move once the fungus got too close. But then, two nights ago…” He shook his head, a smile on his face.
The guard adjusted his grip on his rifle, like it was growing heavy. “What is it, man? What are you trying to say?”
