Z Island Series (Book 2): War After Z Island

by Osborne, Terrence Jr.

  “I didn’t! Look, we’ve been close the past couple of days and I don’t want to ruin what we’re having right now. You’re a good person. You have to believe me.”

  “I want to, but I’m afraid if I do, people are going to die because I trusted someone I liked.”

  “I promise on my life, I’m not the mole.”

  Lisa looked into his eyes and saw honesty. His facial expression was telling her everything she needed to know.

  “Okay, but how do we find out who’s the mole?”

  “Who’s been around long here, but has been gone a while? Any kind of disappearances or anything?”

  “Well, there was…” Lisa froze and stared at nothing.

  “There was what?”

  “I have to speak to Faith.”

  Lisa ran into the community while Steven chased after her.

  Jess walked up in front of Maria’s house and called for everyone to come forward. As they approached, she saw the fear in their eyes. They feared losing the only thing that kept them alive for a long time. She felt guilty for even being there. Maybe Jason wouldn’t have found them if her group hadn’t arrived. She started to think Eric was right.

  “Listen, we don’t have time. There’s a mole in the community working for Jason.”

  The whole community talked among themselves while Jess watched those who would give a sign that they are guilty, but everyone was in panic mode. Lisa and Steven walked among the crowds and approached them.

  “Jess?” Lisa said.

  Jess hugs her, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “Hank and his crew. It’s them. It has to be.”

  “What? But Maria said they were out scavenging for supplies.”

  “I think it was all a lie.”

  A man in the crowd slowly walked up towards Jess, but Steven noticed he was carrying a gun. Steven ran towards him and kicked him in the chest. The man fell and dropped the gun while the people ran away from him. Steven tried to punch him, but the man grabbed Steven and slammed him to the ground and put his hands around his throat.

  “I should have killed Jess a long time ago,” the man grunted.

  Lisa grabbed his gun and shot him in the back. The man screamed and fell on side of Steven. Lisa dropped the gun and ran into Faith’s arms. Steven gasped for air and rolled over on his stomach as Lisa let go of Faith and rushed to Steven. The man tried to breathe, but his gasps for air had gotten shorter and shorter. Steven sat up and Lisa held onto him as they watched the man give his last breath.

  “You killed him.” Steven said.

  “He was going to kill you.”

  “How romantic.” Steven coughed.

  Lisa tried to remain serious, but she chuckled a little bit and stood him up.

  “Was he the mole?” a survivor asked.

  “It seems that way.” Jess said.

  Jess?

  Jess grabbed he radio and laughed, “Oh my God Eddy! I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  About that. We’re hoping you found a place for the people to go. We’re almost there. Do you really think Jason will come today?

  “Yes. He will.”

  Well, get them out of there!

  “Alright! Everybody move! It’s time to go!”, Jess speaks into the radio, “Eddy, we’re almost ready. They’ll be sent to a safe location west of here.

  “Alright. Gotcha!” Eddy said as he put his radio down, “Okay, they really think Jason is coming today, so we’re going to Jason’s community, try to meet him halfway before he gets to us like we planned.”

  “But what if some zombies stray away and get to the community?”

  “We’ve dealt with them before. They can handle it.”

  “Uh, the zombies are getting back on the truck.” Marcus said.

  “Shit!”

  “Don’t worry, I got it.” Marcus said.

  Marcus opened the door and stood on side of the truck. The runners had climbed on the back, but Marcus grabbed the handle on the side and jumped on the back. He ran up to the runner and kicked it off the truck. He pulled out his knife and spread his feet to keep a good balance.

  “I’m going to stay back here and deal with them.” Marcus shouted.

  “Got it!” Eddy replied.

  Jess and Faith looked around and made sure everyone was ready to go. The people were putting their backpacks on and grabbing bags as they approached the gate. Maria was still sleeping on the bed, but Drake had wakened her up and helped her walk out.

  “Okay, are you guys ready?” Jess asked.

  “Yeah. Let’s go.”

  “Wait! Is everyone here?” Maria asked.

  “Yeah, I believe so.”

  Back at Jason’s camp, Drew was standing over everyone while they prepped their weapons and grabbed their armor. He smiled and watched Jason dissolve with the flames along with the other dead ones. Suddenly, the men pointed their guns at someone approaching them, but when Drew saw who it was, he told them to lower their weapons.

  “So, what do you got?” Drew asked.

  “They’re waiting for you to attack, but they’re vulnerable right now. You have the element of surprise.”

  “Good. You’ve been very helpful these past couple of days Jenny.”

  “It’s time for them to go anyways. They’re weak. I know their plan.” Jenny smiled.

  Jess opened the door and let the people move out of the community. Drake led them to the safe spot while Jess and the others stayed behind. He looked back one more time before walking ahead the group. The men closed the gate and Jess sighed and turned around.

  “Well, this is it. I have to be sure this is the group that’s going to fight for this community.”

  “You can count on us.” one man said.

  “Good. Now I have an idea, but this is new. Now that the mole is gone, we have to set a new plan in case they know our original plan.”

  “But we’re all adjusted to this one.”

  “Yes, but we’re not changing everything, just one major aspect of it.”

  Hours later, Hank, Eddy, and Marcus were getting close to the community, but the radio started making static noises. Eddy picked it up and listened carefully.

  “Jess? Everything’s okay?”

  They’re…you have to…here…

  “What?”

  They’re here…need…zombies…

  Gunshots sounded on the radio and the radio cut off.

  “Jess?” Eddy asked.

  “They’re there?”

  “She did say they were going to come today. Go! We have to get there now!”

  The tires blew out and Hank swerved the truck and caused Marcus to fall off.

  “Marcus!”

  Marcus got up, grabbed his knife, and kept running.

  “We have to jump!”

  “Okay!”

  Eddy and Hank opened the door and jumped out of the truck as it drove against the tree. Hank stood up with his gun and found a couple of Jason’s men hiding behind trees.

  “Run!” Hank yelled.

  Hank ran behind the tree while Eddy and Marcus hid behind the truck. The men were shooting at them, but Hank looked at Eddy and Marcus with confusion. Runners ran up to Drew’s men and attacked them. Eddy and Marcus took the opportunity to run ahead of the zombies while they were distracted.

  “How did they know?” Marcus asked.

  “I don’t know! Just keep running!” Eddy said.

  “We have to keep them on us!”

  Hank grabbed his gun and shot bullets into the air trying to attract the zombies. Eddy looked back at the truck and noticed the zombies passing it up as they snarled at them. They ran without looking back again. Drew gave them the element of surprise and the final battle will take its toll on all of them.

  X

  WAR

  Jess smiled with joy as she thought about the women and children being taken to a safe place. She knew it was the right thing to do. She wouldn’t be able to bear any more deaths, especially if it was the children. The
sound of the children crying, the adults being scared beyond doubt, but they were all hopeful that Jess and the group would put an end to the horror that is Jason and his men.

  “You think we could stop them with just…us?”

  “We almost did it last time. We have an advantage now. We got this.”

  “Well, we should at least-”

  An explosion pushed smoke into the air behind their community, but Jess didn’t freak out.

  “Get into position! Take those grenades and hold them close. We’re going to need them!”

  Faith grabs the radio and alerts Drake, “They’re hear. Run! Take them there quickly and quietly. Defend that place. They may be following you.”

  Got it! Be safe!

  The people ran to the front of the community and watched for anyone to come close. Others stood on the front posts while the rest spread around the place. Jess, Maria, and Faith went into Maria’s house and aimed from the back windows. After the explosion, there were no more sounds. No gunshots, nothing. Jess was confused for a slight second, but she didn’t let her guard down.

  “Don’t let your guards down. They’re here. Just wait.”

  “Where are they?” Faith asked.

  Maria sat on her bed, still recovering from the hallucinations, but she didn’t let that stop her. She stumbled to the window and grabbed her gun.

  “Maria, you should have gone with Drake. You’re not ready.”

  “I’ll always be ready to defend my place. I’ll be damned if I let these assholes take that from me.”

  “Okay, but stay close.”

  The silence continued to hover the community as the people guarding the front gate began to slowly put their guns away.

  “There’s no one here.”

  A bullet dug through his head as he fell off the post. The people began shooting at Drew’s men while getting the grenades ready. Jess and Faith heard the shootings coming from the front, but Jess looked back at the back gate and caught a couple of people climbing the gate. Jess and Faith shot at the men and killed them. The people at the front gate threw grenades at the men and killed a big majority in one throw. The others tried throwing them, but were shot and dropped the grenade inside the post.

  “No!”

  The post exploded and the gate bent over. Drew’s men overcrowded the front and forced the group to fall back. They hid behind the cars lined up behind the gate and waited for them to come through the gate.

  “Faith, get Maria. She’s not well. Stay here and make sure she’s safe.”

  “No!” Maria said.

  “Maria, this isn’t a debate!”

  “I know. I’m going!”

  “Oh, my God Maria!”

  “Let’s get this over with already.”

  Maria walked out of the room while Jess and Faith followed behind her. They looked through the windows and shot the men from inside, but Maria ran outside.

  “Maria!” Jess yelled.

  “They’re inside! Kill them all!” Maria shouted.

  She ran through the community and shot the men dead, but she ran into Jenny.

  “Jenny!” Maria smiled.

  Jenny shot Maria in her leg and stared at her, “I’m sorry.”

  Jess looked at Jenny standing over Maria and suddenly shot her in the head. Blood splattered in Maria’s face as Jenny fell over on side of her. Jess ran to Maria as Faith shot the men around them.

  “Come on!” Jess picked Maria up and headed back to the house.

  Faith shot at the men behind them and looked for Jason, but the back gate blew open and the metal parts flew everywhere. Faith pointed the gun at the wall as men came out and shot at her. She hid behind the house and shot back. Drew came inside of the community yelling.

  “Kill them all!”

  Faith gasped and ran inside the house as he looked around for Jess and her group. The group came shooting at him and his men, but they were killed by the men who surrounded them. Faith ran upstairs and went into the room where Jess was hiding.

  “They blew up the gate. It’s a lot of them. I don’t see Jason though.”

  “We’ll get them. Eddy should be here any minute.”

  Jess pulled out her radio, but men shot at her. She pulled out her gun and shot them in their stomachs and grabbed the radio.

  Jess? Everything’s okay?

  “They’re here! You have to bring the zombies here now!”

  What?

  “They’re here! You need to bring the zombies!”

  Drew looked around and sent his men into the other houses, “I’ll check the big house. My money says that’s where they are. Two of you with me.”

  The men burst into all of the houses. Many of Jess’s group were hiding inside and killed Drew’s men on sight. Other houses were trapped with explosives. When his men entered the house, they detonated the explosives and caused the houses to rupture and come down on his men. Drew looked back and saw his men falling by the second. He frowned and ran inside Maria’s house. His men searched downstairs while he creeped upstairs.

  “Jess? I know you’re in here. It’s time to end this!”

  Jess frowned and came out of the room quietly. Faith walked behind her and they both held their guns up. Drew signaled his men to go upstairs and search for them, but he stayed behind and listened. The men came around the corner and looked at a closed door. The bottom of the door had no light below, which let them know it was being blocked. They rushed to the door and began kicking it open. Jess and Faith creeped up behind them and stabbed them in the head. When they fell, Jess and Faith grabbed their guns and turned around quickly to Drew behind them. He shot two bullets before Jess immediately fired back. Drew ran into one of the rooms and closed the door. Faith had been shot in the right shoulder, but she tried to get up.

  “Shit!” Jess said.

  “I’m okay! Get that son of a bitch! I’ll get Maria.”

  Jess picked Faith up and she headed towards the door and hid on the side while Faith got Maria and ran downstairs.

  “Just give up Jess! We’ve won! My men stopped Eddy. That’s right, Jenny told us everything.”

  “Where’s Jason?” Jess yelled.

  “Jason? I killed him? He wasn’t fit for leadership.”

  Jess frowned even harder and kicked the door open. Drew freaked out and began shooting his gun constantly, but Jess shot blind inside of the room and luckily shot Drew’s finger, triggering Drew to drop his gun. Drew screamed and Jess rushed in. She pointed the gun at him, but she looked into his eyes and lowered the gun.

  “I want you to die slowly.” Jess threw her gun down and pulled out her knife.

  “Big mistake. This isn’t all of us. The rest are coming.” Drew said as he grabbed his knife and held it up.

  Drew yelled and rushed to Jess as he swung hard at her, but she dodged him and cut his arm. She pushed him against the wall and tried stabbing him, but he held it and hit her head. Jess fell back and Drew came at her again, but she rolled over and kicked him in the mouth. They both stood up and Drew smiled.

  “I’m impressed.”

  “Jason was my kill.”

  “No. You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do that. The rush. It felt good.”

  Drew charged after her and she moved to the side and pushed him out of the window. Drew rolled on the roof, but caught himself before he fell. Jess climbed onto the roof and ran after him. She tried kicking him, but he grabbed her leg and cut it. Jess screamed as he tossed her back. Jess began to climb to the top of the roof, but Drew kept stabbing at her legs. While climbing, she kicked at Drew, but he finally got a stab at her right leg. She screamed as he began dragging the knife down her leg. She rolled on her back and kicked him in the head. Drew let go of the knife as she snatched it out and held on to it. She was crying with pain, but she kept trying to climb to the top. Drew stood up as Jess barely managed to stand. Drew ran up to the roof and tackled Jess, making them both roll down the roof. Jess struggled to get off him. Luckily, she
was able to grab her knife and stab Drew in the shoulder. They both fell off the roof and landed horribly on the ground behind the house.