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

by Mark Cusco Ailes

  Cheryl held her breath as she watched her husband slowly open the door to the back-storage area. She knew something was in the room, and she was worried that whatever it was, it was going to attack and kill him. She wanted to run over to him and enter the room with him, but her legs felt like heavy logs and were unable to move. She tried to call out to him, but her words were caught in her throat causing her to cough uncontrollably. Her husband didn’t seem to notice. He entered the room and disappeared from her sight. She sat fearing the worse. Whatever was inside the room with her husband, she was sure was going to kill him. Something suddenly caught her attention. She heard something being dragged along the floor. She turned to look, but she didn’t immediately see anything. She heard the sound once more. She stood up and moved away from the desk. She slowly made her way across the hangar toward the sound as it became louder. Whatever the sound was, it was coming from around a small plane inside the hangar at the opposite end. The closer she got to the plane, the louder the noise was, and it sounded like flesh being ripped off of bone. Her first instinct was to turn and run and find a place to hide, but curiosity drew her nearer. She kept moving closer to it stepping as lightly as she could so as not to draw its attention. She stood in front of the plane holding her breath. The noise was coming directly from the other side. Without any regard for her safety, she peered around the front of the plane. Her breath caught in her throat. A bald-headed zombie was hunched over what was left of a human body, hungrily shoveling chunks of flesh into its mouth. She gasped and then covered her mouth. It looked away from the body and stared at her as she ducked out of its view, but it was too late. The creature had seen her. It hissed hateful hunger at her through the pulsing ruin of its ripped-out throat. It clumsily stood up and took a step toward her. She screamed and tore away from the plane and across the hangar as several cougars emerged from the back-storage area. They immediately spotted her and stood salivating at the thought of another feast. She turned to look behind her, but she was trapped. Behind her the zombie had emerged and was slowly shambling toward her. She quickly scanned the area looking for something she could use as a weapon, but she didn’t see anything useful. She turned her attention back to the cougars that were almost upon her. She knew there wasn’t anything she could do to protect herself. She stood frozen in place, thinking about her husband as she felt herself being knocked to the ground. She kept thinking about her husband as she felt the first bite. She screamed and then everything switched to total darkness.

  General Milkwood immediately saw the floor was covered in blood. He didn’t have to use his imagination to know what had transpired. He saw Cheryl’s half-devoured body lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the hangar. Several large paw prints led away from her body and disappeared into the back-storage area. He heard growling coming from the opposite side of the hangar. He turned to look and saw a bald-headed zombie covered in blood. He knew it wasn’t the time to be a hero. He turned around and left the hangar, closing the door behind him. The bus had already left to take the supplies to the plane. He stood wondering what he should do next. The Leonards’ were now dead, so he wouldn’t be able to enlist their help anymore. The only thing he could do was fly the plane himself to Isla Zomblar. Unfortunately, he needed Donnie’s help to accomplish it. He heard the zombie pounding on the door from inside the hangar. He couldn’t stay there. He couldn’t risk the zombie finding its way outside. He stared at the bus as it continued across from the hangar. The only thing he could do now was head to the plane and catch up to Donnie while they loaded the plane. He looked around to see if any other zombies were in the general area. In the distance, he saw a green vehicle speeding toward him. From what he could tell, it was a military deuce and a half. He knew it could only mean trouble. There wasn’t anywhere he could hide, and he was sure he was already spotted since it was heading toward him. He didn’t bother reaching for his weapon, because he knew whoever was in the truck was most likely heavily armed. He waited as it approached, and then suddenly stopped in front of him. Two men jumped out and approached him with their M16s slung around their shoulders.

  “Are you alone, sir?” one of the men asked.

  “I’m General Milkwood…”

  “We know who you are, sir. We were sent here to escort you back to home base.”

  The general stared at him wondering why they would be sent to find him, and how did they find them? “How did you know I was here?”

  “Mr. Leonard informed Mr. Rooker you were here. He’s the one who sent us here to get you and take you back to Safe Zone Nine. Is Mr. Leonard here?”

  “He’s dead. Let me get this straight. You said Mr. Rooker sent you here to find me. We’re talking about Mr. Norman Rooker, aren’t we?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, you tell that bastard I have better things to do than meet with him. I have somewhere I have to be.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, you’ll have to tell him yourself. I have my orders to take you to him. I also have orders to take you in by force if necessary. I’d rather not have to go that route.” Several shots being fired broke the tension for a moment. General Milkwood watched as a couple of slow-moving zombies were quickly brought down. He turned his attention back to the soldier standing in front of him. His name tag read Reardon, and he was a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He knew he wasn’t being left with a choice. He was going to have to go with him. “General, we need to get going. Please don’t make me take you in by force.”

  The general was about to answer when all of a sudden Martina Garcia came running from around the corner of the hangar screaming something about the devil finding them. The soldiers turned with their weapons raised as she approached. “Don’t shoot!” screamed General Milkwood. “She was with the Leonards’. She can tell us exactly what happened to them.” The soldiers lowered their weapons and watched as she made her way to the general still screaming the devil had found them. She stopped in front of him shaking with fear. Terror shone in her eyes like twin candles of fright. She kept repeating the devil had found them. He grabbed her shoulders and tried to calm her, but it wasn’t working. She seemed to be in some sort of trance. He shook her like a rag doll hoping to snap her out of it, but he wasn’t getting anywhere. Finally, he slapped her hard across her face. She stood staring at him as if he had suddenly become the devil himself. She looked around confused as if she didn’t know where she was. Whatever she had witnessed had scared her beyond belief. She opened her mouth once again to speak but Lieutenant Reardon interrupted her.

  “We don’t have time for this. We need to get out of here before we attract more unwanted guests. We’ll take her with us and get answers from her later. She’s not in the right state of mind to tell us anything. Get her in the back of the truck.” He looked at the general. “Ride in back with her. Maybe she’ll come clean with you.” General Milkwood got in the back of the truck with Martina. Several more soldiers got inside after him and one of them pounded on the side of the truck with his fist to alert the lieutenant they were ready. As the truck left the hangar, General Milkwood saw a zombie appear from around the corner holding a severed leg. He was soon to find out who the real monster was–the zombies or Mr. Norman Rooker. Over the years, he had several dealings with him. He reminded him of a modern ̶ day Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He was a man you definitely couldn’t trust. He wondered what he wanted with him. Whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Martina suddenly grabbed his arm and dug her nails deep into his flesh. Pain coursed through his arm, but he ignored it. She was staring at him like she had something important she wanted to tell him.

  “The devil found them,” she said, digging her nails deeper into his flesh.

  He pried her hand from his arm and pushed it aside. “That will be enough of that! Just tell me about the devil. Just tell me what happened at the hangar.” He watched as she wiped some tears away from her eyes and tried to regain her composure. “They were killed by zombies,” she finally said in a sha
ky voice. “I didn’t see the zombies, but I know they are inside the hangar. I went for a walk and they were both alive. When I returned, they were both dead. Mr. Leonard’s head is by the back room and Mrs. Leonard’s body is all over the floor. I didn’t stay to see what killed them. I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.”

  He already knew they had come across zombies. The whole scene inside the hangar suggested it. He should have grabbed the maps of Isla Zomblar while he was inside the hangar. He knew he had made a careless mistake. He was going to need them if he was going to locate the island, but first he had to deal with Mr. Rooker. He looked at the soldiers. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to jump off the back of the truck with them sitting near the rear of the truck. He just hoped that Donnie didn’t get any bright ideas about leaving without him. If he was lucky, Donnie didn’t know how to fly the plane. If he didn’t, it would buy him some time to get back to the airport. He watched from the back as they left the airport. He watched as several zombies were alerted to their presence and turned to follow the truck. He knew they didn’t stand a chance in hell of catching up with the truck ̶ zombies were too slow to catch up with anything. He wanted to close his eyes and take a moment to figure out what he was going to do next, but he didn’t trust any of the soldiers around him. The only person he trusted was himself. They passed several burning cars with zombies locked inside of them. He knew it was why zombies would become the perfect weapon. It was hard to kill them. If you were fortunate enough, you could kill a few but not all of them. Eventually once there were enough of them, they would get you. They were relentless. They just keep coming.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Reggie Claxton scanned the area for ideas on how he was going to get him and the money safely out of the area. He was now the only one left alive from the bank robbery. He made sure he had killed everyone involved. He knew he needed to get back inside the school and formulate a plan where he didn’t have to worry about the zombies. He knew there was only one door still unlocked and it was in the rear of the school leading to the cafeteria. He hurried to the back and made his way inside by the unlocked door and locked it behind him. He didn’t know what his next course of action was going to be, but he knew for now he had the time to figure it out. As far as he knew, all the teachers and students were still in their classrooms. As long as they stayed inside the classrooms, he wouldn’t bother them. He didn’t believe in killing children, and he wanted to keep it that way. He looked around the back area hoping something would give him an idea of how he should proceed. He thought about leaving the school with his money and taking his chances on the road, but he didn’t know where he could go. He needed to find somewhere that wasn’t inhabited by zombies. He wondered if such a place even existed. Then an idea came to mind. If he could get to the airport, he could find a plane and head for California. The zombie outbreak may not have reached that far. Once he got to California, he could lie low, and if need be, he could catch a flight out of the country. He needed company though, someone he could use as a shield if the situation turned for the worst. The only person he knew inside the school was the teacher. He tried to remember her name ̶ Mrs. Smith if he remembered correctly. He could use her. The students would be safe inside the school without her. He left the back area and walked across the cafeteria. He made his way to the door and down the hall to her classroom. He knocked on the door and waited until she answered.

  “I hate to bother you but can I talk to you out here for a moment?” he asked.

  “Sure.” She left the classroom and closed the door behind her. “What can I do for you?”

  “One of my men is hurt in the cafeteria and I sure can use your help. When it comes to first aid, I’m clueless.” She looked around the hall to make sure it wasn’t some sort of trap.

  “I can’t leave my students alone.”

  “They’ll be fine. I just need your help for a moment. You’ll be back with your students before you know it.”

  “All right, take me to him. What happened to him?”

  “He accidentally cut himself with his knife. I don’t know how he did it, or even why he had the knife out in the first place. I found a first aid kit, but beyond that, I don’t know what I’m doing. He’s going to bleed out if we don’t try to do something for him.”

  “I’m not a nurse, but I’ll see what I can do for him.” He led her toward the cafeteria and walked past it. She looked at him curiously as they passed it. “I thought you said he was inside the cafeteria. He turned pointing his gun at her.

  “Don’t try anything stupid,” he demanded. “You’re coming with me. Do you have your car keys?”

  “No, they’re in my classroom. Do you want me to go get them?”

  He laughed. “No, I’m not that stupid. You’ll just go inside and close and lock the door so I can’t get inside. No, I have a better plan.” He went inside the main office and found a black purse on the floor. He snatched it and tossed it to her. “Do you know which car belongs to this person?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Now grab her keys and take me to her car. You’re driving us to the airport. You’re also going to help me carry some bags of money. If you do as I say, I promise you I won’t hurt you. You’re no good to me if you’re dead.”

  “What about all the zombies out there?”

  “Leave them to me. I’ll make sure you’re safe. Now grab the money and let’s get out of here.”

  She was hesitant. She didn’t want to go with him and leave her students. It was her responsibility to keep them safe. “I can’t leave them.”

  “They’ll be fine. There aren’t any zombies inside the school. All the doors are locked so none of them can get inside. They also have plenty of food inside the cafeteria. They’re no longer your responsibility. Now let’s go before I change my mind about harming you.” He swiftly led her across the parking lot, and she led him to the car she had the keys to. Fear knotted inside her. She looked around the parking lot. Several zombies were slowly making their way between the cars in their direction. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “When you get in the car, they won’t be able to get you,” he said, waiting for her to unlock it. “We don’t have all day, lady.” She peered frightfully at him and dropped the keys on the ground next to her feet. He rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. “Any day now.” He watched as the zombies were getting closer. “Pick up the damn keys before we have a problem.” She fumbled with the keys in a panic.

  “You’re not helping matters,” she said, standing back up after stooping to get the keys. She quickly unlocked the doors and got inside the car and hurriedly put the key into the ignition. Without checking, she backed out of the spot just as the first zombie reached them. She barely missed hitting it before putting the car into drive and leaving the parking lot. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw a young girl with a brunette ponytail chasing behind her. She waved furiously trying desperately to catch her attention. She hit the brakes and honked the horn.

  “What are you doing?” asked Reggie, looking confused. “Are you trying to get the attention of every zombie in the area?”

  “There is a young girl out there. She’s running to the car. We can’t just leave her out there with the zombies. She’ll never survive.”

  He looked angry. “Listen, we don’t have time for this. I didn’t tell you to stop and pick up strangers. Hit the gas before she gets here.”

  “It’s too late.” The girl opened the back door and got inside.

  “Thanks for waiting for me. My name is Morana Bradbury. My parents were in a car accident and were attacked by zombies. I managed to escape.”

  Reggie stared at her curiously. “Your name is Morana?”

  “Yes, why? Is there something wrong with my name?”

  Reggie looked at Mrs. Smith, and then at the young girl. “How old are you?”

  “Ten. Why are you asking me so many questions? We need to get out of here. We’re going to die if we stay
here. It isn’t safe. The man in the black robe will find us if we stay here.”

  “What man in a black robe?” asked Reggie angrily. “You’re not making any sense!”

  “And she’s not going to if you keep screaming at her,” said Mrs. Smith. “Her parents are most likely…dead or presumably dead, anyway. You need to cut her some slack. She could be in shock.”

  “I’m not in shock! It’s the man in the black robe who killed my parents! We need to get out of here! Please, let’s get out of here!”

  Reggie punched the dashboard with his fists. He had heard about enough and just wanted to get Morana out of the car so he could continue to the airport. The girl was spouting nonsense about the Grim Reaper. He looked at Mrs. Smith. “Let’s just get out of here.” He turned to look at Morana. “And I don’t want to hear any more nonsense about the Grim Reaper.” His eyes widened as he saw something wearing a black robe approach the rear of the car. “What the hell is that?”