Zombified (Book 1): The Head Hunter

by Sowder, Kindra

  That only caused him to laugh even harder, his chest and belly becoming achingly sore after not having done it in so long.

  “Oh, if only you could understand, Genesis. If only . . .”

  ***

  Near the Kentucky Dam

  July 2027

  Station 4

  Joshua stood on top of the massive wall that lined Station Four, his post there right where you could easily see any creatures coming in the distance. For the last five hours, he had seen nothing and just stalked along the walkway. The closest person up there with him was another new arrival who had come with them, but he didn’t care to learn his name. And it was too hot. His body was covered in a dark gray uniform, standard for G.O.D. military. which technically was what he was considered. The Kevlar vest even had ‘G.O.D. Government of Defense’ screen printed on it and the boots had it stitched into the very top lip that came up mid-shin. The AR-15 strapped across his chest was light. Not as heavy as the model he had held in his hands over seven years ago, but he had been younger than. Younger and weaker and his time in the Dead Zone had changed that.

  Joshua placed his hand over his eyes like a visor, the sun glaring against the wide expanse of infertile red clay that stretched for miles and miles before reaching the Dead Zone. That was when he spotted it. A lone shuffling silhouette in the distance. Maybe half a mile off from his estimate, but you could never be too sure. He turned to the other man and whistled, loud and high pitched, to grab his attention.

  “We got one,” he shouted after the whistle, the man’s brunette head whipping around, hazel eyes making contact. Joshua pointed and the man looked out, squinting into the sunlight.

  “How far off, you think?” His voice was high pitched; this was the first time Joshua had heard him speak and, strangely, it wasn’t how he had imagined the man would sound.

  He shrugged and replied, “I don’t know. Maybe a half mile. Could be less.”

  With the expanse of bare ground, he was almost certain that he was right, but he wasn’t military and had been placed in the position on the wall when G.O.D. knew full well that was the case.

  “Not close enough to be a danger, but,” the guy’s eyebrows raised on his forehead, “could be fun target practice.”

  “And waste the bullets, man? They’d kill us.”

  The man dismissed him. “Nah. Not if we kill it with one shot.”

  “Now you make a good point. I’ll get it,” Joshua replied, raising the AR-15 and put one eye up to the scope. He could see the Cranker perfectly, and it just happened to be in range of the weapon, the modern technology having a much greater reach than what he had been accustomed to before the apocalypse.

  “You sure?”

  “Oh, yeah. I can see it like it’s right in front of me.”

  “All right,” the other man said, a bit of hesitation in his voice. He clearly thought Joshua would miss his target, but the scope was too good for that. If anyone missed a shot with this thing, there was no use for them as far as Joshua was concerned.

  Within seconds he had the shot perfectly lined up, the crosshairs focused right in between the eyes of the Cranker as it moved. Its mouth opened, and he could imagine the moan of the long dead in his mind.

  “Give the warning,” he said as he took one hand from the weapon and raised it to signal to his comrade.

  When he placed his hand back where it needed to go to fire the shot, a siren gave one loud shriek, white lights flashed, and then everything went silent and still, echoing across the empty land. Joshua didn’t even have to line up the shot again. All he had to do was keep his eye on the scope and pull the trigger. The shot rang out, and he watched the spectacle, holding his breath and waiting for the Cranker to drop.

  After a few heartbeats Joshua didn’t think it would fall, holding his breath and thinking he missed even though he had seen the shot explode through its skull in the scope. He was about to let out a curse when it finally collapsed to its knees and then down to the ground altogether.

  “Yes!” Joshua celebrated. “Thank you, God!” he cried into the darkening sky above. “I was beginning to think I was that bad of a shot.”

  His companion shook his head. “Looks like you’re meant for the military life, my man. Have you ever shot one of those before?”

  “Not one of these, no. Other stuff. You know . . . before all of this,” Joshua said as he took a few steps toward his companion. Putting his hand out toward him he introduced himself. “I’m Joshua.”

  The man took his hand and gave it a firm shake, his grip strong despite his clammy palms. “I’m Chris. So, what Station did you come from?”

  “Station Three. You?”

  “Station One. They decided they didn’t need me there and sent me here. You know how G.O.D. is. They just do things and don’t feel they have to justify it with a reason.”

  Joshua couldn’t help but think that Chris was right on all counts. And if they wanted to send you to another Station or even out to the Dead Zone, they truly didn’t have to have a reason. Not according to them. And they didn’t have to tell you what the reason was if there was one before sending you out there to possibly die. But that was the way of the world now, and it hadn’t changed for the better.

  ***

  Jenny sat in an office. Not too long after the incident in the bathroom with the two blond girls she had been pulled from the orchard, Misty shooting her a look of concern as she was led away by the arm. The G.O.D. representative was rough in handling her, but she had a feeling that she was in massive amounts of trouble because of how she had conducted herself. Those girls had probably run straight to their parents after leaving her.

  The room was cold, causing goosebumps to form on her uncovered arms and legs. Because she was working in the orchard, she was granted tank tops and shorts to work in, but still had to wear government issued steel-toed boots that made her feet ache. Her eyes hurt from staring at the white walls surrounding her after being out in the glaring sun; the light blue carpet that G.O.D. officials stated was calming beneath her soles was soft but didn’t do anything to break up the sterility of the room. The desk before her was the same white as the walls, polished and sleek and clean with a pristine and what looked to be barely touched keyboard set into the surface. She had only seen these once before. When activated by someone sitting in the chair behind the desk, a projected image would pop up just over the desk, looking much like a flat screen desktop computer they had had before the apocalypse started. But you couldn’t touch it. It was a hologram that could only be navigated by the controls set into the surface. The name plate facing her read ‘G.O.D. - Officer of Conduct - Xavier Jackson.’ Yes, this was definitely about those two girls.

  There was a clock behind her, and she turned around to find a man in a lovely blue business suit with a white button-down shirt and matching blue tie walk into the room, his shining black loafers reflecting in the light. The blue matched beautifully with his dark skin, and his brown eyes studied her as he walked around her to the chair on the other side of the desk, smoothing his suit jacket as he took a seat. His nostrils flared and his brow furrowed as the holographic screen popped up and hovered just over the surface of the desk. Jenny saw her name instantly at the very top of it, backward of course because it wasn’t meant for her to look at. His eyes quickly scanned the record that sprawled across the image. He didn’t look happy in the slightest, and when his eye met her face, she knew she was facing harsh consequences.

  “Hello, Jennifer. My name is Xavier Jackson, and I am the Officer of Conduct here at Station Four. Do you know why you are meeting with me today?” he stated matter-of-factly, his perfect white teeth nearly as bright as the walls.

  She wanted to be as respectful as she could so how could she say she didn’t know without it being a lie? She decided there wasn’t.

  “No, I am not certain, sir,” she answered robotically.

  Innocent until proven guilty, right? Maybe if she played stupid he would let her off easy, r
ealizing that what she had been through had damaged her and that her behavior wasn’t entirely her fault. Just maybe. She crossed her legs uncomfortably as he stared at her, his gaze never once wavering.

  He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk in front of the inset keyboard, steepling his fingers and placing them against his dimpled chin.

  “Are you sure of that, Miss Meldano?” Her breath caught in her throat, and all she could do was nod in response. She would not admit to what she had done. That was the best practice when dealing with G.O.D. You let them tell you what you did, but never admit to anything. If you admitted to it, they were sure to send you to the Dead Zone. If you played dumb, they could determine that your mental state was such that you felt any actions you took were justified, and you could possibly get a lesser punishment. At least she hoped. She placed her hands in her lap and began to wring her fingers, intertwining them and attempting not to look nervous as Xavier studied her reaction to his words and the not-so-subtle accusation. His finger slid over the keyboard, and words moved across the screen.

  “We have a complaint logged by a Miss Amber Galveston. Do you know who that is?” he asked, his eyes narrowing at her as he leaned back in his high-backed chair again.

  At least she could genuinely say she had no idea who that was. The names of either girl were never said, so this was one thing she could truthfully deny.

  “I’m sorry, I do not,” she replied.

  “How certain are you of this?”

  “Very, sir. Very certain.”

  He sighed in frustration and ran his finger over the keyboard again. A photo of a girl with blond hair flashed onto the screen, but that was all she could recognize. With a flick of his wrist the photo was facing her and there the girl was. Smiling with perfectly straight, white teeth, immaculate blond hair, and the lack of a tan that proved she had never once worked outdoors. Not even once in her life. Jenny had to keep her body from tensing as she sat there staring at the screen. She presented the picture of calm and serenity while on the inside, her mind was raced.

  “That ring any bells?” Xavier asked as he swiveled his chair in Jenny’s direction, eyes penetrating and making her want to confess everything.

  “Yes. I didn’t know her name before. She never told me what it was,” Jenny admitted.

  “Are you aware that, in this complaint, she states that you physically harmed her? She wants to charge you for assault. We have documented bruises on her wrist if you would like to see them.”

  Jenny shook her head and looked at her hands in her lap, wishing she could shrink down into a ball so the man couldn’t see her. But when she looked up, she saw something in his eyes she didn’t expect. Compassion.

  “What happened, Miss Meldano? You do not have a violent history as far as our records show, and you spent quite a lot of time in the Dead Zone before being brought inside the network of Stations. To be honest, this wouldn’t be the first time one of the privileged few has done something to garner such reactions.” He paused and leaned forward, staring at her intently, making certain he heard every word she uttered. “Did she provoke you? In any way?”

  Jenny remained silent, shocked that she saw such a response to her predicament from someone within G.O.D.’s ranks. They weren’t known for being compassionate or even caring about your general well-being, as long as you did what you were tasked to do and didn’t cause trouble. And this exact response made her antsy and nervous.

  “You can tell me, Miss Meldano. And I will make certain something is done about her behavior.”

  Jenny let out a breath through pursed lips and began. “She did provoke me, sir. She . . .” Jenny shivered at the thought of what the girl had done, “she touched me, and I didn’t give her permission to do so. And all I know how to do is react. I’m so sorry.”

  “And where did she touch you? And are you injured in any way?” he questioned.

  “She tapped me right here.” She raised her index finger and pressed into the flesh at her temple. “She called me crazy.”

  She apologized again and shrank down into the seat. She didn’t want to leave the relative safety of Station Four, but at the same time maybe it was better for everyone involved if she was sent back to the Dead Zone.

  “No need to apologize. This reaction to any unwanted contact is something we have seen quite a lot in people who have lived in the Dead Zone for extended periods of time. It is a part of what, before the apocalypse, was called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and it is perfectly normal. We try not to throw that term around anymore and prefer to treat the problem. It never goes away completely, but we can help lessen some of the effects. And, because of this, I am going to dismiss the charges and see to it that Miss Galveston is properly reprimanded. Of course I can’t let you go completely unpunished, Miss Meldano. But I can do something else, so we do not have to banish you to the Dead Zone. You just have to agree to it.”

  Jenny’s eyes widened and she held her breath, unable to speak at first. She cleared her throat and stammered, “Wh—what do I have to do?”

  Xavier smiled, crow’s feet appearing at the corners of his eyes and giving away his age. He may have looked young, but G.O.D. officials had access to a lot of things that others didn’t, including anti-aging remedies and surgeries. Jenny guessed he was in his late thirties.

  “It seems you have made a friend out of one of our botanists and he stated that you wanted to work in the greenhouses, maybe even help us develop some serums and medications for our citizens. I can grant you this, but you must see one of our resident psychiatrists. I will expect you to log in with her twice a week and, if you do not, I will resend your invitation to work in our labs and the greenhouses and readmit the charges made against you. And you will be charged and taken to live the rest of your life among the monsters.” He smirked and chuckled like he had said something funny. “The ones outside these walls, anyways.”

  Jenny wasn’t sure if it was all right to laugh, but she couldn’t stop herself, stifling it as best as she could with a careful hand placed over her mouth. Somehow, she had made an ally in Xavier Jackson, and she wasn’t sure how. All she knew was that she felt comfortable enough now to trust that he would keep his word.

  She dropped her hand on her lap then and realized he hadn’t exactly given her a punishment within his proposal.

  “I don’t mean to question you, sir, but what about my punishment?”

  He laughed again and ran his fingers over the keyboard again, the record on the screen turning red. His fingers went to work as he typed in his notes across the bottom.

  “I think therapy is punishment enough, Miss Meldano. Don’t you?”

  “I’m not exactly sure how to respond to that, sir,” Jenny admitted, a smile plastered on her face in relief that she wouldn’t be sent away.

  Xavier pressed one final key, the record on the screen disappeared, and he stood. The hologram fell away as soon as he left the chair. Jenny followed suit but waited, knowing that he would want to open the door to usher her on her way out.

  “Please,” he said as he put his hand out to her, “call me Xavier. We’ll be getting to know each other over the next few months since I’ll be monitoring your progress.”

  Jenny took his hand and shook it, as Xavier guided her to the door. She was only considering his deep brown eyes as he towered over her with a grin. “Yes, thank you. Thank you for giving me a second chance. I won’t disappoint you.”

  “I sure hope not, Miss Meldano.” Xavier opened the door for her and took a step back so she could leave with plenty of clearance. “I try to be fair, which isn’t something we see a lot of anymore. The privileged get away with a lot of things, and I am attempting to put a stop to that. They must be held accountable for their actions just like everyone else.”

  “That’s admirable,” Jenny said as she nodded, stepping into the space offered to her between the door and the threshold. “I hope you succeed.”

  “Thank you. Now, you will be reporting to
the greenhouse on the eastern sector tomorrow morning instead of the orchard. Make sure your partner there knows you are being reassigned.”

  “I’ll let her know. Thank you again. For all of this. I was sure I was going to be sent into the Dead Zone. The other Stations weren’t nearly as lenient.”

  Xavier nodded and gripped the door handle tighter, his knuckles paling.

  “Yes, I am aware. They send a lot of people back and forth between Stations and give them only so many chances, but I am a firm believer that we need to change how we handle those with mental instability caused by their time in the Dead Zone. Banishment is only a last resort in my book. You had nothing to worry about with me, as far as I am concerned.” He looked down at his watch. “Now, I have another meeting to attend to, and it is nearly meal time. You should go eat and try to stay out of trouble, huh?”

  “Y—yes, sir,” Jenny stammered as she backed out of the door and began to head toward the main cafeteria.

  As she walked away, she could hear Xavier laughing and knew she couldn’t let him down. Not now. Not ever. He had been one of the few people to see her for who she was and not her actions over the last seven years and for that, she was grateful.

  Chapter 10

  Near the Kentucky Dam

  July 2027

  Station 4 – Exterior Barn

  After the final meal of the day Jenny, Misty, Mark, and Joshua went to the barn just outside of the orchard where they kept at least a dozen dairy cows and a couple of horses. Jenny hadn’t been able to tell Misty about her reassignment during dinner, but she knew that if she didn’t tell her while with the others, she never would and would leave her friend thinking she had abandoned her. All four of them were scattered around the loft, lying on bales of hay for the animals down below them. Even though it was after dark, they felt safe there, never once hearing of any attack or instance of creatures this close to the Station. The Crankers didn’t usually get close enough to the Station because of the armed shooters, and the Shadows still had enough intelligence remaining to remember that fact themselves. The Barbarians and Revs stayed as far away as they could because they still fully functioned almost like human beings even though the Revs fed on humans. They only took a few a year and never usually any more than that. Jenny stared hard at the wooden slats above them, trying not to look at any of her friends as she said the words.