Operation Z | Book 1 | Uprising

by Szepanski, G. D.

  GWEN QUINN NOTCHED an arrow and pulled back on the drawstring, preparing to release a razor pointed projectile at 320 feet per second. She performed this task many times before at various competitions, as a college athlete on a full scholarship, and even during the Summer Olympics. There must have been hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions of arrows she shot since Harry showed her how to shoot. Harry encouraged her talents for archery when she had been a young orphaned girl back in middle school. After her father’s death, Harry had been the only man who ever supported her.

  Every time Gwen let an arrow fly in the past, she pointed it at a stationary target. This time she stood in the window of her tiny Boston apartment and faced down a human attacker. Well, if she believed Nolan, they weren’t human anymore, but zombies. Gwen couldn’t decide if she or Nolan were crazy, because they sure looked like people. But they didn’t act like a living human anymore. “Aim for the head,” Nolan said.

  She took a calming breath to settle her nerves. The wind was calm on this warm summer night, so this should be an easy shot at this range. Another dozen arrows laid nearby, awaiting their turn to fly at the walking dead targets. Gwen questioned her sanity one more time and then released the string.

  Earlier That Day

  Gwen Quinn stood before Moonstag Coffee and wondered how this place had become her entire life. She wasn’t about to stroll inside to buy one of those complicated overpriced crazy coffee drinks, but she headed in to start her daily shift as a barista. People considered her the best baristas at Moonstag Coffee, but that brought Gwen little comfort. They complimented Gwen’s brews and heavily tipped her all the time, which brought her some comfort.

  This dead-end job allowed her to remain in her tiny Boston apartment. Gwen couldn’t decide if city life remained a positive aspect of her existence anymore. Even if she developed the nerve to leave the city, Gwen had nowhere else to flee to. When Gwen was only eight-years old, a drunk driver took her parents from her. She still remembered her dad’s deep voice as he did the silly duck’s voice when he read her favorite bedtime stories over and over again each night. Mom didn’t die that same night, but she might as well have because the grief turned her mother from a loving, supporting parent into an abusive junkie and whore. That led to the overdose, which led Gwen to her aloof Aunt and Uncle’s house as an orphaned middle schooler.

  With this rough break, Gwen could have turned to alcohol, drugs, or sex to dull her pain. Instead, the loss drove her to work harder than anyone else. Gwen found her identity in success. Her high level of intelligence allowed her to excel in school with minimal effort, which allowed her to spend her free time at a local stable. Gwen worked there for some spare cash, plus she earned riding lessons and free riding time. The horses and other riders accepted her and made her feel alive again.

  Harry, the stable owner, took a liking to Gwen. He said she reminded him of his own granddaughter who lived on the other side of the country. So, Gwen became his surrogate granddaughter. She missed having a loving parent and didn’t know her grandparents, so Harry became a welcomed friend.

  He taught her the wonders of archery and the enjoyment of other outdoor activities. Horseback riding, camping, and fishing were activities Gwen never took part in before she met Harry. Competitive archery would be the pursuit which changed her life forever.

  Like many things Gwen tried during her life, archery came naturally to her. With her strong work ethic, Gwen didn’t rely only on raw talent alone, but spent her day perfecting her technique by shooting hundreds of arrows at targets. Her passions drove her to be perfect at everything she attempted.

  Harry admired Gwen’s skills with a bow and arrow and watched all her hard work around the stables. He encouraged her to enter regional archery competitions and provided the sponsorship money for her to compete. Gwen won award after award for her accurate shooting. He beamed with pride at all her success and told her archery would be the key to her success in the future.

  This combination of academic success and athletic ability led to a full-ride athletic scholarship at a prestigious Boston University. Gwen could finally escape this miserable life with her aunt and uncle and have a fresh start on her own. A fresh start at life in a major city would be the icing on the cake.

  Her aunt and uncle told her they were happy for her, but Gwen suspected they were glad to see her go. Their politeness prevented them from telling her so to her face. This scholarship would be their freedom from feeding another mouth.

  She believed Harry when he said he would miss her. He promised to attend every one of her college archery competitions. It wasn’t until after Harry’s fatal heart attack that Gwen realized how much she missed him.

  Gwen thrived during her first years in Boston. She devoted herself to her academic studies and to her archery. Each semester she would achieve the highest academic honors, along with continued success with her bow and arrow. Gwen marveled at the loneliness she felt living in a large city. With all the loss in her life, she was ill-equipped to develop meaningful relationships with other people.

  At the University’s prompting, Gwen took a year off from school to take part in the Summer Olympics. Gwen captured a Gold Medal in archery, and both she and the University enjoyed some fleeting fame because of her success. She should have pursued basketball with her height and athletic ability, since no professional sports league for archery exists. The American public forgot about Gwen and her Gold Medal as soon as the closing ceremonies ended.

  After the Olympics, Gwen returned to school for her Junior year and enjoyed the same success in both the classroom and on the range. Unfortunately for her, the economic downturn slowed donations to the University. The poor economy didn’t care how prestigious the University had been in the past, and their discretionary spending evaporated. The University looked for places to cut back and they decided the archery program had to go. Poor Gwen lost her scholarship after completing three of the four-years toward her degree.

  With no money, family, or home to return to, she had to fend for herself. She faced the classic Catch-22. The $75,000 a year for tuition put the completion of her degree out of reach without a full-time job. But Gwen couldn’t get the full-time job because she hadn’t finished her degree.

  During this low time in her life, Gwen saw the help-wanted sign in the window of Moonstag Coffee. She knew nothing about coffee, but she was intelligent, pleasant, and a quick learner. The store’s owner had been either kind, or desperate, because he gave her a job that day.

  A voice interrupted the flashback, “Gwen, are you coming inside or are you going to stand there and stare at the building all day?” The nerdy guy who always wrangled the same shift as her said. He asked her out many times, but Gwen passed each time he asked. He finally got the idea and quit asking her out after the tenth time, but he still made it a point to work the same shifts as she did.

  “Sorry, just lost in thought. I’m coming,” she said.

  “You’re always lost in a daydream. Is your actual life too boring for you?”

  ###

  Moonstag Coffee, like every overpriced coffee house, had a wide range of clientele. They served busy business people, the hipsters, the yuppies, the wannabes, and the weirdos. Gwen’s favorite weirdo was a small geeky little nerd who called himself Nolan Ryen. Gwen wasn’t a baseball fan (strange to say since she lived in Boston), but she knew enough to know this guy couldn’t be the Nolan Ryan. He admitted to spelling his last name differently than the pitcher, so it wouldn’t confuse anyone. One look at his physique confirmed this.

  Nolan’s views classified him as a first-class conspiracy nut, but talking to him always made her day. Each visit of Nolan’s featured an alternative theory on how the world would end. Gwen never took him seriously, but Nolan never failed to entertain her with his wacky stories. He should put his efforts into writing apocalyptic fiction instead of his ridiculous blog.

  Therefore, Gwen wrote off his latest conspiracy theory too. Nolan reported change
s in the weather systems leading to an early and severe hurricane season. “Hurricanes will wipe Florida off the map this year,” Nolan said.

  “Yes Nolan, I watch Al Ricker on the Weather Network too. That’s not a conspiracy, but pure hyperbole to increase their network’s ratings.”

  Then Nolan pointed to the experts' reports of strange bee activity all around the country, which defied any logical explanation. There were large swarms of yellow jackets attacking people without being provoked. The most famous attack happened in Times Square, in the heart of New York City. Bees swarmed around a hot dog cart and stung multiple people in the surrounding area.

  Gwen’s said, “It’s hot, and bees swarm during the summer, Nolan. Especially around open food sources.”

  Nolan’s next visit came with a report of a mystery sickness on multiple airplane flights, which all originated from New York. These flights arrived at Orlando, Florida, and Saint Louis, Missouri. Both incidents of this mysterious sickness happened on flights shortly after the bee attack in Times Square.

  “Thank goodness we aren’t in the Big Apple, then Nolan. Besides, the CDC said it’s just an early flu season this year. It’s only the flu. No bee sting conspiracies here.” Gwen said.

  “Never trust the government to tell you the truth, Gwen, unless it suits their agenda,” Nolan said.

  During his last visit, Nolan came in with red eyes, messy unwashed hair, and unshaved. Even for him, this lack of hygiene seemed out of place. He pleaded with her this time. “Gwen, we need to get out of Boston. The cities aren’t safe anymore. Did you see the latest news about riots at hospitals in other states? Orlando and Saint Louis were two of the cities. It’s coming here to Boston, please get out of the city now before it’s too late.”

  ###

  The few customers who trickled into Moonstag this afternoon gossiped about the sick people who suffered with the new flu bug as they ordered. Rumors of strange happens at the city hospitals became the second popular topic of the day’s buzz. It made Gwen wonder if the entire city read Nolan’s blog or had they all gone mad?

  Before Gwen finished this train of thought, Nolan walked into the coffee shop. Today he looked like a homeless man. His rumpled clothing appeared like he slept in them for the past week. He started at the smallest noise and repeatably looked over his shoulder at the closed entrance door. When he approached the counter to order, his face showed worry lines and his eyes were bloodshot like someone pepper sprayed him. Nolan never looked this bad before, regardless of the crazy conspiracy flowing from his lips.

  “Please, Gwen, leave the city today. It will be too late if you wait any longer. We must get out of Boston right now.”

  As usual, Gwen readied to make another wise crack at his expense, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it with the pain and confusion reflected in his eyes. Instead, she said, “Nolan, I need this job and have to finish up my shift. I’m not independently wealthy. After work, maybe I’ll consider a vacation. I have some unused vacation time. No promises though.”

  With Gwen’s rejection of his suggestion, Nolan’s shoulders slouched, his head drooped, and he turned toward the door, leaving without even ordering his daily coffee.

  ###

  On her way home from work, Gwen stopped at her favorite pizza shop to pick up a pizza. The owner knew her well since Gwen helped put his kids through college with all her takeout meals. Based upon her slim stature, most people wouldn’t have guessed Gwen enjoyed so many pizzas. But Gwen ran daily and possessed a naturally slim athletic body type.

  While she waited for her pizza to finish cooking, Gwen talked with the owner. Their conversations were one of her only ongoing human connections in the city.

  “How was business at the coffee shop today Gwen?”

  “It was dead today. That doesn’t help the tip jar… You look slow tonight too.”

  “Yes, you’re one of the few take out orders we’ve had all day. I should have closed the store and gone to the Sox game. Speaking of which, you would assume business would boom with a home game on the schedule.”

  “There’s a conspiracy nut who comes in for coffee each day. He told me about people getting sick with this new flu bug and causing riots at the hospitals. Do you think this could really happen?”

  “I’ve heard nothing about those things. Sounds like the ravings of a madman to me. I would expect Boston’s Finest would keep the hospitals and streets safe on game day. When the Sox win, they attract enormous crowds and bring a ton of money into the city. As a matter of fact, I saw the drunks staggering down the street earlier today. They usually come out after the game, not during the afternoon. Just no customers.”

  “Before the night ends, the drunks will pee in the alleys freely. Home games bring out all the crazies.”

  “You can say that again. Your pizza is ready. Enjoy!”

  “Thanks Sal! Have a good night.”

  ###

  A loud and persistent knock at the front door startled Gwen awake. After consuming all the carbs from the pizza, she drifted off into a deep sleep on the sofa. Usually, the buzzer for the locked front door of the building would have alerted her to a potential visitor rather than someone knocking at her door. Gwen didn’t know the time, but it seemed late since the sun had already gone down. Another bang on her door made her jump. Who could it be?

  Nolan Ryen stared back at her as she looked through the peephole. What the hell was he doing here so late? How did he even know where she lived? Gwen didn’t think Nolan was a psycho, but could anyone be sure anymore? She let him in because the curiosity of why he stood at her door overcame her. Earlier in the day, he looked like he hadn’t slept in a month, but somehow Nolan looked worse now.

  “What’s the matter, Nolan?”

  “It has started Gwen, we have to leave the city!”

  “Have you been drinking or something? You look terrible! How do you even know where I live, anyway?” Gwen said.

  “I wish I had only been drinking, but I’ve finally put all the pieces together, and this time it’s bad. It’s the end of all life as we know it.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Nolan? You sound like a lunatic!”

  They sat down, and he explained all he learned about the coming zombie apocalypse.

  ###

  Once he finished his explanation, Gwen didn’t know if she should laugh, cry, or call the police. The worst part was, she believed what he had said. The apocalypse here in Boston? It sounded far-fetched, but his explanation made events from the last few weeks come together and make sense.

  Gwen gathered a few of her things together so they could run. They would drive her car out of the city. No idea where they should head to, but an escape either way. Her car, an old Honda with almost 300,000 miles, sat a few blocks away from the apartment, but it should get them out of Boston. Between the large population in Boston and the government’s plans for containment of the virus, the cities weren’t a safe place to stay. The lives of the many outweighed the death of a few city residents, even if it meant every major US city.

  In her bedroom, Gwen grabbed an old backpack. A boyfriend in college talked her into walking the Appalachian Trail, and she bought the pack along with other camping equipment, but the relationship didn’t last long enough for her to use any of it. Along with the pack, Gwen grabbed her bow and arrows.

  As she returned to the living room, she found Nolan sitting there staring off into space. She told him to gather the bottled water and protein bars from the kitchen. Gwen hated the thought she would have to babysit him too. He preached action a few short minutes ago and now sat in a catatonic state.

  “Nolan, get your ass moving. I won’t die here tonight. Or is everything you told me a crazy man’s story? Is this your weird idea of getting a date with me?”

  Instead of answering her barrage of questions, he pointed out the window at the street below.

  ###

  They sat and stared out the window. It felt like hours, but only minutes p
assed. Groups of zombies wandered the streets in front of the building. They staggered like drunks and moved as if unaware of the other monsters moving around them. Where did they all come from? They swarmed the streets like flies drawn to food rotting in the sun. Gwen and Nolan wouldn’t make it through the crowd to her ratty car without being noticed. The three blocks separating them from the Honda might as well be 300 miles. How would they escape the city now?

  With everything packed and ready to go, they waited for a break where they could make a run for the car. Each time they thought the gap became big enough, another group of zombies wandered along to fill the openings left behind. Gwen hoped this nightmare would end soon.

  A scream rang out from the street below. Someone out on a walk got noticed by a pack of wandering zombies. By the time Gwen got to the window, the body laid on the street and a group of zombies consumed its flesh. After a time, (it felt like forever) the monsters lost interest in the partially consumed body. Suddenly the snack spasmed. Then it moved again. Finally, the shredded body struggled to its feet and staggered down the road with its intestines hanging out. It became one of them.

  They both sat in silence and stared at the newest member of the zombie army. Gwen won’t let this happen to her, so she needed a plan to stay alive.

  ###

  Another woman’s scream drew Gwen’s attention back toward the street. This time Gwen determined she wouldn’t be a passive spectator in the deadly fight. Gwen grabbed her bow and notched an arrow, prepared to make a stand. Humanity versus the zombies. The living versus the living dead. She continued to hear the screams, but couldn’t see the woman from her vantage point. Her cries tapered off, and Gwen knew what happened to her without witnessing it.

  As Gwen turned away from the window in frustration, she saw a family of three run into view from the corner of her eye. From her elevated perch, she watched them round the corner, right into the path of another pack of zombies. Oh, no. Gwen wanted to scream, run. The man spotted the oncoming zombies and turned the three away from their path. They turned the wrong way and ran into the alley across from Gwen’s apartment. There’s no way out and they’ll be trapped.