The Last Infection: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller

by W. Garza, Michael

  Chris followed his own directions and got down on his backside before letting go. He kept his legs out straight and felt the impact when his feet struck the railing. He was up quick and caught sight of movement down below. Several figures approached the stairs from the next floor down, each trying to work their way up to the top deck.

  “Give me your hand,” he said, reaching for Jake. The boy was balled up tight, unable to stretch his side. “You have to get to your feet.” Chris’ eyes were on several stumbling zombies crossing the deck from the bridge. Every few steps, a few would slip and tumble down the slanted deck, smack into the far side railing, then flip over into the water. There were enough of them slowly making their way across to convince Chris that at least a few would make it. “Get up now.”

  Jake took his hand and let out a shriek as he was jerked to his feet. He doubled over, grabbing his side as he struggled to remain standing. Chris eyed the movement on the stairs from the other side of the rail and saw the first putrefying scalp and bloated face push up from the darkness below. He shoved Alicen closer to her brother and scanned their surroundings.

  Chris was sure that if they were going to find a lifeboat, it would be on the far side of the ship. He located several support arms extending from the deck near the ships aft. He stepped around the kids and grabbed hold of the post at the top of the stairs. He aimed himself toward a large clasp bolted to the floor about ten feet toward the center of the deck, then let go of the post.

  He took short, slow steps, leaning back toward the higher side of the ship. He realized halfway to his target that the zombies still moving toward him were walking in a similar fashion. He couldn’t tell if it was by intelligent discovery or not, but the thought of them figuring it out was terrifying. Chris reached the clasp and leaned down to grab hold. He counted three undead nearing him and a shout from Alicen told him that the figures from the floor below were near the top of the steps.

  “You’re going to have to slide to me,” Chris said, realizing they were out of time.

  “What?” Jake asked.

  “Alicen first,” Chris instructed, “Push her out away from you and I’ll catch her as she slides by.” The boy’s eyes opened impossibly wide, enough so, Chris knew he didn’t believe him. Alicen’s two steps further down the railing told him she didn’t either. “Move your ass.”

  Alicen screamed again as a badly disfigured head popped up above the top of the stairs. Its face was blue and bloated beyond recognition. Its sole remaining eye was three times normal size and its blackened tongue hung out one side of its mouth, dangling as it walked. It reached up for Alicen through the railing and grabbed hold of her foot.

  Jake tugged on his sister as the girl howled. She pulled her foot free and stomped on the lunging hand before she got around her brother. Jake didn’t hesitate, once he got both hands on her. He slammed her down on the deck without explanation and pushed her out away from the railing. Alicen kicked and screamed, trying to grab hold of something, but she was already sliding before she had a chance.

  Chris steadied himself with one hand clutching the deck clasp and the other out wide at the ready. Alicen flew toward him, picking up speed as she went. The little girl lashed out for him, desperately trying to grab hold of something. Chris crouched down as low as he could and swept his arm around her. The impact pulled him back with intense force. His fingers nearly snapped as he tried to hold on to the clasp. Alicen clung to him and her head whipped back as her momentum came to a sudden stop.

  “Grab a hold on this,” he pointed to the fastening. “Lean out away from it.”

  He didn’t have time to make sure she did as she was told. Jake had already let go of the post and was trying to walk toward them. His foot slipped on the first step and he nearly fell. The bloated zombie cleared the top step and took a swipe at the boy, missing him by a hair. Three of the undead managed to cross the deck and were now closing in from the other side.

  Jake took two small steps, and then froze. He wobbled from side to side as he tried to steady himself. In one glorious moment, his feet came out from under him and he was down. The zombie at the stairs was out on the deck having as difficult a time with its balance as Jake was. The sequence that followed looked choreographed from Chris’ viewpoint.

  The bloated zombie’s graying bare feet slipped backward and it fell flat on its face. A second later, both Jake and it were sliding down toward Chris’ outstretched hand. The walking corpse moaned as it slid, matching Jake’s cries for help. Chris grabbed Jake by the arm after the two missed hands in passing. The pull almost jerked Chris from the clasp and the yank on his shoulder nearly pulled it out of socket.

  Jake was trying to get up on his feet when the zombie reached the clasp. It lashed out and managed to grab hold of Chris’ leg, kicking Jake in the face in the process. Chris felt Jake slipping from his grasp and he couldn’t hold on. The boy yelled, and then slid away.

  Chris saw Alicen let go of the clasp, but there was little he could do about it. He kicked at the zombie as it pulled itself up by his pants. In quick succession, it had hold of his belt, then a pocket on his jacket. Chris beat of the side of its head with his free hand as it tried to bite through his shirt. The blows knocked its head back far enough to keep it from sinking its teeth in.

  The zombie seized two hands full of jacket and tried to pull itself up face to face with its victim. Chris grabbed it by the throat and squeezed. He pushed with all his strength, but couldn’t break its hold of him. It lunged at him over and over, snapping its jaws an inch from Chris’ face. The reek of death poured out of its decaying mouth, saturating Chris’ senses.

  Chris squeezed with all his might and he was rewarded with a tear. The blue skin ripped at the throat, but still, it tried to bite him. A second more, and Chris felt the innards of the throat on his fingers and he pulled. The esophagus shredded beneath his grip and his finger wrapped around the bone. Chris yanked until the bone snapped and even as the head rolled back and split from the rest of the body, its jaw snapped at him. The body went limp and slid across the deck, ending with a splash into the water.

  “Jake?” He scanned the far side railing, but didn’t see any sign of the boy. “Alicen.” A movement closer to the side of the ship caught his eye and he spotted her. “Stay there.” She had her back against the side of a metal crate bolted to the deck. “Where’s Jake?”

  The little girl didn’t respond. She was moving to one side, working her way to the edge of the crate. Chris followed her direction and found Jake beyond the crate against the railing. He wasn’t moving and Chris feared the worst.

  “I’m coming, wait there.”

  He didn’t know if she would listen, but first, he had to figure out how he was going to get down to her. Alicen kept moving and he made a rash decision. Using his hold on the clasp as leverage, Chris ran his feet along the deck for momentum and let go. The result was an angled slide directed at Alicen and the crate. The distance was further than he realized and he closed in at a high rate of speed.

  Chris hit the crate feet first with the impact of a car crash. The shock sent pain up his legs through his back and neck. He lay against the wet deck trying to shake the throbbing from his head. He was sure he’d lost an inch or two from his overall height. He managed to get his eyes open as Alicen began to straddle herself around the end of the crate.

  “Hold on.”

  He reached out for her and instantly regretted it. His body shook with residual pain and he rolled over, ending face down on the deck.

  “I can see him,” she said. “He’s hurt. I see blood.”

  Chris tried to move again and found the experience only partially paralyzing. He forced himself to sit up. He had his feet flush against the crate and reached out for it as he tried to stand. He was up a few seconds later, but Alicen was half way around the edge of the crate reaching out for something. He took a step towards her, but she slipped out of view, following with a yelp.

  He rushed forward, ignoring t
he sting in his hips. The deck was littered with decomposing figures, all trying to stay on their feet. They were fixated on him. Some lost their balance and fell, sliding into the railing below him, and then tumbling over the side. Chris gauged them to be far enough away that he could keep his attention on getting the kids under his control.

  He pressed his chest up against the side of the crate and slid his head out around the edge. The steep angle of the ship made him feel like he was lying down. He found Alicen first, only a few feet away, hanging on to the container’s door release lever. Jake was further down against the deck rail. Chris readied himself to move.

  “Hold still and don’t let go.”

  Alicen had her feet against the deck, but her grip on the lever was keeping her in place. Chris reached out as far as he could and felt the metal bar with his fingertips. He was forced to come out from the side of the container to get a firm grip. He planted his feet and walked toward Alicen, now with both hands firmly on the lever.

  “I’m going to go down first,” he said. “Once I get myself to the railing, I’ll make my way over to your brother.”

  “I want to go with you,” she said. Her eyes were on the growing number of figures further up on the deck. “Don’t leave me here.” She jumped as another zombie lost its footing and plummeted down. It slid by dangerously close and managed a swipe at Chris as it did. “Don’t leave me here,” she repeated.

  Chris studied the railing closer and discovered several undead lying up against it. Each of them had undoubtedly made the fall from further up, but they were saved from a watery end. Most of them were horribly bent and broken, but still trying to move.

  “Fine,” he said. “I’ll get to the railing then you can drop down to me.”

  He didn’t wait for her response. The distance between the front of the crate and the rail was no more than a couple dozen feet. The trick, he guessed, was hitting the railing so he didn’t slide between the bars and off the side of the ship. Chris mentally rechecked his footing, leaned back, trying to match the angle of the deck, then let go of the lever.

  He made it several steps before the trouble started. One foot slipped out from under him and he managed to keep from falling. It was when he was sure he was ready to continue that he lost his balance altogether. The result was a ten-foot slide that ended with him up against the railing and a pole parting his legs. The hit nearly caused him to vomit as his manhood tried to climb up into his stomach. Alicen called out to him as he tried to remember how to breathe.

  He turned his head and found Jake a few feet away. Chris watched the boy’s chest and was relieved to see it rise then fall. Jake’s breaths were shallow, but at least, he was breathing. He turned his attention back to Alicen. She was already trying to get a footing when he turned over and got on his knees. She made about as many safe steps as he managed before sliding the rest of the way. Chris got hold of her before she hit the rail.

  “Keep your feet on the poles and watch every step,” he said. “Follow me.”

  They crossed the rails on the top of four poles and reached Jake. A noticeable rise in the moans of the dead struck Chris as he tried to wake the boy. Jake shuddered after a few shoves. Then he tried to open his eyes. Chris pressed down on his chest as he strained to get up.

  “Relax. Don’t move just yet.”

  The boy’s eyes sprang open once he realized his body was wedged between two railing posts. There was nothing directly under him to keep him from a long fall into the Pacific. Chris looked up on the deck, and his view beyond the bolted crates painted an ugly picture. Several doors lined the long side of the cabin area. Most of them were open and figures crawled out of each at an alarming rate. A number of undead had reached a series of nets strewn out on the nearside of the deck. Chris’ sights settled on one ray of hope.

  He pointed toward the aft of the ship at a single lifeboat. The tiny vessel was clinging to the release assembly by a chain, dangling off the side of the ship, its oars connected by a strap. “Get up,” Chris said. “Get up now.” He grabbed hold of Jake’s sleeve and gave it a yank. Alicen tried to push past him and they both wobbled on the railing posts, trying to maintain balance. “Keep your damn shirt on.” He had to grab her with his free hand to keep her from going over the side.

  Jake pushed off the deck and attempted to settle his feet on the posts that saved him from falling in the ocean. He swayed a bit before Chris felt confident enough to let go. There was a good sized patch of blood matting his hair to the back of his head.

  “We have to get all the way over there?”

  Chris was already urging him to walk. “Yes, now go.” He held his place as Jake started off. Chris let Alicen get around him before he moved. He tried to keep his eyes on the railing posts, the mounting number of dead caught in the expansion of nets, and the kids out in front of him. “Steady with your steps. One post at a time.”

  It wasn’t long before the nets were dangling above them. The mass of knotted material was spread out well over a hundred feet. They were moving along the railing underneath the nets when Chris and the kids realized how many decaying bodies were moving through the mess. Some of the dead were caught in the wires, while others were stuck underneath, but the sheer numbers were beyond counting. A majority were dressed in the torn and bloodied coveralls of former crewmembers. Others were clad in the jeans and t-shirts of survivors who had found their way on board in search of safety.

  “Don’t look at them,” Chris ordered. “Just keep moving.”

  Jake was running as fast as his legs would carry him. Alicen was struggling and her hesitation lengthened the distance between her and Chris to Jake. The moment she started to pass under the nets, she couldn’t take her eyes off the dead. Zombies lashed wildly as the living ran into view. The thrashing had an instant and terrifying effect.

  Chris broke his own rule as his eyes drifted upward toward the high side of the deck. The figures trapped within started to slip from their binds and those still free rushed out of the remaining cabin doors like mad dogs. The result was a showering display of rotted corpses. The first bodies fell from the doorways, slamming down on the railings. Alicen came to a sudden stop as a zombie hit a few feet ahead and managed to keep from dropping between the posts. The next few bodies splashed into the water, which caused her to cry out.

  “It’s raining dead people!”

  Chris worked his way around her, using the top banister for footing. He smashed the heel of his boot on the head of the zombie as it tried to pick itself up off the posts. The skin tore apart across the nose. Then its face cracked open. The diseased remains of the brains smeared across the pole and the bottom of Chris’ boot. The body gave way and fell, leaving only a streak of blood smeared across the post.

  Chris grabbed Alicen’s hand and pulled her along. He took slow, but determined steps not wanting the girl to lose her balance behind him. The bodies continued to rain down, several striking the posts and toppling over, but some managed to grab hold. Numerous undead littered the railings in front of Chris and Alicen before they could do anything about it.

  Jake reached the lifeboat and he was yelling at Chris, but the words were lost among the chaos. The boy went to work on the remaining chain when a zombie fell and smacked into him from behind. The creature flipped over the top rail and continued on, but the impact pushed Jake out over the side. He grabbed hold of the lone chain connecting the lifeboat to the ship in a fevered desperation.

  Chris tried to keep one eye on Jake and the other on the dead laid out in front of him. He had half a mind to tell the boy to let go, but he wasn’t sure he could tread water long enough to survive. Two of the four zombies in the way tried to get up on their feet, but then slipped over the side. One of the remaining looked to have broken her back and she lay bent over on herself, trying to reach out for Chris. The skin on the woman’s face was peeled off from the nose to the chin revealing a set of pearly white teeth highlighted by surrounding bloody tissue.

  Chris grab
bed the woman’s outstretched hand and pulled her over the post. The move resulted in the cracking of bones and a horrifying twist as her back bent in the opposite direction. He let go when her body unfolded and she slipped helplessly in the space between the posts. Chris took a cautious step on the bloodstained bar then quickly dispersed the lone zombie with a few kicks as it tried to get up.

  They were moving fast, spurred on by another scream from Jake. The shower of bodies forced Chris and Alicen to start and stop several times. By the time they reached the lifeboat, Jake had slipped further down the chain and the only thing keeping him from falling was his foot wedged inside the boat. Chris did a hasty search of the hook ups and found the release lever.

  “You’re going to have to jump.”

  Jake’s eyes shot up to meet his.

  “The hell with that.”

  Chris had to look past him and into the water to understand his reluctance. Several of the dead were thrashing in the churning tide, some in pieces, torn apart by the fall. Jake was too far out for Chris to reach and he was left without another choice. The bodies were falling at an alarming rate. Zombies pushed out of the cabin doors in droves, all of them focused solely on Chris and the kids. If the living didn’t get off the ship now, there would be nowhere else for them to run.

  “You have to,” Chris said, “push off as hard as you can.”

  “No way.”

  “When I release this safety switch that damn boat is going to fall,” Chris looked back at the growing multitude of dead working its way through the nets. “The impact will probably kill you.”

  “But-”

  “Do it.”

  Jake clenched his teeth, and then moved without thinking about it. He brought his feet up as high as he could and bent close to the edge of the lifeboat. One good push thrust him back and he let go of the chain as he went. Jake turned his body in the air and managed a diver’s form as he hit the water.

  Chris didn’t wait. He pulled on the safety, and unhooked the chain in one quick motion. The safety clip released and the boat dropped and hit the water, crashing into several bobbing figures in the process. Chris grabbed Alicen around the waist and lifted her without instructions. She screamed and hollered as he tried to spot Jake in the water. The boy was treading as best he could, but his attention was on several hands reaching up for the side of the boat.