Z-Boat (Book 3): Z-End

by Robb, Suzanne

  "Now what? You gonna float down there?" Steve asked.

  "No, I'm going to walk down. I recommend you guys get behind me. Kevin, I need you to help me with something."

  She counted off what she thought was the right amount of walkway needed and then got to work. The platform panels were screwed into place so they could be removed during storms to prevent damage to the other buildings in the event of a collapse. Kevin caught on and pulled out a knife, doing his best to help.

  "Are you insane? This whole thing will go down," Adam said.

  "They're not built that way."

  Steve stooped to examine the platform beneath his feet. "She's right, the sections behind the one she's undoing should stay in place."

  Adam latched onto the statement. "Should? You mean it might not? We just fought our way through that pile of shit down there only to die because she's an idiot?"

  "Unless you have a better idea to get us down, shut your damn mouth," Harry said.

  Ally wanted to point out she was bad luck, but decided now was not the best time to throw a pity party. The last screw popped out and she slid back the two metal bars connecting the platform sections. The frame swayed a few inches, and then the sounds of metal bending filled the air. The whole thing moved. The section they were on dipped forward almost ten feet. Kevin held onto her and she locked her arm around the railing. Either way, they were going down.

  Her chest hurt and she reminded herself to breathe. The platform hung almost level with the water tower, but they were at least ten feet away from it. She'd miscalculated.

  "Who first?" Steve said.

  "Me." Ally stood, the awkward angle making it difficult to maintain her balance.

  Prepared to jump, she didn't expect two sets of hands to grab her, yank her back, and then toss her into the air. She hit the rusted top seconds later, part of it giving way beneath her. With slow movements she eased herself to the side and checked the ladder. A thump behind her and the tower shuddered under the weight. When she looked down one of the legs was starting to buckle.

  "Hey," Kevin said.

  "We need to get off this thing."

  No time for safety, she pointed him toward the ladder. He weighed a good sixty pounds more than she did, and with one leg giving, she needed him off. He flipped himself over the edge and a bolt popped loose with a metallic ping. Somewhere inside the tower its nut bounced around. Adam landed next to her and she braced herself, thinking the tower would tip over any second.

  "Get over the side!" She pointed.

  "Why don't you?" Adam shouted back.

  "I’m trying to add balance, now move it!"

  Adam crawled across the top and disappeared over the edge. A second bolt popped free and the zombies from the crane control room heard them. Kevin sprinted across the open area heading toward the barge and Ally slapped herself for not reminding him to open the gate. She reached for the ladder when Steve landed and the leg of the tower snapped. He rolled to the side and caught her by the arm before she fell off.

  Adam swore on the ground, holding his ankle. Steve swung her to the edge and she gripped the top of the ladder. Unfortunately, the way the tower leaned made it impossible to use unless she knew how to defy gravity.

  "You have to drop," Steve said.

  "I know, just enjoying my last couple of seconds of unbroken legs."

  Another thud as Harry landed on the tower and a massive rending of metal as they all went down with it. Ally was first up, moving over to her fallen comrades.

  "You okay? We need to move." Ally shook Steve. "Harry, I need you to help me. I can't wake him up."

  Harry made his way over, right arm cradled in his left. "I'll try."

  Adam hadn't moved in time. Ally saw his leg sticking out from under the tower. She looked back to check on how close the zombies were and noticed a large pink wash in the water leaking out.

  To the submarine. To the submarine.

  Her internal mantra helped for the trek to the Inner Harbor. Others from the barge met them, taking Steve and Adam while Ally tried to open the gate on her own. Kevin stood on top of the submarine and was helping load people and supplies. He waved to get her attention and motioned her to move. She pointed to the sub and then the gate. He nodded and held up a finger.

  The gate didn't budge and she screamed in frustration. They had two minutes at most until the horde was there. She used every bit of strength she had, but failed. Kevin, with the help of three large men, pushed her out of the way.

  "Get on that thing and be ready to go," Kevin said.

  "I need to get Sean." She caught the annoyed look on his face and this time didn't write it off.

  She ran to the barge, yelling Sean's name. Below decks was chaos. It was a mix of people who still wanted to make a go of it on the island and those who wanted to go on the submarine.

  "Listen up people, you have about ninety seconds to decide if you want to live or die. Stay here and you will die, go on the sub and you have a chance to live."

  She pushed her way through, not caring if she knocked anyone over. Each second that ticked by tightened her chest. In the space she shared with Kevin, she found Sean and Amy.

  "Grab your bag and move."

  Ally picked up her small bag and, as an afterthought, Kevin's as well. She held her hand out to Sean and held tight as she went back the way she came. People still argued. People still thought the island was the best bet. People were still stupid.

  On deck, she saw the zombies pass the wall closest to the gate mechanism. She raced to the end of the pier, sure she was going to dislocate Sean's shoulder. When they hit pavement, she saw a zombie attack one of the men who'd taken her place. Letting go of Sean's hand, she pulled out her Glock, aimed, and fired. The man fell to the ground with a grateful look on his face.

  The gate was two-thirds of the way open, and it would have to do. Kevin and the other two retreated and she covered them.

  "Sean, take Amy to the submarine. Don't stop for any reason." She sounded calm. She was anything but.

  The last man running toward her screamed as four zombies took him down. Ally aimed for his head as a mercy, but couldn't take the shot for fear of hitting Kevin. When they were close enough, she ran toward the gangway. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the second group of zombies pouring through a breach in the wall. Sean was in their path, and she had no choice but to take careful aim of the ghouls intent on making him a meal.

  She dropped nine before her clip emptied. Dropping it to the ground she hefted her machete and prepared to launch herself at the mob.

  "Are you insane? Get on the sub." Kevin picked her up as he ran by; the touch of dead skin grazed her.

  Ally struggled until he let her down, not wanting the others to see her being carried. Halfway down the gangway, she saw Sean mount the ladder and the pain in her chest eased a bit. Footsteps pounded behind her and then screams. A quick glance to the left let her know how many people had taken too long to make their decision.

  An explosion knocked her to the ground. The barge went up in flames, and people jumped off the sides, burning until they disappeared beneath the surface. Some got tangled in bits of trash and their screams made Ally's skin crawl. She forced herself to her feet when she heard the clicking teeth and snapping jaws louder than people begging for the others to shoot them.

  Up ahead a line gathered. "We aren't going to make it."

  Men stood on top of the submarine taking shots, trying to stem the flow of zombies, but she knew it was useless. For each one they dropped, three popped up in its place. Then Ally heard it, the noise that changed everything.

  A screech.

  She turned in time to see a flood of survivors overtake people who'd fled the barge. Turing around, she saw Steve and wanted to tell him to stop, but she was too late. He launched a grenade into the mix. The resulting blast left the gangway in tatters and a mess of body parts.

  The line dwindled at a good pace, but not fast enough for Ally. S
he needed to see Sean and get in the control room. What if some idiot was in there messing up the settings? She tapped her foot in an attempt to ignore the pleas floating up from the water, the shrieks of survivors frustrated they couldn't cross the hole to get to her.

  Once inside, she found Sean. He and Amy waited by the side and didn't move. She hugged him tight and told him to stay close. Once they were in the control room, Steve and one of his friends were arguing about who got to drive.

  "I do," she said. "That is why you brought me here, right?"

  The two men looked at her then stepped aside. She eased herself into the stiff seat. The controls were similar to those of the Betty Loo, but there were enough differences for her to be extra cautious. The diagnostic she'd run earlier was finished and everything came back normal.

  "I need someone with mechanical experience in the engine room, and a set of eyes in the pump room would be nice," she said.

  Steve ordered a couple of men away and sat in the captain's chair, a move that did not go unnoticed.

  "Everything seems to be okay. I'm going to take us out of here. Might be a bit bumpy since the gate didn't open all the way."

  "Just get us the hell out of here," Steve said.

  Ally cracked her knuckles, gave Sean a reassuring smile, and went to work.

  She fell into the familiar pattern with ease. For every inch they moved out of the harbor, the images of burning people and zombies tearing bodies to shreds with their teeth faded a bit. After a few jolts, she freed them.

  "Plot a course to wherever, we still need to check this damn boat over to make sure it's safe," Steve said.

  "Give me a second. I'm still learning the controls." She flipped a switch she thought engaged the autopilot and a screen lit up showing her the engine room.

  "We've got a problem. Your guy is down."

  Steve came up behind her. "Damn, you stay here."

  Ally waited until he was gone and went to close the door. Kevin stopped her and stepped inside.

  "Safe now?" he asked.

  "I hope so, my body needs a break."

  "Mine too. I took care of everything. It'll only be us now."

  Ally sat in her chair and watched as the camera panned through various rooms. In each one, bodies littered the ground. Her stomach clenched. Something was on board with them.

  "Kevin, look at this…"

  He smiled at her. "I told you I took care of everything."

  She turned slowly. "What do you mean?"

  He laughed. "Come on, do you think we could really share all those supplies? We can dump the bodies in a bit, but right now you rest."

  Ally felt sick. "You killed them?"

  He looked at her and stepped back. "You don't sound happy? Everything I've done is to make you happy. To make your life easier. From the moment I stabbed Joseph in the back, I've devoted myself to you."

  "You? You killed Joseph? Why?"

  He gaped at her. "Are you serious? All you did was complain about him. About what a pain he was. I took care of it. I made your life easier."

  She forced herself to take a calming breath. A full picture of the events of the last week became clear.

  "Thank you," she said, trying to sound as if she meant it. "I appreciate it. My only concern is how we'll run this thing on our own, and of course, what will Steve say?"

  Kevin shook his head. "You're too trusting. He didn't like you. He and those friends of his were going to learn everything they could about piloting this sub and then kill you. Of course, they planned on having some fun first. But don't worry, he's dead, too."

  Ally nodded while she planned her next move. She'd seen Kevin in action, and he'd never impressed her. Had it all been an act for her benefit? Could she take the risk with Sean only a few feet away?

  "You look tired, why don't you get some sleep? There's a nice bunk room a level down from here. I'll look after Sean then I'll take care of those scratches on your face."

  No!

  "I will, but I need to make a few adjustments. This is all new to me, so I want to make sure it's right, or we'll end up sinking instead of submerging."

  Kevin laughed, and for the first time she realized how hollow it sounded. She eased back into her chair, uncomfortable with him behind her. Knobs were turned, dials adjusted, screens wiped down, and the camera kept showing her image after image of a room Kevin had torn through with an automatic rifle. After everything they'd done to survive, to die at the hands of a madman seemed a cruel joke.

  Bad luck.

  Something moved on the screen and she saw Steve crawling down the hallway. Standing too fast for her sore knee, she fell to the ground. Kevin was there in a second, wrapping her in his arms.

  "Careful, can't have you keeling over on me. Let me get you some food."

  He lifted her by the elbow and walked toward the door. When it opened, he had time for shock to register on his face when the bullet hit him in the chest.

  No blood.

  "Armor." Ally yelled out, and Steve used the last of his energy to toss her his Ruger. She caught it mid-air and without thought put a hole between Kevin's eyes.

  Steve slumped over, and she ran to check on him. He stared up at her, eyes rolling around in their sockets.

  "Did you get a chance to look at the panel yet?"

  "No, I meant to." She didn't tell him it was trashed in the fall from the tower.

  "I'll save you some time. My dad loved you, said you were like a daughter. Had all the qualities he'd want in his kids. Courageous, smart, capable, strong…he knew you'd survive what happened to the Betty Loo, he sent you a message..." He took a breath to continue, but his chest didn't rise again, and she'd never know what the message was.

  * * *

  Ally spent a few days cleaning up the bodies and learning the controls of the submarine. She kept hope alive at first that they'd find someone hiding, but they never did. Sean and Amy played games and ran around, annoyed when Ally forced them to listen to her instructions on how the sub worked in case something happened to her. Ally monitored them when she sat in the pilot seat, always looking for hidden danger.

  Supplies and weapons were stocked properly and rationed. Ally figured they had about four months, give or take, but she didn't tell them about that. Kevin had done a good job of hoarding things, but they would run out. She would have to go on supply runs, alone.

  They bunked in the same room, the door locked when they slept. It was a habit Ally suspected none of them would ever grow out of.

  She thought of Kevin and what he did. How she missed the insanity lurking below the surface. There were no tears. No sadness. Only numbness.

  The sub had a simple design, one person could run it under optimum conditions. Since it was a prototype, she kept a close eye on it, but for once, things went for the best. In her free time she played around with the panel Steve had given her but wasn't able to repair it, for now. Whatever Brian had wanted her to know was lost, like everything else she'd held important.

  Well, almost everything. She still had Sean. Amy only tolerated her, which was fine. She didn't care much for the girl.

  She set course for the facility in the north Daniel had told her about. Maybe her run of bad luck was over. She rubbed her belly, an ever-growing gift inside, from her night with Kevin. She focused on the good memories, knowing one day the child would ask about its father. Maybe this was a sign of something better, that she could have hope.

  * * *

  "Ally, does this sub have a name?"

  "Nope. Why? You want to name her?"

  His eyes lit up. "Could I?"

  Ally nodded.

  He scrunched his face, deep in thought. Then a smile crept across his face. "I think we should call it the Betty Two."

  Knowing the reason they didn't let children name things, she smiled back in what she hoped was an enthusiastic manner. "That sounds great. Now get ready, where we're going is pretty cold."

  About the Author

  Suzanne Robb is the
author of Z-Boat, from Permuted Press, Were-wolves, Apocalypses, and Genetic Mutation, Oh my!, and Contaminated. She is a contributing editor at Hidden Thoughts Press, and co-edited Read The End First, which made the Stoker Recommended Reading List for 2012. She is an Affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association and an Active member of the ITW. In her free time she reads, watches movies, plays with her dog, and enjoys chocolate and LEGO’s.

  http://suzannerobb.com/