by Katz, Gayle
“Hey, Zan! You’re back! That’s great!” He lightly punched her on the shoulder.
She smiled.
“Yeah, no thanks to that Dr. Arora,” said Owen. “She’s trying to trap all of us in the ether. Fortunately, we know how to get out. Or at least, those of us who want to get out.” He turned and glared at Zan.
“Hey! I knew how to get out. I was taking a break. It was so peaceful in there. Then Charlie freaks me out by making me think that my cat was somehow in there too.” Zan frowned at Charlie.
Charlie walked up and gave her a hug. “I didn’t know that! I thought you were never coming back! And those shredder things, whatever they are, they could have wiped our minds and our bodies and souls. No one on this side would have ever seen us again.”
“Hey. I gotta go fill Stewart in,” said Bourne. “He’s just parking his car. Glad you’re back, kiddo.”
Zan waved at him as he left.
“OK, now that your boyfriend is gone, what do we do?” asked Charlie.
Zan glared at her. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Whatevs,” said Charlie.
Owen shrugged. “Well, we’re almost there. We destroyed her lab and much of her injectables. Some of her zombie gang is dead.”
“Well, it’s the weekend,” said Zan. “And my break got interrupted.”
Charlie turned to the exit and the others followed.
“Bye, zombie hunters!” called out the cop who had found them in the basement.
Chapter 18
________________________________________
“Seriously, I’m doing nothing until Monday 9 am when I have to be at school,” said Zan, lying across her bed.
“Remind me to stay away from you if you don’t have time for a shower,” said Owen. He laughed.
“Yeah, eww,” said Charlie. The two of them were sitting on the floor flipping through celebrity magazines.
“Funny,” said Zan. “I’m only going to eat if I’m hungry. Maybe I’ll have some wine.”
Charlie sat up. “You have wine? Wait, I don’t think I want to know how you got it,” said Charlie.
“Yeah, I stole it from my parents’ liquor cabinet.” She smirked.
“You don’t think your dad will notice that?” asked Owen.
“Relax. Dad doesn’t drink. The liquor cabinet was Mom’s. He says he’s going to get rid of it. It’s locked up and he has no idea what’s in it.”
“Yeah, I feel better about it now,” said Owen. “But I’ll leave the wine to you gals.”
Charlie was bored and slapped her magazine on top of the pile on the floor. “You know what would go well with wine?”
“What?” asked Zan.
“Pizza!”
“Cool!” said Owen.
“OK, but it’ll have to be vegetarian,” said Zan. “I seem to get grossed out a lot now.”
“That’s probably from seeing so many zombie brains,” said Owen. “Did you know there really isn’t a lot of difference between human carnivores and zombie cannibalism?”
Charlie pulled out her phone. “Thanks, Owen. Now I definitely want only vegetables on my pizza too.” She placed an online order for five extra large vegetarian pizzas from the nearest pizza delivery place. She laughed as she did it, knowing that Zan would cover the price of it.
While they were waiting, Zan ran off to get three glasses, a bottle of wine, and a bottle of soda for Owen.
“Yeah, I’ll just stay here until Monday too,” said Charlie, spread out flat on her back on the silver plush carpeting of Zan’s bedroom.
“Me too,” said Owen, doing the same. Then he sat up. “Say, did you see those bathrooms in the hall?”
“No?”
“There are two bathrooms in a row!” he said, unable to control his excitement.
“Say what? You mean like in a Victorian bathroom? The toilet is always in a separate room.”
“No, like full bathrooms!”
“Hmm. I went to Vegas one time, and they had a toilet and bidet in one room, a shower in another, and a big walk-in tub in another.”
Owen laughed. “No, you need to see this!”
“Oh my god, crazy rich people!” said Charlie, following after him into the hallway.
“Check this out,” said Owen, walking into the first bathroom.
“Wow!” She looked at the huge bathroom, all covered in what appeared to be real marble tiles, from ceiling to walls, and right down to the floors. The bathtub was square and huge, with steps leading up to it. There were two side-by-side sinks and a toilet around the corner.
Then she followed him as he walked to the next door on the opposite side of the hall. The light also automatically turned on as they entered the room.
“Wow!” she said.
“I know, right? It’s not quite as big, but it’s still amazing!” The bathroom was almost identical to the first, but the bathtub was rectangular in shape and the room was a bit smaller.
“I want a bath now!” said Charlie.
“Me too!” said Owen. They had a good laugh.
“Um, so, should I leave the two of you alone?” asked Zan, sauntering into the room with a wine glass full of soda for Owen, and two glasses of wine for her and Charlie.
“No, thanks! We were just admiring your house.”
“How many bathrooms are in this house?” asked Owen.
“About six, I think. Actually, I don’t know. I lost count.” Zan took a sip of her wine.
“We could seriously hang out in the big bathtub. It’s like a Jacuzzi, right?” asked Charlie.
Zan nodded. “We do have a hot tub out back, but it needs to be serviced, so we haven’t used it in a while.”
“You’d have no idea when looking at the front of the house,” said Owen.
“Yeah, Dad is paranoid about burglars. He said a modest exterior keeps them away. I guess. That or the burglar alarm and cameras.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Zan turned toward the stairs, but then Owen stepped in front of her.
“Pizza is on me, tonight,” he said.
“What? Are you sure?” asked Charlie, remembering how many pizzas she had ordered.
“Yep,” he said as he headed down the stairs to the front door.
He opened the door. There was a young man there, barely old enough to be delivering pizza. His skin looked kind of pale and he had dark circles around his eyes.
Owen felt bad for him, so gave him a fifty-dollar tip.
“Hey, thanks!” the pizza guy said.
“Take it easy,” said Owen, grabbing the pizzas and placing them on the inside floor so he could close the door.
“Say, are you one of those people who works with the cops?” the guy asked.
Owen turned to look at him. “What do you know about that?” he asked.
“Well, my friend said he’s seen you at the police station. You help them with the zombies or something?”
Owen said nothing, trying to figure out what he was asking.
“Thing is, I have a problem and I don’t know where to go. A big problem.” The guy stared into his eyes.
Owen looked more closely at him. “Are you wearing contact lenses?”
The pizza guy shrugged. “Maybe. That and makeup.”
“Look, kid. If it’s what I think, you’re at the wrong house. This house kills zombies.”
“I know, but I’m desperate. I don’t know what to do. I know you guys have experience with zombies.”
Owen looked nervously back at the stairs. “Look, if the girls find out, you’ll be dead in seconds. But I do believe you don’t want to hurt me.”
“I really don’t,” said the zombie. “I’ve been eating raw steak. That’s why I took on a second job, so I can afford to buy them!” He laughed. “My name is Julian.”
“I’m Owen.” Owen smiled. “OK. Meet me inside the Star Moon Café tomorrow night at eight. I might ask a friend for advice too.”
“Thanks, man. That’s great. And thanks for the tip.�
�� He turned and walked away.
Owen closed the door, wondering what was going on. He remembered what Stewart had told them: If they ever came across a friendly zombie, don’t kill it but bring it directly to him. For now, he’d keep this secret. He wanted to figure this out by himself and find out if it was really true. Could there be harmless zombies in the city?
“Hey, Owen! We’re naked and in the hot tub! Are you going to join us?” called out Zan from upstairs.
He was just about to yell out “Hell ya!” when he stopped himself. She was joking. “Very funny, Zan! I have the pizza!” He headed up the stairs.
zzz
“Hey, Stewart,” said Owen over the telephone. “Remember when we had that little convo before about the possibility of there being good zombies?”
“Yes, and if you find one, bring it to me.”
“OK, but why do you want one brought to you?”
“Well, for one, to get a blood sample. I’ve gotten away from lab experiments, and since Zan is no longer interested and not really qualified, I think I’ll get back into it.”
“And then what?” asked Owen. “What would we do with the zombie?”
“Why, kill it, of course,” said Stewart. “We can’t have zombies running around the city. Even if one says they won’t bite, they still could attack someone if they forget to eat their raw hamburger or whatever it is they eat.”
“I see,” said Owen.
“Why are you asking?”
“Just curious,” said Owen. “I was wondering if I should be on the lookout for good zombies.”
“Always,” said Stewart. “Bye.” He hung up.
Owen frowned. That was pretty much how he figured it would work with Zan and Charlie. He thought it best to meet with Julian to find out what was going on. Maybe Julian was pretending to be a zombie? But Owen was a truthsayer and could detect any lies, unless the guy was mentally unstable, which was possible.
He decided to wait before he told anybody. He’d make the eight o’clock appointment at the coffee shop and find out first if this guy was for real. If not, he could quickly get rid of the zombie, then tell the others that someone had been trying to trick him. But he didn’t think it was one of Dr. Arora’s supporters.
zzz
“Hi, Zan,” said Charlie over the telephone. “Have you heard from Stewart at all? It’s been a few days.”
“Besides at school you mean? Nope. It’s been quiet. But we’ll see him at our Tuesday meeting.”
Charlie sighed. “Didn’t you get the text? He has cancelled all meetings this week.”
“Don’t worry about it. I think all is well? I’ve been doing fine so I don’t need to talk to anyone.”
“OK, just wondering. Thanks. See you in school tomorrow morning.”
“Yeah,” said Zan, hanging up.
Charlie looked around her clean room. Gran had asked her to clean it up, and the house, so that’s what she had done the previous two nights. But now it was all done.
Chapter 19
________________________________________
Owen grabbed his dagger from the box hidden behind his dresser. Even though his dad knew he was a truthsayer, and sometimes a zlayer, he still felt anxious if Owen was heading out into a dangerous situation. For this reason, usually, Owen didn’t tell him where he was going, other than to hang out with the girls.
He wasn’t certain what to expect tonight, but he was ready to go.
“I’m going to the coffee shop to meet friends and do homework,” he called out to his dad.
“Have a great time,” said Richard, his dad.
Owen headed to the garage to get his car. His parents were lawyers, so after he’d earned his driver’s license, they’d bought him a modest car. He knew Zan turned her nose up at his car, but he was proud of it. He had paid for all the insurance on it from his part-time jobs, though at the moment, being a zlayer was his part-time job. His dad didn’t know it, but the teens got a small stipend for their zombie-slaying duties. Most of the money he put into his savings account. He knew Zan just spent hers on clothes, and he had no idea where Charlie put hers, perhaps for her police academy training next year.
Finally, Owen reached the Star Moon Café. “Huh, looks like a serious competitor to those big coffee chains, I guess,” he muttered to himself, as he tapped his credit card on the parking kitty app. He got his “meow” so he was ready to head inside.
Julian wasn’t there yet so he grabbed a hot chocolate and a muffin, and had a seat. He sat around the corner, in the back, where it would be the most private.
A moment later, Julian came in and saw him. He headed for Owen.
“Have a seat, unless you’re going to have a snack?” asked Owen.
“Nah, I’m good. I just had a steak,” he explained, sitting down. “And I don’t think there’s anything on the menu here that would interest me.”
“Hey, cool,” said Owen, shaking his hand. “Can you eat sushi?”
“I never thought of that. It might be an idea! But somehow, red meat really satisfies my cravings.” He smiled.
Owen could tell that he had some foundation on his face to brighten up his skin, besides the brown contact lenses. “I have so many questions.”
“I know, so do I.”
“OK, you start,” Owen said.
“Well, one day I woke up in this condition. It was a day or two until I realized what I was. Then I was horrified because I knew that I would die soon.” He paused.
“That’s sad. I’m so sorry,” said Owen. “Do you know who did this to you?”
He shrugged. “I think it was during my hospital stay. I had several jabs at that time, so perhaps it was that? Because I don’t recall being bitten at all. I don’t even have pets.”
“The hospital? You mean the one not far from the police station?”
He nodded.
“That’s not good,” said Owen, “if someone is deliberately turning people into zombies at the local hospital.”
“Well, I don’t know if that’s still happening. Probably not.”
“What makes you say that?” asked Owen.
“Well, this happened last spring,” he said. “And I know there have been some zombies around the city recently. It all makes perfect sense since it’s been rumored that the zombie gang is alive and has been creating more zombies to grow their numbers.”
Owen almost choked on his hot chocolate. “Wait a second. Last spring? Like, this year?”
Julian nodded.
“But that’s seven months ago!” Owen put down his mug.
“Hey, that’s great, you didn’t fail your math class.” He laughed.
“But, so, um,” said Owen, stumbling on his words.
“Say it,” Julian said. “I’m an old zombie. Ha!”
“Yeah, but usually zombies fall apart after a couple months. I mean, they usually aren’t walking and talking like you are!”
“I know, right? I was wondering. Would you know why?”
Owen shook his head. “No, sorry. Have you gone to a doctor?”
Julian nodded. “I did. I got a referral to a zombie-friendly one who treats people like me.”
“So there are more of you?” he asked.
“Yep. But we’re in the minority. For some reason, the zombie virus is slower for us. However, I’m not immortal. It’s expected that eventually I will die. Maybe I have two years?”
“That’s crazy,” said Owen. “I’d be on a beach somewhere doing something fun.”
Julian shrugged. “Maybe that’s what I’ll do. For now, I thought, maybe I could help someone?”
“Well, the only one I know who is experimenting is Dr. Arora. But she may have been the one who injected you at the hospital.”
“Say, her name is fam...oh shit!”
Owen peered at him, curious about what he was going to say. “What is it?”
“I know that name! Why, I think she was my doctor!”
“Oh no,” said Owen. “Hey, listen, s
he’s on the loose, but my team will hunt her down and kill her for what she’s done to you.” He took the last sip of hot chocolate and slammed the mug on the table. Then he looked nervously around, but fortunately no one had noticed.
“No, that’s not it,” Julian said. “I had lymphoma and had weeks left to live. She gave me this injection. She called it a B12, I think, or was it a Z12? She said it would extend my life, but I had to be very, very careful.”
“Did she now? Wow. OK, that’s interesting. That’s not what I thought of her.” Owen pondered on what he had said. Maybe Dr. Arora was mostly telling the truth when she had told them she hadn’t deliberately injected people with the zombie virus? What if she was only injecting people who were terminally ill?
“So I give my permission for you to chat with your team leader, and maybe I can chat with him?”
Owen shook his head. “That’s a really bad idea. You are still a zombie. My team does one thing. They kill zombies. We may interrogate them, but in the end, you’re dead.”
Julian sat and thought about what he’d just said.
“Any other ideas?” asked Owen.
“Yes, just one. I am willing to risk it,” he said.
“What?”
“I said I’m willing to risk it.”
Owen shook his head. “That’s crazy. I mean, I can be there and vouch for you. But really, these folks have no morals when it comes to killing zombies.”
“I understand, but I need to know. And maybe I can help? I have some connections. My doctor may even know where Dr. Arora is hiding out.”
Owen sighed. “OK, but I can’t guarantee anything. First, let me talk to my team. We were supposed to have a meeting this week, but it got cancelled. Maybe I can put a call in to have a chat with my team first, and then we can decide to invite you to the next one? Perhaps in public? That way you’ll be safer.”
Julian nodded. “Hey, that works for me. But sooner rather than later please. Lately, I’ve been getting kind of tired. I’m taking this iron supplement, but I sleep like ten hours a day.”
