Apocalypse Z (A Zombie Novel)

by Swanson, G. E.

  Lisa took the spoons and looked around the floor. “This will help for now, but we still need something like a cast. Can someone please find me some stockings or something soft to tie these with?”

  Jet found an old scarf and gave it to Lisa. While she was gently tying the ends together, Jet asked, “Is there a wind blowing outside?”

  Jeff answered, “No, I don’t hear any, why?”

  She pointed as she asked, “Then why is the blanket over the window moving?”

  They turned and watched as the blanket jerked around. Jeff said, “That isn’t the wind.”

  He crept over and peeked around the edge. Suddenly, he found himself face-to-face with a zombie climbing in through the broken window. The blue-white eyes and pasty gray complexion sent chills through his body. He grabbed the blanket and ripped it from the wall. Covering the intruder with it, he began to wildly punch it in the head and sides.

  Jet ran over and slammed into it as hard as she could and they both pushed it back out the window. The moon was bright enough to give them just enough light to notice more zombies coming toward the house.

  Mark said, “Everyone get in the truck!”

  Lisa grabbed a bag. “C’mon, get your stuff and move!”

  Grabbing what they could see, everyone headed for the garage. Mark went over to the workbench and started throwing some things into a box. He yelled out, “Lisa, start the truck.”

  She threw her hands out and said, “I don’t know how to drive stick.”

  Mark sighed. “Okay, Jeff, you drive.”

  Jeff stuttered, “I.. I.. don’t know if I can… I don’t remember how.”

  Mark shook his head and groaned as he put the box in the back of the truck. “Okay, I’ll drive. Everyone get in and hold on. Jeff, after I start the truck, you open the garage door.”

  Jeff ran over to the door and stood ready. Mark cranked the engine over and turned on the headlights. Jeff threw the latch and pushed it up. As he turned, the zombie they had just pushed out the window came around the corner and grabbed his back. He struggled to throw it off, but he wasn’t able to.

  Seeing a horde of them slowing coming toward the garage, Jeff yelled out, “Just go, and hurry.”

  Jet screamed out, “Nooooo!” Jumping from the back, she fumbled through some yard tools along the wall and grabbed a leaf rake. She ran over and started jabbing the zombie in the face with the end of the handle as she screamed. “Get off of him, you bastard.” The last jab hit the zombie in its right eye. The handle easily penetrated into its eye socket as it slid deep into its skull. It fell to the ground and jerked a few times before it lay still. She grabbed onto Jeff’s arm and tried to pull him, but he stood frozen, staring off into nothing.

  A dense, white fog surrounded him. He was looking through a gun site and firing at something in the fog, but he couldn’t make out what it was. He felt trapped and lost as he fired, like there was something very dangerous just beyond his sight. Fear permeated his body as he stood there. Then there was a heavy weight on his back. He tried to move, but it pulled on him. He felt death had latched on and it was there to claim him.

  He saw something move to his right. A figure came closer, but he felt no fear as it stood next to him. He could only make out a silhouette, but it looked like a woman. Looking at her gave him a feeling of safety. The figure had something long in her hands and begun to swing it just a few inches from the side of his head. With every pass he felt death jerking and tugging on him, then it let go.

  He looked hard, trying to see the face, but the fog would not allow it. He strained and was only able to make out a set of lips as they curved upward into a smile. They began to move as if they were saying something to him, but no sound came from them. He watched as the figure slowly moved away and disappeared back into the Fog.

  In an instant, he looked down at Jet. Her eyes were wide and full of panic as she pulled on his arm and yelled. “Jeff, c’mon! We need to get out of here!”

  He looked around briefly and they both ran for the back of the truck. Just as they climbed in, the truck moved forward and out onto the street. One of the zombies managed to grab onto the side as they passed and started to climb in. He wore black jeans and a blue polo shirt, he looked like he had been about Dedee’s age before he turned and might have even gone to the same school as her.

  Dedee screamed as she rolled on to her back and brought her feet up. Kicking as hard as she could, she drove the bottom of her shoes into the zombies face. There was a thud and a tearing sound as its head snapped off and flew back into the darkness. She kicked again, knocking the body off the side of the truck. It bounced and rolled across the pavement as they sped down the street.

  V

  The headlights of the old truck dimly lit the road. The streets were dark and had a gloomy feel to them. It was clear the earthquake had taken out power throughout the city and it might have even taken out the grid that powered the entire West Coast. The moon above gave off just enough light to make it possible for them to see movement in the shadows as they passed. As they drove through an older part of town, Mark had to go around debris from some of the storefronts that had collapsed and now littered the sidewalks and streets.

  Lisa nervously watched and waited for something to come out from the darkness and charge toward them. Mark sensed it in her voice as she asked, “Wouldn’t the freeway be faster and safer?”

  He answered without taking his eyes from the road. “Maybe for a little bit, but all we have to do is come upon a collapsed overpass and we’d plunge anywhere from thirty to fifty feet straight down.” He glanced over. “That would end the trip real quick.”

  “Do you know the way to the hospital?”

  He shook his head. “With all this damage and these weak lights, I don’t even know where I’m at right now.”

  Dedee leaned around from the bed of the truck to the open passenger window and said, “Lisa.”

  Lisa shrieked and slid over against Mark, causing him to drive over some debris in the road. She looked toward her and said, “Damn it, Dedee! Don’t do that! You just scared the shit out of me!”

  “Sorry, Todd’s hurting pretty bad. Are we close to the hospital?”

  Lisa shrugged. “I don’t know. Hopefully, we’ll find it soon.”

  Mark continued to navigate the dark streets. A few times he swore he had already been down a particular street. After driving for over an hour, Lisa spotted a large building several blocks away with the lights on and pointed it out. He approached it cautiously figuring the lights would attract every zombie in the area. He was right; outside of the hospital, they saw about a hundred of them roaming around in the parking lot.

  He turned off the headlights and pulled into the main parking lot. It did little good though. As soon as they pulled in, the zombies heard the engine and started toward them. Mark quickly calculated a plan in his mind. He would wait at the entrance to draw them as far away from the building as he could. Then he would rush to the door and they would run in. Having the zombies farther away might buy them another minute and he hoped that would be enough.

  They sat and waited. The zombies drew closer and Lisa began to fidget in the seat. Nervously rubbing her legs, she continued to look between Mark and the approaching silhouettes. He could hear Amy and Jet in the back asking him what he was waiting for and Dedee began to hyperventilate.

  Finally, when they were almost on top of them, Mark hit the gas and popped the clutch. The back tires squealed as they spun and the truck jerked forward. Plowing through the horde, about nine zombies were mashed under the wheels and body parts could be heard banging against the bottom of the truck as it passed over them.

  The truck raced across the parking lot toward the door. When they were twenty feet away from it, Mark stopped and everyone started getting out. Lisa helped Todd from the back while Mark ran over to the door. He turned and brought his rifle up ready to fire. He pushed on the door and discovered it was locked. The zombies had already reached the t
ruck and started to come around. Lisa kicked and beat on the door, trying to get it open.

  Mark stood between his friends and the zombies and started firing shots into the horde. The bodies jerked and fell as he continued to fire, holding them back the best he could. When they were less than ten feet away, he felt someone grab the back of his collar and pull him through the door. A man in a security uniformed quickly closed and locked it. He heard another man’s voice from behind him say, “Easy now, just stay perfectly still and don’t move.”

  Mark raised his hands as he slowly turned and saw another man in a security uniform with a revolver pointed at him. Everyone else already had their hands in the air, except for Todd. The guard that had locked the door went around, took their weapons and gear, and then put it all in a box.

  The guard kept his gun on them while the other spoke. “Okay, one at a time through the metal detector.”

  Todd was the first and Dedee followed, both got a green light. When Lisa went through, the light turned red and the guard stopped her. He asked, “Do you have any more weapons on you?”

  Lisa shook her head and said, “No, I don’t. You took them.”

  “The detector shows you have metal.”

  Lisa thought before she spoke. “But I don’t… wait… I have an underwire bra on.”

  “I’ll need you to take it off and go through again.”

  Mark cut in, “Oh come on, is this really necessary?”

  The guard looked directly at him. “I’m responsible for keeping everyone in here safe and I don’t know who you people are. So yes, it is necessary.”

  Lisa reached up under her shirt, took it off, and dropped it on the counter. She noticed the guard staring at her chest, so she crossed her arms. When she went through the second time, she got a green light. She waited while the guard inspected her bra. He was taking longer than what she thought was necessary and she became inpatient. Keeping her left arm over her chest, she reached out with her right hand and said, “It’s a 34C. Can I have it back please?”

  The guard rolled his eyes and handed it back to her. He barked, “Next.”

  Amy, Jet, Jeff, and Mark all got a green light when they went through. They were told they would get their weapons back when they were ready to leave, but not until then. They were all escorted back into a small ER examination room. The guard walked behind a counter and picked up a phone. A minute later, he returned and told them a doctor would be down shortly to see Todd.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  A doctor stood next to a patient in the ICU ward. “Okay, Paula, I’ll be starting your tests in just a few minutes.” Then he double-checked the four-point leather restraints that held her to the bed. He picked up a set of forceps and placed some cotton gauze in them. He went into some of the other rooms in the ward where zombies were secured to the beds with similar four-point restraints. He placed the gauze in the zombie’s mouth and soaked up as much saliva as it would hold.

  The doctor repeated this with five other zombies, and then squeezed the saliva into a small plastic dish. He took a syringe and drew it up inside. When he returned to Paula’s room, she saw the syringe and struggled to free herself. Her eyes grew wide with fear and she tried to scream for help, but the gag prevented that.

  The doctor smiled at her. “I know all the other vaccines have failed, but this one will work. It will attach itself to the virus, prevent it from multiplying, and keep it from passing through the brain-blood barrier.”

  Paula knew it was it was hopeless, but she tried to fight anyway. The doctor leaned on her arm, holding it still. She stared at the syringe as he brought it close to her arm. She shook her head and tried to cry out. Her body jerked as the tip of the needle broke the skin and went in. He smiled as he injected the virus into her. Afterward, Paula just laid there and wailed through the gag as tears flowed down her cheeks.

  The phone at the counter rang and he went over to it. He answered and listened before speaking. “A broken arm? In the ER? Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.” Sticking his head into Paula’s room, he said, “I have go. I’ll be back later to check on you.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  “It’ll be okay, Todd. The doctor’s on his way down,” Lisa said.

  Todd was beginning to look pale and somewhat dazed. A few minutes later, Mark saw a man wearing a long white jacket come through the door, followed by a nurse. Mark did a double take when he saw her. Her hair was a caramel brown. She had it up, but he could tell it was very long. Her complexion was smooth and nicely tanned. She had hazel eyes that leaned more toward blue than brown. Her waistline was trim and it gave her chest the appearance of being large.

  As she past the guard, she smiled and said, “Hello, Sam.” And she ran her hand down his arm.

  He threw her a goofy smile and said, “Hello, Sheryl.”

  The doctor came over and checked Todd’s arm. “Yes, it’s broken. We’ll need to put a cast on it. Our X-ray is down with the power so I’ll set it the best I can.” Then he carefully checked his eyes. “Sheryl, please start an I.V. on him.”

  Alarmed, Lisa looked over at Mark, then back to the doctor. “What’s with the I.V.?”

  The doctor stepped away from Todd and said, “He’s a little dehydrated. Combine that with the broken arm, and he’s basically going into shock. But don’t worry. We’ll get a little fluid in him and he’ll be fine. I just want to keep him here until tomorrow.” He went over to a cabinet and took out a little bottle. Handing it to the nurse, he said, “Give him this to ease some of the pain.” Then he turned and went back through the door.

  Sheryl smiled at Mark. “He’ll be fine.”

  The doctor came back a few minutes later with a small box. He took out the contents and started the cast. Lisa watched the nurse set up the I.V. and noticed she wasn’t paying much attention to anyone in the room except for Mark. No matter who asked a question, she would always look directly at him when answering. Dedee and Jet noticed this as well, but Mark seemed not too.

  After the doctor and nurse left, the guard said he would show them the cafeteria and they could get something to eat and drink. Jeff and Jet decided to stay with Todd while everyone else followed him to the cafeteria. They walked out the door the doctor had entered and left through.

  Following a long hallway with closed doors on each side, they came to another and made a right turn. This one was longer and seemed to go on forever. Finally, they came to what looked like a lobby. The guard pointed to the right and told them the cafeteria was just inside the double doors.

  Once inside, they went to the serving area and grabbed a tray. Mark and Amy got some Salisbury steak while Lisa and Dedee got the spaghetti and meat balls. They chose a table and began to quietly eat. Lisa watched as Dedee got up and went back to the serving area. While she was gone, Lisa saw the nurse from the ER come in and sit at a table on the other side of the room. When Dedee returned, she had a large soda with ice.

  Lisa noticed the nurse kept looking over at their table and she started to feel a little nervous. She had got a strange vibe from everyone so far who worked there and wondered if the nurse was there to keep tabs on them.

  Mark asked Dedee where the soda fountain was and excused himself from the table. Lisa watched the nurse as Mark walked away and the nurse’s eyes seemed to follow him. She was looking him up and down like she was sizing up a side of beef. Lisa pursed her lips and said, “I don’t trust that nurse.”

  Amy asked, “What nurse?”

  “That one from the ER. She’s such a fake.”

  Amy looked that way and asked, “Why do you say that?”

  “Well… just look at her. That hair is obviously from a bottle. That tan? She got that from a booth in some salon. Her boobs are so fake and I bet she even had a butt job. She must be about 30… there is no way a person can have a body that perfect.”

  “Oh,” Amy said as she took another bite.

  They watched as the nurse got up, started walking toward the serving area, and stopped Ma
rk as he came out. Glancing over toward the table and smiling, she put her hands on Mark’s shoulder and whispered something into his ear. Running her left hand down his back, she slid it into the back pocket of his pants.

  Not realizing it, Lisa let out a little huff. Dedee and Amy looked at her, but didn’t say a word. Mark returned to the table and sat down. Lisa asked, “What was that all about?”

  Mark set his soda down and pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pocket. He read it silently before he said, “She wants to meet with me tomorrow morning. She has something very important to tell me and I have to come alone.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  The doctor entered Paula’s room where she remained in the restraints. He took a syringe and drew a blood sample from her arm as he spoke. “You’ll be alright, Paula. You know I need to test it before I can announce it. Just wait a couple more days and you’ll see. It’ll work this time. I promise you’re not going to die or turn into one of those zombies. I’m just going to check your blood for progress, okay?”

  Having little choice but to hope he was right this time, she nodded her head. He went out, put the sample on a slide, and looked at it under a microscope. After studying it for a long time, he finally looked up and smiled. He walked over to Paula’s door. “It looks like its working; they’re attaching themselves to the virus.” Paula mumbled through the gag. The doctor shook his head. “No, not yet, but I will let you up in a few days.” She pulled at the restraints and began to sob.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Everyone was in the room with Todd. Jeff was sitting back in a chair with his arms around Jet. She was asleep on his lap with her arms folded up and her legs hanging over one of the arms. Todd had some of his color back and looked much better. With his meeting in mind, Mark checked his watch for the time. Lisa paced the floor in the silent room. This was playing on Dedee’s nerves so she told her to stop and sit down.

  Lisa turned and noticed everyone in the room was watching her. “Sorry, I’m just a little nervous I guess.”