Z-Risen (Book 2): Outcasts

by Long, Timothy W.

  I moved to the refrigerator and opened it to find green and rotted store-bought sandwiches still wrapped in plastic. The prize turned out to be a half empty bottle of schnapps. I’d never in my life thought about tasting the stuff, but after almost making a one-way trip to Undead Central, it looked pretty inviting.

  Joel poked through their luggage and came up with an open bag of chips. He took one out, sniffed it, then ate it. He grinned and handed me the bag after digging out a small handful.

  “Yeah? Look what I found.”

  I took the top off the schnapps, took a tentative sniff, and then decided it probably wouldn’t kill me. I’d had hooch on the ship that could strip the side off a destroyer; this shit was like lemonade by comparison.

  “Early for drinking?”

  “I’m a sailor,” I said and tossed back another shot.

  The chips were spicy and that suited me fine. Thoughts of bringing some back for the rest of the crew evaporated as we handed the bag back and forth.

  The room had a pair of prints on one wall depicting the coast. Clothes had been left in the closet but nothing my size. I found a bright red dress that would probably look great on Sails. Instead, I held it up for Joel.

  “You could rock this.”

  Joel snorted.

  Joel pawed through the luggage and found a brown bag. He opened it up, looked inside, and then dropped it.

  I took a long pull while Joel wiped his hands on his tactical armor.

  “What’s in the bag?” I asked.

  “It’s for you.”

  I took another shot and then handed the bottle to Joel. He eyed it, smelled it, and then took an equally long pull. He lowered the bottle with a sputter.

  I pushed the bag around with my foot until something slid out.

  “Oh my fucking God.” I laughed.

  It was a huge black dildo.

  “I thought you Navy pukes were into that kind of thing.”

  “Nah, man. I like a Marine penis. Small, but stands at attention with a stiff breeze.”

  “That is the gayest thing you’ve ever said, Creed.”

  Joel handed the bottle back, and I took another shot because it was going fast. It felt good. One more, and then Joel finished the bottle.

  I picked up the brown bag and moved to the couple on the floor. The dead guy’s mouth was stuck open, so I slid the rubber penis in between his teeth.

  “Hey Joel, I think I know why these two weren’t getting along.”

  “Dude. That is just fucking morbid.” Joel sat down on the side of the bed and laughed until he nearly fell off.

  ###

  The next room had a similar décor and was covered in enough blood to make Hannibal Lector himself swing by to congratulate the former occupants.

  Joel had jimmied the door with his knife and let it swing open. The room was dark and smelled rancid. The sound was what got to me. I wanted to turn and puke, then gouge out my eyeballs. A pair of Z’s had been munching on the inhabitants for God knew how long. They tottered toward us on shaking legs, but we did them the courtesy of putting them down.

  The room was a bust and so were the two after.

  After making our way to the icemakers, we found that one was full of water. The other had blood on the side; we didn’t bother opening it.

  The next few rooms turned up a few items. A couple of bags of peanuts slightly larger than the samples they pass out on airplanes. A handful of tootsie rolls in some guy’s fanny pack. He also had a wad of bills, though, so Joel and I split them up. Probably useless, but five hundred dollars was still five hundred dollars.

  The last room was empty of inhabitants. A set of suitcases had been stacked in the closet. I worked on one while Joel pried the lock of a smaller bag.

  It was just clothes and toiletries. I took out an electric shaver and tested the battery. It ran at full speed so I spent a minute buzzing the fuzz off my face in a darkened mirror.

  Joel found an unopened tube of strawberry lip balm. I didn’t even ask when he slipped it into his pocket. There was a two-liter bottle of soda that had been opened and then resealed. I unscrewed the top and was met with the sound of released CO2. I sniffed and then decided that if the Z virus was living in cola, we were all doomed.

  In a desk drawer I found a bag of corn chips and added it to our haul.

  Joel returned from the bathroom with a pair of cups still wrapped in plastic. We toasted each other and then drained our portion in a couple of gulps. It was flat, warm, and fucking delicious.

  After forty-five minutes of breaking into rooms we had pitifully little to show for it:

  A couple of protein bars

  A liter of generic soda

  3 small bags of roasted peanuts

  An unopened bag of corn chips

  15 tootsie rolls (I stashed a few in my pocket)

  We returned with four pitchers of what I was sure was rancid water, but after the purifying tabs did their work I was the first to down half a container. After we’d drunk our fill, we went out to fetch more. I didn’t even complain about the chemical taste.

  Markus asked if we’d found anything else that might be useful.

  “Nah,” Joel said.

  “We found an unhappily married couple but they weren’t very chatty,” I said.

  “Probably due to the dick in the guy’s mouth,” Joel said.

  After that it was my turn to burst into laughter.

  “Glad you guys had fun. Now we got a serious issue. One of the boxes of MRE’s turned out to be filled with ammo. That’s great in the long run, but it means we’re down to four full meals and there are a lot of mouths. We can probably make it last the day. So what’s the plan?”

  “I’ll take Joel and the big squid here on a scouting run tomorrow. Did you get coms working?” Sails asked.

  “I think so,” Markus said and held up a large black band.

  “That’s good. Real good,” Joel said.

  “We’ll be able to stay in contact. I’ll take up station on the roof and provide over watch with an M14. It’s a solid weapon with a range of five hundred yards. One bummer? I got limited ammo so don’t expect me to pick off twenty fucking ZULU’s, got it?”

  “How many rounds?” Joel asked.

  “About thirty five. You guys get into the shit too deep and you haul ass back here, got it? Roz, Christie, and Donny here will be backup.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Joel nodded.

  ###

  21:15 hours Approximate

  Location: Clairemont, Undeadville USA

  It’s late and I can barely keep my eyes open. Tomorrow we are going to expand our area of operations and hopefully come back with a bonanza of food for the next few days. That’s if we don’t join the crawlers first.

  And so the fuckening continues.

  Entry #11 – Game Face

  12:45 hours approximate

  Location: Just outside of Los Angeles – Undead-Central

  Supplies:

  3 MRE’s

  1 box of chips and candy

  1 half-gallon of water requiring purifying tablets

  The following day would have an early reveille and I was already exhausted. I pretty much dragged my ass to the next hotel room, Joel in tow, and took in our new vacation spot.

  Our room had a pair of queen-sized beds that looked – and worse, smelled – like something had died on them. Joel turned over one of the mattresses and rolled out a sleeping bag he’d grabbed from the HUMVEE. With Bailey gone, we had some extra gear. Joel lay down and broke out a manual about some type of communication unit.

  Christy moped and took up station in the remnants of what had once been a very luxurious spa tub. At least it was clean. She dug a couple of blankets and pillows out of the closet and set up a cozy little nest. She hadn’t been talkative since we left San Diego, and I couldn’t blame her. Two weeks ago, she’d been home with her parents and brother. Now they were all gone and she was with a bunch of strangers. I remembered my childho
od. Dad used to drink a lot. Sometimes he and Mom would disappear for a day or two and then show up like nothing was different. Like I was supposed to ignore the fact that they’d abandoned me.

  I hated the feeling of abandonment. I knew it had to be much worse for Christy, so I took every opportunity to speak with her and make her feel at ease. Roz was like a foster mother to her and did her best to keep Christy happy.

  I tried to joke with Christy, but she rarely even smiled. She just looked scared and lost, and no amount of dumb things I could say would ever make her feel better. Craig had been a big loss for her. A loss for all of us. I’d never had kids and, quite frankly, didn’t know the first thing about being a dad. Still, I felt like I owed her something, even if it was just a kind word or a lame joke.

  “You holding up alright? You look like a princess in that tub.”

  “My kingdom used to be bigger.”

  I smiled and dug around in my pockets. I sat on the side of the tub and held my hand behind me, then looked over my shoulder and winked at her.

  “Oh my gosh,” she said, and scooped up the handful of warm tootsie rolls. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t let Joel see. A Marine hopped up on sugar is scary as hell.”

  “I’ve seen enough scary sights for a lifetime,” she said, and settled back to unwrap a treat.

  “I’m sorry, Christy. Really sorry. I know they’re just words, but I hope you understand that we’re here to help and look out for you, okay? I can’t imagine how hard it’s been, but I promise you – nothing is going to happen to you. Me and Roz will be Papa and Mama Bear—with automatic weapons.”

  She looked at me from beneath a mass of dark curls; tears streamed down her face.

  “I miss them so much and I’m so scared. Every place we go is worse than the last. I just want to go home, you know? I just want to go back to my old life.”

  “I’m with you.” I dug a napkin out of one of my pockets. I inspected it and found the inner fold clean, so I used it to dab at her cheeks.

  “Papa bear, huh? That’s good, Creed.” Roz joined us.

  I rubbed Christy’s head because I didn’t trust myself to hug her. If I did, I’d be in tears, too, so I left and headed for bed.

  My head swirled from too much schnapps and not enough food. I sat on the side of the bed and just stared at the slit in the curtains. Daylight snuck in, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

  The events of the last few days crashed down on me. Sleeping on a roof, a half-day of rest in a ratty half-assed cot under an equally half-assed tent, surrounded by civilians with no hope in their eyes. Stuck on top of a HUMVEE while it leapt away from an army of the dead. Clinging to the gunner’s portal for an hour, leaving my arms and shoulders feeling like they were lead bars. Watching Bailey fall.

  Anna Sails had stayed to talk with the other mercenaries, but joined us a few minutes later. I wanted to ask what they’d talked about, but I didn’t think I’d like the answers. Besides, I was exhausted and didn’t feel like fighting. She closed the door behind her and looked at our pitiful space.

  I offered to sleep on the floor, but I used my best puppy-dog eyes on Anna. She glared, but then looked at the mattress.

  Anna rolled out a sleeping bag while her eyes burned holes in me.

  “Creed – I don’t have to say it, do I?”

  “Say it? What’s ‘it’?”

  “You stay on your side. Got it?”

  “Sails, you’re nice and all, but it’s the zombie fucking apocalypse. Know what the last thing on my mind is?”

  “You’re a man. I know the only thing that’s on your mind.”

  “You kill me, Sails. Now, if we were out in the world, the real world that existed a few weeks ago, I might take a shot. I might show up with flowers, most of them in one piece, and I might even say nice things. You know … assuming you’re my type, and all.”

  “You have a type?”

  “Yeah. Cute and armed.”

  Sails expelled a breath and fought down a smile.

  “You and Roz could bunk together,” I suggested. “I’m used to the smell of Marines by now.”

  Roz was sprawled out on the bed next to Joel, watching as he stripped her .45. He showed her a couple of things, stuff he’d taught me a week ago.

  “They look cozy over there,” she said.

  They certainly did. How quickly Roz forgot about our little moment in the garage. Come to think of it, that was probably a moment only in my mind. I was probably the only one who gave that time any importance.

  “Fine. That shit’s sorted. Now keep the snoring down,” I said, then pulled up a blanket and promptly passed the fuck out.

  ###

  06:30 approximate

  Location: Clairemont, CA - Undead Central

  My alarm clock wasn’t the old-style ringer. It didn’t have bells. It had two hands, and they were attached to one very grumpy Marine. Joel “Cruze” Kelly shook me again. I pulled one arm out of the sleeping bag to punch his fucking lights out and then realized that wasn’t a great idea, because he’d probably hit me over the head with his assault rifle, then stab me in the gut with his knife.

  My pissy mood was justified; I’d had little sleep. About an hour ago, I’d half-woken to sounds in the distance that my brain couldn’t clarify. Might have been screaming, or it might have been a nightmare. After that, I tossed and turned while Anna Sails lay next to me in her own sleeping bag. Our little quad sure as hell wasn’t the Hilton, but we were alive.

  “Let’s go find some supplies,” Joel said as he moved away.

  “What’s wrong with him?” I asked Sails.

  “Don’t know. Maybe he got his period,” Anna said.

  “I need coffee.”

  “You’re in luck, Sailor,” Anna replied.

  She held up a couple of packets of Folgers instant coffee, and that got my attention. I swear I was almost drooling.

  “Well, I’ll be goddamned. Where’d you find those?”

  “In the bathroom, of course. Don’t you ever stay in hotels?”

  “Nah. I live on a big floating hotel.” I looked down for a minute. “Lived, I mean.”

  “How long were you in and what ship were you on?”

  So I told Sails a little about what had happened on the ship. I told her about how it was overrun and how Joel, Reynolds, and I had all jumped into the ocean just before the USS McClusky hit land and exploded.

  I dumped the packets of coffee into a glass that looked more or less clean, and then poured in enough purified water to make a triple espresso. I swirled the mess around for a minute before tossing it back. The flakes of coffee had barely dissolved and ended up stuck in my throat, but I thought it was better than any Starbucks coffee I’d tasted in my life.

  “That was delicious.” I burped.

  “I’ve tasted asphalt with more flavor,” Anna said as she finished her own dose.

  “Really? I bet there’s an amazing story behind that, and I bet it starts with ‘So, I was drinking’.”

  “Yeah, something like that. Now put on your game face. It’s time to go.”

  Joel was geared up and stood near Roz. He looked like he wanted to say something, but she shook her head, so he kept his trap shut. Ugh – fucking high school drama. Not how I wanted this mission to start.

  We piled into the mercs’ room to gather gear and go over the plan one more time. If we ran into a mess, Roz, Donny, and Christy would come out to provide backup.

  Joel tested his communication gear, and Markus gave him the thumbs-up when the Marine’s voice came in loud and clear over the walkie talkie.

  Before we left, Donny offered me his friend.

  “Do not lose this.”

  He handed me his Mossberg and a box of shells. She was already loaded, and the rails were filled with shells. I hefted the piece and grinned.

  “Thanks, man. I hope I don’t have to use it.”

  I’m pretty sure he knew I was lying.

  ###


  07:15 approximate

  Location: Clairemont, CA – Undead Central

  The morning sky was overcast; the color of the clouds matched the sidewalk. It had rained the night before leaving everything damp. If we were going to be staying we needed to rig up some contraption to capture the rainwater.

  Joel took the lead while Anna studied the keys we’d found on various corpses. She finally settled on one car after finding a match.

  The Chevy Nova looked like something I would have been in love with when I was sixteen. Out of the seven vehicles – some of them high end – the Nova was one of two that opened with a key. A beat up Jeep with plastic side windows went to Roz. If we got in the shit, this was our way back to Fortress—assuming she and Donny could get us out.

  Our car had been dark blue at one time, but the paint was faded and splotchy. The fender was dented, and we found out that the driver-side rear window only rolled down five or six inches, but the engine roared to life after Anna pumped the gas and cranked the ignition a few times. Once it had run for a bit, she shut it off and then fired it up again.

  “Just making sure we don’t get there and the damn thing dies,” she told me.

  I spun as a loud noise drew my attention. Markus had figured out how to get up to the roof and was now taking up station to watch over us. His rifle looked old, but he’d sworn that it would do the job.

  Joel triggered the communication device around his neck and checked in with Markus. They spoke “go shoot stuff” jargon for a few seconds, and then Joel nodded, indicating that we should head out.

  “There’s movement east, but they’re still a klick out. About thirty of them, and they won’t even converge on this position if they keep following their current course. If they swing around a few degrees, they’ll be on us,” Joel relayed.

  “How long do we have?”

  “About twenty minutes, so we need to make them count. We hit the first few places that look promising and then we haul ass back here. If things look clear in a few hours, we can go back out. Anna’s volunteered to drive. Creed…if anything comes near the car, you stick that BAMF out the window and eliminate them. I’ll take care of the upfront action.”