by Katz, Gayle
Zan looked down at the container and smiled. “So, should we just destroy them all now? Or wait? Because I’m fine if you want to burn them all now.” She looked around at the walls.
Charlie’s smile left her face. “No, let’s have Stewart check them out first.” She frowned at Zan. “But you’re free to go outside and burn anything you want. However, I suggest not setting the house on fire.”
“Say what?” said Zan, greatly offended. “I’m not going to burn the house down!”
“OK,” said Charlie, grabbing a plastic bag she saw in the corner. She placed the container inside the plastic bag. Then, if anyone saw them, there would be fewer questions asked.
Zan and Charlie continued searching the basement. Zan had left her phone upstairs, and Charlie had forgotten to turn hers on, so neither saw the alert that Owen sent to them.
zzz
Owen backed away from what he saw. It appeared to be a zombie, chained up and lying on the ground. It reached its arms out to him, struggling to sit up. One of its hands was missing. When he looked down at the ground, he could see that both its feet were missing too. He felt sick to his stomach as he realized that they had been chopped off on purpose, probably to stop the zombie from escaping.
He couldn’t tell if it had once been male or female. Its skin was a dark gray. It had a large strip of duct tape covering its mouth. Most of its hair was gone and what remained was in loose blonde strands.
Owen relaxed a little when he saw the duct tape wrapped around its mouth. At least it wouldn’t bite him. Then he noticed how it was chained up to posts in the ground.
“That is really sad,” he said to himself. He picked up his phone and texted the girls, but they didn’t respond back. He put the phone away. They had probably found something too.
“Well, here goes,” he said, pulling out his knife. “No point in letting the suffering continue.” He walked up to the zombie. “Thank you for your service.” He plunged the dagger into its eye socket. Its head dropped back against the boards.
“Hey, Owen! Are you OK?” called out Zan. “I saw your message.” She ran up to him.
“Yep, I’m fine. I killed a zombie.”
“What? She had a zombie chained up out here?” asked Charlie.
“Gross!” said Zan, getting a glimpse of the zombie in pieces. “Who would do that?”
The team all said, “Dr. Arora,” in unison.
“Hey, we scored too,” said Charlie, holding the plastic bag up in the air.
“Great,” said Owen. “That looks a lot better than what I found.”
Zan peered inside the shed and got a better look at the dismembered dead corpse. “Yuck,” said Zan. “I guess we should get rid of it.”
“Should we?” asked Charlie. “Maybe we should drop it off at a morgue or something?”
“No, she’s right. Dr. Arora was involved in so much crap. What if the guy comes back or something? Who knows what she’s been doing?” said Owen.
“OK,” said Zan. “Let’s get to it.”
zzz
Jay was heading off to his favorite donut shop when he got the call. “A fire? That’s just great.”
Then he saw the address. “Dr. Arora’s house?” He typed an answer into the car’s computer that he was on the way, and then turned the car’s siren on.
“I wonder what those crazy kids have gotten themselves into now?”
Chapter 13
________________________________________
“Really?” said Stewart, berating the teens. “You set the shed on fire?”
Zan shrugged. “At least it wasn’t the house. Because we wanted to do that too.”
“What?” said Owen in disbelief. “You wanted to. Charlie stopped you.”
“Well, Sergeant Bourne isn’t pleased. He said once again he has to cover up for you.” Stewart frowned.
“Well, we weren’t certain if it was safe to just leave the zombie, after Mr. Warcola’s wife came back to life and all,” explained Charlie.
“And we know Bourne has burned a body or two,” added Zan.
Stewart winced as he took a sip of his coffee and found it too hot. “Just leave it for him next time.”
Everyone agreed, and then there was silence in the room.
Zan decided to break the silence. “Well, we were getting bored. This has been the first action we’ve had in a while.”
“One day you could all go to jail. And I’d be powerless to do anything,” said Stewart.
“Well, it’s a good thing you’ll be getting rid of us in a year or so, when we’re fully grown up,” said Charlie.
“Yeah, it’ll be nice to be a regular adult,” said Owen. “Maybe fight some real criminals, not zombies, for a change.”
“Nah, boring,” said Zan.
Just then a buzzer sounded.
“Who’s that?” asked Charlie.
“Oh, that’s Philly. She’s going to pick something up.” He went over to the intercom on the door and pressed the button.
Zan put her soda down. “Oh, we get to meet her, finally?”
Charlie got up and grabbed her things. “I think I should be going.”
“Hey, this is your opportunity to meet her and interrogate her,” said Stewart, laughing.
She frowned at him, but went and sat back down again. She watched the door intently.
There was a knock so Stewart went to answer it. “Please come in. I hope you don’t mind, but our biology club is just finishing up.”
“Oh, no problem. I won’t be long.” She went up and kissed him on the cheek. “You look cute today.”
“Nice dress,” said Stewart. “You might already know my students. That’s Charlie, Zan, and Owen.”
Owen got up to shake her hand. He had a look of puzzlement on his face.
“You look like you want to ask me a question, darling.”
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’m confused over something, actually.”
“Yeah, are you upset that Dr. Arora is dead?” asked Charlie.
“Oh yes, what a tragedy. If only she had put her knowledge to the good of society and science. She was so smart and clever.”
“Yes, but who knows how many people she passed a death sentence onto,” said Charlie.
“True,” said Philly. “When her estate is done, my family is making a big contribution to the hospital foundation. It’s the least we can do to make amends.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic,” said Zan. “They really help people when they can’t pay their medical bills.”
“Yes, we are anxious to get the estate wrapped up, while there is still one. We received notification that hoodlums set her shed on fire.”
“Oh no!” said Zan in mock horror.
“Yes, but fortunately, insurance will cover it.”
Stewart was getting uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. He picked up a plastic bag from the accent table. “Here are those DVDs I was telling you about.”
“Perfect! And here are your cookies.” She handed a paper bag over to him.
“Great, thanks!”
“Well, gotta go.” She gave him a kiss. “It was nice meeting you all!” She turned to look at the teens.
They waved back and watched her leave.
“Well, that’s a relief,” said Charlie.
“Hey, she was nice,” said Zan.
Charlie turned to look at her. “I know. I meant that I’m relieved she is different from her sister.”
“Something’s off,” said Owen.
Stewart went to sit back down again. “Really? Now Owen has objections.”
“Well, it’s like she is hiding something,” said Owen.
“Well, she seemed pretty open and friendly to me, but everyone is a little on guard the first time meeting people, so that might be it,” said Zan.
“Yeah, maybe that’s it,” said Owen.
“For all she knows, her sister is dead, right? And all her secrets are out. I don’t know what else
she could be trying to hide,” said Charlie, thinking about it.
“Well, she does come from a strange family, so if she does have something to hide, it could be anything. Besides, their relationship is just starting so Stewart would be the right man for the job, if you know what I mean,” said Zan, trying not to laugh.
“Ha-ha-ha!” Charlie thought that was really funny.
zzz
“I’m going for lunch,” said Sebastian. “Do you want anything? I’m heading out after a trip to the bathroom.”
Jane looked up from her desk. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
Sebastian walked back into the hall and down to the bathroom.
Marta walked into the room. “Hey, he’s good. He’s already found three errors in the budget. They were only cents, but still, that’s pretty good.”
Jane smiled. “That’s good. Numbers aren’t my strong point.”
“I know. Remember when I found that zero added?”
“I have no idea how that happened,” said Jane.
“Or that item that got listed under utilities instead of entertainment.”
“Well, I’m glad that I have employees who hold me accountable. Without it, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
Marta sighed. She hadn’t been working for the mayor for long, but she did enjoy it. “Well, we’ll keep you honest. I’m taking off now. Send me a text if you—” But her conversation was cut short.
There was a loud shattering sound coming from the back where the window was.
“Duck!” Marta called out.
Jane ducked down. A large rock whizzed past the two of them, hitting the back wall really hard. It dropped to the ground.
“What the hell?” said Jane. “That could have hurt someone!”
Marta climbed back up and rushed over to the window. “I don’t see anyone out there.”
Sebastian ran back into the room. “Hey! I heard a crashing sound. What happened?” He saw the broken window and the glass strewn on the ground.
“Someone tossed a rock through the window,” said Jane.
“Let me get that cleaned up,” said Sebastian. He ran back to the hallway and to a closet.
“So, should I call Jay or will you?” asked Marta.
“I can. We talk on an almost daily basis now. In fact, we talk more now that we’ve broken up. Of course, when you have your mouth full it’s kind of hard to talk.”
“Ew, gross. I don’t need to hear that!” Marta covered her ears.
“Silly, I meant that we were always eating. That’s why I’m on a diet now.”
Marta went over to look at the rock. “We should take some photos too, before Sebastian cleans up.”
“Good idea.” Jane pulled out her tablet and went over to the window.
“Don’t forget the rock.”
“OK,” Jane said, walking over. She snapped a photo, and then looked more closely. “It appears that something is written on it.”
“What is it?” Marta asked.
Jane used the toe of her shoe to turn it over. “Huh? ‘Zombie Rights!’ Again?”
“It must have been the same guy who threw that glass at you earlier.”
Jane took another photo. “I’ll send these to Jay.”
“Hi, ladies. I’m here with a dustpan and broom.”
“Great,” said Marta. “You can put the glass in the garbage, but please keep this rock for Sergeant Bourne.”
zzz
“Did you have a chance to check those vials I gave you?” asked Charlie.
Zan was getting fidgety and wanted to go, but then she remembered what they had found in the basement of Dr. Arora’s house.
“I’ve only done the basics,” said Stewart. “Each was labeled the same, so I think the contents are all the same. I had a quick look under the microscope. Unfortunately, it appears that whatever it was, the microorganisms are all dead now.”
“Too bad. It could have been interesting,” said Zan.
“Yes. But I’ll check each of the vials. If I find nothing, I’ll destroy it all.”
“So, even the zombie plague has an expiration date,” said Owen.
“Yep,” said Stewart.
“OK, I need to get going,” said Charlie, standing up.
“Have a good Friday tomorrow,” said Stewart.
“Yes, let’s hope that Dr. Arora doesn’t find another body to inhabit.”
“Right,” said Owen.
zzz
Julian smiled in the mirror. Day by day he was starting to not only look better, but to feel better. That and his brain was working much better too. Perhaps he could ditch his simple pizza place job and get something more challenging. He opened up his bottle of vitamins and took another one. Maybe they were what was making him better. Perhaps he’d never really been a zombie. Maybe his body had just fought off the virus? It was certainly possible, after all, there were still people alive who had acquired and survived Ebola.
Before he left the house, he made certain to eat a whole pack of raw ground beef. He hadn’t felt the urge to bite a human for weeks now, but he thought it best to satisfy his basic needs. Every now and then he felt the urge to eat real food, but when he tried, he just spit it back out. But perhaps he’d reach the point where he could have tacos again, or chocolate cake.
Julian paused as he grabbed his car keys. He thought he heard someone laughing. His parents were still at work. There shouldn’t be anyone in the house. Maybe it came from outside? He shrugged and headed off to work.
zzz
When Owen got home, he decided to resume calling around to find out if anyone knew where the mask was. He looked at his list and dialed the first number. It was out of service, as were the next two. Perhaps this would be a simple task after all.
“Hello?”
“Err, hello. This is Owen. I’m calling about Akello Bicombe.”
“Oh, yes. He passed away recently.”
“I know, and I send my condolences to you. But I have a request.” He paused.
“Yes?” the woman asked.
“Akello was working on an important project involving a shrunken head mask from the Amazon. Do you have any idea who I could contact for more information?”
“Um, I don’t know anything about that. What I do know is that he was working on a lot of projects in Uganda.”
“Do you know if he dropped the mask off somewhere? I mean, where did Akello’s personal effects go to?”
“Oh. Well, during his stay in the U.S., he had some items he left here. He would travel back and forth a lot. I believe they were donated to a local charitable thrift shop. As for his belongings in Uganda, I have no idea what happened to them. But if he was working on projects here, then you should check with Portland University.”
“Thanks,” said Owen. “Just out of curiosity, do you have any idea which thrift shop got his things?”
“I’m not certain, but perhaps it was for children?”
“Thank you. You’ve been most helpful.” He hung up.
zzz
“Ha-ha-ha!” said Marta.
“What is it?” asked Jane. “Do you have a date?”
“Oh no. It’s just that Sebastian is amazing!”
“Perfect,” said Jane, putting her reading glasses down. “Has he managed to find a few extra million in our budget?”
“No, not that. But you know that display cabinet in the lobby?” She smirked.
“Oh yes,” said Jane. “The one that we never seem to have time to update?”
“Right. Well, Sebastian not only cleaned it out, but he set up a brand new exhibit.”
“Good,” said Jane. “I look forward to seeing it.”
“Yes, and one of the artifacts is this shrunken head mask from the Amazon!”
“What? That’s amazing!” said Jane. “This may just bring us some positive attention. Perhaps we’ll get more residents visiting City Hall to lend their support. And it’s perfect as Halloween is coming up.”
“I know!” Marta le
ft the office, still beaming.
“Huh, I hope it’s really from the Amazon and not a zombie,” said Jane, muttering to herself. She picked up her glasses and her pen and got back to work.
Chapter 14
________________________________________
Stewart was in the small bathroom off his bedroom. He had set up a small lab on the counter beside the sink. There was a large microscope, a platter of glass slides, and the container containing all the glass vials that Zan and Charlie had found in Dr. Arora’s house.
He’d checked the first sample the other day, but it had appeared to be dried human blood without any trace of zombie virus.
He carefully prepared the next few slides, and then examined them under the microscope. He shook his head. They were all the same thing.
He went to prepare the final set. At first, he had thought they were all labeled the same. But then he looked at the label on the last one. It said Z.24.
“Huh, sounds like a radio station or something.”
He made a slide and put it under the microscope. “Hmm.” He could just see the strange outlines of what appeared to be a small spider, but it was most likely a virus. “But that’s just a common virus,” he muttered to himself. “She must have been testing a variety of different theories.”
He increased the magnification on the microscope. “Hey, is that something?”
Stewart sat back on his stool. Could this mean something? And if so, was it anything that would help people, or would it just be another thing to file away?
zzz
Julian was kneading some pizza dough when he heard a woman giggle behind him.