Rise of the Undead Box Set | Books 1-3 | Apocalypse Z

by Higgins, Baileigh

  “On a supply run. I just dropped in to say goodbye,” Alex replied.

  “Will you be gone long?”

  “No, this is a short run. We’ll be back by noon.”

  “Be careful, Bro. I’d hate it if anything happened to you,” Amy said with a tinge of worry.

  “I’ll watch my back, Sis.”

  They hugged, and he left the room with brisk strides. Around him, the nurses and other medical staff went about their duties with calm composure. A patient shuffled past him with an IV drip on a stand while another sat reading in a wheelchair. A pregnant woman waited in the reception for an exam, and a group of kids played in the children’s playroom.

  It was all very normal, and he marveled that it was even possible in the apocalypse. A couple of changes had taken place since he’d arrived, however. After the fall of Fort Knox, Officer Brown had quizzed him at length about what had happened. Alex had been able to tell him quite a lot thanks to Saul and Tara, and Officer Brown had taken several steps to ensure the Radcliff hospital community didn’t meet the same fate.

  All roads leading to the place had been blocked off, and sentries placed at strategic points. Surrounding buildings were cleared of the undead, and the entrances closed. Volunteers with bikes stood ready to lead any hordes away from them, and the hospital was fortified to the max.

  It was now impossible to see into the grounds. Movement and noise were kept to a minimum, and all the windows had been blacked out. Even the animals were kept secluded and away from the road, walled off in an enclosure. Lastly, an evacuation plan had been set in place in case of an emergency.

  Alex reckoned all the extra preparations gave the community a fighting chance, at least, and he hoped they’d not only survive, but thrive. There has to be something left once it’s all done — something of humanity.

  He stepped outside and shaded his eyes from the bright sun. The sky was blue, and birds tweeted in the bare branches of the trees overhead. Despite the beautiful day, a chill breeze swept through the grounds, and he was grateful for the thick jacket he wore.

  In the parking lot, Officer Brown and Tony milled about checking weapons and organizing the group gathered for the supply run. He counted seven people, excluding himself, which brought the tally up to eight. Two double-cab trucks with trailers stood ready to go, their tanks fully fueled, and their engines checked.

  As a rule, Officer Brown was a man of few words and stubborn opinions. Alex had to hand it to him, though. The former policeman was an expert leader. He knew how to motivate people to get the best out of them, and he also knew how to deal with troublemakers.

  Tony, on the other hand, was a tough nut to crack. Ever since their first meeting, he had refused to warm up toward Alex. They rarely spoke to each other, and Alex avoided the man as a rule. He didn’t want to start a fight when he wasn’t planning on staying for very long.

  He strode over and joined the group. “Morning, guys.”

  A couple of replies echoed around him, and Officer Brown nodded. “Glad you could make it. How’s your sister?”

  “She’s doing much better, thank you.”

  “Happy to hear that. Are you ready to go? You’ve checked your gun? Magazines?” Officer Brown asked.

  “I have, and I’m all set.”

  “Good. You can ride with me in the Toyota along with Jax and Molly,” Officer Brown said. “Four people to a vehicle.”

  “Sounds good.” Alex heaved an inner sigh of relief that he wouldn’t have to ride with his nemesis, Tony, and climbed into the front seat of the Toyota with haste.

  Tony favored Alex with a sour look as he walked past, his fleshy lips pressed together in his round face. His bald head shone in the sun, and despite the cold wind, sweat beaded on his forehead.

  Alex was distracted when Molly, a pretty redhead, got into the cab behind him. She was young, around his age, and a good fighter. While he didn’t intend to make a move, he appreciated the way her long lashes fluttered at him in the rear-view mirror.

  At least, he did until Officer Brown climbed in. With a pointed look at Alex, he adjusted the mirror away from her face. “Eyes on the road, boy. No distractions now,” the cop said with a wry smile.

  A hot flush crept up Alex’s neck as he looked away, and he swore he heard Jax snicker from the backseat. Jax was also their age, a good looking jock who made no secret of his interest in Molly. Or anything that wore a skirt.

  Alex tried to hide his embarrassment by checking out their surroundings as they pulled out of the parking lot. Armed guards waved them through the gates before locking up tight again, and a couple more swept aside the barricades a block further down. Buildings flashed past his window, and the streets were devoid of any signs of life. Even the packs of feral dogs that used to roam about had been eradicated. Now only the rats flourished in the abandoned structures.

  Alex cleared his throat. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re hitting a strip mall on the other side of town. It used to house that group of bad apples we spoke about before. The ones your friends wiped out.”

  “Are they all dead?”

  “It looks like it. We’ve had guards sitting on it for days now, and it appears to be clear,” Officer Brown said. “Even so, be careful and keep your gun handy.”

  “Alright,” Alex said, hoping they’d get there soon. He was growing tired of the lovestruck looks Jax kept throwing at Molly. He’s going to start drooling all over himself any minute now.

  Luckily, they arrived at the place not long after that, and Alex climbed out of the truck with his rifle held ready in both hands. Like most of Radcliff, the streets were deserted with little of interest to see. The horde of zombies that had run over Fort Knox had not returned, a ten-fold blessing for all concerned.

  A brightly painted sign beckoned to them from above the mall’s entrance, and Officer Brown quickly organized their parties into teams. “Right, everyone. Gather around. Let’s do this quickly and quietly.”

  “Molly, you’re with me on the center aisles, Jax you go with Rooney and take the left. Mick and Scott, you’re on the right. Grab a shopping cart each and remember your lists. If anything happens, we all run straight back here. Got that?”

  “Got it,” everyone but Alex and Tony said.

  “What about me?” Tony asked with a frown.

  “And me?” Alex echoed.

  “You two are on guard duty. Keep an eye out for zombies, and warn us if you see anything out of the ordinary.”

  Tony didn’t bother to hide his dismay. “You’re not serious. I’m supposed to stay outside with this guy?”

  Officer Brown nodded. “Exactly.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, I say so, Tony,” Officer Brown said, his expression bland. “Do you have a problem with my commands?”

  Tony shook his head. “No, but I’d be more useful inside. Not wafting in the wind like a glorified fart.”

  “It’s my decision, Tony,” Officer Brown said, not giving an inch.

  “Fine,” Tony grumbled, turning his back on them, shoulders stiff and his spine ramrod straight.

  “How about you, Alex?” Officer Brown asked.

  Alex wasn’t thrilled with the decision either, but he had more sense than to argue with Officer Brown. “I heard you, Sir.”

  “Good. Here you go,” Officer Brown said, handing him a two-way radio and securing the other to his belt. “Remember, if you see something, or if you run into trouble, let me know.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Alex replied, fiddling with the knob on the radio.

  “Move out,” Officer Brown ordered. He jogged toward the shop entrance with the rest of the group and tested the doors. They were unlocked, and after a thorough look inside to check for infected, they went ahead.

  Alex resigned himself to a long morning spent guarding the trucks while the others had their fun. With his rifle slung across his chest, he patrolled the area with measured steps. Tony did the same, and they studiously avoided each ot
her. Twice, Alex stopped at his truck for a swig of water and a bite of his protein bar. Other than that, he kept moving.

  After forty minutes had passed, the first load of supplies came out of the shop. Alex watched with jealous eyes as Molly, Jax, and the others unloaded their loot, their glee evident. Cases of water, cool drinks, juices, canned goods, dried foods, batteries, candles, baby food, diapers, and even candy bars filled one of the trailers to the brim. With rope and canvas, they covered and secured the load.

  “Okay, guys. Let’s go back for more,” Officer Brown said. “Is everything clear out here, folks?”

  “Yes, Sir,” Alex replied.

  “Tony?”

  “All clear,” Tony said.

  “Good. See you soon.”

  The three teams ducked back into the shop, and Alex resumed his endless patrolling. After a while, he grew tired and sat down on the tailgate of the nearest truck. His legs dangled in the air, and he chewed at his bottom lip. His frustration was growing with each passing minute, and the lack of action chafed at his nerves. Today’s a total bust, damn it. I should’ve spent it with Amy rather. Instead, I’m stuck with Tony’s company.

  His eyes panned across the road, following it to the end where it bent around a corner. A flicker of movement caught his attention, and he jerked upright. For a long moment, nothing happened. He was about to relax when he saw it again.

  Movement.

  Definite movement.

  Within a split second, Alex was on full alert. Lifting his rifle to his shoulder, he looked through the scope. The lens caught the reflection of an infected moving up the street with their telltale jerky stride. Behind it was another, and another.

  They kept coming until he could no longer count them, a swarm headed straight for the strip mall. They were still a fair distance away, but the moment they spotted Alex and Tony, they’d break into a sprint. Whatever he was going to do, he’d better do it fast.

  Alex jumped off the tailgate and whirled around, searching for Tony. The other man was leaning against the second vehicle’s front grill with his back to Alex. He hummed beneath his breath, nodding along to the words of the song in his head.

  Alex dared not shout to him. Instead, he hunched down low and ran toward Tony as fast as he could. He ducked around the side of the truck and reached Tony within seconds. Without hesitation, he grabbed the man’s arm and yanked him to the ground.

  “What the —” Tony began to yell.

  “Sh, zombies,” Alex whispered frantically, one finger pressed to his lips.

  Tony shut his mouth, looked around, and asked, “Where?”

  “Close. Too close.”

  “How many?”

  “Dozens, maybe more,” Alex said with a shake of his head. “We need to hide.”

  “Where?”

  Alex took a quick look around the corner of the truck and jerked his head back. “Too late to make a run for it. Get down.”

  “Huh?” Tony asked.

  “Get underneath the truck. It’s our only chance,” Alex said.

  With a muttered curse, Tony dropped to his stomach and shimmied underneath the vehicle. Bit by bit, his legs disappeared. In the meantime, Alex grabbed the radio at his waist and pressed the button. “Officer Brown, come in. Officer Brown. Over.”

  “Roger that. Go ahead, Alex. Over.”

  “There’s a horde coming up the street. I repeat, a horde of zombies. Over.”

  There was a brief moment of silence before Officer Brown answered. “Can we fight them? Over.”

  “Negative. You’d better stay inside and keep the doors shut until I give the all-clear. Over,” Alex replied.

  “What about you? Over.”

  “We’ll hide under the trucks. There’s nowhere else. Over.”

  “Roger that. Um, be careful. Over.”

  “Will do. Over,” Alex replied.

  “Commencing radio silence,” Officer Brown said.

  Alex switched the radio off and clipped it onto his belt. He dared another quick look at the approaching infected and swallowed a curse. The first zombie had reached the vehicles and was making its way toward him. They were out of time.

  Without wasting another precious moment, Alex dropped to his stomach. Tony was already in position, occupying one half of the space, and Alex crawled in next to him. He took care not to make too much noise, cushioning the rifle, so it didn’t rattle on the tar.

  He was scarcely under when the first pair of feet shuffled past them, dirty and bare. A low moan emanated from the figure, and it sounded like a lost child. But he knew the infected was anything but a lost, innocent kid and prayed they weren’t discovered. If that happened, they’d be ripped to pieces within seconds.

  Alex gazed at the strip mall’s front entrance and spotted a pair of frightened eyes staring at him through the grimy glass. Molly’s.

  The view was interrupted by another set of legs and another. The infected kept coming, the crowd thickening as more streamed around the truck. Soon, the light was blocked out completely, and they were dumped into a twilight zone — one filled with the dead and nothing but the dead.

  They were trapped.

  Chapter 5 - Amy

  After Alex left, Amy was determined to prove her strength. The sooner she was back on her feet, the sooner they could go. It wasn’t that she disliked the Radcliff community. They’d been very kind to her and Alex. She missed Dylan, however. Crazy, violent, red-headed Dylan who hid a soft interior behind a wall of hostility.

  Amy thought back to the first time they met. It was in Louisville while Alex lay passed out in the car, sick from an infected stab wound. She’d been looking for help, and her eyes landed on Dylan. The memory was still as fresh in her mind as the day it happened, and she had no trouble recalling it.

  ***

  “Can you help me, please? It’s my brother. He’s hurt. I need to get him inside.”

  Dylan hesitated, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I need to get out of this city. I don’t have time to waste.”

  She pushed past Amy who grabbed her hand and pleaded, “Please. I need you to help me carry him inside. He’s in the car over there. It’ll only take a moment.”

  Screams erupted behind them as a wave of the undead attacked the fleeing masses in the street, and Dylan pushed her into a dark alley. After checking that it was clear, she asked, “Car? You have a car?”

  “You said you need to get out of the city, right?” Amy asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “Help me get my brother fixed up, and we’ll take you wherever you need to go. He’s a soldier, a fighter, and I can shoot too. Plus, he knows this city like the back of his hand. Together, we can make it.”

  “What’s wrong with your brother?” Dylan asked.

  “He was stabbed two days ago. We patched him up, but it’s infected. He needs antibiotics.”

  “Where do we get that?” Dylan asked. “I haven’t seen a pharmacy anywhere near here.”

  “There is a veterinary clinic three shops down.”

  “A vet?” Dylan asked, amused. “I suppose it could work.”

  “It will work. I know what to look for. I spent last summer volunteering there, and I learned a couple of things.”

  “I see,” Dylan said. “So, here’s the deal. I’ll help you get your brother safely into the clinic if you give me the keys to your car.”

  “No way,” Amy replied. “You help me get him inside, fixed up again, and back to the car. Then I’ll give you the keys, and we can all get out of here.”

  “You drive a hard bargain, little girl, but it’s a deal,” Dylan said.

  “I’m not a little girl. I’m sixteen, and my name is Amy.”

  “Alright, Amy. I’m Dylan. Nice to meet you. Now let’s go save your brother.”

  They shook on it, and the bargain was struck.

  ***

  And that was that. The beginning of an unlikely friendship. It didn’t matter how it all began, however. All that matter
ed was that they were family now — one weird, dysfunctional family. All she needed to do, was convince Alex that she was strong enough for the outside world.

  With her sneakers tied and her jacket zipped to the chin, Amy set off down the hall. At first, she stayed inside the hospital, wandering its halls with her hands tucked into her pockets. Many of the people she passed, she already knew: Dr. Williams, a few of the nurses, and a couple of the guards. She greeted them all, sometimes stopping for a quick chat before moving on again.

  “Hey, Simone. How’s the love life? Are you still marrying Donny?” she asked a pretty young nurse who loved to fall in love. Almost every day, she’d tell Amy that she’d met the love of her life, only to change her mind the next day.

  “Donny? Who’s Donny?” Simone asked with a giggle.

  “Like that, huh?” Amy laughed before moving along. She couldn’t believe she’d only been there for a week. It felt much longer already. Time was different in the apocalypse. Nobody bothered much with calendars and dates. It was all about the people you knew and the events that shaped your lives. Good and bad.

  The kindergarten fascinated her, and she spent a long time watching the little children play through the window. In a way, they were a relic of the past. In a world where only the strong survived, children were scarce. Especially babies and toddlers. I wonder if I’ll ever have children. I used to think so, but now I’m not so sure.

  The hospital boasted an inner courtyard with a skylight. It was filled with flowerbeds, and although it was winter, most of the ferns and bushes were still green. With gentle fingers, she examined the curling fronds. It reminded her of her mother’s rose garden, and after a few minutes, she left. The memory was bittersweet, and she found she wasn’t ready to think about such things yet.

  By noon, she’d covered most of the building inside and turned her attention to the outside world. A cold breeze swirled around her feet and tugged at her hair, but the sun felt good on her uplifted face. Its golden rays bathed her skin with warmth, and she wandered among the many trees that dotted the lawn. It was pleasant, but after a while, she became restless. Where’s Alex? They should’ve been back by now.