“Right,” Saul agreed, leaning down to kiss her.
Amy laughed. “I’ll try to remember that.”
“Please do,” Tara said. “And don’t be scared to drop by anytime. I’d even be willing to give the kids a tour of the lab.”
“That could be interesting,” Amy said. “As long as you don’t have any live specimens in there. I still wake up in a sweat sometimes after being chased by a zombie.”
“Nope. No live specimens. I promise,” Tara said.
“Then it’s a deal. I’ll be in touch,” Amy said.
Tara walked out into the sunshine arm-in-arm with Saul, a smile playing on her lips. “She looks happy, doesn’t she?”
“She does,” Saul agreed.
“I’m glad. We all deserve some joy after everything we’ve been through,” Tara said.
“You know what would make me very happy?” Saul asked. “If you’d finally agree to marry me.”
“Mm, I’ll think about it.”
“You’ve been thinking about it for weeks now. Just put me out of my misery,” Saul protested.
“I don’t know. I’m still holding out for the perfect guy,” Tara said with a teasing grin.
“That’s impossible because you can’t get more perfect than me,” Saul replied.
“Pfft. We’ll see about that.”
“You heard what Amy said. Amanda accepted Alex’s proposal,” Saul said.
“That’s Amanda, not me,” Tara said.
“I should’ve fed you to the catfish back in the Congo; you know that?” Saul said. “My life would’ve been so much easier.”
“Easier, perhaps, but also boring,” Tara said.
“I guess that’s true. I’m not giving up, though. I’m going to badger you until you say yes,” Saul said.
“Badger away, my love. I look forward to it,” Tara said, tipping her head back to soak up the sun’s golden rays. Life couldn’t get any better than that moment, of that she was sure. Whatever the future holds, I’m ready for it.
Do you want more?
So we’ve reached the end of Apocalypse Z - Book 6, and I really hope you enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, please consider leaving a review as that makes it so much easier for an author like me to reach more readers like yourself and to keep writing. You can review the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08681K4N6
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Prologue and Chapter 1:
Prologue
The Black Tide. That’s what they called it. Incurable. Unstoppable. Terrifying.
It began in China then spread throughout Asia and Eastern Europe, rolling across the continent like a tidal wave, killing everyone in its path. The death toll climbed, reaching hundreds of millions within weeks.
The rest of the world mobilized, but despite all efforts to stop it the Black Tide kept coming.
When the disease finally reached my home, the borders of South Africa, we thought we were prepared.
How wrong we were.
Chapter 1
I took the loaf out of the bread bin. It was moldy. Fuzzy patches of white had sprung up around the edges, intensifying to blue-green in places. I picked it off with my nails and popped three slices into the toaster. With any luck, it would taste all right, and nobody would notice. I wrapped up the rest and put it away. Only two slices left.
“Lexi, are you ready for school yet?” I called. Silence met my ears. “Lexi, we’re gonna be late!”
“I’m coming; I’m coming.” She flounced into the kitchen, dragging her school bag behind her like it was filled with cement.
Flopping down on a chair she stared at me, her expression baleful. My little sister was not a morning person. I made her a cup of tea with heaps of sugar, hoping to perk her up. At least, we still had a lot of that.
I gave her a quick once over and sighed. Her dark brown hair curled out in all directions, the ponytail sagging beneath the weight of the thick strands. “What the hell happened to your hair? Did rats try to eat it? What will your teachers think?”
“What does it matter? I’m like the only one there, Ava.” She crossed her arms and pouted, bottom lip stuck out as far as it could go.
“That’s not true. There are still lots of kids in school.”
“Is not. Even Jenny’s mom is letting her stay at home now.”
“Who’s Jenny?”
She looked at me with disdain. “Jenny’s my BFF.”
I snorted. BFF, indeed. Kids. “Well, you heard what Dad said, Lexi. You’re going to school.”
She stuck her tongue out before slumping forward onto her arms. I knew how she felt. I also hated school as a kid. Now I hated work. Same thing, different day.
The bread popped out of the toaster, and I grabbed the margarine tub. Crap. It’s empty. I scraped the last bit out and stretched it over a slice. Putting it on a plate, I handed it to Lexi. “Eat up. We’re leaving in five minutes.”
She eyed the single slice of toast but didn’t complain. “Where’s yours?”
“I’ve got my own, don’t worry.” I picked up the second slice and waved it at her then crammed it into my mouth, swallowing the dry mush with a sip of tea.
“Do I get lunch today?” Her face was hopeful, and my heart clenched as I studied her pale face and dull eyes, the ordinarily creamy skin like curdled milk.
I tried hard to stretch our meager supplies and when possible gave her extra, but she was always hungry. We all were. It made me feel helpless. Reaching into the cupboard above me, I popped out three multivitamins and handed her one. It was one of the few perks my job provided.
“Sorry, sweet pea. Not today. But I’ll see if I can buy more food after work, okay?” She nodded and ate the last of her toast, swallowing the pill with a grimace. I copied her, worry consuming my mind.
The shops were running dry. Food deliveries had slowed, and prices had soared to astronomical heights. Never rich to begin with, we now struggled to put food on the table.
My dad walked into the kitchen, “Morning, kids.”
“I’m not a kid anymore,” Lexi complained. “I’m ten years old.” She held up both hands for emphasis.
He rolled his eyes and laughed, ruffling her messy hair.
I handed him the last slice of toast and a cup of tea with his vitamin. “Here’s breakfast.”
My dad took it with reluctance. “Have you and Lexi eaten yet?”
Oh, Dad. Always worried about us.
“Yes, we have. We’re running low on supplies, though. I’ll see if I can get more after work.”
He nodded, fishing in his pockets. “Here. I got paid yesterday. Buy as much food as you can. It’s the last.”
He handed me the notes. It was a pitiful amount, the few hundred rands now meaningless in the face of the growing economic crisis.
“What do you mean last?” I took in his rumpled appearance for the first time. “Aren’t you going to work today?”
“The mine’s closed, Ava.” He ran a trembling hand through his hair. The news had hit him hard. “They ran us off yesterday. Told us to get off the property. They even had the police there. People were screaming, fighting…”
“God, why didn’t you say something earlier?”
He shrugged and looked away. “I’ll look for another job.”
My father would never find another one. We both knew that. Unemployment had skyrocketed. This was a massive blow for us, but I didn’t want to rub it in a
ny further. “It’s okay, Dad. We’ll be fine, you’ll see. I’ve still got my job.”
“Yes, but I worry about you, Ava. Working in the pharmacy is dangerous. What if someone who’s got the sickness goes there? What if you get infected?” His eyes fixed on mine, concern showing in every tired line of his face.
Lexi followed the conversation without saying a word, her honey-brown eyes flicking back and forth between Dad and me like it was a tennis match.
“I won’t, Dad. I’m careful. We all are.” I pulled a set of gloves and a face mask out of my handbag and waved them at him. “Besides, I can’t quit. We need the money. Now more than ever.” To tell the truth, I was terrified I’d get infected. But we had to eat.
He nodded. “I know, but I still worry.”
This I knew all too well. Ever since my mom died in a car accident two years ago, he clung to us with desperate intensity. My dreams of going to University quickly faded in the face of his need, and Lexi was so young; she needed me to look after her.
“It’ll be okay, Dad. You’ll see,” Lexi piped in with the optimism of youth.
I looked at her and remembered what we had talked about earlier. “I’d be more worried about Lexi if I were you. She shouldn’t still be going to school. It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t want her to stop going unless there’s no choice, Ava. She needs the routine, a sense of normalcy. We all do. Besides, the Principal assured me they’re taking precautions.”
I wasn’t so sure of that. What would a principal know? Hundreds of millions of people across the world were dead, with more dying each day as the disease progressed. Asia and most of Europe were in flames, America had closed its borders, while Africa was a bloodbath. The only thing that had saved our asses thus far was an airport strike over wages. It had prevented the Black Tide from spreading here before the WHO could issue a global alert.
Still, it had spread to our central cities, sneaking a ride in on the backs of refugees entering the country illegally. Hospitals and clinics had distributed antiretrovirals from stores initially meant for HIV positives. While it couldn’t cure the disease, it did slow it down at first. Until the virus became resistant. Now it was speeding up. How much longer did we have before it showed up in our town? A week? Two weeks?
“But Dad,” Lexi whined.
“I don’t think…” I began.
“We’ll see how it goes, for now, okay?” He held up a hand to forestall any further objections, and we reluctantly subsided. He could be very stubborn when he felt like it, a trait he had passed on to both of us in spades.
“Fine. If you say so,” I replied, not bothering to hide my irritation. “Let’s go, Lexi. Have you got your jacket? It’s freezing outside.”
“Got it,” she replied.
She kissed Dad goodbye, but I walked out after giving him a nod, annoyance fueling my actions. Why did he have to be so stubborn? I ignored the twinge of guilt I felt at the defeated look on his face and stepped outside.
Our feet crunched over the grass, frost glittering in the early morning sun. I hurried to my car, a rust bucket as old as the hills. The doors creaked as we got in, and I suppressed a grin at the look on Lexi’s face.
“Why does your car have to be so old? The other kids at school laugh at me.”
“You can always walk. A second class drive is better than a first class walk.”
Lexi rolled her eyes at that but refrained from saying anything. I loved these moments. Moments when we could act normally. Like the Black Tide had never happened and we were just two sisters, bickering and teasing each other.
I turned the key in the ignition. The old girl groaned loudly but refused to start. It took several more tries before she caught, and a cloud of white smoke billowed from the exhaust, much to Lexi’s disgust.
The petrol tank was low, and I smothered a sigh of despair. Fuel cost a fortune, but I needed it to get to work. It was too dangerous to walk nowadays.
The cold cut like a knife, so I cranked up the heat. Our breath puffed out in little clouds of mist, and my fingers felt like ice, the knuckles raw and chapped. Winter was never my favorite time of year.
A look in the mirror confirmed that I looked as bad as I felt. The recent rationing had whittled down my heart-shaped face to a sharp point; the cheekbones were prominent and my skin as white as snow. Dark green eyes gazed back without their usual vigor, and I resolved to get more sleep that night. Maybe even a decent meal.
I glanced at my handbag with longing. Nestled inside was my last box of cigarettes which I rationed with ferocious intensity. It was unlikely I’d be able to afford more. A terrible habit, one that both Lexi and my dad hated, but I couldn’t help myself. For now, I ignored the craving, turning my attention to the wheel.
On the way to school, I turned on the radio, flipping between stations hoping for good news. No such luck. The situation was getting worse, not better. “Fuel and food prices continue to rise in the face of this ongoing crisis. All South Africans are advised to stock up on essential items and stay indoors.”
“Stock up on what? The shops are empty,” I shouted at the radio then closed my mouth when I noticed Lexi’s stricken face. “I didn’t mean it like that, sweetie. I’ll get something after work. Don’t you worry about it.”
She nodded but whether she believed me was a different matter.
“The virus spreads through physical contact. Wear a mask and gloves in public at all times. If you or a loved one exhibit symptoms, report to the nearest hospital or clinic for treatment.”
I snorted. Treatment? What treatment? There was no treatment. Once you got it, you died.
“The disease first presents itself with typical flu-like symptoms. Fever, fatigue, coughing, sneezing, and headaches which progress to vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from the gums, ears, nose…” The litany of horror continued, and I switched off the radio. It was depressing, and we’d heard it all a thousand times by now.
The scenery flashed by in a monotonous blur. Gray skies, gray streets, gray buildings. There were precious few signs of life. None of the usual hustle and bustle. People were too scared to leave their homes and barricaded themselves inside. Uncollected trash bags littered the sidewalks, testament to the municipality’s inability to deal with the situation. And it hasn’t even hit us full force yet.
Lexi fiddled with her phone, a frown marring her forehead. Ordinarily, my dad would never allow her to take her phone to school, but I had insisted. If something happened, I wanted her to be able to call me. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t work.” She shook it and tapped the screen a few times. “There’s no signal.”
“No signal? That’s strange.” I fished my phone out of my pocket and checked the screen. I swung it around in the air as if a few bars would magically appear. “Mm, maybe the network’s down. It’ll probably come back on again later.”
The school gates loomed ahead, and I turned to Lexi. “Have you got your gloves, sweetie? And your mask?” She nodded. “Good. Now put them on and don’t take them off, you hear me?”
She nodded again.
“I mean it, Lexi. Don’t take them off, touch no one and if anyone looks sick, stay the hell away from them. Got it?” I said this every morning when I dropped her off even though I knew she was tired of hearing it.
“I got it; I got it,” she groaned. “Why do I have to go in the first place? Everybody else gets to stay at home.” That bottom lip stuck out again in a full-blown pout.
She was right. Most of the other kids had already been pulled from school by their parents, and half the teachers didn’t show up either.
“I’ll speak to dad again tonight, okay?” I pulled up in front of the gates and looked around. “Where is everybody?”
The road was deserted. Even considering the drastically reduced number of students who attended, there should still be people around. I looked at my watch and groaned. “Damn, we’re late. Hurry up, Lexi. You need to go.”
> “Ava, look. The gates are closed.”
And sure enough, they were. A lone piece of paper, stuck to the front, fluttered in the wind. “Lexi, stay here.”
I got out of the car and crunched across the gravel. The paper was a sign, scrawled and taped to the gates. It read: ‘As per order of the provincial government, all schools are closed until further notice.’
When did that happen? Why didn’t they call me? Or Dad? Or even announce it on the radio?
“Useless bloody government, wasting my petrol and my time,” I muttered, kicking the gate. I walked back to the car still grumbling and slid in behind the wheel. “Wish granted. School’s closed.”
“Really?” Lexi’s eyes widened with surprise. “So what now?”
“Well, I can’t take you home. I’m already late. Guess you’re coming to work with me.”
“Yay!”
On the way, my mind kept looping around in endless circles. Something wasn’t right. First, our phones didn’t work, and now the schools were closed? I mean, I knew things were wrong, but this was sudden.
I never got to finish that train of thought, because I drove around a corner and almost plowed into a mob of people gathered in the road, shouting and screaming. They were carrying an assortment of signs and boards, their faces contorted in anger.
End of sneak peek. Grab your copy right here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Y4TBRG
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Humanity’s fall is just the beginning of their story…
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Rise of the Undead (Book 6): Apocalypse Z Page 16
