Gwen watched him stop and push the boy and the woman behind him. He wielded a miniature baseball bat like a battle axe, proving he was either the bravest man in the world, or the stupidest. Either way, Gwen wouldn’t let the three of them die tonight.
Gwen notched the first arrow and took aim at the lead zombie’s head. Then she released the string and let the arrow fly toward her first target. Gwen notched a second arrow and repeated the process at another target. This was crazy, she thought as the third arrow flew at the monster standing directly in front of the family.
CHAPTER 3 - DONALD BISHOP
WHAT DONALD WOULDN’T have given to be kitted out with his AR-15 rifle and backed up by a squad of armed Marines. Even having a nine-millimeter pistol along with two rookie cops would be an acceptable option. But here he stood holding a miniature Red Sox souvenir baseball bat with an unarmed woman and a nine-year-old boy. No armed back up. The monsters continued to lumber toward them, cutting off any chance of escape from this dead end alleyway. Donald witnessed these monsters as they attacked before, and nothing stopped them from their kill. They were relentless, killing machines just like great white sharks.
Closer they staggered. Donald backed his two charges up against the far alley wall, and he prepared for his last fight. Only ten beasts advanced toward them, but what kind of fight could he muster against them unarmed? Could you really count the toy bat as a weapon? Donald might stand a chance against one or two of these freaks, but not against ten of them. He wasn’t Jackie Chan, nor did he get a second take if things went wrong.
The first monster closed in and prepared for its attack. Donald could smell the coppery stench of blood on its putrid breath. His (Should he still refer to him as a man?) insides hung out from a mortal wound to its midsection, and a chunk had been ripped from its neck. Its neck leaned to the left because of this damage. Donald braced for the attack, but as he did, the body dropped at his feet. No time to wonder about what happened since the second monster wasn’t far behind, but then it fell into a heap too. Now a third and a fourth monster collapsed to the ground along with their fallen comrades. What the hell?
A voice sounded from the building across the street, “If you want to stay alive, then get your ass moving now!”
He looked up as an arrow flew from the open window and took down another of their attackers. No time to lose. He grabbed Deborah and Matthew by their arms and dragged them toward the safety of the building across the street. As they ran, a monster reached its gnarled dead claw toward them, and Donald struck it with the miniature bat. By pure luck, the bat penetrated the eye punching through to its brain and the beast dropped like a switch thrown to the off position. They made it to the front door of the building just as they heard the buzzer acknowledge the release of the electronic lock. Donald pushed Deborah and Matthew into the lobby as he slammed the door in the face of another monster poised to attack. Somehow, they made across the street and safely inside the building without suffering a scratch.
“The arrows came from the far end of the third floor. Let’s go meet our saviors.” Donald said.
“Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Deborah, right now nothing in this city seems safe, but maybe there is someone who can help us upstairs. We can’t survive another attack alone and unarmed.”
With no further arguments from either Deborah or Matthew, they headed up the stairs. It was quiet inside the building, but Donald moved with stealth down the hallway of closed doors. No need to repeat the close call in the alleyway. They didn’t know what lay behind any of the doors in this building. There may not be a second savior to rescue them again. Make no mistakes this time because the next error could be their last.
Their journey up to the third floor proved uneventful. A tall, slim female beckoned to them from the opened door at the end of the hall. As they passed by each door, Donald imagined an enemy hidden behind it. Each might be human or monster. Don’t let your guard down. They entered the small apartment, and the woman slammed the door behind them. As Donald turned toward her, he recognized her immediately.
“You’re the woman from the coffee shop,” Donald said.
Gwen laughed. “You’re Mr. Black Coffee. Who buys black coffee at an expensive coffee shop?”
“Where else does one get a cup of coffee? I’ll admit, it was one of the best I’ve had in a long time.”
A short, nerdy guy interrupted their conversation. “Uh, all this talk about coffee is fine but don’t forget there’s a zombie apocalypse going on outside. Let’s figure out how not to die tonight.”
“Zombies? What the hell are you talking about?” Donald said.
“I know Nolan sounds crazy, but from what I’ve seen outside, the craziness might be the truth. Anyway, I’m Gwen, and this is Nolan. We are glad to see another group of normal people since it looked like we were the city’s last survivors. Especially a family like yourselves.”
“My name is Donald, and this is Deborah and Matthew. We aren’t a family, well those two are, but we met while watching the Sox play tonight. Thanks for bailing us out of that nasty spot out there. You’re good with a bow and arrow.”
“You’ll remember tonight for the rest of you life. What a first date?”
“That’s if we all live long enough. How did you get here from Fenway? What is it like near the ballpark?” Nolan said.
Donald told them their story about the journey from Fenway Park to Gwen’s apartment. He didn’t leave out any details, including all the death and destruction they witnessed along the way.
###
When Donald finished his story, Nolan said, “So, it looks like we’re screwed! I told you we should have left the city earlier, Gwen.”
Gwen told them her story. She started with her shift at the coffee shop, including Nolan’s visit, and finished at the point where she shot arrows out of the window of her apartment. Donald knew this last part of the story and had been happy Gwen acted when she did, or the three of them would be dead now.
They had to figure out how to get out of the city. Donald realized it would be too dangerous traveling while it remained dark. It’s not like someone would equip them with night vision goggles. Now, with Gwen as their guide, they could make progress, leaving the city at first light. They slept in shifts, with two people on watch at all times. When the morning light appeared, they would be ready to make their escape.
###
Donald revealed his simple plan as the sun turned the sky a brilliant red. They needed to get to his truck at the Worcester T Station and then drive it to his trailer at the campground. His trailer contained the supplies and weapons they would need to survive. Then they could travel together to the cabin in Maine to ride this mess out. Between the remoteness of the cabin and the smaller population in Maine, they should find safety there. Donald felt responsible for their survival, even if he didn’t really know any of them. The dark Bishop part of his brain said to cut his losses and run on his own, but he buried those thoughts. He cursed Joey for the evil ideas in his head. If his dad hadn’t been so broken, he’d be a better man.
“That’s an actual plan? Magically run out to Worcester and then drive north to Maine?” Nolan said. His eyes focused on random spots around the room without making eye contact with anyone.
“Do you have a better one, Nolan? I didn’t think so. You realize Worcester is about 60 miles away, Donald?” Gwen said.
Donald didn’t know because he rode the train into the city and had been back to Massachusetts since his college days. Even then, he stayed in Boston and didn’t travel around the state.
“Do either of you have a vehicle we could use?”
“The good news is, yes I do. The bad news is the car is a piece of junk, and it won’t hold all of us. Oh, and the even worse news is, it’s three blocks away in the direction you traveled from last night.”
No one wanted to head back in that direction after hearing Donald’s story of flight from Fenway. Only zombies and death waited for
them there. Plus, it would be pointless to try for the car if they wouldn’t all fit inside of it. Too bad they didn’t have a tank or a Humvee at their disposal. What a great idea for a ride share app during the apocalypse.
“Gwen, do you have any weapons?”
“Besides my bow and arrows, no. Massachusetts isn’t like Texas, where everyone carries a gun on their hip.”
“Next apocalypse I’ll head to a Ranger’s or Astro’s game then,” Donald said.
“I don’t even have any sharp knives in my kitchen since I don’t cook, so there’s no need for them. For the next zombie uprising, I think I’ll join you in Texas instead.”
“This joking around is really fun, but it isn’t getting us any closer to safety.” Nolan said. He still wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone in the room.
“Wait. There’s a new car dealership about five blocks from here. I think they sell Hondas or some other foreign make. They’re right across from the highway entrance ramp, so we could get a ride from there.”
“Great idea, Gwen! You want us to go sit down with a sleazy salesperson and buy a new car? Mr. Texas had better ideas than that,” Nolan said.
“I’m not sure your nasty attitude is helping the situation any, Nolan,” Gwen said.
“What difference does it make Gwen, we are all going to die here since we waited too long to leave. Either the dead will get us or the government containment plan will.”
“Enough! Gwen’s idea is good. It gets us closer to our destination and away from last night’s war zone. If chaos has taken over there too, then we can take our pick of cars on the lot. If we find things normal there, then I will take care of purchasing a vehicle. Turning on each other will not improve our situation. We need to work together if we want to survive.”
Nolan glared at both Donald and Gwen. They ate an unsatisfying breakfast of protein bars in complete silence. Donald planned on success for their escape from the city, but he mentally prepared for the contingencies. A well-executed plan might save them all yet.
If these monsters bit and scratched, they could come up with a way to protect themselves from those types of attacks. Some kind of body armor? Spying the leather-covered furniture, Donald had an idea.
###
Donald detected no movement of either humans or monsters below. This might be a good omen for the start of their journey. Don’t stop believing because they needed a break. They divvied up the supplies from Gwen’s apartment in amounts each could carry easily during their cross city hike. Protein bars and water would keep them alive during this trip to somewhere safe. How long could it take for them to travel five blocks? Gwen took her bow and a quiver that held the rest of her arrows. Donald carried a loose arrow to use as a weapon if needed. Matthew wanted to bring his bat, but they lost it after Donald impaled a zombie while they escaped the alley. Deborah watched over Matthew and passed on carrying any weapons. Nolan had a framing hammer he had brought with him from his apartment. Who carried a framing hammer around with them in Boston?
Donald expected Deborah, Matthew, and Nolan to be no help if they ran into any more zombies. It would be up to him and Gwen to defend their group of survivors. She had already proved her abilities with a bow and arrow by saving his ass.
They decided Gwen would lead the way. Donald would have preferred to lead the group, but Gwen knew the city and how to get to the car dealership. It would be the only practical decision. Nolan would follow (hopefully he’d stay out of her way), followed by Matthew and then Deborah. Donald would have their backs as he watched over the group. This would be the way they exited Gwen’s building and started their journey. Otherwise, they might as well go on their separate ways.
###
The first two blocks passed by without issue. No zombies, no survivors, and no help from any officials. A complete absence of any police or military presence in the city. They took the next left onto the road where the car dealership was located. He expected the coast would be clear on the crossroad too, since the zombies had been AWOL. Donald hoped Gwen would continue to guide them along a safe route.
Gwen performed her task of running point for the group well. They turned the corner without incident and things remained clear. Only a few blocks left to travel and they would reach the dealership safely. No running, screaming, or any other violent action so far. The strips of leather cut from Gwen’s couch and secured to their forearms seem like an unnecessary precaution now. They’re so close to their goal that Donald could read the dealership’s sign from where he stood. Almost there. Gwen halted the procession and frantically signaled for Donald to join her at the front of the group.
Donald hated to leave their rear unguarded, even when the streets had been silent so far. It bothered him because the roads had been so empty. Where had everyone gone? Not what he would have expected in a major US city like Boston. He scurried forward to find out what had upset Gwen. Donald smiled at Deborah, winked at Matthew, and scowled at Nolan as he passed each one by. He hoped these actions would show he was calm, and his demeanor would wear off on them so no one panicked.
When he got to the front of the line, Gwen just pointed toward the dealership’s parking lot. Plenty of shiny new vehicles, check. But plenty of zombies stumbled around the lot, too. He took a quick count and stopped when he hit number 25. Like an invading army, the monsters appeared to have the dealership surrounded. No way in and no way out if they managed to get in.
CHAPTER 4 - PAMELA BOWMAN
PAMELA BOWMAN HAD been the assistant sales manager at Harrison Honda in Boston for over five years. For the first time while she worked there, she found herself in real trouble. She planned on closing up the dealership last night, but even with the dawn of another day, she still hadn’t returned home. It wasn’t dedication to her job that kept her locked inside the building, but the crowd who surrounded the building. An enormous crowd at a car dealer would normally be something to celebrate, but not this time. This crowd meant certain death rather than more car sales. So, Betty, her 14-year-old daughter, and Pam hid in the back office not knowing what their next move should be. They needed to escape.
She placed the first 911 call an hour before the scheduled closing time last night. A couple of drunks staggered aimlessly around the lot. This happened often, especially on the night of a home game for the Red Sox. Usually these drunks were harmless, besides their public urination. As Pam watched from the showroom, a junior salesman walked out to ask the partiers to leave. At first, they acted as if salesman had been invisible. They stood motionless and stared into the sky like they found the meaning of life there. Then, teeth bared, they turned and attacked him. He collapsed to the ground as the two people bit and clawed at the poor boy. They must be high on drugs rather than drunk. What else could explain their odd behavior?
The 911 call she made brought two police cruisers to the lot. Pam wondered why an ambulance didn’t accompany them since she reported the physical attack on her salesman. Three officers with guns drawn and a K9 dog stood over the crouched attackers. The invaders ignored the police officer’s shouts to freeze. Then the two drunks sprung up to their feet and charged the officers. Their faces and hands dripped with the salesman’s blood and gore. All three pistols fired, but the attackers continued their charge. The two bloodied attackers pounced on the first two officers and bit down and tore the flesh from their necks. The dog and the third officer tried to fight them off, but they continued their blitz. Like a fight at recess in the schoolyard, the noise attracted a crowd of onlookers. Those attracted by the frenzy of battle had the same countenance as the original crew. Instead of helping the remaining police officer, they jumped on both him and his dog. Teeth first, they tore at any exposed flesh. Pam couldn’t believe her eyes. Three police officers and a police dog, all crushed and ripped apart by a psychotic group of drunks (or were they on drugs?). They had to be on bath salts. People committed serious acts of violence and even cannibalism when they took bath salts.
Pam made her second 9
11 call of the evening after she witnessed this horror. This time the 911 operator seemed frazzled but promised to send more help when possible. It seemed like a casual response for a report of three officers and a police dog being down.
Wait, did Pam see the salesman wandering around the lot? How could he walk around after the first two attackers snacked on him? His clothes had been soaked in blood while ragged pieces of his skin flapped in the breeze. He moved with an awkward gait.
The part of Pam’s brain which pushed for survival at all costs called out to her and said lock the damn door. God help her if the salesman remained alive because she locked him outside to die with the violent crowd. She retreated to the more secure sales manager offices in the back of the showroom. The showroom’s walls were all glass after all. Tempered glass, but how much of an onslaught would they be able to withstand?
Of all the nights for her deadbeat husband to be sick. He claimed to have the flu going around, but more than likely he suffered from alcohol poisoning. So her daughter Betty stayed at the dealership with her tonight. Betty was only 14 years old, and she hadn’t been quite old enough to stay home alone. Temptation and trouble would call out to a teenage girl. This had been one of the few nights Pam brought Betty to work, and a bloody riot happened in the parking lot. What kind of mother did this to their child?
By the time the next three police cruisers arrived, the crowd of drunks had grown to about 20. Pam swore she saw the three original police officers along with her salesman milling around in the crowd. How could this be? All four should be dead from the traumatic injuries they received. It looked like the salesman’s intestines hung from his midsection. Maybe this is all just a crazy nightmare, and she’d awaken comfy in her own bed? A vivid dream because she ate too much rich spicy food before bed.
Operation Z | Book 1 | Uprising Page 3
