22
As they neared the shore they could see the smoke curling u into the night sky, the moon liking it look like some creature trying to escape the earth below.
"Well, they must have heard the transmission, it's on fire" Jack said as he clicked the throttle back a notch.
"It's not where they have the corn" Ianto said with growing horror "It's the village."
Jack pushed the throttle and they sped to the jetty, pulling into a space as Ianto leapt from the boat, not even stopping to help tie up as he ran for the village and the fire he could see raging thorough it. As he ran, he pulled out the blade from his pocket and let his strides lengthen, his breathing become more measured as his eyes scanned.
Three.
The came fast an low, one of them making a crazy yodelling noise that must have seemed like a battle cry to it's ears. It was an it. Had once been a woman bit now it was an Ugly. Ianto could not think of it as having been human once upon a time because the thing coming at him with part of it's face gone from what seemed like maybe a shotgun blast, was clearly not human.
Ianto let the blade sever it's head from it's shoulders, moving past it as it fell it it's knees and he then plunged the knife into the skull of the second one. The third one was coming fast and the loud boom of the Webley had it flying back to land with a thud.
Ianto ran around the side of the buildings, past the stench of death and he ran straight for the church, where he knew they would be. Anyone left.
"STEPHANIE!" he screamed as he slammed against the church doors and to his relief a faint yell answered him, then she was at the door's window. Her face was streaked with tears and her relief in seeing him made him motion for the doors to be unbolted. She wrenched open the Doro to fall into his arms, the Webley telling Ianto more Uglies were raging.
"Oh god, Ianto" she cried as fell into his arms sobbing "Daddy is OK but Uncle Cam went mad."
"Is anyone sick?" Ianto called over her shoulder as he held her against his chest, looking into the church to find about ten or twelve people inside "Any coughing? Headaches?"
"How did it find us" Thomas asked shakily, stepping out with his shotgun raised to look around .
"The corn" Into relied softly "Two of those on board our boat turned after preparing the corn for the evening meal. We expect a couple more to get sick and die that were not immune. Either you go Ugly or you get sick. Are any showing signs of flu or such?"
Thomas stared at him and nodded "father Greene and Maggie from the diner. Both have runny noses, they said it was allergies."
"Yeah, allergic to the corn's pollen that has been released. It's what caused this, I am sure of it" Ianto sighed "You know, once they start there is no pulling them back."
"Yeah" Thomas's voice was flat as well as his shoulders as he knew Ianto was telling the truth.
Two more were about to die.
.
.
The villagers were ten now, one of those sick suddenly convulsing and dying there on the ground in the middle of the village, the poor woman's face controlled with pain. Ianto had not seen one go like that and wondered if the dust clouds were mutating.
The father was sick, clearly ill and Ianto was starting to watch him now as they helped them onto the skiff, the old man's hands trembling. Then the old man raised a handkerchief to his mouth to cough, like it was a habit. Ianto started to wonder if the old man was infected or not, maybe this is a seasonal allergy after all.
Some of those left wanted to leave him behind, scared he might become an Ugly and it too some hard and fast talking to make them see reason. You have three choices here. Immune, die or turn. You can't change your mind once started on the path of your body's defense system. Now Ianto was watching the old man as he rose to look towards the big boat and those eyes were still clear, his back straight.
Ianto wanted Owen to check this man over straight away. In case Ianto was right and let's face it folks. When isn't he? Ianto suspected the old man was not altered from the corn, he had something going on that was pre-existing and no one had noticed.
They got everyone on board and Ianto led the old man to the medical bay where Rhys was sitting with some food on a tray, Andy standing by quietly talking to him as he ate. There as a large bandage over his shoulder from Gwen's bite and Owen was fussing about with some tests, looking up at they entered.
"Hey! Whatcha got for me?" Owen demanded, "Rhys is no fun. He's fine!"
"OI!" came a call from the bed and Owen grinned as he moved to the old man.
"This is Father Greene, he has some sort of cold or something. I think he was ill before the corn released particles but everyone else is convinced he is in the grips of the Dust Sickness." Ianto said as he helped the old man to a bed.
Owen leaned in to stare at the old man, so intensely that the old man raised his eyebrows back, and then Owen smiled "Yeah. Eyes are clear and focused. Everyone who turns sickly gets that glazed look within minutes, some even going blind. You're eyes are fine. I think Ianto is right, it's a reaction to the seasonal shit in the air, or maybe it's the pack a day you smoke? Ran out of them? Withdrawals can be a bitch."
Owen reached out to tap the old man's hand and they all looked down at the yellowed fingers with interest, then the old man hacked softly into a coughing laugh "You got me son. I do smoke like a diesel train. Ran out a few days ago."
"I will do some lung scans and we can check your spittle for signs of the Dust but I am sure you are not about to cark it on us" Owen slapped the old man's shoulder and Ianto turned to leave.
"Oi, Ianto" Andy called out as he stepped from Rhys's bedside.
Ianto turned to look at him in silent question, Andy asking "How many?"
"Ten."
Andy gaped at him, and then turned silently to woke back to Rhys.
What can you say to that?
There had been close to fifty people in that village and that's all that made it out alive once the corn popped?
Well… fuck.
