Z

by Michael Thomas Ford

  The other two zombies—an old woman with gray hair and a boy in a scouting uniform—were trying to get up the stairs to where Finnegan was standing. He aimed his flamethrower at them and pulled the trigger. The two z’s burst into flame, but Charlie had to dive sideways to avoid being hit as well. When she came up she was sputtering.

  “Finnegan, you idiot!” she yelled as the flaming zombies swirled around her.

  The man who had attacked Josh was back on his feet. This time Josh did flame him, but even on fire he kept coming. In fact, the three z’s had somehow managed to get between the four Torchers and the tunnel door.

  “This way!” Finnegan yelled, sloshing through the water toward the opposite door.

  The four of them made it into the next section of tunnel as the burning zombies stumbled after them. One of them—the scout—fell into the water, causing a cloud of hissing steam to rise around him. The other two continued on, moaning.

  “Out of the way!” Charlie shouted, pulling on the lever sticking from the hatch-door control box.

  Nothing happened. Charlie pulled again. There was a grinding sound, as if the gears were trying to work, but still the door didn’t budge.

  “Keep going,” Bess ordered, turning and heading further into the tunnel.

  “What about the z’s?” Josh asked as they jogged along.

  “They’ll burn out,” said Bess. “Don’t worry about them. Worry about the ones we can’t see.”

  “It’s like they were herding us,” said Charlie. “Like they’d set a trap to get us to go this way.”

  “Please,” Finnegan sneered. “They’re not that smart. They’re not any kind of smart.”

  “Then who shut the hatch door?” Charlie snapped back.

  “It was an accident,” said Finnegan.

  “Whatever it was, we can’t go back that way,” Bess reminded them. “We’ll have to use one of the escape shafts.”

  “We’ve never done that,” said Charlie.

  “There’s a first time for everything,” Bess said, grinning.

  Josh’s head ached. His sense of smell had grown stronger, and the odors of rusting steel, stagnant water, and now the stench of the burning zombies filled his nose. His heart was beating more quickly, and there was a ringing in his ears.

  They burst into the third chamber, which was empty like the first.

  “I don’t like this,” said Finnegan as they waded through the room. “I really don’t like this. We should go back.”

  “Not until we complete the mission,” Bess insisted. “There’s one more chamber and then the final part of the tunnel. Then we’re out of here.”

  They were halfway down the fourth length of tunnel when they heard the grating of metal on metal behind them. Finnegan, turning around, shone his light into the darkness. The beam illuminated a shut hatch door.

  Finnegan ran toward the door. “Who did that?” he shouted.

  “Finnegan! Get back here!” Bess’s voice was forceful, but Josh sensed fear in it as well.

  Finnegan stopped and stared at the hatch door for a moment before going to the control lever and pulling it. Nothing happened. When Finnegan turned around, his face was a mask of panic.

  “Now do you think they aren’t smart enough?” Charlie asked.

  Finnegan walked back to them, shaking his head. “No,” he said. “There’s no way. They can’t do this.”

  Josh heard himself laugh. “What are you guys afraid of?” he said. “They’re just cybots. You’re acting like they’re really trying to kill us.”

  For a moment he thought he saw Finnegan and Bess exchange a look, then Bess was all business. “Josh is right. But we still want to complete the mission. The fourth flood chamber is up ahead. We’ll sweep it, check out the tunnel beyond it, and finish up. I’m sure Clatter set this all up to test us. Nobody panic, all right?”

  Charlie and Finnegan nodded. Josh laughed again. Despite the situation, he felt powerful. Or was he laughing at the others because he was thinking like a z? He didn’t know, and he didn’t care. He was having a great time.

  They kept moving. In the fourth chamber they found a single zombie. Dressed in overalls, it was just wandering around holding a wrench in its hand. Charlie torched it without any trouble.

  As they headed up the steps to the final length of tunnel, Finnegan stopped. “Maybe one of us should wait here,” he said.

  Josh turned around. “Why?”

  “The hatch got shut after we left the chamber,” Finnegan reminded him. “If one of us stays here, we can at least make sure no one messes with it from this side.”

  “That’s a good point,” Bess agreed. “You stay here. The three of us will go on.”

  “He’s afraid,” Josh said to Charlie as they walked into the tunnel.

  Charlie nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t make fun of him,” she said, but Josh heard her giggle.

  “Oh no!” Josh said, imitating Finnegan’s voice. “A zombie! Seamus, help me!”

  Again Charlie giggled, but this time Bess turned around and shushed them. “Keep it down,” she ordered. “You never know when—”

  A sudden rumbling interrupted her. The tunnel shook slightly, making the water slosh from side to side.

  “The main line!” Charlie yelped. “It’s filling up!”

  “Go!” said Bess, pushing them. “Back to the flood chamber!”

  Josh stumbled as he tried to run through the water. It seemed to be pulling at him, holding him back. Behind him he heard a low growling.

  “The water is coming,” said Charlie. “Hurry!”

  They reached the chamber, where they found Finnegan standing on the steps. “Is it the main?” he asked.

  “Get the hatch shut!” Bess barked. “That will stop it.”

  Finnegan grabbed the lever and pulled. It broke off in his hand, leaving just a stub of metal. He looked at it helplessly. Josh ran over and pushed him out of the way. Grabbing the short length of metal, he pulled as hard as he could. The jagged end of the broken lever cut into his palm, and blood ran down his wrist. The lever didn’t move.

  “There’s no time,” said Bess. “And we can’t get back to the third chamber. We have to go up.”

  As she spoke, more water surged in through the tunnel. Finnegan let out a frightened squeak and ran for the ladder affixed to the wall beside the open hatch door. He dropped his flamethrower and started climbing, ignoring the rest of them. Josh watched his head disappear into the hole in the ceiling.

  “Does he know where he’s going?” he asked Bess.

  “None of us do,” Bess said. “Just go. We’ll figure it out.”

  Josh waited for Charlie to start up the ladder, then motioned for Bess to follow her. Bess shook her head. “I’m the team leader,” she said. “I go last. And don’t argue. We don’t have time.”

  Josh looked at the water, which was rising more quickly than he thought it would. Already the steps were covered, and even as he watched it rose another inch.

  He slung his flamethrower over his shoulder and started up the ladder, ignoring the pain in his wounded hand. Ahead of him Charlie was passing through the hole in the ceiling. Josh wondered what was waiting for them there.

  He found out a moment later when he emerged into a small space. Instead of going up further, as he’d expected it to, the ladder ended there, and another tunnel continued off to the left. Charlie was moving through it on her hands and knees.

  Josh heard Bess come up behind him. “What’s the holdup?” she shouted. “This place is about to turn into a swimming pool.”

  Josh moved as quickly as he could, sliding into the tunnel. He heard Bess start to follow him. Then she yelped in surprise.

  “A z has me!” she called to Josh.

  Unable to turn around in the tunnel, Josh bowed his head and tried to look through his legs. He saw Bess’s startled face for a moment, illuminated by the light of her flamethrower. Then she was pulled backward.

  “Josh!” she cried.<
br />
  Josh heard the mumbled moaning of a z. It was dragging Bess back to the hole in the ceiling.

  “Kick!” Josh shouted.

  “I’m trying!” Bess shouted back. “It won’t let go!”

  Josh didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t turn around. He couldn’t maneuver his flamethrower in the small space. Even if he could get to it, he couldn’t shoot past Bess.

  He could hear Bess ramming her foot into the z. She was also shouting at it to let go. Josh looked ahead. Somewhere in the darkness Charlie and Finnegan were still crawling. Calling to them wouldn’t help, though—they couldn’t turn around either.

  It was up to him.

  Just as he was trying to formulate a plan he felt something wet against his knees. Water, he thought vaguely. Water is coming in.

  Behind him Bess choked. Then she screamed. “It bit me!” she yelled.

  The water was coming in more quickly now. Josh realized that the flood chamber must have filled up and the water was being forced into the tunnel. But surely someone must know they were trapped in there, and would somehow reroute the water. They wouldn’t just be allowed to die.

  “Josh! Go!” Bess called out. She choked again. “My body will block some of the water, but not for long.”

  “I’m not just leaving you here!” Josh yelled.

  “I’m bit,” said Bess, her voice softer now. “Just leave me.”

  “It’s a game!” Josh said, becoming more frantic as the water rose past his hands. “The bite doesn’t matter. But if you don’t move now, you’re going to drown.”

  “Josh, listen to me.” Bess’s voice was eerily calm. “I’m the squad leader, and I’m telling you to go.”

  Josh started to argue, but something in Bess’s voice told him not to. Besides, his survival instinct was screaming at him to move. “I’ll get help,” he told Bess. “We’ll be back.”

  He crawled forward as quickly as he could. The rough metal scraped his palms raw, and he could feel the water rising quickly. It was almost up to his chest now, and in another minute or two he wouldn’t be able to breathe. He tried not to think about Bess. It’s going to be all right, he told himself, repeating it over and over as he scrambled through the black tunnel.

  The tunnel seemed to go on forever. Then it opened up into a square shaft maybe three feet on each side. The shaft rose straight up, a ladder attached to one wall. Above him Josh saw a tiny point of light.

  “Charlie?” he yelled. “Charlie, is that you?”

  “Josh!” Charlie’s voice echoed down the shaft. “Hurry! There’s a tunnel up here that we think leads back to the surface.”

  The water pouring into the shaft was filling it up quickly. Josh grabbed the ladder and started climbing, staying just a few steps ahead of the water. When he reached the top, he saw Charlie.

  “Come on!” Charlie yelled, grabbing his hand. “Where’s Bess?”

  Josh shook his head. Charlie froze, horror crossing her face. Then Finnegan yelled at them to hurry, and she moved. Josh followed as they ran through yet another tunnel, this one built out of brick.

  “How do you know this takes us back to the surface?” Josh asked as they ran.

  “There was a diagram on the wall back there,” said Finnegan. “Right up here should be a set of stairs.”

  Moments later the stairs came into view. But blocking them was a z, a big man whose muscled body was bleeding from multiple wounds, as if he’d been tearing at his own skin. Seeing the three Torchers, he lurched toward them.

  Barely thinking, Josh rushed at the zombie, tackling him and pushing him against the wall.

  “Josh!” Charlie shouted. “The blood! Don’t touch it! Your hands are cut!”

  Who cares about fake blood? Josh thought as he fought the zombie, who was thrashing his head from side to side and trying to bite Josh’s face.

  He saw Finnegan run by him and up the stairs. Charlie was next. As she passed Josh, she grabbed his arm and pulled. “Come on!” she said.

  Josh was staring into the zombie’s rheumy eyes. It was gnashing its teeth, or what was left of them, and its tongue was lolling from its mouth. Blood and spittle flecked its chin. It was disgusting, but for some reason Josh couldn’t stop looking at it. His brain slowed down, as if he and the zombie were thinking the same thoughts.

  Then Charlie yanked hard on his arm and tore him away. She practically dragged him up the first dozen steps before pushing him behind her and raising her flamethrower. Josh watched as she shot a blast of fire at the z, which was trying to climb the stairs after them. Charlie kept the flame burning for longer than usual, and when she released the trigger, the zombie’s skin was blackened, falling to the stone steps in bloody chunks.

  “That’s for Bess,” Charlie whispered. Then she turned around and took Josh’s hand, and they started to climb.

  15

  The tap on his shoulder startled Josh. He jumped and opened his eyes. Emily was standing beside his bed, looking at him curiously. Josh removed the headset he was wearing and turned it off.

  “Sorry,” Emily said. “I knocked, but you didn’t hear me. What are you listening to?”

  “Crystal Static,” said Josh. “What do you want?”

  Emily frowned. “What’s your problem?” she asked. “You’ve been grumpy ever since you got home. Did one of the homeless people make fun of your clothes or something?”

  “You know how Mondays can be,” Josh answered. He wasn’t about to tell her that he was upset because Bess had almost died in the game that afternoon. He still couldn’t believe Clatter, Scrawl, and Seamus had managed to get into the sealed chamber through the tunnel and get her out. By the time he, Charlie, and Finnegan had reached the surface, Bess had been transported to the hospital, where she was recovering.

  Clatter had apologized repeatedly for the mechanical malfunctions he said caused the hatch doors to lock, and Josh knew he felt terrible about the accident. He’d praised Josh for his quick thinking under pressure. But even knowing that Bess was alive couldn’t help Josh shake the memory of seeing her face for what he thought was the last time. She’d looked so scared, and he’d had to leave her there alone to—he thought—die.

  He shook the thoughts from his head and looked at Emily. “So what do you want?”

  “I’m having trouble with my homework,” said Emily. “I was wondering if you could help me.”

  “Can’t you ask Mom or Dad?”

  “I could,” said Emily. “But I don’t want to. Besides, they’re busy.”

  “So am I,” Josh told her.

  “Busy doing nothing,” said Emily. “You’ve been ‘busy’ for two weeks.”

  “I have a lot to do,” Josh said. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “You mean your new girlfriend?” said Emily.

  Josh sat up. “What are you talking about?”

  Emily cocked her head. “So she is your girlfriend.

  I told Stella she was wrong.”

  “Who’s Stella?” said Josh.

  “A friend of mine from dance class,” Emily told him. “She said she’s seen you with the same girl a bunch of times. On the train.”

  “Well, you can tell Stella she is wrong,” Josh said.

  “Oh, I’ll do that,” said Emily. She turned to leave the room. At the door she turned around. “I just hope Mom and Dad don’t find out about her,” she said. “Stella said she didn’t look like a homeless person to her.”

  Emily started to leave, but Josh called her back. She turned to him, an innocent look on her face. “Yes?” she said. “Is there something I can do for you?”

  “Get your homework,” Josh told her.

  Emily beamed and ran out. She returned a few moments later carrying her NoteTaker. Josh moved over on the bed, and she sat next to him.

  “What are you having a hard time with?” Josh asked her.

  “Math,” said Emily.

  “Ah,” Josh said. “That’s why you don’t want to ask Mom or Dad.” He looked at t
he problem on her NoteTaker and started to tell her how to solve it. Then he paused. “Wait a minute,” he said. “Since when have you had trouble with math?”

  “Since now,” Emily said.

  Josh handed her back the NoteTaker. “I’m not buying it.”

  Emily groaned. “All right, I don’t need help with my homework.” She kicked her feet against the bed.

  “Come on,” Josh urged. “What’s going on?”

  “Fine,” Emily said, as if he’d forced her to talk. “It’s you. You’ve been acting all weird.”

  Josh felt a knot of fear form in his gut. What had Emily noticed? He’d been careful not to take Z too often at home. He’d done it a couple of times, but only when he was in his room alone. Then he’d sat up all night playing the hologame.

  “Yeah, well,” Josh said. “I am pretty weird.”

  “This is weirder than normal,” said Emily. “I don’t really know how to explain it. And now there’s this girl.”

  “I told you, she’s just a friend,” Josh reminded her.

  “And you don’t talk to Firecracker anymore,” Emily continued.

  “Sure I do,” said Josh. “Just because he hasn’t been over for a few—”

  “Come on, Josh. Poppy told me,” Emily interrupted him.

  Poppy. Firecracker’s little sister. Between her and this Stella girl, they’re practically a detective agency, Josh thought. He’d been worried about Firecracker when really he should have been concerned about a bunch of nine-year-olds.

  “Firecracker and I kind of had a fight,” he told Emily.

  “About that girl?”

  “No,” Josh said. “It’s nothing.”

  “Is that how you got that bruise on your face?”

  Josh put his hand to his cheek. “Nah, I walked into an open locker door.”

  “Poppy said he’s been really sad,” Emily told him, looking at his bruise doubtfully.

  “Sad?” Josh echoed. “Firecracker?”

  “That’s what she said,” Emily confirmed.

  “Well, don’t worry about it,” Josh told her.

  “You shouldn’t fight with your best friend,” said Emily. “They’re kind of hard to find.”