The Z-Day Trilogy (Book 1): Zombie Park

by Mark Cusco Ailes

  The professor couldn’t believe how close he had just come to being devoured by his own wife. He regretted not having disposed of her when he had the chance. He was thankful the general had intervened when he did. She could have put a bloody end to his legacy. He looked at her bloodied corpse and shuttered. He was fortunate to be alive.

  Chapter Thirty

  The park was at a full swing. A long line had formed in front of the park with costume-clad patrons eagerly waiting for it to open. Music was being played by conductor John Williams over the loud speakers. It set the mood for the costume party happening at the park that night.

  Chloe and Ben were at the Innovation Center checking in. She was wearing her engagement ring and showing it off to everybody who took notice of it. She was proud to be wearing it. She was especially proud to hear she would be getting married at the park and in front of her shark. Nothing could be more special than a ceremony at the park. Wedding ideas were churning around in her head. She left the Innovation Center with Ben, and they made their way toward the Aquatics building. She took his hand and led him to the botanical gardens. It was her second favorite place to visit. She sat on a bench in front of some roses and imagined sitting there with her wedding dress. She imagined the fresh air, the sunny day, and being married to Ben. There was nothing more she wanted in life. She would soon have everything she had strived for. Her face was beaming with excitement. There was nothing that could ever stand in her way of happiness.

  “Thank you,” she said, looking at him.

  “Thank you for what?”

  “Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world. Thank you for the ring, thank you for having our wedding here, thank you…thank you for being you.”

  He reached over to the roses and picked one and handed it to her. “And thank you for taking a chance on me.”

  They kissed.

  “We better get to the shark. She’s going to be mad at me for being late.”

  Ben laughed. “I truly believe the shark does love you. She does act as though she knows you.”

  “I hope so. I certainly do spend a lot of time with her.”

  “We both love you.”

  “I appreciate all the love.”

  Donnie Jorsen and Luke Anderson sat in the parking lot, both donning zombie costumes. Donnie was busy concealing a handgun under his costume and Luke was concealing a couple of blades. They knew several of their supporters were already inside the park dressed as clowns and ready to spring into action as soon as the costume party got into full swing that evening. Right now they should be in the park doing surveillance. Each one had a specific point in the park they would be responsible for. Some of them would be responsible for setting some of the animals free at specific times. Donnie looked at the image of himself in the rearview mirror. He looked like an abomination. He stole a glance toward Luke.

  “Are you ready for this? Once you go inside the park, there is no turning back. I’m going to be counting on you to do your part.”

  “Don’t worry about me, Donnie. After all, I did dress as a zombie like you wanted me to.”

  “I just don’t want you changing your mind at the last minute. The plan won’t work without you doing your part.”

  Luke glared at him. “I’m not going to change my mind. I want to ruin this park as much as you do. Everything about this park screams unnatural. I want to put a stop to all of this.”

  “Good,” said Donnie, opening his truck door. “Once inside, we’ll split up like we planned. Start freeing the animals at eight tonight. Everyone else will be doing the same. I’ll handle the zombies. I know how to handle them if any of them tries to attack me.”

  “What do you want me to do in the meantime? We still have several hours to wait.”

  “Blend in like you belong. Eat a burger, ride a ride, scope out the zoo. Do whatever you have to do to look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

  They got out of the truck and made their way over to the long line. The park was going to be open in ten minutes.

  Mr. Forenstein was already there with his wife and son. Billy was wearing his favorite pair of pajamas as planned and carrying his favorite teddy bear. The first place he wanted to visit was the zoo. He didn’t care which animal he went to first; he just wanted to be a part of the action. Mr. Forenstein kissed his family and sent them on their way and went inside the Innovation Center. He met up with General Poe who was overseeing the decorating.

  “They’re not done decorating yet? We’re getting ready to open,” he said, looking at the general.

  “Relax, these things take time. Look around the place. I spared no expense on the decorating. This is going to be the best costume party the world has ever seen.”

  Mr. Forenstein looked around. “I can tell a great deal of money has been spent on the party. Did we spend all of our petty cash?”

  “Don’t worry. I didn’t use any of our petty cash. The mayor paid for some of this and the government the rest.”

  “What does Mayor Johnson want in return?”

  “I promised him he will be allowed to campaign at the party. I’ve reserved twenty minutes for him to give his campaign speech.”

  “Of course you did. I’m sure Mayor Johnson is going to get reelected.”

  General Poe led him outside. “We need him to get reelected. We will never have a problem with our park being here while he’s the mayor. We have to do whatever is necessary to help him win.”

  Mr. Forenstein knew he was right. With Mayor Johnson in charge of Valparaiso, it would guarantee continued success for the park. “Should we go make our rounds? I want to make sure everybody is ready for our special day. I wonder how many people will dress like zombies.”

  “I’m sure most of the visitors will dress like the zombies. It could confuse our zombies.”

  Mr. Forenstein laughed. “Imagine our zombies being confused about seeing other people dressed like them. That would be a sight to see.”

  “Speaking of people dressed like zombies, we need to keep our eyes open today. With everybody dressed in costumes, we won’t be able to tell who they are. We don’t need any trouble from PETZ today. If they are going to cause us any trouble, today would be the perfect day to do so.”

  Mr. Forenstein hadn’t thought about the possibility of that happening. He looked around him as a precaution. “This could be a problem. We need to make sure security is especially watchful today.”

  “I’ll handle that. You go ahead with the walkthrough. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Mr. Forenstein continued without the general. He made his way over to the zoo where he knew his family was visiting. It didn’t take him long to find them at the wolf den. Billy saw him and ran over to him.

  “Are you going to join us now?”

  “I’m afraid not, Billy. I have to finish walking the park to make sure everything is ready. The park should be letting people in by now. Stay close to your mother and don’t cause her any trouble.”

  “Daddy, you know I won’t cause mommy any trouble.”

  Mr. Forenstein smiled. “I know you won’t.” He left his family and continued his walkthrough.

  Donnie and Luke finally made it inside the park, and as planned, they separated and headed in opposite directions. Donnie wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He had much to consider before going through with his plans. Would he have ample time to get out of the park? Would there be a stampede from the crowds trying to get out of the park? Would he have any trouble with the zombies he released? It was a lot of crucial scenarios to consider. He didn’t care what happened to Luke as long as he completed his mission. He would rather he died during his part so he wasn’t left living with him underground. Luke bothered him. He acted more like a child than he did a man. He knew Luke wouldn’t offer any real help defending their bunker when it came down to it. He only wanted people around him he could count on. Luke would be like having an infant around, receiving supplies he didn’t earn or deserve. He knew Luke couldn’
t survive. He would have to deal with him if he showed up at the bunker.

  He made his way to the zombie exhibits and watched from a distance as park goers swarmed to the glass separating them from the flesh-eating monsters. It amazed him how people were compelled to visit things that could rip them to shreds. He didn’t understand the roles zoos played in the world. Why would you want to protect the things that would eat you if given the chance? Given that zoos did keep certain species from going extinct, why would you want to make zombies for people’s enjoyment? He stared as the crowds grew larger around the zombies. He could see the zombies attacking the glass, trying hard to get at the morons who came to see them. He chuckled. Go ahead and enjoy your zombies. Soon I’m going to let you experience them firsthand. It’s what you want, anyway. To experience what it’s like to be ripped apart by one of them. He couldn’t watch any more. He decided it was time to see where all the guards were posted around the park. Taking most of them out was crucial for his plan to succeed.

  Professor Hollman couldn’t understand why the cure hadn’t worked. All the equations looked solid, and every variable was calculated. There had to be a factor he hadn’t accounted for. He frantically went through the numbers hoping something would rear its ugly head informing him he had made a critical error, but nothing did. He wondered if time was a factor he needed to consider. Perhaps Kathy had been a zombie too long for the serum to be completely effective. If this was the case, then he needed to make the serum stronger to account for time. He thought about what General Poe had told him. He had to keep everything that had happened to Kathy a secret. He had no choice but to find the solution to the problem. He was relieved to know nobody would ever hear about his failure. It would tarnish his reputation for years to come. He continued to stare at his work until he noticed something. How could I have missed this? This will make all the difference in the world. He shook his head in disbelief. It wasn’t time he didn’t factor, it was age. Age was something he needed to factor in with the equation. He knew it was significant enough to have negative results. He smiled. All he needed to do was make the necessary adjustment and test it on another zombie. If he had the desired result, he knew the failure with Kathy would be forgotten.

  General Poe personally walked the fence surrounding the park with three of his soldiers. He was looking for anything suspicious. He wasn’t taking anything for granted when it came to the security of the park. So far, everything seemed normal. All the security cameras pointed at the fence were functioning, and he couldn’t find any flaws in the system. He turned to one of the soldiers.

  “I want you to continue to walk the fence line and report anything suspicious. Even if you see a rabbit staring at the fence, I want you to report it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “The rest of you follow me. We’re going to the zombie pens. If we’re going to have a breach of security, it’s going to happen there.”

  He led them to the zombie holding area and told them to spread out. “I want you to watch for anybody who seems out of place. Pay attention especially to people dressed as zombies. If I were here to cause trouble, it’s how I would dress.”

  The two soldiers walked amongst the visitors, looking at all the ones dressed as zombies. They counted over thirty standing in front of the exhibit. If any of them were there to start trouble, they wouldn’t be able to spot them. It was going to be a lost cause unless one of them stood out from the others.

  Donnie watched as one of the soldiers walked amongst the crowd, obviously looking for somebody. He wondered if their plan had been found out and if they were searching for him, or perhaps they were paying closer attention because most of the people were dressed in costumes. Either way, he knew he would have to make sure he blended in so he didn’t raise any unnecessary attention to himself. He was confident his plan was going to be a complete success.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The party was at full swing. A rock band had been hired to provide music, and the people on the dance floor were swarming like a hive of bees. It was a little after seven in the evening and General Poe was satisfied nothing was going to happen at the park. He let himself relax a bit so he could enjoy the surrounding festivities. He watched as Mr. Forenstein and his family entered the room. Without hesitation, he sauntered over to greet them.

  “It appears our party is a great success,” he said, trying a few dance moves.

  Mr. Forenstein stared at him and laughed. “General Poe, is something wrong with your hips?”

  “I’m not as good a dancer as I used to be. When I was much younger, I used to cut up the dance floor. People used to come to see me dance.”

  “I don’t believe a word you’re saying.”

  “No, it’s true. I was a great dancer.”

  Mr. Forenstein laughed. “I was referring to you being younger. How many centuries ago was that?”

  “You can make all the jokes you want, but mark my words, one day you’ll be as old as I am. Now if you will excuse me, I see Mayor Johnson at the buffet table. I think I will go mingle with our guest of honor.”

  Mr. Forenstein turned to his wife. “Would you care to dance?”

  “I can’t, Robert, we have Billy with us. Isn’t there a place for the kids to hang out?”

  “I almost forgot. The rides are operating for the kids right now. I also know there are several clowns in the park giving out free balloons and providing entertainment. Would you like to go ride some of the rides, Billy?”

  “I’d rather go to the zoo.”

  “Of course you would,” said Mrs. Forenstein. “Why don’t we give your mother a break from the zoo and check out the amusement park. You can play some of the games and win some prizes. How does that sound for a change? And your mother will get you some more popcorn.”

  “And ice cream,” said Billy excitedly. “I want chocolate ice cream–with sprinkles.”

  “With sprinkles. Anything you want just to keep us from going back to the zoo.”

  “And hot fudge.”

  “You better get him out of here before he wants us to buy the ice cream store,” joked Mr. Forenstein.

  “Don’t you already own the ice cream store?” asked Billy, looking at him and smiling.

  “I was making a joke, Billy. Now go along with your mother. You both can meet me here at eleven. I don’t have to stay for the cleanup.”

  “That’s nearly four more hours of him asking for food. Where does he put it all? I’ll see you back here at eleven. I hope I can stay awake that long.” She kissed him goodbye and left with Billy.

  Billy avoided the first clown he saw. He wasn’t passing out any balloons like his father said he would. Instead, he was fixated on his wristwatch like he was waiting for something. He saw a little girl approach the clown, but he shooed her away.

  “Mommy, that clown was mean to the little girl over there.”

  She had also seen what the clown had done. She knew she would have to say something to her husband about it. “He might be on his break, son. Clowns get tired just like the rest of us.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  “You never are, son. Come on; let’s go get you your popcorn and sit down and take a break.”

  “Mommy, are you tired?”

  “My feet are. Remember, I’ve been on them all day.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be, it’s not your fault.”

  She stole a glance toward the clown once again. He was standing there checking his wristwatch again. He seemed odd to her, but didn’t all clowns? She ushered her son away to the nearest popcorn cart.

  Donnie checked his watch. It was nearly eight. He had already made his way back to the zombie exhibit and watched as the two guards who were there earlier take a smoke break. It was the perfect distraction he needed to catch them off guard. They were standing behind one of the buildings. He knew if he approached them from behind, he could take them both out before anybody witnessed it. A black curtain of hate fell over his graveyard e
yes. Hate was an ugly thing, and on him, doubly so. He produced his gun and held it like a security blanket and snatched a silencer from his pocket. He brought them together like a marriage forged in hell and charged the soldiers, firing several shots in procession. The soldier’s bodies lay dead, blood-splattered and broken. The carnage was complete. Now he had to concentrate on releasing the zombies. A door leading inside one of the buildings opened, and another soldier appeared, oblivious to him. He fired another shot striking the soldier between his eyes. The hole the shot produced was a fast-flowing sea of fatal red. He slumped to the ground, blocking the door from closing. Donnie made haste for the door and jumped over the fallen patriot.

  He found himself in a long, brightly lit hallway leading to a metal door straight ahead. He knew he needed a key to unlock the exhibits to free the man-made monstrosities. Fearing there could be more soldiers lurking behind the door, he cautiously made his way down the hall, keeping the muzzle of the gun transfixed on it.

  The door opened without any resistance, and he found himself peering into a large storage area with cages. Inside each cage were several zombies who stared at him with soulless eyes. He moved past them until he came to a parrot roosting in a cage. It looked as though death had joined with it. It watched his every move until it opened its mouth and uttered, “Death comes tonight.”

  Donnie brought his index finger to his lips to silence the bird. “I will set you free as soon as I clear the building.”

  “Death comes tonight.”

  He moved past the cage and entered through another door leading into a large lab. A man in a white lab coat was tossing a stack of papers onto the floor and slammed his forehead with his hand. Donnie stood there pointing his gun toward him. The man sensed his presence and turned to face him.