Zombie Business

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As I stare hopelessly at the raised bar, bitterly waiting for the end, cursing this sickening twist of fate, there's a flash of movement and something small hurls itself at Ossie. His face is obscured by a shimmering ball of white and red. He falls away with a yell, the crowbar and torch dropping from his fin gers, hammering at whatever has attached itself to his head.

'Ossie!' Glenn screeches. 'What's going on?'

Muffled screams are Ossie's only response. He thrashes around, blood spraying from his shredded cheeks, tiny hands ripping away at his flesh, razor sharp teeth cutting in deeper.

Glenn curses and pushes me aside. He dives for the crowbar, picks it up and strikes at the creature attack ing his partner. Unfortunately for Glenn and Ossie, it smoothly pushes itself clear as the bar swings in.

Instead of clobbering his assailant, the bar smashes into the side of Ossie's head, and he falls to the floor, a silent heap.

'Oh no,' Glenn moans. 'Sorry, Ossie, I didn't mean to-'

Before Glenn can complete his apology, he's attacked. His face becomes the centre of a ball of moving white, glints of red among the paleness. He screams and begs for mercy, but he's wasting his breath. I've identified his foe and I know that mercy isn't in its nature.

Glenn's throat is soon ripped open and he's dead long before his attacker finishes with him and leaps aside, leaving him to collapse in a heap beside his unconscious friend.

The killer returns to Ossie and chews through his throat, then sticks a small hand up his neck and inside his head, yanking out bits of his brain, making sure he doesn't spring any surprises or send word of what happened back to base. It does the same thing with Glenn, taking no chances.

Then it turns to face me and glides closer. A tiny The baby cuddles up to me and hugs my left arm. Then it reaches up and tenderly strokes leaves a wet red smear behind. my cheek. It

'i stopped the bad men hurting you mummy.

'Yes,' I sob, clutching Holy Moly tight. Thank you.'

'don't be sad mummy. you're safe now. i'll look after you.

I'm not used to having one of the babies speak to me directly, as an individual. Normally it's always we, not I.

Are you alone?' I ask.

'no,' the baby cackles. 'silly mummy. i'm with y you. I smile. 'I meant are any of the other babies with you?'

oh. no. i came by myself, we were worried about you mummy'

I squeeze Holy Moly tighter, then release the sweet but deadly infant and wipe some blood from its fore head and chin. 'You'll need to wash when you get back. You're dirty.'

it's only blood mummy,' the baby says, then sucks a drop from its fingertip. 'yummy. but not as yummy as yummy mummy.'

'You little charmer,' I murmur, pushing myself to my feet. I gaze at the corpses and wince. Glenn and Ossie had been all set to kill me, but they weren't the most ruthless villains I've come across. I wish we could have spared them.

'How did leave a trail?' you find me?' I ask Holy Moly. 'Did I

'no,' the baby says. we can always find mummy.' It taps the side of its head.

The b****y telepathic link that Owl Man told me about! The babies have always been able to find me, shadowing me for much of my childhood, keeping tabs on me from a distance. Does that mean that Mr Dowling can follow me too, since we now share a link like the one I have with the babies?

'no mummy,' Holy Moly says, reading my troubled thoughts. that's not the same as our link. daddy can't search for you that way.

'That's a relief,' I mutter, though I don't suppose it makes a difference. He'll simply tag along after the others when they come looking for me.'

'they won't do that,' the baby says. 'i'm the only one who's coming to help mummy. only me. only holy moly'

It's the first time I've heard the baby use the name I gave it. I ruffle the sinister child's hair, feeling bizarrely proud, then sigh. The rest of them will search for me when Daddy tells them to,' I note glumly.

The baby shakes its head. he did ask them. he roared at us.' Holy Moly looks rueful. 'naughty daddy he shouted. scared his little babies. mummies and dad dies should be nice all the time."

'Not in this world," I say darkly, remembering my own brute of a father. 'So you're telling me you guys refused to help the clown find me?"

Holy Moly nods firmly. 'daddy wanted to kill mummy we could see it in his head. we won't help him do that, the same way we wouldn't let you kill him. we love our yummy mummy'

I grin savagely, imagining how furious Mr Dow ling must have been when his beloved creations rejected his orders. And he wouldn't have been able to reason with or threaten them. The babies are a law unto themselves, exactly the way he made them.

daddy sent his other friends after mummy instead," Holy Moly continues. we knew they'd kill mummy if they caught her. some of us said it would serve her right for hurting daddy. but we didn't mean it. we all love you mummy.'

'Did the other babies send you to help me?" I ask.

'no' Holy Moly says. 'i came because i wanted to. i often go off by myself that's how the bad people caught me and did this."

The baby points to the hole in its head, reminding me of the time when my friend Timothy first intro duced me to his incredible find. He'd discovered the baby on a street, speared through its skull, immobile and defenceless. We never did find out who attacked it. I could ask now, but this isn't the time for such

enquiries. 'I need to get back to the city,' I tell Holy Moly. 'Can you help me?'

"easy,' the baby says confidently.

'It could be dangerous,' I warn. 'If Daddy's forces spot us, they might punish you for helping me.'

they won't find us,' Holy Moly says. i can see in the dark better than they can. i can go places they don't know about. The baby squeezes my hand. 'i'll look after you mummy. i'll keep you safe. i'm a good baby i am?'