by Gayle Katz
“After the Great Fire, the city was filled in, and a new city was built on top,” explained the guide. “But many businesses still operated. You could climb down a ladder to get to the lower level.”
“Wow,” said Charlie, hanging back. She peered into a shop window. The old glass was scratched and blurry. She used a tissue to clean the glass, but it didn’t help much.
A minute later, she headed back to join the tour.
“See anything?” asked Owen.
“Yep, I saw a zombie.”
“No kidding?” said Zan.
Charlie smiled and nodded. “I know exactly what we’ll be doing later tonight, once all the businesses close. We’ll be coming back here to really check things out.”
“Awesome,” said Zan. “Because I was starting to get bored with this tour.”
They finished up with the tour, and then had a look through the gift shop. They met back upstairs.
“Hey, guys. Guess what I got?” said Zan, holding up a bottle of wine.
“Hey, is there anything that your money can’t buy?” asked Owen. He watched as she shook her head.
“OK, let’s get back to the hotel and get ready for that stupid dinner,” said Charlie. “We could skip it, but we have to eat, and anyway, the restaurant we’re heading to is close to here.”
“Sounds great,” said Owen.
They headed back to their rental car and drove back to the University District where their hotel was located. It didn’t take them long to get ready, and then hop onto the school bus to be taken to the restaurant.
Everyone was chatting about their adventures and what they’d done after they’d arrived in Seattle.
The team was relaxing in the back of the bus. Zan checked her smartphone while Charlie read a book. Owen was looking outside.
“Look at that!” exclaimed Owen, looking out into the dusky night.
“Hey, what’s up?” asked Zan.
“I could have sworn I saw a zombie.”
“Where?” asked Charlie, reaching for her dagger. But she stopped, remembering that they were on a school bus. So far none of the other students had noticed.
“I don’t see anything,” said Zan, peering out the side. The bus had stopped at a traffic light.
“Are you sure?” asked Charlie.
“Yep,” he said.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it,” she said. “The driver isn’t going to let us out. We can check out the area later tonight, after our own underground tour.”
“OK,” he said. “That guy definitely looked like a zombie, just swinging and dragging his way down the street.”
At the restaurant, they had planned on sitting with other students, such as Dale and Mark, but after the zombie-sighting incident, they opted to sit at a small table in the back. The table was really meant for only two people, but Owen pulled up a seat and made it work.
“OK, after we get out of here, we’ll go back to Pine Street and see if there are any zombies lurking nearby. Then, we’ll head over to the entrance of the underground tour.”
“Aw,” said Zan. “I’m really anxious to explore the underground now.”
“I know,” said Charlie. “But if there are zombies under there, they’re not going anywhere. It looks like they keep that door tightly locked.”
“Done!” said Owen, tossing some money on the table. “Let’s get out of here.”
They waved at everyone else and said they’d see them later back at the hotel.
As they exited the restaurant, a thought entered Owen’s mind. “Say, what if the zombies in the underground city have been there since the beginning?”
“The beginning?” asked Charlie.
“I mean, since the 1800s or so.”
“Oh, yuck,” said Zan. “The city is going to need us then.”
“As I said, no rush.” Charlie led them out to the street. From there, it was only a few blocks away from Pine Street.
They walked back to the street where Owen had seen the zombie.
“It looks like any other street here,” he commented. There were a few homeless people lying in doorways but nothing unusual.
“I’m going to ask someone if they’ve seen anything,” said Zan. She headed over to a small group of homeless people who were snuggled up in sleeping bags.
“Drat, I should have hopped out of the bus the moment that I saw that zombie. Now it’s going to be nearly impossible to find him,” said Owen, annoyed with himself.
“Relax, we’ll figure it out,” said Charlie. She peered into the window of a shop. It appeared to have high-end furniture in it, probably stuff that even Zan couldn’t afford to buy. She mentally made a note to buy Gran a gift. That was what people did when they went away on vacation, right?
“Oh look,” said Zan. “My parents have that same club chair.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. Of course the furniture would be in Zan’s league.
“So, if anyone was going to see zombies, it would be these homeless guys,” she said.
“They see any?” asked Owen.
“Yep, off and on. But they never bite anyone.”
“Did they see where they went?” asked Charlie.
“Nope, they turned the corner and were gone.”
“OK, so, dead end,” said Charlie. “I think we should get out of here and head back to the underground tour.”
They headed down the street.
“Say, there’s a coffee shop. If there was anything weird happening here, wouldn’t they know about it?”
“Well, it’s possible,” said Charlie. “We can go in and ask.”
The team headed inside. They decided to order drinks too, as they didn’t want to be too annoying to the staff.
“Say, have you seen anything weird happening on the street?” asked Charlie, taking her coffee from the barista.
“It’s Seattle,” said the guy, laughing.
Charlie smiled back. “OK, anything weirder than weird?” she said.
“Well, there was a shooting across the street last week.”
“Really?” asked Zan. “Who got shot?”
“It was a robbery. Some shop clerk got shot. I think he was OK though.”
“So, any zombie sightings?” asked Charlie.
“Ha-ha! That’s funny!” said the barista. “Half the city acts like zombies. But yes, we had a big zombie walk here earlier in the week. Everyone dresses up as a zombie and they go on a walk for charity.”
Charlie sighed. “OK, thanks.” She sipped her drink and left. The team assembled outside.
“So, the zombies sighted must just have been people in costumes,” she explained.
“But how can people mistake a fake zombie for a real zombie?” asked Zan.
“It might be worth checking out that shop, just to be sure that it was a robbery and not a zombie hunt,” suggested Owen.
“Or, we could call the police and ask them directly?” said Zan. Then everyone burst out laughing. “OK, dumb idea. But seriously, maybe Sergeant Bourne has connections?”
Charlie thought a bit. “Good idea. Why don’t you give him a call? Here’s his number.” She pulled his card out of her purse and handed it to her.
“Yuck, I don’t even want to know why you have his card,” said Zan.
“He just gave me his card when I was at the police station. Geez, guys,” Charlie said, as she saw them both laughing.
The group walked down the street to the underground tour while Zan called Sergeant Bourne.
“Hey, Sergeant Bourne. This is Charlie’s friend, Zan. We’re here in Seattle at the moment and wondering if you knew of any zombie outbreaks here? You will? Great!” she clicked her smartphone’s button to hang up. “He’ll call me back tomorrow morning. He said he’s off-duty.”
“That’s just great,” Charlie muttered. “Why are we always on duty, but the cops get the night off? I guess that’s why we have teens fighting zombies and not the police!”
Her friends agreed with her.
“What other locations were on the list?” asked Zan. “You know, ones in the news with zombie sightings?”
“Oh, um,” said Charlie, feeling a bit embarrassed for her outburst. “Pike Place Market. I think that’s it.”
“I don’t think we’re going to get it all done tonight,” said Owen. “It’s almost midnight.”
“Right,” said Charlie. “Because after this, we really should get some rest. Apparently, we’re going to the art museum tomorrow.”
“Let’s hope there are some zombies there to spice things up a bit,” muttered Zan. “I wonder what kind of exhibits they have?”
“I think there was something about repurposed garbage made into art.”
“I could have stayed at home,” said Zan.
The team reached the spot where the underground tour had led them to its secret underground location. Charlie tried the door for fun, but it was locked. The team looked nonchalantly around them. A few people passed by, but they paid no attention to the three of them, who were dressed surprisingly well for teens.
Charlie pulled her rhinestone brooch out of her jacket. It had blue and clear glass stones, set in a snowflake circular shape. She used it to pick the lock on the door. Fortunately, there was only one old lock on the knob. Probably no one wanted to break into a space that was old, mildewy, and dark.
The lock clicked open and she turned the knob. “Got it!” They each had one last peek around, but no one was on the street. They quickly ducked in and closed the door.
They had arrived in darkness. Owen tapped the walls, hoping to find the light switch.
“Hey, they need to do some upgrades in here,” said Zan. “Like auto lights or something.”
Charlie pulled a small flashlight from her purse, plus two more for Zan and Owen.
“Thanks. It’s important to be prepared,” Zan said.
“Thanks. If this runs out, I have some more, just in case,” said Owen.
The team walked down the rickety old steps. “I hope this is safe,” he added.
The group looked above. There were clear glass bricks above them that let in a small amount of light from the street.
“This is so creepy,” said Zan, stepping down onto the brick-covered ground. It was swept clear of debris, kept safe for tourists, but there was a bunch of junk propped up against the walls. Old pipes and tools. The occasional rat skittered past.
“It’s stinky down here,” said Charlie. “Like a mix of mildew and soil. Kind of like zombie smell.”
“OK, folks, let’s get going,” said Owen. “We can be in and out in half an hour.”
“I suggest we take the route that the tour took,” said Charlie.
“Well, there’s only one way through, anyway,” said Zan. They walked part of the way until the storefronts came into focus. One store looked like it used to be a hardware store, selling a variety of goods. There was a doorless entry, so they walked in. There was a dirty glass display case and posters on the walls.
“Yuck, you’d think they’d do some sort of maintenance down here,” said Zan.
“It’s like everything is the same shade of dirty beige,” said Owen.
“OK, there are no zombies here,” said Charlie, directing the flashlight behind the counter. “But there is another door here that leads to another room.”
“OK, you check that out. I’m going to go back into the hallway and check the next business.”
“Sure,” said Charlie. “Owen, you stay at the entryway in case either of us needs you.”
He nodded.
She headed into the back of the store. It was one vast room with windows. While there were old boards and cans by the wall, there was really nowhere for zombies to hide. She walked up to the windows, but they were all boarded over. She tugged on the wood to be certain.
There was also a door on the end, but it was locked. She gave it a good tug. Then she heard scratching noises coming from behind it. She knocked on the door and they grew louder. If it were rats, they would have run away from the sound of her knocking.
She jumped when a loud-pitched sound filled the room. Greatly annoyed, she pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket. “Yes?” she said.
“Oh. Hi, Charlie. How is it going?” asked Stewart.
She took a deep breath. “Pretty good. We had one zombie lead that led to nowhere. Now we’re checking out the underground.”
“Good, you can fill me in on details later. I have some news.” He paused.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Well, your Gran has stolen the spell book.”
“She what?” said Charlie.
“Gran has stolen the spell book.”
“But, how did she even know about it?” said Charlie, protesting, in disbelief that her grandmother would do something like that.
“I’m sure she did,” said Stewart. “Have you been careful in your conversations? She probably overheard and learned about it.”
“Oh right,” said Charlie. “But why would she want the spell book? So, she overheard where it was locked up too?”
“Unfortunately,” said Stewart.
“Hmm. Are you calling to berate me for being careless?” she asked. “Because, I’m sorry. I can call her if you want.”
“No,” said Stewart. “I know you’re busy. I’ll handle it on my end.”
Charlie relaxed and said goodbye.
Chapter 12
________________________________________
Zan headed down the hallway to the next business. It said TELLER'S CAGE, whatever that meant. The small room behind it was roped off. It wasn’t meant for the general public, but then, she wasn’t the general public. She hopped over the rope and went inside.
It was even danker and darker in here, without even the natural light of the glass ceiling further down the hallway. She shined her light around. It would be a good place for a zombie to hide, but there definitely wasn’t one here.
“Hey, guys,” called out Charlie’s voice. “Can you come here?”
Zan heard the call and turned back the way she came, but then she tripped over some debris on the floor. It hadn’t been cleared out like the main hallway. She fell and dropped her flashlight.
“Oh, stupid,” she told herself, getting back on her feet. She went to pick up her flashlight, but it was stuck between some boards. She tugged on it, and then it switched off. “Darn it!” she cussed. She pulled out her smartphone and clicked the button. She could use that as a flashlight.
She knelt down on the ground to get a better hold on her flashlight. Once she had a good grip, she pulled on it. The flashlight flew out. She flicked it on and put away her smartphone. But in the spot where the flashlight had been, it had unsettled some boards. They creaked and groaned, and then the floor fell out from under her.
zzz
Charlie was picking the lock of the door when Owen came into the back room.
“Hey, I hear something in there,” said Charlie. “Let’s check it out. Say, where’s Zan?”
“Oh, she went into some sort of bank, I think.”
Charlie heard the lock click and put her brooch back on. “Tackiest piece of jewelry ever, but it does the trick.” She turned the knob and opened the door.
Owen aimed his flashlight inside.
A zombie rushed out at them.
Charlie was ready and raised her dagger, but the zombie was stronger. It pushed past them and into the main room. Owen and Charlie took off after it.
“Got it!” said Owen, pleased with himself.
“Great,” said Charlie. “Is the rest of that room clear?” she asked as she peered down at the body. This zombie was in an advanced stage of decomposition. It appeared to be a man, dressed in a man’s Victorian suit.
“All clear!” he called out.
“This is odd,” said Charlie. “What we were talking about is true. This guy is an ancient form of zombie.”
“Huh, that’s weird. So, he’s been down here a really long time?”
<
br /> She nodded.
“But, if there were zombies back then, wouldn’t there be a zleader? And, if they got killed, then they should all be dead, right?”
Charlie grimaced. “Well, either this zombie outbreak was similar to the one currently happening in Portland where someone was deliberately making zombies, or…” she paused.
“Or what?” asked Owen.
“Or, the zleader is still down here, along with the rest of the zombies.”
“Oh.”
“Say, where is Zan?” asked Charlie. “I called out for both of you.”
zzz
Zan had bruised knees, and had fallen down seven feet or so, but she was fine.
“Unbelievable,” she muttered. “How many levels does this go down?” She quickly stood up, as she realized that she was in a small pool of water. Of course, so close to shoreline, it wouldn’t be dry down here.
Her flashlight was still on but lying in the pool of water. She dug it out and shook off the excess water. “Nice.”
She shined it around her surroundings. She resigned herself to the fact that her sneakers were wet. She was in another small room. There were rotting wood support beams above her, and brick walls on each side. She tried to reach up to the hole that she had fallen through, but it was too high for her height. Plus, she couldn’t quite jump up high enough because of all the water that saturated the ground.
She trudged through the water, searching, hoping for a table or something she could stand on, but there was nothing. She made a mental note to start carrying a rope. It was difficult to know what gear to carry in this career.
Ahead of her was an arched brick shape where likely a window had once been. She walked up to it to check it out. It had no glass in it. She hopped up onto it and peered into yet another room. This one was more promising. But first, she pulled out her smartphone and dialed Owen.
“Yeah?” he asked. “Where are you? We’re looking for you.”
