Z-Strain (Book 3): Fallout

by Morris, S. J.

  I could see the break in the forest where the cabin and our fenced-in fields were, but the undead were all over the area. They had knocked the chain-linked fence down in several sections and were piling up along the concrete block wall. That wall was the only thing that blocked the path of the infected from destroying everything we had built; all of our family and friends were inside those walls. We had to do something, and we had to do it quick.

  “Land inside, over there!” I yelled at Garrison, pointing to the clearing in front of the barn. “We'll have Lynn and some of the others get the wounded on the ground and to our medical facilities. Then I need you to get us back in the air right away. You're going to get us down over there, closer to where the dead are stacking up. I've got an idea,” I yelled over the noise of the helicopter.

  I turned to the back of the helicopter and grabbed Lynn explaining what was going to happen next. She was going to take Abby, Jimmy, Admiral, Troy, and Stuart with her.

  I grabbed Kamil, Jet, and Arrow, “You guys are going to get out too when we land. Kamil, you take them and get every jug of Troy's serum, and the gear to spray it. Get Jasmine to help you. I want you four to spread out all over the concrete wall. Use the solar panel platforms to spray as many of the infected as you can. Bowie, Mace, and I are going to do the same from the air!” I yelled at them as we were landing.

  Kamil gave me a nod as the helicopter touched down. Everyone knew what to do and were off as soon as they opened the doors of the chopper.

  We made a great team, all of us. I just hoped that we'd be able to make it out of this alive and with our sanctuary still intact.

  Chapter 25

  Christopher Bryant

  We landed, and the injured were rushed off the helicopter as well as Kamil, Jet, and Arrow. I helped Bowie and Mace strap on the water guns and filled the tanks with the remaining serum we had with us.

  I yelled for Garrison to take us back up, and we rose quickly into the early morning sky.

  My heart jumped into my throat as the undead came into view. We were hovering a few hundred feet from them as they crawled over one another, trying to get to the top of the wall. The first rotting body was about to climb over the top. It must have been a doctor or a nurse when it was alive because he was wearing tattered scrubs. I reminded myself what it was before meant nothing. Right now, this undead creature was a threat to my family and needed to be destroyed.

  I lined up my rifle, took aim, and blew its disgusting face through the back of its mangled head. The body fell into a heap and rolled down the backs of the undulating corpses below it.

  “Guys, you have to get up here now and spray these things down! They are almost over the wall!” I yelled at Bowie and Mace.

  The strong women each took a side of the helicopter, latching themselves to the ceiling and reached out of the open doors as they pumped the plastic guns.

  It seemed so silly to be using plastic kids’ toys to fight against these monsters, but you can't argue with results.

  Bowie and Mace began unloading the orange fluid into the crowd. I continued to take headshots at the ones closest to the top of the wall, and the infected mound began to sink into a pile of black ooze.

  The rotor wash spread the serum further as Bowie and Mace sprayed the throng of infected.

  “Garrison, take us around the walls. We need to make sure they aren't building up in other spots,” I yelled.

  “Copy that!” he yelled back in response.

  We hovered and continued spraying the infected all around the perimeter of the fence.

  Kamil, Jasmine, Jet, and Arrow came running from the cabin with extra jugs of the serum and the landscaping sprayers. I watched as they all split up and climbed different platforms along the wall before pumping the liquid into the horde that was trying to swallow our home.

  Chuck and others rushed outside as well with rifles and machetes ready to take on anything that may cross over.

  I was so proud of every single one of them for stepping up to defend our home.

  Just when I thought we were winning, I saw one of the super-infected jump up on top of the concrete wall, and it looked like it was screaming. I couldn't hear over the noise from the helicopter, but the tattered female curled her arms like a mad scientist in a horror film as she opened her mouth in a rage. Others followed behind her.

  I smacked Garrison on the shoulder and pointed in her direction, “Over there! They're getting over!” I screamed out.

  Garrison jerked the cyclic stick, and we turned sharply in the direction of the infected now flowing into our sanctuary.

  I couldn't fire my rifle, or I risked hitting my family on the ground who were now engaging in hand to hand combat with these creatures. I was forced to watch as Chuck and my other friends fought off these raving lunatic zombies as they proceeded to tear through their defenses.

  Chuck slashed at one of them with his machete, hitting it in the throat. The wound would have meant death for any other adversary, but it only seemed to enrage the infected further as it jumped on top of Chuck sinking its rotting teeth into his forearm as he tried to defend himself.

  Chuck barely had time to react before he was shaking violently and moving erratically. The infected assailant had done its job and moved on to the next target. I looked on as Chuck changed into one of them within seconds. No longer worried about friendly fire, I took aim and put a bullet in Chuck's brain ending his life.

  Anger and heartbreak filled my chest watching one of our own get taken by this plague, and I opened fire on every moving undead thing I could see through my scope.

  Bowie and Mace were almost out of serum in their packs, but we continued the assault against the infected. The helicopter circled the walls over and over again, and it seemed like the tidal wave of the undead would never end.

  After what seemed like forever, the herd began to thin. Our fighters on the ground dispatched all of the super-infected that had breached the wall, and Kamil, Jasmine, Jet, and Arrow sprayed the remaining revenants before they could pile up again, leaving mounds of black slime and gore everywhere.

  Garrison landed the helicopter in the same spot he had before, and the rotors slowed to a stop. We had survived a massive invasion by the undead, but barely, and with at least one less of us alive - that I was aware of anyway.

  The team regrouped around the helicopter, and we were all hot, sweaty, and out of breath from the fight. All I wanted to do was check on Abby and the girls, take a shower and get some rest. That was not going to happen, not for a while. There was too much to do. We had to survey the damage and take stock of what or who we had lost in this horrific battle.

  I looked around and saw everyone, except for Chuck, was accounted for. I eyed the faces of my friends wearily and couldn't help but feel defeated once again.

  Tyler came running out of the house. “What the hell was that?” he asked out of breath from sprinting.

  “It was a massive herd of the undead, and we barely beat them, Tyler,” I replied, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my thumb and my forefinger. “We lost Chuck.”

  Tyler's face froze. “What? Chuck is gone. He's dead?”

  I didn't want to have this conversation now, but Tyler's face told me he needed answers. “There appears to be a new enemy among the infected. We've been calling them the super-infected. They’re much stronger, faster, and smarter than the walking dead we're used to. They seem to manipulate herds of the slower infected to overrun their prey, and then they swoop in for the attack. At least, that's what I've seen.”

  Tyler's face, as well as the others around him that didn't go to New York with us, dropped. “Are you freaking kidding me? These things have intelligence to that magnitude now? Just when we thought we had it under control with that orange stuff, the world throws us another curveball,” Tyler sighed.

  “I know. How are Abby and the others that were wounded doing?” I asked, dreading the answer.

  “Mom's fine. She's up and feeding the babies now. She
told me to come find out what all of the commotion was. Everyone else is good too. Doc and Lynn are taking care of them.”

  It was my turn to be dumbfounded. “She what? How is that possible. I thought she was going to die in my arms earlier. She had a bullet wound to the gut and the shoulder...”

  “I guess they weren't as bad as you thought they were.”

  The question and answer session was interrupted by screams toward the front main gate. I instantly broke into a run after the noise. It sounded like more of the super-infected.

  I quickly climbed one of the platforms around the giant iron gate, and the smell that hit me was immensely overpowering. If I had eaten anything in the last few hours, it would be splashing all over my boots right about now. Even then, I was about to lose what little contents I had in my gut. The rancid stench from the moat of dark liquified remains was disgustingly pungent.

  Down the end of the driveway, I could see a pack of thirty or so undead. Some were the super-infected that stood still and watched me watching them. Some were the slower kind with their tattered and stained clothes. The blank look on their shredded and unrecognizable faces twisted as decay pulled what was left of their lips up and over their teeth, making them look like they were snarling while they shuffled towards us.

  One of the super-infected let out an ear-piercing scream, and before it could rally anymore of its troops, I raised my rifle and shot it between the eyes. One of the other super-infected looked down at its fallen comrade and let out a scream of its own before it turned and bolted into the trees.

  More shrieks rang out all around us.

  “What's going on? What is that noise?” Tyler asked from below me.

  “That's the cry of the super-infected, son. I think we're about to have more company.” I replied, looking down at the faces below me.

  Benning looked around and shook his head. “No matter how badly I want to kill these undead fuckers, I don't think we're in any shape to take on another herd if that's what is coming, sir.”

  I looked back over the wall, and I saw them. There were hundreds of zombies headed directly for us. The wooded drive was crowded with the walking corpses. Almost as one, they let out a collective moan and reached their decaying hands towards me. Mouths opening and closing, gnawing with the hiss of air being sucked into lifeless lungs.

  “Everyone, get inside now!” I yelled as I jumped down from the ladder. “There's too many of them for us to take on.”

  Chapter 26

  Abbigail Norrington

  I had just put Ella and Kasey down after feeding them when there was a massive commotion in the hall. I ran to see what it was, and Chris practically bowled me over. He and the others were storming down the hallway with worried looks on their faces.

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked Chris as he grabbed me and pulled me into a huge hug.

  “There was a massive herd swarming the gates when we landed. We took care of it, but now we don't have any serum left, and there's another herd on the way. By the way, how the hell are you standing here talking to me right now? You were on death's door an hour ago,” he said, pushing me to arm's length, looking me over.

  “It seems the Antivirus 1015 not only made me invisible to some of the infected, but it also made my body develop super-fast healing, and I seem to have a bit more strength as well, but that's a long story for another day. How close is the herd?”

  “It's almost right on top of us, and the exterior fence is down from the first undead bombardment. Now the only thing protecting us is the concrete wall, and the first herd piled up so high they breached it and got inside. Chuck... Chuck is...”

  I felt the tears burning in my eyes. “No, don't say it. Not him, he was such a good, kind-hearted man. Please tell me Chuck isn't one of them, is he?”

  Chris bowed his head before burying his face in my neck and hugging me again. “No, I took care of it.”

  Kamil grabbed my elbow. “Ugh, I hate to break up the love fest guys, but we've got a serious problem. We've got to get out of here now, or we're going to end up trapped down here, and when the super-infected figure out how to get in, we're all dead.”

  “The super-infected? What the hell are you talking about, Kamil?” I asked.

  Kamil shook his head in frustration, “We can't stand around and talk about this! We have to get out of here!” he yelled, marching off angrily down the hall. “I'm packing the essentials and getting the hell out of here. I suggest you all do the same.”

  I looked around frantically, realizing Tyler was missing from the group filling the hall. “Where's Tyler?”

  Chris pulled me back to focus on him. “He's with Christine in the security room watching the monitors. He's going to let us know how bad it's getting out there.”

  “Good. I think it's best if we all hunker down in the apartments. We have more than enough room for everyone and enough provisions to last a good long while. We have Ella and Kasey to think about, and we can't exactly go running around out there, holding two newborns trying to fight against the dead. We have all of our family and the Wawayanda group's safety to think about, too. Plus, Troy's lab equipment to make the serum, it's all here. We can't just leave.

  “Abby...” Chris said with alarm in his eyes. “You haven't seen how these super-infected operate yet. If anything was going to figure out a way down here to us, it would be them. Also, if they know they have us trapped, I don't think they'll ever give up. I've seen them use the other infected like a battering ram while they stood by and watched. They even appeared to get angry and frustrated when we got away.”

  “Are you serious? These things have that kind of intellect now?”

  “I saw it for myself on the Hudson when we were headed to New York to rescue you and again just outside. These things are especially dangerous. I don't think we have any other option but to leave. Or we run the risk of getting overrun down here with no way out except through the escape hatches, and by that time, there will be so many undead out there that we won't make it two feet before being swarmed. I hate to say it, but I think we have to plan on leaving our home as soon as possible.”

  Chris's words carved a hole in my chest. I felt crushed. We held this cabin against the undead and Brigantine's men, and now we were going to lose it to these new super-infected. All I wanted to do was sink into a ball and cry. Then Stuart burst into the hallway, yelling, “Guys! Hey guys! The bombs! Didn't you guys secure the bunker Peter had me hide Brigantine's bombs in?”

  Chris looked down at Stuart as if he was going to punch him in the face for accidentally letting us in on how he was the one who helped Peter secure the weapons.

  I grabbed Chris by the shoulders to settle him. “Now hold on a second, Chris. Let Stuart explain why he helped Peter. I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation.” I looked at Stuart angrily, indicating that he better have a damn good story.

  “I didn't help him per se. He thought I was, but I was double-crossing him while I was doing the same to Brigantine. Before the compound up north was overrun and Brigantine was killed, Peter wanted me to sabotage her work. He wanted to show her up and be the one to solve the mystery of the antiviral. She kicked him out of the compound months before. Neither of them told me why, but Peter said he hated her for what she had done to him.” Stuart paused to rub his temples as if recalling everything he had done caused him physical pain. “Peter wanted revenge, so he told me to bring the bombs and the vehicles that could deliver the VX nerve agent along with as many soldiers as I could gather to that bunker after I sabotaged her work. After everything went down at the compound with you and Jack, I showed up with everything as planned. But when I told him I'd never help him gas the planet or work on his ridiculous super-soldier project, everything went south. Some of the men I had with me tried to take Peter into custody, but he drew a knife, stabbed one of my guys, and took off down one of the tunnels. Then the dead showed up banging on the doors, so we left down the tunnels too. We never found Peter, but we did find
Dr. Nasser and her group at the Wayayanda Park, so we decided to stay with them while I tried to figure out a cure to this mess.”

  Chris didn't look impressed with Stuart's version of events, but he didn't hit him, so that was good. “Okay, Stuart. You made the best decision you thought you could while working with two psychopaths. So, how do the bombs in the bunker have anything to do with our current situation?” I asked him.

  Stuart cleared his throat uncomfortably, realizing what a tense situation his confession created. “Well, ugh... there is a massive ground direct-fire weapons vehicle called the Stryker in that bunker. I drove it there myself. That's the truck used to launch the chemical weapon shells. Troy told me that you guys loaded his serum into the shells and were unsure of what to do with the VX nerve agent that was previously packed in them. If some of us can make it to that bunker, I can fire the weapon, so the serum explodes over the cabin wiping out all of the infected in the area.”

  Chris looked Stuart over with hard, angry eyes. “I might not like you very much right now, Stuart, but that is one hell of a good idea. If we can pull it off that is. I'll tell Kamil and get a team together so we can head out. This plan better fucking work, Stuart, or so help me God I will murder you with my bare hands.”

  Stuart looked as if he was fighting back the urge to cry. “Understood. I can do this, Chris. Just get me to that vehicle, and we'll clear out this herd. The cabin will be safe again, I promise.”

  Chris stared at Stuart fiercely. “Don't make promises you can't keep. That's how people die,” he said through gritted teeth as he turned away to talk with Kamil and gather the others.

  Stuart looked at me with grief in his eyes. “Abby, I'm sorry everything went down the way it did. I'm sorry I had any hand in what Brigantine did to your family... to the world. I'm glad that she and Peter are dead. They ultimately got what they deserved. They were two examples of the worst humanity has to offer and I never should have agreed to help either one of them, but I thought playing them against each other would assure their mutual destruction. It did in a roundabout way, but I'm sorry for the lives that were lost getting it done. I hope you and Chris can forgive me someday.”