Life After Death (#1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

A knife stuck out rigidly from its left eye socket; Lizzie's knife. He turned to his left, in a state of shock, only able to throw a nod of thanks to the young girl, whose hand was still outstretched from throwing the knife.

"Just missed ya," she winked.

Max turned his attention back to the shop, and began to slash away with his machete. He drove it deep into the throat of one clicker in front of him whilst planting a strong kick into the chest of one to his right. The second was knocked back, toppling to the floor and taking others with him like a stack of dominoes.

He jumped towards them, swiftly pushing the sword through the rotting flesh on each of their heads, driving it deep into their brains until the gargling of blood turned to silence. Max quickly stepped back towards the shutters as five oncoming clickers encircled him. He looked back helplessly towards Lizzie, still keeping watch at the door.

It looked as if they would have to make a run for it. Max opened his mouth to urge Lizzie to run, but his foot caught one of the fallen zombies. He thumped heavily to the floor as the clickers threw themselves after him, fighting to be the first to take a bite into his warm, living flesh.

"MAX!" Lizzie screamed instinctively.

All Max could do was cover his face and wait for the pain to come. He heard the shutter doors tear open, and as he was instantly relieved that Lizzie had had the sense to save herself. Just as the first clicker leant in to clamp its rotten teeth into Max's neck, the rattling sound of gunshots filled the air and five lifeless clicker bodies collapsed on top of his powerless body.

The pile of corpses lay still for a moment, then a moment longer, before a bloodied hand burst through the sea of limbs. Max shuffled and crawled his way out from the landslide of clickers, dragging himself across the shop floor towards where Lizzie had been standing just minutes before. Still dazed and confused, Max looked up towards the one source of light shining through into the shoe store.

Lizzie was still standing there, unharmed, but surrounding her were four men. They were all dressed head to toe in army style camouflage, two holding assault rifles and two with pistols. The man nearest Lizzie had his weapon jammed into her side.

"Well, you must be Max," he said with a smile. It wasn't a warm or welcoming smile, it was a smile designed to show Max who was in charge.

"You better point that fucking gun away from her before I-" Max started to growl between gritted teeth.

"Before you what, Max?" The man hooted. "Before you overpower all four of us one by one before any of us can put a bullet between those angry eyes of yours?" he suggested.

"No, come on Max! Before you what? I really want to know!" he continued, urging a response from Max whilst hopping around excitedly.

He was a slim man, but tall; he must have at least a few inches on Max. He skin was pale and slightly yellowed, his face covered in cuts and scrapes. These wounds along with his dark stubble and deep brown eyes made him look menacing. Max instantly knew to take any threats as deadly serious.

He was still pacing around and jolting aggressively, as if he had too much excess energy. His eyes blinked around ten times the rate of a normal person, and he licked his lips between most sentences. Max took a long look around the group of men, noticing these similarities in all of them. The pale skin, the scars, the blinking, the licking of lips, the random spasms and bursts of energy. They looked psychotic. Max would have to step carefully.

"What do you want with us?" Max asked, slowly and calmly, keeping his emotions under control.

He didn't want to get these guys angry.

"No, Max. Before. You. Do. WHAT!?" The man growled, before screaming the final word inches from Max's face.

His teeth were yellowed and his gums turning a dark black colour. The smell of rot shot up Max's nostrils and he recoiled away in disgust.

"Before I do nothing. I can't do anything" Max admitted, assuming it was what he wanted to hear.

"Correct!" The man yelped with glee, clapping his hands together as he did so. He took a few steps back, his whole body shaking as he did so, his head jerking violently to the left every few seconds.

He threw his arms out to the sides suddenly and shouted, "Where are my manners? My name is Otto!" he began, taking a flamboyant bow as he introduced himself.

"My friends here are Vince, Quinn, and the charming gentleman taking care of your little friend here is Eight. Unfortunately you have stumbled upon our territory here, and you have rudely helped yourself to our things I can see," Otto rambled, gesturing towards Max's new leather jacket.

"Look...Otto... I'm sorry, we didn't know this was your...territory? We'll return what he took and be on our way, no one has to get hurt," Max pleaded, not looking at Otto has he did so but locking eyes with Lizzie to let her know she would be okay.

"Return the things they stole ay?" Eight giggled whilst looking Lizzie up and down.

"Well why don't I help you out of those stolen clothes little lady," he continued, licking his lips and tugging her jacket down off her shoulders.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Max screamed.

His voice boomed around the building, but Eight didn't flinch, merely looking directly at Max with a dirty, yellow smile whilst running his hand up and down Lizzie's arm.

"It's like you said, Max, you can't do anything," he grinned.

Eight tugged Lizzie's jacket down further and took hold of her shirt with one strong, grubby fist. Lizzie spun round instantly, planting a solid right hook onto Eight's nose. Blood spurted out from his nostrils and he stumbled backwards, dropping his gun and clutching his face. He let out a long, loud groan of pain before his eyes shot up, settling on Lizzie as if he was a lion stalking its prey.

He looked animalistic; any sense of humanity in his eyes had been lost, and his tongue slipped from his mouth to lick his lips at every chance. Then Max noticed something that sent an ice cold shiver running down the back of his spine. Eight jerked his head forward and bit the air, clicking his teeth together. Just as he moved towards Lizzie, arms reaching out to grab her, Otto blocked his path, shoving back his comrade.

"You will not harm them! Go back downstairs Eight, tell the others we've found the intruders and that they should prepare the feast for our special guests," Otto ordered, with his hands planted on each of Eight's shoulders.

"Just let me say goodbye to my little friend over here," Eight seethed, never taking his eyes off Lizzie.

Otto threw a hand out, cracking a slap across Eight's left cheek.

"You'll do as I fucking say! Now go back downstairs before I really lose my temper," Otto warned with a malicious tone.

Something changed in Eight's eyes, and he shook his head aggressively from side to side, smacking himself with his hands as if trying to get something out of his skull.

"Yes sir," he responded simply, but he was still clearly unhappy that he hadn't been given the chance to exact any revenge.

Eight slinked off into the distance and through the doors back into the main part of the shopping centre.

"Next time, Otto won't be so generous," Otto warned Lizzie, before plucking up Eight's fallen weapon and slinging it over his shoulder. "Time to get our guests down to the feast anyway," Otto grinned to his two companions.

"I don't know about you two...but Otto is starving," he giggled, flicking his eyes between Max and Lizzie.