The Reaper Series (Book 2): Reapers Isle Read online

  Jolly Green

  Second Book in the Reaper Series

  By Justin Gowland

  Justin Gowland

  Copyright Justin Gowland 2014

  Published at Smashwords

  ISBN: 9781310283642

  Disclaimer

  All characters contained herein are fictional and all similarities to actual persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Places and information while some may be real have been altered for the story and should be taken as such.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my loving wife, who sick of my moaning, bullied me into writing my first book London Bites. Then she convinced me into rewriting it as a trilogy. So ladies and gentlemen sit back, have a coffee (or a tea) and read my second book.

  Chapter One

  It was early in the morning and I had finally convinced my nurses (Becky and Maddie who could be a right pain in the arse.) that I was able move around without constant supervision. My side was starting to heal and we hoped that I had gotten rid of the infection that the Reaper had given me. (tell you the truth, having two women bed bath me gave me a smile and something else, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

  This morning I was going to go downstairs, make a cup of tea and sit outside and watch the sun rise over our little hideout. Rees had made a go of trying to secure the cottage and the land round it, I have to say he never said no to anyone who asked him to do something. He, Becky and Marc had made a couple of runs to the Sainsbury’s supermarket where I had got injured. Of course, as soon as they got back from their first trip. Rees decided that it was time to take the piss, because he had seen the size of the Reaper that had managed to injure me. It lasted a full two days, I was called everything from the ‘Blob Killer’ to ‘Blobs best mate’. I just grinned and bared it knowing that it wouldn’t be long before he lost interest.

  Getting to the bottom of the stairs I walked down the hall to the kitchen, opening the door light spilled out into the dark hallway. Looking inside I could see the large back of Rees leaning over the counter.

  “Oi, fat boy, what you doing?” I said.

  Turned round and looked down at me. (not hard considering he’s a frikken monster.)

  “Hey Walker good morning to you as well. Do your nurses know that you are up and about? Or did you shit the bed?”

  “Ha, funny fucker, make my cup of tea and shut up.”

  Laughing, he turned and got another cup from the shelves and started to make my cup of tea. I moved to one of the chairs in the kitchen and sat down, and looked out the window at the garden that Becky had planted. Looking at it, I saw a lot of new shoots and they were growing quickly. Rees put the cup down on the table and pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down. Lol the chair even creaked as he put his weight onto it.

  “So, Walker what are you going to be doing today?” he asked.

  “To tell you the truth, I was going to sit and have this cuppa then have a walk round. Why you are thinking of doing something daft?”

  “Me do something daft, you know me too well. I wanted to go and get some stuff to make shutters for the windows. They are quite deep set but they are still single glazed. That Homebase store should have what I want. I just need someone equally daft to come help me get it.” He said looking at me.

  “Fine, but if Maddie or Becky catches us before we leave it was all your idea, you ok with that?”

  “I suppose, we better get a move on before they wake up. I’ll get the rifles, better for us than the shotguns and I’ll sort out some grub as well.”

  “Considering we are getting stuff to shutter the windows, we better take the Land Rover rather than the horses. Plus, I don’t think my side would be up to riding anyway. Right if you get the gear sorted, I’ll quickly go get my boots and jacket from upstairs.”

  I left Rees to get the rifles and food sorted and went upstairs to my room and sat on the edge of my bed and put my boots on, grabbing my jacket from the back of the chair I went into the hallway. I was about half way down the hall when Ollie’s door opened and his head popped out through the gap.

  “Hi Jay, what you doing?” he asked.

  “Nothing little man just off for a walk with Rees, I need to get the extra exercise, I have been sitting or lying down for quite a while. Why don’t you get back to bed the sun isn’t up yet.”

  He yawned and nodded, but as he was pulling the door shut, Ghost slipped through the opening to come and stand at my side wagging his tail. Ollie closed the door and Ghost, looked at the door and then at me. I swear the look on his face said ‘Your sneaking out and I want in.’ I stroked his head and we head down the stairs and out the front door to the yard.

  Rees already had the shed doors open and had put our gear in the back and one of the rifles in the front with me. I walked over to the drivers side and Rees just looked at me, with a shrug I changed direction and walked over to the passenger side, opened the door and Ghost jumped inside. Climbing in beside Ghost I waited as Rees squeezed his bulk into the driver’s seat.

  “You know it might help if you either moved the seat back of lost some weight!” I said laughing at his discomfort.

  “Walker do you want to be laid up in bed again, cause your going the right way about it, numb nuts.” He said as he grunted, moving the seat back on the runners.

  “Let’s get going mate before Maddie gets up. She usually comes to check on me round about now.” I said.

  He started the engine which caused various lights in the cottage to come on. Rees pulled out the shed and started out of the yard when the door to the cottage flew open and Becky was standing with a shotgun over her arm. About two seconds after that Maddie was standing beside her. I leaned out the passenger window as we went past and waving with a daft grin on my face, I hadn’t felt this good in days. (yeah, I was fucked when I got back it was worth it.)

  Just as we got to the main road there was a click and a hiss of a radio. It was then that a portable radio nearly knocked me out as it flew from where Rees was sitting. I picked it up and keyed the talk button.

  “Good morning, this is your early morning wake up call.” I said into the mic.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” said a female voice.

  “Oh, hi Becky how are you this fine and wonderful morning?”

  Rees was grinning his head off in the driver’s seat.

  “Never mind how am I doing this morning. Where are you going and what the fuck for?” she said

  “Well, we thought that some shutters where needed for the windows of the cottage making it a little more secure. So we are going to get some supplies from Homebase, so that’s where we are going.” I replied.

  “You do know that you’re still recovering from the last time you were up there?” said another female voice. (ah, Maddie was on, nice trying to play the guilt card, but it’s not going to work today.)

  “I’m…. skizzzt…..buzzz….you’re breaking……tzzzzt.” I said, smiling at Rees, who was trying his hardest not to laugh.

  “Don’t you play them games with me Jay, I know you can hear me and I am going to be pissed…..” and that was when I turned the radio off.

  I will say one thing about acting like a little kid, it puts a happy glow on the day. Even if it means I get my arse handed to me when I get back (an image of Maddie smacking my arse just flew through my brain, nice!). I sat for about five minutes with the daftest grin on my face that Rees started to look worried.

  We continued down the road till we got to the last roundabout before the shopping center, Rees, then pulled the car over and turned the engine off. I looked through the windscreen at the shopping center and as far as I could see noth
ing had changed since the last time I was here with Becky.

  “Walker, the Reapers have started coming here more and more since the last time you were here. I think they know on some level that we have been coming here to raid the supermarket for food. The last time we came your mate the Blob had been fed on by either the Reapers or something else.” Rees lets me know.

  “Ok, so that just means we have to be careful, plus we don’t need to go to the supermarket only Homebase. The good news is that we have a way in from when Becky and I were here. If we can reverse back to the hole we made, then we are laughing.” I replied.

  “Dude, when we get near the hole you’re going to have to get out and watch me reverse up.”

  He starts the engine and we pull away and into the car park, about halfway across I hear the keening sound that means Reapers are hunting nearby over the sound of the engine. Pulling up outside the doors to Homebase, I open the door and pull a rifle out. Checking to make sure it is loaded, I grab a handful of bullets from a box on the dashboard. Ghost jumps down and sniffs the air and looks from side to side.

  Crossing the pavement, I walk to the hole in the fence that Becky made when I got away from here the last time. Looking round to make sure that the coast was clear, I put my hand up and indicated for him to reverse. Crunching of the gears was so loud that I flinched and looked around some more. I heard the keening again and this time it sounded quite near to the shopping center. Rees had the Land Rover about two feet from the fence when I spotted the first Reaper come through the bushes.

  There they go again with the meerkat impression again, standing on his tip toes looking round. The thing that was interesting about him was that he was totally naked. (not a stitch, not even any hair. Yeah, even his ding dong, errrgh!)

  Putting the rifle to my shoulder I took aim through the sight and I tell you that even from the distance I was at those things are getting slowly worse. The gray skin was now a sort of scale that overlapped from the shoulders down. The clawed hands hadn’t changed in any way that I could see. But the eyes seemed to glow more and had the look of pure cunning.

  Rees turned the engine off and as soon as he did the Reaper turned his head our way. Its eyes narrowed and it tilted his head back and uttered the keening sound, which was matched by more keening, then four more Reapers walked out the bushes. If I hadn’t faced that fat Reaper on my own, I would have probably pee’d myself. Rees climbed out with his rifle and we stood side by side and watched to see what would happen next. Each of the Reapers in turn sniffed the air and then crouched down and bared their teeth. As the last bent down there was a crack and its head snapped back and it crumpled to the floor. I looked to my side and I could see Rees cocking his rifle for another shot.

  Not to be outdone, I aimed and fired, now I have been out the Army awhile, so I wasn’t expecting a worthwhile shot, but I managed to surprise myself when the round took the Reaper in the throat. She raised her claws as the black blood spurted from the wound, all down her front. I moved to take my next shot and found my next target at about eight feet and closing fast, I fired a snap shot which caught it him on the shoulder and span him to the floor. Flipping back up it hissed and started toward me again, I was about to shoot when it’s right eye disappeared in a gout of black blood.

  Looking around for a target, but they were all down and Rees was climbing into the back of the Land Rover heading toward the back door.

  Chapter Two

  I yelled at him “Oi fucker, did you take my last kill?”

  He just looked me straight in the eye, grinned and flipped me off. I just shook my head, climbed in the passenger side with Ghost following, then I took my time climbing over the front seats into the back and out the door.

  Climbing out the back door Rees is standing looking round the fenced yard at the fence panels, piles of sand and stones. Ghost pushes past my legs and goes to have a good sniff round, I watch as he disappears round a stack of fence panels. Walking with the rifle in my shoulder, but pointing down at the ground, I walk slowly round the yard.

  I ask “Rees, you think everything you need is in here?”

  “I am thinking that some of those fence panels will do, but we have a problem. We can’t get them through that hole in the fence and it is too high to push them over, so getting them out is going to be a pain in the arse.”

  “If we made the hole bigger then we would be able to get them through, but the problem we have with that is if we need to do this again the Reapers have an easier chance of getting at us. There seems to be a big gate back here in the corner for deliveries. Lets try and find a way to open it.”

  We walked across the yard and were about halfway there when Rees suddenly let out a howl “What the fuck! The end of the world and I step in dog shit. Ghost you filthy bloody animal.”

  I started laughing and Ghost crept out from behind a pile of slate and sat next to me with his tongue hanging out and his breath huffing in and out, like he was laughing. Which of course sets me off even more. Rees spun round and glared at us both, but because he was standing on one leg waving the other around like a loon. I was bent over at the waist, laughing so hard my side started to hurt and I had to lean against a display shed r I would have been on the floor. After a few more minutes and curses from Rees, I had managed to calm myself enough to stand.

  Walking over to the gate I saw that it was a large sliding gate on rollers, it was fastened at one end with a large padlock and one of the thickest chains I have seen. We weren’t going to be able to cut through that with bolt cutters, so we had to find the key.

  “Rees, we are going to have to go inside and find the key if we are going to use this gate.” I said.

  “Ok, how did you and Becky get in the last time?”

  “There is a door back near to where we came in, but with your fat arse, I don’t think we are going to be able to get you in through it.”

  “What is it with my arse? Are you starting to bat for the other side? You know if you are that would give me a clear shot at Maddie.” He replied with a sly smile.

  “Yeah, like she would want someone with a brain the size of a walnut. Come on funny boy lets see if we can get the door forced open.”

  We walked over to the door and had a look, I was right there was no way that we were going to get Rees through that hole.

  “Rees mate do me a favor stand away a little, you smell like dog shit!” I said giggling.

  “Walker you know, don’t quit your day job to become a comedian cause you are crap mate.” He said over his shoulder as he walked to the door and tried to pull the two apart.

  I could hear the grinding sound of the doors as they slowly pushed to the sides. Not for the first time I am amazed at Rees and the strength he has. He would frighten any new members to our squad when we were in the Army and from the looks of him I would think he had got bigger with age rather than lose the bulk.

  After about ten minutes of him pushing and grunting (heh, pushing and grunting lol. Yeah childish, but what you gonna do?) he had managed to open a gap wide enough for him to turn sideways and squeeze through. Ghost slipped in behind him and I followed and just happened to look down. There on the floor leading away from the broken pane me and Becky had used to get in and out, was a small trail of the blackish blood that the Reapers had.

  Tapping on Rees’s shoulder, I pointed down at the trail of blood and we both raised the rifles and started looking round. I pointed at myself then at the Customer Service desk, then at him, I lifted two fingers and indicated an arc of aim. He nodded and went to one knee and lifted his rifle to his shoulder and stared covering the area.

  I climbed over the desk and started to look for anything that looked like it might be the key to the gate. Looking under the desktop there wasn’t anything to indicate where the key could be. Behind the desk was a door leading to a small office, lifting my rifle to my shoulder I approached the door and stood to one side a pushed it gently. It swung partly open and Ghost nudged my leg and slipped t
hrough the gap. Pushing the door open more I went inside and my nose was assaulted with the smell of meat that had gone off and left to rot.

  Sat inside the small office behind a desk in a large office chair was a body. He must have been here since the first day, his skin had started to split from the build up of the gases that come with a decaying body. From the looks of things he had taken his life with a box cutter, he had slit his wrists and had done it by slicing up his arms and bleed out onto the office floor. There was a large pool of dried blood, in which the chair was sat. There was a filing cabinet in the corner and the thing that caught my eye was a small box on the wall above it. I edged round the room to the box, I saw that it needs a key. Bloody hell, why does everything need a key, and I knew that I was going to have to search the corpse to find it.

  Walking round the edge of the desk, I pushed the chair back from the desk with my foot, turning it so the body was facing me. Standing looking at the body I could see that he had probably either shit or pissed himself as he died. Mind you, looking at the size and shape of the stain his pants he probably did both.

  Right might as well get this over and done with. I bent down and patted the trousers around the pockets and didn’t feel anything that could have been a set of keys. Well, that was a relief, I don’t have to go sticking my hands in his pockets. Turning the chair round so I could check his back pockets, I see a one of those retractable key ring things hooked onto his belt. (score.) Snatching it off his belt, I went through the keys and found one that said gate on a tag, my luck just got even better. (of course that never lasts for me.)

  A shot rings out from the store’s main floor, then Rees bellows “Walker, targets out here about twelve and they are heading straight for us.”

  I rushed out the room and took shelter behind the Customer Service desk and looked out over the area in front. I saw four on the stairs leading to the landing where Becky and I had stayed when I first got injured. Then I saw a few in the aisles, but from where I was I could only see a few.