The Virus by Lee, Damien (summer books txt) 📕

they entered the living room, a smile that quickly faded when he eyed the robust couple occupying the couch.

“What are you two doing?”

“You kicked us out of our room, remember?” Simon answered.

“I was trying to be courteous by smoking outside, you ungrateful prick. I won’t bother next time.”

Frank sat in the armchair, watching him expectantly. “Well, off you go.”

“What?”

“I want to get my head down. I’m not sleeping while you’re in here.”

He glared at the couple as they got to their feet and marched out of the room, muttering obscenities as they left.

“Man, you really don’t like them,” Lisa said.

“I hold a grudge for life.”

“But what did they do?”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about wanting to kick me out because I’m a criminal? Or how about leaving me to fight that crazy woman upstairs on my own? Or better yet, because they’re a bunch of pompous twats who would sooner see me dead than in the same vicinity as them.”

“Okay, I see your point.”

“Good. Now, why don’t you get that bottle of rum?”

“Get it yourself.”

Frank raised an eyebrow at Lisa, who stood beside him with her arms crossed. With a snort, he jumped to his feet and strode into the kitchen as she settled in his chair. The dimly lit room provided little insight as to where she had hidden the bottle.

“Where did you stash it?” Frank searched the cupboards, dismayed at the lack of contents.

“You’re not going to find it in there.” Lisa laughed, joining Frank as he looked in the bin.

“Then where is it?”

“Where it should be.” She walked over to the fridge and pulled out a vegetable tray. Frank looked on as she reached into the green foliage and retrieved the bottle. “You can’t drink rum if it isn’t chilled.”

“Chilled rum? First I’ve heard of it.”

“Now all we need is to find some glasses.”

“We don’t need glasses.” Frank took the bottle and entered the living room.

“You criminals are so vulgar.” Lisa watched as he took a swig from the bottle.

“You not joining me?”

“Of course, I’m not letting you get drunk on your own.”

She sat beside him on the worn sofa, prying the bottle out of his hands. Frank watched as she gulped the liquid, holding the bottle high.

“Hey leave some for the fishes.”

“The fish will probably be dead.”

“Fine, well leave some for me.” He took the bottle back and took a hefty swig.

“You want to be careful, that might go straight to your head.”

“Trust me, darling, you’ll be seeing stars way before me.”

“Really? When was the last time you had a drink?”

“The night I was arrested.”

“And how long ago was that?”

“Five years.”

“Well, if it’s been five years since you had a drink, I think you oughta slow down. Your body won’t be used to it.”

“Yeah, right.”

Frank laughed at the prospect, but as he tipped the bottle for another swig, he knew she was right. The weightless feeling of euphoria was slowly creeping up on him.

“So how did you end up in Harrodale?”

Frank looked at her curiously as he passed the bottle back. “You really want to know?”

“Absolutely.”

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, waiting for the words to come to him. “I murdered my wife with a hammer.”

The statement didn’t seem to faze Lisa. “Really? What made you do that?”

“I found her fucking another guy.”

This time Lisa almost choked on the rum. “You’re kidding?” she spluttered.

“Nope, I came home early one night and they were going at it like rabbits. So I picked up a hammer and beat them to death. Or at least that’s what I thought. Turned out the guy survived.”

“Did you plead guilty?”

“Their blood was all over my clothes when they arrested me. I could hardly play dumb.”

“No, but you could have pleaded diminished responsibility. People do that all the time.”

Frank laughed and shook his head. “You mean the whole ‘I lost my mind’? Or ‘it was the heat of the moment’ bullshit? No. I knew exactly what I was doing when I murdered her.”

“Do you regret it?”

Frank considered the question. “Kind of, yeah. When I started hitting her, she was dead after the second or third blow. It was too quick. If she was alive now, I’d watch her get ripped apart by those things.”

“Wow, you’re really fucked up, huh?”

“I did warn you.”

 “Well, just think; the guy might’ve survived back then, but he’s probably dead now.”

“There’s no ‘probably’ about it, I know he’s dead.” He took the bottle from Lisa, sensing her gaze. “When I found out he was alive, I arranged a hit. A guy inside had connections. He agreed to organise it, providing I paid him back. He did, and I did.”

“How did you repay him?”

“By fighting for him.”

He took another swig from the bottle, noticing how much they had drunk in such a small space of time. A silence enveloped them. He handed the bottle back, watching as Lisa studied the remaining liquid.

“I bet it feels good to be able to taste alcohol again,” she said after a while.

Frank nodded.

“In a way, this whole zombie thing has worked out well for you.”

“How so?”

“Well, you’ve got your freedom again. And in a world without laws. It must be a criminal’s paradise.”

“I admit it has its perks. I just wish those fucking zombies would give it a rest.”

“They won’t bother us in here. We’re all alone.”

“Locked in a house with a murderer? No wonder that lot are shitting themselves. You guys have it rough.”

“Yeah, I’d be completely at your mercy. After all, there are other things you haven’t had for five years.”

Frank sneered. “I’m not going to rape you if