Zombie Airman

by David Guenther

  “Hey! That hurt like a son of a bitch.” Gloria was obviously agitated and the doctor was thoroughly cowed by her demeanor and strength.

  “Okay, we’ll continue without using the otoscope on your eyes. Besides your eyes being dilated and sensitive to light, what other changes have you noticed, Lieutenant?”

  “Doc, I’m a borderline couch potato. I get to the gym twice a week at best. My blood pressure is usually about 100 over 70. I can hear the tiniest sound and I can now see in the dark. I also have very sensitive sense of smell.”

  “Fascinating. I wish we had the ability to do a full blood workup on you. Other than your new abilities and capabilities, I see nothing wrong with you. If you do start to feel anything more out of the normal, please let me know as soon as possible. Rebecca, do you have any additional questions or concerns?”

  “Thank you, Dr Walker, I know everything I need to. Gloria, welcome to the Sanctuary. Your new home.”

  Denver, Colorado. April 4, 2029

  The sky was a clean baby blue that only the sunrise could bring, as Caleb took in the morning quiet. He could feel a breeze start to pick up as the birds began to sing. It felt like the perfect moment, at least the best part of the day as nothing had gone wrong yet.

  Reaching for the oar, he realized he’d never let go of the M4 when he was ready to shoot the infected girl earlier in the night. His fingers were stiff from the death grip he had on the weapon as he forced himself to let go. His back and arms felt like they’d fused from his night of sitting vigilant on the canoe’s uncomfortable bar seat. Using the oar loosened up some muscles. As he paddled back to the shore, he began to look forward to some breakfast when he got to the truck.

  The canoe edged into the shore. Caleb lifted the blanket covering Ann and wrapped it around his shoulders as he stepped onto the shore, then pulled the canoe further up onto the land. Ann woke from the motion and cursed from the pain in her back from sleeping on metal. She got up and felt chilled from the cold wind blowing across the small lake. She could already feel it was going to be an ugly day.

  The food and cooking supplies were under all the ‘treasure’ Ann contributed to the adventure. Caleb reached around under the piles and pulled up two enamel coffee mugs. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty, I struck mugs. I should find food any time now.” Reaching deep into the pile, he felt the unmistakable feel of a freeze-dried food packet. Gently, he moved it around until it was loose enough to pull free. The package of strawberries gave him mixed thoughts as he stuck his hand back in for another try. It took a moment before he again felt another bag and wrestled it out from the pile. He was pleasantly surprised to see it was oatmeal with mixed fruit chunks.

  “Thanks, sweetie. What are you having for breakfast?” Ann pulled the bag from him before he realized her treachery.

  “I’m just going to have a nice cup of strawberries. I prefer it to cold lumpy oatmeal first thing in the morning.” He grinned as he opened the top of the bag and poured a bottle of water in. “Actually, going to the drive thru for a huge breakfast burrito and French fries with a huge cola to wash it all down sounds good.” He shook his bag, then poured it into the coffee cup, smiling at Ann as if he’d made a wonderful discovery. Sipping the water, he was surprised to find it tasted like syrup from the strawberries. He reached in and pulled out a huge strawberry and grinned again as he stuffed it into his mouth. “How does your oatmeal taste, Annie?”

  “Asshole. I told you to never call me Annie. Aren’t you going to pull out the camp stove?” Caleb tried not to laugh at her, but failed.

  “Now, finish your breakfast, I need to find us a map to get out of here and back on our way. This time I’m driving. He made a big smile as he bit into a strawberry that had been freeze dried. Caleb made even a bigger smile as he swallowed. “Ten minutes and I’m back on the road, so go ahead and make yourself beautiful for the day and any other business you have to take care of. I’m only going to stop to refuel.” He walked to the lake and vigorously shook the coffee cup in the water until he decided it was clean enough. He then walked to the front of the truck, out of view from Ann for a couple minutes.

  Caleb got into the truck and adjusted his seat and mirrors until it was perfect. I’ll never again allow anyone else to drive my truck. His mood dipped when he saw the fuel needle was under a quarter tank. He jumped back out and went to the corner of the cargo bed where he’d made sure the jerry cans weren’t covered up, and then pulled five of them out along with the siphon pump.

  “You can take your time, Annie. I have to gas up. The last person to drive it didn’t bother to, or to tell me it was needed.” Ann just laughed from where she was squatting on the other side of the truck.

  The tarp had a mind of its own and fought with Caleb as he tried to tie it down. He was about to give up when Ann came up behind him. “You need some help with that, Caleb?” He channeled all the energy he thought he could muster and finished tying off the last corner.

  “Hop in, Ann. Time to explore. We need to find someplace that’ll have a map, then set course for Wyoming. We are not going to spend another night here.” Ann got a serious look and he could sense he wasn’t going to like what came next.

  “Are you some sorta Zombie, Caleb? Those Zs that went after me totally ignored you. Then after you covered me up, they got quiet, even though they could still see you. You saved my life and I’m grateful. Now, tell me what’s going on with you.”

  “I infected myself when I was cleaning zombie parts off my truck. I got infected blood into a scratch. Later I got drunk, figuring when I woke up I wouldn’t have a hangover because I’d be a Z.

  I woke up instead with super powers. I can hear, smell, see and feel a thousand times better than before. The sunlight actually gives me a bad headache if I don’t wear shades. I’m also a hell of a lot stronger than before. I can even read what people are thinking to a degree, plus I know when the Z are around. All the perks I need to survive the zombie apocalypse.” He avoided telling her about how quick he was to anger now, or about infecting the woman and that he thought he was contagious.

  “Thanks for letting me know that. My new nickname for you is ‘Z’. What do you think of that?”

  “I think I’ll leave you here and go on without you if you even breathe a word about it again. Anyone hears I’m a Z, they’ll kill first and ask second. Do you understand where I’m coming from?” Caleb was standing fully erect and was physically dominating her, appearing ready to attack at the least provocation.

  “Let’s take a look at your wound, then we can go. I don’t want to think of you getting delirious from an infection and coming after me.” Caleb pulled off his jacket and slowly unrolled the bandage. He pulled the bloody gauze up and just stared. There was only a small puckered scar with no sign of any recent wound. “I guess that adds to your super powers and why only a head shot or taking out the heart kills the Zs.

  Will I eventually turn? he wondered.

  “Let’s get moving, we’re wasting daylight now. This is the last time we talk about this!” Caleb backed up the truck the entire way to the entrance of the park. Looking to the right, he didn’t notice how close he was getting to the wall until the screech of metal rubbing against concrete jarred him to his mistake. Rage filled him, especially as he knew he was to blame. “Don’t you say a word, not one fricking word.” He finally pulled out into the street and floored it as he steered east.

  “There, back there, you need to turn around,” Ann said, trying to get through to Caleb, who appeared to be daydreaming and then confused.

  “You missed the little pizza joint. They’ll have a map on the wall we can take. They use them to plan their deliveries.” Caleb didn’t look convinced at the prospect.

  “Ten years ago maybe, they use computers for that now.”

  “Have you seen some of the Einsteins that deliver pizza? They don’t use a computer to plan their route. Turn around and prove me wrong.”

  Ann slammed into the passenger door as Caleb jerked
the wheel sharply to make the U-turn without slowing down, then sped up before slamming on the brakes to turn into the parking lot. He grabbed the M4 and took a minute to check around him, no humans or Zs. He walked up to the door and flicked the switch to ‘Auto” and made a figure eight in the glass door before it disintegrated. He walked in and jumped over the counter, fully aware of how he was acting.

  He turned the corner and only became more infuriated when he saw a huge map of Denver on the wall with twenty areas outlined in red for where each 20 Minute Pizza restaurant delivered. He studied the map and decided he would skirt around the city going east on I76 then north on the 470 until he was back on I25, north of Denver and the problems with the roads. Grudgingly, he carefully pulled out the pins holding the map to the wall. He laughed when he saw the map had covered up where someone had punched a hole in the wall. Boy, do I know the feeling! Caleb grabbed four 2-liter bottles of soda for the road, now he was set.

  Neither spoke a word as he handed over the map other than to point out the route they would take. Ann didn’t even smirk. Go on, say something so I don’t feel like an ass. Silence. Well, at least I can feel she’s happy, close enough.

  “There, that would have worked.” Ann pointed to a huge lot packed with shipping containers and semi-trailers.

  “I’ll keep that in mind if we don’t make it to the base tonight. It’d probably get a little loud as they spent the night pounding on the sides and shrieking at you.” Caleb replied.

  “Yeah, and where would you be? You keep saying ‘you,’ you know.”

  “Well, I’d have to lock you in. Not that my friends have figured out how to work door knobs or bolts yet. I’m sure they will with time, and then life really will get interesting.” Caleb failed to keep from grinning as Ann started to look apprehensive at the prospect. “I wouldn’t try to hide in a mobile home or regular house either, I’m pretty sure if they get pissed off, these guys could tear through the walls.”

  “What would you suggest then, that doesn’t involve water?”

  “I’d go with piggy number three, a house of brick or stone. An armory building worked good for me. Till I turned, that is. If you ever feel like giving up, let me know. I can make it painless.” Ann involuntarily shivered at his offer. However, she refrained from encouraging him any further.

  Cars and trucks filled the road whose drivers had turned during the first night of the pandemic. Those who survived the ensuing crash from turning had smashed out the windows and escaped into the night.

  Then there were the vehicles that the occupants had survived but had not been able to escape their seatbelts, their bodies twisted in the grotesque positions they were in as they tried to fight exposure to the sun. Caleb made good time since the wrecks were well spaced all along the 470 Parkway until he got to the exit to get back on the I25. A jackknifed rig was blocking the exit with two burned out cars just behind.

  “I knew I shouldn’t start feeling cocky.” Caleb got out of the truck near a toasted 2080 SUV. The convertible top had melted down onto the driver making it appear as if someone was hiding under a blanket. The smell of charred flesh mixed with burnt rubbers and other materials didn’t bother him. He bent over to attach his winch to the hitch ball when he saw a tiny burned hand sticking out the back of the SUV.

  “Oh crap!” The surprise was so total that he barely turned his head before he lost his strawberries. Guess that means I’m not a good road warrior or zombie yet.

  The SUV’s doors were unlocked, making it easy to open the front passenger door. The trapped smells caught Caleb by surprise as he tried to reach in and shift the SUV to neutral. Holding his breath, he reached the stick shift and regretted not wearing gloves as ash, skin and melted plastic came away in his hand. He struggled to shift the melted piece. Once it moved, he tried to get out as quickly as he could to take another breath, but not before seeing the driver’s burned skull with melted eyes appearing to weep as she faced his direction. Caleb fell backwards onto his butt and sat for a moment. Get it in gear; you’re going to be seeing lots more of crap like this and worse. Get your head on straight or get out of the game.

  Caleb’s thought were as black as his hands as he walked back to his truck. Ann sat in the driver’s seat, holding a wet towelette wipe out the window. “You clean your hands and face, and I’ll tow the truck out of our way. Sound like a plan?”

  Caleb just grabbed the proffered wipes. “Check yourself in the mirror, Caleb.” Checking the mirror, he was not happy to see his face and hair covered in a black mixture. Ann held out a handful of wipes. “Be sure to get behind your ears and your neck, too.” Ann suggested. Caleb didn’t reply as he cleaned himself as she winched the vehicle back. He wasn’t sure if she was being serious or sarcastic, so he cleaned himself as she suggested. The smell of the wipes made him think of babies and then the small hand sticking out of the back of the vehicle.

  Caleb jogged over and released the SUV, then quickly reeled it in, anxious to get moving again. Ann almost jumped to get out of his way, hurrying to get back behind the truck’s wheel. Driving slightly off the road on the left, he managed to get by the jack-knifed semi. Adjusting his angle carefully, he drove off the road, cautious of his heavy load in the back. The grass was wet and he thought he felt himself begin to sink when he increased speed, relieved to be back on the exit road heading for the I25. He noted he’d been on the road ninety minutes, achieving only a little over thirty miles. Damn, I might just have to spend another night on the road at this rate. To think normally the entire drive would only take about four hours. What else does the world have for us?

  Two and a half hours later and fifty-nine miles closer to Wyoming, Caleb was mad with himself for not getting a road map for the entire drive, cursing the lack of internet for the foreseeable future. “We’re getting off in Fort Collins. I want to get a detailed road map in case we need to find an alternate route. Find something for lunch so we don’t have to tear apart everything in the back.” The abundance of fast food places and restaurants only made him hungrier. As the pair looked for a big box store, he could sense more of the others all around them, waiting for the sun to go down so they could reclaim their city for the night.

  Caleb spotted the store first and wasn’t sure what they’d find inside. All of the windows in the front of the store had been broken and fire damage was visible where the fire had escaped through the windows, leaving them blackened. A dozen abandoned cars and trucks surrounded the front entrance of the store. The smell of death was still fresh here. There were not many of ‘the others’ that he sensed from inside the giant store.

  “I think the locals got hungry and got more than they were prepared for when they decided to take back the store. See all that spent brass around the front of the building. I’m guessing that between that and the number of vehicles parked here, that the Zs got them. You want to come into the store with me? There’s not many inside.”

  “I’d bet there’s more food and supplies in the truck than the entire store. I’ll stay here and protect the truck from looters.” Ann was relieved when he didn’t make fun of her. Instead, she started to worry about looters.

  Caleb adjusted the patrol sling, wondering if he even really needed to carry the M4 into the store.

  “What the hell!” Caleb fell to the floor, averting a black cloud of birds flying over and around him, disturbed from their feast when he entered the store. Thirty or more bodies were scattered around the store’s entrance. All either had firearms or improvised weapons near them. Looks like the Zs won this one or they’d have recovered the guns. Caleb noted the smell of fresh dead bodies; he also noted it was becoming easier to filter them out with his increased sense of smell. He sensed only a few infected in the building, they projected a sense of loss and sadness. He knew they were hurt and fought the urge to go help them, instead looking around for maps or anything of use. The inside of the building was like a checkerboard of areas either normal or firebombed; the smell of gasoline was still stron
g to his increased sense of smell. A smoke damaged sign pointed the way to ‘New Releases’ in the ‘Books and Magazine’ section of the store. Caleb screamed out in his disgust when he found the section where maps and local interests had been. All that remained was the metal shelves with their blistered paint and the piles of ash. Caleb kicked at a pile of ash in his scorn and raised a fine cloud, making his eyes water and throat constrict. In disgust he stormed from the store, not even looking for any other supplies.

  “Hey stud, looks like you came out empty handed.” Ann was perched on an ice chest drinking a beer. In her lap was a huge road map book of Colorado. On the pavement around her were assorted other maps for neighboring states, including Wyoming. “You’re looking a little hot, you want a Coors?” Ann opened the ice chest, revealing cans of beer and soda along with a loaf of bread and sealed lunchmeats and cheeses. “There’s also some more fuel, food and ammo. I figured we were good in those categories. If I were to bet, I’d say they were planning on a road trip.”

  Caleb chose a soda instead and enjoyed the sweet, carbonated drink. He poked around the back of the abandoned trucks, discovering a dozen jerry cans of diesel and a battery-operated siphon. Well, I know what I get to do now before we move on. He got behind the wheel of the truck and moved it alongside his own. On the floor of the truck, he noticed an old-style load-bearing harness and decided to take a better look at it. After sticking the hose in the jerry can and his truck, he started the pump, then looked over the old harness. The olive drab shoulder straps and pouches all had US on them. On the inside of the belt it was marked as well. There was a huge fighting knife in its sheath, taped upside down on the left shoulder strap; the eighteen-inch blade appeared lethal. The right shoulder strap held a small pouch with a compass in it. The belt had two empty M16 magazine pouches, a canteen, an empty pistol magazine pouch, and a black leather pistol holster. The gear smelled musty but in good condition. A slurping noise told Caleb it was time to switch to a new jerry can. He stuck the hose in the new can and pulled off his duty belt. The pistol and ammo fit well enough in the existing holster and pouch. He took off the baton holster from the duty belt. Using the existing tape, he taped it upside down alongside the knife sheath. Impressed with his work, he donned the harness, adjusting the straps until he was satisfied. The last of the diesel was sucking into the tank as he finished up.