Read Online The Undead Day Twenty by RR Haywood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: RR Haywood
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muttering as he peers round at the high hedges.
The rest stay quiet. Walking slowly past the vehicles until they reach the empty lane in front and the five bar gate standing open ahead. Maddox spots the lane veering sharply to the left and the way Charlie trots ahead to gain the view before lifting a hand with a thumbs up to the rest.
Howie leads from the front, literally moving ahead of everyone else with Dave at his side and Clarence only a few feet behind. Paula and Marcy walk in the middle, still holding the map and talking quietly.
Blowers checks the spacing between them all then looks ahead to the corner, then over to the gate and round to check behind. The hedges are thick and high, giving a sensation of being contained. He listens intently, absorbing the noises around him. As Howie goes through the gate Blowers turns to his team behind him and points at his own eyes with two fingers. He points to the gate and swings his right hand back and forth before placing both hands together as though in prayer. He pushes his hands apart, flowing out to the sides. The others nod. He points at Cookey and Nick with his right hand then at Blinky and Mo with his left. He motions to Roy, points at his own eyes then up to the corner of the lane. We go through the gate. Cookey and Nick cover right. Blinky and Mo cover left. Roy at the back to watch that corner. The whole thing is done in seconds. Understanding all round. No need for speech. Blowers faces forward, feeling Maddox watching him.
He checks the spacing again. Watching as Howie leads through the gate into the field. Clarence and Dave with him. He spots Meredith running ahead with her nose to the ground. Paula and Marcy go through. He flicks his right hand out. Cookey and Nick move to the right inside the gate. Blinky and Mo go left. Roy turns to face down the lane, an arrow already nocked in the bow. Blowers stays in the middle of the gate, staring round at the landscape.
‘Buildings,’ he whispers to Maddox. ‘Stable block there…barn there….looks like a path goes down that side to a lower field. See that gap in the hedge? Point of danger. The stable and barn are points of danger. Charlie is moving round the field to gain a view. We watch those buildings and that access gap down the bottom.’
‘What she doing?’ Maddox asks, watching the dog run with her nose seemingly glued to the ground.
‘Doesn’t matter what she’s doing,’ Blowers replies curtly. ‘We watch the points of danger…keep your eyes on that gap down there.’
‘Blood on the floor,’ Dave says, pointing at the concrete hardstanding next to a hose stretching back to the stable building.
Blowers glances over. Seeing the others cluster round the stains on the ground. In his mind they are the elders. That’s the title he attaches to them. Howie, Paula, Clarence, Dave, Marcy and Reggie. The elders. He looks back to Roy, watching as the bowman probes the inside of his mouth with his tongue, pushing his cheek out. He sees the familiar frown of worry on Roy’s face and knows that’s the thing that keeps Roy from being an elder. The man is focussed solely on his own issues. He looks at Reginald and smiles wryly to himself, seeing the struggle taking place. Reggie wants to stay close to Mo. Mo protected him yesterday, using the skills taught to him by Dave, but he can also see Reggie craning his neck to see what the others are looking at. His intellectual curiosity is too great to deny. Blowers counts in his head, getting to five before Reggie mutters something to Mo and heads off across the field towards the others.
‘I’ll er…just seeing what they have,’ Reginald says politely as he passes Blowers.
‘No worries,’ Blowers says, turning to give a quick heads up at Mo.
It’s a feeling. A sense of order and discipline. That’s what Blowers strives for. Right now, there is order and discipline. The sides are protected. The rear is safe. Charlie is ranging out. Dave is with the
The rest stay quiet. Walking slowly past the vehicles until they reach the empty lane in front and the five bar gate standing open ahead. Maddox spots the lane veering sharply to the left and the way Charlie trots ahead to gain the view before lifting a hand with a thumbs up to the rest.
Howie leads from the front, literally moving ahead of everyone else with Dave at his side and Clarence only a few feet behind. Paula and Marcy walk in the middle, still holding the map and talking quietly.
Blowers checks the spacing between them all then looks ahead to the corner, then over to the gate and round to check behind. The hedges are thick and high, giving a sensation of being contained. He listens intently, absorbing the noises around him. As Howie goes through the gate Blowers turns to his team behind him and points at his own eyes with two fingers. He points to the gate and swings his right hand back and forth before placing both hands together as though in prayer. He pushes his hands apart, flowing out to the sides. The others nod. He points at Cookey and Nick with his right hand then at Blinky and Mo with his left. He motions to Roy, points at his own eyes then up to the corner of the lane. We go through the gate. Cookey and Nick cover right. Blinky and Mo cover left. Roy at the back to watch that corner. The whole thing is done in seconds. Understanding all round. No need for speech. Blowers faces forward, feeling Maddox watching him.
He checks the spacing again. Watching as Howie leads through the gate into the field. Clarence and Dave with him. He spots Meredith running ahead with her nose to the ground. Paula and Marcy go through. He flicks his right hand out. Cookey and Nick move to the right inside the gate. Blinky and Mo go left. Roy turns to face down the lane, an arrow already nocked in the bow. Blowers stays in the middle of the gate, staring round at the landscape.
‘Buildings,’ he whispers to Maddox. ‘Stable block there…barn there….looks like a path goes down that side to a lower field. See that gap in the hedge? Point of danger. The stable and barn are points of danger. Charlie is moving round the field to gain a view. We watch those buildings and that access gap down the bottom.’
‘What she doing?’ Maddox asks, watching the dog run with her nose seemingly glued to the ground.
‘Doesn’t matter what she’s doing,’ Blowers replies curtly. ‘We watch the points of danger…keep your eyes on that gap down there.’
‘Blood on the floor,’ Dave says, pointing at the concrete hardstanding next to a hose stretching back to the stable building.
Blowers glances over. Seeing the others cluster round the stains on the ground. In his mind they are the elders. That’s the title he attaches to them. Howie, Paula, Clarence, Dave, Marcy and Reggie. The elders. He looks back to Roy, watching as the bowman probes the inside of his mouth with his tongue, pushing his cheek out. He sees the familiar frown of worry on Roy’s face and knows that’s the thing that keeps Roy from being an elder. The man is focussed solely on his own issues. He looks at Reginald and smiles wryly to himself, seeing the struggle taking place. Reggie wants to stay close to Mo. Mo protected him yesterday, using the skills taught to him by Dave, but he can also see Reggie craning his neck to see what the others are looking at. His intellectual curiosity is too great to deny. Blowers counts in his head, getting to five before Reggie mutters something to Mo and heads off across the field towards the others.
‘I’ll er…just seeing what they have,’ Reginald says politely as he passes Blowers.
‘No worries,’ Blowers says, turning to give a quick heads up at Mo.
It’s a feeling. A sense of order and discipline. That’s what Blowers strives for. Right now, there is order and discipline. The sides are protected. The rear is safe. Charlie is ranging out. Dave is with the