13
OK… it was still grand.
As they drove up the long driveway, the autumn leaves that had fallen with the winter winds, the leaves churned under their tyres to dance like they were happy to see them. Little woodland sprites on the breeze.
The air was cold, the first snows not far away and although winter seemed to have held off, mostly due to the fierce rain and flooding of autumn I guess, the snow was be here in a day or so. Ianto felt it in his bones.
They drew to a stop outside the magnificent house… well… castle really… and Ianto was first out, turning to look back at the other vehicles stopping. His posse was here, all accounted for and he could only hope that within the next half hour Jack's would be too.
They had talked via radio on the way here and now Ianto nodded as Andy sat on his horn, then the silence as only a faint echo of the horn seemed to ring in their ears.
Nothing.
Rhys gingerly got out with a large wrench in his hand, glancing at Ianto who seemed calm, one by one others exiting the vehicles as it became apparent that no Biters were coming for a taste of them.
"Where is everyone?" Toshiko sked, the baby to her chest as she was afraid leaving him behind would cause him to cry. If there were Biters, she did not want them going after him.
"Well, either they turned and took off for another … shit. The town down that way. There are some cottages and stuff the film crew use. They must have headed that way and continued on to the village down the road. Do you think they retain thoughts? Like, core memories?" Ianto asked then added "I suppose knowing how to open a door and stuff counts… like… some things are almost muscle memory. If they walked down that way then… they are all there."
"Bar those maybe shut in the house" Gwen shuddered.
Several people swung to scold her, but Iant cut them off "Gwen is right. We can't be complacent because no one rushed us. What if these are waiting for us to come to them? If they still have some intelligence there, what is to say the fuckers don't set a trap? This isn't a bloody zombie movie or something, this is real and… they might be intelligent."
"Well, aren't you a cheerful bugger" Rhy chuffed then nodded "But you're right. We need to sweep."
"And maybe a couple of you grab the binoculars and head to the roof to scout out the lay of the land as it were, in case they are all milling around in a paddock like sheep. Right now, I don't trust anything." Ianto nodded.
Mathers nodded as he agreed "I will stick with you, pal. I suggest we all stay in groups of at least two. No one on their own so if there is one somewhere an alarm can be raised by the one not being eaten."
Rhy glanced at his old mate and sniggered softly, heading for the stables with Gwen and Evan. Dorothy chose to follow Mason and Frieda to the garage while Toshiko stepped back into the Jeep with Granny, with women knowing they were best served to stay out of the way right now and protect the bub.
The place was opulent. Amazing and set up for Christmas, the tree was amazingly large and although fake, loked fucking real. The entire pace was lit up.
"They still have power?" Mathers said with confusion.
"This far out, and with a film crew here I think generators are going. I am amazed they have lasted this…. Long." Ianto stopped walking, turning slowly to look at him "they wouldn't have. They would need someone topping up the fuel."
"We're not alone." Mathers agreed with horror, both men now moving stealthily along the wall, their weapons clutched as they waited to see if a rifle's boom would sound or a screaming Biter.
Shit.
.
.
The shout came from the garage and Ianto was not surprised, knowing the generator was either in the basement of the house or out there. They ran, expecting to find a Mexican standoff with staff and their own people only to find something different and not altogether welcome.
Ianto would have preferred a fucking rifle pointed at him than what he found. Mason was in a weird dance with a man, a man trying desperately to bite his face off as the women looked on and clutched at one another like fucktards.
Really?
Ianto sighed … raised the small gun and for the first time ever in his entire life, fired at someone.
The man's head exploded all over the wall, all over Mason and all over the generator chugging softly behind them.
"Well… ew." Mathers said softly.
Ianto was ignoring them, crouching to examine the Biter, then rise to call out "Anyone here? He's dead, you can come out now."
Nothing.
What were you hoping for?" Frieda shakily asked as she helped wipe down Mason.
"That the Biter had someone trapped back here, someone feeding the generator and keeping the lights on." Ianto sighed rubbing his face.
"Well, there clearly isn't. So… what does that mean then?" Frieda sked, now angry.
"That there is only one other option for why the generator has fuel in it and the lights are on." Ianto replied looking so damned tired now.
"Someone is still hiding?" Mason asked, his hands shaking as he convinced everyone he was not bitten.
"No… the Biter was doing it. It was a muscle memory job, likely a grip that fed the generator and even now in death… continued to do so." Ianto groaned.
"And that's a bad thing because?" Dorothy asked, squaring off beside Frieda.
"It means they have more thought process than we thought. It means… they cannot just open doors and stuff, they might be able to unlock them too… to drive a vehicle?" Ianto shrugged, "Imagine a psycho serial killer, then make everyone one. We are an endangered species and the things hunting us are just as smart, and twice as vicious."
"Well… aren't you a little ray of sunshine" an American Twang filled the space and Ianto swung to find Jack in the doorway, his Webley at his side.
Ianto finally felt some relief.