Z Plan (Book 2): Red Tides

by Lerma, Mikhail

  “What do you think we’ll do about them?” asked Lauren.

  “Hmm?” Ben didn’t fully understand the question.

  “The other group, what do you think we’ll do?” she asked.

  “Well, what can we do? It’s not like we can go to war with them,” Ben explained. “We’ll be competing with them for resources, though.”

  “Maybe we could come to a truce,” Lauren pondered out loud.

  “Yeah. That’ll most likely be the plan.” Ben speculated. “Neither side has the resources to wipe the other out.”

  Just as Ben finished his sentence, they heard a loud cracking noise. The two quickly turned, to find that an infected had been following them. He’d gotten hung up on a tree branch, and had just pulled it off to continue his pursuit.

  “Get behind me!” Ben ordered, preparing to use his hunting rifle as a club.

  Lauren ignored him and readied her hatchet for the attack. The creature snarled and lunged at her. Lauren sidestepped the ghoul and swung the hatchet as hard as she could. The blade impacted horizontally across the bridge of his nose, causing the top half of his skull to flop back a few inches as he fell back to the ground. Using two hands, Lauren pulled the weapon from her target’s face. The thing gargled and twitched.

  “I told you to get behind me,” said Ben, angrily.

  “I got it,” Lauren said as she wiped her hatchet off on some of the surrounding foliage.

  Lauren liked her hatchet. It wasn’t too heavy, but at the same time it wasn’t so short that she’d potentially get her hands filthy. The idea of getting blood or brains on herself made her squeamish.

  “Where do you think he came from?” she asked Ben.

  They looked at the creature for any detail that might identify him. He wore dark green pants and a hunter’s woodland camouflage shirt. He didn’t look drastically decayed and had probably been dead for only a few days.

  “He’s fresh,” Ben observed, “Probably from the encampment.”

  They looked around to see if there were any more undead lurking about. The forest was quiet, save for the natural sounds of wildlife.

  “We should keep moving,” said Ben.

  “Agreed,” Lauren replied, as she put her hatchet back into the holster on her left hip. On her right, she kept the revolver. They had agreed that firearms would only be used in extreme emergencies, and there was no need to alert the other camp that they were being watched. As well, they didn’t want to draw the attention of any nearby infected.

  “You want to take point?” asked Ben.

  “Sure,” Lauren said, smiling.

  She led the way to Preston as Ben followed. It made her feel good to know that Ben trusted her enough to lead them back. Ben’s motives, however, weren’t as noble. He occasionally stared at the shape of her ass as she navigated the dense shrubbery, her blue jeans hugging her shape nicely. She wore a tight fitting olive green T-shirt, and even if she were going the wrong way, he’d still follow her. Fortunately, she knew where she was going, and stopped only a couple of times to rest. They came to the road that would take them right into Preston. Ben moved up to walk alongside her. Already the light was beginning to fail as dusk set in.

  “We’d better hurry it up,” Ben encouraged, quickening his pace. “Don’t want to be out here in the dark.”

  “Right,” replied Lauren as she matched his pace.

  Soon they were at a slow jog. As darkness began to settle upon them, Lauren couldn’t help but imagine infected wandering the tree line, watching them run by, and it gave her goose bumps.

  “Just a little further,” Ben told her, as they passed the town’s welcome sign.

  They entered the town on the north side. The post office was only a block and a half away. The general store was on the southwest side of town, and was five or six blocks away. When they reached the ladder to the roof of the post office, Ben motioned for Lauren to go first. He made sure the area was safe, as she made her way up. Once she reached the top, he followed.

  “Over here,” Lauren whispered to him, once he’d reached the roof.

  She found a ladder that had been lowered through a skylight. Ben joined her at the opening and peered in. It was too dark to see whatever might be below.

  “After you,” Lauren joked.

  Ben smiled back. “I’ve actually got something for this.”

  He took off his backpack, and rummaged through it until he produced a package. He tore it open, revealing a chemstick. Ben bent it in half, and once it cracked he shook it, and the stick began to glow yellow. He let the chemstick drop into the opening, where it landed on a checkered tile floor with papers scattered about it.

  “Is anyone down there?” he asked softly.

  There was no reply. Ben took note that he couldn’t smell anything rotting.

  “Hello?” he whispered.

  Again no answer.

  “I’m coming down,” he warned.

  Ben carefully worked his way down each rung, until he was standing on one of the loose papers. He opened up another chemstick.

  “Just wait,” he whispered up to Lauren.

  “Okay,” she whispered back.

  Ben used the new stick as a light to guide him through the dark building. He was in the front lobby, where the windows and doors had been boarded up from the outside. Shelves and chairs had been pushed up against the door and the windows as a precaution. The layer of dust on the floor confirmed that no one had been there for a long time. He walked behind the counter, checking the floor as he went. The shelf space that had once held packages and envelopes was empty. There was a pile of ash in the center of the floor where someone had built a fire, and above it another skylight had been broken out to vent the smoke. Against the wall, there was a pile of boxes that had been broken down. They’d make excellent kindling to keep them warm.

  A blue door that read ‘RESTROOM’ occupied the back wall. Another door was unmarked, and Ben tried the handle, but it was locked. He poked his head into the restroom and found it empty. He investigated the opposite wall, and across from the restroom he found one more door; this one was painted blue. He turned the knob, and slowly opened it. It was a storeroom. Baskets of letters that would never be delivered were perched on shelving throughout the area.

  “Hello?” he whispered.

  When he received no answer, he moved back to the yellow chemstick on the floor.

  “Come on down,” he said to Lauren, still waiting at the top of the ladder.

  Ben held it in place as Lauren climbed down.

  “It’s spooky down here,” she observed.

  “Once we build a fire it won’t be so bad,” he smiled.

  “A fire?” asked Lauren.

  Ben pointed to the ashes on the floor a few feet away, “Yeah. The skylight vents the smoke out,” he informed her.

  “Cool,” she replied.

  Ben went to work building a fire, and Lauren unpacked their sleeping bags.

  “What are you making for dinner?” joked Ben as he tore up some cardboard.

  “Lemme see,” Lauren went along with the joke as she unrolled the second sleeping bag.

  She grabbed a can from her bag and held it closely to the chemstick.

  “Looks like we’ll be sharing a can of baked beans,” she teased, and shook the can.

  “Sounds romantic,” Ben added.

  “Very,” replied Lauren.

  “You know,” he started, as he searched his bag for matches, “I hear beans are an aphrodisiac.”

  “Right,” Lauren laughed.

  Soon the fire was roaring, and its light filled the room. Ben discovered a stack of wood sitting in the corner. There were a few sticks and twigs, but it was made up mostly of broken up furniture.

  “Oh wow,” Lauren exclaimed. “Look at the walls.”

  Ben hadn’t seen it with only the light of the chemstick, but people had left messages on the wall.

  ‘Jared was here.’ ‘So was Trenton.’ ‘When there is no more roo
m in Hell, the dead shall walk the Earth –Romero.’ ‘Chris, I took Raven to hide at the old campground –Love Tiffany.’ ‘Is anyone else excited that this finally happened? –Jereck.’ ‘Denver belongs to the dead.’

  The walls were packed with personal messages, left by people letting loved ones know where they’d gone. Ben looked up from stoking the fire. Lauren was running her hand over the wall.

  “It’s kind of sad,” she said.

  “What is?” asked Ben.

  “Some of these messages will never reach those they were intended for,” Lauren explained.

  “That’s why it’s dumb,” he said flatly.

  “It’s not dumb,” objected Lauren. “It gives them hope. It’s just sad that some of them won’t ever be read.”

  Ben went back to tending the fire. He wasn’t sure what to say to her. She stayed at the wall a while longer, before she joined him again. In her hands she had a can opener and the can of baked beans.

  “Here,” he offered to take them.

  She handed them over, and he placed the can directly into the fire.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Letting it heat up,” he explained, “We could eat them cold, but I prefer them warm.”

  “They’ll get too hot. How are you going to get it out of the fire?” asked Lauren.

  “Hadn’t really thought about that,” laughed Ben.

  He waited a few seconds then reached into the fire and attempted to pull the can out.

  “Fuck!” he exclaimed.

  Lauren laughed at his misfortune. On the second attempt, he managed to roll the can out of the fire.

  “There, see,” he said. “That wasn’t so bad.”

  Ben rubbed his arm a second and checked for a burn.

  “You going to be alright?” she asked.

  “I’ll survive,” replied Ben as he rubbed his arm.

  Lauren giggled at him again and opened the can.

  “Dinner is served,” Lauren said, producing a plastic spoon.

  The two of them took turns using the spoon, as the contents of the can diminished.

  “What foods do you miss the most?” inquired Ben.

  “I don’t know,” Lauren thought for a moment, and said, “spaghetti.”

  Ben laughed.

  “Apple pie a la mode,” she followed up.

  “Oh my God,” Ben rolled his head back. “That sounds fucking amazing right now.”

  “I know, right?” replied Lauren.

  The two of them laughed.

  “You know what I miss?” he asked.

  Lauren shook her head as she swallowed another mouth full of beans.

  “Movie theatre popcorn,” answered Ben.

  “With butter!” Lauren added.

  “Of course!” he stated.

  “And sour gummy worms!” Lauren began to reminisce about all of her favorite junk foods.

  Ben stared at her as she laughed at every memory of her favorite foods.

  “The breadsticks they give you at Olive Garden,” said Lauren.

  “I’ve actually never eaten there,” confessed Ben.

  “What?” Lauren was shocked. “We’ll have to fix that.”

  She’d spoken without thinking.

  “I think the ship might have sailed on that one,” Ben laughed.

  They burst into laughter but grew solemn as the direness of their situation sank in. Lauren stared into the flames. Ben moved from his side of the fire and sat next to her. He too gazed into the blaze.

  “You think the world will ever be normal again?” she asked, starry eyed.

  Ben looked at her. The orange glow of the fire made her skin appear smooth, and her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but there was a strand that hung loose on her forehead. He wasn’t sure why, but that one strand always drove him crazy, crazy in a good way. It was part of her sex appeal. Lauren broke free of the hold the fire had on her and looked at Ben. His face was only inches from her own.

  “I don’t think so,” he admitted, “but I kind of like this new world.”

  Lauren just looked at him. His eye color was obscured in the orange glow. Ben leaned in and kissed her. Lauren quickly recoiled.

  “Don’t,” she said, and turned again to look at the fire.

  “Lauren…” he started.

  “Don’t,” Lauren repeated.

  Ben stared at her, anger bubbling to the surface.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “I’m married,” she answered.

  “No, you’re not,” he replied sharply.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I don’t see how you can still be hung up on him,” Ben confessed.

  “He’s my husband,” Lauren answered.

  “Yeah, he’s the husband who abandoned you. He just up and left you with a child and didn’t care if you were taken care of or not. He just left,” Ben accused angrily.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied.

  “Since he’s been gone, who’s been there for you?” he asked, “Who’s made sure you were safe? Who saved you when the army fell apart at the camp ground?”

  Lauren didn’t like how he said the word ‘army’ so maliciously.

  “Who risked his life to get you and Marie out of the storage facility?” he continued on his rant, “Who made sure you had a nice place to sleep? Food to eat? Who the fuck made sure you were safe when those fucks attacked us?”

  Lauren couldn’t say anything to him. She was in shock.

  “It sure as fuck wasn’t Cale!” he yelled.

  There was that hate again.

  “Don’t you know I loved you the moment I saw you? When Cale came to see you during class, I knew you were too good for him. He didn’t deserve you. He could never fully appreciate you like I can!” Ben shouted.

  His face looked completely different now.

  “Don’t,” Lauren managed to say.

  “Shut up!” he screamed. “You know, I’m sick of playing nice. I don’t want to wait patiently for you to come around to the truth.”

  “And what’s that?” she asked angrily.

  “You’re supposed to be with me!”

  Lauren laughed at his conclusion.

  “You don’t even know everything I’ve done for you!” Ben informed her.

  Lauren was at a loss for words.

  “Cale’s little friend Andy tried to get in the way, and I killed him,” he confessed.

  Tears filled her eyes.

  “That slut Julie came on to me, even though I told her I loved you. And you know what that little bitch said?” he asked.

  She was paralyzed with fear now.

  “She said you’d never love me! So I fucking killed her. Then I let the Zs in. That’s how much I fucking love you.”

  “That’s…that’s not love,” Lauren choked.

  “What the fuck do you know? You wouldn’t know love if it was right in front of you, which it is! I’d been teaching Marie to call me Daddy for weeks, and when she finally did, you told her not to,” Ben confessed.

  “Get…get away from me,” Lauren stammered, as she crawled back and away from him, “Stay away from me and my little girl!”

  “You’re going to be with me Lauren,” he hissed. “I fucking swear to God!”

  He crawled after her.

  “Don’t!” she screamed.

  “I’ve waited long enough,” he snarled. “It’s time I was rewarded for my commitment.”

  Ben unbuckled his pants and forced himself onto her. Lauren began kicking and screaming.

  “Stop fighting!” he demanded.

  His free hand groped at her, while his other hand pushed hers away. She continued to scream.

  “Shh,” he whispered.

  He squeezed her breast.

  “You’re hurting me!” she pleaded, “Stop! Please stop!”

  He continued his assault, and despite her struggles, he managed to remove her pants and underwear.

  “Please don’
t,” she whispered in between sobs.

  She attempted to kick him off, but he caught her with a left hook to the head, and then slammed his forearm into her throat. She couldn’t breathe. Lauren felt him try to enter her. She clawed at his arm, but he ignored the pain. As her vision narrowed and dimmed, she reached out for anything that might help her. Ben was so preoccupied with trying to rape her that he didn’t notice when she grabbed the handle of her revolver. The first shot went into the ceiling. It startled him, and he jumped to a sitting position. He didn’t look at all like the man Lauren thought she knew. This was a primal, totally visceral version of Ben. She emptied what ammunition was left into his chest. Ben fell on top of her, and she scrambled out from under him.

  “I love you,” he choked out, his eyes totally baffled.

  He coughed up a stream of blood, and stared at her until he quit breathing, his eyes slowly drifting closed. Lauren lay half-dressed on the floor, trying to process what had just happened. Once the initial shock wore off, she erupted into tears. Her moment of release was short lived, however, as the undead began beating on the walls of the boarded up building. Lauren pulled her clothing back on, and hurriedly packed her bag before stamping out the fire. The moans, growing louder by the minute, could mean only one thing. The infected were gathering outside, and there would be no way to escape.

  44.

  Better Than He Deserved

  Lauren fought to organize her thoughts. The bruise on the right side of her face throbbed, and the noise the undead made muddled her ability to think straight. She felt claustrophobic, and swiftly climbed up the ladder onto the roof. She walked to the edge, where, just a few feet below her, the undead pushed against the barricades. The moonlight revealed the packed street. Lauren pushed away the urge to panic, and forced herself to concentrate. If she climbed down the side of the building, they’d surely see her. Her only chance would be to either draw them in or to distract them.

  She left her bag on the roof next to the ladder to the street, and then climbed back down into the post office. She grabbed Ben’s hunting rifle, and emptied his bag onto the floor. He’d carried most of the survival gear, and she’d carried the food and water. She grabbed the remaining chemsticks and crammed them into her pocket, then, moving supplies around, she gathered the items she needed on the roof, for the moment when she would make her move. She went back inside and started to remove the obstructions to the boarded up building, clearing a path for the undead to move once they got in. When the majority of the way had been cleared, she pulled out her hatchet. Her heart thumped as she prepared to complete her plan.