Run (Nola Zombies Book 1)

by Gillian Zane

  “How old are you? How does a girl like you become obsessed with preparing for the end of the world? I’ve watched the reality show about preppers, all those people seem pretty out there.”

  “That’s putting it lightly.” I couldn’t help but laugh. The people on the show were a bit off the charts. Not all of them, but it was a reality show and they do profit from drama so they went for the most colorful personalities. “I’m twenty,” I said, answering his question, “and it’s not a big jump. Are you from New Orleans?”

  “Yes, but I’ve been gone a long time. I moved back about two years ago.”

  “Well, I’ve lived here all my life and I was ten when Katrina hit. My parents were musicians. Didn’t have a care in the world. They didn’t prepare and refused to evacuate for hurricanes. Katrina was no different. We spent two days in a very hot attic when the waters rose. My parents completely broke down during that time. No water, no food, not even an ax to chop our way out of the roof so we could be rescued by the choppers. If my dad had a gun, he probably would have used it on himself. I finally just jumped in the water and swam out of the flooded house. I couldn’t take their bickering and blame.

  “There were air pockets at the ceiling in our house and I was a really good swimmer, if not I would have drowned. I knew my neighbor had a pirogue in his back yard. It was disgusting polluted water, and I’ll probably get cancer in a few years, but I got my parents out. We would have died in that attic because my parents didn’t even have the forethought to put supplies in the attic, which is a must in New Orleans. It kind of makes an impression on a girl. I swore I wouldn’t be unprepared for a catastrophe again.”

  “Jesus, Lex.”

  “We were sent to Austin,” I continued with my Katrina story, “and lived there for a few months, but when we came back I made sure that I had at least one week of preps. When I got my own place I increased my prepping. I don’t really stockpile because if another flood were to happen any stores would be ruined. But I have about six months of food, weapons, water, a generator, and I keep a bug-out bag in my vehicle at all times.”

  “That’s smart. How about your parents, they still around?”

  “Yeah, but they didn’t learn. They fell right back to life as usual when we moved home. They even got a house in Musician’s Village so it’s always a party. I know this is terrible, but I have no hope that they would survive something like this. I’ve resigned myself to just letting them go if things went south. I tried to get them to at least store some food, but they would just eat whatever I brought over. Plus, my mom would rather shoot herself than shoot another human, undead and trying to eat her or living and trying to rob her, and my dad would grab his bag of pot and gin, nothing else. I love them, but they don’t work well under pressure.”

  “So you don’t want to try to get them out?”

  My scattered thoughts tried to formulate any kind of plan, but it wasn’t coming together. I saw no hope for my parents and it hurt. “Their neighborhood is on the other side of the Quarter. I don’t think I could get there right now even if I tried. I’ll get my preps and then make a plan to just go check on them if it’s even possible. I should probably try and get information. Maybe the National Guard mobilized or something, maybe they’ll contain this. Maybe they got in a car and ran for safer ground.”

  “Maybe.” He looked about as convinced as I was.

  “Do you know anything? I just saw one broadcast and it was cut off.”

  “I think the government shut down the feed, they don’t want anyone to panic. That’s what I’m assuming, at least. I couldn’t even get an internet signal on my broadband connection at the office. The infrastructure wouldn’t crumble that quickly, someone, or more likely our government, did a media blackout so images couldn’t get out to the unaffected areas of the country.”

  “That sounds about right. Considering how long this thing incubates, it could spread to the entire country in under a month. They don’t want people running around freaking out. The guy that turned in my building said he was bit that morning. He was working with me for about five hours before he started to physically degrade, in an hour he was full on zombie.”

  “That’s more than enough time to cross a few miles and infect a new town,” he said thoughtfully. “This could be really bad in a few short days. I know we assume the worst, but actually dealing with the worst is another story. If this thing overtakes our country, there won’t be anyone left. It can spread to other countries by just one plane ride. The fact that it started in New York and Miami makes me think that it didn’t start here; both of those have international airports.”

  “The whole country could be infected right now,” I mused, “or at least all the major cities with airports. If that is the case, we would have to start over, find a new way to live in a world where if you step out of a safety zone you could be eaten.”

  “Unfortunately, this might be the current situation. Before it went down, I saw reports of infestations in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Toronto. At the rate things are going, it will pour out of the major cities and into suburbs very quickly. We have to face facts, this is it, this is reality.” He gripped the steering wheel tightly, appearing to be pissed at the whole situation in general.

  But there could be some places that made it unscathed, some neighborhood with a big fucking wall, or a base that people were evacuated to that are now busily working on a cure, right? Isn’t that why we pay taxes?

  “We can’t be sure,” I looked at him, trying to give him some semblance of hope. “We have to have some hope that it isn’t that widespread.” Positive thinking. I had to change the subject, we couldn’t keep hashing this out, not having any real information, it was all just speculation. “What about you, do you have family here, anyone that you want to connect with?” I asked.

  “My closest family is in Florida. I’ll probably never see them again whether they live or die. We can’t even make it across the city, there is no way I could make it to another state.”

  “Maybe one day.” I tried to reassure him.

  “Yeah,” he sighed and then began scanning the levees for landmarks. We were coming upon the Huey P. Long, one of the two bridges that crossed the Mississippi River in the New Orleans area. The nearness to the bridge meant we were getting close to my house and I looked for the landmark that would signify we were close.

  “There,” I said pointing to a small break in the trees that lined the river. This was a favorite spot for Charlie and me so I knew it well. I glanced worriedly at the sky, dusk had begun to settle on the city. The sky was a beautiful violet and pink. It would be full dark in about an hour. I plotted out my course in my head. It would take me about ten minutes to make the trek to my house, so I could technically make it before it was dark, but that didn’t leave me with much daylight to secure the premises and bunker down in safety.

  Blake must have read my mind because he spoke up and said, “We might want wait and head out at first light. This boat should have a large cabin and two staterooms.”

  “I haven’t even looked in the cabin.”

  “Let’s tie up to one of those barges and go inspect what we have. Unless it’s all torn up down there, this is an optimal place to bunk down for the night.”

  I nodded in agreement, he was right. I hoped the interior was suitable because I didn’t want to fight zombies in the dark. But then, who did?

  FOUR | Orgasms in the Apocalypse

  Below deck was in pristine condition. It looked like it had never been lived in; there were even a few canned items and packaged foods in the cabinets.

  “This is actually perfect, luxury even.” I peeked in the stateroom and was surprised at the sight of a nice sized bed, kind of claustrophobic, but it would do. We could store most of my preps in one of the rooms and I could take the smaller bunk in the salon. It was small, but I could fit, unless of course other options opened up.

  Down girl. I didn’t want to go there in my brain. Zombies were probably mu
nching on my friends and family as we speak and I was contemplating orgasms in the apocalypse. But it couldn’t be helped. Blake was a walking advertisement for sex; my brain just had to go there. I could die tomorrow and I was on a yacht with a very sexy man. “Fuck it, get some,” was running like a mantra through my mind.

  “Luxury in the apocalypse,” he agreed. “If the world wasn’t going to shit, I would say this is one hell of a windfall. We couldn’t have asked for a better escape vehicle, and Alexis,” he turned to me and his eyes were full of appreciation, “I really couldn’t have asked for a better person to do this with. You have your head on straight, you’re a strong person-,”

  I pushed on his chest…“Stop, you’re making me blush.”

  He caught my hand and kept it close to his heart, his thumb brushing against my knuckles, leaving heat trails in its wake.

  “I think I like making you blush.” His voice had gone down a few octaves, and if I was reading him right this time, his brain was going the same direction mine had a few moments ago.

  You could die tomorrow, Alexis, why not enjoy today?

  Suddenly I stepped back, I couldn’t help it, my stupid mouth jumping in for the cock-block. “So, no significant other to rescue?” That would surely put a crimp in the situation if he suddenly remembered a spouse.

  “No one. You?”

  “No.” It came out as a whisper because he was slowly leaning into me and when I uttered that single word his mouth found mine. He kissed me like it was the end of the world and our union was the only way we could survive. Tongue, teeth, and lips descended on me and I melted into him, arms going around his wide shoulders and plunging into his hair. I might have moaned. I was pretty sure I moaned. He might have growled, actually growled like he wanted to eat me. The kissed seem to last forever until we broke away panting, regarding each other.

  “Is it terrible that I’ve wanted to do that since I laid eyes on you?” He asked.

  “No.” I pulled him back and he continued to kiss me in a way that would spoil me for all men in the future. His lips tore away from mine and he moved to my neck, my ear, shit...my collar bone. His hands were working at my buttons and quickly I felt the cool air on my exposed chest. His thumbs brushed across my hard nipples and I moaned for real this time, very loudly.

  The sound urged him on and then he was tugging at my shirt and undoing my bra, exposing my bare breasts to his naughty hands that pulled and pinched at my nipples. His mouth replaced his fingers on my breasts and the sudden graze of his teeth had me cursing and moaning and begging.

  I needed his skin and I was pulling him up, yanking at his t-shirt, sighing in delight when I revealed his finely honed chest.

  This man should be illegal.

  “I want you so bad, baby. I can’t believe I found a girl like you in the middle of this mess. I want to touch every part of you. I want to taste you.”

  All I could respond with was, “yes, yes, yes” as he unbuttoned my jeans and I hurriedly kicked off my shoes, my jeans pooling at my feet. My panties quickly followed and I stood there in front of this man I had just met, completely naked, with no qualms. I was comfortable. I was so turned on. I wanted him inside me any way I could get him. I reached for the button of his jeans and yanked him toward me, unzipping then reaching in and pulling him out. He was glorious.

  Hard as steel and he was the perfect length, not too big, not too small. I felt like Goldilocks marveling in his perfect. I slid to my knees in front of him.

  “Lex, no, you don’t…”

  I took him in my mouth and he quieted down. The taste of him was divine. I loved sucking dick. I felt like such a slut when I thought about it, but it was hot. I loved the feel of dick in my mouth and the noises men make as I suck them off. Blake didn’t disappoint. His little moans and grunts had me sucking harder, my hand pumping him with each pull of my mouth to extend my reach. He was so big that I couldn’t take him all in my mouth without deep throating him. My hand couldn’t fit all the way around his girth and I shivered to think how wonderful it would feel when he was deep inside me.

  Blake’s hands went to the back of my head guiding me deeper on his dick. I obliged and sucked harder, going deeper. His moans increased and his breathing became almost a pant. I could tell he was on the verge of coming and I wanted him to come in my mouth. When I felt him pull back, unsure, I held on, sucking harder, telling him with my actions that it was okay.

  “Holy shit, Lex.” His hand tightened at the back of my head and I took him in as much as I could, he jerked and then he was pouring into my mouth. The salty taste of him hit the back of my throat and I swallowed. When he was done, he pulled away from me and the emptiness was shattering. It actually shocked me how much I was affected by his absence.

  He pulled me to my feet, his mouth slamming into mine, tasting himself in my mouth. I groaned as his dick nestled just in the right spot. I was wet with anticipation and need.

  He pulled away from me and pushed out of his jeans and shoes, he was nude and beautiful in front me. All of his muscles were perfectly defined under his golden skin. He was in peak fitness. He was all strength though, not showy bulges.

  “I might not have a condom. I have to check. I didn’t plan for this,” he said.

  “I know.” I kissed him lightly on the mouth. “And I’m on the pill. I would prefer a condom too, but if you don’t have one, I need you inside me and I’m protected enough. Check in your bag, let me look and see if they have any on the boat.”

  I went to the head and looked in the cabinet, no luck. They might have some in the cabin so I crawled over the bed and looked in the cabinets next to the bed. When I heard a groan behind me I realized how I must look, on my hands and knees on the bed with my ass in the air on display. I had only known this man for a couple of hours and here I was letting him see me like this.

  The bed moved and I felt the weight of him behind me. Would he take me like this, plunging into me from behind? So naughty, with no frills, just take me? I would normally be horrified by this as I wasn’t a fan of doggy-style, but now I was ridiculously turned on by the thought of it. I wanted this man to dominate me, to take me so hard I was sore the next day. If there was going to be a next day. The world was over and I wanted to experience carnal pleasure. Blake had been delivered to me as if by fate. A sexy lover on a boat all to ourselves as the shit hit the fan around us. All we had was this moment and I wanted to fill this moment with the most intense sex I’d ever experienced. I hope he was up for it.

  “Just...I need you. There aren’t any condoms, I don’t care…” I looked behind me, begging him with my eyes. The heat of him warmed my chilled body and like the wanton slut I wanted to be, I bent my head lower, pushing my ass higher, inviting him to take me.

  “Not yet, baby.” Fingers traced the backs of my thighs and I shivered in anticipation. Closer, up and down, but never getting there, never touching there.

  I could feel wetness pouring from me, dripping down my thighs. I had never experienced this before and I was drunk on it. Still his fingers teased, stroking up and down until finally they stroked where I yearned for him to touch me–his fingers parting me and slipping inside, one finger, then two. In and out, I pushed against his hand, urging him on. My sex sucked at his fingers as he pushed a third inside me and my whole body erupted in response.

  “You’re so tight and sensitive. I want to be inside you so bad, but I gotta play with you some more, baby. You want me to play with you?”

  “Yes, more,” was all I could respond with. But instead of more play his fingers withdrew from me and I sobbed with the emptiness.

  “S’okay, Lex, I got more for you.” The bed shifted again and I felt him flip onto his back. His next move pulled me over him until I was straddling his face. “Sit on my face, let me lick you.”

  I sat back and his tongue found my core, thrusting and sucking as I rode his face at the same pace he set with his tongue. His hands were on my ass moving me as he devoured me. It didn’
t take long before I felt the rolling wave of my orgasm hit me, my body shivering and spasming with the intense pleasure. It was hard and fast and I fell from his face, onto my side, sighing in contentment at the release.