Operation Z | Book 1 | Uprising

by Szepanski, G. D.

  “How did you know we were at the camp in Maine?”

  “This channel is a unique frequency that connects all the camps together. We were monitoring it, and someone from your camp tried broadcasting on it. Isaac... Heard the voice and got me.”

  “Are you referring to the Isaac who stabbed me in the back?”

  “Sorry, Donald. Yes, both he and Corinne are here with me. What a coincidence that we all survived.”

  “Yeah, great!”

  “Donald let’s set up a regular call once a week to stay in touch. When things quiet down, we can help each other out.”

  “OK, if I’m not available, Bobby or Tom are fine to talk to. Bye until then.”

  “Bye Donald.”

  Donald couldn’t believe both Corinne and Isaac survived the end of the world. He didn’t really wish either of them ill will, but knowing they were still alive and still mooching off him had been too much to take. He slammed the door behind him and stormed out of the building to work off the anger which built inside him and threatened to pour out.

  CHAPTER 28 - LT. THOMAS JOHNSON

  TOM HAD NEVER shunned hard work. As a civilian and when he had been a Marine, he attacked each task with the heart of a warrior. This had been a good thing because the damage to the camp had been extensive and required an extreme amount of labor to correct. With only one backhoe, the graves they needed to dig to dispose of over 150 zombie corpses took forever. Plus, they needed to save every bite of food they could save because he had experienced Maine’s long and unforgiving winter’s firsthand. There would be no running to the corner grocery store to pick up supplies because they had ceased dealing groceries. Thank goodness, everything stored inside the main living structure and garage had been untouched by the parade of the dead. Joey had built both buildings like a fortress.

  The fruit and vegetables needed to be harvested, and then either canned or dried to preserve them. Broken glass needed replacement in the greenhouse structures to protect both the matured plants and the first fruits for the coming spring’s gardens. Besides the food and body disposal, Tom provided survival training to the members of the group. He was the only trained soldier, so he bristled any time Donald stuck his nose into his instruction. Who died and made him the boss? Tom knew more about survival and combat tactics then Donald ever would.

  Even with all this hard work, Tom still liked to wander the grounds alone. He needed this time by himself to recharge. The camp’s grounds contained many smaller out buildings scattered about. With all the added chores, there hadn’t been time to explore each of the structures, and Tom wanted to understand the purpose of each one. “There’s too much urgent work to go on a snipe hunt,” Donald would say to him. Tom grew tired of reminding Donald about his military training and survival skills. He had lived in war zones while Donald enjoyed a cushy life. Combatants had shot at Tom and he survived it all.

  Countless paths carved through the woods surrounding the camp’s walls, and they provided Tom with opportunities for endless hours of hiking. He fell in love with Helen, but these walks provided an escape to be alone without her constant nagging. You couldn’t spend every moment with someone, even if you cherished them. Helen had reached the point where Tom wondered if she was worth the effort anymore.

  One day while he explored, Tom discovered something in a building that would change his life forever. This place hadn’t been a spartan storage or utility structure like most of the others. It had dark paneled walls, a fancy mahogany desk, and bookshelves which lined the walls. As part of the original construction of the camp, this had been Joey Bishop’s private office. At first, Tom had planned on telling Donald about his find. But by then Tom had gotten sick of Donald’s pretending to be the king of the apocalypse. Just like when they were kids, Donald had to be the big cheese since his father had everything. No, Tom would learn the secrets the room held, and he would keep them all for himself. Maybe he would find something to use against Donald and dethrone him?

  For weeks, he snuck away after each day's work ended and explored the contents of the office. For a criminal mastermind, Joey had been an idiot. Why would one keep records of all their crimes? It had probably been an enormous ego, but if the cops ever discovered this stuff, he would have gone to prison forever. Joey got the last laugh since he was already dead along with the police. The big crime boss didn’t even have to get his hands dirty by dealing with the zombies. Good timing for him, if you could call death good. Either way, he had escaped.

  Weeks turned into months, which turned into passing seasons. He spent the winter reading through the records of all the crimes recorded within Joey’s office. They documented every type of felony you would have expected an organized crime organization to control. Gambling, prostitution, drugs, loan sharking, protection schemes, blackmail, and even murder. Each volume recorded who committed the crime, what they stole, and how much they collected in protection money from the survivors.

  What Tom never realized was his dad worked for Joey and the mob. He ran gambling receipts for several bookmakers as his job. It seemed ironic because it became common knowledge that Tom’s dad had a serious gambling problem. As Tom read more, he discovered how big his dad’s gambling addiction actually had been. He had been six figures in debt to the same crime organization he worked for. To fix his indebtedness issue, he skimmed money off the top of the receipts. Joey Bishop had been a man who was too smart and too cruel to steal money from. He invited Tom’s dad to the house one night and murdered him there. They disposed of his dead body in the pigsty. That’s why they found no sign of him once he went missing. He hadn’t left Tom and his mom like they had been led to believe. Joey Bishop took his dad away from him. Someone needed to pay.

  Donald’s father had been the one and only man responsible for his dad’s death. He remembered Joey being so sympathetic after his dad disappeared when he had caused the disappearance. Tom swore he would avenge his dad’s death if it was the last thing he did.

  ###

  “Tom, you never came to bed last night,” Helen said.

  “So, what!”

  “So, I missed you. What’s the matter?”

  “Leave me alone.”

  He stormed away from Helen the next morning after he made this discovery. She took Donald’s side one too many times. Tom knew Helen had no part in his dad’s death, but she couldn’t understand the depth of his loss and pain. If she continued to side with Donald, then she would end up paying the same price as him. The only place he could find any peace was when he hiked in the woods alone. So he retreated to the forest.

  Tom walked through the trees on that fine spring day, and he wondered how they survived the winter despite Donald’s poor leadership. Things needed to change, but he didn’t know how to change them on his own. With all the pain and distraction that played out in his head, he hadn’t realized how far he hiked away from the camp. Instead of a peaceful jaunt through woods, he covered miles of the northern wilderness. Tom almost walked straight into the woman before he even noticed her.

  “Hi stranger. Are you lost?” she said.

  “What? Who are you?”

  “My name is Amy, and I’m the supreme leader of the Republic of the White Mountains. We’re rebuilding America as it should have been, and you can play a part.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The powerful elite ruled the America of old. Now it will become a nation created for the free people. This reset rid us of the old corruption and will allow a better way forward. You look well fed so I assume you came from somewhere well stocked. We need supplies to assure this new freedom and we are looking for fine men like yourself to contribute to the cause.”

  “Yes, the place I came from has all the supplies you’ll need, and I’ll get it all for you. Plus, I’m a former Marine.”

  “We can use a well trained robust man like you. You can be a general in our militia. Now. let’s form a plan.”

  They hashed out a plan on how Tom could con
tribute to their new society. Neither knew at the time another set of eyes watched them talk and listened in on their plans. After they finished planning, they enjoyed themselves together before parting for the day. Tom fell for Amy hard during that afternoon tryst.

  ###

  As he returned to the camp, he heard a branch snap up ahead of him. He ran and glimpsed the crazy mute woman survivor from the cage as she ran away from him with a giant head start. No need to waste his energy trying to catch up to her. The stupid bitch had been a mute, and he knew where to find her, and then he would end her life. Tom had a plan to dispose of her and send a message to the others at the same time.

  CHAPTER 29 - DONALD BISHOP

  EACH DAY THEY worked the grounds to get prepared for the coming winter. Then one day, the snow, wind, and ice made their dramatic appearance. The icy breeze cut through Donald’s skin and froze his bones. Donald had been glad they prepared so well because the winter proved as deadly an enemy as the zombies and other survivors.

  His only concern had been the erratic behavior displayed by his trusted friend and lieutenant. Tom became more of a loner after each passing day. He snapped at anyone who even looked at him the wrong way, including Helen. Donald knew him since he had been a kid, and even with the loss of his dad, he never acted out like this.

  ###

  Winter seemed to never end when you sat in the middle of it, but like every year before the apocalypse, the warmth of the spring finally returned. Based upon their weekly radio call, Donald learned Max was alive and well in Tennessee. Their group had grown when a large farmer from the Midwest found their camp after he escaped from Washington DC. He had firsthand knowledge of the destruction of the Capital City and proved to be a valuable asset for their increased food production. Donald bristled when he found out Corinne and Isaac had a baby girl together. This completed her betrayal, and he felt nothing for her anymore. How had he ever fallen for her?

  Tom had grown even further estranged from Donald as the trees bloomed. He remembered the day Tom snapped at Helen and then moved out of their bedroom. Whenever he tried to patch things up with Tom, Donald seemed to make matters worse. Tom didn’t want to hear a word he had to say anymore.

  Based upon his mistrust, Donald only confided in Gwen and Natasha. Natasha had been a never ending mystery, but she was a fierce warrior and had proved herself loyal. Betty leaned on her and Natasha taught her how to survive. He remembered the vault at the compound in Virginia, and he discussed the possibility of falling back there if things went wrong here. Only Gwen, Natasha, and Donald knew of this fallback plan and he swore them to secrecy. The other members of the group hadn’t proved their worth or sanity to Donald yet. It might sound cruel, but he didn’t need any liabilities if things degenerated further and they needed to run.

  ###

  A scream jolted Donald from a deep sleep. He jumped from his bed and grabbed his Desert Eagle on the way to find out what the commotion had been about. Helen stared out the window into the front yard. There in the middle of the lawn laid the mute survivor woman naked spread eagle on the ground. Six stakes fastened her to the ground. One in each arm and leg, along with one through her head and one through the heart. Strange symbolism.

  “Donald, what the hell happened?”

  “We need to go figure out who did this since it wasn’t suicide. Tom, you and I need to check it out.”

  “Do it yourself! I’ve got more important things to do,” Tom said before he turned and stormed from the room.

  “I’ll go with you,” Natasha said.

  Donald didn’t want to argue with Tom, and Natasha had proved her value, so he accepted her offer with a nod.

  “Helen, can you and Gwen try to keep the kids away from this scene? They’ve both witnessed enough death for a lifetime.”

  “I will, Donald.”

  ###

  “Who would have done this?” Natasha asked.

  “Either one of us is a murderer, or Vincent left a back door for his return? Max told me my father didn’t have a caretaker, so Vincent had another way inside these walls. His return seems unlikely since it has been so long since we heard from him. Vincent probably ran and never stopped. Tom has been acting weird, but I can’t imagine him doing this.”

  “He isn’t the same person you grew up with. We’re all under a lot of stress facing the end of the world,” Natasha said.

  “You could be right. Let’s start by cleaning up this mess and then talking with Bobby. Maybe he tired of the crazy mute following him around like a lost puppy all the time.”

  ###

  After they filled another grave, Donald and Natasha took Bobby aside. Donald had never been an investigator, but Natasha had learned interrogation skills during her training. This had been one of the few facts she shared regarding her mysterious past.

  “Tell us what happened before we rescued you from the cage.”

  “Well guys, I was hiking through the mountains during the summer. One minute I’m walking along through the woods and the next thing I know, I’m coming to in a locked cage with a group of strangers. My head throbbed once I regained consciousness, so someone had hit me from behind.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  “Less than a week before you guys found us. There was a couple, another guy by himself, the lady who just died, and another woman with two kids. Even then, the crazy woman wouldn’t talk to anyone. They had locked the others in the cage before me, but none had been in there for over two weeks. At least that’s what they had said at the time.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “As you saw when you saved us, they had stripped us. They provided some stuff to eat and drink at irregular intervals. Just enough to keep us alive. One day the crazy old guy showed up and told us to pick two champions who would fight to the death. If they won, we’d all go free. The single guy and the man from the couple volunteered to fight for us. It’s obvious that I ain’t made for fighting.”

  “Who were they going to fight?”

  “That’s the strange part. None of us realized there were zombies yet. The younger guys brought a tractor with a shovel attached to it, and they dug a pit with it. Later they backed up a trailer and dumped some zombies in the hole.”

  “Tom must have stumbled along after that because he told us he witnessed the results of the fight. They shot the champions and threw those kids into the zombie pit to die.”

  “Yes, that’s right. The kids belonged to the lady who jumped into the pit when you opened the door. I guess she wanted to be with her kids, but it is a rough way to go, dude.”

  “Bobby, do you have any idea who would want to kill the mute woman?” Donald asked.

  “Look, dude, I know everyone thinks I must have done it since we were the only survivors from the cage. I didn’t kill her man! Like I said before, I’m a tech geek, not a warrior. By the way, I respect both of your fighting skills.”

  They dismissed Bobby, and once they were alone, Donald said, “What do you think Natasha?”

  “He’s a weird one, but I don’t think he killed her. His type is too weak to commit a murder.”

  “Me either. Let’s talk to your husband next.”

  “He’s my ex-husband.”

  ###

  It was only early afternoon and Doc reeked of alcohol. Donald still hadn’t found Doc’s secret stash. He walked around drunk all the time.

  “What information do you have about the woman’s death?”

  Doc’s words slurred because of the alcohol. “I don’t have to tell you shit! I’m an important doctor with important research, and I don’t have to answer your questions. Why did you bring that whore with you!”

  “Poshel ti! How d'you like a punch in the mouth, asshole!” Natasha said. Her tone sounded like death.

  “Both of you calm down! Your research was yesterday’s news, and you have done little doctoring since you’ve been here. We are trying to figure out what happened, so we’ll know if we are still in dange
r.”

  “In danger! You two are morons. Look around you. The world contains nothing but danger now. We’re all going to die! My research would have saved us all, but it’s too late now. I will go get another drink. It’s been a while since my last one. You two can just go and piss off!”

  His attempt to storm off resulted in Doc tripping before he staggered away.

  “That was interesting,” Donald said.

  “He’s too drunk and lazy to have done it. Even when he was in his prime, he wasn’t that motivated to kill someone.”

  “Then that leaves Tom, the ladies, the kids, or an outsider. How would an outsider get in here to kill her?”

  “That’s the question. I’ve been around the grounds and the security is excellent, but the camp isn’t completely impenetrable. I would follow the principle of Occam’s Razor.”

  “So, you think Tom did it then? What’s his motivation?”

  “Oh, I’m sure he has killed before as a Marine, so what’s one more kill. Why he killed her, I couldn’t say. But, he has been unstable for a long time now.”

  “How should we handle it?”

  “I say we keep our eyes on him and make sure our security is as best as we can make it. If it comes to it, I’ll have no problem killing him to keep the rest of us alive. I’ve killed many in my life and have no problem killing one more.”

  “Ok, Natasha. We’ll keep our eyes open, but let’s lay off on the killing for now.”

  “Yes, sir. Don’t worry. I won’t kill unless I’m being paid for it, or I need to stay alive.”

  ###

  Several weeks passed with no other issues at the camp. Then one night Matthew called out, “Donald, Gwen, I think there’s a shadow moving in this camera!”

  Donald stared at the camera feeds along with the other two, and they found no further motion. The night sky held the new moon, so the sky had been dark. It might be bats who flew in the night sky, or just a camera glitch.