The Z-Day Trilogy (Book 5): United States of Zombie

by Mark Cusco Ailes

  United States of Zombie

  By

  Mark Cusco Ailes

  Prologue

  Haddonfield, Illinois

  The wailing of sirens broke the early morning silence as Peter Finch sipped his morning coffee and read the morning paper. He was interested in an article about zombies escaping the zombie park in Indiana and going on a murder spree throughout the city of Valparaiso. His daughter, Maggie, came running into the kitchen excited.

  “Daddy! Daddy! You need to come to the window!”

  He looked up from his paper after spilling coffee on his lap. “Mags, you made me spill coffee on my pants! Now I’m going to have to change them before I go to work!”

  “There are people in the front yard. They’re attacking each other!”

  He sprang from his chair and hurried to the window to see what his daughter was talking about. He stood behind her watching the action in his front yard. Police officers were standing with their firearms raised and firing random shots into the gathering crowd of rioting people. It took him a few minutes to realize what was happening. “It can’t be!” He grabbed his daughter and pulled her away from the window as a couple of stray shots pierced the front door shattering a lamp situated on an end table. “Stay in the Kitchen. I’m going to get your mother.” He made his way to the staircase as his wife appeared as another bullet penetrated the front door, striking her between the eyes. She tumbled forward into his waiting arms. “Shelley!” He guided her body to the floor as Maggie approached. She saw blood flowing from the wound on her mother’s face.

  “What happened to mommy!” she screamed, bursting into tears. “What’s wrong with mommy?”

  He stood over his wife’s body staring at Maggie. He was about to say something to her when the sound of breaking glass from the front bay window interrupted him. Shards of glass crashed onto the carpeted floor as a zombie climbed through the shattered window. Maggie screamed and looked at her father.

  “We have to go, Mags! We have to get out of here!”

  “We can’t leave mommy here. We have to help her.”

  “We can’t help her, Mags. She’s already dead. And if we don’t get out of here now, so will we.”

  The sound of more breaking glass filled the house and the sound of growling and moaning filled the air. He snatched his daughter off her feet as a zombie with glass protruding from its eye socket appeared from the kitchen with its arm stretched outward. It was slowly moving toward them and was blocking the way to the garage. The only choice he had was to head upstairs and get to his bedroom. Once inside he could lock the door and push the bed in front of it. Clumsily he made his way up the stairs, still carrying Maggie in his arms. He felt his heart racing as he struggled to keep his hold on his daughter. He reached the top and made a beeline for his bedroom. Downstairs he could hear more glass shattering and the sound of lamps being knocked off of their resting places. Fear was tightening its grip on his chest causing him difficulty breathing. He dropped Maggie to her feet and grabbed her arm. He led her forcibly into his bedroom and closed and locked the door behind him. He then pushed his bed in front of the door in case something was able to smash through the door. Once he was done, he looked at Maggie. “We’re going to be fine for now.”

  “What was that thing, Daddy?”

  “It was a zombie.” He made his way swiftly to his window and looked out. Three police officers were strewn across the yard, torn apart like rag dolls. He looked across the yard and saw several zombies climbing through the front window. He looked toward the street and saw his next door neighbor being dragged down the street by a muscular zombie. He could tell his neighbor was already dead, otherwise he was sure he would have put up a fight. Nobody would willingly let themselves be dragged down the street without putting up a fight. He turned away from the gruesome scene and took his daughter firmly into his arms. He wasn’t sure what he could say to her to make her feel safe. Outside the locked door, he could hear the zombies clumsily making their way up the wooden steps. It wouldn’t be long before they discovered which room they were hiding inside. He stared at the bed resting against the door. He didn’t think the zombies could get inside the room, at least he hoped they couldn’t. The only escape route they had was straight down to the ground outside. It was a long jump. He was sure if he tried to jump, he would break his legs. He thought about throwing the mattress out the window, but he knew it was too big to push through it. If it came down to it, he would jump with Maggie in his arms. It most likely would kill him, but at least she would have a chance to escape.

  Pounding on the bedroom door broke his concentration. He stared at it, daring it to let the creatures on the other side enter.

  “Daddy, I’m afraid.”

  “I’m afraid, too, Mags.” He held her tightly in his arms. “I don’t think they can get inside with us.” He heard a loud high-pitched sound coming from outside the window. Fearfully, he looked as a large vulture soared toward the window. He knew he was in trouble. He tried to duck out of the way, but the vulture crashed through the window and sliced open his throat with its sharp talons. Blood showered from his throat like a geyser, covering Maggie like a wet blanket. Fear stole the screams from her throat as the vulture landed in front of her, daring her to try to defend herself. She took several awkward steps backward as it kept a watchful eye on her. Its glare followed her every movement. She made her way to the closet, trying to get inside, but her attempt was thwarted by the creature. She was knocked furiously to the ground. She rolled onto her side, and it jumped on top of her staring at her with milky-white eyes.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  It stared hungrily at her. Without wasting another moment, it took aim at her eyes, plucking the dusky jewels from her skull’s grasp.

  Chapter One

  St. Louis, Missouri

  Officer Simon Shaffer stared at the television in disgust. It was being reported that the zombies were advancing from Illinois into Missouri. All he wanted to do was head home to his family and get out of the state before it was too late. Instead, he had been put on alert and told to stay at the office until it was determined where he was going to be sent to hold a parameter in case the zombies reached the city limits. They were supposed to join with the National Guard and do what no other state had been able to do. They were supposed to stop the advancement of the zombies. He didn’t like their chances and neither did the newscasters on the channel he was watching. It was being reported that the government was being naïve and citizens should be prepared to defend themselves when it was necessary. All he could think about was his wife and daughter. Neither of them would stand a chance if the zombies reached the outer parts of the city. He stole a glance toward the chief’s office. He was on his cell phone and staring out his window. He was certain the chief was also questioning their orders to stand idly by until they were called into the field. The chief was two months away from retirement, and a zombie outbreak was the last thing he wanted to be involved with. News was spreading around the station about how none of the military or police forces in Indiana and Illinois were impacting the spreading of the outbreak. The zombies weren’t leaving any survivors that anybody knew of. The last thing he had heard was a mall in Illinois had been overrun with them and some survivors escaped by helicopters and were taken into Michigan. One of the helicopters had crashed after crossing the Illinois border, and it wasn’t known if there were any survivors. Beyond that, nobody really knew how many people had lost their lives. He watched the chief throw his phone across his office and then topple over his swivel chair. He knew it must be bad news since he rarely lost control and bec
ame violent. Officer Shaffer left his office and stood staring at him, scowling under his breath.

  “What is it, chief?” asked Shaffer. “Do we finally get to leave?”

  “Not a chance in hell! Our orders are to sit here and do nothing! My wife is expecting me home right now, and here I am playing a cat-and-mouse game with the captain. Hell, he doesn’t even know what we’re waiting for.” Chief Everett Jayson kicked the leg of the desk he was standing near. “It will be a cold day in hell if they think I’m waiting on them all night! If the zombies reach the city, I want to be with my wife! She won’t survive the night without me!”

  Officer Shaffer wanted to respond with something comforting, but he knew it would only enrage the chief even further. He stood silently as the chief went back into his office slamming the door behind him. He felt the same way. The longer they stayed there waiting for something to happen, the more danger it was putting their families in. He turned his attention back to the television. General Conlan Cochran was standing in front of the camera trying to look strong and proud, hiding the fact that his nerves were on edge. He cleared his throat and looked straight into the camera. “The zombies have crossed into Missouri. All attempts of slowing their progress have been hampered. The National Guard is retreating toward the city. Securing St. Louis is our top priority. All businesses are urged to close and lock their doors and leave the city. A state of emergency is being declared for the city, and military forces will do the best they can to hold it for as long as they can. That is all I can report for now. I repeat. All businesses in St. Louis should close and lock their doors, and then leave the city in an orderly manner.”

  Officer Shaffer had heard enough. He no longer cared about his orders or even being a police officer. All he cared about was getting to his family and getting them as far away from the zombies as he possibly could. He needed to make his move now before the roads became congested with traffic. The longer he waited the longer it was going to take to get to them. He stole a glance toward the chief’s office. He was staring at his gun as if he were trying to contemplate something. He wondered if the chief was trying to decide to end his own life. It didn’t matter. He had other matters to attend to. He knew now would be the best time to make his move. Without looking back, he hurried across the room and made his way into the hallway. He stopped momentarily to toss his badge onto an empty desk and reached for his sidearm. He suddenly stopped realizing that he would most likely need it at some point and continued down the hall. Now that he had turned in his badge, he didn’t have to feel guilty about leaving the station or disobeying an order to wait to be called to action. He was going to get plenty of it once he reached his family and tried to find a safe place to hide from the zombies.

  Outside the station was what he had been expecting. News of the zombies heading toward the city had its citizens in a panic. People were fist fighting over cabs, trash cans were being tossed into the street, and looting was rampant. It was complete chaos. He went back inside the station and went to the basement where his patrol car was parked. He had no choice. If he was going to get out of the city, he was going to need his car. He was going to need the siren if he was going to get through the building traffic. Once inside the car, he turned on the radio to see if anything had changed. He was alarmed to hear the National Guard was being overrun and many of them were abandoning their posts. He didn’t blame them. He was certain none of them had been trained to do battle with zombies.

  Once he left the parking garage in the basement, he turned on the siren and made his way onto the street in front of the building. He was trying to ignore the violence taking place in front of him. He was appalled by it. People were attacking each other mercilessly. They were worse than the zombies. He shook his head in disgust and made his way down the street. The only thing he focused on was getting out of the city and getting home to his family. Anybody left in the city would have to fend for themselves. He no longer cared about them. Deep down he knew he really did, but he didn’t want to admit it. If he did, he would feel guilty and stop the car and help them.

  Soon he reached the outskirts of the city and left without taking a second look back. Whatever was happening behind him he needed to leave it behind and not think twice about it. He was no longer a police officer which now made him a criminal. He had stolen a police car, even though it once was officially his. He retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and called his wife. She didn’t waste any time answering.

  “Simon, are you all right? Where are you? Have you heard the news?”

  “Settle down, Cassandra, I’m heading home right now to get you and Elizabeth. I need you to pack some essentials. We need to leave the state as soon as I get there.”

  “Lizzie is at her friend’s house. Do you want me to get her back home?”

  “Yes, but don’t frighten her. Call her and tell her we need to leave as soon as I get home. Tell her when she gets home to pack some clothes and a few of her toys. And don’t forget to tell her to grab her toothbrush. I don’t want her to use this as another excuse not to brush her teeth. Grab mine while you’re at it and my deodorant. I don’t know how long we’ll be on the road or if we’ll be able to get any supplies.”

  She remained silent for a few minutes. “How bad is it? I’ve been watching the TV. I was going to call you, but I know you don’t like me to bother you when you’re on duty.”

  He didn’t want to tell her what was happening in the city. It was best she didn’t know, but he also knew he couldn’t sugarcoat it either. “It’s bad, but we still have some time before the zombies reach this far. I need you to call our daughter now and get her home. Once I get home, I don’t want to waste a lot of time.”

  “All right, I’ll call her now. Just hurry home.”

  He tossed his phone onto the passenger’s seat. He turned his attention back to the road. So far nothing was happening outside the city. There were only a few cars on the road as if people away from the city weren’t aware of the eminent danger, or they thought they were safe from zombies outside the city limits. He was relieved it was the case. He sped down the road pushing his car over one hundred miles an hour.

  He was nearing his house when he heard the radio operator trying to locate him. He knew they discovered he had left the building. He also figured his badge had been found. He ignored her. He had made the right decision about leaving his badge behind. What good will I be to the force, anyway? I don’t have any experience with zombies. No, I’ve made the right decision.

  Twenty minutes later he reached his house and parked in the driveway. He rushed inside his house as his daughter was arguing with her mother about being called home from her friend’s house. She was only ten years old and didn’t understand what was happening. She turned with tears streaming down her face when she saw her father rush into the house.

  “Daddy, why did I have to come home? I was playing with Trish. Her mother was baking us chocolate chip cookies.”

  He approached her and stared at her. He knew she didn’t understand, and he knew there wasn’t any way he could explain it to her. He grabbed her shoulders and brought her closer to him. “Listen, I need you to go upstairs and grab some things. We’re going on a short vacation, just the three of us. Don’t ask any questions and do as you’re told. We have to leave right away so don’t diddle-daddle.”

  She gave her father a defiant look before finally making her way upstairs to do what she had been instructed to do. Once she was out of earshot, he looked at his wife. “Are you packed?”

  She pointed to two suitcases in the living room. “I hope I packed enough. I really don’t know what you need for a zombie outbreak.”

  “I don’t know either. If we need anything, we’ll have to get it while we’re on the road.”

  “Simon, what happens if it continues to spread? What happens if nowhere we go is safe? Then what will we do? This could spread across the entire United States.”

  He stood staring at her. Even though she was making sens
e, he didn’t want to think about the zombies spreading across the United States. If that occurred, it would eventually push everybody into the oceans. There wouldn’t be anywhere safe for anybody. He wanted to believe their advancement would eventually be stopped and contained. He went over to fetch the two suitcases. He looked at his wife. “Go help Lizzie get packed. I want to leave in the next five minutes.”

  Elizabeth or Lizzie as she preferred to be called was looking at one of her dolls when her mother came into the room. “Are you finished packing?” She looked at the opened suitcase on the bed. The only thing she saw in it was a doll. She placed her hands on her hips. “You heard your father. We need to get you packed so we can get out of here.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t know, Lizzie. And for your information, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is you get packed so we can leave. If your father for some reason comes up here and sees you’re not packing…well, you know what will happen.”

  “He’ll yell at me.”

  “Exactly. Neither of us likes it when he yells. I’ll help you pack. Grab a couple pairs of jeans from your dresser.”

  Five minutes later, she was packed. Her mother came back into the room with her toiletries. She grabbed the suitcase and looked at Lizzie. “We have to go now. And when we get in the car, don’t bombard your father with a lot of questions.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Lizzie, really promise me you won’t.”

  “I won’t, I promise!”

  Cassandra helped Lizzie put her suitcase in the trunk and they both got in the car. Simon was listening to the news. The city of St. Louis was ablaze. Cassandra looked at him alarmed. He turned off the radio and stared at her. “The criminals are taking over the city. The city on fire has nothing to do with the zombies.” He realized what he had said and turned to look at his daughter. She was staring wide-eyed back at him. “What zombies?”