AniZombie

by Ricky Sides

  “You swear that’s true?” she asked.

  “I swear. I wouldn’t lie to you about something like that. Would it help you to know how this works?”

  “It might,” she responded.

  “The parasites will make you sick. As I understand it, it’s like catching the flu. You cough and run a fever,” Randy explained.

  “Then what happens?” Amy asked.

  “Then you gradually get worse until you just stop breathing. After that your body will reanimate as a zombie, but that takes a couple of hours.”

  “So it’s like dying of the flu?” Amy asked for clarification.

  “That’s what we were told, yes. I’ve seen one woman pass that way. She talked to Herb almost till the end, but then she went quiet and concentrated on breathing I guess.”

  “What happened when she died?” asked Amy.

  “Herb kept her from coming back as a zombie,” Randy responded truthfully. “She didn’t want to become one either.”

  “How did he stop her?” asked Amy.

  “Does it matter? He stopped her. Isn’t that what’s important?”

  “I’d like to know, so I can be assured that I won’t come back as one of them.”

  Randy nodded his understanding. “He shot her in the head, but she was dead, so she didn’t feel a thing.”

  “Will you do that to me with your rifle? I don’t want Henry to use his shotgun.”

  “If it comes to it, we wouldn’t use a shotgun. That much I promise you.”

  Amy nodded her acceptance of his partial answer.

  “I think Herb will be back with a solution to this problem before you get that sick. Don’t worry about that yet,” Randy said as he sought to lift the woman’s spirits.

  “How long will it be before I get sick?”

  “I really can’t answer that. From what I understand, it depends on how many parasites were present in the wound. The best I can tell you is it usually takes between a few hours to a couple of days. How quickly you deteriorate, once you get sick, can vary too. The younger people take longer, because they are generally healthier and stronger.”

  “When will I become contagious?” asked Amy.

  “We were told that once the person has a fever, they can pass the parasites on to others by touch and by contaminating the environment, just like flu patients.”

  “So it’s safe to touch you?”

  “You have a fever?” asked Randy.

  “I don’t think so. Take my temperature,” she requested. “I need to know for sure.”

  Randy took a new thermometer he found in the first aid kit that Herb had bought in Athens and placed it in Amy’s mouth. He waited for the allotted time and then glanced at the reading. “Your temperature is fine,” he informed the woman.

  “And you’re sure that means I can’t pass the parasites to anyone?”

  “That’s what we were told, yes,” Randy reassured her.

  “In that case, could you hold my hand? I’m still scared.”

  Randy sat down beside the woman and wrapped his arm around her. He reached for her hand with his free hand and held it. “I wish this hadn’t happened to you,” he said to the woman. “I like you a lot. I enjoyed our time together in the bell tower.”

  “So did I. I was looking forward to spending more time with you up there.”

  “You may yet do that. That is, if you still want to, once you’re well again. I still think Herb will come through for us. I’m going to have to leave in a little while. I need to make a call and can’t do it here, because there’s no signal.”

  “But Herb said you shouldn’t leave; He said it was too dangerous.”

  “Yes, I know, but things have changed. Don’t worry. I won’t be gone long.”

  “If you’re doing this on my account, I don’t want you to do it. I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt,” she said and then she laid her head on his shoulder.

  “Herb would want me to call. He has to know about the attacks here. He’ll need to pick up some supplies to reinforce the cabin. Our patches won’t hold forever. They are just a temporary fix,” Randy explained.

  “Oh, okay. It’s almost the middle of the day. I’ve noticed the zombies don’t seem very active during the noon hours. Maybe you should go now, if you just have to go.”

  “I will leave in a few minutes. I’m having a good time holding you right now.”

  “Me too. I wish... I wish I had longer to get to know you.”

  Randy squeezed her hand gently and in a choking voice, said quietly, “Don’t give up just yet, because I’m not giving up on you.”

  He sighed and said, “But you’re right. I’ll go now and make that call. When I get back, can I hold your hand again?”

  “I’d like that. I don’t feel so scared while you’re with me.”

  “I’ll be back soon. Henry will be here guarding the place.”

  “Please be careful,” Amy said as she raised her head off his shoulder and let go of his hand.

  “I will, I promise,” Randy responded, and then he got up and left the room. He spoke with Henry briefly, and then he left.

  ***

  Herb lay atop the CDC trailer that he had parked behind the brick building at the airport studying his surroundings. He soon discovered that it wouldn’t be possible for him to monitor the progression of the zombies from that position because the roof of the building next door was blocking the view. He tried standing up to see if that would remedy the problem, but discovered that it didn’t help.

  He glanced around in an effort to find a solution, but saw no option other than to climb the spiral staircase of the little control tower. That would give him the height he needed to see the road with perfect clarity. It would also put him in plain sight of the zombies, so it wasn’t a perfect solution.

  He knew there was little time to spare, so he climbed back down to the ground to consult with Agent Marx. The two men decided it would be best for Herb to use the tower. The agent could observe from one of the trailer windows facing Herb’s position. If the zombies began to scale the sides of the tower, then Marx could step outside to lend a hand with his pistol, or fire from the window. However, if the creatures just used the small staircase, then Herb could hold them off with ease and still be in position to cover the trailer.

  “Hand me my bag,” Herb said to David. “If I’m going to be up there, I’m taking plenty of ammunition with me.”

  Herb was about to leave the trailer when he got a call from Randy. His friend briefly explained what had happened and asked if Herb could do anything to help Amy. He’d had the call on the speaker to free up his hands, which were busy loading ammunition into magazines as he listened. Herb glanced at Marx, but the agent shook his head, indicating there was nothing he could do to assist the woman.

  “You can have one of the injections for her,” Erma said, glaring at the agent.

  “How would he get it to her in time?” asked Marx.

  “Erma says I can have one of the injections for Amy, buddy. You tell her to hang on. The scientists are going to be picked up soon, and then I’ll be heading back. I think I can be there by tomorrow morning.”

  “Thanks, Herb. Meanwhile, I’m going to try to locate some supplies to begin a fence. We’re wide open at the cabin.”

  “No, Randy. It’s too dangerous to do that alone. You couldn’t cover yourself and load the equipment. Just get back to the cabin. When I get there, we’ll do it, but we need to do it right.”

  “Okay, I’ll wait. I want to get back and check on Amy anyway. Thank Erma for me.”

  “You’re welcome,” Erma said.

  “I’ve got to get to my position now, buddy. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Herb said, and then he waited until Randy killed the connection.

  “You’d better hurry. You’re cutting it close by now. In fact, it might be best just to wait and see if they pass us by,” Agent Marx said.

  “I’d prefer fighting them from the high ground for several reasons. I
should have time to get to the top and set up before they get too close.”

  “Then get going. We don’t want them to see you exiting this trailer. That would focus their attention on it. Oh, and you need to turn off the ringer on that phone. If it were to ring while the zombies were near, we’d be up to our elbows in the things.”

  That prompted everyone with a phone to shut down the audible ringers and put them on vibrate.

  Herb left and made his way to the tower. When he reached the top, he confirmed that it was empty, and then he saw that the zombies were closer than he would have imagined possible. They gave no outward sign that they had seen him, which puzzled Herb who thought that they should have noted his presence. He looked for anything that might have distracted them, but saw nothing at first. Then he heard the sound of vehicles approaching.

  Herb turned to face the road in the opposite direction and saw a group of several motorcycles coming toward the airport. He assumed that they were from the nearby town of Russell, and that they were attempting to get clear of the outbreak zone.

  Herb squatted down slowly with his back to the exterior wall of the control tower in order to maintain a low profile. He watched the tableau unfold as the four bikers stopped their motorcycles and stared at the zombies in the road ahead of them. Herb gave no indication to the men that he was there. He felt, at that point, they were a danger to the group he guarded because they could give away his presence.

  The four riders turned their bikes and headed back down the road without noticing Herb, which suited him well. The zombies, with new targets still within their sight, moaned, increased their pace, and moved past the airport without stopping.

  Only one young zombie, a kid of around ten to twelve years of age, stopped to look at the dead zombies on the other side of the building. He sniffed the air, as if he had detected a scent that interested him. Herb saw that the kid had been attacked by a zombie in an apparent feeding frenzy. Large sections of his arms bore numerous bite marks, as did his neck. The boy was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with the picture of a rock group on it.

  The young zombie looked back to the pack he had been traveling with and saw that he was being left behind. He moaned and began to walk in their wake as fast as he could.

  From the roughness of their gates, Herb assumed that the creatures hadn’t been reanimated long. He knew that the newly reanimated were clumsy and slow, and that it seemed to take time for them to regain their normal mobility. Zombies were fearless and felt no pain, but they weren’t super creatures, endowed with superhuman strength or speed. In fact, the reanimated seemed to come back at a bit less than their human peak physical fitness, strength and agility. The one thing about them that seemed augmented, at least in Herb’s experience, was their sense of smell, which was superb.

  He watched the zombies until they disappeared from view and then used the binoculars to continue his surveillance. He checked the opposite direction from time to time as well. Herb didn’t want to be taken by surprise by another band of wandering undead. The group of zombies that he was tracking soon grew so distant that he lost them, even with the aid of the low powered binoculars he had with him at the moment.

  Herb used his phone to contact Agent Marx. It took several rings for the agent to answer. “Sorry. It took a moment for me to notice the vibration,” Marx said when he answered.

  “Did you hear the bikes that were approaching the airport a few minutes ago?” Herb inquired.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, they led the zombie pack away. They are all out of sight, and the road back to the interstate looks clear.”

  “Do you want to come back in, or are you planning to wait for the choppers outside?”

  “I’d like to come in and discuss my plans with you for a few minutes. I need your cooperation in a couple of areas,” Herb said.

  “All right, I’ll be waiting.”

  When Herb knocked, David opened the door promptly.

  He stepped inside the trailer and set his bag of ammunition and magazines down beside the wall. He wasted no time in getting down to business when he said, “Agent Marx, I need your help.”

  “If you want transportation back to your cabin, I’m afraid we can’t take that detour. There are fueling concerns. Zombies have overrun half the refueling stations. That’s why the extraction is taking so long.”

  “That’s not what I want. I want you to arrange a weapons and ammo delivery to the cabin. They can do a simple drop. If my group is going to survive, we need more of everything. We need pistols, rifles, magazines and above all, ammunition.”

  “That’s a tall order. I don’t have the authority to authorize that on my own, but you have provided a great service for your country. I’ll see what I can do in that regard.”

  “Well, no offense meant toward you, but would you mind doing that now?”

  “Are you afraid that I won’t do it, or are you concerned that I won’t live long enough to do so?”

  “The latter these days,” Herb said. Then he said, “We got off on the wrong foot Agent Marx, but I believe you’re a good man, dedicated to doing what’s right for the country.”

  “Thank you. I believe the same holds true where you’re concerned. I’m sorry I called you a deserter back at your cabin.”

  “Technically, you were right. I am, but I felt there was no choice at the time. I saw no reason to stay and die in a city that had seen numerous outbreaks.”

  “I’ll make the call now. Erma prepared one of the injections for Amy. You should consult with her on that matter. I’ll talk to you as soon as I get off the phone with my superiors.”

  Herb saw Erma beckoning him to join her at the hallway. He walked toward her, and she turned and led him back into the lab area where Sam and Gil were packing the remaining pieces of computer components into canvas rucksacks. He saw that there were four of the bags and assumed that each of the scientists would carry one when they departed.

  “I’ve prepared the injection kits for you. They are secure in this padded case.”

  “Kits?” Herb asked. “It’s only supposed to be one.”

  “Don’t worry. Agent Marx knows. In fact, it was his idea. He suggested I give you five kits. There’s one for each member of your group. Consider it a sort of second chance, if you will. But I gave you six. That allows you to save the dog, if he should tangle with a zombie and get bitten.”

  “Does Marx know about that?”

  “Yes, and to be honest, he didn’t like that one bit, but he relented when Sam told him there was no reason a good lab couldn’t begin to turn them out in large quantities in a matter of days.”

  “Thank you. This could mean the difference between life and death for some of us,” Herb said quietly.

  “You deserve it. You all do. Once we get this program up and running, I may just come to your place for a visit and stay for a nice vacation.”

  “I’d like that,” Herb said. “I would like that a lot. There are places on the property that I’d like to show you, like the view from that little bell tower atop the cabin. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s nice.”

  “I’m sure I’d enjoy it,” Erma responded as she handed him the padded case. On impulse, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you for everything,” she said as she backed away.

  “Bennett, when you’re ready, we need to talk,” Agent Marx said, interrupting the moment.

  Herb smiled at Erma and said, “It was all worth that kiss.” He winked at her, causing her to blush, and then turned to follow Agent Marx back to the front room.

  “What was that kiss all about?” Marx asked.

  “She kissed me to express her gratitude,” Herb explained.

  “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to kiss and tell?” Marx asked with an amused expression on his face. Herb thought the agent had mellowed out considerably since he had first met him.

  “You’re a Homeland Security Agent. If you want to know something, you’re going to find out, s
o I might as well tell you myself.”

  “Okay, now to the matter at hand,” Marx said, getting back to business. “I spoke to some people and arranged a drop. It’s supposed to be delivered at some point tomorrow, but they couldn’t give me a precise schedule.” Pausing for a moment, the agent stared Herb in the eyes. “I couldn’t have gotten the scientists here along with their gear without you, and the zombies in the building would have probably killed me if not for you, so I owed you a big favor. I just burned up a ton of favors people owe me directing materials to your place. I think this balances the scales between us.”

  “You didn’t owe me anything.”

  “I think I did,” Agent Marx said stubbornly. “But make no mistakes about this; I won’t be able to help you in the future.” Marx lowered his voice and added, “It’s almost too late for the nanotech to help. They’ve had computers crunching the numbers for a day and a half. Even if everything goes perfectly, we’re still going to lose at least 80% of the population. A more realistic number is probably 93%, because that takes several setbacks and negative variables into account.”

  “Why so bad?” Herb asked, stunned by the revelation.

  “It’s still spreading like wildfire. It leaps over sections of the country and appears in other areas without warning. That means battling it by pouring resources into the front line area, even the nanotech injections, isn’t feasible because there are no front lines. This damned thing is everywhere. The best that we can hope to achieve is to establish protected zones where pockets of humanity can converge, which is how I got help for your people. I declared that area an Arkansas Refuge for humanity.”

  “You have that power?” Herb asked.

  “Yes, but that doesn’t make me special, Herb. There are field agents out doing the same thing in every state when they run across pockets of survivors.” The agent then changed the subject when he asked, “What are your plans for getting back home?”

  “I’m glad you asked me. I’d like to try to get this trailer back to my place. It would shelter other people, if we find more, and I do need the truck.”

  “I have no objections to that,” Marx responded. Then he said, “Now, unless there is anything else you want to discuss, I’d like you to get back to your tower and do another security check for us. I got an update on their ETA and the helicopters should be here within half an hour. You realize of course that the noise they make will probably draw in more zombies. You’ll need to leave when we do, and they will only be on the ground long enough for us to get inside.”