Z.E.D.S. Series (Book 2): Z.E.D.S. Wayward Son

by Botts, Bradley

  As he stayed facing away from me, he answered, “I used too. I fled from it because they weren’t who I thought they were.”

  There was a depressing sound to his voice. He managed to stay turned away from me and I wondered why he tried so hard to hide his face.

  “Well Julian, you are more than welcome to come with me and Darwin here if you’d like.”

  “I’m not sure if that is such a good idea,” Julian replied.

  His remark confused me. I have never met a man named Julian and from the stature of him I have never seen him before.

  “Why do you say that,” I asked while placing my knife into my boot.

  Julian slowly turned around and his face appeared before me. It was branded with a red cross. He was a follower of Warren Cross.

  As my hands began to shake, I pulled the gun from my holster and marked his skull with the bead from the barrel.

  “How did you find us,” I yelled while keeping my sights on him.

  Julian raised his hands in the air and said, “I followed you after your second visit from the building we burned down. I was hiding in the tree line watching you.”

  Fear overcame me as I stared into his eyes. “What are you doing here? You plan to kill us? I swear if you are, you’re not going to make it out of this field.”

  “I’m not here to cause any harm. I didn’t know who any of you were. Warren said you were the reason for everything. You caused the virus. I believed him until I saw what my fellow companions were doing to you guys. The blood, the screams, the constant cry for help, they were murdering innocent children amongst me and that is not what I stand for. It was not why I joined him.”

  Anger resided over fear as I heard him speak. “If that’s not what you stand for then why did you let it happen?”

  “There was nothing I could do. I ran as soon as I saw what was happening. Do you honestly think you would have given a second thought to me if you would have seen this marking on my face standing at your home? I would have been shot dead before I could have helped anyone. Warren was supposed to help us save this world, but I realized that wasn’t his agenda if innocent children were supposed to die because of it,” Julian replied.

  His eyes were morose. The look he presented told me he was explaining the truth. Even though I saw the brand of Warren Cross on his skin he was not a follower.

  “Thank you for saving me Julian, but I don’t know what the rest of the team will do once they see you.”

  Julian put his hands down to his side and stared at the ground.

  “I’m sorry for what they have done to you, and I wish I could make it right. I will head out on my way because I’m not going to cause trouble with your people,” Julian said as he began to walk away. “You didn’t deserve what happened to you. I’m sorry for what you have went through because of us.”

  He started walking away, and I looked down at Darwin as he stared towards Julian. Canines have good instincts. Darwin did not charge after him or even growl. He only looked.

  “Julian, wait a minute.” I reached into my bag and pulled out an old Army Ranger hat and bandanna. “Here, put this on and cover up that marking as much as possible. We will figure something out.”

  Chapter 5

  I arrived at the bunker with two new friends at my side. Since the overtaking by Chase and his back up squad, I knew that there was going to have to be some cunning remarks on my part in order for me to bring two guests back to the bunker. On the outside of the barn guarding the doors were Cortez and Piper, two of the people that highly supported Chase’s takeover. There was no way I could sweet talk my way past them.

  “I need you to keep Darwin here for now. The two guarding the door aren’t fans of mine right now, so I will have to do some maneuvering around them to figure out a way to get you and Darwin in there. Once I get to my supporters inside the bunker, we will be okay,” I explained before appearing in the sights of Cortez and Piper.

  Julian held on to Darwin’s collar as Darwin tried to follow me towards the door. As I arrived closer, Piper and Cortez targeted me with their guns. I don’t know if they thought they could intimidate me because of their new leader or if they didn’t recognize me but I didn’t care.

  “Put your guns down. It’s just me,” I said as I walked closer.

  They lowered their weapons and Piper questioned me of my whereabouts. “Where have you been? You do know you’re not supposed to leave the bunker alone anymore.”

  “I just needed some air,” I said as I stood in front of them. “Frankly, it’s none of your business where I go. I’m still a captain, so the next time either one of you point a weapon in my direction again, I will take it from you and shove them up your asses. Is that clear?”

  Cortez stepped forward and proceeded to give me orders with a snarling look in his eyes. “You can’t talk to us like that. We don’t follow you anymore.”

  “Would you like to repeat that one more time Cortez? I didn’t quite hear it over your scream,” I said as I unfastened my holster.

  He looked at me with a befuddled look on his face. “What?”

  I gripped my pistol and it clashed with the bridge of his nose. Cortez dropped his weapon and gripped his face with blood spewing from his nostrils. I walked past Piper and Cortez as she examined his face. I waved for Julian to bring Darwin around the building as Cortez and Piper were occupied with each other. They entered the bunker through a side opening. I opened the hatch door and led them down to the first room where Aurora was standing.

  “Who are these two,” Aurora asked while we approached her.

  “The dog’s name is Darwin. He wandered to me out in the field,” I said as Aurora kneeled to him and patted his back.

  “There’s blood all over him. What happened,” Aurora asked as she examined Darwin.

  “I need you to get the rest of the team together and meet me in the shadow room beneath the kitchen,” I said as I ushered her to her feet. “We need to talk.”

  Aurora confusingly stared at me and I kissed her lips before guiding Darwin and Julian to the shadow room. The shadow room consisted of Brian’s memorabilia of most of his time in the war. He was what they called a shadow hunter in his day. He would sneak behind enemy lines to rescue his captured platoon when he was called upon. Brian didn’t tell us about that time, but from the old journals he kept in the room we found out a lot about Brian we never knew he was capable of. He was more of a black ops soldier than he was a front-line sergeant.

  After Amelia shut the door behind her, I saw all my supporters in the room. I had to represent Julian to the group and find a safe place for Darwin to hide.

  “Thanks for meeting me down here. I wanted to introduce you guys to Darwin a lovely pet that we have now,” I said as I patted Darwin on his head. The group smiled and all of them tried to pet him as he stood their enjoying the attention. “This man right here is Julian. He saved my life just moments ago from a hoard that found me in the field.”

  “A hoard,” Aurora asked.

  “I’m fine thanks to these two. The hoard snuck up on me, but we’re all okay,” I replied.

  Aurora walked over to Julian and shook his hand. “Thank you for saving my Atlas.”

  “Please pay close attention to me and don’t freak out,” I told the team. I looked over at Julian and said, “Go ahead and remove your covering.”

  As the hat came off and the bandanna fell to his neck, they all noticed the brand on his face and they immediately turned from welcoming to fearful. They began shouting and cursing towards Julian as he stood there and didn’t say a word.

  “That is enough everyone,” I yelled across the room. “He told me his story. He made a mistake with joining the wrong person, but he is seeking redemption. Julian is on our side now. He saved my life, and we are not like the monsters we have encountered above ground. We are warriors of the weak and fallen. Julian fell at Warren’s words, but he’s now standing with ours.”

  Julian walked towards everyone and spoke
. “I am sorry for what I had done and what has happened to each of you. I didn’t know the events that took place were going to happen. I was told you were the enemy, and you were the ones who spread the virus. I saw the truth that night when I saw the slaughter of innocent children. I am not a follower of Warren Cross anymore. My heart is broken because of what I was a part of. If you must exile me from here, I will leave with no vengeance intended. I deserve worse.”

  The team quieted down and regained composure as they saw tears coming from Julian’s eyes. They knew he was sincere about what he was preaching, and when I saw Kiere walk up to Julian and grab his hand I felt hope again. She pulled on his arm and he kneeled to her. She asked him a question I’m sure no one thought of.

  “Did those tattoos hurt?”

  Julian stared into her eyes and replied, “Not as much as you might think.”

  “Did you really save my dad,” Kiere asked.

  “It was the least I could do. I was only going to watch from a distance to make sure you all stayed safe, but he needed my help,” Julian replied.

  Kiere grabbed his hand and said, “We forgive you.”

  Julian whimpered. I saw everyone else quietly talking to each other before they began walking towards him to shake his hand.

  Aurora gripped my hand and whispered, “Do you think this is the right thing to do? We really don’t know him.”

  I looked into Aurora’s eyes and replied, “If Kiere can forgive him, then we can give him a chance to earn our forgiveness. Also, he may know where to find Warren Cross.”

  Julian was being welcomed by everyone. I could tell Shaun was going to keep a close eye on him just by the stare he had in his eyes. Brock and Mark were examining him up and down for their own security clearance as Riley kept his hand on his pistol. Mara stood with Amelia discussing something that I couldn’t hear in the distance. Julian was a stranger to us who sought me out in comfort of faith and redemption. Julian can provide us with a possibility to killing Warren Cross.

  Chapter 6

  Moments after the group hidden Julian and Darwin in one of their rooms, I was summoned by Chase to meet above the hatch. He only wanted me. I knew Chase would try to issue a repercussion because I broke Cortez’s nose with my gun. I was getting a bit angry over the power trip he was taking, but I was buying my time until it was the right moment to take things back.

  “Atlas, wait up a minute.” Damian ran up behind me before I climbed to the hatch door. “I heard Chase asked for you to meet him alone. He hasn’t gotten up there yet so with your permission I would like to hide in the rafters and listen in if that’s okay.”

  “I’ll be fine with it just being me and him,” I replied.

  “I know you can handle yourself Atlas, but I want to be precautious,” Damian explained. “That’s not the Chase you know and the one I have been around. There’s something wrong with him, and I just want to make sure everything is going to be okay.”

  Damian was deeply concerned about the team. I could hear it in his voice. I honored his request and he scaled the inside walls of the barn and hid in the rafters. Chase appeared shortly after. His demeanor was severely off balance, and I didn’t know why. I thought this would be the time to step up and take back what’s mine. It’s just me and him up here. No one to interrupt.

  “Would you like to explain to me Atlas why Cortez’s nose is broken,” Chase asked with a stern tone.

  I pictured Cortez sobbing with his hand on his nose, crying to Chase and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Well, what I do is clearly none of your concern. Captains have always operated with intent to protect. I never questioned their actions as long as it was for the greater good for our people. The argument between Cortez and myself came apparent when his mouth became too big for his little boy pants,” I explained behind my disrespectful stature.

  Chase paced around me with his arms crossed behind his back. “Atlas, you have always been like a brother to me. You helped Ophelia and I escape many death traps and you did sincerely watch over us as long as you could. You then became a selfish prick that believes he can do whatever he wants with no consequences.” Chase allowed a moment of silence. “That’s going to change.” I felt my knee buckle to the ground as Chase planted his foot to the inside of it. His arm wrapped around my neck and he held his pistol at my temple. “Your days of leadership are over. You need to understand that. I can protect everyone here better than you ever could. The sooner you realize that, the better off you will be. Anything that needs to be done, needs my approval first. You are not to harm anyone that answers to me, do you understand?”

  I noticed Damian preparing to jump from the rafters as my eyes journeyed upward. I subtly shook my head to let him know that he needs to stay hidden. I gripped Chase’s wrist and pulled it from my throat. I made just enough room to use the back of my head as a blunt object to his nose. He released his grip which allowed me to turn and tackle him to the ground. Instead of connecting my fists to his head I gripped his wrists and held them to the ground.

  “What is your problem Chase? What are you truly trying to prove,” I asked as he struggled against the ground. I let go of his wrists and stood above him. He staggered to his feet while gripping his gun and pointing it towards me.

  “Listen, if you’re going to shoot me then shoot me. Otherwise put the damn gun down,” I demanded.

  As Chase wiped the blood from his nose, I noticed a different tint to his eyes. It wasn’t red from the tears that come whenever a nose is traumatized, but a dark red starting to shadow his retinas. He pulled out his radio and contacted some of his group to tell them where we were. “I need some assistance top side.”

  Survivors climb out of the hatch with guns drawn. Three of them surrounded me and began causing pain to my ribs as they forced the stocks of their guns into my sides. I pushed some to the side as I swung my fists against some of their heads. A searing pain appeared to the back of my skull, and I fell to the ground. The survivors gripped my arms and detained me with zip ties.

  “Take him to the abandoned car around back. Make sure he can’t leave.” Chase kneeled to me as they lifted me to my knees, “I will think about what to do with you next after you spend some time out there.”

  The sun glared into my eyes as they forced me around the barn. There was an old abandoned 1958 seasoned Studebaker slowly perishing in the field behind the bunker. It was infested with creepy crawlers, scented skunk, and the floor was rotted out. The frame was still hanging on to what life it could possibly get by with. A hand gripped the back of my head and slammed me against the car. Blood rushed from the cut and blinded my right eye. Fists impacted my stomach as my head impacted the roof. Laughs and grunts surrounded me with every force I felt from their punches and kicks. As they shoved me in the front seat one delivered a final blow to my ribs, and he proceeded to restrain my hands to the old leather steering wheel. My lungs forced blood through my throat and out of my mouth as I tried to catch my breath. The door slammed and I became a prisoner inside the car.

  “Have fun,” one man said before delivering a final blow to my head.

  As time withered on, the thoughts rushing through my mind were gathered from what was here and what is now gone. Drinking a beer on my front porch is a time now lost. Grilling out on a hot summer night with nothing but friends and family have long disappeared. The random and yet highly effective waving as a car drove passed you on the main road never seemed to be significant until I realized I can’t do it anymore. When you sit alone in an abandoned car, with nothing to do, you tend to think about the little things. Those small things that you didn’t realize were important until you couldn’t do them anymore.

  My mind wandered for a decent time. I sat alone in that rusted shell with nothing but the sounds of wind. A crackling of the leaves, east of my jail cell, caught my attention. I turned my head in every direction. My hands were restrained to the steering wheel and usually a slow stomping of leaves when you’re alone always indica
tes an unwelcomed subject. The sound was becoming louder, and I knew whatever it was, it would be close enough for a visual real soon.

  The wind blew through the interior of the car, and it cooled the scorching heat for a moment. Within the breeze came a rank odor of rotting eggs and soured milk. The scent curled my stomach and forced a burning liquid into my throat. The berries and dried meat I had eaten for breakfast was now located on bits of sharp rusted metal beneath me. While wiping the vomit off my mouth and onto my sleeve I noticed the origin of the smell. When Darwin appeared to me it was a great surprise. This thing that found its way to my location was a bigger one. The grotesque form and bulged stomach made apparent it had just endured a gigantic feast. The bits of intestine and body fluids dripping from its mouth and hands didn’t compare to the stench, although the sight was terrifying.

  My jail cell wasn’t meant for protection. I lowered my body into the seat in attempt to hide from sight, but the car wasn’t going to halt an attack of not so fresh cannibals from devouring my skin. This monstrosity of a zombie may have just engulfed a decent number of living creatures and civilians, but it had a thirst and hunger for more. Once its final stepped cleared the tree line I noticed another following behind it. Then there were two more in sync with searching for another meal. With the two trailing behind their cannibalistic leader they also had their own followers. By the time I had quit counting and began hiding, there were at least twenty flesh seekers stumbling in my direction.

  The windows were gone, and the latch that kept the door closed didn’t seem to want to help me. I knew if they spotted me, I would become their secondary course. I began searching around the car for something to cut me loose. The entire shell consisted of rusted metal shards and fear of tetanus. I struggled to raise myself back from my hiding position and began kicking the broken pieces of the car, trying to pry a small piece sharp enough to free me. With every impact of my boots to the frame my ribs sent a searing pain throughout my body. With all the commotion I had caused, the attention of the zombie hoard deterred from a wandering standpoint to a lunch time dinner bell.