The Z-Day Trilogy (Book 4): Zombie World

by Mark Cusco Ailes

  “Yes, Carl, I know what happened in America. I assure you the same thing won’t happen here. Too many mistakes were made there. We have taken every precaution to make sure nothing like that will ever happen here.”

  “How can you know that for sure?” asked Carl.

  Julie stared at him. She once again remembered the two homeless children as they were dragged to the waiting trucks to be transported to the exhibit. She remembered one thing she had locked away in the back of her mind. One of the guards had gotten too close to the boy during the transfer and was viciously attacked. The zombie boy had taken a bite from the guard’s arm. She stared in disbelief as the zombie’s teeth glistened in the sun with their scarlet prize. She remembered how hard she fought from expelling her lunch all over the ground. She would never forget how loud the guard screamed in agony. She shook off the horrific image and stared at Carl blankly. “I guess we don’t know for sure. Listen, Carl, we’re more prepared here than they were at the other park. Nothing is going to happen here; I promise you.”

  “But what if it does?” chimed in Kylie. “What will happen to us?”

  Julie looked at them lovingly. “I promise both of you if something does happen, I will personally make sure you both get to safety. You both are my top priority.”

  “Then why didn’t you meet us at the helicopter?” asked Carl. “That guy tried to give me a stuffed animal. I’m too old for them.”

  “I guess that’s my fault,” commented Chris, bringing the meals to the table. “I don’t have any experience with children.”

  “Obviously,” said Carl, taking a plate from him.

  Chris looked at Julie. “I’m going to leave now. I have a lot of work to do.”

  “Go on ahead. I can take it from here. They have more questions that need answered.”

  Chapter Five

  Cheng was encouraged by what he had learned from the last zombie he had created. With each successive creation and new adjustments to his formula, he was sure in a short time he was going to achieve the goal he was working feverishly to accomplish. He looked at the syringe he had filled with the new serum. The color of the serum had changed from a light green to a darker shade of green. He knew it was encouraging. He was finally ready to create the most ferocious zombie the world would ever set eyes on. He signaled for a couple of guards to join him in the back area of the lab where a muscular man standing over seven feet was chained inside a large cage. He was going to be transformed to be the main zombie attraction at the zombie park. The park was going to charge an extra ten dollars to see him.

  The guards followed Cheng to the back area and unlocked the cage and let him inside. The muscular man was heavily sedated so he didn’t pose much of a threat as he was injected with the newly created serum. Cheng and the guards left the cage and the guards locked it behind them. All three of them stood there waiting for something to happen. Cheng stood impatiently for twenty minutes wondering if the serum was going to work. He knew the transformation should have already occurred leading him to believe he had suffered another failure. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Another twenty minutes had passed and there still hadn’t been any changes.

  An hour passed and Cheng hung his head low and left the back area followed by the guards. He was at a loss why it hadn’t worked. All of his research led him to conclude that the serum should have worked. He turned to head for the lab door to find Ted to inform him the test was negative when he heard a loud growl coming from the back area. He looked at the guards. “Follow me.”

  He made his way to the back area not knowing what he was going to find. He couldn’t believe it would take over an hour for the serum to work. He kept running the numbers in his head. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of clanking chains. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the guards. “You better go in first.”

  He followed them into the back area and his eyes widened. Locked inside the cage was the main attraction for the park. He now had achieved a very tall and muscular zombie. It was inside the cage fighting against its restraints and trying to free itself. It glared at Cheng with hungry eyes and a thirst for his blood. Cheng looked at the guards. “Don’t go near the cage; you’ll only aggravate it. I’m going to go find Ted and inform him of my new pet. Don’t let anybody get near it.” He took another look at the zombie before leaving the lab. Now all he had to do was figure out a way move it to another location inside the park.

  The guards were left alone with the muscular zombie. Neither of them considered the zombie a threat since it was secured in restraints. They let down their guard and relaxed by going into the lab to take a break and sit down. Both of them had been standing on their feet all day and their feet hurt. One of them pulled out a deck of cards from his cargo pants and sat down at a desk and prepared to play Solitaire. The other guard decided he would get a cold soda from the vending machine at the end of the hall. While he was gone, the other guard took out a cigarette and lit it and pushed himself away from the desk to have a look around the lab. It was the first time he had been alone inside it, and he was curious about what other secret work was being developed there. He walked around like he belonged there, shuffling through several manila folders on top of a desk. He was about to move to another area when he heard something crash in the back area. He stopped, frozen in place, unsure if he should go investigate it or not. Another crash echoed from the back area. He took the cigarette dangling from his mouth and tossed it on the floor, crushing it with his foot. He stood staring toward the back of the lab, imagining the worst. The sound of a cabinet being overturned made him realize what the problem was. The only thing that could be making the ruckus in the back area was the zombie locked in the cage. He wasn’t sure what he should do. His partner had left to fetch a soda and left him alone. He felt ice shiver down his spine. He raised his weapon and slowly made his way to the back area with shaky hands. He didn’t know what to expect, but something was telling him in the back of his mind he was heading into trouble. He stopped momentarily to check his weapon to make sure the safety was off before he entered the back area. Another crash from the back area made him think twice about continuing. He thought about turning around and leaving the lab. He wasn’t being paid enough to risk his life. He thought about his daughter and how badly he needed this job. His daughter needed new glasses, and she needed to get braces because of her crooked teeth. If he turned and ran away from his duties, he knew he would get fired. It was something he couldn’t risk. He continued on while saying a silent prayer. He stopped once again to listen. Everything had suddenly gone silent. Maybe whatever was making all the noise is gone now. He felt a little more relaxed and continued into the back area thinking everything was going to be all right. He made his way around the corner and was immediately punched in the face by a large fist, causing him to topple over backward, knocking over a metal shelf filled with glass beakers. The taste of copper filled his mouth as small shards of glass penetrated his lips. He didn’t have time to think about the pain he felt. He was raised to his feet and tossed to the side like a rag doll. He crashed hard into a pile of boxes containing test tubes. He felt a wave of nausea overwhelm him. Once again he was forced to his feet by one massive hand pushing against his throat threatening to snap his neck like a twig. His face purpled under the relentless assault as the zombie glared at him and tightened his grip. The guard struggled to free himself until his struggles subsided as the air ran out and his brain cells died. He fell limp in the zombie’s grasp. It tossed him aside like discarded trash and stood looking around the room as the second guard walked in drinking from his can of soda.

  The guard stood there, eyes bulging with fright. He dropped the can of soda and went to raise his weapon, but he wasn’t quick enough to stop the swift advance of the zombie. It grabbed the weapon from his hand and tossed it aside, hitting the wall on the opposite side of the room. It then turned its attention to the guard. It brought one of its hands up with razor sharp fingernails and swiped at his eyes.
He screamed as his eyes were punctured and bleeding. They were a raw ruin oozing down his cheeks like a runny egg. The zombie then grabbed the guard’s ruined head and twisted it until it snapped free from his neck spewing a bloody mist into the air. It tossed the head aside. The room was filled with the sound of banjo music echoing from the speakers of the radio playing in the lab. It finished devouring its meal and left the back area and headed into the lab.

  Cheng felt proud and held his head high as he made his way to his black sedan to go and find Ted. He figured he would be at the convention hall where his office was located. Cheng was young and ambitious. Today he proved to himself he was worthy of all the praise he felt he deserved. In fact, he felt he should be praised for all the advancements he had made from Ted’s parent’s research. He knew without him, Ted would still be trying to find the solution to his father’s flawed research. It was true Ted was taking credit for the solution, but Cheng was really the mastermind behind all of it. He knew overwhelming pride and ambition were the ruin of many a man, but without his ambition, they would still be at the beginning phases of the new developments in zombie research. He knew he had to play along with Ted’s ego for now. He needed Ted’s resources for what he had planned farther down the line until he could fund the research for himself and create the perfect army, so he could rule the world. He sat in his vehicle thinking about the possibilities of teaching his zombies to use weapons or to spread a deadly virus throughout heavily populated sections of the planet. Before America was totally overrun by zombies, he had made many inquires of other scientists who had emailed him several secret files giving him all the data he needed to make the perfect zombie. He was biding his time until the day when he didn’t need anybody’s help or money anymore. He was far too sure of himself. Ted underestimated his skills, not to mention his ambition. He started the car and made his way to the convention hall. He found Ted’s vehicle parked out front, and he parked next to it. It was now time to once again put on his poker face and inform Ted of his accomplishment.

  He found Ted in his office doing something on his computer. When Ted saw him enter the office, he quickly switched off the computer and acted as though he hadn’t been doing anything.

  “What brings you to my office, Cheng? I hope this visit means you have good news for me.”

  “It’s alive,” said Cheng excitedly. “It’s better than either of us ever imagined.”

  Ted’s face filled with a smile. “Is it scary enough to scare our park guests? I mean, will it bring in the money?”

  “Let’s just say your wallet is going to overflow with more money than you could ever imagine.”

  “I don’t know about that, Cheng, I can imagine a lot of money, and money is what we need to keep the park operating. It’s going to take a lot of money to accomplish everything here in the park.”

  “Don’t worry about any of that, Ted. Follow me to the lab and have a look for yourself. I promise you you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

  They left the hall and each got in their own vehicle and made their way to the lab. They were surprised by what they saw as they parked near the front door. The glass had been shattered and littered the surrounding ground. Ted jumped out of his vehicle and ran quickly to the door and looked through the broken glass. The overhead fluorescent lights were either smashed or flashing repeatedly. He looked at Cheng.

  “This doesn’t look good,” commented Ted. “Are you sure the zombie was chained tightly?”

  “I’m sure it was. I don’t understand this. I left two guards in the lab. The zombie couldn’t have done this.”

  Ted didn’t feel as confident as Cheng did. From all the carnage he saw inside the building, it looked as though something large had caused all of it. He wished he had brought a weapon with him. He didn’t know if whatever had caused all the damage was still inside. He looked at Cheng and then stepped through the smashed glass door and stopped to look around and listen. The only sound he heard was coming from the damaged fluorescent bulbs overhead. Fear was writ large on his shaven face. If it was the zombie who had done all of this, and it was still in the building, he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance confronting it. He remembered there was a fire ax hanging on the wall down the first hallway near a fire extinguisher. If he could reach it, it could serve as a weapon even though he knew he needed something much bigger. He looked back at Cheng.

  “Let’s head back to your lab. Something is telling me the zombie is no longer in the building.”

  “If that’s the case, then we have a major problem. Everybody on the island is in grave danger.”

  “Let’s not worry about that just yet. Let’s have a look around and confirm it.” He led them over to the ax and Ted smashed the glass on the cabinet to gain access to it. He then stood there listening. He didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary besides the lights. He took the lead and made his way down the hall toward the lab. He didn’t get too far before they came across the first victim lying ripped apart in a large pool of blood. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how the victim had met his demise. He stopped in front of the body and peered down at it. Its skull had been crushed and brain matter oozed from the wound. He didn’t like the look of it. He knew it would take extreme strength to squash a human head. He stepped over the body and continued down the hall where he came across two more victims who were missing all of their limbs. Ted was feeling lightheaded but continued on toward the lab. He knew he didn’t have the time to stop and get sick. The door to the lab was only a few feet away, and he could hear banjo music coming from there. He knew Cheng loved banjo music, so he didn’t think twice about it. He continued and stopped in front of the door. He peered inside and saw the entire lab had been torn asunder. He entered the lab and stopped to look around. It looked as though a tornado had made a path of destruction through it. Ted knew the zombie was no longer inside the building, and he was getting worried. Judging by the carnage and the deaths inside the building, anybody on the island who came across it wouldn’t survive for long. He swiftly made his way across the lab to the back area and stopped and gasped. He closed his eyes as he saw the remains of the vicious attacks on both of the guards. He motioned to Cheng not to venture any farther across the lab. Ted glanced toward the cage where the zombie had been locked inside. The door had been torn from its hinges, and the cage was vacant. It was as he feared. The zombie indeed was no longer inside the building and was somewhere in the unsuspecting community. He looked at Cheng worried.

  “We need to find it before it kills again. How do we stop it?”

  “There is only one way. We’ll have to destroy it.”

  As much as Ted didn’t want to destroy his main attraction, he knew Cheng was right. If they didn’t destroy it, it could kill everybody on the island. He didn’t want to be blamed for making the same mistakes his parent’s had made. “We need to contact Captain Jonas and inform him what happened here.”

  “Are you sure we want to get him involved just yet?” asked Cheng. “I’m not sure we can trust him to keep this a secret. He could ruin everything we have worked hard to achieve.”

  Ted hadn’t considered that fact. Captain Jonas could cause problems for the park if they involved him. The only option they had was to cover-up the event and try to stop the zombie themselves before anybody came across it.

  “We have to hurry, Cheng, we might already be too late to stop it.”

  “We’re going to need more powerful weapons.”

  “That’s not a problem. I have bigger guns at my house. I was hoping I would never have to use them. Let’s head back there and retrieve them and go on a safari.”

  Chapter Six

  Chris was relieved to have rid himself of the children. They were a complete annoyance. Never in his life did he ever want to raise any children. It was the main reason he also never wanted to fall in love. He knew most women were mainly interested in getting married, purchasing a house with a yard, and having a large family. The thought of that frightened him more
than working with zombies. He sat at his desk, enjoying his chocolate bar, trying to find something more pleasant to think about. He was about to take another bite from it when the zombies in the enclosures suddenly became more agitated than usual. He looked up to see what had their attention. Curiously, he left his desk and made his way over to their area. They were all concentrated near the front of the enclosures staring at something. What are you looking at? He made his way closer to the enclosures and tried to see beyond the horde to see what had their attention. He couldn’t get a clear view through the horde and decided he would go outside to have a closer look. He made his way to the main door and was about to open it, but then abruptly stopped. Something very large passed by the door and headed down the street toward the amusement park. He didn’t know what he was looking at. He thought it was a large person, but for some reason, it moved more like a zombie. He snatched his cell phone from his pocket and called Randus to see if he could meet up with him at the amusement park. Randus agreed to meet him there in ten minutes and promised to bring a weapon just in case something was loose in the park. Chris left the building, unsure he wanted to find out what might be loose in the park, but his job was to watch the park and report any problems to either Randus or Captain Jonas.

  He stood in front of the entrance to the amusement park. From where he was standing he could see the large figure walking around the rollercoaster and disappearing behind it. Chris thought better about pursuing it and decided to wait for Randus. Whatever was inside the park he knew he didn’t want to confront it by himself, especially when he didn’t have anything to defend himself with. Randus arrived in a black jeep within ten minutes and jumped out and approached Chris carrying a shotgun.

  “What’s so important you had to disturb my dinner?”