Ice-Age 25

[Guest guest]

ICE-AGE

By Andy Savage

http://www.andysav.free-online.co.uk/zine.htm

 

Previous chapters at:uniquethings/

 

Chapter 25

Device’s grinning face emerged from the dark. He swiftly stepped out of the room, grabbed hold of Linda’s ankles and began dragging her inside, leaving behind a smeary trail of blood, " Don’t just stand there, Dave! " he grunted, " Get in here before someone comes along! "

Dave was totally horror-struck. He did not know what to do. His head was spinning with shock. He did not want to believe that Linda was dead, but when he looked down and saw the contorted remains of her spattered head disappearing through the door, it left no scope for any hope.

Simon clung desperately to his father. Dave’s first instinct was to get his son as far away from here as he could, but he knew that without Linda, they would certainly be recaptured. As much as he detested Device right now, ending up back in Herod’s hands was unthinkable. So slowly, almost like some macabre funeral procession, he and Simon followed Linda’s lifeless body into the cluttered, murky storage room.

" Well you could give us a hand! " huffed Device, " She’s sodding heavy! "

Dave looked at him in unbounded disbelief, " I’ll never forgive you for this! " he said bitterly.

" She was scum! " answered Device, now letting go of Linda’s legs so they flopped to the floor with a thud, " She would have thought nothing of killing you! "

" She had just brought my boy to me! We were going to leave this damn place and start a new life together! "

Device laughed disdainfully, " She was using you, " he said, " She only cared about herself! "

Dave shook his head in disgust, " You bastard! "

" You’ll soon forget her! " replied Device, and he hopped over Linda’s prostrate body to the door.

" I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear your voice a minute ago, " said Dave wretchedly, " Now I wish it was you who was dead! "

" She had to be executed! " responded Device coldly. He then bolted the door shut. Everything went pitch-black. From somewhere at the far end of the room, the dogs started barking again.

" Executed? " shouted Dave angrily, " You murdered her! "

" No I didn’t! " replied Device.

" Yes you did! " repeated Dave.

A row of dim lights in the ceiling flickered on, and the dogs quietened. " No he didn’t! " came a new, but disturbingly recognisable, voice from out of the gloom, " I murdered her! "

Dave shuddered. He was confused but he sensed he was in deep danger, " Who’s there? " he gasped.

Device smiled, stooped down and lifted Linda’s leaking corpse up over his shoulder, " Somebody I’d like you to meet, " he said, " Who’ll tell you all about your precious Linda! "

Dave and Simon followed Device as he lugged the body over to a small, dusky alcove, about halfway down the room, enclosed by stacks of cardboard boxes. Waiting there was a huge, bold headed man, dressed all in white, leaning against a large, open, wooden crate. Dave instantly knew who he was. He gripped Simon tightly.

Device puffed as he carried Linda over to the crate, " Fat cow! " he muttered, and the bold headed man beamed.

Dave was only just coming to terms with what had happened, and he was grief stricken, " She doesn’t deserve this! " he cried, " She came and rescued me and my son! "

Device rolled his eyes and tutted, " I hadn’t forgotten about you, Dave, either! I would have come and saved you myself when the time was right, " he said, " Anyhow, let me introduce you to a friend of mine, " he continued, " Meet Big Barry! "

The giant man held out his right hand to shake, but Dave glared daggers at him. He noticed that there were three blue stripes painted on his fat face, " He looks like on of those stupid cannibals! " he remarked with revulsion.

" That’s because he is a stupid cannibal! " grinned Device, tipping Linda into the crate, " And here’s his dinner! "

Dave was appalled, " There’s no way is this freak laying a finger on her! " he shouted.

" But it’s about time the girl came in useful! " said Device.

" I mean it! " roared Dave furiously, " You leave her alone! "

" Don’t worry yourself, mate, " said Barry, merrily spitting onto the floor, " I’ve long since given up eating people, and anyway, I wouldn’t touch that slag with a barge pole! I reckon I’d choke on her! "

Device laughed.

Dave considered Big Barry further, " You’re not the one who shot her? " he said, " It wasn’t your voice I just heard? "

" No, I didn’t shoot her, " said Big Barry, " I never get given the tasty jobs! "

" Then who the hell did! " snarled Dave, anxious to know who he was dealing with.

Some clumping footsteps approached from the bottom of the room where the dogs were, and a tall, blond, muscular man arrived in the alcove, flaunting a pistol, " I did! " he proudly declared.

" Kier! " said Dave, like it was a dirty word, " Of course, it had to be! You three have been together all along, haven’t you? "

" We have been acquainted for a little while, " replied Kier, " I shan’t deny it. "

" I was told you had thrown Device on the fire, " said Dave, " And that you, " he continued, pointing at Big Barry, " Had a broken arm! "

Kier, Big Barry and Device looked at each other and burst out laughing, " And who told you that? " said Kier.

Dave paused a moment, then said, " Linda. "

" Just goes to show what a liar she was! " crowed Device.

" Pardon me, but I’m a bit confused, " said Big Barry, " Just who is Linda, exactly? "

" Kerry! " answered Device, " Kerry’s real name was Linda, wasn’t it Dave? Dave knew her since before the snow time. "

Dave stared wrathfully at Kier, " You’ve murdered someone very special to me, " he fumed.

" Maybe she was all right, once, " said Kier, " But people change. The snow has changed a lot of people, turned a lot of people into nasty pieces, and I’m telling you, Dave, Kerry was one of the nastiest! "

" Yeah, Herod was once a milkman! " said Big Barry jovially.

" Kier’s telling you the truth, " said Device, " He’s seen Linda in action. "

" What kind of action? " said Dave sceptically.

" You name it, she did it, " said Kier, " Robbing, murdering, kidnapping - she could even have been one of the team who snatched your kid! "

Dave glanced down at his son, " Is that true, Simon? Was Linda one of those who kidnapped you? "

The boy looked up with a frightened face and shook his head.

" Was she ever nasty to you in any way? " continued Dave.

" No, " replied Simon, " She was nice. She asked who I was, and when I told her, she brought me to you! "

" Then your boy was one of the lucky ones! " said Kier, looking a bit embarrassed, " Because believe me, Kerry was a nutter! She was always vanishing from the city for days on end. She just wanted to shoot arrows at people all the time. She’d always bring some poor sod back with her, like she did with you. She liked to make Herod jealous. You were just a toy! "

Dave was determined not to believe him. He wanted instead to hate Kier forever for what he had done. So he turned his attention to Device and asked, " How many more children are prisoners here? "

Device shrugged as if he could not care less.

It was Kier who answered the question, " At the moment, about a hundred, " he said, sounding quite ashamed, " Over the past two or three years, who knows, well over a thousand, easily. "

Dave was revolted. He looked Kier in the eye, " And how many of those have you snatched? " he said.

Kier nodded, " My fair share, " he admitted.

Dave felt Simon pulling his sleeve, and then the boy said, " They make you dig under the snow! "

" The children get sold to anyone who comes up with the readies, " explained Kier, " But in the meantime we make them work. We’re always expanding the city, so there’s always plenty of ice to dig. Kids can fit down some pretty small holes. "

" How can anyone do that to children? " said Dave in repulsion.

" Not everyone likes way the city is run, Dave. That’s why Kerry had to die. That’s why they all have to die! " said Kier.

Dave was not convinced. There was no way he was going to soften his attitude towards Kier, and he felt that none of them could be trusted. He scowled at Device and said, " So what’s your part in all of this? "

Device paused awkwardly, " Like I told you, I’m a trader, " he answered.

" I know that, " said Dave, not at all satisfied with Device’s reply, " But how long have you known Kier and Big Barry? "

" Device has sold us a whole lot of bullets, " revealed Kier, " Everyone has guns, but bullets these days are like gold dust. "

" So when did you sell them these bullets? " asked Dave.

Again, Device wavered, " At the fire, " he said, " I made a bargain. They got bullets, I got to live. "

Dave could tell he was lying, " Tell me the truth, Device! Kier and Big Barry never intended to kill you, did they? " he said, " You’ve known them all along, haven’t you? "

Device, Kier and Big Barry looked at each other, but said nothing.

There was a nasty feeling in Dave’s stomach, " Look, I don’t care anymore, " he said, " I just want to get Simon safely out of here. There’s a dog sleigh over there ready to go, and we’re leaving on it! "

Device quickly stood in his way, " But we made a deal, Dave, remember? " he said.

" What deal? " said Dave.

" We agreed that if I helped you get Simon back, then you would help me. "

" Come off it! " said Dave, " It was Linda who rescued Simon, not you! "

" But it was me who saved your life, Dave. It was me who led you here. You owe me for that. "

Deep down, Dave did still feel indebted to Device, as much as he disliked it, and he did remember the deal, " So what do you want? " he reluctantly said.

Device’s face lit up, " In a few hours time we’re going to seize control of the city, " he replied.

" There’s going to be one hell of a battle! " enthused Big Barry.

" A lot of people will die! " said Kier.

" We’ve got the guns, we’ve got the bullets, but there’s only the three of us, " said Device.

" So what? " retorted Dave, a feeling of dread building up inside him.

Device stared him hard in the eye and said firmly, " You’re going to fight on our side! "