Дэвид Уоллес - Island of Fog and Death

“It was just a story,” Amanda said, shaking her arm free. “The way tales evolve, the ‘dragon’ is just a metaphor for ‘something bad’, not actually a real monster! We want to find out what the Romans really buried.”

“Did it occur to you that that might be a bad idea?”

Amanda laughed. “After two thousand years? Don’t be ridiculous!”

Peri pointed back the way they had come. “Don’t you think there might be some connection between those bloody chain saw eel things, and the monster the Romans buried?”

Amanda made a sound that might have been a laugh. “It sounds highly bloody unlikely to me. Anyway, if they do dig out the remains of a long-dead animal – come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Peri did not answer, because she had been asking herself the same question, and had no answer. She sped up and moved in between Steve and Troy. “Guys,” she said. “I was wondering. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“One day the sun will exhaust its hydrogen…” Troy answered.

At the same time, Steve, asked, “Do you mean now , or do you mean ever ?”

“What is this – a philosophical debate?” snapped Peri. “How about we dwell on the meaning of life for a bit? Come on, fuckwits, what should we be preparing for?”

“Sorry, I’m sure,” said Steve, “But I’m a bit busy worrying about staying alive at the moment.”

“What if these things can swim? How do we protect the mainland then? What if they carry exotic diseases? Should we quarantine ourselves?” Peri shook her head. “I’d be happier if I knew what we need to do next.”

“Can we worry about that when we’re on the ferry and half-way to shore?” Steve snapped. “If that’s all right with you, of course. Now stop being a bloody distraction.”

The road broadened out into a parking area. They had arrived at the ferry.

“What was the boatman’s name again?” asked Steve.

“Bill,” supplied Troy.

“Bill! Hey, Bill! We need to move!” Steve called out. “Come on folks, get on board. Where is he? Where’s Bill?” He strode forward and stepped up onto the deck of the chain ferry.

Suddenly, Peri was blinded by a flash of light, and winded by a sudden, painful, lurch of her stomach. There was a movement in the light and a scream of pain from Steve.

“Steve!” she shouted.

Abruptly, the world swung back onto even keel, Steve was standing with one foot up on the boat, and everyone was looking at her quizzically.

“Get off the boat! Now!”

He stepped back just as something sinuous and black lunged at his leg – and narrowly missed.

“What the—” he exclaimed, jumping backwards. “They’re on the boat!”

The black thing slithered over the side and landed on the concrete ramp. It was the length of a man’s arm, glistening with slime, and rows of spines ran down its length. The head end was the size of a large fist, with what looked like eyes in a concentric ring around a gaping mouth in which rings of sharp spikes could be seen moving. It seemed to compress its own length, and then aimed itself at Steve and sprang at him.

Steve ducked and rolled to one side, and it narrowly missed him, twisting in the air and snapping as it passed. As it hit the ground and began to contract again, Troy reacted reflexively by kicking it as hard as he could. It flew across the ramp and hit the water. The creature instantly screamed and flailed its body around, trying desperately to reach the concrete ramp once again. Its spines gained traction and it hauled itself up out of the water. Gus was closest to it, and he brought his foot down hard, squishing it against the ground. They all stared – the creature seemed to be dissolving before their eyes. The spines softened and sank back into its flesh; teeth fell out; its flesh was slowly liquefying into black ooze.

“I’d say it doesn’t like water,” said Troy.

“Or being stomped on,” added Peri.

Gus and Tash were studying the remains closely. Peri heard Gus murmur, “Now that’s interesting, isn’t it Tash?” For one insane moment she thought she thought the dog might answer him.

“Troy,” said Steve with urgency in his voice. “We need to check the ferry for more of those things.” The two men clambered aboard, pistols in hand, to search.

Meantime, Peri caught a glimpse of something poking out of the grass close to the water. She moved to get a closer look, and recoiled as she recognised it as a shoe, and inside it, a foot.

“Shit! Is that Bill?” Her voice trembled.

Gus looked beyond the foot, and took in the leg, the torso and the face. “Yes,” he said tersely. “Stay well back, Peri.” Gus looked at Tash, and the dog looked at Bill without getting too close, before looking back at Gus. “He’s gone, but I think he’s infected by one of those things.”

Peri felt herself hovering on the edge of hysteria. “Tash told you that, did he?”

Gus looked at her in surprise, but said nothing.

“If he’s infected then stand well back,” said Peri. She aimed her pistol at the body, making a conscious effort to keep her feelings of panic under control. “I’ll keep an eye on him, and this flank in general. Gus, I think you better watch our backs while the guys clear the boat.”

Without looking round, she called out, “Steve! How’s the ferry?”

“So far so good,” came the reply. “Nearly done. Give us a couple more minutes.”

“Amanda! You good?” Peri asked.

“Still keeping calm,” she answered, shakily.

Steve called out, “Clear. All aboard! Next stop – sanity!” There was a pause, as they filed aboard, then Steve added, “Mind you, we need to figure out how to make this thing go.”

“I can take care of that,” said Gus. “Bill showed me before we crossed over. There is not much to it, happily.”

Troy helped with the mooring chains while Gus set the rudders, and the ferry began moving.

The chain ferry bumped against the concrete ramp and Gus and Troy grabbed the mooring chains to tie it up.

Peri turned to Steve. “Better make sure nobody tries crossing to the island,” she said.

“I want to talk to you,” he reminded her.

“Later,” she snapped. “There are more urgent things that need done.”

She looked across at Gus. “Hey!” she called. “When the boat’s secure, give that pistol back and then I want you in the Inn, right now, or even sooner than that.”

She pulled out her Sectera phone and dialled Tommy in London.

“This is Tommy,” came his voice. “Are you all right, Peri?”

“We’re on the mainland again,” she replied. “When do our reinforcements get here?”

“As soon as,” he answered. “There’s nowhere in a reasonable radius that I can get a Chinook to you, so the Aviation Wing is taking them up in Dauphins. There’s a flight based at Credenhill, so they’ll be loaded in a few minutes time with men from Credenhill and Hereford. They should be with you in less than an hour. Another two Dauphins are picking up your medics and biohazard team, no ETA on them yet. First flight in will be an operations team and some MOD police. They’re going to commandeer the police station.”

“Thanks,” she said tersely. “We’ll listen out for them. Bye, T.”

She strode purposefully into the Arwensmouth Inn, calling out the landlord’s name.

“Hello, Miss Carlton,” he said, emerging from the bar.

“Is my room ready?” she asked.

“I’ll just get the key,” he said, and disappeared for a moment while he did so.

Gus came in through the front door, Tash at his heels. Peri stabbed her forefinger in his direction.