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

by Botts, Bradley

  My eyes closed with a slight smile on my face remembering back to that day. As I drifted off, I could hear shuffling in the trees around me. I didn’t move and I didn’t speak. I just allowed my exhaustion to take over and even though I thought of a happy memory before falling asleep, nightmares were all that followed.

  Chapter 13

  I didn’t understand. The road was divided in four different directions. There were no signs and no guidance; there were only the people I loved. Kiere stood on the road directly in front of me in a pink dress with a white ribbon tied around her waist. Her hands were pressed together, and a cloud of smoke shadowed behind her. Aurora stood on the road to my right in a black dress and raven veil. Her eyes glowed a bright red and blood dripped from her mouth. On the road to my left stood each captain of the Z.E.D.S. They each had a pendant hanging from their hands cloaked in metallic suits.

  I looked back toward Kiere and her hand reached for me as she screamed. My legs were stuck to the ground and I began to scream for her, but no noise came out. Just a faded echo. The smoke engulfed her, and she vanished in front of me. Aurora began to scream, and I turned towards her. I saw a form of myself holding a knife into her stomach. I smiled at me as Aurora fell to the road. The captains began to chant words I didn’t understand. It was a repetitive word that was announced with every stomp of their foot. I tried to run to Aurora as she lay on the ground but still couldn’t move. Kiere’s scream echoed around me.

  From behind, my arms were captured and placed behind me. I could hear Chase’s voice saying, “He will save us all.” A man wearing a black trench coat and shoulder length black hair glided from beyond the smoke and halted at me after he placed his sword into my stomach. The demonic smile and constant changing of his face confused me. I felt the sharp pain of the blade being twisted into my gut. Aurora appeared at his side with her eyes a complete shade of black. Her hands caressed every part of him while her tongue massaged his ear. Kiere then appeared on the other side holding his hand with blood dripping from her eyes and her face portraying anger. The captains still chanting marched behind the mysterious man. The word Omega was being repeated.

  The man placed his hand on my face and said, “You can’t stop what’s coming,” and he slid the sword from my body before handing it to Chase.

  I felt the back of my head being gripped and then the blade slid across my neck. My eyes were forced to look at the sky as blood poured from the cut. My body grew cold and my legs went limp. Chase released me to the ground, but before I pressed against the ground, I heard a strong wind flow through and felt an arm catch me.

  The grass rustled in the distance. The ray of sunlight beamed through my eyelids as I floated in the pond. The scent of damp grass and molded rotten carcass filled the air. As I opened my eyes I rose from the bed of the canoe and my vision was a blurry inconvenience. The birds were chirping with a morning song and for a moment I forgot the world.

  I heard footsteps along the bank of the pond, which pulled me from my escape. I surveyed the area around me while staying hidden inside the canoe. No figure or creature was present, but the sound continued. I have never told anyone a fear that I have because I have to appear fearless for everyone, but the unknown will always terrify me. Not knowing what is behind every corner as well as hiding in the shadows always caused a certain panic. Though fear controlled that, I always knew that if you don’t run to it, then it will run after you.

  I never stopped looking for the source of the footsteps. Nothing out of the ordinary stood out amongst the rest of the so called “normal.” I focused more towards a heavily covered area of bush and vine when a pair of glistening eyes shimmered in the leaves. As it paced more towards an open area, from a distance I swore I saw a ghost. He wore the same clothes, the same bandanna and still had his favorite weapons attached to his hip. He wore all of the same clothes on the highway where he died in my arms and wore the same clothes in the ruins of Louisville. I concluded the sight of him in Louisville to grief, and since then I have come to terms with his death, so I asked myself, “Why now?”

  “Logan,” I yelled staring at him as he roamed around. “Logan, is that you?”

  From behind the bushes, he creeped out and stood near the pond smiling. His red bandana, motorcycle boots, black shirt with the sleeves cut out and the lens of his glasses showing the glare of the sun.

  “Damn! I was trying to be sneaky,” Logan shouted back to me.

  When the team and I traveled to Louisville, Logan didn’t say one word. He just had facial expressions of concern and terror, but this time he spoke. His voice was clear and echoed around me. I hoisted the makeshift anchor back to the canoe and I paddled it back to shore. Not once did I take my eyes off of Logan to secure he wasn’t an illusion. Logan didn’t disappear in a sudden flash or evaporate into a mist. He stood there, staring, smiling, and waiting. The canoe rested onto the mud and Logan extended his hand to me. “This can’t be real,” I whispered. If I reach for his hand, it will only flow straight through like smoke.

  “I’m not going to bite you Atlas,” Logan laughed. “Take my hand.”

  I placed my left hand on the grip of my pistol and with my right hand I reached for his. Our hands connected and Logan pulled me onto the bed of the rocks resting near the pond. My eyes searched him from head to toe and he appeared as the day he died, more like moments before he died. There wasn’t one scratch on him.

  “How is this possible Logan? You died. You were dead in my arms. I carried your body for miles after the wreck,” I said with an astonished voice.

  Logan smiled and very calmly he said, “I’m still dead Atlas. There is no doubt about that.”

  “Then how are you here right now,” I asked. “You look normal.”

  Logan began to step around the rocks with his gaze towards the ground. “You tell me Atlas. Is there a reason you are seeing me right now? What is going on with you that makes you believe I am here right now,” Logan asked with a smirk.

  “What are you talking about,” I asked.

  Logan halted his pace and looked up at me. “When is the last time you saw me Atlas?”

  “I saw you in Louisville,” I answered.

  “What was you doing in Louisville,” Logan asked as he locked his hands together in front of him.

  As I ran my hand over the top of my head I answered, “We were there to find my nieces.”

  “And what are you doing now,” Logan proceeded to question.

  I could feel the sweat in my hand as my fingers combed through my hair. “I’m looking for my daughter,” I answered while wiping my hands on my pants.

  Logan smiled and asked, “Do you see the connection there? You saw me when you were searching for your brother’s daughters, and now I’m here again when you are looking for your own.”

  “So, you are telling me that my mind is projecting you here because of my search for Kiere? Is it some type of validation that I’m doing something right? Also, how am I physically able to touch you,” I asked while pressing my finger against his chest, poking every spot.

  “The mind is a mysterious thing Atlas. It’s almost like when you dream. You can feel, smell, hear and see everything your mind allows you,” Logan attempted to explain.

  I tried to understand what Logan was saying to me, but no matter how real a dream felt it couldn’t be compared to this.

  “If you only exist in my mind and I’m projecting you because of some odd reason whether it is another form of grief or guidance or I’m just going insane; how long are you going to be here,” I asked.

  “That is completely up to you. I’m manifested from your psyche. It is your choice,” he explained.

  As frightened as I was because I believed I was going insane, it was still great to see him again.

  “This can’t be real. I love you brother, but you shouldn’t be here,” I said. “You should be somewhere away from all of this. You should be enjoying the afterlife, drinking beers, riding your motorcycle, hitting on beautif
ul women, and keeping Zora company. Have you seen Zora?”

  “Zora is doing good. She says she misses you guys,” Logan replied. “We did however have a couple of beers the other day. We talked about how much we would love to see you guys, and how sorry she was that she wasn’t able to stay. She misses Piper like something crazy.”

  “Piper misses her too. We all do,” I replied. “I still need my question answered. Am I going insane?”

  Logan placed his arm on my shoulder, “Think of me like a spirit guide. I’m here to help you on your journey. Native Americans use this method for guidance and now you are doing the same. You manifested me instead of an animal. So, once you are ready, I am with you until I’m no longer needed.”

  I stared at Logan unsure if he was actually there, or if I had finally snapped. “Well, if you are truly going to help me, then we have to go. I have to find Kiere.” The sun was high in the sky and the heat was bearing down on us. I pulled the compass from my pocket and searched for the direction I remembered in which the truck headed.

  “Do you actually know where they took her,” Logan asked.

  “I have a general idea of where they headed. They traveled south down the old highway 90. There are many different locations they could have turned down but giving that they were in the ruins of Summer Shade, I would say they aren’t set up to far from there,” I explained. “They had to have left a trail.”

  “I will follow you sir Atlas,” Logan chuckled.

  “You kind of have to,” I laughed back.

  Logan and I traveled in the woods for most of the walk. It provided great cover from anyone lurking around whether it was zombies or people. As we walked deeper into the wilderness, I couldn’t help but want to ask Logan what death is like. I wanted to ask him what is beyond this world. I wondered if he even knew why all of this was happening. I hoped he had answers.

  “Logan, let me ask you something. This is going to be a long walk, so I need answers about certain things and there is enough time for you to answer these questions,” I said as we ducked under branches and crossed trees.

  “Be my guest. What questions do you have,” Logan asked.

  I took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from my forehead. “When you died, did you know you died?”

  Logan continued keeping his pace steady as he answered my question. “Technically I knew once my head smacked the road that I wasn’t going to survive being thrown from the truck. It was such a sudden flash I didn’t even feel the pain. My mind was in shock, but it knew the outcome.”

  “So, you didn’t suffer,” I asked while looking at Logan.

  “Not one bit. I heard you screaming. I felt you lift my body, but I wasn’t in my body if that makes sense,” Logan said.

  “If you weren’t in your body, then how did you feel me pick you up,” I asked.

  “Well, in that moment I truly left. When you raised my head and held it, I left. I stood next to you while you sat with me. I tried to put my hand on your shoulder to let you know I was okay, but you couldn’t feel me there. No matter how hard I tried you couldn’t see me,” Logan explained. “I screamed for you and the rest to hear me, but none of you acknowledged I was there.” As I remembered seeing Logan lifeless in my arms my eyes began to water. I couldn’t shake the image from my head.

  “I’m sorry I failed you Logan. I was supposed to be the one to protect you and yet I got you killed.”

  Logan stopped walking and he grabbed my shoulder to stop me. “Listen, you didn’t fail me. You haven’t failed anyone. I chose to follow you. I will follow you anywhere. I knew the risks of leaving the safe house,” Logan explained. “You are a great leader Atlas, and the way you doubt yourself pisses me off. If you weren’t the leader of the Z.E.D.S. then no one should be. You honestly need to quit doubting yourself so much. You do what you can for the best of all and that is a lot to ask from someone. You took on the responsibility without hesitation or expecting gratitude from anyone. That is a true leader.” I began walking again but Logan stopped me again. “This whole thing with Chase is not your fault and you know that it’s not truly him in there. I don’t know what is actually going on with him, but you will figure out a way to bring him back. I know you will,” Logan said.

  I looked at Logan and a smile appeared. He began walking again and he asked the next question I was about to ask. “So, do you want to know what Heaven is like?”

  “Actually, I do,” I replied.

  “Heaven is better than you would expect. It isn’t all a blinding white light like most people say that you see when you die. After you began dragging my body to the safe house, I tried to go with you, but I was stopped. Two women appeared away from us standing with fiery swords and metallic armor. They had wings attached to their backs.”

  “Wings,” I asked. “What happened?”

  “Yes. Their wings were a dark silver expanding multiple feet,” Logan replied. “They signaled for me to come to them. I told them I had to stay with you guys because you needed me. They told me it was my time to rest before I was truly needed.” Logan seemed to become a little agitated in his voice at first while explaining the women. “All they did at first was stand there. They didn’t say one word. I tried to walk around them, but it seemed like an invisible force field kept me from passing them. So, I asked them who they were. Well, I basically yelled it at them.”

  I thought for a moment at what he said before. “So, you mean to tell me that you yelled at some angels,” I asked while laughing.

  “I didn’t know who they were when I yelled at them. But anyways, I noticed another woman walking behind you guys I never seen before. I began to ask who it was before I realized that it was another angel walking with you. A guardian angel,” Logan said as we continued walking.

  As I began thinking more about that moment, anger began to grow. Logan continued talking but I escaped into my hatred. I kept thinking if there were angels around us or even one guarding us, then why did that happen? Why couldn’t they have guarded us before the explosion?

  “So, then there was a hand…” Logan said before I interrupted.

  “That’s enough Logan,” I yelled.

  Logan stopped and stared at me. “Is it something I said?”

  “Just forget about it,” I said as I walked past him.

  Logan sprinted to catch up and said, “Atlas, what is it?”

  I wiped the sweat off of my mouth and face. I paced back and forth in short spaces until I lashed out.

  “You want to stand there and tell me that there was an angel walking with us that day? That damn day where you died; that day where the world truly fell apart for the Z.E.D.S. You want to walk and tell me that we had protection by angels and yet they decided that you had to die. To top it all off the walk back to the safe house consisted of us almost being eaten and exhausted. What are you telling me Logan?”

  “Atlas, you need to calm down. It’s not what you think,” Logan said trying to calm me down.

  “What do you mean? Please explain this to me,” I said.

  “What did I tell you when I pulled you from the pond,” Logan asked.

  “Enlighten me. I really don’t know,” I answered.

  Logan stood with his arms crossed across his chest. “Your anger is focused on something that you can identify,” Logan said.

  “Okay, is there a point to that remark,” I asked.

  “You don’t know why I died. I don’t know why I had to die, but you wanted to make sure I was okay. You didn’t have anyone to blame for it. But you do need someone to focus that blame to,” Logan said.

  “You just told me angels were watching over us but allowed you to die,” I yelled at Logan.

  “I know,” Logan replied.

  I stood in silence for a moment and realized if anyone came across me would see I was arguing with myself. Was I truly going insane? Why was I associating Logan’s death with angels because it is something to blame? What was happening to me?

  “From the look on your f
ace it seems as if you finally grasped the concept I’m talking about. And no, you’re not going insane. It is just called coping. If you remember I dated a girl that had psychology as a major. She talked a lot about the human mind and ways to deal with reality, so I know what I’m talking about,” Logan chuckled.

  “I’m sorry for yelling at you Logan,” I replied. “I just don’t understand what is going on here.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Your crazy ass has enough to deal with. Come on, we have to go find Kiere,” Logan said as he stepped away.

  Despite the fact I believed I was going crazy having Logan with me through those days kept me from a mental break down. It all felt so real. I genuinely believed he was with me again. The jokes he continued to tell took me back to the old days that consisted of midnight runs to a local fast food industry. The lines he would say to the women in the drive thru window were unlike any ever told.

  He would drive up to the window and whichever woman asked for his money he would instantly become the biggest flirt the world had ever seen. Logan would say, “Hypothetically, if I were to ask you out, what would you say?” If they proceeded with a no, he would finish the conversation with, “It’s a good thing that was hypothetical,” and drive off.

  There was this one ridiculous run on joke, that had no purpose, that would be told every time we saw each other. Logan would walk up to me and ask, “Do you like dirt?” I would say, “Yes.” Then he would ask, “Do you like water?” Once again, I would reply, “Yes.” Logan would proceed with an accent beyond comprehension mixing with Great Britain and Mountaintop Hillbilly while screaming. “Then you will love this new fad called mud! It is the latest craze! Scientists are baffled!” In those moments, holding on to bladder control was impossible. The long-gone moments between Logan and I were lost for many seasons, but now we were able to do what we had done best. Make each other laugh and forget everything.

  Sunlight turned to night and days turned to weeks. Every clue we believed we came across seemed to lead us farther down a rabbit hole. We walked across heavy woodland into a hidden valley. The valley wasn’t always hidden, but nature caused it to be so. There was a church that sat on top of a tall hill. The cemetery attached to the church grounds seemed to be destroyed. Tombstones were broken, graves were dug up and blood stained the ground.