Apocalyptic Beginnings Box Set

by M. D. Massey

  A wooden door leads us into a white painted, brick hallway. All the doors are closed, and I can’t make out anything more.

  I’m taken to an interrogation room. It doesn’t have a two-way mirror though. Bummer. I’ve always wanted to do the two-way mirror test. Of course I did in dressing rooms, though I never caught any perverts. The mirrors are always legit if they show a space between your finger and your mirror image finger. A two-way glass wouldn’t have that space. Supposedly, anyway.

  The door being the only way out, I sit facing it. Stone boy positions himself next to the door, standing as still as Atlas holding the world on his shoulders. He’s no Greek god, with buzzed hair and eyes like black orbs staring at me. I lean back, putting my feet on the table as a man enters the room.

  Average height with a decent haircut, he wears khaki pants and a long-sleeved white dress shirt. He’s younger than I pictured him, putting him in his forties. Very ordinary. A person who doesn’t stick out, and is easily forgotten. His point, maybe?

  “Kansas.” I offer my hand to shake his, but he doesn’t take it. I mentally added rude to my mental list of Things I Do Not Like About Dr. Finnegan.

  “Dr. Finnegan,” he introduces, seeing my look. “Ah, southerners. I’m not trying to be rude. I don’t shake anyone’s hand. I’ll get right to it. We have an informant telling us you know plans of an onslaught?”

  His choice of words alarms me, and I inwardly curse. “Why would I know anything about that?”

  His eyes narrow. “You understand, it’s not safe for the walls to be destroyed?”

  “What I don’t understand is how the zombies are being controlled,” I get right to my point. His face shows nothing. “Yeah, I’ve seen them. They picked up humans, carried them around like flour sacks. In fact, I was carried by them.”

  “You have it wrong.” He shakes his head. “They aren’t being controlled, only satisfied.” My bullshit meter goes off. “Just tell us what you know.”

  I’ll get more information if I give him a bone. “I don’t think they’re coming. They would’ve been here days ago. I was kidnapped before plans were fully to a point.”

  “How did they plan to get in?”

  “Guns, trucks.” Explosives I helped make. Omitting this information becomes top priority.

  Finnegan leans back. “Gray, put out an alert just in case.” He meets my eyes. “If you didn’t think they were coming, why did you tell Julie?”

  “I said nothing about a full out attack, but she’s engaged to someone else. He wants her back. I suppose I was mad at her for marrying some other guy. Simple as that.” I shrug.

  “Rudolph Hawthorne?”

  I cough to hold back a giggle. Rudolph? Poor Rudy. No wonder he accepted my name without a blink of an eye. He’s named after a reindeer with a glowing red nose.

  “If you’re talking about Rudy, then yeah,” I say, still trying to hold back laughter, glad he’s not here to see my effort. Maybe he’s named after a great uncle. My humor dies at the thought of never being able to tease him, or make him blush again. Oh no. I’m in trouble.

  Gray comes back in and stands in the same place. “Why would you care who she married and didn’t? Her choice,” Finnegan asks, never taking his eyes off me.

  “I don’t. Rudy saved me from a pickle, and I told him I’d help him get Julie back. In the meantime, we became good friends. So, it’s only natural when I find out Julie moved on, while Rudy risks his life every day for her, for me to get angry,” I say matter-of-factly.

  “You do know he is the one who left?”

  Yeah I did, I shrug at him, picking at my sore cuticles.

  “Gray? Take her back now,” Finnegan goes to stand.

  “Wait! What about the zombies?”

  “Kansas, the zombies won’t last forever. They’ll die out. Even if they turn the rest of the people on earth, they’ll still die out. It could be twenty-five years down the road, longer or shorter than that. The…” he hesitates, “the virus was made that way. Until then, the vaccine keeps everyone safe. You’ll get it when you prove your loyalty.” Virus sounds like a foreign concept coming from his mouth. He omits something, something important. Did I seriously think I’d get anything more than he’s told me?

  My mouth hangs open, and I snap it closed as I realize this man has something to do with the outbreak. “What the hell kind of doctor are you? And what’s this about a vaccine?” I try to sound curious instead of overeager, or worse, angry.

  “Gray.” Finnegan gestures to me.

  “Wait,” I scream as Gray grabs my arm. “The virus was made?” An electric outrage flows through my body like a lit fuse. If he’s not going to give me answers, I’ll fight for them.

  Dr. Finnegan shoots me a mock smile. “Of course.”

  My dad, my mom, and Malachi flicker across my mind. The fuse ends, and I explode, throwing myself at him, and driving my palm up toward his nose. Bone crunches, but the table slides keeping my arm momentum to a minimum. He jumps away, still alive. Damn! Blood sprays before Gray tackles me to the ground.

  I try not to show my disappointment as Finnegan wipes his nose with his sleeve. “I’m going to ignore that. Killing me won’t make anything different, Miss Moore. Gray, if she causes any more problems, give her an injection.”

  Injection? Dr. Cuckoo leaves the room holding his nose. “Hold on, girl!” Gray whispers as I elbow him in the gut. “Listen!” he grunts, holding me as I struggle to get him off. “Calm down. There is a red flag on you.” I will myself to calm down. He’s helping me? “There, I know it seems crazy and it is, but…”

  “He’s at least partly responsible for a planet of people dying, you asshole!” I elbow him in the jaw as my dad’s face flashes through my mind opening the wound fresh. Malachi’s did nothing but put salt on it. Calming down, I say, “Please, let me go.”

  “Listen,” he whispers. “Don’t panic. We don’t need that. If people are coming here, then you need to tell me the truth. Dalton also said something along those lines. And you told him.”

  He’s making out like he’s with the Coalition. Possibly the whole good cop, bad cop mumbo-jumbo. Either way, I don’t believe him. “You know Jack?” My voice is quiet with the closest thing I can think of to Mac.

  “Yes,” he says too quickly. “Are they coming?”

  “I don’t think so. They’d have been here by now. Please tell Jack I miss him.”

  Gray nods. “Come on. I’m sure they’re going to be holding you in a cell.”

  I spend a whole day and night in an isolated cell before they let me out. What about this injection? They must want to keep me sedated if I get out of hand. From here on, I need to keep my wits about me, no more outbursts. Needing more information, I have to be patient. Patience isn’t in my top list of quality characteristics. I know Rudy won’t leave Julie. He’ll come, I hope. If they aren’t here by the end of the week, I’m making a new plan. Now, they won’t hesitate to feed me to the famished. This new revelation has my head spinning. The doctor created this virus to better the planet of the old, sick, and criminals? All the while, knocking out terrorists, and the big hole in the ozone at the same time? Give me a break, I might be scatterbrained, but I’m not stupid. Thinking of Donna’s “Battle of wills” comment, I know this is all some big power play. I don’t know the details.

  I’m pacing my dorm room. Creamy coffee, Shia, sits on her bed wearing a light blue sweater. I take the plunge.

  “Hey Shia, you have the vaccination yet?”

  She smiles. “No, you don’t get one until you’re pregnant, or get someone pregnant. I’m surprised you know about them. It takes them a while to feel someone out. You must be deserving.”

  “They told me yesterday. Dr. Finnegan is amazing,” I gush. Apparently no one knows about my little homicidal fluke.

  “Wait until you meet the priest. I wish he was single.”

  “Priest?”

  “Yeah, he knows his stuff. I think I live to hear him talk.” />
  “Religious, huh?” I’m not interested in their religion. I’ve had enough religion talk to last me a lifetime, plus some.

  Her brow furrows. “Mago, the Voodoo Priest.”

  A cold chill sweeps down my back, stopping me dead. Voodoo? “M–Mago? The guy who controls the zombies?” I throw out with a sudden dry mouth. It’s not a bust.

  She beams. “Yeah.” She figures if I know that, then it’s okay to talk to me about it. “He’s amazing.”

  “How many priests are there?”

  “Several, even priestesses. They’re better because they’re female. They travel to other places, to speak to people in our situation. We’re safe as long as we have them.”

  That’s how they control the famished, with voodoo. The mechanics of it frighten me. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself. I remember Mago’s dark eyes scrutinizing me after I shot Lucy. Yeah, I was in a drunken haze, but you don’t forget something like that. Was he there when I was taken from the cult? Shia watches me, so I nod and smile.

  She can tell something’s wrong. “I’ll introduce you this week. He holds a biweekly service for our convenience.”

  I smile again and slide into my covers. Grabbing Mac’s shirt under the pillow, I hold it tight, feeling a great sense of hopelessness thinking about him. I think about the team. I think about Rudy and his now complicated situation.

  I have my answer. Do I believe it?

  I’m a serious wreck the next day, not knowing what to think about anything. The hopelessness still invades me. Donna tells me I’m to work in a greenhouse. They think I need something to keep me busy.

  At breakfast, I stare at the oatmeal in front of me with no appetite. I search for Dalton. When I can’t find him, alarms bells ring through my head. They obviously questioned him, and probably anyone I’ve talked to since being here. Kale talks to a group of girls, and I leave my oatmeal.

  I tap him on the shoulder. “Hey, Kale.”

  He turns, sees it’s me and smiles wide. “What’s up, Kan?”

  “I need to talk to you.” I glance at the glaring ladies. “Alone.”

  Kale gestures for me to lead, and I go back to my empty, lonely table.

  “Not making a wholesome impression on everyone,” he comments, but he’s smiling like he expects no less.

  I shrug and survey my surroundings. “Um, yeah. There are some weird things going on.”

  “I should say so.” He gets serious. “The guards were asking questions about you. They wanted to know if I was involved in some terrorist plot to the compound.”

  My eyes go wide and I laugh. “Terrorist plot? Kale, do you believe what they tell you?”

  His face turns to stone. “We shouldn’t be having this conversation, but no. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

  He appears ten years older right then. I don’t know if I can trust him. He’s not exactly on my top-ten trustworthy list. “Oh, I guess you like it here. Living normal and all that. Furthermore, girls are falling all over themselves for you.”

  His eyes narrow. “No, I hate it here,” he snaps. “And none of these people deserve this. Like I said, what can I do? Nada damn thing.”

  “If you had an opportunity to leave, would you?”

  Looking sad, he nods, probably thinking there’s no chance of that.

  “You know anything about the priest?” I ask him.

  “The guy that does the services? Hmm, just that he comes to preach and leaves.”

  I want to tell him everything I’ve learned, but chicken out, not knowing what the crazies will do if they know I’m plotting, or how much longer I can wait for the team. What I need is knowledge about voodoo. Usually, I know a little bit about everything, but this is beyond me. The only things I know about voodoo are the little dolls you could buy in New Orleans in the old life. I’m guessing Disney’s version of voodoo is a little low on the totem pole.

  Feeling eyes on me, I bring up my hand, and sweep Kale’s hair out of his eyes in a flirtatious manner. He does this on his own, but it’s the only thing I can think of to do. His eyes widen in surprise. I forgot how innocently cute he can be, so I grin.

  He laughs, making me think he does feel something for me, in turn causing me to feel guilty for using him. I can’t help his naivety. The person turns, and I peer to see Donna leaving the cafeteria. Kale notices, and his face crumples. I’d apologize for my fallacious behavior, but he did it to me once upon a time.

  “Kale… I want to trust you. Can I?”

  He stares at me for a long time before nodding. A bell rings like we’re all in high school.

  “Kan, I need to tell you something.”

  “Okay,” I draw out the word. Kale always comes out with things I don’t like hearing.

  He swallows, and shakes the hair out of his eyes. “Remember when you helped us with those zombies?”

  It takes me a minute, but he means when he, Harley, Nadine, and Bridget were getting attacked. I don’t want to hear this because they had weapons I didn’t know about until they turned them on me. I nod.

  He sees my reluctance. “They knew you were there. We faked that attack, so you would think we were helpless.”

  I wait for this to bother me. It doesn’t, seeming like years ago. It also explains the older zombies I had to kill the night before they showed up. My ventilation system leak was a coincidence. They drew zombies to my bunker. On purpose. I think about asking him why. I will later, if I get the chance. I do want to know something else now. “Kale, did they ever eat anyone?”

  He looks me in the eye. “Once, there was no food. We had another person with us, but he was sick...” His gaze turns distant, “Not zombie sick, just ill with the flu or something.”

  “Did you?”

  He jumps up. “What? No way! I didn’t agree with anything they did. Honest.”

  I put my hand over his. “It’s okay. I believe you.”

  He seems relieved to get this off his shoulders, and onto mine. Everyone makes way to their work duties.

  “I’ll talk to you later. I got greenhouse duty.” My face pinches.

  He laughs. “Good luck with that. They work you to the bone in there.” Great. Yes, Kale’s good at saying things I don’t want to hear.

  He is right, they work me hard. The greenhouse is five times the size of Linnie’s. That’s saying something, since Linnie’s greenhouse has trees. Although, this one does, too. Linnie would be proud to know the vegetation in here doesn’t look as good as hers. The only weeds growing are the kind you can’t smoke. I dig holes, pull weeds, water, and pick fresh vegetables and fruits. They also put me on starting a new section. I till. Manually. I curse. I sweat. I ache. Fortunately, the day goes by fast with no incidents. Julie never comes to give me the rest of the tour, and I never once see Dalton.

  I take a long, hot, steaming shower, knowing I’ll be sore in the morning before going to the greenhouse again. Seeing it as a good thing, my body will harden from where it’s softened from not tending my garden and cranking the generator. Needing the comfort of a weapon, I steal a cultivator gardening tool at the end of the day. Mac and Rudy are both as good as me about having them. This adds to both of their sex appeals. Real men carry various weapons in weird places. A smile stretches across my lips, thinking of them.

  Making it back into the room, I’m exhausted. I need to go talk to Kale, but that can wait till tomorrow. Climbing into my bunk, I realize they want me exhausted, but I don’t care at the moment. Now would be a nice time for Rudy to play his guitar, the song he changed various times. He never told me the name. Yawning deep is the last thing I remember.

  Light taps on my face wake me. When I peek through heavy lids, Julie puts a finger in front her lips and motions to the door. Groggy, I get up, noticing everyone’s asleep. It must be middle of the night, sleeping through playtime and dinner. How about that? To avoid the discomfort of the cold floor, I pull on my boots.

  When we enter the hallway, she rushes me
outside.

  “What the hell?” I grumble.

  She spins on me. “You have to leave and tell Rudy not to come.”

  31

  This might be another Gray trick, but I doubt it. Dressed all in black, Julie’s eyes are wide, and dart around as if she doesn’t want to be caught.

  “And how am I supposed to do that, Martha Stewart? Thousands of famished roam outside the base. They’ll eat me alive.”

  The look on her face confirms she knows something. She squashes it. “I know where a motorbike is, and they have this ultra violet spotlight that clears a path because the infected don’t like it. I’ll turn it on for you.”

  Seriously considering this, it might be my only chance to leave, but I need to do something first. She holds out her hand, offering me something. I can’t tell what it is right away. “I want you to tell Rudy…that I found someone else, that I’m married,” she tells me as the diamond flashes in the moonlight.

  “Ah!” I jump away. “No fucking way!” The ring signifying Rudy and Julie’s engagement falls from my hand as if it burns me.

  “Shit!” she exclaims, bending over to search for it. After picking it up, she holds it up, like maybe I didn’t see it before. “That was uncalled for!”

  I stare at it without seeing it, not wanting to see it.

  I have an idea so suddenly, Julie can probably see a lightbulb over my head. Plus, I don’t want to argue about Rudy. “You’re going to show me where the medical building is, and get me in.” I grab her arm. “Show me where the bike is, first. Weapons, too. Guns, preferably.”

  She struggles in my hands and then pauses to consider. “You’ll leave? And tell Rudy I’m happy?” Her eyes plead with me. “Before the outbreak I was going to end it with him anyway,” she blurts, like it will make a difference. Tears sting my eyes. Damn her. I blink them back. I can’t believe she’s only thinking about herself, and can look cute doing it.