out, you may try to
exact your revenge. Focus on that, the future, not the past.” Roman
stepped away from the man and let him resume his howling. He sheathed his
sword, turned to Dunn, and said, “Get his arm patched up and then leave him
alone. He’s paid the cost for his actions and should be treated the same
as anybody else.” The petty officer was white as a sheet, but he nodded
vigorously as Roman left him to his duties. He wanted blood. I
gave it to him.
At the inner edge of the aft-deck, near the giant
shutter doors that led to the ship’s vast equipment house, was the man Roman
had been hoping to see. The man was rough and slender, wrapped in an
oversized jumper, but there was no mistaking his identity. When Roman was
sure nobody else was watching, he gave the man a great big smile. “There
you are, Harry. I’ve been looking for you.”
Harry smiled. Wrinkles creased at the corners of
his eyes. “The mighty Roman has returned to us.”
“A name given to me, not asked for.”
“Maybe you should tell people your real name,
then. They would have no need of silly nicknames.”
“I tell my name to friends – and you’re the only
one.”
“I’m honoured.” Harry nodded over to where the
one-handed American was being carried across the deck to receive medical
attention. “A bit of a bloody business you were involved in, there.
You do enjoy your drama.”
“They were going to kill him. I did him a
favour.”
“Doubt he sees it that way.”
“He will, if he has any sense. If not, he’s free
to take a swipe at me and I’ll take his other hand.”
“Come on,” said Harry, shaking his head and
smirking. “Let’s take in some air and chat for a while. And talk normally, instead of giving me that whole warrior routine
you give everybody else. You sound like a right prat .
I almost miss the way you used to talk when I met you, blud . ”
Roman huffed and nodded. “Just my way of having
a bit of a laugh, innit ? Got to
entertain myself somehow, geezer .”
Harry smiled. “That’s better. You almost
sound a like a real person again. Sometimes I think you imagine yourself
a lord with that sword at your hip. I preferred you as a gangster.
Steph would be laughing her arse off if she could hear you sometimes.”
Roman nodded. “You ever wonder if she made it?”
Harry sighed and shrugged. “I doubt it. I know
she was working in a bar in Manchester when things went bad. Manchester
wasn’t good.”
“Well, we can hope she’s out there someplace, I
guess.”
Harry nodded. “She was a tough chick. If
anyone could make it, it’s her. She used to keep us two in line.”
Roman chuckled, but inside he pushed aside memories of
his past. The man he’d been before the infection had a complicated
past. The new world was miserable and dangerous, but it was simpler at
the very least and it gave everybody a fresh start.
The two of them strolled over to the portside
promenade deck where they leant over the gunwale and stared out at the frigid
sea of the English Channel. Harry took in a deep lungful of air.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? Did I ever tell you I used to own a little boat years
back? I had it docked in Southampton.”
Roman nodded. Harry had been a successful
businessman once, but had lost it all to booze long before the world had ended
for everybody else. Harry had been a broken, grief-stricken soul years
before everyone else became one. “Tell me about her,” Roman asked his
friend. It was good to talk about old times with a friend, although he
preferred to hear the stories from others than speak of his own dirty past.
Harry stared into space and smiled. “It was a
60-footer princess yacht, the name Blue Saloon painted on her bow.
Huh, I guess even then I loved the booze a little too much. It was never
empty of a crate or two of wine.” Roman nodded. Harry had been an
alcoholic
exact your revenge. Focus on that, the future, not the past.” Roman
stepped away from the man and let him resume his howling. He sheathed his
sword, turned to Dunn, and said, “Get his arm patched up and then leave him
alone. He’s paid the cost for his actions and should be treated the same
as anybody else.” The petty officer was white as a sheet, but he nodded
vigorously as Roman left him to his duties. He wanted blood. I
gave it to him.
At the inner edge of the aft-deck, near the giant
shutter doors that led to the ship’s vast equipment house, was the man Roman
had been hoping to see. The man was rough and slender, wrapped in an
oversized jumper, but there was no mistaking his identity. When Roman was
sure nobody else was watching, he gave the man a great big smile. “There
you are, Harry. I’ve been looking for you.”
Harry smiled. Wrinkles creased at the corners of
his eyes. “The mighty Roman has returned to us.”
“A name given to me, not asked for.”
“Maybe you should tell people your real name,
then. They would have no need of silly nicknames.”
“I tell my name to friends – and you’re the only
one.”
“I’m honoured.” Harry nodded over to where the
one-handed American was being carried across the deck to receive medical
attention. “A bit of a bloody business you were involved in, there.
You do enjoy your drama.”
“They were going to kill him. I did him a
favour.”
“Doubt he sees it that way.”
“He will, if he has any sense. If not, he’s free
to take a swipe at me and I’ll take his other hand.”
“Come on,” said Harry, shaking his head and
smirking. “Let’s take in some air and chat for a while. And talk normally, instead of giving me that whole warrior routine
you give everybody else. You sound like a right prat .
I almost miss the way you used to talk when I met you, blud . ”
Roman huffed and nodded. “Just my way of having
a bit of a laugh, innit ? Got to
entertain myself somehow, geezer .”
Harry smiled. “That’s better. You almost
sound a like a real person again. Sometimes I think you imagine yourself
a lord with that sword at your hip. I preferred you as a gangster.
Steph would be laughing her arse off if she could hear you sometimes.”
Roman nodded. “You ever wonder if she made it?”
Harry sighed and shrugged. “I doubt it. I know
she was working in a bar in Manchester when things went bad. Manchester
wasn’t good.”
“Well, we can hope she’s out there someplace, I
guess.”
Harry nodded. “She was a tough chick. If
anyone could make it, it’s her. She used to keep us two in line.”
Roman chuckled, but inside he pushed aside memories of
his past. The man he’d been before the infection had a complicated
past. The new world was miserable and dangerous, but it was simpler at
the very least and it gave everybody a fresh start.
The two of them strolled over to the portside
promenade deck where they leant over the gunwale and stared out at the frigid
sea of the English Channel. Harry took in a deep lungful of air.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? Did I ever tell you I used to own a little boat years
back? I had it docked in Southampton.”
Roman nodded. Harry had been a successful
businessman once, but had lost it all to booze long before the world had ended
for everybody else. Harry had been a broken, grief-stricken soul years
before everyone else became one. “Tell me about her,” Roman asked his
friend. It was good to talk about old times with a friend, although he
preferred to hear the stories from others than speak of his own dirty past.
Harry stared into space and smiled. “It was a
60-footer princess yacht, the name Blue Saloon painted on her bow.
Huh, I guess even then I loved the booze a little too much. It was never
empty of a crate or two of wine.” Roman nodded. Harry had been an
alcoholic
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