The Buzzard Zone

by Kelly, Ronald

  He looked toward the sky beyond the treetops and saw twelve or thirteen birds circling overhead. “Well, it’s not a herd up ahead, but it’s more than one. Keep your eyes peeled.”

  Onward the truck climbed, followed by the twins on their vehicles, the VW Beetle, and Kate’s Yukon at the rear. Levi took a hairpin turn in the road and there they were… a group of Biters. Or rather a family of them. A man, a woman, and three children—a little girl and a boy, and a teenage girl with long, honey-blonde hair. They were pale and blood-stained, their faces sunken and their teeth as black as charcoal.

  “It’s the Macolmers,” said Nell with a groan.

  She was right. It was their closest neighbors, Ed and June Macolmer and their young’uns—Missy, Timmy, and Sarah. Levi’s stomach clenched as tightly as his fingers on the steering wheel. He hadn’t seen the Macolmers in months, not since the Fourth of July, when they’d had them over for supper and fireworks afterward. He still remembered the women sitting on the porch, laughing, while the little young’uns chased fireflies in the yard. He and Ed had downed a few beers and gave their two cents’ worth about the handling of fireworks, which had been unnecessary, given Avery’s proficiency with such things. Levi also remembered Jem and Sarah sitting beneath the big oak out front, holding hands and talking quietly. Although the boy had never said anything, Levi knew he had a crush on the girl.

  He turned and looked at his wife. “What should I do?”

  Her eyes were dull. “Run them down.”

  Levi knew that was the correct response, but it went down like a bitter pill. When he began easing on the brakes, Nell grabbed his forearm. “If you don’t and you drive past ’em, they’ll pull Jem and Avery right off the Honda and the Gator, and tear into them. We don’t have a choice.”

  Levi nodded and stamped on the gas.

  The big diesel truck surged forward, plowing over the Macolmers. Ed went under and the truck lurched as its tires rolled over him. The front bumper caught June and she flipped, head over heels, and landed on the hood. Her face hit the windshield, sending a thin fissure across the glass. She leered in at them, showing none of the good humor or compassion she had once been well regarded for. Her bloodshot eyes seethed angrily and her teeth, coated with swarming black motion, snapped hungrily at her two neighbors. Nell looked at her for a long moment and then turned her head.

  Levi stamped on the brake. June Macolmer went spinning off the hood and slammed into the lurching bodies of Missy and Timmy, knocking them down. He sped up again and crushed the three beneath the big tires of the truck. Then he was coming up fast on young Sarah. The flawless skin of the pretty girl’s face had sloughed away, leaving denuded bone with two bright, blue eyes shining feverishly from sunken sockets. Levi glanced in his side view mirror. Behind him, Jem rode the four-wheeler, standing with his fists on the handlebars, craning his neck to get a better look.

  “Damn!” cussed Levi as he drove the truck forward, knocking the girl down and grinding her beneath the wheels. Although he couldn’t hear it, he could sense her bones breaking and her body collapsing.

  When he had driven past, he brought the truck to a stop and sat there, breathing hard for a moment. Then he and Nell climbed out and stood on the roadway. Ed was done for. A tire had gone over his skull, flattening his head into a black, gelatinous ruin. June and the kids were still moving. They were unable to get up, but still squirming and snarling and hankering to sink their teeth into those who stood around them.

  Levi looked at Jem. The boy was crying as he stared at the blonde-haired girl lying in the road, her pelvis and legs shattered.

  “I’m sorry, son,” he told him. “It couldn’t be helped.”

  Tears streamed down the sixteen-year-old’s face. “I know.”

  Levi pulled the Blackhawk from its holster. “Everyone stand back. I don’t want this black mess splattering all over you.”

  He had cocked back the hammer and was about to put a round through the top of June Macolmer’s head, when a wet, phlegmy bark sounded a few yards in front of the truck. Then the bark lowered into a rattling growl and Levi heard footfalls on the road behind him.

  “It’s ol’ Red,” said Avery.

  Levi turned to see the Macolmer’s redbone coonhound, Red, running toward him in an uneven pace. He was shocked, for he had never seen an animal other than a human being that had turned with the awful infection—or was it infestation—that had damned eighty-eight percent of the earth’s population. Red was emaciated and riddled with mange and weeping sores. Most of his hair was gone and his paper-thin skin clung closely to the bone. One of his eye sockets was empty and the blackness, like swarming ants, danced where a keen eye had once stalked coon in the moonlight. Canine teeth, long and equally dark, snapped like whipcracks as his pace quickened.

  Lifting the Magnum, Levi fired. The .44 slug hit Red square on the tip of his nose and tunneled completely through, exiting as a flattening wad of lead out of his ass end. The dog’s legs collapsed beneath him and he dropped to a long skid on the road, traveled a couple of yards farther, then flipped and lay still.

  His face like stone, the patriarch of the Hobbs family did the same for June Macolmer. He paused a long moment, then ended Missy’s and Timmy’s misery. He was making his way to Sarah, when Jem stepped forward. His eyes were red and wet, but his jaw was firmly set.

  “No, Papa,” he said, his voice cracking. “Give me a moment with her, then I’ll do it.”

  Levi nodded. “Okay, son.” He motioned to the others and they returned to their vehicles. “We’ll wait for you down the road a piece.”

  “Thanks,” the boy said dully, although there seemed to be no gratitude in his tone.

  They drove a hundred yards farther on and parked. Levi watched in the truck’s big side view mirror. Jem knelt next to Sarah’s squirming body, talked to her for a minute, then stood and swung the axe earthward. Levi looked away right before the blade struck. Then Jem climbed on the Honda and joined them.

  “Get it done, son?” Levi asked him when Jem pulled up next to the cab of the logging truck.

  The boy’s face was rigid and pale.

  “Let’s head on home.”

  Together, they continued upward to the top of the Ridge.

  Chapter 5

  They reached the house by dusk. The sky grew vivid with brilliant hues of orange, pink, and purple, but none of them found any enjoyment in the sunset. All eyes roamed the verge of twilight for dark forms sailing and swooping in crisscross, circling patterns. Fortunately, no buzzards could be seen and, for now, they rested easy.

  Quietly, they unloaded their vehicles and brought the supplies they had scavenged into the house. As they did so, Abe Mendlebaum surveyed the Hobbs property. The two-story house sat on a sloping ridge of stone interlaced sparsely with grass and tall stands of oak, long-leafed pine, and silver poplar. At the back of the old house stood a three-bay garage big enough to hold the logging truck, the Yukon, and a red Ram pickup truck that had been left behind on their excursion to the valley. On one side of the garage were two three-hundred-gallon tanks—one for diesel and one for regular gas—while on the other stood a shed holding the tools of Levi Hobbs’ trade: chainsaws, cross-cut saws, log splitters, broad axes, and dynamite for blasting stumps. In a small lean-to at the rear of the house were two large gasoline generators for electricity, which the family only used for a few hours a night.

  They carried Agnes Mendlebaum to an upstairs bedroom. The elderly woman seemed to be improving, although her return to consciousness was a slow and fitful one. Kate agreed to stay with her, while the others prepared supper. While they set to work, Avery remained on the porch and watched the steep slope and the darkening sky, cradling Abe’s AR-15 lovingly in his arms.

  After a supper of cornbread and canned vegetables—checked with Abe’s catalog of safe lot numbers—the Hobbs family and their guest grew silent. Abe sat back in his chair and eyed the five, dreading the conversation that was about to take place.
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br />   “So, I suppose you would like to know what is going on,” he said. He took a long sip of coffee from a china cup and sighed. “How much do you know already… concerning the outbreak?”

  “Just what we learned from the TV and radio before everything went off the air,” Levi said. “That folks were being infected by something unknown that killed them and then brought them back to life as these confounded flesh-eating Biters. That it was happening at an alarming rate with no sign of finding a cure for what was happening. Then everything went to static and we were left in the dark.”

  Abe nodded and leaned forward on the table, tenting his fingers thoughtfully. “What do you think the source of the outbreak is? From what you’ve seen with your own eyes so far?”

  “Seems to us that it’s those little black things that cover their teeth that might be causing it,” Nell replied.

  Abe’s eyes sparkled behind the thick lenses of his spectacles. “Precisely! That is exactly what is causing it.”

  “Why don’t you tell us about it, Dr. Mendlebaum,” urged Kate, although she looked like she would rather not know.

  “The ‘little black things’, as you call them, are parasites. A parasite totally unknown to biological science until June thirty-first of this year. It is tiny… about the size of trombicula alfreddugesi… the harvest mite, or as you Southerners call it, the common chigger. It is small, but ruthless. Its reproduction cycle is prolific and rapid, and it possesses a voracious appetite. It thrives on human tissue and once ingested or transferred by an open wound, it is only a matter of hours before the host succumbs, losing their mental capabilities. The parasites burrow through muscular and vascular tissue, as well as the linings of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, and eventually make their way to the brain of the host. There they wreak havoc, destroying central sections of the cerebellum, but leaving others intact, including the lobes that control appetite and aggression. In fact, their activity stimulates these areas, which, in turn, instigates the Biter’s violent behavior. The parasites turn the host’s head into a hive, invading what is left of the brain, the nasal passages, and the mouth. The parasite loves to feed off mucus and plaque, which is why they are so prevalent on the Biters’ teeth. Since the zombie’s main motivation is to bite and eat without conscience or hesitation, the transference of the parasite to potential hosts is immediate and inevitable.”

  “But how do folks come back to life after they die from a bite?” asked Levi.

  Abe raised a finger. “Ah, that is because they are not actually dead. The ravaging attack of the parasite emits a natural anesthetic, a very powerful enzyme that causes temporary paralysis, a slowing of circulatory and metabolism functions, and the appearance of a faux death. This gives the parasite time to invade the host and ‘set up house’, if you will, before the stimulation of the damaged brain returns to an altered state of existence—one devoid of previous memory, restraint, judgmental capabilities, or what some may regard as the ‘soul’. This sedated coma lasts for an indeterminate period of time. Sometimes mere hours, sometimes days or as much as a week; it depends on the previous health and physical capacities of the individual host. During that time, rigor mortis and decomposition sets in, giving the outward appearance of death. When the neural restructuring is completed and the host revives, he is like a walking corpse… but with an overwhelming desire to attack and consume.”

  “How did this all begin?” asked Katie. “Where did these parasites come from?”

  “That is what puzzled us,” Abe told them. “There seemed to be four points of origin, almost simultaneously—Lima, Peru; Berlin, Germany; Beijing, China; and Provo, Utah here in the United States. The outbreak—or rather infestation—started at those points and spread. By the time the threat had been identified, it was too late. The parasite was transferred through food and water, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, as well as some processed foods shortly following the outbreak. High concentrations of parasite eggs were found in drinking water, both from in-ground sources and water-bottling facilities. Water filtration systems seemed to have no effect on preventing or detecting the presence of parasitic eggs or larvae. They are nearly microscopic in size and cannot be detected by the naked eye. Also extreme temperature—such as boiling or cooking—seems to have little effect, although fire has been known to destroy them, if the heat is intense enough. And in the case of freezing, they simply go into a dormant state of hibernation. They are tough little bastards.”

  Avery looked suspicious, “So is this a natural phenomenon… or was it a terrorist plot?”

  Abe shrugged his narrow shoulders. “We have insufficient data to prove or disprove either. As far as we know, it could be an act of Jehovah. Perhaps He is raining a plague upon our heads.”

  Levi looked over at his wife. Nell dropped her eyes and said nothing.

  “You know, there is one very puzzling absolute that we discovered,” the old man told them. “The bugs will inhabit every kind of living creature, except one.”

  “And what is that?” Jem asked.

  “Birds… particularly flesh-eating birds like carrion crows, buzzards, and vultures. There is something about their physiology that the insects find incompatible with their needs. Whatever the reason, it was a complete mystery to us.”

  “So is that what you were doing in Oak Ridge?” Avery asked. “Trying to locate the source and find a cure?”

  “Yes,” said Abe with a sigh. “Twenty think tanks and research labs were implemented internationally. Five were set up in the United States—Washington D.C.; Houston, Texas; the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta; Boulder, Colorado; and Oak Ridge. Here in Tennessee alone, we had two dozen of the greatest scientific minds known to man, but could determine very little as far as how this all came about or how to remedy it.” He laughed bitterly. “Toward the end, we began to run out of food. Some of the military personnel raided the snack machines in the break room. They had no idea the food inside was contaminated… put there by the vendor before the outbreak truly became known. Within a week, everyone at the installation was dead or had turned. Agnes and I were fortunate enough to escape. We were heading east for North Carolina, when you came upon us.”

  “It looks like we’re just a handful of survivors now,” said Levi. “Eighty-eight percent of the population gone… or shambling around like the living dead.”

  Abe removed his eyeglasses and polished them on the front of his shirt. His gray eyes grimly surveyed those who sat at the table, moving from face to face. “I am afraid we had to modify that estimation shortly before my escape. As it stands, nearly ninety-four percent of the Earth’s population has succumbed to the effects of the parasite. That was nearly five days ago. It could be an even larger percentage by now.”

  For several moments, everyone sat silently, attempting to digest the information they had been given. Then Avery spoke up, suggesting something that only he would have had the guts to suggest. “What about nukes? That would fry ’em, wouldn’t it?”

  The scientist nodded. “The parasite perishes when exposed to intense radiation. We certainly had the capabilities at Oak Ridge, but no one considered that a viable option… especially me.”

  Again, silence permeated the room. Everyone was immersed in their own private thoughts.

  “I think I’ll go check on Mrs. Agnes,” Kate said quietly, excusing herself.

  Nell got up and began to gather the supper dishes.

  Suddenly, a hoarse shriek cut through the night air. They got up from the table and walked to the front window of the dining room. In the gloom, they could see motion beneath the big oak tree. Something lay there, thrashing, moaning, and crying out.

  Levi turned to Jem, who stood a few steps behind them, his eyes on the floor. “You didn’t take the axe to her, did you?”

  The boy released a long, shuddering sigh. “No, sir.”

  “Lordy Mercy!” said Avery. “You mean that gal crawled halfway up the mountain with her legs busted up and h
er guts hanging out?”

  “Shut up!” his brother grated between clenched teeth.

  “Want me to do ’er? I will, if’n you want.”

  Jem’s eyes blazed. “Don’t you touch a damned hair on her head, Avery.” He turned to his father. “Papa?”

  Levi shucked the Blackhawk from its holster and pressed it into his son’s hand. Then he laid his hand across the back of Jem’s neck and drew him close until their foreheads met. They didn’t look at one another. Both stared down at the gun in Jem’s hand. “Sarah was a high-spirited girl. She wouldn’t want to be like this.”

  Jem nodded, then turned and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind him.

  Levi and Abe headed back to the table. Avery lagged behind, peering out the window.

  “Avery, go help your mama with the dishes,” his father told him.

  “Aw, Papa! That’s women’s work!”

  “Ain’t no such thing, son. If a woman can take up a gun and blow a zombie’s brains out, a man can help with the cooking and cleaning. Now get your ass in there.”

  Grumbling, the boy left the window and headed to the kitchen to help his mother.

  Levi and Abe sat at the table for a couple of minutes, before the boom of a large-caliber gunshot cracked through the night. Abe jumped, then picked up his cup and took a long swig of lukewarm coffee. “For as long as I may live, I will never grow accustomed to that sound.”

  “Been hearing it all my life, Doctor,” said Levi. “But it sure doesn’t sound like it used to.”

  Nell appeared in the kitchen doorway. She dried a Blue Willow plate while her eyes stared at the front door.

  “No need to baby him, dear,” Levi told her. “He’s nearly a man now. Let him deal with it in his own way.”

  Anger rolled off of her like a heat. “Easy enough for you to say! It ain’t you out there putting a bullet betwixt the eyes of your beloved. Who knows? Maybe someday you’ll be forced to do the same.”