The ZWD Trilogy (Book 1): Zombie World Dominance [The Destruction Begins]

by L. D. King

  The three of them went up to the bedrooms. There were five bedrooms upstairs. Each man selected a separate bedroom for himself.

  When morning came, Sheref was the first to awaken. He went around to the other rooms and woke Assem and Zeyad. Then he went down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the three of them.

  As they were eating, Assem asked, “With what we found yesterday, where do you think we should start looking today, Zeyad?”

  “I was thinking that it would be best if we all worked together in this house. We should begin our search here in this kitchen, looking for any telltale signs of other hidden doors; drag marks on the floor, such as Sheref noticed yesterday, or where a hidden door does not fit right. By tapping on the walls, we could listen for hollow spots. If it sounds hollow behind a wall, but we can’t find the door or passage, then we will simply smash open the wall, moving from room to room. I think that will be the best way to progress so that we don’t miss anything. With three sets of eyes, one of us should see if there is something out of place. Look for overly thick walls between rooms, rooms that are not as deep or ceilings that are lower than in adjacent rooms. Hiding spots take up extra space that will give itself away if we look hard enough. We don’t want to forget the attic. We are engineers; we should know about buildings.” His companions nodded.

  “All right, if you are ready, let’s get to work. The sooner we get done, the more quickly we can get out of this house.”

  The three of them spent the next four days scouring the house. They found weapons and money. They found some hidden rooms in the basement that could be used to imprison or torture people. When they found this room Zeyad had to speak up.

  “Whoever owned this house must have been a very bad man. No one has rooms like this in their homes. It makes me want to get out of here as fast as we can. I think we have found more than enough. It is time to bring the trailer into the garage and get it hooked up to the truck.”

  The day before, they had found some lumber that they decided to use to build the sides higher on the trailer. Once that was done, they decided that they would tie a tarp over everything in the trailer once it was loaded, in order to keep everything out of sight.

  “These last four days have been excellent for us. I don’t want to do all this work just to have road bandits take it from us,” said Zeyad.

  Whatever they did not have loaded by sunup, they decided they would leave. “I want to leave this house in the morning. I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to,” Zeyad said. “Sheref has been nagging me about getting done so we can go. I know neither of you wants to stay here any longer than we have to, either. This place makes me nervous.”

  “I am willing to leave tonight if you both want,” said Assem.

  “I agree that something about this house does not make me feel safe, but we have to be smart about this,” said Zeyad. “We are going, but if we leave tonight, we will be putting our lives at risk. People get killed being out after dark. Either the zombies or the road bandits might kill us. Dead is dead no matter who or what kills you. So we’ll stay here until morning. The faster we get the truck and trailer loaded the better. Tonight we will take as much time that is needed to get everything loaded, and we will leave at first light. The first day of travel will be a short day for us — no more than 20 or 30 kilometers. Then we will find another safe place with a garage in which to hide the truck and trailer. We will rest tomorrow night. Tonight we work.”

  All three of them went out to load the items they had found into the truck and trailer. The trailer was in one bay of the garage and the truck in the other. By early morning, before the sun was up, they had finished loading. It felt good to be ready to leave.

  They went into the kitchen to have quick breakfast. As they sat resting from their night’s work, Zeyad let out a long breath. Then he said, “Gentlemen, we had a long night. I am proud of you. We did it. Everything that needed to be loaded has been loaded. Nothing was left behind. We can go out there, hitch up the truck to the trailer and get the hell out of this place.” He clapped his two friends on the back.

  “We must be careful that whoever is driving does not drift off to sleep. It will be light in an hour, maybe two at the most. Let’s clean up; the clean clothes we found upstairs will be nice to put on. It has been quite a while since we had clean clothes to wear. Once we have all cleaned up, we’ll go. Let’s take, say, a half hour to wash up and change. When you are ready, I’ll meet you back in the garage.”

  They went upstairs to start washing up. They even shaved for the first time in months. They each had a clean set of clothes to put on. They left their dirty, ragged clothes that they had been wearing for so many months on the floor where they fell. They felt so fresh with new clothes on their clean bodies. They even found some men’s after shave to splash on.

  Down the stairs they came; new clothes, new boots, a splash of aftershave. If this wasn’t the zombie outbreak they might well have been going to the office to work, but today they were a world away from going to the office. It would be another day of dealing with the zombies, of survival.

  Zeyad was the first to arrive back in the kitchen. As Assem walked in, Zeyad whistled at him. Right behind Assem was Sheref. All three men felt elated at finally being clean and having fresh clothing. Zeyad announced their schedule for the day.

  “What fine gentlemen we are! Are the two of you going to work, or perhaps on a date?” he grinned. “Did you not receive the message that today was canceled due to the zombie apocalypse?”

  All three men laughed. “We had a nice rest. We all got a little cleaner. We even have new clothes to wear,” said Assem. “Now, which one of you smells like a French whorehouse? Did you know that a few drops of aftershave go a long way? I will tell you what —don’t get too close to open flames. I sure hope the zombies don’t like aftershave!” They laughed together some more.

  “We should take a handful of hard candies to help us stay awake,” said Zeyad. “I want to set up driving shifts of an hour each. Nobody will drive today for more than an hour at a stretch. I’ll put some canned peaches in a plastic container for us to eat when we feel our energy sagging. We’re out of here in 15 minutes.”

  They finished up and got on the road. Zeyad took the first shift of driving. Assem was soon fast asleep in the back seat and Sheref was dozing in the passenger seat. The trailer was heavy; they did not try to set any speed records. They would not be able to corner as well as if they didn’t have such a heavy load. However, no matter how heavy the truck and trailer were, it was much better than walking.

  They left Bani Mazar, driving north on the Al-Ibrahimeya Highway towards Cairo. By 1:00 PM, they had driven 32 kilometers and they arrived at Beni Suef. With another 95 kilometers to go before they reached Cairo, they decided to stay the night in Beni Suef.

  As they started to look for a safe building for the night, they found a place that met most of their requirements. It did not have a garage to put the truck and trailer in, but the courtyard walls were three meters high. At that height, they could put their truck and trailer inside and no one could see it from the outside.

  However, due to the amount of supplies they had in the truck and trailer, Zeyad decided a night watch would still be a wise thing. They would take turns standing watch for two hours each. They had completed checking the house. They backed the truck and trailer inside the courtyard wall. They started locking everything down by locking the courtyard gate.

  Standing together behind the locked gate, Zeyad told them, “Today was a great day. This is a good place to stop for the night. Nothing went wrong. We didn’t see any zombies or bandits, and I found a small stash of cigars. Please have one with me to celebrate what we have done together over the last few days.”

  Zeyad passed out the cigars, and the three men lit them. They stood in the courtyard, looking out through the small gate to the highway. They were relaxing, enjoying their smoke. Holding his cigar, Assem said, “This is what it is all a
bout. A good smoke at the end of the day with good friends. I could get used to this if nothing changes. I know it’s a pipe dream, but it’s kind of nice to dream once in a while.”

  “You’re right, Assem,” said Zeyad. “This is a good end to the day. We have a little more work to do before we can lie down to rest. We need to make sure that the large gate cannot be opened from the outside, we need to make dinner, and we need to set up our sleeping area. Okay, let’s make sure that this gate is secure.”

  “Tonight,” said Sheref, “All we really need will be three guns, our sleeping mats, and enough food for two meals. We can leave everything else where it is for now. Whoever is on watch should check the truck every 15 to 20 minutes. Now that we have these things, we don’t want to lose them.”

  When they were finished with their cigars, they gathered the things they needed for the night and set themselves up in the house.

  “Let’s eat,” said Zeyad. “After last night, I’m worn out. We will begin our first watch after we finish eating. I will take the first shift.”

  “Zeyad,” said Assem. “Have you been watching the traffic that is going by? It looks as if it is coming from Cairo. It looks like everyone is leaving with everything they own piled on top of their cars. Maybe we should have gone a little further off the main road. I hope the road will not be this crowded in the morning.”

  “Perhaps we should stop someone to find out why everyone is on the road,” said Zeyad. “By this time of day, they should be looking for a safe place for the night.”

  “If everyone is leaving Cairo, I would like to know why. I don’t want any surprises tomorrow when we drive into Cairo.” Said Assem. “Come on, Zeyad, help me flag someone down. We need to know what we will be driving into tomorrow.”

  “All right,” said Zeyad. “I will help you stop a car. But let’s choose a car that is older. The owner will not be likely to have many government connections if they are driving an old car. That should be safer. Sheref, I want you to stay here by the gate with your gun ready in case we have any problems. Assem, are you ready?”

  Assem and Zeyad walked out to the road. They chose a car to stop, an old white Toyota sedan, with rust around the wheel wells.

  They stepped into the road to wave them down. The car came to a halt in a cloud of dust. In the front seats were two women with what had to be their four children in the back. Zeyad approached the car and motioned for the woman who was driving to roll down her window.

  “Good afternoon,” Zeyad said. “My name is Zeyad and this is Assem. Where are you coming from in such a hurry?”

  “We are coming from Cairo,” said the woman in the driver’s seat. “The zombies have overrun the city, and everyone who has a vehicle is leaving. Our husbands left our home to look for food over two weeks ago. We believe that both of them were killed by zombies. They told us that they would be back in two or three days, but they never returned. When the food ran out, and everyone else in the neighborhood started to leave, we decided to do the same.”

  The other woman spoke up. “We honestly don’t know where to go. We are just following the car in front of us for now. We have not eaten in the last three days. We will run out of gas tomorrow or the next day. We are in trouble, and there is no one we can turn to for help.”

  “Ladies, would you allow me a moment to speak with my partner, please?”

  Zeyad walked back to Assem. He put his hand on his shoulder, urging him back towards the gate. He called to Sheref to join them.

  “Sheref, do not come out, but listen closely.... I cannot in good conscience let these two widows drive to their deaths. When their car runs out of gas, they will not be able to walk far before the zombies overtake them, and the zombies will be out in less than an hour. They look so frightened. To let them go on would be the same as killing them ourselves. We should take them in for the night to keep them safe. What do you think?”

  “I agree,” said Sheref. “We cannot let women or children die. If there is something we can do to help, we must do it. Have them bring their car inside the courtyard. I’ll make sure the gate can be closed.”

  Zeyad walked back out to the car. Assem went to move their truck to make room. Sheref unlocked the gate. Zeyad spoke to the woman who was driving.

  “I’ve talked to my partners. We would like to invite you into our safe house for the night. We have enough food for all of you. We will have to find more sleeping mats, as we only have three. Is that okay with you?”

  “Yes, it is,” said the woman. “Thank you so much. What do you want us to do with our car?”

  “Follow Assem. He will open the gate for you and help you get your car off the road. Drive into the courtyard. After that, please join us in the house to share our meal with us.”

  Assem moved the truck forward. Zeyad guided them through the gate. Once the car was inside the courtyard, he was able to close the gate. The women and children followed the three men into the house.

  Zeyad was busy putting out more food. Everyone took a seat at the kitchen table. As they prepared to eat, they all introduced themselves to one another.

  “I am Zeyad Sarraf. This is Sheref Essa, and behind him is Assem Qureshi.”

  “I am Atef Shammas,” said the woman who had been driving. “My three girls are called Nubail, Renen, and my youngest —” she indicated a small girl tucked under her arm — “is Teti. This is my sister, Kema Mifsud. Her daughter’s name is Hotep. As we said, both our husbands left home two weeks ago. We believe that they were killed sometime after that.” She began to weep. “Cairo has been overrun by the zombies. There is nothing left. Everyone that could has left Cairo. We don’t know where to go. Neither my sister or I have ever been this far out of Cairo. We are lost. Our husbands did everything for us. They took such good care of our families.”

  Sheref said, “I am sorry for your losses. I was able to find other sleeping mats. They are set up in a room for all of you. Tonight you may hear one of us walking around. Do not be concerned; we will be keeping a night watch. We do not want to scare you or make you feel uncomfortable. We simply feel it is wise to keep watch for the zombies or road bandits.”

  “Zeyad, your last name sounds familiar. Could you have known my husband? His name is — was — Saho Daher. I kept my family name. He has talked about a family named Zeyad that he was related to. He told me that they lived in Luxor.”

  “Oh, yes. I am sure that he is my cousin. I had lost track of him over the years. And now here you are, his wife, and children. It is my honor to meet you at last. I only wish it was under better circumstances.”

  “Children, come and meet your father’s cousin. His name is Zeyad Sarraf. Tonight we will be safe with Zeyad.”

  After they had finished eating, the two women took their children to their room to get ready for the night. Atef left the door slightly ajar. Usually, she would have closed it with other men in the house, even at their home, but she felt safe enough with Zeyad in the house.

  The three men cleaned up after the meal, and Sheref started the night watch. The night was quiet. The cars that were driving by had slowed to a trickle, then stopped altogether. The only thing that broke the stillness of the night was the screams of the dying. But this had become a nightly issue since the outbreak began. Tonight there were more screams because there were so many people on the road that failed to reach safety before it got dark.

  In the middle of the night when Assem went to wake Sheref for his watch, he saw that Zeyad was awake. He asked the two men to step outside into the courtyard to talk.

  “That was some good news for you, Zeyad. You found your cousin’s family. It would have been much better had he not been killed before you found them. With the news last night about Cairo I guess we don’t want to go that way. Now what should we do? Go back to Luxor?”

  “Well, first things first. What do you think we should do concerning the women and their children?”

  “Zeyad, they are your family,” said Sheref. “We cannot let them dr
ive away to their deaths. If we do that, they will surely die. They have never been out of Cairo. They are lost. I say that they go with us.”

  Zeyad nodded his head. “I cannot let my cousin’s family leave without helping them. I owe this to my family. If this will be a problem, then I will depart with them. We will have to say goodbye tomorrow.”

  “You do not have to take such drastic measures, Zeyad, I am fine with your family joining us,” said Sheref.

  “Yes,” said Assem. “They are your family. By that measure, they are our family as well. They must go with us. As far as where to go, I agree that Cairo is no longer an option. What about down into Africa? With a sparser population, the outbreak should not be as much of an issue. If anything, there will be fewer people, so there should be fewer zombies to worry about, don’t you think?”

  “Thank you both on behalf of my family. Africa sounds like as good a choice as any. Tomorrow we could go through Faiyum; from there we can go past Lake Qaroun. Then we would have to cross the desert to the Al-Wahat Al-Bahreya Road, and take it to Bawiti. From there we go to the Siwa Oasis, on to the Mediterranean Sea. We will follow the highway to Morocco. It will be a long drive, but we will bypass Cairo altogether. Somewhere along this path, it should be better than here. What do you think?”

  “As far as I’m concerned, as long as we don’t go to Cairo, I’m good with that,” said Sheref. “What about you, Assem?”

  “As far as I am concerned, as long as we can find a place where we can stay alive, I’m fine with it. Anywhere other than Cairo is fine with me. If we can find a place to wait this thing out, that’s even better.”

  Zeyad thought for a moment. “You are good with cars, Sheref. Will you look at their car in the morning? I don’t think it is in the best condition. We need to know if it’s going to make the journey with us before we finalize our plans.”

  “I looked at it after they pulled in,” said Sheref. “It is not in the best condition. If we have to go into the desert, it will not keep up.”