Outbreak: The Zombie Chronicles

by Mark Clodi;Mike Keleman

  Trish answered, "Like a government, I want to be the judicial branch. Nancy you get to be president. Julie?"

  "I don't know, this is happening too fast. Do I have to be anything? Can't I just choose later?"

  "Now is not a good time to sit on the sidelines Julie." responded Veronica, "You better chose a force and grab your area of power now, before it is too late."

  Still Julie hmmed and hawed around, she could not make a decision, finally Veronica said, "Okay fine, I will take you as an administrator in the 'army', you want to be in charge of recruitment? Training? We'll figure it out later, now we have to see if Nancy is going to remain the 'president' and what to do with our Benedict Arnold here."

  "Remain the president? Oh of course I am! I mean who better to lead our nation back to greatness? I can do this V, you know I can and you are right, even dumbfuck over there is right, it was just a matter of time. I mean I couldn't expect to keep a lid on you girls forever. I still think we should off Jimbo though, he is too much of a risk and has already proven he can be treacherous." said Nancy, not quite whining, but something in her voice led Jimbo to believe she was aiming for a concession, like if she didn't get to kill him now, maybe she could do so later, or maybe it was something else.

  "No Nancy you still don't get it. We are going to need treachery and the only reason he did what he did was because you were such a bitch. Do you think we like running around hungry with half our brains working? Hell no! You drove him to it and if you don't see that you really are not good for us. My only reason for even considering staying around is that you are ruthless enough to get the job done. You also seem to have a goal: Eliminate your enemies and gain power. For what? I don't know, but it is better than running into the Dave's of the world and getting fucked over when they are more powerful than we are. I want you to think longer term than that. I will be a commander of your, our, military forces I will hold considerable power to balance you. We need Jimbo, he is not optional. But do we need you?"

  "Fuck you drive a hard bargain, you love this don't you, having me over a barrel? You would not be talking to me like this if I hadn't wasted all my efforts protecting you from Fred and Jimbo. No! Don't even start it, I know you need me to change and if we can work together I will. You get your Jimbo." She spat in his direction. "But I get to lead us and until someone comes up with another plan we still follow my lead."

  "Fine" said Veronica, "I can live with that, Jimbo teaches me first, then Trish, then Julie, you last, I don't want you backing out after you get your strength back."

  Nancy looked at her with disgust, then chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, okay. You got me covered don't you? You do know I always intended you to be my right hand woman don't you? And I meant what I said, they would have been my generals anyway, I suppose this is worth the price of not having to wait until the next time one of you pull a 'Jimbo' on me."

  Veronica turned back to Jimbo, "You can get up now, you good with this? No one killing you again, you teaching us and leading up our spy services? You will have to keep us fed by finding humans, keep us safe by making sure we don't fight other zombie gangs too strong for us to take on and pretty much do everything else we ask. Otherwise just say the word and walk away now. If we see you again we will kill you, like anyone else who is not with us."

  "Uh, when you put it that way, it seems less appealing. I think it could work Veronica and if you can keep Nancy working with me instead of bossing me around you can count me in." He turned to look at Nancy, "You are a grade 'A' bitch, but I could work on your side."

  "Thanks Jimbo." Nancy said sarcastically, "I love you too."

  "I think the first order of business, for our security, is to find who started this mess. I mean Fred didn't, and I kind of doubt the guy who bit Fred started it either. Who is the head guy or gal? And where are they, we need information and I am going to make tracking that person down my all time second priority after doing the other things you mentioned: Food, teaching, short term security, intelligence work." said Jimbo. "We need to figure out a growth strategy too, how many, how soon, do we accept volunteers or must everyone we take on be our 'children'? We need to do this pronto, before we are overwhelmed by the humans striking back or some other gang wiping us out. I saw what happened when you girls ate Fred, you gained something, like eating a normal human only more so, that means our smartest and most developed will be targets for other smart zombies. We need a base of operations too, where do we make our hideout or fortress of solitude?"

  "Good questions Jimbo and a good start. Nancy?" said Veronica.

  Grudgingly Nancy replied, "Yeah, okay things I had not considered, but the situation is rapidly changing. Look around here, have the suburbs been good? Sure they have, but half or more of the houses are abandoned right now, no one there to eat. I think we need to move to a different suburb at the very least, if not to another city altogether, does anyone know if the Springs has been infected? No? Yeah I have to admit I have not been watching FOX News much lately either. Instinctively I would say move to Aurora or out east into the sprawl, but that might not be a good move. Everyone will think the same way, north east is pretty much a huge population center too, so the same rule applies, so I have another idea." When no one asked or replied to her Nancy continued, "Lets go look up Max, Arvada is a smaller suburb, maybe there will not be so many people there and even if Max did not survive, well he had a wife and kids, so we could get a couple recruits out of the deal, assuming she was smart enough to lay low. If Arvada was picked clean we head further west into Golden or up the interstate seventy corridor, eating our way west, or maybe we head to a ski town, smaller population but big enough for our shorter term needs and how many zombies will think the same way? Hopefully fewer than head south or north along the front range. Any comments?"

  Jimbo raised his hands, "Just one, it sounds good - better than my thought of 'hunting for our maker' anyway, but how do we find Max's house?"

  Smiling Nancy pulled out a pad of paper and waved it in front of Jimbo's face, "See? They left it when they fled MAC Co., it has their addresses on it, Max's is the last one. If they are lucky they will survive to walk into an ambush, if we can get there first."

  Chapter 41

  Max woke early in the morning to noise from the front of the clinic. He hurt all along his stomach, a burning itch he could not scratch, the noise persisted and he swung himself off the examine table and padded out the door in his boxers, grabbing a bat that had been left thoughtfully by the door.

  As he reached he main doors of the clinic he saw one of the younger men in armor finishing off a zombie with his ax, a big hulking ugly ax. The young man saw Max and whistled out to an unseen companion, a woman Max did not know, they both said to Max at the same time, "Are you okay? Should you be up?" The stereo effect was humorous and they both blushed and looked at each other before letting out short, nervous laughs.

  "Yeah, yeah I am fine, how are things out here?"

  The man answered, "Good, they rush at us once in awhile, but they are pretty easy to fight off, none of the smart ones come close now, since we shot a couple of them." Max noticed the large revolver he had found was in the kid's waistband. "Our biggest concern is that the smarter ones will find guns, if they do that we could all be screwed, which is why we try and stay in the foyer here, just in case."

  "Where are Stewart and Steve at?"

  The man gestured into the clinic, "First door on the left, past the reception area."

  "Thanks." Max turned and walked past the reception area and knocked on the first door to the left. A moan came from the room and Max quickly let himself in, he barged in on Steve and Tom half waking up from their spots on the floor and Stewart, laying on the exam table fumbling for her gun, then stopping when she saw Max.

  "Good morning Max. Are you supposed to be up?" said Stewart with a yawn in her voice.

  "Well they took out my I.V. and no one told me to stay in bed, I heard some fighting and went out to see what was up. Who are the kids
in the armor, the one with the ax?"

  "Oh those guys, good kids, good men and women and kids I mean, they have a couple younger ones with bows and bats too, little sister. The guy with the ax is probably Michael, I gave him your revolver to keep watch with, I think Whitney is on with him right now, we served our 'watch' last night around eight to midnight. They all helped us get into the clinic, saved our asses if you want to know the truth, they got one guy, Jacob, in real bad shape, they got his legs, the zombies, bit him all up. They needed to get into the clinic too, real bad, when we made our run they watched to see what would happened, and helped out when they could. With arrows Max, you know how hard it is to hit anyone in the head with a fucking arrow? Anyway Michael says they practiced for years in competition with this role playing society or something, the rest of them had the armor and weapons from their parents' involvement and I know Michael made the ax he is using, a 'real' weapon he calls it, though it is damn ugly if you ask me. Still it is pretty tough, it hasn't broken and it goes through skulls better than a bat. Look at me, babbling. How are you feeling?"

  "Good, I suppose, my gut aches though, really bad. I have to be careful not to twist around much or the nurse told me the stitches will bust and they gave me anti-biotics to keep from getting infected. Where is the doc and nurse Beth?"

  "Dunno, sleeping if they are smart. Is it about five? Yeah enough sleep in this new age of undead walking the earth."

  "So what is the plan now? Hit Steve's and then your place before heading to my house?"

  Stewart raised her eyebrows, Steve was back laying down, sleeping and Tom was looking like he was ready to bed down again too. Stewart gestured for Max to step back outside the office and they moved into the reception area to talk.

  "You were out for awhile, Steve shot out the tire on the squad car, we replaced it with a tire off one of the cars in the street, not a great fit, but the thing drives. Anyway you know we went to the store to get you clothing, nice boxers by the way, we also managed to get to Steve's apartment and back yesterday afternoon too. The roads are shitty, all filled with broken down cars, almost impassible. I still do not have radio or phone contact with the station, but get this Max, there is a radio station up and running. They guy has been going on for help for quite awhile and he is still on, so we know, or we think anyway that he is not a zombie, yet. There have been a few 'good old boys' who have rushed the building, but, wait, you'll hear."

  Stewart turned to a radio that was sitting on the reception area counter and turned it on. She adjusted the volume slightly until Max could hear a voice, saying, "This is a recorded message, as of last night I was alive and well, but I need to get some sleep, hidden away as best I can be. I am locked in my station and need help, I am not a zombie, but you have to be careful; some of the zombies have learned to talk and act like living people. I am hoping that some group of people can break in and get me out of here or help me defend the building. The address is..." and the voice gave an address of a building out in Aurora.

  "Good! Word is getting out at least!" Max shifted around uncomfortably in his boxers. Stewart looked at him and said, "Hey we have power, why don't you go get dressed and I will make us some coffee? Don't turn on any lights though, use this," she handed him a small keychain light, "we think they are attracted to light and I don't need Michael and Whitney getting overran."

  Max readily agreed and quickly went to get dressed, he found a cup of water next to his clothing and note with a small envelope on top of his clothes. The note read, "For pain, take 1-2 pills as needed up to 8 pills a day. Addictive, don't abuse them!" Max thought his pain was of the 'two pill' variety and opening the envelope he found about thirty caplets inside, he quickly swallowed two of them with the water and gingerly pulled on some pants and a shirt. He attempted to pull on some socks, but just could not do the bending required to do so. Instead he saw that someone had set out some closed black crocs next to his old shoes, he slid these onto his feet and walked back out to the coffee that Stewart had since brewed.

  "That smells good! I want the biggest cup you have! Anything to go with it?"

  Stewart turned and gestured towards the reception counter, where Max saw she had set a package of jumbo muffins. He suddenly realized how hungry he was. A little girl came out from the hallway and Max tensed up, until he saw she was yawning and trying to shake off sleep, something that did not go well with his image of a zombie child.

  She saw Max and he was able to watch her go through the exact same phase as he did, apparently he passed the 'Not a Zombie' recognition pattern in her brain as she did not even bring her bat up into a defensive posture, just smiled a little smile at him and helped herself to a muffin.

  "Hi Jane!" she said. Leaving Max wondering who the hell she was talking to, then he remembered Stewart's first name was Jane.

  "Hiya Kiddo! Get any sleep?" replied Stewart.

  "Yeah, woke up when they were fighting again though, anything to drink?"

  "Sure we have coffee or there is milk or Sunny D in the fridge."

  "Coffee?! Blech!" said the child making a disgusted face then turning to go back around to wherever the fridge was.

  "Hey" Stewart called after her, "Bring the cream out for us, would ya?"

  "Sure thing." The girl called over her shoulder.

  "That's Lauren, she is Whitney's sister, the girl keeping watch out front. Here." said Stewart handing Max a small white foam coffee cup.

  Max raised his eyebrows at the cup, "That is as large as you have? I would hate to see the small size." Taking a sip though he was surprised at how good the coffee was.

  Lauren returned with a cup of orange drink and a carton of heavy cream, handing it to Stewart she turned to Max sticking out her hand, "Hi I am Lauren."

  Max shook her hand and said, "I am Max, pleased to meet you."

  Formal she replied, "Likewise Max. Are you going to be okay?"

  "Yeah, I think so, the doc has me all fixed anyway. Are you okay?"

  "Me? Nothing happened to me! I am fine." replied Lauren, who then turned towards her muffin and juice with the hunger of the youth at breakfast.

  Stewart laughed. "Yeah she's fine Max. So you up to moving today? We have a plan, while we were moving around yesterday, I think we can get to your place this morning, to gather up your wife and kids."

  Max looked at her a second then nodded and said, "Hold that thought, Stewart." He went rushing back to his 'room' and grabbed his phone off the charger, he saw that there had been three unanswered calls from home, nervously he dialed his wife's cell phone number. "C'mon! C'mon!"

  After six rings he was shunted to her voice mail, he hung up counted to fifteen and dialed again. Six more rings, nothing, he went out to the waiting room where Stewart was...waiting.

  "No answer Stewart, no answer."

  "You don't know what that means Max, hell they could still be asleep, right? It doesn't matter though we are heading that way anyway, that is what we agreed on, right?" said Stewart.

  Max tried his phone again. No answer. "Shit. Yeah, I am ready to go as soon as we can all get together and go."

  Lauren looked at Max with sad eyes and moved over and gave him a small hug, whispering, "It'll be okay." Before moving back to whatever room she came from in the clinic.

  "What does that mean? 'All get together', it is just the original foursome Max, the others are not coming with us."

  "What? What do you mean? Of course they have to come with us. They are only kids, plus the Doc and nurse Beth, strength in numbers, right?"

  "No Max, they want to stay here, the clinic has few windows and the ones it has are very high up on the walls, plus only two outside doors and the back door is steel, they have some medical supplies and more at the pharmacy across the street and they are not too far from two convenience stores and a grocery store, not to mention the clothing stores we got our new duds from. Hell there is even a warehouse store about eight blocks away. They want to stay and we cannot force them to come along with
us. Plus another two straggled in last night, a man and a woman, there is room here for about thirty or forty people. We were thinking we might come back here after getting your family today."

  "Here? But I thought, well I thought, I don't know what I thought, head to the mountains maybe? Or just away, when you mentioned the radio station maybe we would go there. Are you sure we can get through to my house today, you said this morning, but you also said the roads are a mess so how do we get to my house?"

  "Well yesterday we stopped in at Starbucks to do a little 'shopping' and Tom tried out his laptop, the wireless was still up and we googled your house to get a map so we could plan, he took a screen shot of it and we noticed the light rail line, they have a stop about three blocks from here and there is a line that runs nine blocks away from your house in Arvada, we checked it out and we can drive the car on the rails, slow, but we can do it and I bet it is clear the whole way, even going twenty mph we should be there in less than two hours, right?"

  "Whoa, I guess I have to revise my feelings about Tom making such a big deal about getting his laptop. You sure got a lot done while I was out."

  "Yeah, you seem to hold us back Max." Stewart said with mild sarcasm in her voice, "Seriously if you had been awake you would have had to deal with all of our usual bickering when it comes to making a decision. The only flaw in the plan, so far as I can see, is will we have to take two vehicles when we come back?"