by Bible, Jake
“Well said,” Mondello agrees, “then let’s get this started.”
“Get what started?” I ask. Then I see. “Oh...”
Part of the chain link parts and three Zs are shoved inside with me. The men that do the shoving hurry to close the chain link, jumping back when the Zs lunge towards them. The men start smiling and laughing, pointing at me. Great.
I quickly take in my surroundings. The earlier cursory observation turns into serious study. I have the following resources at my disposal: gravel, a chain link fence, a bladder that is now full of piss, even though I just went to the bathroom, and a healthy dose of pure terror. Only a couple of those things can help.
I pick up a handful of gravel, really wishing I had two hands to use. The Zs come right for me, no hesitation, and very little slow shambling. I can see they are pretty fresh; must have just turned today. Again, great.
I scramble to my right, tossing the gravel at the Zs, which does exactly zip to slow them down, but it makes me feel like I’m at least participating in my own death. Do your part before you die a horrible, screaming death, should be the official slogan of the apocalypse. There could be t-shirts and shit.
One of the Zs is faster than the others are and gets to me before I can dodge out of the way. Its hands grasp for me, but I knock them away, spinning around the thing and elbowing it in the back, sending it into the fence. Now, here’s the problem with chain link fencing: it’s got bounce.
So I send the Z into the fence and it just ricochets right off and back at me. We collide and fall to the ground in a pile of living and undead limbs. The monster’s jaws snap at my face, but I shove it away, my fingers digging into its cheeks for purchase. It snarls at me as I roll over, pinning it down. I’m about to rip the fucking thing’s face right off when Z fingers grab me from behind.
Oh, right, there’re two more of the mother fuckers.
I jump back, using my momentum to send the Zs tumbling. I’m lucky and keep my balance, but not for long as a Z hand grips my ankle and pulls. I’m down on my face, gravel digging into my forehead, when I hear a thump. There, just a few feet away, is The Bitch.
“Thought you might like that,” Mondello calls out. “Ms. Foster says her man, Jameson, took it off you.”
Jameson? Does he mean Cowboy? Who cares, I have The Bitch back!
Now I just have to get to it before I die.
I flail, thrash, and manage to get the Z off me. Rolling over and over, I get close to The Bitch, but not close enough. My hand is inches from it when two Zs are on me. I just start punching and kicking. I connect with a Z and its head rocks back as I get my knees up under it and shove as hard as possible with my legs. The thing flies off me and I slam my elbow into the temple of the second Z. I hear a snap and the Z’s head twists to the side, its neck broken. It falls on me and I’m pinned under undead weight. Of course, since I haven’t destroyed the brain, the thing’s jaws are still working, but at least the body isn’t responding.
Barely managing to get the fucking thing off me, I roll once more and I have The Bitch! Then I don’t, as I’m tackled by a Z, its teeth gnashing at my face as zombie spittle drips onto my cheek. Fucking gross, man! I slam my good hand against its head over and over and over, but the fucker won’t die. Its teeth snag my shirt and I nearly freak out, as I feel it start to bite through the cotton and into my arm.
Adrenaline seriously kicks in and I let out a guttural scream, as I wrap the Z in my arms and roll. Now I’m on top, mother fucker! Despite the intense agony, I grab the Zs head with both hands and twist, breaking its neck and severing the spinal column. It looks up at me with its dead, grey eyes and hisses. Fuck that shit. I get to my feet and stomp the fucker until its skull is in pieces and zombie brains coat the gravel.
I walk over to the other Z and finish it off.
Now, where’s the third one? Oh, here it comes.
I duck my shoulder and let the Z run right into me, then I stand up straight, sending the thing flipping over my back. It hits the gravel hard and roars with rage. Oh, did I make the Z angry? Poor widdle Z. Without hesitation, I turn its face into pulp, wiping my boot on the gravel as Z brain drips from the sole.
I walk over and pick up The Bitch, loving the familiar feel, even if it is in my left hand.
“Didn’t even need it!” I shout. “How do you like that, asshole?”
The crowd is cheering and hollering at me; I guess I put on a nice show. It was only three Zs, after all. Sure, it got a little hairy, but I’ve faced worse. They’d have loved me with two working hands. What the fuck am I thinking? This shit is crazy! I really gotta find a way out of here...
“Did I pass the test?” I shout in the direction I think Mondello is. Hard to say with the lights blinding me.
“Test, Mr. Stanford? This isn’t a test,” Mondello replies. Still can’t see the fucker. “This is a show. These people work hard all day long and deserve some entertainment. You’ve done a fine job so far.”
“But there’s more, right?” I ask. “The evening is still young and all that. The show must go on. Is that it? Haven’t you heard the saying ‘leave them wanting more’? I don’t mind postponing the rest until tomorrow night. You should see me when I’m rested. I’ll do this again and then you can let me and Leeds go. How’s that sound? Two nights for the price of one.”
“No, no, I don’t think so, Mr. Stanford,” Mondello laughs. “This is a one night engagement. You should feel honored; you get to perform in front of the President of the United States. Not many get that privilege.”
“Oh, I’m not sure I call this privilege,” I reply. “So what happens now? You keep sending Zs at me until I die, and then it’s Leeds turn?”
“Why wait?” Mondello says. “I think Captain Leeds should have a turn now.”
Good. Some backup. I could use it. Maybe while we fight the Zs together we can come up with some plan to get us the fuck out of this shitty situation. Come on, it can’t end like this. Not fighting Zs like post-apocalyptic gladiators. I always thought I’d die in a blaze of glory, sacrificing myself to save my family. That’s the way to go out, not this shit.
The chain link rattles and Leeds is shoved into the arena with me.
“What? He doesn’t get a weapon?” I shout. “Afraid he’ll use it against you once we’re done killing all the Zs you throw at us?”
“You want him to have a weapon, Mr. Stanford?” Mondello asks.
“Uh, yeah, that’s what I just said.”
“Fine, he can have a weapon,” Mondello says. “How does that sound, folks? Should we give Captain Leeds a weapon?” The crowd erupts into laughter. What the fuck are they laughing at? Is it some inside joke that I’m missing? “Sounds like they want Captain Leeds to have a weapon too, Mr. Stanford.”
A large pipe is tossed into the arena, just feet from Leeds.
“Thanks. It’s appreciated,” I yell then look at Leeds. “Grab that, Captain. You’re going to need it.”
I grip The Bitch and wait for the next round of Zs. And wait. I look over at Leeds and see he’s hanging his head and hasn’t even moved an inch towards the pipe.
“Dude, grab that shit and get ready,” I call to him.
Pain erupts in my right shoulder and I look down to see a crossbow bolt protruding from me. I pull it out and toss it onto the gravel. The wound isn’t deep and the bolt wasn’t barbed, but it still hurts.
“What the fuck, Mondello? Didn’t think I was wounded enough?” I yell at him.
“Oh, I just needed to motivate Captain Leeds,” Mondello says. “They can get so confused when they are fresh. That bit of humanity that still lingers in the synapses.”
“What the hell are you...talking...about...?” I say then look closely at Leeds.
His head was hanging down, but as soon as the crossbow bolt hits the gravel, it snaps up. His grey eyes lock onto the bolt then he starts to sniff the air. I look at the stain of blood on my shoulder then back at Leeds. His grey eyes are on me.
&
nbsp; His dead, grey eyes.
“No, no, no,” I whisper. “Please no. Why? Why him?” I begin to shake, a fury like I’ve never felt before growing in me.
“YOU FUCKS!” I scream. “YOU CRAZY FUCKS! NOT HIM! HE WAS THE GOOD GUY!” My chest hitches as I struggle to get control of myself. “He was my friend...”
And my friend is hungry. For me.
Leeds sprints towards me. He doesn’t shamble or shuffle, but sprints. I guess that’s what happens when a trained soldier is freshly turned. His body hasn’t had a chance to atrophy and rigor mortis hasn’t damaged the muscles yet.
The Bitch feels like a ten-ton weight in my hand as I watch Leeds close the distance between us. Mondello, and the crowd are laughing their asses off. I hear the pure joy in their voices, knowing the joke is on me. Ha, ha, ha, mother fuckers. I get out of this and you’re all going to die.
I get set and swing out with The Bitch, but Leeds dodges it easily and skids to a stop in the gravel, just feet from me. He watches me hungrily, but he doesn’t attack. Somewhere up in that undead brain, he’s actually making connections. I’ve never seen a Z act like this before. Sure, I’ve been around fresh ones, but there was never any significant cognitive function. Not this way.
I make a mental note to remember that trained killers like Leeds make for really scary Zs.
A low growling comes from Leeds throat and he begins to circle around me, his eyes darting from me to The Bitch. The mother fucker is stalking me! And watching my weapon while doing it. Jesus H. Pooping Christ.
I hoist The Bitch above my head one handed, turning myself to the side so I present a smaller target. Uh, did that just make Leeds smile? Is that a smile on a fucking Z’s face? Just when I thought the whole creepy military smile couldn’t get creepier, it does. Fucking A.
“Come on, Captain,” I say. “Come at me. Let’s get this done.”
And he does. In a burst of speed, he closes the distance between us. I barely have time to bring The Bitch down. It only grazes him across the back as he tackles me about the waist, sending us both flying through the air, and then skidding across the gravel. I can feel rocks rip through my shirt and into my back.
The smell of blood makes Leeds crazy, but in a good way. He seems to lose control and just starts thrashing on me. I slam my fist into his jaw again and again, giving me time to get a knee under him. I lift and get some space between us. He roars and spits, his hands clawing at me, his jaws chomping on air over my face. I try to shove him off with my leg, but his fingers grip my shirt and he pulls himself down closer. It’s a battle of wills as I am barely able to keep him at bay with my leg.
Fuck it.
I start boxing his head with both hands, screaming each time my right hand smashes into him. Leeds tries to shake it off, but I keep at it, knocking that Z brain of his around, sending it bouncing back and forth against the inside of his skull. It doesn’t quell his Z rage, but it does disorient him enough that he loses focus. I shove hard with my leg and he tumbles off me.
Rolling, rolling, rolling, I put space between us. And The Bitch. Which sucks. Dammit.
I get to my feet just as he does, and I start to run. I mean fuck it, why not? Around and around in circles we go, me running for my life, him running for a meal. The crowd begins to boo at the lack of action. And I thought this was North Carolina? The home of NASCAR? Don’t these fuckers like watching people go around and around and around, over and over and over? It’s the Apocalypse 500, y’all!
The running in circles is making me dizzy, or that could be blood loss from my shoulder, and I stumble just enough for Leeds to catch up to me. His hands grab my shoulders and he brings me down like a mother fucking undead lion does to a gazelle. I don’t really want to be the gazelle in this scenario. Not that there’s any scenario where I’d want to be the gazelle.
I use our momentum and tuck my shoulder, sending us into a rolling dive. Leeds ends up on his back, under me, but his head is close enough that I feel the air tickle my ear hairs, as his jaws chomp closed. I slam my elbow into his face and shove myself to my feet, screaming again as I put all my weight on my broken hand.
Holding my hand to my chest, I book ass to The Bitch, scooping it up just as Leeds gets up and comes at me. I don’t stop, I don’t think, I just swing. And connect. I feel the spikes dig into the soft flesh of his cheek and I pull back, shredding his face.
The crowd goes, “Ooooooooooooohhhhhh!” then erupts into cheers. Guess they liked that. Fuckers.
Leeds hisses at me, but that’s all he gets to do as I swing again, shredding the other cheek. Then again, ripping the top of his scalp off. He staggers back, regroups, and lunges for me. But I’ve got him figured out. The Bitch connects solidly with the top of his head and he stops in his tracks. His grey eyes find mine and for a split second, I think I see the real Leeds. Then he falls to his knees, The Bitch still embedded in his skull; he grunts and crumples to his side.
Leeds is dead. Totally dead.
The crowd is stamping their feet and slapping their hands together. I can just see them past the lights and their faces are filled with bloodlust and violence. And I get it. I understand what this is all about. Mondello keeps them wanting death, craving to see it played out night after night. That way when they experience it during the day, whether by accident or possibly on purpose, they are desensitized; it means nothing.
No wonder the Romans lasted as long as they did. Not a bad strategy.
While not a bad strategy, it is an evil one. I bend down and yank The Bitch from Leeds’s skull. It makes a cracking noise as bone splinters under his scalp. I’ll remember that sound the rest of my life.
“That all you got, asshole?” I yell as I walk to the center of the arena, spinning around, looking as many people in the eye as I can. “Some pitiful Zs and an old soldier? You think that’s what will take me down? Do you, motherfucker? DO YOU?”
The crowd quiets down, all waiting for Mondello’s response.
“Well done, Mr. Stanford,” he says and I can hear his mocking golf clap. “I honestly didn’t think you’d take him. I’ve watched freshly turned soldiers decimate entire groups of people; they are something to see. But you handled Leeds like a pro. I have underestimated you, and I apologize for that.”
The crowd is now silent. Pretty sure they’ve never heard the cocksucker apologize before.
“I don’t accept your apology,” I say.
“Nor would I expect you to,” Mondello responds, “but, out of respect for your performance tonight, I will agree to your previous request.”
“You’re letting me go?” I ask. “Great. It was fun. Seriously. We’ll do it again sometime.”
“Okay, okay,” Mondello laughs, “maybe not your full request. But I will let you live, and get a good night’s rest, before I put you back in there tomorrow night. How does that sound?”
The crowd begins to chant my name, “Loooong Pooooork! Looooong Poooork!”
Awesome...
“And what happens tomorrow night?” I yell over the crowd.
“That, Mr. Stanford, is entirely up to you,” Mondello replies, his voice barely audible over the chanting.
Chapter Five
They try to use only melee weapons, knowing stealth and silence are the best way to get through downtown, but as the Zs keep coming, they have to switch to firearms, which mean noise, and more Zs.
“I’m out!” one of Critter’s men shouts, the slide on his pistol locking back, just before his arm is flayed open by Z teeth. “AAAAAAAAAAAA!”
He falls under one then two, three, four Zs, his screams mixing with the hisses and groans of the undead that surround the group.
Elsbeth dances, like a deadly dervish made of anger and sharp steel, cutting down Z after Z that gets in her path. A blade in each hand, she slices off heads, splitting them in two before they touch the ground. She shoves a blade deep into the guts of a Z and yanks up, dissecting the thing up the middle, right through its chest, neck, and skull. Wi
thout hesitating, she turns about and pierces the ocular cavity of a Z that is reaching for her.
“I need ammo!” another of Critter’s men yells. He slams the empty pistol into the face of a Z, hoping to kill it, but instead, killing himself as the Zs teeth shred the flesh off one of his fingers. He pushes the thing away and pulls the hand to his chest. “I been kilt!”
Critter doesn’t waiver one bit and puts a bullet in the man’s brain. The body drops to the ground and he kicks it with his foot, sending it rolling down the sidewalk towards more Zs. They jump on the still warm body and begin to rip the flesh off it with their teeth and hands, jamming as much meat into their undead mouth as can fit. Most don’t bother to chew, just swallow the bites whole, going in for more.
“Here,” John calls out from a side alley, as he kicks in the back door to one of the many businesses that once populated the vibrant downtown of Asheville, North Carolina. “Come on!”
Critter doesn’t wait and sprints his way to John. He slaps John on the shoulder and ducks inside, turning to say, “Lay down some fire and get her out of there!”
John takes aim with his rifle, and despite the darkness, takes out six Zs before Elsbeth gets the hint and runs towards him. Critter’s men follow, but only two make it, the others getting a few feet before being cut off by swarming Zs. John doesn’t bother to look back as they scream and plead for help, he just hurries the two men inside and slams the door shut.
Critter is already there with furniture to barricade the door. He hands it to John and they both secure the entrance before turning and heading up the narrow stairway behind them.
“Where’s Elsbeth?” John asks, but doesn’t wonder for long as a body falls from a floor above, banging and smashing against the railing on its way down. “Oh.”
“Clear up here now,” Elsbeth says, peeking over and waving at them.
“Jesus that girl is strange,” Critter says as they take the steps two at time.
Instead of stopping on the floor Elsbeth is on, John proceeds up one more flight of stairs and onto the roof. He sprints to the side and looks down, taking aim with his rifle. Two shots and the men suffering below are no more.