The Zombie Uprising Series: Books One Through Five

by M. A. Robbins

  "Jen." Zeke stood up in the front of the car, his eyes wide and face red.

  Jen raised her hand. "Hey, Zeke."

  Zeke and Wayne hovered over her.

  Better not talk about the memories yet. Not until I figure out what's true or not. She stretched. "Had a good nap. A little tired, but I'll live."

  D-Day stood at the front of the car with his arms crossed and his eyebrows lowered. His eyes pierced hers. The son of a bitch always looks like he can read my mind.

  The train came to a stop at a nearly empty platform. Militia and law enforcement were stationed every fifty feet.

  Zeke handed Jen her sunglasses. "Better cover up."

  She slid them on.

  D-Day strode to the door. "Looks a lot different than the last time we were here."

  Jen rose, grasping the seatback for stability. Wayne put an arm around her. "You can lean on me."

  Jen let go of the seat and allowed him to keep her on her feet. She closed her eyes and his scent filled her nostrils. If this were another time...

  The doors slid open and two militia men jumped on board, sweeping the car. As they worked their way down the aisle, an Atlanta policeman waved at Jen and the others from the platform. "Come on out, please."

  Once on the platform, Jen watched a similar scene play out at each car.

  The policeman, whose name tag had "Silverio" etched on it, looked each of them over. "Where'd you come from and what's your business here?"

  Zeke displayed his badge. "Homeland Security. We're reporting to the CDC."

  Silverio studied the badge for a moment, then nodded at Jen. "What's wrong with her?"

  "Exhausted," she said. "Not bitten. Not infected."

  Silverio motioned for three militia men to join him. He motioned to Jen. "Step forward."

  Zeke opened his mouth, but the militiamen brought up their weapons. Zeke stood down.

  Wayne released her and Jen shuffled to Silverio. She stopped inches away and glared at him. "Hurry the hell up. We've got a shit ton to do. In case you haven't heard, there's a war going on."

  Silverio scowled. "Roll up your sleeves."

  Jen peeled her sleeves back and showed her arms so that the bite scar wasn't visible.

  "Turn them over," Silverio said.

  Jen did, and Silverio's eyebrows rose. Two of the militiamen aimed their rifles at her.

  "What's that?" Silverio asked.

  Jen sighed. "I'm from Alaska. Had a bear encounter a couple of years ago."

  Silverio bent over, examining her arm closely. "Looks like a human bite," he said.

  "It was a black bear," Jen said. "Their bites are close to a human's. If it had been a grizzly, then my arm would be gone."

  I hope he knows nothing about bears and believes the shit I'm shoveling.

  "Guess you're OK."

  A militiaman whispered in his ear. Silverio nodded at Jen. "Just remove your glasses so I can see your eyes and you'll be on your way."

  "I have a condition where bright light triggers migraines," Jen lied.

  Silverio drew his revolver. "It's not very light inside. Show me your eyes now."

  The militiamen raised their weapons.

  Zeke and Wayne moved to either side of her, and the presence of the burly biker towered over all of them. Mouth dry, Jen reached for her glasses. This isn't going to end well.

  24

  Jen paused.

  Screw it.

  She dropped her arms and pushed past Silverio. "I don't have time for this bullshit."

  Silverio grabbed her arm and she spun. "Let go or lose it," she said.

  The policeman loosened his grip, but kept hold of her. "I have a job to do."

  "I'm a Homeland Security agent," Jen said. "I have a bigger job than some local cop, and you're getting in the way of national security."

  She pulled his hand off her. "We're leaving. If you've got a problem with that then shoot us. And when you're done you might as well put a bullet in your own head before someone else does."

  She knocked a militiaman back with her shoulder as she strode from the terminal. Reaching the humid air outside, she took a deep breath.

  "That was freaking awesome," Zeke said.

  Wayne caught up with them. "We shouldn't hang around in case those guys grow some balls."

  Unlike their departure from Atlanta, the grounds and streets around the train station were orderly. Passengers waited in cordoned-off lines that snaked through the surrounding streets.

  A black limo pulled up to the curb and Mark stepped out. "Anyone looking for a ride?"

  Jen smiled and gave the big man a hug. "Been keeping busy?"

  Mark's grin threatened to crack his face as he returned her embrace. "Not as busy as you, I hear."

  Zeke and Wayne climbed into the limo. Jen put one foot in, but stopped when her gaze fell on D-Day, who stood several yards away with his arms crossed.

  Jen ducked her head inside the limo. "Give me a second."

  She ran to D-Day. "You're welcome to come with us. I'm sure I can talk Cartwright into giving you a job."

  "No, thanks," D-Day said. "Last time I worked for the government, it didn't work out so great."

  "What are you going to do?"

  He shrugged. "I've got some brothers in Atlanta I can stay with for a while. It'll give me time to figure out my next steps. Maybe I'll head north again."

  Jen nodded. "Thanks for everything." She threw her arms around him and he didn't resist.

  "I'll be around if you need me," D-Day said. "For a couple of weeks, anyway."

  "How will I find you?"

  "I'll be staying in a house just south of Emory University. Get to Clifton Road and take it to Ridgeway Drive. Fourth house on the right."

  Jen nodded. "I'll remember."

  The limo's horn sounded. Jen faced it and put her forefinger in the air. She turned back to D-Day. "Stay out of trouble."

  The big man's face broke into a fierce grin. "Shit. Me and trouble have had a lifelong friendship."

  Jen jogged to the limo and climbed in.

  The limo dropped Jen, Zeke, and Wayne off in front of the CDC Headquarters building. Within a few minutes, they stood before Cartwright.

  She sat behind her desk with her fingers arched, her carefully neutral face composed. "Quite a journey. And the bottom line is we have no serum to work with."

  Jen opened her mouth, but Cartwright put a hand up. "But we've got Dr. Preston working on a new serum." One eyebrow rose. "And we've got you."

  Damn, she's practically drooling over me. Creepy much? "Do you think there's a cure for me?"

  Cartwright's head cocked to the side. "What type of symptoms are you experiencing?"

  Jen removed her sunglasses. "Yellow eye disease."

  Cartwright's gaze locked onto hers. She rose and walked around the desk, never taking her eyes off Jen. "Amazing. Do you see any differently from it?"

  "No."

  "And what other symptoms do you have?"

  Jen shrugged. I'll be damned if I tell her anything until I find out what was on those documents Butler hid. "Nothing else."

  "Hmm." Cartwright returned to her seat. "We'll do some tests while Zeke and Wayne are gone."

  "Gone?" Zeke said. "Where? When?"

  "I'm sending you two, along with two other agents, back on the train to Boston. This time you'll return with Dr. Preston."

  Jen bit her lower lip. Once Zeke and Wayne leave I'll be alone, isolated.

  Zeke frowned. "Why us?"

  "We're short handed," Cartwright said. "And I'm down another two agents."

  Wayne shook his head. "Rodriguez and Daniels."

  Cartwright nodded.

  Something heavy and cold formed in Jen's gut. I'm stuck. I can't refuse or Cartwright might suspect something. "You guys better get going so you can get back."

  Wayne gazed into her eyes.

  Another place, another time, bucko. Jen swallowed.

  Zeke gave her a hug. "We'll be back befo
re you know it." He patted the katana's hilt. "There are more chances out there to kill zombies than there is in here."

  Jen let go of Zeke, put her arms around Wayne's neck, and laid her head against his chest. "Get back here fast," she whispered. "I don't feel good about this."

  Wayne wrapped his arms around her. "Then I shouldn't go," he whispered back.

  "Something's going on and I'm getting close to what it is. If you stay, we'll be watched, and I need the space to dig around a bit."

  He released her and stepped back. His gaze dropped from her eyes to her lips. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch. Not a good time, but I don't give a shit.

  She raised her face and he eased closer. Jen closed her eyes in anticipation.

  Zeke slapped Wayne on the back. "Come on. There are zombies to kill out there."

  Wayne winced and let Jen go.

  Damn, Zeke. It's no wonder your parents didn't have any more kids after you were born.

  "Let me know if you need us and we'll be back as soon as we can," Wayne said. Jen nodded. Wayne and Zeke left the office.

  Cartwright straightened her blouse. "Let's get you down to the lab." She stopped at the door. "Better put your sunglasses back on."

  Only three of the eight rooms with test subjects were occupied. Are they running out of volunteers or does Cartwright no longer need them now that she has me?

  Cartwright opened the door into the large cavernous room and the zombies went into a frenzy. Jen hesitated, then stepped out of the hallway.

  The zombies quieted.

  Cartwright glanced at Jen. "Interesting."

  Yeah. Interesting. Dumb-ass zombies making it worse for me.

  She glared at the one closest to her, a husky guy with shoulder-length black hair matted with chunks of decayed flesh. He stared blankly at her. She met his gaze as she passed. Why don't you at least growl?

  The zombie bared his teeth and let out a low, menacing rumble from somewhere deep inside.

  What the hell? He heard me?

  "He doesn't seem to like you," Cartwright said. "But you're having some kind of effect on them. No doubt about it."

  The lab door opened and O'Connor's assistant, Randy, stood in the doorway. "I'm all ready for you." He blinked and looked at the zombies. "What got into them?"

  "Something with Jen, and I need you to find out what it is," Cartwright said. "I'll check in later." She headed for the exit.

  Randy nodded and stepped to the side. Jen walked into the room and he followed. "Why don't you sit?" he asked as he squeezed past her and plopped into the chair in front of the desk.

  Jen took the seat next to him and rolled up her sleeves. "I'm right-handed." She stuck her left arm out.

  Randy wiped her arm down. "This won't hurt."

  He inserted the needle and Jen gasped. "Won't hurt?" she said.

  He smirked. "I was talking about me, not you."

  "For a guy who owes me big-time, you've got a funny way of showing your appreciation."

  "Sorry," he said. "I get awkward when I'm uncomfortable."

  He finished collecting her blood and bandaged her arm. Shaking the blood-filled tubes, he headed for the door. "Our fridge down here is on the fritz. I'll have to get these to the medical ward for refrigeration. Just hang tight."

  As soon as the door closed, Jen rustled through the desk. "Aha." She took a small screwdriver from the middle drawer. Although she'd never noticed the large cabinet in her previous visits, it stuck out like a sore thumb as her eyes scanned the room.

  She pulled on one side, her teeth gritted and muscles straining. It moved. Not much at first, but in several seconds she'd made a gap between the cabinet and the wall that she could squeeze into.

  Sweat pasting her shirt to her skin, she wriggled into the space. Although there wasn't much light, the white vent cover was visible, just as she'd seen in Butler's memory. She soon had the cover off. She peered in, but it was too dark to make anything out, so she stuck her hand in and fumbled along the top of the vent. She touched paper.

  Coughing from the dust, she ripped the envelope from its mooring and slid out from behind the cabinet and into the light.

  The brown manila envelope had been opened, just as Butler had shown her. But now I get to read it.

  She brought it to the desk and pulled the papers from it. The first page had the words Top Secret stamped in red, then it had a bunch of numbers to the left and a date of two years before.

  Jen's eyes went to the text beneath it.

  Dr. Linda Cartwright is assigned as the project lead for Project Svengali effective immediately. She will report directly to the Office of the President of the United States. All possible assistance and courtesy will be provided to her by all federal agencies.

  Jen's gaze went to the big, bold signature at the bottom. The president.

  She slid the paper to the side. The next sheet had the same stamp at the top and more numbers, but with a later date. She read the text.

  Once the spores have been populated with the virus, they will be released in a small rural center by military aircraft. Twenty-four hours after the release, a research team will be inserted to test the virus's effectiveness. If the test subjects are sufficiently compliant, further tests will be conducted in a larger area.

  If the second test is successful, further plans will be made to introduce the spores in all areas of the United States.

  Jen swallowed. "Sufficiently compliant"?

  She glanced at the signature at the bottom of the document. Linda L. Cartwright.

  The lab door opened and Jen spun, hiding the documents with her body. Cartwright walked in. "All done with your blood?"

  Jen nodded.

  "Let's get you set up with accommodations," Cartwright said. "You'll be staying here in the building. Don't want your yellow eye accidentally exposed."

  Cartwright put out her arm and Jen walked to the door, her pulse quickening. How the hell am I going to get back and hide those papers? And put the cabinet back?

  As she reached Cartwright, the doctor peered past her to the desktop. "What is that?"

  Cartwright walked to the desk.

  25

  Jen froze as Cartwright picked up the papers and studied them. Jen thought of running.

  That's not an option. Just play the cards you're dealt. "Is it true?"

  Cartwright dropped the papers on the desktop and turned toward Jen. Her stern expression had softened. "I didn't want you dragged into this."

  Jen crossed her arms. "Did Doc know?"

  A horrified look crossed Cartwright's face. "Never. Like you, he was better off not knowing."

  "So the plan was to create a mycovirus that would attach to spores and infect everyone?" Jen asked. "How were you going to keep from infecting yourself?"

  Cartwright leaned on the desk, her hands at her sides grasping the edge of the desktop. "We planned on harvesting the spores from Alaska and modifying them to be short lived. Unfortunately, Mother Nature beat us to it."

  "What about Butler and Morgan? Butler wasn't planning on taking down the government just so he could run it, was he?"

  "No," Cartwright said. "When he found out Project Svengali would be used to control the civilian population and not just enemy forces, he played it straight, but watched and waited for the right opportunity. Morgan fled, and we spent plenty of resources trying to find him. We had no chance, though."

  "Why not?"

  "Colonel Butler was in charge of the search," Cartwright said. "I have no idea if he knew of Morgan's escape ahead of time, or if he found him and they decided to work together."

  Jen approached Cartwright. "But, why? Why control people? Does the president just want to be a dictator?"

  Cartwright took a deep breath and exhaled. "You need to believe me. It's nothing like that. We just see that the human race is an unhappy, warring people. Imagine if all decision-making was taken from you. How you'd be happy with fewer of the unnecessary gadgets and toys this world offers."


  The zombies outside the door went into a frenzy. "Someone's coming," Jen said.

  "I called them," Cartwright said. "Panic button underneath the desktop."

  Two burly security guards strode in. Cartwright pointed at Jen. "Detain her."

  Jen reached for her axe and her hand slapped an empty sheath. Shit.

  One guard grabbed her upper arm and she twisted away.

  "Don't hurt her," Cartwright said.

  The two guards came at her at the same time. Jen kicked one, missing his nuts and hitting his inner thigh.

  The other guard tackled her to the floor.

  She squirmed. "No."

  He held her down while the other guard handcuffed her. "No," she screamed.

  "Pick her up."

  Both guards grabbed one of Jen's arms and lifted her to her feet. She stomped on the first foot she saw. Nothing happened. Freaking steel toe boots.

  "Shh," Cartwright said. "You're all we have."

  "To defeat the zombies or to turn everyone into slaves?" Jen spat.

  Cartwright shrugged. "Why not both?"

  Cartwright left the lab and the guards dragged Jen kicking and screaming after her. The doctor went to an empty cell and held the door open. "In here."

  "Are you fucking kidding me?" Jen grasped the bars as the straight-faced guards tried to force her in. One of them peeled her fingers off one by one. She roared as each finger was pulled back. Her teeth gritted, she lost her grip and they shoved her inside. She fell to her knees and scrambled to her feet. The door clanked shut and she rammed it, but they already had it padlocked.

  "Don't do this," she yelled, grabbing bars on the door and rattling it. "Zeke and Wayne will free me."

  Cartwright stood back, her arms crossed. "Your friends won't be coming back from their mission. There will be an incident on board the train on the return."

  A guard handed Cartwright the key to the lock. Jen glared at her. "Doc would be so ashamed of you."

  Cartwright pursed her lips then turned and left, followed by the guards.

  Jen bowed her head, pressing it against the bars. I won't cry.

  She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I've never felt so alone," she murmured.