Z-Risen (Book 3): Poisoned Earth

by Long, Timothy W.

  Out in Z land, I was lucky if I got more than four consecutive hours' worth of sleep. I was always on guard, and the quiet didn’t help. Every time someone moved or sniffed or snored or burped or farted, it was like a bell rung next to my head. Exhaustion usually knocked me out, but today I was still on edge.

  I tried relaxing and thinking of better times: times that involved beer and hookers in some overseas port. I thought of the night Anna and I had spent a few weeks ago. We’d taken an ice-cold shower together, and I for one had felt clean for the first time in ages.

  Although she didn’t want to share our sleeping bags, I’d laid mine out next to her.

  I rolled over and looked at her. She looked peaceful for a change.

  “What?” she whispered, opening one eye.

  “Nothing. Just looking at you,” I whispered back.

  “Go to sleep, Creed. I’m beat,” she said, and rolled over.

  “Are you mad at me for something?”

  “No, Jackson, I’m not mad at you. I just don’t need a boyfriend right now and that’s all there is to it. Now get some sleep.”

  I blew out a breath and rolled onto my back. The view of the ceiling didn’t help. It was white, unfinished, and boring.

  An hour later I still tossed and turned. Joel snored, and Roz snored quietly next to him. The pair had curled into each other and looked rather goddamn cozy.

  Christy had dragged her sleeping pad across the floor and was facing the door. Earlier we’d drawn cards to see who would take first watch. Even though we tried to coddle Christy when we could, she insisted on being treated like an adult. She wanted to take watch every night, and she was good. Christy never dozed off and she rarely ever bugged us, unless she sensed a genuine threat.

  I’d had increasingly bad insomnia as the weeks fled past, and tonight looked like it would be no different. I rose as silently as I could and lifted my backpack. I moved across the room and leaned over to whisper to Christy.

  “Get some rest. I can’t sleep, so I’ll keep watch for the next few hours and then I’ll wake Roz.”

  Christy nodded and wiped at her eyes. I suspected she’d been crying, but she hit me with a hard look that would have made Anna proud.

  “Okay. Thanks,” she said and rolled over.

  I took my pack into the living room and sat with my back to a wall. Then I took out my journal and wrote for an hour.

  ###

  12:30 hours approximate

  Location: Just outside of Oceanside

  My eyes were heavy and the thought of sleep was getting more and more attractive. I’d spent the last few hours alternating between writing and staring outside.

  A couple of creepers had wandered past the house and then into the woods. I let them be. The pair found something on the ground--the carcass of a small animal--and they fought over it. Not much of a battle, because one of the Zs was missing most of an arm.

  I wondered, not for the first time, what their story had been. Had they been married, had kids, were they working-class, were they nice to their families? So many people gone now, and what was the world going to be like in a year? Would we all be mindless, wandering ghouls?

  I closed my eyes a couple of times to let them rest, because they burned. I yawned and decided I could probably sleep.

  Roz rose grumpy and took her place on watch. I curled up next to Anna as close as I could get without touching her sleeping bag, and closed my eyes. Within moments I drifted off.

  ###

  #26 - In the Crosshairs

  08:35 hours Approximate

  Location: Just outside of Oceanside

  I woke to the sound of laughter.

  Christy was playing in the living room with Frosty. I rubbed grit out of my eyes and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. I was the only one in the kitchen. The amount of sun streaming in through the window told me I’d done something I hadn’t done in a long time: I’d slept in.

  I peeked around the space that divided the two rooms and saw the source of Christy’s laughter. She had the dog lying on the floor and was trying to teach her how to roll over. Frosty didn’t seem to think too much of the game. She lay with her legs splayed in the air, her tail wagging across the floor while her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth.

  The room had unfinished walls and a lack of carpeting. The floor was concrete, but Christy had broken into some of the padding and rolled it out for Frosty to sleep on.

  I jumped when someone tapped at the front door, in a pattern consisting of three quick knocks and then two knocks spaced farther apart. Christy hopped up. Frosty scrambled to her side and got to her feet, her demeanor changed instantly from playful pup to “I’m going to rip someone a new one”.

  Christy peeked out the bay windows, then smiled and nodded. The door opened, and in strolled Joel Kelly and Roz. They carried a number of tools, some lumber, and a bag of screws or nails.

  “Morning, sunshine,” Roz said.

  I nodded. Christy turned and shot me a smile, so I smiled back. Not hard to do when faced with her sunny disposition. We were safe for a while, and it had rubbed off on her.

  Joel and Roz quietly placed their newly-acquired items around the living room. Roz removed a piece of paper from her pocket, and she and Joel studied the sheet.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We’re going to fortify this place and try to rest up for a few days. Tired of being on the run, bro,” Joel said.

  “What about Pendleton?”

  “It’ll still be there. Or maybe it’s already gone. Rushing down there now while we’re exhausted, Anna’s hurt, and you’re needing ten hours of sleep means that we are not an effective fighting unit,” Joel said.

  “So what, we’re going to board up the windows and call this Fortress Mark III?”

  “Something like that. This subdivision is half-finished, so a lot of families hadn’t moved in yet. North of here a few homes that look occupied. We didn’t bother investigating.”

  “So we’re not getting a welcome to the neighborhood basket?” I deadpanned.

  Roz chuckled.

  “I’d love some cupcakes,” Joel sighed.

  “Don’t talk about cupcakes. I haven’t had fresh-baked anything in months, so you’re making me drool,” Christy said.

  “Something bothers me about this place,” I said.

  “What, no store set up for bartering yet?” Joel said.

  “It’s the lack of people. This place isn’t finished yet, sure, not a lot of families would be moved in, but why didn’t other survivors take over and fortify? The place backs up to a small hill, the houses are close together, it seems like the perfect opportunity to build a community and keep it guarded.”

  “Thinking like a warrior, huh? I’ll be honest, I had the same thought. What’s missing is any kind of lawns. The backyards are barely in and who knows if anything can grow in that soil. If we stayed we’d need a garden at the very least. Grow potatoes and carrots. But California’s been in a hell of a drought, so getting water in would be a bitch.” Joel removed his ball cap and scratched his head.

  “Maybe it’s just been overlooked. Think about how many people the virus has taken. Think about how many are dead or roaming the streets. If only a percentage of the population is still alive, they have a lot of places to hide,” Anna chimed in.

  “Personally, if I wanted to become a warlord and rule a little kingdom I’d take over a fucking Costco. Big-ass brick building, lots of food, just need a few guys to keep it safe and sound,” Joel said.

  “And a bunch of scantily-clad women to call your harem?” Roz asked.

  “If I’m a warlord of Costco, you bet your ass,” Joel said.

  Roz, characteristically, smacked his arm. “You keep thinking like that and I’ll punch you into tomorrow, Joel Kelly.”

  I stifled a laugh.

  “What, you asked,” Joel said. “Peace, baby. I’m just playing.”

  Roz crossed her arms over her chest.


  “Damn, Joel. That’s like some stupid shit I’d say,” I chuckled.

  “Joel, Warlord of Costco. Has a certain ring,” he said.

  Frosty wandered to the back of the house and scratched at the door.

  “Gotta take a dump?” I asked her.

  Christy rolled her eyes and took Frosty into the backyard.

  “Keep her quiet,” I said.

  “I don’t think there are any zombies back there,” Christy said as she stood in the doorway.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because they would have come if they heard your snoring,” Christy said, and then closed the door as she stepped onto the back porch.

  Anna strolled down the stairs. She wore camouflage pants and a t-shirt she’d picked out of one of our various bags. The shirt bore a grinning cat on a cartoon background.

  She had a smile on her face.

  “I don’t even know what to say right now,” I said to Anna.

  Christy chased Frosty into the yard.

  “Don’t say a word,” Anna said.

  “But that shirt and that smile. Are you happy to see me?”

  Anna sat next to me. She inspected a couple of scratches on my face and arms while I admired her sunny disposition. She’d either cleaned up in our small supply of water or she’d found some baby wipes along the way. She held her wounded arm next to her body, and when I reached out to inspect the injury she pulled away with an “I’m fine, Creed.”

  “So what’s the plan for fortifying this place? Board up the doors?” I asked.

  “If we board up everything, then someone may wonder what we’re hoarding in here. We’ll reinforce the door, but we need to keep the lights to a minimum. Avoid the windows if you can help it.”

  “What if no one bothers us?” I asked.

  “What if monkeys fly out of my butt?” Roz said.

  Joel snorted.

  “The likelihood that we’re going to be safe here for a few days is decent. The fact that Zs will find us is undeniable. Don’t get too comfortable, folks,” Joel said, looking between the members of our group.

  “Is the truck prepped in case we need to make a quick getaway?”

  “Yeah. Roz and I found a tarp to cover the truck, but if anyone gets too damn curious, they’ll find the vehicle,” Joel said.

  “Good enough for Government work, I guess,” I said.

  Roz and Joel left on another scouting run. Anna stayed by my side but didn’t say anything, so I leaned against the wall and enjoyed the companionable silence.

  “I can’t stay with you guys,” she said, breaking the silence a few minutes later.

  “What do you mean?”

  “As soon as we find Bright Star I’m going to have to leave. I have responsibilities.”

  “To what? The world’s gone now. Nothing but the dead and a few survivors scrounging for food. When it’s all gone what are people going to do? Bright Star and the notion of any kind of functioning Government went out the window weeks ago.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Creed. There were contingency plans, and I believe we have a functioning Government, but they have been reduced. It’s a matter of reestablishing bases and carving out our place in this new world. That’s why they need me.”

  “Is this a paying job, this whole rebuilding-the-world thing?” I asked.

  “I guess we’re all owed some back pay. What are you going to do with a few months’ worth of salary?” she asked.

  “You’re changing the subject.”

  “I’m turning it to something fun. You’re so goddamn morose sometimes, Creed. You have this way of being a smartass and making everyone laugh, but half the time you’re so depressed I wonder if you’re going to slit your wrists,” Anna said.

  “Name one thing that doesn’t suck now,” I challenged her.

  “Friends.”

  That got a half-smirk.

  “The fact that you owe me seventeen million dollars from our last round of poker,” she said.

  “Any chance I can work that off another way?”

  “We’ll talk later tonight, Creed. I may have something you can do for me,” she said, and hit me with a smile.

  My day was starting to look better.

  ###

  08:35 hours Approximate

  Location: Just outside of Oceanside

  After Anna and I had our talk, I rose and grumped around for a half an hour, wishing more than anything that I had an energy drink or a gallon of coffee. A couple of weeks ago we’d found some packs of instant Starbucks coffee, but I’d kept them tucked deep inside my backpack and managed to make them last for a few days.

  Even mixed with cold water, tasting grainy and undissolved, I’d treated them like fucking gold. I’d even thought about snorting the damn stuff for a rush. Probably end up with a headache and brown-colored snot.

  Christy had filtered about a liter of water so I drank down a cup, then greedily drank another. I’d make it up to her by helping her filter more water later in the day.

  I moved to the rear door and watched Christy and Frosty play. They’d found a stick, and the dog was running around, alternating between playing fetch and playing ‘try to catch me’. She had a devious look in her eye every couple of times she brought the twig to Christy. Christy would reach for the stick, and Frosty would dance back and shake her head while her tail flopped from side to side.

  I opened the door and stepped onto the partially-finished porch.

  I sat down and Frosty, seeing me, dropped the stick and dashed up the stairs. She puppy-attacked me for a few minutes of mock play that involved trying to grab my sleeve and pull me into the yard. I rubbed the dog’s head, and when she tired of that she dropped to her side and rolled on her back.

  Christy took a seat next to Frosty and rubbed her belly while I did the same.

  “Are we going to stay here for a while?” Christy asked.

  “I don’t think so. It’s not safe to hang out in one location for more than a day or two. When Joel and I first got to San Diego we managed to hold out for almost a week. The Zs were still fairly new, and we didn’t have a lot of crazies out trying to steal our stuff.”

  “Do you think someone will bother us here?”

  “Hard to say. It’s not like we know the neighborhood. Joel’s got a plan to reinforce the place. If we have to, we’ll just bug out. The camper’s ready and we have a quarter tank of gas.”

  “How far will that get us?”

  “Not very far, but far enough for now,” I said. “If we run out there’s a lot of cars we can siphon from. Problem is, gas gets old when it sits around, and might not be useable in a few months.”

  “What else won’t be useable? I’m worried about stuff like supplies. They won’t last forever, and we can only break into so many houses before there are no more canned goods sitting around.”

  “I guess we learn how to garden, and hunt deer,” I said.

  “Is there a plan B?”

  “Smartass.”

  Frosty stopped wagging her tail and shot to her feet. She stared into the woods that surrounded the backyard. She growled low in her throat, but then settled back down.

  “Something back there?” Christy asked.

  She stood and walked into the yard.

  “Could be a Z that’s stuck. We’ll keep an eye out. If Frosty is on guard, I think that’s a bad sign.”

  “Maybe we should just go,” Christy said, looking back at me.

  “Maybe we should, but I agree with Joel. We need a break. We’ve been on the run for weeks and I’d like to catch up on some sleep,” I said.

  Christy smiled tightly and went back to staring at the woods.

  I put my back to the wall and took a minute to enjoy the afternoon sun. Frosty drifted over and put her head in my lap, so I closed my eyes and dozed for a while, content to enjoy a little quiet and companionship from the dog.

  ###

  08:35 hours Approximate

  Location: Just outside of Oceans
ide

  Voices from the front of the house woke me.

  I shook away the cobwebs and found that Christy and Frosty had left me. They’d left me to be devoured if a zombie wandered across my form.

  I rose and entered through the backdoor. No one was in the kitchen. Thanks a lot. With friends like these, who needed the zombie fucking apocalypse? I found them in the living room. Anna had her hand on her piece. Joel stood in front of the door and Roz had her back to the wall so she could cover the bay window. Christy hovered in the back of the room, looking like she wanted to bolt.

  “Let me guess, more Zs. Jesus, why’d you guys leave me out there to get devoured?” I called.

  The kitchen was deserted, and that just added to the realization that my friends had left me alone.

  Then Christy’s head appeared around the corner. She looked at me with large eyes. “Jackson, someone’s here,” she whispered.

  “Someone like a live person? Or someone like a dude drooling blood and looking for a free lunch?” I asked as I walked into the living room. “Can’t believe you all left me outside and asleep. What if a Z…”

  Joel shot me a flat look.

  “We just heard this guy, jeez, Jackson. You were only alone for a few seconds,” Christy said.

  “Guard the back door, man. Something’s up with this fool,” Joel said.

  “I was just back there and there’s no one out there.”

  “Dude. This guy might be a decoy while others move on our six. Grab a big gun and get ready for the worst.”

  I nodded and complied. If Joel was right, we needed to keep all entry points covered.

  Joel moved his AR to the high ready position and covered the front door while Anna slid around a corner. If someone came in blasting, they had the entryway covered from two positions.