When the Dead Rise (Book 1): The Beginning

by C. M. Fick

  "Then tonight, Travis decided to see if there were any zombies left in the house, saying he wanted to go secure the back door so looters didn't ransack the place." She shook her head. "Against my better judgement, I agreed, waiting at the top of the stairs, ready to shoot any zombies that appeared at the bottom, while Travis slid down the banister. It seemed clear at first; we didn't hear any moans from the other rooms, so off he went. I don't know exactly what happened after that. I heard the back door close; Travis hammered a few nails, and then started cursing and shooting. When he screamed I knew I needed to get the hell out, but I didn't realize the urgency until I smelled the smoke - the stupid idiot must have lit a candle to see what he was doing when he secured the door."

  "And that's when you met me," Cory finished, deciding Veronica didn't need to know what he'd seen.

  "And that's when I met you," she replied. It was too dark to see clearly, but he knew he heard the smile in her voice; it gave him hope that together they'd be able to survive.

  A boy in a tree...

  Dawn was rapidly approaching when Cory and Veronica turned off the bike path and back onto the city streets. Ahead, they saw a man standing on the cab of a truck, taking shots at a group of zombies clustered around the bottom of a tree.

  "Over here," he whispered, pulling Veronica behind an abandoned FedEx delivery truck. He unslung his backpack, taking only his rifle. "I'm going to climb up to the roof and figure out what he's doing."

  Veronica's eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded. "I'm going to poke through the boxes to see if there's anything useful," she said, pulling the back door open and peeking inside the dark interior.

  Moving quickly, Cory stepped up on the back tire and pulled himself to the truck's roof. Crawling to the front of the vehicle, Cory readied his rifle and sighted down the scope. The man on the truck seemed so focused on the group of fifteen or so zombies beneath the tree that he hadn't noticed the growing crowd, wandering up behind him. He could help the man, but what if the man turned around and demanded their gear? Could he risk Veronica's survival to help one man he didn't even know? Did the man even need help or was he just driving around killing any zombies he came across? He could be a total crazy. Cory knew he had to make a choice - and quickly; the lead zombie was already trying to get into the man's truck bed.

  He pulled the trigger and the zombie's head exploded. The man's gun whipped around, pointing in Cory's direction. Cory took another shot at the next closest zombie, and then lifted his hand in greeting. The man tipped his hat, before turning back to focus on the other group. Cory watched as he carefully and expertly sighted along his rifle before making another clean kill.

  Finding another zombie in his sights, Cory pulled the trigger, but a shot from within the truck made his own shot go wide. What the hell?

  He shuffled back to the door, hanging his head over the side trying to peer through the dark. "Are you okay Veronica?" He heard the panic in his voice. How could he have left her alone?

  There was a grunt before Veronica called, "I'm okay. Just found the driver. Don't worry about me."

  Cory wanted to get off the roof and check on his new companion, but another shot reminded him that the man needed help as well. Veronica said she was fine. He sighted along the barrel and pulled the trigger.

  Once they'd put down the zombies, Cory climbed down from the roof to check on Veronica. "Find anything useful?" he asked, stepping over the top half of the unidentifiable FedEx man.

  "No," Veronica replied, stomping through the packages. "But I did find this." She smiled brightly as she held up a glittery bracelet.

  Cory glared at her. "Where's..." he pointed to the dead-again zombie beside the truck. Its' stomach was an eviscerated mess of torn intestines; he wasn't sure where the bottom half of his body was and wasn't sure he wanted to know.

  She shrugged, dropping the bracelet into her shirt pocket. "I only found that half."

  "I appreciate the help," a gravelly voice spoke from behind Cory; he spun around, rifle aimed. The man from the truck stood there with his hands held up - he had to be in his sixties. "I mean no harm; I just wanted to thank you for keeping my ass from being eaten." He held out his hand, "My names Bill. Nice to meet you both."

  "No problem." Cory shook Bill's hand. "I'm Cory and this is Veronica."

  "Why were you determined to kill all those zombies around that tree?" Veronica cocked her head, placed her hand on her hip, and scrutinized Bill intently.

  Walking back to his truck, Bill motioned for them to follow. "Well why don't you come with me and I'll show you."

  "I don't want to go along with some crazy old man who likes killing for the fun of it," Veronica whispered to Cory.

  He shushed her, lowering his own voice. "I don't get the crazy vibe from him, do you?"

  Handing him his pack, Veronica shook her head. "No, but it's weird right? Him standing on his truck shooting at a pack of zombies?"

  "I suppose we'll just have to go find out why," Cory said, slinging his pack back over his shoulder.

  "You two ride in the bed till we get to the tree," Bill said as they approached. "I'd rather not have to walk around in that mess," nodding to the bottom of the tree where the dead zombies lay in a heap. Turning, Bill opened his door and hoisted himself into the cab.

  The engine started up with a rumble as Cory helped Veronica into the back of the truck, before climbing in himself. It was a short drive and the crunch of bones beneath the tires sickened him, but once beneath the low hanging branches, Cory knew he'd made the right choice in helping Bill. They stared up into the branches, and Veronica gasped when her flashlight beam illuminated the pale face of a scared little boy. He couldn't have been any older than five.

  "Does he look bit?" Bill called from the cab.

  Cory couldn't tell; the boy was covered in blood. "Are you okay kid?" The boy didn't answer, only stared from Cory to Veronica and back again.

  Veronica held out her arms. "It's okay," she cooed, taking a step closer to the boy. "We're here to help you if you'll come down from the tree." Still the boy didn't speak, but Veronica had captured his full attention. "What's your name?" She made little come here gestures with her outstretched hands. "If you come down we can find somewhere safe to rest and get some food. You must be tired and hungry." With the mention of food, the boy's eyes went wide.

  Cory wondered how long it had been since he'd eaten. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a half-eaten energy bar. "Here try this," he said, handing it to Veronica.

  The food worked like a charm and soon they had the boy in the truck, checking him over for bites. After determining the boy was clean, they all climbed into the cab; Veronica, with the boy on her lap, sat in the middle while Cory sat on the passenger side and Bill drove.

  "Where are you two off to?" Bill asked, as they slowly made their way around the abandoned vehicles cluttering the street.

  "My house wasn't safe, so I finally had to leave," Veronica answered first. "I didn't know where I was going when I climbed out the window tonight, but thankfully I ran into Cory."

  "You two just met?" Bill took his eyes off the road, giving Cory and Veronica a look of disbelief. "Then it's serendipity that our paths crossed. What about you?" He nodded to Cory, "What made you pick tonight to leave the safety of wherever you'd holed up?"

  Cory shrugged, "I was running low on food and ammo. I have a storage unit on the northern end of town with supplies and I figured if I could make it there then I'd figure out my next move after getting some rest."

  "Sounds like you're the one with the plan then; mind if I tag along?" Bill smiled warmly, "I was just out gathering some supplies for myself when I noticed him," he nodded to the boy who had his arms wrapped tightly around Veronica's neck, "climbing that tree with a pack of those things not far behind. I couldn't very well leave him."

  "I'd be happy to have you along," Cory said after Veronica gave him a slight nod of consent. "I've spent the past week thinking I was the only one l
eft in this God forsaken city, and tonight I've found three more survivors. I don't think I could bear to be on my own again so soon."

  Slapping the wheel of the truck, Bill grinned and said, "Then it seems we'd better make a stop at your storage facility. We won't get too far on what we have with four mouths to feed." With a nod, Cory gave directions.

  The stupid woman...

  "And thank God for my time served in the military," Bill was saying as they crossed over the highway; the storage facility was just ahead. "If I didn't have the army training that I do, I don't think I would have lasted that first day."

  "Look!" Veronica pointed out the front window, at approaching headlights. The boy stirred in her arms, but didn't wake. "Someone's on the access road, heading this way."

  "Damn fool," Bill spat. "Trying to get himself killed driving around with his lights on." Earlier, Bill explained that nighttime was the best for scavenging - provided you didn't turn on your headlights, which acted like a beacon for zombies to follow.

  "Pull over and we'll see where they go." Bill did as Cory asked, and they watched the small blue car pull into the gas station on the corner.

  "Now what in the hell are they doing?" Bill squinted through his window as Veronica and Cory craned their necks to see through the front.

  "Getting gas?" Veronica asked, disbelievingly.

  They watched as the car came to a stop in front of a pump and the door swung open; a woman with dark hair emerged from the car. She glanced around with a confused look on her face before hurrying around to the pump. Watching whatever her hand was doing, the woman didn't look up as she reached for the pump and stuck it into the tank of the car.

  "That ain't going to work for her and when she realizes that, she's going to go inside and try to get it running," Bill said, reaching for his ignition keys.

  "Wait." Veronica put her hand on his arm. "She's doing something. Look."

  They all looked and Cory felt his mouth fall open. The woman stood beside her car with a video camera in hand. She slowly panned the camera along the road before turning it to face herself. Saying something, she then put it on the roof of her car, facing the entrance of the store. Jogging across the parking lot, she slowly opened the door and called out to anyone inside. The door closed and the woman disappeared from view.

  Bill cranked the key and the engine roared to life. "She's going to get herself eaten." Throwing the car into drive, Bill made a left hand turn at the intersection, and a right into the gas stations parking lot. The three survivors stared through the stores front window; there was no sign of the woman but they could see a zombie stumbling towards the register from the back.

  "You two wait here, I'm going in." Cory pulled his pistol from the front of his backpack and before anyone could say a word, jumped out, slamming the door behind him.

  He crept up to the door, searching for the woman through the window. Knowing she could already be dead, Cory opened it slowly and cringed when the bell above the door chimed.

  "Who's there?" a quavering female voice asked from behind the counter.

  Okay, not dead. The hallway zombie shuffled closer. Strangely, it hadn't moaned yet. "I'm here to help. It looked like you didn't bring any weapons in with you," Cory whispered.

  "Weapons? I'm just trying to get this pump to work." The woman poked her head above the counter, ducking back when she noticed the gun. "You don't have to shoot me. I'll pay for the gas." She raised her hands.

  Cory glanced down each aisle; checking to make sure, they were clear. "I'm not going to shoot you but your money's worthless here," he said, finally peering over the counter. "We need to go now."

  The woman, still not noticing the approaching zombie, glanced up at Cory. "I need gas first," she said after reassuring herself that the gun was no longer pointed in her direction.

  Cory cringed when she spoke, Too loud, his mind screamed.

  The zombie moaned. Knowing it was now unavoidable, Cory turned and put a round into the zombies head. The shot echoed in the small building and the woman screamed.

  "What the hell are you doing?" she poked her head up over the counter again.

  "Saving your ass," Cory replied, motioning to the dead-again zombie. "What's your name?"

  She stared at the zombie on the floor, fumbling in her pocket for something. "You just shot him!" Pulling out a cellphone, she began to take pictures of the heap on the floor.

  "Better him than you," Cory replied, growing irritated with the woman. She was obviously in over her head and didn't know what she'd gotten herself into. "We really have to go." Just as he finished the sentence, a loud banging began from the back of the store and gunshots came from the front. "We have to go now!" He grabbed the woman by the arm but she wiggled free. Running behind the counter, she grabbed several cartons of smokes and stuffed them into her purse. As the zombies continued their assault in the rear, Cory could hear the door holding them back begin to splinter. "Now!" he growled, grabbing her arm again and propelling her out the front door.

  "What the..." she began, stumbling out ahead of Cory.

  Five, No, six zombies rounded the corner at the front of the store, moaning as they turned, noticing new, easier prey. She's going to get me killed. He pushed her towards the truck.

  "Are these things everywhere?" The woman's voice had gone shrill, agitating the zombies even more.

  Bill sat in the driver's seat, taking careful aim at the growing crowd. When he noticed Cory, he waved and shouted, "We have a problem. There's a whole group coming out of the mall and if we don't make tracks, we'll end up zombie chow."

  A loud crash came from within the store and Cory knew they were about to have too many to deal with on their hands. "Into the truck."

  "But my things," the woman tried to move towards her car.

  "We have no time," Cory shouted.

  A hand grabbed the back of his shirt; he shrieked, letting the woman go. A shot rang out and Cory felt the grip loosen, then it was gone. Ashamed for his girly scream, he turned to look for the woman, but caught Bill's smirk from the corner of his eye. She'd made it back to her car and was pulling a bag from the back seat.

  "If she ain't gonna come, leave her," Bill shouted at Cory's back.

  A zombie stumbled between the pumps, heading straight for the woman. He shouted, "Watch out!" Lifting his gun, he took aim and shot, dropping the zombie. She spun around, eyes wide and panicked. Cory looked to the truck then back to the woman; despite Bill's best efforts, the zombies were closing the gap between him and his new friends.

  "Come on!" Veronica shouted.

  Grabbing the video recorder off the roof of her car, the woman dashed back to Cory. "Thanks for shooting that thing," she panted; Cory wanted to smack her for being so dumb. She obviously didn't understand the urgency of their situation.

  "We have to get to the truck," Cory said, shooting a zombie in his path. "Now."

  They ran.

  Upon reaching the truck, the woman threw her bag into the bed and Cory jumped in, turning to give her a hand up. "Hang on!" he shouted as he banged on the roof. The truck lurched forward and cleared a path through the zombies.

  They peeled out of the parking lot and back onto the road. "Where are we going?" the woman asked as they sped north.

  Cory pointed to the large white building just ahead. The building had a fenced perimeter, and he knew that once they were inside the gates, they'd have a minute to finally relax and regroup. Bill made the hard left into the parking lot and skidded to a halt. Jumping down, Cory jogged up to the gate, fishing the key card out of his back pocket, thankful this part of town still had electricity. The gate rattled open and the truck pulled through. With one last look to the gas station and the growing crowd moving in their direction, Cory slid the gate closed.

  The passenger door swung open and Veronica jumped out, running to Cory and throwing herself into his arms. "I thought we were going to lose you!" she cried into his shoulder.

  "You ignorant fool!" Bill was ye
lling at the woman as she climbed out of the back of the truck. "You almost got our friend killed because of your stupidity."

  "Now Bill," Cory said, stepping away from Veronica and towards the growling old man, "we all got away. We're safely fenced in now and after clearing the building, we should be safe to spend a few day's here. No harm, no foul."

  "What is this place?" Veronica sniffled from behind Cory.

  The sun peeked over the eastern horizon and Cory turned, finally taking in the state of the storage facility; it was a disaster. There were tarps hung from the fences, blocking the view from the street. Appliances lined the interior of the fence, reinforcing the chain-link. The lower units stood open and empty; litter covered the driveway. "I think someone's already taken up residence here," he said, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

  "I can't believe this is really happening." Holding her camera, the woman turned in a slow circle.

  "Who are you anyways?" Veronica snapped. Cory couldn't blame her - it would have been an easy trip if they hadn't stopped to help her.

  The woman turned, gave Veronica a friendly smile, and held out her hand. "I'm Allegra Lozano, investigative journalist."

  Resident survivors...

  The door of the facility swung open and a man with a gun stood in the entryway. "You need to move on friends," he said flatly; the four survivors gaped at him.

  "I just need into my storage unit." Cory walked forward, raising his hands. "As soon as I have my things we'll be on our way." He motioned back to the truck.

  "We have a small boy with us, and if we could just rest here today..." Veronica began, but was cut off by a second voice from above.

  "There's a large group moving this way from the Exxon station and drawing more from the mall."

  The man with the gun sighed heavily and motioned for everyone to come inside. Cory got his backpack and helped Veronica carry in the now sleeping boy they'd rescued; Bill and Allegra were already inside introducing themselves to the other survivors.