Mountain Sickness: A Zombie Novel

by Frank Martin

  Although still keeping a fair distance between them, Nellie approached the large window as well, but looked through it with a small chuckle of pity. “What’s there to save? Just look at them, Christopher. Little by little their bodies and minds have been slowly fading away. They’re dying. There’s no cure for that.”

  The truth had already smacked him in the face, but the dense reality of the situation was still working its way through Chris’s mind. The force of it all was so thick it caused him to bury himself into his forearm as he fell against the glass. “I knew all the doctors on the mountain, too. I should've known she was lying.”

  “You wanted to believe in hope. There's nothing wrong with that.”

  Chris’s thoughts immediately brought him images of Sarah. But not of her laughing or smiling. All Chris could see was her beaten body lying in a pool of her own blood. And then a wave of guilt forced his eyes to move from the window over to Ryan’s mutilated corpse on the floor. “How could you do it then? Just kill someone you loved so much without a second thought.”

  “Because hope can only get you so far.”

  Realizing he’d come to the end of the road, Chris looked at the syringe one last time before letting it slide out of his hand. He watched it fall all the way to the floor before reaching into his jacket and pulling out the hand radio. He clicked the receiver and opened his mouth to speak but caught Nellie plainly staring at him with an odd expression. Her face was flat and dull of emotion. That’s when a series of puzzle pieces began to click in Chris’s mind.

  Slowly taking his hand away from his mouth, the patroller gave the radio one last look before turning his attention back to Nellie. “It doesn’t work, does it?”

  With the same blank expression remaining on her face, Nellie simply shook her head in a slow yet deliberate manner. Chris then deduced the rest of her plans as a follow up to his original question. “We’re not warning anybody. You’re just going to blow the village right here and now.”

  Although he couldn’t have known her intentions for sure, Chris’s words were in the form of a statement, not a question.

  But rather than confirm his suspicions, Nellie went right into explaining her actions. “Sooner or later, we’re all going to change into those monsters. No one’s immune to this thing. And if we don’t stop it here while it’s contained in this valley…” Nellie paused to take a deep sigh and then finished her sentence. “…it won’t be stopped at all.”

  With the sting of betrayal already getting to him, Chris squeezed hard on the detonator’s handle yet kept his finger off the trigger. “What makes you think I’m going to let you do this?”

  Nellie remained strong, though, and stayed perfectly relaxed in her position. Chris half expected the woman to lift her rifle but was taken by surprise when she spoke straight into his eyes with a motherly tone instead. “Because I can see it in your face. The pain. The loss. I’d recognize it anywhere. The despair that fuels us when hope runs out.”

  Chris wanted to be angry. He wanted to fight back. But Nellie’s words fit into his heart like a key, opening up a sea of emotional agony that’d been building since the day began. It was a connection that caused him to release the tense grip of anger around his body, allowing his shoulders to physically relax as he fell back onto his heels.

  Nellie saw the patroller finally lower his guard and moved in close by placing a compassionate hand on his shoulder. “It’s easy to regret the choices we’ve failed to make. To accept the guilt of letting down those we love. But that doesn’t make us weak. It makes us understand that sometimes the hard choices are the right ones…”

  With her hand still on his shoulder, Nellie held out her other one, asking for him to make his final decision, “…even when others refuse to see it.”

  He didn’t find absolution in her speech, but deep down, Chris knew this story never had a happy ending. He always pictured that his life would eventually work itself out. Regardless of how much he avoided the issue, he knew, just knew, that he and Sarah were destined to spend their lives together.

  But that didn’t matter now. All that mattered was the truth. And Nellie Sheridan saw it better than most.

  Chris lifted the detonator and looked at it one last time before placing it firmly into the old woman’s open hand. “You could've just shot me and taken it.”

  Without any pause or hesitation, Nellie’s finger released the safety from the device. “That was my backup plan.”

  And she squeezed the trigger.

  28

  It sure was a good night for the Apocalypse. Or at least, Scott Brooks thought so.

  Despite the raging storm that started off the day, the evening air was calm, clear, and still. Even though the Tomboy settlement was only a few hundred feet more above sea level, Scott noticed the stars shone brighter up here than down in the valley. It also might've had something to do with the fact that the majority of residents were out roaming the streets as zombies and weren't home to turn on their lights. Mountain Village, especially, glimmered as a faint light of its former self with only its streetlamps illuminating the mountainside.

  From a cliff overlooking the canyon, Scott stood alone and felt oddly content with the quiet. The scenic view was tranquil, serene, peaceful even. Which was strange given the violence the community had seen. The incessant moaning from the infected roaming the streets gradually faded as the truck made its way up the trail to the point where it couldn't be heard at all. The only thing that remained was an eerie silence, the calm before an explosive storm that would bury everything Scott saw before him in a pile of snow and ruined civilization. Everything except the settlement's original nineteenth century style wooden buildings behind him, which hadn't been touched since the last mining crew vanished during their shift over a century ago.

  Another minute passed before Scott could hear the soft crunch of footsteps approaching behind him. It seemed as if it was just one set of feet, but Scott didn't care enough to turn around. He was going to be annoyed regardless of who it was, so he continued to absorb the natural bliss in front of him for as long as he could.

  The footsteps slowly grew louder until they were finally interrupted by Beth’s annoyingly chirpy voice. “The fuses are all set, but Peter went to explore the mine. Can't imagine why, though. That's the last place I would want to be.”

  Scott, once again, didn’t bother to turn around, or even respond much at all. He just continued to stare out over the moonlit valley, even as Beth wrapped her arms around his neck and lovingly pressed her face against his back. “And now we're finally alone.”

  If Beth had been on the other side of him, she would’ve seen Scott’s clearly agitated face. His mouth curled up on the edge of becoming a sneer and stayed there until Beth pushed herself off him with sudden excitement. “Oh, I wanted to tell you! He approved the budget request.”

  Scott’s face morphed from annoyance to confusion. He turned around to face her with a raised eyebrow and quietly waited until she elaborated further. “I didn’t try to convince him. Just said exactly what Peter wanted to hear and he decided on his own.”

  Finally breaking his silence, Scott spoke with an irritated tone. “What are you talking about?”

  “The poor people building. He’s making the one you wanted him to. I did it just like you said.”

  With all that had happened over the course of the day, it took a moment for Scott to remember the assignment he’d given her. But when it finally came back to him, Scott was so surprised that he couldn’t help but laugh with a smile at the girl’s almost unbelievable idiocy. “Really? You’re bringing that up now?”

  Beth immediately realized she was being mocked, and her cheerful demeanor quickly shifted to a mixture of confusion and betrayal. “You’re not happy?”

  With agitation still bubbling under the surface, Scott threw his arms in the air as his anger fueled a sarcastic cackle. “The entire town turned into a bunch of homicidal maniacs! You think I care about a stupid, fucking buil
ding?!”

  Beth could obviously see how the conversation was turning and looked away as she took to the defensive. “You don’t need to yell.”

  Continuing his sarcasm, Scott spun around while bellowing his voice out over the valley. “Why not? Because there’s so many people around to hear us?”

  “Peter might.”

  In one swoop, Scott’s arrogant self became coldly serious as he held out his hand towards Beth. “Not for long. Give me the detonator.”

  But she just shook her head with a face verging on the cusp of fear. “I don’t have it. He took it in with him.”

  Scott lifted his extended hand into a shrug as he rolled his eyes in exaggerated disappointment. “Oh, wonderful. Another fantastic way you’ve pulled through for me.”

  Beth’s fear then faded, though, as she squinted her eyes to carefully examine the face in front of her. “Scott, baby, you don’t look so well.”

  But her concern was instantly overwhelmed by Scott’s escalating ferocity. He began to encircle her, like a predator stalking its prey. And she feebly retreated into herself with each repeated verbal assault more intense than the last. “How do I look then, huh? Like someone who’s just been chased around by murderous lunatics? Or maybe a victim of a plane crash, hmm? Perhaps a guy just frustrated because he’s been dealing with fucking morons. ALL. DAY. LONG!”

  He then stopped in front of Beth for a final insult just as her eyes began to swell with tears. “And you think I would be used to that last one by now. Considering that I have you in my life.”

  Beth tightened her face to prevent herself from overtly weeping, but she couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. She then lowered her head to shamefully hide her cries.

  Sensing her modesty as an opening for another attack, Scott gently placed his hands on Beth’s shoulders and spoke with a sarcastically caring voice to further berate her. “Awww. Did I hurt your feelings, Beth? Well, what did you think was going to happen? That we would get married and live in a mansion on the California coast? I’m sorry, but you’re a tool, sweetie. A means to get a job done. A job that’s pointless now. And you know what happens to a useless tool, right?”

  Beth looked up and her puffy eyes shone with a glimmer of beaten innocence. It was obvious that she hoped and prayed, even still, that Scott was playing some kind of joke. That his cruel words were nothing more than his way of lashing out. A desperate man taking his frustration out on the one closest to him.

  But if that were true, Scott wouldn’t have been disgusted by her hopeless feelings. He would’ve felt sorry for the misguided, love-struck girl before him. Or at the very least, pity the fact that she fell for such a cold, impassionate man.

  Instead, he only saved her the horror of hearing an answer to his rhetorical question by spinning around and tossing her off the side of the cliff.

  ***

  Peter saw nothing of any particular interest inside the mine. Not that he was planning to find anything but figured he might as well have a look anyway. People had most certainly been in there as recently as the day before, which was as likely a culprit for the outbreak as anything (meaning he still hadn't a clue as to what caused it). But even though the mine was sealed off for tourists, state officials and other workers had been in there before. If it was truly the source for whatever was causing this epidemic, then why now?

  The question gently buzzed around Peter's mind like an annoying gnat. But in the end, the why didn't matter. All that mattered was that if there was even a chance this mine was to blame for the destruction of his home, then it had to be destroyed.

  Neither he nor Beth had set explosives before but arming the charges was fairly simple. Also, it didn't hurt that he and his former assistant had already formed a working relationship. She was someone whom he trusted enough to literally place his life in her hands. Unlike their third companion.

  Not for a second did Peter think he was going to allow Scott Brooks to place dangerous charges in his vicinity. He still didn't know what the weasel was up to, but Peter was content to simply let Brooks hang around the abandoned settlement until the plan was in place. That was the only reason he still carried the detonator in his hand. Not that he thought the man would do anything as malicious as blow the mine up with him still inside. But Peter would be damned if he was going to let an egomaniac control the situation.

  Eventually, Peter realized his meandering around the darkened tunnels was a waste of time and decided to backtrack to the mine's entrance. With the detonator in one hand, he used the flashlight in his other to guide a way through the rugged, cave-like walls. Soon the mine's dirt floor showed glimpses of snow that had blown in from outside. The trail of white started to build up until Peter was distracted by a speck of moonlight growing in the distance. As he moved towards it, the speck gradually opened up to become the mine's entrance.

  But as he came closer, Peter also started to hear the faint echo of a yell rushing at him. Although Peter still couldn't make out the words, the booming voice grew louder with every step. The concerned village manager picked up his pace just as he entered a flood of moonlight peering into the mine. It was a trail of celestial glow that carried Peter outside just in time to see Scott spin around and toss Beth off the side of the settlement plateau.

  The unbelievable sight was accompanied by a scream of terror as Beth plummeted down the mountainside, and it wasn’t until the girl’s shrieking voice faded away that Peter was able to yell out to her murderer. "What did you just do?!"

  Refusing to move right away, Scott stood firm with his back to Peter as he answered succinctly. "Took care of a problem."

  The cold, callous remark hit Peter like a truck. His mind went blank, completely unable to respond. But the brief silence was shattered when Scott turned around while removing the handgun from his jacket. "And I'm about to take care of another one."

  Still standing in the mine’s entrance, Peter’s shock prevented him from even registering the gun pointed straight at him. Instead, he mumbled out a set of words to no one in particular, still struggling to accept that his assistant had just been murdered right in front of him. "You...you killed her."

  With the gun held out casually in his hand, Scott began to slowly walk forward through the snow. "She was a good lay and all but super high maintenance. Then again, you would know that, wouldn't you?"

  Although he had the detonator and flashlight in either hand, Peter’s attention kept reminding him of the handgun in his own jacket pocket. It was an inconspicuous tendency that Scott easily picked up on as he reached out and carefully took the weapon out himself. “Hold on there, Petey. Don’t want you hurting yourself now, do we?”

  Scott flicked his wrist, tossing the gun deep into the abandoned settlement. And Peter simply watched helplessly as he held his own occupied hands off to the side. "Why are you doing this?"

  Actually amazed by the question, Scott tilted his head to look at Peter with a surprised smile. “You really have to ask? We're standing before one of the greatest discoveries in the history of mankind. Do you have any idea how much something like this is worth? Billions. And you just want to blow it up?”

  Peter was just as shocked by Scott’s answer. But instead of surprise, Mr. Hayden had to refrain from showing his disgust. "Money? That's what this is about?"

  "Of course! This thing is literally a gold mine! Well, not literally. But you know what I mean."

  Peter was utterly appalled by the man’s uncompromising greed. He knew Scott Brooks was a shady character, at best. But never had he imagined such an immoral snake of a human being living next door to him. There was no way someone could be so recklessly stupid.

  And that’s when Peter noticed Scott wasn’t looking like his normal self. "You're sick."

  Brooks laughed off the assertion as a meaningless insult. "Why? Because I make the most of what's in front of me? That's what I do. I see an opportunity and take it. Anywhere and from anyone."

  But he didn’t realize
Peter’s statement was a literal observation on his physical appearance. "No. You're actually sick. Your face is pale. Your eyes are bloodshot. You're turning into one of them."

  The smile on Scott’s face slowly faded when the grave truth made its way into his mind. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “My own son attacked me. I think I do.”

  Scott shook his head in disbelief as a sudden despair began to take over. “No. No. No! This can’t be happening. I…I can’t be one of those things.”

  A part of Peter actually felt good about his rival’s doomed fate, but he wasn’t able to show it. Instead, all he could muster was a cheap taunt. “I guess even assholes aren't immune.”

  Ignoring the insult, Scott’s hand shook as he pushed the gun further into Peter’s face. “Give me the cure.”

  Watching the barrel wave around in front of his eyes, Peter quickly deduced the situation wasn’t working in his favor. It was bad enough when Scott just wanted to kill him as a normal person, but now the regular lunatic was going to become a bloodthirsty one. He could give him the cure, but then he would still be left alone with a murderer. Either way, Peter had to do something.

  And then he realized that he had yet to see a zombie use a gun. At some point, Scott would have to ditch it during the heat of his transformation. That would be the moment for Peter to strike.

  If he were to survive, he had to throw his attacker off guard. Agitate him so that he would get lost between the man he is and the monster he would become.

  And right now, that meant frustrating the shit out of him by playing dumb. “What cure?”

  “The one from the doctor. It’s in one of your pockets.”

  Peter stupidly tried to grab the syringe while still holding the flashlight and detonator. “But my hands are full.”

  “Then drop something.”

  “Like what? The detonator? But then the mine could blow.”