BITE by T.D Jackson (best novels for students TXT) 📖

I could respond he picked the left boot up and tapped the back of the heel. A large steel spike came shooting out stayed there for a few seconds before retracting back in to the boot. "Shit that's what I'm talking about" I was like a 12 year old after the latest toy commercial. "I call it the stiletto very simple to use kick the heel it pop's out impales whats on the ever end should go through bone quite easily powering it was difficult we don't have any compressed air so I have taken an idea from self powering watches use it and after a few steps the clockwork built into the built will store up tension and it will be useable again after 20 steps or so just try not to impale your own foot." "I'll do my best" I said carefully putting on the boots and testing the boot spike. I looked up at Jack eagerly expecting more he obliged. "Your baton on the other hand was more difficult I haven't tested it yet would you like to try?" "It's not going to blow up in my hand is it?" I said. "It shouldn't do here" He handed me the baton it was heavier than I remember it being and the pole was now a metal silver instead of black on the handle was a small red button. "O.K come over here to the table" He lead me over to a small kitchen table propped up against a wall. "Now extend the baton" I extended it it seemed the same as before but now there was a spike at the top about half the size of the stiletto but this one was hollow. "Now as I'm sure you know these were designed to be non lethal so I made a new shaft of steel and attached a hollow spike at the end now jam the spike in to the table and press the red button. I rammed the spike into the table it pierced easily and pressed the button a dull POOF came from the baton and I heard something imbed itself in the wall. I pulled the table away and looked at the wall what looked like a ball bearing had gone a good 2 inches through. "Yes I have given you an improvised gun but I recommend you impale with the spike before pulling the trigger at range it can be unwieldy and then of course there is the reloading" He held up what looked like an Alan key. "Reloading is simple but takes time simply slide away the bottom of the baton insert a new ball then use the key to turn the clockwork to get it ready for another shot. I nodded "Awesome so one shot deal for close encounters and quiet should come in handy but you do realize when Jon see's this he will want something to" I joked. "Already got something for him and Toby" Jack moved back to his work bench and picked up a mutilated cricket bat. "As you can see theses are already starting to show the signs of wear and tear soon they will be unusable so I have adapted them into these. He picked up another 2 bat's but these were different the handle and the left side were still the original bat but the wood looked like it had been reinforced with steel and ball bearings were poking out of it creating points for the impact to focus on. The other half was now a razor sharp piece of metal. "Blunt force on one side a slicer on the other think they will like it?" I took a few swing's with it "I think they will love it thanks Jack" "Oh I have 1 more thing for you here" He passed me my gloves. "I have reinforced them as much as I can without constricting movement of the hand should hold up pretty well to a bite" I nodded thanked Jack again and promised to send Sky down to keep him company as long as they didn't blow the place up. I felt a bit better about what I had to do later the new inventions made me feel safer.
6:30 PM
I said my goodbyes to everyone and checked my new equipment I had been practicing with it since I got it. I looked in the mirror Lara had cut my hair it was now a number 3 all over and I had spiked it up I don't think anyone will be judging my appearance but the new style will make it more difficult for me to be grabbed by the dead. I looked back at my reflection and the person staring back was unfamiliar I had a beard not a full beard but then I had never been able to grow a full one, despite the rationed food I had bulked up considerably mainly due to the exercise regimes Jane had been subjecting us to my arms now actually looked looked like they had muscle and not just matchsticks. I kissed Sky on the cheek goodbye she didn't seem to mind me going so much this time she was going to hang round with Jack til I got back on the condition she would behave herself. Jon offered me one of the guns but I turned it down just in case this was a trick to attack while I was away. I exited the flats and started the 5 min jog up the road to the shopping center. "Wait" I turned round Jane was chasing after me. "I'm coming with you" "No you are not stay here they will need you" "Toby and Jon can look after the place they don't need me it does not matter what you say I'm going to follow you anyway" I rolled my eyes "Fine but stay close to me are you armed?" She shook her head I passed her one of the crowbars and we continued on our way.
The shopping center is set on 3 floors the 1st being the food court and the other 2 just various shops. It was small compared to other shopping centers but I didn't like big cities I hated London even before it became overrun by undead this place was big enough for me. We got to the food court entrance and as the note said it was unlocked we opened the door and jammed a mop through the handles on the other side this place seemed clear of the dead we didn't want to worry about them as well as a possible maniac howling for our blood. "O.K go take cover behind one of the restaurant counters if I need you I will give you a signal" "What's the signal?" Jane asked. "How about please help I'm dying?" "Not funny" "It was a little funny and it get's the message across" She rolled her eyes and hopped over the counter of one of the burger joint's. The light's were on in the shopping center but the escalators were not switched on I couldn't see anyone down here so I headed up to the 1st floor and wandered round past various shops all the shutters were up but no one was here I helped myself to a few DVDs while I was at it. I took the stairs to the top floor and was just outside the sports shop I was weighing up the idea of grabbing a few things when I saw someone. He was sitting with his back to me in a cafe that was situated in the walkway between shops a coffee in one hand and a packet of crisps in the other he didn't seem to have noticed me. I made my way over to him he was not what I expected he was wearing a grey suit with a white suit all ironed and clean with immaculately groomed short brown hair with wisps of grey coming through. Compared to me in my black coat green long sleeved t-shirt and jeans I felt like I was extremely under dressed. When I was with in 20 feet of him with out turning round "Your late" There was a clear hint of annoyance in his voice. "I walked round the tables until I was in front of the man the suit could not have been more of a contrast to the mans face. Bruises scrapes and a nose that looked like it had been broken reset broken again and then trodden on was unevenly spread all over his face he had hard case written all over him. I sat down opposite him pulling out one of the cheap brown seats and taking off my satchel I didn't want it impeding me if this turned nasty. "Sorry the end of the world delayed me" I responded sarcastically. He did not rise to my comment instead just sniffed. "Can I get you a drink?" "Sure a coffee dark 4 sugars if you have it please" "Crisps?" "Salt and vinegar please" He wandered off behind the counter and quickly returned with what I had requested. "Thank you" "Well I'm glad to see the apocalypse has not destroyed your manners" "Great British manners can survive anything" I joked the man smiled "Introductions are in order my name is Graham and you are?" "My name is Tom" "I see and I assume you speak for the group in the flats?" "For now you can but if you wanted to talk you didn't need to set fire to our building we have a kid in there" The man seem unconcerned with this "Yes well we wanted to make sure we had your attention and the last time we showed up you shot at some of our group and injured 2 of them poor Jeff has lost most of the rest of his teeth since meeting you" "Well he will have to rely on his sparkling personality instead and I want you to know I am overflowing with sympathy for your injured men who set attack dog's on us" "One of them was my son" If he expected this to shut me up he was wrong I leaned closer to him "And the people you attacked are my family and friend's if your son or Jeff comes back they wont be leaving" Grahams mouth twitched at the corner he was struggling to keep calm he wasn't used to people standing to him. "I would advise you against making threats the people you have seen so far is a fraction of our numbers there are over a hundred of us" "So what do you want" I spat cutting him off. "Your home we need a more secure place to live" "Go fuck yourself" "Maybe you should let me finish before you start shouting obscenities if the others had there way we would be burning you out of there right now what I'm offering you is the opportunity to pack up and leave with out incident" "Oh well in that case shove it up your arse with a piece of glass" Graham crumpled his coffee cup in his massive hand everything about him was massive he was a good 6'5 more than half a foot bigger than me and about 7 stone heavier not in fat but in muscle he was like a really ugly rugby player. "You understand this is going to happen you can't stop us the only thing to be decided is if we force you out or you leave with all your limbs still intact" "And where are we meant to go?" He sniffed "Hastings has a nice setup apparently" "Well why don't you fuck off over there see how nice it is and maybe we can do a house swap" Saying this might have been a mistake as he leaned in towards me "Leave or die" Malice dripped from the words. I leaned in to my face inches from his "Try and