Zombie Battle 5: Survive

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Nice plan. Good plan,” Jack said with a swipe his hand across his face. “But North Carolina is a big fucking state. Where do you propose we start?”

  “Anywhere but here. The more time we spend here, the more distance we put between us.”

  Jack agreed, both facially and with a slight nod of his head. He had to get it together; he had to get back into the mental game. He was overwhelmed with worry and fear. It was a big state and a big country and north only that, it was filled with virus stricken victims who moved viciously without reason hell bent on killing.

  His wife was out there.

  He had to find her.

  Where did they go?

  <><><><>

  Caldwell County, North Carolina

  Steve was a lot of things. A soldier with the rank of Captain, an Army virologist, a pretty decent brother and a heck of a fisherman. But he never considered himself a hero.

  He did things because of the human value. Just like he went AWOL over the Peruvian boy. A six year old boy named Juan who had been infected, reanimated after death and was gentle, harmless, unlike the others. When the death order came for Juan, Steve couldn’t bear it and he took off with the child. He headed to his brother’s fortress.

  He wasn’t a hero.

  Yet, the last thing he remembered was laying on the back seat of the SUV, a blood rushing sound in his ears, his body engulfed in a stinging pain, and the blurry vision of Irma holding little Jerry, peering back at him.

  She said. “You are a hero. As God is my witness, I will always remember what you did. You saved us. You saved us. Hold on?”

  Hold on? Why?

  He had been bit. Not once, but numerous times, probably too many to count.

  The rats had infested the fortress. Dead rats, reanimated. They moved with vengeance, fearless and fast. Thousands of rats descended upon them and Steve did the only thing he could think of. Get Irma, the baby and Lil in the safe room and to do so, became the human decoy.

  The rats blanketed him. There were so many, it felt like a sack of concrete. It took everything he had to take a step.

  Each rat upon his body bit him and gnawed at him. He could feel their teeth sink into his flesh and pull.

  But something happened. The grace of God, perhaps. When he stepped outside, the rats pulled from him and ran for the house. As if he weren’t good enough and they wanted what was in the house and had no desire to be outside.

  Bleeding and injured, Steve rushed to the already packed SUV and drove from the fortress to the area of the escape route.

  It wasn’t a far walk. The area was clear of animals and rats. Of course it was, every rodent and beast in the area wanted the fortress.

  The tunnel wasn’t an easy venture, his skin pulled and hurt, but he trudged on. He had to get to Irma, Lil and little Jerry.

  He got to the ladder and climbed. The hatch wouldn’t budge. What seemed like fifteen minutes, in realty was only a few seconds.

  The hatch opened. They realized he was there.

  The looks, the looks of relief and happiness of their faces. Steve would never forget that. Nor would he forget Irma, so motherly looking back at him.

  Then he passed out.

  He didn’t know for how long.

  But his awakening wasn’t rude, it was painful. Like someone threw acid on him, Steve felt a wet stinging sweep over his body and he ejected upward with a scream.

  Click.

  He faced the barrel of a revolver.

  “Don’t shoot …” He breathed out and looked a Lil. “I’m alive. Check the eyes before you do that to anyone.”

  “Just being cautious,” Lil said, putting her revolver behind her waist. “Lay back down, I have to finish cleaning these wounds.”

  “Why bother.”

  “Because.”

  “Because why? I’m gonna die and become one of them.”

  “We don’t know that. We don’t know if animals transfer the virus.” Lil brought a cloth to Steve’s face.

  Weakly he reached up and grabbed her hand. “I’m a doctor. A virologist. It transfers.”

  “You know this how?” Lil asked. “Theory or test.”

  “Theory.”

  “Keep theorizing, I’ll keep cleaning these wounds.”

  Still sitting up, Steve looked forward and saw the SUV and Irma.

  “Is he ok?” Irma asked, calling from the smallest opening in the widow.

  “Yeah,” Lil hollered. “Almost done. Keep looking for those things.”

  “Something is on the radio. I’ll listen.”

  “Be there in a minute.” Lil examined Steve. “I think I have them all cleaned. You aren’t bleeding anymore. Some of these are bad. I can’t even think about stitching them until we go somewhere.”

  “Don’t bother.”

  “Shut up.” Lil reached for his arm. “Stand, please.”

  “Lil, just leave me here, Ok. I’m serious. Why are you doing this?” Steve asked.

  “Aside from you being Garrick’s brother? You saved our lives. You saved us.” Lil stared with seriousness at him. “I can’t forget that. And you’d do the same.”

  “There’s a child in that car. Don’t put me in that car with a child.”

  “You’ll be in the back seat. I’ll put a bullet in you if you turn. Trust me, Irma will watch.” She held on to his arm and led him to the SUV. “But I’m not giving up, Steve. Not yet. We don’t know.” She opened the back door.

  Steve slid inside. “I’m sorry, Irma. I told her to leave me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Steven. I don’t want her to leave you,” Irma said. “Neither does Jerry. You’re gonna be just fine. My husband has been with the CDC long enough. I know. Some things mutate in animals. We don’t know what this will do to you. I’m not giving up.”

  “See.” Lil said and shut the door. She got into the driver’s seat. “What’s going on, Irma?”

  “The radio. There was an announcement. I caught the end. It will repeat. Right now …” She turned up the volume and a low hum played. “They’re off the air.”

  “What did they say?” Lil asked.

  “I caught only the end. They were naming islands off the coast. They said something about transport.”

  Lil nodded. “Bet me they’re securing islands. They clear any infected, they’re safe.”

  “Is that where we go?” Irma asked.

  “No. We have to find Jack. Saul’s in Cleveland right?”

  Steve moaned out an ‘no’ from the back seat. “Cleveland is too far. Too much to go through with this outbreak. Head for the coast. Try to find a radio on the way or a phone. At the least, it’s a few hours to the coast. Closer than Cleveland. If they’re moving people, they have communications. If they have communication, Saul is the easiest person to reach. He’s working on the cure.”

  Lil looked back at him. “But Jack will be looking. Saul is waiting.”

  “Closest safety first. There’s a lot of small towns on the way, you know that. We’ll get in touch with them. We will.” Steve waved out his hand. “Drive. Go. East.” He plopped backwards as the vehicle moved. He felt ill, really ill. But felt better knowing they were headed to the coast. Especially if rescue efforts were engaged there. Cleveland really was too far. A shorter travel time meant less of a chance of Steve turning into one of those things before Lil and Irma could get to safety.

  Chapter Five

  London, England

  Lucille was beside herself. Her stomach knotted and she couldn’t shake the feeling of doom. She couldn’t stop thinking about those across the pond and how there wasn’t a single source of news or communications.

  Her military experts said they were picking up chatter, but no one was in command. She needed to hear something; she needed something to take to the UN counsel to stop them from initiating the burn out of North America.

  The Satellite still clearly showed that even though DC was hit with a nuclear weapon, the dead still rose.

  Burning ou
t America wouldn’t do anything. They had to try to save it.

  But without communication or speaking to someone in authority, Lucille was at a loss as to what to propose, what to do and most importantly why.

  It was only sixty hours until that day.

  She had to come up with something beforehand.

  Sleep wouldn’t come easy, she knew it. Downy Street, London for that matter was quiet. The curfew was in effect. It helped to keep everyone off of the streets and if there was an infected, they’d be easier to spot.

  But last Lucille heard, the situation was under control. No new infected reported.

  She tried to clear her mind by cooking. Non essential workers were told to stay home from work, and the woman that cooked for Lucille was off and with her family.

  Lucille’s teenage daughter wanted sausages and potatoes. Easy enough and Lucille prepared a plate for her daughter.

  The teenager hadn’t left her room, blocked off her windows and hoarded water and food, despite the fact that Lucille told her she was safe.

  As Lucille approached the bedroom door she heard voices, almost chatter, people talking and not like a news show.

  After knocking once, Lucille opened the door, announcing, “I have food’, and paused when she saw her daughter staring intently at the computer screen.

  “I didn’t hear you,” Liza said. “Thank you for dinner.”

  “My God, what are you watching?” Lucille asked, stepping in. The entire computer screen was cross sectioned. Divided by twelve and each square had a different person in it, speaking into a camera, apparently the one on their computer.

  “This is a stream, a live stream program. You log on, and the host of the video party, gives permission. But there were so many requesting permission, only twelve can join in. It’s like a video chat for groups.” Liza explained.

  “Are these your friends?”

  Liza giggled. “No. This guy here.” She pointed. “Is Ren Ryan the actor. He does a live blog twice a day about the plague in America. All these people are reporting from across the United States. This guy here …” she indicated to another. “He’s in Florida. Said everyone is going to the gulf or to the keys, whatever that means. He said nothing has hit his town, but Georgia is in the black. That means it’s half dead.”

  Lucille peered closer. “Is there any way you can save this?”

  “The chat? No.”

  Lucille grunted. “This picture on your screen is amazing. It tells so much. I want to capture this moment.”

  “Oh that, it’s easy.” She clicked a key. “I just did a print screen and I’ll import it and make an image for you. Will that work?”

  “Very much so. Please take notes on what they say, any areas you hear about.”

  “Mother you are welcome to join and listen.”

  Lucille nodded slowly. “You know what? I will.” She pulled up a chair.

  “Why is this so important to you?”

  “Because we haven’t heard from the US in days.”

  “Really?” Liza tilted her head. “Because this hasn’t stopped.”

  “This is what I need. I need to show the world that they can’t give up on the United States. It does more than tell the story. This …makes it real. It makes it human.” Lucille pointed to the screen. “It puts a face to the why.”

  Chapter Six

  Cleveland, OH

  “Not there,” Powers placed down the printed sheet of paper in front of Saul. “Look for yourself. I visually checked and then ran it through. There is no sign of infection in the blood.”

  “Why is my hand so weak and stiff? It pulls and often twitches,” Saul held up his hand.

  “Your white blood count is up a little. Could be infection, Human bites carry the worst infections. Could also be nerve damage. It is not, however, the Peruvian Death.”

  “Peruvian Death. That’s what we’re calling it now.”

  “PD, yes.” Powers answered. “The cure works. It really does. We shipped out a hundred doses.”

  “Unfortunately, we don’t know how many of those were used as an inoculation.”

  “Speaking of inoculation. I was in the lab. What about Lewis?”

  Before answering, Saul reflected. Lewis. He volunteered. He asked for a bullet. The serum didn’t work as an inoculation. It transformed him physically and mentally. An hour after the transformation occurred, just after Lewis asked to be released to fight the undead, and right after Stilton told Saul about injecting others, Lewis transformed again.

  He was mad. Mad in a mindset way. When Saul returned, the window was bloody as were the walls. Intense pain caused Lewis to bang his head, pull at his own skin.

  Stage one was injection, two was transformation, three was the intensity. Saul didn’t want to know the next phase.

  “God help me,” Lewis cried out. “I can’t take the pain. My body feels on fire!” his words were muddled through a swollen mouth and restricted breathing.

  “I’m sorry,” Saul told him.

  Upon his apologies, Lewis raged for Saul. But Saul apologized not for what Lewis was going through, but for what he was about to do.

  He shot him.

  One single shot with a silencer on the weapon.

  A shot to the head … just in case.

  After thinking about the incident that occurred not twenty minutes earlier, Saul sighed and conveyed to Powers. “He passed on.”

  “So this is good. Maybe those who received the serum as an inoculation won’t be a threat?”

  “Maybe.” Saul answered. But he knew better. He shook his head. “I’m sorry; I’m just not in my right frame of mind,”

  “Worried about Irma?” Powers asked.

  “Absolutely. But I trust Jack Edwards. If he said he’s looking, then he is looking and he’ll find them. Hopefully …” Saul looked at his watch. “I’ll hear soon. He said he was doing one more circle around, and then he and Garrick were going on the road. The pilot has to return. They want to do air drops and our chopper pilots are few.” His head lifted at the sound of a baby. “Must be Dodds.”

  Then the door opened.

  Dodds walked in. Instead of holding the baby he sported a front holder carrier.

  “What is it with you and that child?” Powers asked. “Is it an emotional thing?”

  “It’s an “I gave my word’ thing. An exchange,” Dodds said. “Jack gave me his word he’d get my students. And it appears the Chinook is going to head there. So I gave him my word I’d watch this child.”

  “Jack is a good man.” Saul said. “Are you alright? Do you need any help?”

  “I’m good. I’m just concerned. I need to find a way to get this child to Jack or somewhere safe. Because it won’t be long before we aren’t safe here.”

  Saul looked at him then Powers. “I thought Cleveland was secure.”

  “It was safe,” Powers replied. “I told you that. But I also said I didn’t know for how long. Dodds, what do you know?”

  “Stilton left. He took three of my pellets. For a drop on the blockades. They said things are worse and the experimental inoculation didn’t help. Taking three of my weapons doesn’t leave many left. But the whole thing is pointless, really. There’s not enough to take out the cities that are over run or enough to take out all of the infected and there certainly isn’t time to make enough.”

  Powers nodded. “Like the cure. We have one. But we don’t have the manpower or ability to create enough to save everyone. Plus, too many will be bit before we can get to them in time.”

  “Time is our only option,” Saul stated. “I said it before. These aren’t mystical, paranormal or demonic creatures, they are human beings. Biological beings that will break down. Eventually they will decompose to the point they aren’t a threat. Weather conditions will play into that as well. If we could just get word to people to hunker down, wait it out, eventually the threat will be nonviable as the germ is not airborne.”

  Dodds asked. “How long?”

 
“It’s almost summer,” Saul answered. “Weeks.”

  Powers shook his head. “I disagree. Weeks for the ones bit today. But keep in mind, every time a person gets bit, the clock resets. Our option is to abandon ship and let it die out, no pun intended to the undead. Perhaps use the weapon in the densely hit areas to give some sort of help. But move survivors to a safe place.”

  Dodds suggested, “Maybe even create enough cure to get to these safe places. Can we resource it out to other countries? They have it under control, last I heard. The US was infected with the germ when our soldiers and scientists returned from Peru. They weren’t infected maybe but if we get the cure to them they can produce it.”

  Saul had listened to the plan, they both had good ideas. But the number one problem was, it had been days since anything was really on the radio. Days since anyone stepped forward to take charge and organize. They didn’t have the resources or ability to move a large plan into action. They were just three men with a weapon, a cure and an infant.

  Three men, in Saul’s opinion, who would do better to focus on getting out of Cleveland, just in case all hell really did break loose.

  Chapter Seven

  Chesapeake Bay, VA

  Lance was stripped, showered, disinfected, showered again and debriefed all while sloshing down two cups of really bad coffee.

  “We have no way of knowing, sir,” responded a younger colonel to the question of ‘how many are out there uninfected?’

  “Any word from Klein or Powers with the CDC.” He had followed the colonel past a check point where people were given a once over for infection. A long line of refugees extended from the check-in point to the ferry that brought them.

  “Negative. We lost communication. We are getting radio contact up and running and believe they’ve rigged communication up there in Cleveland.” He motioned his hand in an outward point to a school house and opened the door, leading Lance down a hall.