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Book: Beneath the Flesh: They kept all the demons out … except one by Alex Kings
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Authors: Alex Kings
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presence in her mind skitter about for a moment, then settle down to the point she could ignore it.
“What was that?” said Luke.
Jess put the gun and the flashlight back on the table. She took a deep breath and rolled on her back she she wasn't facing away from him, even though they could still see each other.
At last, she decided on what to say: “This isn't the place to talk about it.”
“Where are we going to talk about it, then?”
“When we get home.”
“Really? When have we talked about it before?”
Jess said nothing.
“Jess, we never talk about it. Not properly …”
“It's happened before,” she said. Better to admit it now than have it prised out of her, she thought.
“How long?” Luke's voice in the dark was soft, almost a whisper, but not because he was afraid of being overheard.
“Since I saw the … the spider-legs?”
“Yeah.”
“A few days. I saw them just before you told me about the plan to come here.”
“Alright.”
She reached over with her left hand and took his hand. He squeezed back, but it didn't feel right.
“Why didn't you tell me before?”
“What good would it have done? You'd have just worried about it.”
“I deserve to know.”
Jess pulled her hand away. “Oh, do you? Do you really? Why is that? I never asked for all this help you're giving me. I just want to be useful. I …”
Luke waited for her to finish.”
“I don't want to be this … this pathetic and helpless little thing, do you understand? That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want to be told again how unlucky I was, and how brave I was being. Do you understand?”
A pause.
“I guess so.”
That was a no, Jess thought. But she didn't bother to push forward with it.
She felt the presence crawling about in her head again. She didn't plan to tell Luke about that, either, but it did remind her of something.
“What happened with Eric …” she said. “That's worse than being turned into a runner. And it's what's happening to me. Different infection, yeah, but same sort of thing. I don't want to end up like that. You hear me?”
“I know,” said Luke. “You won't. We'll find a way to cure you.”
“And if you don't?”
“We will!”
“That's not good enough. If it gets too bad, Luke, I want you to kill me.” She stopped him as he was about to speak. “I mean it! I'm scared. I really fucking am. Not of dead. Well, not just death, but of being helpless like that. You have to promise, if the operation doesn't work, if things get too bad, you …”
A moment of silence in the darkness. “If everything fails, if absolutely everything fails, I'll do it.”
“That's all I need.”
After that, the conversation fell away. They were both still silent. Jess realised she was crying. She rubbed away the tears with the back of the hand and hoped it wouldn't still be visible in the morning. In her head, the presence shifted briefly, then fell silent.
Chapter 13
Foxglove Compound was built around one of the satellite towns of Bridgham. At first glance, it seemed much the same as Paradise Compound: Large walls topped with barbed wire (though here there were gun-towers too), a welcoming committee of heavily armed guards as the van rolled in.
The guards kept their guns ready even as Richard and the drivers exited the van. It wasn't until a few seconds later, when voice from across the loading area called out, “At ease!”, that they stopped.
The loading area looked like it had originally been a car park. Now a high wire fence surrounded it. On the far side of the car park, hiding in salvage-made garages, four vehicles were waiting. Two vans, more heavily armoured than even Paradise's. And next to them, the tractor units for trucks.
The owner of the voice strode towards them. He looked like the sort of person Richard wouldn't want
“What was that?” said Luke.
Jess put the gun and the flashlight back on the table. She took a deep breath and rolled on her back she she wasn't facing away from him, even though they could still see each other.
At last, she decided on what to say: “This isn't the place to talk about it.”
“Where are we going to talk about it, then?”
“When we get home.”
“Really? When have we talked about it before?”
Jess said nothing.
“Jess, we never talk about it. Not properly …”
“It's happened before,” she said. Better to admit it now than have it prised out of her, she thought.
“How long?” Luke's voice in the dark was soft, almost a whisper, but not because he was afraid of being overheard.
“Since I saw the … the spider-legs?”
“Yeah.”
“A few days. I saw them just before you told me about the plan to come here.”
“Alright.”
She reached over with her left hand and took his hand. He squeezed back, but it didn't feel right.
“Why didn't you tell me before?”
“What good would it have done? You'd have just worried about it.”
“I deserve to know.”
Jess pulled her hand away. “Oh, do you? Do you really? Why is that? I never asked for all this help you're giving me. I just want to be useful. I …”
Luke waited for her to finish.”
“I don't want to be this … this pathetic and helpless little thing, do you understand? That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want to be told again how unlucky I was, and how brave I was being. Do you understand?”
A pause.
“I guess so.”
That was a no, Jess thought. But she didn't bother to push forward with it.
She felt the presence crawling about in her head again. She didn't plan to tell Luke about that, either, but it did remind her of something.
“What happened with Eric …” she said. “That's worse than being turned into a runner. And it's what's happening to me. Different infection, yeah, but same sort of thing. I don't want to end up like that. You hear me?”
“I know,” said Luke. “You won't. We'll find a way to cure you.”
“And if you don't?”
“We will!”
“That's not good enough. If it gets too bad, Luke, I want you to kill me.” She stopped him as he was about to speak. “I mean it! I'm scared. I really fucking am. Not of dead. Well, not just death, but of being helpless like that. You have to promise, if the operation doesn't work, if things get too bad, you …”
A moment of silence in the darkness. “If everything fails, if absolutely everything fails, I'll do it.”
“That's all I need.”
After that, the conversation fell away. They were both still silent. Jess realised she was crying. She rubbed away the tears with the back of the hand and hoped it wouldn't still be visible in the morning. In her head, the presence shifted briefly, then fell silent.
Chapter 13
Foxglove Compound was built around one of the satellite towns of Bridgham. At first glance, it seemed much the same as Paradise Compound: Large walls topped with barbed wire (though here there were gun-towers too), a welcoming committee of heavily armed guards as the van rolled in.
The guards kept their guns ready even as Richard and the drivers exited the van. It wasn't until a few seconds later, when voice from across the loading area called out, “At ease!”, that they stopped.
The loading area looked like it had originally been a car park. Now a high wire fence surrounded it. On the far side of the car park, hiding in salvage-made garages, four vehicles were waiting. Two vans, more heavily armoured than even Paradise's. And next to them, the tractor units for trucks.
The owner of the voice strode towards them. He looked like the sort of person Richard wouldn't want
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