Apocalyptic Beginnings Box Set

by M. D. Massey

  I let go of her and say, “One thing at a time. Take me to the bike.”

  She turns, and I follow her in my skimpy nightshirt and little cute shorts – the most decent thing I found to wear to bed. They’re serious about people doing the nasty. I need to find something to tie my hair back, it drapes down my back in a tangle. I’ll deal, getting to leave and telling the team everything takes precedence. Julie doesn’t know it, but she’s coming with me.

  The deal Rudy and I made comes to mind – help Rudy get Julie, and then I’m on my own. Now I know what I need to do.

  The darkened building we enter rumbles with male laughter. Somehow, this strikes me as the guard’s dorms, smelling like a smoky bar. The white brick walls are yellowing from it. We make our way to the end of a big hall, she opens a door, and motor oil immediately fills my nostrils. We stand in a garage.

  I stop her and whisper, “They should’ve a room with weapons. Where is it?” She picks up something leaning against the wall, and hands it to me. A freaking baseball bat.

  I blink at her through the darkness. Moonlight streams in through some windows making her hair stand out like a halo. “You do know these famished are under some kind of voodoo spell. What the hell is a bat supposed to do?”

  Her shoulders lift, but she doesn’t care. “The bike is right here.” I’ve seen it. It’s a crotch rocket Ducati, though I wouldn’t call it a motorbike. “When I open the door and flip the switch, drive straight until you hit the main road.” She tosses me a set of keys I don’t need but am happy to have. She wants me out, gone.

  Taking in my surroundings further, I spot several vehicles, and an open closet. “Where is the medical building?”

  She sighs, frustrated. “It’s the only white brick building. Right behind this one, we passed it on the way here.” I nod, remembering. “You don’t have the time. You need to go, now,” she says with authority. Like hell. She doesn’t know I don’t like authority.

  “Tell me what you know about Mago.”

  She doesn’t want to answer, so I cross my arms to wait, my lips hardening as she realizes I’m not going anywhere without all my questions answered. “Uh… I don’t know how he does it, but I do know that he travels around, probably to other bases. He goes to New Orleans a lot.” I study her, with no reason not to believe it.

  “Good. Thanks.” I grab her around the waist. Her round stomach is hard as a rock. What the hell does she feed this thing? Quickcrete? She screeches, and that’s when a distant sound catches my attention. Still holding her, I shush. We’re both frozen, listening. The men in the building spring into action, making a lot of noise. Another explosion booms, clear as day, as are the small vibrations under my feet. A thrill shoots though my limbs and up my spine. My lips spread into a wide, open-mouthed smile. “Too late,” I croon.

  “What have you done?” she squeals loudly as she struggles against me. “I have to get to Jonathan! He’ll be worried I’m not there. He went to bed thinking I was knitting.”

  My smile slips as something inside takes over. “You aren’t going anywhere, Julie. You’re coming with me.” I tighten my hold on her. “I haven’t gone through what I’ve been through for the adventure.” I’m pissed, yelling at and manhandling a pregnant woman. I shouldn’t even care but strangling her won’t do. Then, I say through clenched teeth, “You want to come back? Fine, but you’re coming with me while I take care of some business.” No way I’m playing messenger. I’m shaking her with no abandon. Does this count as shaking an infant? I don’t know, so I stop. Surprise crosses her features before I shove her in the closet. It’s not easy with her screaming and clawing my arms. I finally have her in and barricade it with a metal locker.

  A set of running footsteps comes closer. I grab the bat, popping a squat beside the door. The light flicks on as the door swings to the wall. I hit whoever it is in the stomach. My arms scream from the labor I’ve done in the greenhouse.

  Gray pitches forward. Raising the bat, I hit him in the upper back, and he goes sprawling to the floor, face first.

  I take this time to get ready to leave in a hurry. I hunt for the switch, which is right beside the garage door.

  I’m climbing on the Ducati, when a hand clamps down on my shoulder, spinning me around as a blow lands on my face. Spots dance as I try to blink them away.

  “Lyin’ bitch!” Gray smacks me the other way, and I fall. Julie screams, beating on the closet door. Multiple kicks to the ribs send pain shooting through me. Trying to get up, I open my eyes in time to see a fist punch me in my left eye, and I fall back onto the concrete. Static ensues behind my eyelid, and a throb starts in my skull. I lie there, saving my strength. My ribs might be broken, and could pierce my lungs. Taking a deep breath, air goes in smoothly, so I know I’m not internally injured, yet. My only comfort – the booms have stopped, and rapid gunfire seems close. They got in. I smile, even as I breathe heavily.

  A vehicle door opens.

  “What’s going on?” Julie cries, banging on the door. “Let me out!”

  Gray ignores her as he jerks me up and throws me into the back seat. A rip shocks me, and I feel open air. My shirt is gone, and his large hands grope me. I scream my rage and kick. Gray releases my breast, and smacks me harder. Feeling like I might lose consciousness any minute, blood and bile flood my mouth. No longer able to breathe through my nose, fluid drips out. It’s bleeding.

  He socks my gut for good measure, and I wheeze. My insides shift, spreading agony. It comes out through my throat in a groan. Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he jerks my head up and backhands me, efficiently splitting my lip. Warm blood spurts out. Gray lets go of me, his attention on something else.

  Looking up at him, he struggles with Mr. One-eyed Willy. “Bastard!” I spit blood in his face, my voice hoarse and unrecognizable. Grabbing me by my throat, he cuts off my air supply. I struggle against his hands as my shorts are jerked away. My nails dig into his skin and scratch down his hands. How I wish I could pull a Mike Tyson and bite his ear off.

  My legs fly into the air as he grabs them with his free hand. He prods me, unsuccessfully. My lungs command air, scream for air. He’s going to rape me and kill me at the same time. I can’t take this, can’t let him rape me. I’ll make him kill me first. Rage surges through me, giving me a huge dose of adrenaline. I use all my strength and buck my body at the moment he thrusts into me, bone dry. A deep pain adds to the misery of my abused body. Grunting as he falters, he pulls out to get a better grip, but I get a leg free. Wasting no time, I kick him in the face with my boot.

  He releases my throat. Air burns as I suck it in, but I keep momentum, and punch him in the temple.

  Taking a split second to recover, he prepares to hit me again when I kick him in his Adam’s apple. He gargles as he goes backward. Stumbling out of the car, I grab the bat from the floor. His manhood hangs limp out of his pants. Relief engulfs me that there’s no blood on it. I weakly swing the bat to hit him. He catches it, jerking it out of my hands, and tosses it away.

  Shooting commences in the hallway. Gray glances toward the hall with panic in his eyes. I go for the bat, but Gray stops me, pushing me backward.

  Air rushes from my lungs as my head bounces on the floor. Spots sparkle in my vision. Pain splices through my head. Blinking away the lingering spots, my adrenaline returns when Rudy grabs Gray by the throat, swinging his arm hard, punching him in the face.

  I struggle to the bat, barely able to stand. My whole body shakes from shame and embarrassment. Rudy ruthlessly beats Gray in the face with continuous wet thuds, making it look like hamburger. I swing the bat, hitting Gray in the back. Rudy drops him as I continue beating him with the bat. Finally, Gray stops moving. Arms come around me and Rudy takes the bat out of my hands, dropping it with a metal clang. I slump into his body, shaking, not looking at him. Reece stands in the doorway, shooting into the hall. Explosives wrap around his beer belly, like a suicide bomber. Kale stands beside Reece, staring at me in horror.

&n
bsp; Reece stops and looks to me. “Sweet, little lady! What the fuck happened to you?” He rushes toward me.

  I tremble, sitting down to cover myself up. Rudy follows, squatting in front of me – maybe to help me cover up. My face blazes at the knowledge of them seeing me this way. I have the shame beaten all over my body, clearly visible.

  “Kan… Are you all right?” Rudy tilts my face by the chin. I don’t look him in the eye, but I can feel his barely controlled fury as he takes in my face. My eye must be swollen shut, it feels puffy, hard to blink.

  “Do I fucking look all right?” My throat burns from talking. Rudy audibly swallows. Reece whistles, bringing my attention to him as he checks out Gray.

  “Where is everyone?” I ask them, before Reece can comment on Gray.

  Reece gestures with his hands, “Scoring the grounds. Bunch of famished running around though. We gotta be careful.” He jerks his head in Kale’s direction, making his beads clack together. “He helped us figure out where you were.” I nod, looking to Kale with gratitude in my eyes. I can’t muster a smile right now.

  “Reece, may I have a weapon? Please?” He nods, but Rudy hands me a pistol and an extra mag. It’s way too small for his hands, but he has it as a backup. He slips his hoodie off, and gives it to me. I put it on without looking at my beaten body. Rudy breathes hard and I can feel him staring down at me.

  Bangs sound from within the closet. “Um, Julie is in the closet,” I inform them.

  Rudy jumps from his squat, “What?” Alarmed and worried, he goes to push the locker over. Julie comes tumbling out. Rudy’s eyes widen at the sight of her belly.

  “You’re crazy,” she screams at me. Her face is beet red, and she looks to Rudy. She almost stumbles over herself to hug him. In a daze, he looks at me, possibly wondering what could’ve made me put her in the closet. I can’t be sure, though.

  “Jules,” he says quietly, wrapping his arms around her. “What happened to you?”

  A pang at his endearment stabs me, but I ignore it. By his tone, he thinks she’s unwillingly pregnant. She ignores him, and keeps glaring hatred at me from over his arm, looking tiny compared to him.

  I hold out my hands in peace. “Julie, please help Rudy find Dalton. Reece, I need your help. Kale, go with them.” I feel better bossing people around, helping me feel in control.

  Rudy’s instantly alert. “I’ll help you.”

  I shake my head. “Please, find Dalton, and you need to get Julie out of here. We’ll meet you later.” I don’t want to look at him right now, not knowing how to act, having a strong reaction at seeing him with Julie. Disgrace and mortification burn through me like a raw wound. I focus on the gunfire outside.

  “I know where he is,” Julie says, as she takes his hand and leads him away. Kale follows, looking back at me. I wave him on.

  After giving Reece the rundown of the vaccine and Mago, I tell him my plans. He nods before going behind a jeep. My pajama shorts on the ground are useless and ripped. I consider grabbing Gray’s pants, but I don’t want anything to do with them – I’d rather go as I am. Rudy’s hoodie goes to mid-thigh, covering enough, but I want clothes. Pronto. After washing my face with cold water in a deep sink covered in grease funk, my nose has stopped bleeding, and I can sniff through one nostril.

  When I turn around, Reece hands me a pair of boxers. I smile, realizing they have biker Santas all over them. “Going commando?” I ask, slipping them on. They’re too big, but anything helps. I’d rather wear Reece’s dirty underwear, than Gray’s pants.

  He smiles, relieved I’m making a joke. “Nothing I haven’t done before.”

  I’m grateful. “Thanks,” I say genuinely, hoping he knows I mean for more than him lending me his boxers. He nods, and looks to Gray’s form on the floor.

  Reece dumps cold water on Gray. He sputters and coughs.

  I bend down, knees closed. My body hates me right now, but I need it for a few more hours. “Where’s Dr. Finnegan?”

  He glares. “Fuck you!” His voice cracks, hoarse. Reece looks more than happy to give his face a stomp, then the tips of his fingers. Gray grunts out profanities, looking at him.

  “Tell her, or I’ll start shooting them off.”

  Gray shakes his head and scowls. “He left after he talked to you. He goes around. He’s getting ready to go overseas soon.” He grins a bloody, horrific smile. “You’re not even asking the right questions.” His smile doesn’t last long before he sputters some more blood onto the concrete.

  I gesture to Reece and he says to Gray, “You’re lucky I don’t kill you.” He stomps his head to the floor with his motorcycle boot. We grimace at the cracking sound. “Shit.”

  “Yeah, ditto.” I say, feeling for a pulse, which was nonexistent. “He’s dead.” I shake my head at Reece, but he doesn’t look put out.

  “He deserved it. Think of who else he’s raped.” I flinch. He sees it and his face softens. “Sorry,” he says with some strain in his voice. I shake my head, knowing he has a point.

  “Looks like our only lead is Mago, and Julie said he goes to New Orleans a lot,” I say, weighing our options.

  “Yeah, let’s go get that vaccine.” He pauses, and I know I won’t like what he’ll say next. “Or I can tell you where we set up camp, I’ll get the vaccine.” He switches tactics. “Glinda’s there. She’s been worried about you.”

  The thought of seeing Glinda makes my heart soar, but I’ll see her soon, anyway. “No.”

  “Do whatever you need to do.” He sighs as he hands me my machete. It gleams with extra sharpness. He smiles and shrugs. “I borrowed it.”

  I smirk as best as my swollen face will let me. “Uh-huh.” Right.

  My body wants to collapse as we head outside, going on nothing more than sheer will. It’s dark except for the occasional explosion lighting the sky. The stark white of the medical building rises in the distance. Shouts and screams interrupt the night as smells of gun powder and decay float through the air, thick and strong. Famished run amok, and a snarling group spots us. My left hand grips the machete, the pistol in my right.

  The sky flickers with another explosion, vibrating beneath my feet. More explosions burst and flash, illuminating a zombie right in front of me. I jump back, startled at its sudden appearance as it groans. Gore spurts as I slash my machete. Squeezing the trigger, I put a bullet in its head. Gunfire rings in my ears. I haven’t taken down famished in what seems like a lifetime, but it’s like riding a bike.

  A guard appears from nowhere. I assume he’s unarmed for lack of shooting. I shoot him in the leg. I don’t want to kill him, just get him out of the way.

  Reece battles his own small group with one coming up from behind. I swing the machete to slow the two about to attack me, and shoot the famished that grabs Reece by the shoulders. Immediately, I turn to shoot the two in front of me as one grabs my arm. The sounds coming from them make the hair on my arms stand. Teeth snap at me as I shoot one, and a sprinkle of famished blood rains down. Wiping my face with Rudy’s hoodie sleeve, it occurs to me they’re trying to eat us, not subdue us. I don’t expect anything else, but once you see zombies touch the living without biting, well, it sticks with you.

  One rushes out of the darkness, smacking into Reece. They go tumbling as Reece holds it by the neck, and by luck the sawed-off shotgun flies from them. I smile to myself, pick it up, and cock it. Reece kicks the famished off him, and before he grabs a backup, I fire the shotgun.

  After a hard blow to my lower shoulder and in my armpit, I fly backwards, barely feeling it. Maybe from shock? The headless famished goes down. Well, half a head. I know why Reece wanted to wait before I shot his precious. I’m on my butt, blinking at Reece. He shakes his head, grinning at me. More snarls erupt, and we quickly go back into action, though, I’m slower than I was a few minutes before.

  Famished come from all directions.

  “Just get to the building!” he shouts. We shoot the closest ones and make a mad dash to the white buil
ding, barely visible in the distance. Reece turns to half run backwards. “Heads up!” he shouts, as he slings a lit bomb toward the famished. He grabs me, throwing me to the ground for cover. An explosion sounds in my ears and they pop. Heat radiates over my body in a massive wave. The air sharpens with the stench of a crematory. When the air cools, we stand and run.

  I don’t see anyone but mad famished and the few guards they attack. We told the team weeks ago to stick to the shadows and stay low.

  The white building is exactly where Julie said it would be. Shooting the door open, we make our way inside. Darkness surrounds us, and I don’t want to turn on a light and draw attention, either. Reece clicks on a small flashlight, careful to keep it away from windows.

  We search for what seems like hours, breaking in every door before finally finding a room with heavy security. The door’s solid steel, and needs a keycard to open.

  “I don’t want to shoot at it. There could be oxygen tanks nearby,” I say. We avoided any shooting, except the main door, until now. Looking at the keycard box, I have no idea what to do with it.

  “Maybe we can get a guard with a keycard?” Reece suggests, but our luck changes as the box beeps, the little light turning green.

  The world seems at a standstill as the door opens and someone with a biohazard mask stands there. My eyes automatically zero in on the smart pad in his hand. A smile rises to my face. Until now, the base did a good job of keeping me away from any kind of computer technology. The man looks at both of us. “What the –” He’s cut off by an arrow piercing his head, slumping to the ground as the smart pad slides from his grip.

  Peeking behind me, Rudy’s form is a silhouette in the dark. Reece chuckles. “Good timing.”

  I swallow. “No shit.” I bend and pick up the smart pad to look at it. Reece illuminates it with the flashlight. The smart pad’s one you would see at a doctor’s office in the old life. Slowly, doctors were turning to this technology instead of handwriting in medical charts. My doctor once wrote a prescription on one, sending it straight to my pharmacy. I don’t recognize the brand, but I can figure it out. Reece and Rudy eye me curiously. Another explosion sounds outside.