The Road to Macon: A Zombie Novel

by Micah Gurley

  He ran into the house, slammed the door, and bolted the deadbolt. He started to head to the garage when he turned back around and looked at the door thoughtfully. He quickly scanned the room and turned his eyes on the big dark-blue lazy chair. He quickly picked up one end of the chair and shoved it against the door. Satisfied, he ran off again.

  Chapter 8

  They entered the security building to find it almost deserted. That wasn’t too abnormal during a shift, with only the officers rotating through to get their dinner. Today however, it seed a little ominous. They walked through the locker room into the main hallway. A radio was broadcasting down the hall in the administration offices, but Kyle turned the other way. He wanted to see if anyone was in the lieutenant’s office. Patrick and Yolanda followed him as if he were walking through the jungles of Vietnam. He almost wanted to take a knee and raise his hand in a fist to see if they would copy him. His amusement was short lived, his recent actions flooding his mind. He didn’t want to question himself anymore, but that was as much a part of him as his big toe. He couldn’t stop it, but he knew he could focus on other things, and this was a good time for that.

  He stopped at the edge of the lieutenant’s office, hesitating about what to do next. He figured that if they were any crazy people in the office they would come running out, and he wanted to avoid shooting any more friends.

  His decision was cut short when from behind him he heard in a loud whispered voice, “Yo, is anyone in there?” Kyle gritted his teeth and looked back at his friend in exasperation. Patrick returned his look with a serious nod, his expression telling Kyle that he had taken care of it. Kyle couldn’t help it, a smile came out again and he turned around and waited a minute. If anyone was in there, they certainly heard Patrick’s attempt at…whatever that was.

  Kyle decided it was probably safe, so he entered the office carefully with his sidearm drawn. His tension faded quickly as he saw the small office was empty. Another door leading to the briefing room was left open giving him a view of that room also.

  The room was no longer than 15 feet deep and 8 feet wide, with two doors on diagonal sides of it. Its walls were a collection of charts, schedules, memos, and forgotten policy updates. Obsolete grey file cabinets were lined up against the walls, only to be separated by metal desks that held the room’s computers. Kyle walk over to the phone and called the Command Center to check in with the sergeant. Busy. He dialed the Secondary Command and it picked up immediately.

  “Lieutenant, we’ve got problems,” said the frantic voice on the line. Kyle recognized it as Billy, a older guy who was usually on the relaxed side of the street.

  “Billy, it’s Kyle. We’re in the office but there’s no one here.”

  “That’s not good, man,” Billy started. “He went to check on a situation about 30 minutes ago and I can’t find him at all. I literally have a fight going on in the Command Center right now! I’m watching it on one of the monitors, and they won’t respond to the radio or the phone. Also, Skinny Finn went crazy and attacked a paramedic down near the cafeteria. I don’t know what happened and I don’t have any extra people to send. Also, you and Patrick weren’t picking up the radio.”

  “Someone probably got the sickness in the command center man, it’s the virus,” Kyle said, completely ignoring the dig at him. “It does something to people and they start to…”

  “Hold on, cops are calling now.” The line went to playing soft music. Kyle gritted his teeth.

  Kyle looked over at Yolanda and Patrick, not needing to say anything. They had already seen what was going on.

  Kyle’s thought were already drifting past this place as he waited on the phone. “Patrick get into the lieutenant’s desk over there and get the keys to the F350 and the armory.”

  “We’re gonna rob it?” he asked. He didn’t seem displeased.

  “We’re gonna make sure that we survive,” answered Yolanda. “Now go do it.” With that, Patrick turned his back on them and went about finding keys.

  “Yolanda, call as many of our friends as you can, tell them we’re going to plug them into a conference call in fifteen minutes. Until then, tell them what happened to us and to not get bitten.” She went to the next room and started calling.

  “Kyle, the cops say it’s the virus also, things are going crazy all over the place. The plant manager also called,” Bill started, “we’re closing her down. I also got eight officers missing, and reports of people attacking other people all over the place.”

  “Billy, listen to me. Brian, Scarrow, Johnson, and the doc are all dead or gone crazy. The two nurses also. The cops are right, that virus that we heard about is here and it makes them go crazy, and then try to eat you,” Kyle heard the words coming out of his mouth but they sounded incredible even to him, and he had been there.

  Silence filled the line for a moment, then Billy said, “Well shit Kyle, what am I supposed to do with that?”

  Kyle felt his answer was better than he could hope for but he didn’t know what to tell the man, “We’re getting out of here Billy, gonna make sure our families are okay, but I want to check on the lieutenant. We’re gonna have a conference call in twelve minutes.”

  “I’ll listen in then,” he said. “Gotta run and coordinate the shutdown with the plant.” He hung up.

  Kyle put the phone down and thought about the conversation. He didn’t want to leave the building to check on anyone, especially with the way it was going outside. Even now, he was hearing the sound of rifles from different directions, but he ne needed to check on the lieutenant and see if he was okay. He felt he owed him that. He looked at his watch. There was no way he was going to be able to meet the thirty minute deadline like he told his brother. He only had fifteen minutes left. He pulled his phone out and sent a text telling him that it would be an hour instead. He told him to text a confirmation and asked if he was still okay. The response came quick: “Yes, Mom, see you then.” He smiled and walked over to Yolanda who was just hanging up the phone.

  “I got almost everybody, but I can’t find Jones or Hibbert. I tried to call them on the radio but nobody is answering. They were supposed to be on tours inside the vital zone,” she said. “She looks tired,” he thought. Her hair was starting to pop up out of her neatly-fashioned rows. Her uniform was disheveled and dirty in some places. He wasn’t sure when she got dirty.

  “That’s good, we’ll try to find them,” he reassured her. “We have twelve minutes until then. I’m going to run to the cafeteria really quick. Billy said the lieutenant went in that direction.”

  “I’ll go with you,” she answered quickly and moved to pick up her rifle from the desk.

  “No, stay here and help Patrick gather everything you can. Use those big moving buckets we have. Try to get into the vault, they have the combination hidden somewhere. Guns and ammo first, then radios and that stuff.” He stopped and thought for a moment. “I’ll be in and out and tell him what we’re doing, I don’t think he’ll try to stop us.” He turned to go. “Did you find James?”

  She smiled a little. “Yeah, he’s in XR-2, he hasn’t seen anything much being that far out, so that’s good.”

  James was a one of the nicest, if quietest, guys Kyle knew out here. He was a sharp looking black guy who carried himself well and was built like a truck. He had some good conversations with him about race problems while sitting endlessly at their posts.

  “Glad to hear it, I’m off.” He quickly called the lieutenant on the radio to get his position. He didn’t hear back. He then called the Command Center but didn’t hear back from them either. It seemed everything was going down. He thought he might try the tower.

  “XR-1, this is Kyle.” He figured no one cared about his call sign at the moment. “I’m heading to cafeteria building, can you cover?”

  “Kyle, this is Jasmine. I see people running on the east side of Reactor 2, but it’s clear to the cafeteria.”

  “Copy that Jasmine, coast is clear,” Kyle said. He grabbed his
rifle and left the security building. It was only about seventy-five yards to the building the cafeteria was in, but he had to go through three different closed gates to get there. He opened and closed the first delay gate and started to cross an open area that was between two buildings. He didn’t see anyone as he ran, but he couldn’t help feeling anxious. Running with the rifle and belt was a serious annoyance but it wasn’t like he was springing.

  He closed the distance quickly and neared the corner of the building he wanted to enter. He still needed to run another five yards to the door when something ran right into it with a loud bang that caused his heart to jump out of his chest. He stopped and quickly went down on a knee while pulling his rifle out in front of him. He didn’t have much time to think about what it could be when he heard a bang from the door again. He had to keep from taking off in the other direction.

  “Jasmine, Kyle. I’ve got loud banging coming from the inside of the door,” he warned on the radio. His fears were telling him to back out and he was trying to decide if it was wise to approach.

  “Kyle, Charlie 4, I’m with Tim and en route to your location! Command Center, I’m hearing gunshots out here, what is going on? he shouted.

  “Charlie 4, Secondary Command, there are people in the Command Center but...they're not…” the voice on the radio hesitated, not knowing what to say. “Kyle, Charlie 4 is almost to you, explain it to him.”

  Kyle had to laugh at that one, as he watched Sergeant Neil and Tim come running across the open pavement to rest beside him. They were both breathing heaving, sweat pouring from them.

  “What’s going on out here? We've been inside the vial area?” Neil said. He continued breathing heavily and seemed extremely put out that his world had wrinkles in it. Radios weren't allowed on inside the vital area, lest they affect the reactors, which explained his ignorance of the situation.

  “Neil, that virus we heard about is here, and it makes people crazy. It’s like rabies; it makes them crazy, taking away their pain receptors. I believe it kills them also.” He knew it wasn’t a clear and concise explanation but he wasn’t a doctor, nor could he prove what he thought. He also thought it wise to not mention the little bit about having shot three of their own people in the head.

  “That’s ridiculous Kyle, I would expect more from you than this. And you call yourself educated,” he said, with a condensing shake of his head. Kyle looked straight at him, eyes not wavering but demanding that Neil meet his. He wanted to jack this guy, but choked it down. He tried again.

  “Neil, you haven’t been out here. They’re dangerous and I think they're right inside that door. You don’t have to believe me, just wait and you’ll find out yourself when they try banging into the door again,” Kyle said, his words coming slowly through an almost locked jaw. He felt like he expressed his himself quite well, all things considered.

  “Let’s go. You can back us up. Maybe there was a fight in there. They may need help,” Neil said, brushing off Kyle's plea. He got up and started to walk to the metal windowless door where a continuous uneven banging was coming from the other side. The door was up four small concrete steps that would lead to a small square clearing surrounded by round guardrails to keep people from falling.

  “Negative Neil, I won’t stand near that door when it opens and neither of you should either, as a matter of fact.” He keyed his radio again, “Jasmine, live cover from your position please?” He looked up at the tower in the distance. The gun port facing him was already open. A quick response came back.

  “Copy that Kyle, I already am.”

  “You will not take your rifle down XR-1. We are not at Orange Alert anymore. I am the sergeant, I will call the play,” Neil screeched, indignation and hurt pride spilling out. His outburst caused Kyle to smile, but he kept his eyes on the door.

  “Copy that Neil,” came the sarcastic response from the tower. The gun port didn't close. Neil gave a huff and started to walk up the stairs.

  "Maybe we ought to wait for the lieutenant," Tim suggested, looking down at his boots. Tim was a guy that got along with everyone, and he would always follow orders that were given to him. He had never had any cause not to. He looked up at Kyle questioningly.

  "Tim, you don't have to go up those stairs. Trust me on this buddy," Kyle said desperately. He then turned to Neil. "You shouldn't either.”

  "Kyle, you're going to lose your job for this. Insubordination!" Neil yelled. "Tim, unless you want to lose yours as well, you'll go find out what's going on.”

  Kyle's anger began to mount but he would try one more time to stop this fool. He reached to take Tim’s arm but Neil saw him coming and put his hand on his sidearm. Kyle looked amazed at Neil, they weren’t close but he never would have thought Neil would pull a gun on him. Kyle took a step back and raised his hands. “He’s gonna get me killed,” Kyle thought.

  Neil smirked as if he had shown him who the real boss was and turned to motion Tim up the stairs.

  "Tim don't," Kyle pleaded looking at his friend. "Don't."

  "Got to do it man."

  Kyle started to step backward, now five feet from the elevated door and Neil. He took a quick second to look around the area to make sure nothing was creeping up on him. He placed his hand on his pistol and pressed down on the small plastic piece to release it if he wanted to pull it out.

  Tim walked up the stairs noticeably shaking and hesitant to go farther. Neil, close behind, put his hand on Tim’s back and muttered something. Tim reached out his hand and grabbed the door, pushing the small lock down. Immediately the door burst open.

  The next few seconds were a blur for Kyle as he watched the door slam open, its heavy weight slamming against the metal siding of the building. The lieutenant barreled through the open door instantly falling on Tim and ponderously bending his back over the guardrail. The lieutenant’s uniform, coated in dark sticky blood, spoke of what he had been through. His face showed no sign of a wound, but was pale and contorted in anger. He eyes, milky and unfocused, stared straight at Tim as he bit savagely onto Tim's lower neck. Tim, having no leverage to push off the attacker, struggled in vain to stop from being bitten. He failed. The bite, deep and powerful, ripped out skin, cartilage, and blood vessels, which instantly erupted into geysers of red mist and spray.

  The lieutenant, temporarily satisfied, took his weight off Tim, allowing him to slump down on the small, blood-covered landing. Tim's head thumped against the lowest guardrail as his body settled. Pain coursed through his body and he stared up to see the crazed thing lean down again. Neil, still not moving, was not believing that the lieutenant had attacked Tim.

  Kyle, also caught up in the unfolding drama, knew that he should act but the whole thing happened so fast, so freaking fast. One second Tim was opening the door, and the next, his crazed lieutenant, a man Kyle respected, began to eat him. Kyle couldn’t tell if Tim was dead but knew he had try and save him. He saw that the lieutenant wasn’t paying him any attention to him, so he holstered his gun and quickly ran up to the elevated platform to grab the back of Tim's shirt and pull him away. The maneuver didn’t work as well as Kyle hoped. The lower guardrail wouldn’t let Kyle pull the Tim through, it was too low. The next and largest impediment to the rescue, was the appearance of his fellow coworkers. He saw movement coming from between the lieutenant’s legs and then heard them. At least three more of these things tried to ramble out of the open door but were slowed by trying to exit at the same time. The need to be getting the hell out of there pounded through Kyle's body as he pulled savagely on Tim. He was rewarded as the unmoving body finally slid under the guardrail. The monster above, seeing his meal being taken away, growled in anger and surprisingly quickly, reached over the guardrail to grab Kyle. Kyle saw the grab coming and squatted on his knees while still pulling Tim through. Tim's body slammed loudly against the cement and he gave a soft moan in response. Kyle relieved, was about to ask for help when he saw Neil take off toward the security building. He decided to act on that later an
d turned his attention back to Tim.

  Kyle’s hand slipped as he tried to pull the inert form of Tim across the rough cement. He stumbled backward and saw that his hand was covered in blood. He had only managed to pull Tim a few feet, but those few feet left a thick trail of dark blood. Kyle didn’t know if Tim was still alive but he couldn’t give up unless he knew for sure. He quickly looked up and saw three of the crazed men standing on the small square landing. The monster that had been the lieutenant was leaning against the guardrail with both of his hands reaching out as if to clutch the two officers struggling on the ground. No thought of walking down the stairs seemed to exist for him. Behind him were three other officers who were similarly enraged and bloody. Various parts of their bodies were missing or had been torn apart. They were currently standing behind the lieutenant or to his side, and all of them were trying to reach forward and grab someone. Kyle had to do a double-take on the strange scene in front of him. He was amazed at the stupidity of the creatures but thankful for the time. He had dragged Tim a good twelve feet, when he reached down to check his vitals. There were none, he was gone. Kyle looked down at his friend and just felt sadness. So wasteful. So stupid. He had just begun to ponder on his feelings when he looked up to see the lieutenant reach too far over the rail and flip right over it. He hit head first with his body crashing loudly behind

  “Oh crap,” he said out loud. Crazy, that was all he could think to describe it. Even worse was that he got right back up and started walking in that stumbling, disoriented manner. The guy wasn’t running, but he was fast enough to get to Kyle quickly. Kyle jumped up and started to run back toward the security building.

  “Merge right, Kyle,” a voice came through on his radio. Kyle lunged quickly and shots began to ring out from the towers on each end of the long street. Kyle didn’t turn to look, but made sure no one was coming from his sides and made it to the security gate that surrounded the building. He took out the hanger-shaped piece of metal that kept the latch secure and bolted through. Refastening the metal latch, Kyle turned around to see how close the lieutenant was when an ‘all clear’ was called on the radio. Kyle walked to the side of the building, slumped to the ground and closed his eyes, trying to control the shaking that was racking his body.