The Dead

‘Nothing. Is a good name. Rhymes.’

‘Yes,’ said Jordan Hordern. ‘I know.’

‘Will you be staying for tea?’ asked DogNut in a mock posh voice.

‘They’re not staying,’ said Jordan Hordern, turning away from them and concentrating on his game.

‘Who says?’ Brooke asked.

‘If the man says you ain’t staying,’ said DogNut, ‘you ain’t staying. Like, soz and all, but no one argues with Jordan Hordern, get me?’

‘Hang on a minute,’ said Jack, pushing past Ed. ‘You don’t own this place. You can’t just kick us out.’

‘Can’t I?’

‘No way,’ said Brooke. ‘We just excaped from bare sickos out there, man. First we was trapped on a bus with a father who went psycho on us and tried to batter us all, and then there was these, like, freaks in the street and –’

‘What were you doing with a father on a bus?’ Jordan Hordern interrupted.

‘Well, durr, he was, like, driving, wasn’t he?’

‘Don’t you know they’re all mental?’

‘We know that now, but he looked OK, he saved me and my girlfriends and he swore down he wasn’t go

‘And you trusted him? You’re more stupid than you look.’

‘Yeah? And you’re a prick,’ said Brooke.

Jordan Hordern looked at her curiously and then shrugged. ‘You still ain’t staying.’

‘Why’d you let us in in the first place, then?’ Ed asked.

‘Good question.’ Jordan Hordern turned his gaze on to the two guards who had opened the doors. ‘Why did you let them in?’ he asked. ‘You know the rules.’

The boys looked at their feet, not sure what to say.

‘They let us in because they wanted to help us!’ said Jack angrily. ‘Because we’re kids like you. Human beings. Assuming you are human and not some kind of macho robot arsehole.’

Jordan Hordern’s expression didn’t change.

‘Come on,’ said Brooke. ‘You can’t kick us out. We wouldn’t last five minutes out there. We’ll be merked.’

‘Not our problem.’

‘Well, what is your problem?’ said Jack.

‘It’s very simple. And it’s nothing personal,’ said Jordan Hordern. ‘We got enough food and water here for ten people to live an OK life. We got security and heat, and we’re well defended. Any more than ten of us, though, becomes a problem. That clear enough for you?’

‘And how long is your food go

‘It’ll get us through the winter if we’re careful. With any luck, when it warms up, all the adults will have died off and we can go out and get more.’

‘We only being reasonable,’ said DogNut. ‘We looking after number one. That’s how it works now, blood.’

‘Have you turned other people away?’ Bam asked. He was bruised from his fight on the bus, and had a gash in one cheek, as well as a nasty wound in his left hand where Greg had bitten him.

‘A few,’ said Jordan Hordern.

‘Well, you’re not throwing us out.’ Bam sat down in the middle of their game, crushing a battalion of German soldiers.

‘Oh, don’t do that,’ DogNut moaned. ‘I was wi

‘We’re not leaving,’ said Bam. ‘You can try and make us, but we’re staying put.’

Jordan Hordern stared dispassionately at Bam for a few seconds then clapped his hands together. Five more of his boys came over. They were carrying swords and truncheons.

‘Come off it,’ Jack scoffed. ‘It’s one thing hiding in here and not opening the doors to a few stray kids, it’s another thing to actually kill them. Is that what you think you’re go

‘Wait up,’ Brooke interrupted, jutting her jaw out at Jordan Hordern. ‘You said there’s ten of you, yeah?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you all boys, then?’

‘What of it?’

Brooke laughed. ‘Then we got something you need,’ she said, eyeing Jordan defiantly.

‘What?’

Brooke made a display of herself, arms out to her sides, and said, ‘Ta-daa!’

‘Broo-ooke!’ Aleisha rolled her eyes, scandalized.

‘I don’t mean like that,’ said Brooke. ‘You got a dirty mind, Aleisha. I just mean we got skills that might come in useful.’

‘Yeah, I can think of a few,’ DogNut sniggered.

‘In your dreams,’ Brooke sneered.

‘You already are,’ said DogNut.

‘We don’t need girls,’ said Jordan Hordern.

‘Whoa-whoa-whoa, wait a minute,’ said DogNut, dancing on the spot and dropping his blanket. Underneath it he was wearing a brown leather American flying jacket, a screaming eagle painted on its back. ‘Let’s not be too hasty here. She does have a point, Jordan.’

‘No, she doesn’t. We’re not taking in any more. Now get them out of here so we can finish our game.’

Jack exploded with rage. He barged his way over to Jordan and leant over him, jabbing a finger in his face.

‘You’re worse than the bloody grown-ups. You know that? At least they don’t know what they’re doing. You’re just cold. We’ve got little kids with us – eight, nine years old – you go

‘Don’t point at me,’ said Jordan. ‘I don’t like people pointing at me.’

‘Oh, don’t you? So why don’t you get one of your little soldier boys to hack my finger off? Cos I don’t think you’ve got the balls to do it yourself, have you?’

At that, Jordan threw off his blankets and stood up. He was wearing a smart black officer’s uniform, complete with gold braid and medals. He was taller than Jack and moved like an athlete. Before Jack could react Jordan had grabbed his wrist and was twisting it to the side.

Jack winced, evidently in a lot of pain. Jordan kept on turning his wrist, forcing Jack to the ground. Jack tried to pull away but Jordan held him with an iron grip. Once Jack was on his knees Jordan spoke, his voice low and quiet.

‘I don’t care what you say to me, I don’t care what you think about me, but don’t ever point at me again. All right?’

‘All right, all right, you can stop now. I’ve got the general idea.’

Jordan squeezed harder. Jack yelped.

Now Ed spoke out. ‘I think this has got a bit out of hand,’ he said. ‘We should all calm down and talk about it.’

Jordan looked round at Ed without letting go of Jack.

Ed went on. ‘Jack’s right. All we need is somewhere to stay until we’ve worked out what we’re going to do. Maybe only for one night. Maybe not even that. OK? You don’t need to give us any food if you don’t want. We’re not trying to take over or anything. We all just ran in here after a fight to get away. There’s still sickos out there.’

Jack gasped. He was kneeling on the tiles, his lips pulled back in a grimace of pain.

‘Can we at least just talk about this sensibly?’ Ed pleaded.

Jordan let go of Jack, who rolled away and sat down against a tank, rubbing his arm.

‘I’ll think about it,’ said Jordan. ‘We’ll finish our game, then we’ll talk. You can have some water, but no food. Sort yourselves out and I’ll listen to what you’ve got to say. I’m only going to talk to one of you, though. Who’s in charge?’

‘Nobody,’ said Ed.

‘Then I’m appointing you.’ Jordan turned back to his game and started straightening the troops that had got knocked over.

30

‘Let’s get this out in the open.’ Ed banged his hands on a tabletop. ‘And then I don’t want to hear any more about it. Not from you, Bam, not from Jack, not from anyone.’ Ed looked around, daring the other kids to catch his eye.