After Zombie Series (Book 1): After

by Samantha Gregory

  He broke away, “I’m sorry, I…it was all I could think of.”

  Dad was staring at us in stunned silence.

  “Jen, are you okay now?” he asked.

  I nodded, still staring at Wesley. Why did he do that?

  “Good, hold this,” he said, handing me the syringe. I did, as he swung his fist into Wesley’s face.

  “Dad!” I cried, as Wesley hit the floor. His crutches clattered down on either side of him.

  Dad snatched the syringe back and injected me in the neck with it. I was too shocked to react.

  “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s for your own good.”

  I woke up back in my room. Dad was sitting in a chair.

  “What did you do?” I snapped. I sat up, my head felt fuzzy, like it had been stuffed with cotton wool.

  “What was necessary.”

  “Where is Wesley?”

  “You aren’t going near him again.”

  I got up off the bed and went to the door. It was locked. “Let me out,” I cried.

  “No. Wesley is leaving the compound. I’ll let you out when he is gone.”

  “You can’t do this.”

  Dad rose from the chair. I’ve never seen him look so angry before. Not at me anyway.

  “What were you thinking? He’s too old for you.”

  I crossed my arms, “Not emotionally.”

  “It’s not a joke. Was that…Did something happen between you two?”

  “No... I kissed him, okay? When we were trapped in Gene-Pharm. That was all that happened.”

  “I don’t believe this,” he said, pacing the room.

  “You’re the one who threw us together. And despite everything, he did his best to protect me.”

  Dad laughed, “Yeah, he’s so brave. Use your head Jenna. When has Wesley ever done anything that didn’t benefit him?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I told him that if he didn’t get you out then I wouldn’t neutralize the serum. I told him he would turn into a zombie.”

  “No, you’re lying,” I said. Although it made complete sense.

  “I don’t know what romantic fantasy you have built up in your head, but the reality is that Wesley is nothing more than a useless addict. You’re better off without him.”

  I slumped onto the bed.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

  “I want to be alone for a while,” I said.

  “Of course.”

  Dad was right. This was crazy. He only helped me because it helped him. I stood and began pacing the room.

  Why would I want to be with him anyway? He was moody, rude, always wrapped up in his work. And yeah, he was too old for me. Then there were the drugs. He claimed he was done with them, but could I believe that?

  I was hardly a good judge on guys. Of the last two, one was using me for free babysitting and the other shot me in the head.

  No, Dad was right.

  So why was I standing outside his door?

  Wesley was packing his bag. His nose was swollen and bruised where Dad punched him.

  “You’re really going then?” I asked, hesitating in the doorway.

  He glanced up at me, “It’s for the best. What happened was a mistake.”

  See, even he agreed.

  “Is that you talking or my dad?”

  “Both, okay? I’m no good, Jenna.”

  “Dad said that he blackmailed you into getting me out of the city.”

  He nodded, “Yes, he did.”

  “But he didn’t blackmail you into covering for me in the tunnel. For lying to Breton and saying you were Genesis.”

  He stuffed his clothes into his bag, “Don’t. Don’t try and make me out to be the good guy. I’m not. I’m a loser. I’ve been on my own most of my life and that’s the way it should be.”

  “Then why did you do those things?” I asked, moving further into the room.

  “Because…” He threw up his hands in defeat.

  “I know what it’s like. Being alone.”

  “No, you don’t. You had your parents.”

  “Please, Dad was always working and Mom... It’s not the same as having...someone.”

  He stared at me and I looked away, feeling my face flush. I rubbed at my forehead where the bullet has struck me.

  “I thought he had killed you,” Wesley said, his voice cracking, “It’s a good thing he was a crap shot.” He lifted his crutches.

  “Don’t go,” I blurted. “Stay here with me.”

  What was I saying?

  He refused to look at me, “Clearly that bullet affected your hearing.”

  He zipped up the bag and limped towards the door. I grabbed the back of his shirt, knocking him off balance.

  “Jenna,” he cried, turning to face me.

  I stood on tiptoe and kissed him again. He dropped the bag and wrapped his arms around my waist. I had to see if I imagined it or not. The feeling I got when I kissed him. It was still there.

  “I mean it, stay here,” I whispered.

  I glanced out into the hall and saw Dad watching us.

  “Your father will kill me.”

  “He won’t touch you. Will you?” I said. Wesley hurriedly backed away from me when he realized Dad was there.

  “I think Wesley and I need to have a talk, alone.”

  “Dad,” I warned.

  “No violence. Just a talk, I promise.”

  Wesley

  When Tom closed the door after Jenna; I braced myself for another punch. It didn’t come.

  I opened my eyes to find him watching me. His jaw was set and his hands were clenched into fists.

  “Just get it over with,” I said.

  “I’m not going to hit you, although I am sorely tempted. No, I’ve found another way you can be useful to me.”

  “How?” I asked, knowing I wouldn’t like the answer.

  “You calmed her down earlier. Stopped her from doing anything stupid. That could be useful.”

  “You want my help in controlling her? No way.”

  “Fine, then get on the helicopter now and go. Because the only way you get to stay here is if you do as I say. All I want is for you to make sure she doesn’t freak out again like that.”

  “And? Because that would never be all there is.”

  He stepped closer to me, until his face was inches from mine, “I’m trusting you with my daughter, Wesley. If whatever this is between you ever goes beyond kissing, they’ll never find your body.”

  He was being deadly serious, “I would never do anything to hurt her.”

  “Good, then we’re in agreement.”

  I nodded eager for this conversation to be over. I would say anything right now. All the while my brain was saying, she kissed me back. I still couldn’t believe it.

  He opened the door to find Jenna waiting, “All done. He can stay.”

  “Really?” she asked.

  Tom nodded, “For now.”

  Jenna grinned and threw her arms around me.

  “He was really okay with it?” she asked.

  “Seems to be,” I lied.

  He shot me a glare and left.

  Twenty Four

  Jenna

  “When are my eyes going to go back to normal? Or are they stuck like this?” I asked, examining them in the mirror. I cleaned the blood off my forehead which had healed completely, but my eyes were still zombified. I still couldn’t believe I survived a bullet.

  And Reilly? I never thought he could do something like that. A part of me though, kind of understood. The fear about the zombies and what he had faced, but that didn’t justify shooting someone. He couldn’t have cared about me like I thought.

  “No,” Wesley said, “they’ll go back to normal soon. Don’t worry about it. It’s just a side effect of the X01.”

  I decided to take his word for it and dropped into the chair beside his. I didn’t want to think about Reilly anymore or what he had done.

  “Don’t you ever get sick of starin
g at that computer screen,” I asked.

  He sighed, “Constantly, but it comes with the job.”

  “I can think of better things to do,” I said.

  “I bet you can,” he grinned, “But I have to finish this.”

  I got up and moved behind him. There was a bunch of complicated equations on the screen. Draping my arms around his neck, I said, “So this is more interesting than spending time with me?”

  “Not interesting. Necessary.”

  “Five minutes?”

  “Jen, I need to finish this...” he stopped when I pouted at him. “But I guess I could take a break.”

  We moved to the couch. I wrapped my arms around his neck started kissing him. Wesley pulled back after a few minutes.

  “What? Are my eyes freaking you out?”

  “No, I didn’t even notice them. Jenna, you and Reilly...”

  “There is no me and Reilly. He shot me, remember?”

  “Yes, but,” he sighed, “are you just with me to get back at him in some way?”

  I pulled away from him, “What? Is that what you think?”

  “I just don’t understand...”

  “Understand what?”

  “Why you would pick me.”

  “I wouldn’t have been into Reilly at all if you hadn’t pretended our kiss never happened.”

  “So you admit you were into him?”

  “I’m more into you,” I said. I kissed him again.

  “You’re crazy.”

  I grinned, “Yeah I know.”

  He yawned loudly.

  “Am I boring you?” I asked.

  “No, sorry, I’m just exhausted.”

  “Well when was the last time you slept?”

  “I don’t know, what year is it?” he joked.

  “You should lie down for a while.”

  “I can’t I have work to do.”

  He tried to get up, but I pulled him back down, “I mean it. Come on, lie down.”

  We curled up on the couch together. Wesley put an arm around my waist, pulling me against him.

  “Okay, just for a little while.”

  He was asleep in minutes, he really was exhausted.

  I tried to sleep too but I couldn’t until I did what I knew I had to do. I got up slowly, to avoid waking Wesley. I snuck out of the room and down to the cells. I had to face Reilly. Find out why he shot me. Did I mean that little to him?

  Gil gave me a creepy smile as I passed his cell, “If it isn’t zombie girl. Reilly’s been telling me all about you.”

  I stopped in front of Reilly’s cell. He stared at me in horror, “How the hell are you still alive?”

  “I told you I’m not a zombie.”

  “No, a zombie we could have handled. You’re something else entirely. Look at you. Your eyes.”

  The look of disgust on his face was terrible.

  “You’re seriously damaged,” I said.

  He ran at the glass, “When I get out of here, I’m going to make sure you are put down, and your psychotic father too.”

  I ran out of the room and back upstairs, angry tears falling. Wesley was still asleep when I returned to the room. I wiped at my face trying to get a hold of myself. If anyone was psychotic it was Reilly.

  Wesley stretched out on the couch, “Jen?” he mumbled.

  I curled up beside him again. At least I had him. Even with his fear of zombies he wasn’t running away. I closed my eyes. I was drifting off when a siren shattered the silence.

  “What is that?” I cried.

  “Perimeter alarm. They’re here.”

  We got up as Dad rushed into the room.

  “It’s the Alliance. I need you two to get out back to the truck now.”

  We hurried down the hallway. I looked back and saw Wesley duck into the lab.

  “What are you doing?” I cried, running after him.

  “I’m not going to be the reason you get caught.”

  “You’re coming with me,” I said.

  He plunged a syringe into his leg, “Yeah I am, but I need to be able to fight.”

  “Not again, you said this was a bad idea.”

  “It’s the only one we have.”

  He ripped off the cast from his leg. He winced as the leg began to heal. An explosion sounded from above us, “Hurry.”

  I lost sight of Dad; I just hoped he had his own exit strategy. As we arrived on the topside, the Alliance was everywhere. Wesley grabbed my hand and we ran. An AS swung a fist at me; I ducked and punched him in the face. I leapt over his fallen body. Another charged Wesley. He crouched down at the last second and grabbed the AS around the legs. He flipped him over his shoulder.

  We got outside; night had fallen but I could see the truck up ahead. I saw a few others from the compound running too. A gunshot rang out and I saw Pamela fall.

  I cried out, skidding to a halt. I ran to her to see if I could help, but she was gone.

  “Oh God, no,” I sobbed. Where was Maddy?

  The AS caught up and pointed the gun at me, “Get up slowly,” he ordered.

  He was grabbed around the throat and thrown across the ground. When he tried to get up, Wesley kicked him in the chest.

  “Come on, there’s nothing you can do,” he said.

  “Mommy!” Maddy cried. She was running towards Pamela. One of the soldiers was heading her way.

  “No Maddy!” I yelled.

  I raced towards her. I scooped her up before the soldier could get her.

  “Mommy,” she cried again, struggling to free herself.

  When the AS came at me, I swung a fist at his head. My head whipped back and pain exploded in my face as he struck me with his rifle.

  I staggered back, nearly dropping Maddy. I kicked him in the leg then in the face.

  One of the other refugees, I think his name was Brian, grabbed Maddy from me. He took her to his truck and drove away.

  “Jenna!” Wesley yelled. I ran back to the truck and jumped in. I had to hope the others got away with Maddy. We drove off. It took me a few minutes to realize where he was going.

  “The X quadrant?”

  “It’s not covered by Alliance cameras; we might be able to lose them.” He sped up as bullets bounced off the back of the truck. They were chasing us. The gate marking the edge of the X quadrant loomed in front of us. Wesley crashed through it. It didn’t put up much of a resistance; it was mostly rusted through. The road below us turned black. It was littered with the bodies of thousands of zombies who had been crop dusted. The bones crushed into powder under the tires.

  We began to slow down, “What are you doing? Go faster,” I cried, looking out the back window to see how close they were. Too close.

  “I can’t. There’s too much debris. I don’t want to risk blowing a tire.”

  I glanced back again to see that the soldiers were having the same problem. It was like the slowest chase in history.

  The truck lurched forward as we hit a pot hole.

  “Sorry,” Wesley said, steering away from it.

  I hoped Dad had gotten out, but he seemed to have a knack for escaping situations like this.

  Whatever happened, I wasn’t going back with the Alliance. They’d have to kill me first.

  “Hang on,” Wesley cried, as he took a corner fast.

  I gripped my seat. As we got further in though, the road became harder to pass. I looked out the back window. The Alliance had fallen behind.

  “Keep going,” I urged.

  We struck something in the road and the truck skidded. Wesley managed to right it but it started sputtering.

  “Damn it,” he said. He pulled over to the side of the road.

  “Come on,” he said. We got out of the truck and ran off into the trees which were black and wizened looking. About three hundred yards in, we found a cave.

  “These can run for miles,” Wesley said, ducking inside.

  I followed him. As I bent my head to go inside the cave entrance, I felt something sharp prick me in
the back of the neck.

  “Wesley, wait,” I said. The cave sloped downwards.

  I walked towards him, and then my legs gave out. He caught me as I fell.

  “Jenna, what’s wrong?” he cried, “Oh God, you’re bleeding. You’ve been shot.”

  The pain in my neck had been a bullet?

  “We need to keep going,” he said, scooping me up. My body was beginning to go numb.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said, “I’ve got you.”

  “I can’t move,” I said.

  “You’ll heal soon,” he said.

  Wesley

  Something was wrong. Jenna wasn’t healing. She had passed out in my arms, but I could hear the AS closing in, I couldn’t risk stopping.

  “Just hang on,” I said.

  The cave opened out into a huge cavern. I ducked into a dark corner and set her down. There was hardly any light to see, but I managed to locate the bullet in the back of her neck. It was a small calibre that was lodged at the top of her spine. I searched my pockets for something to use to remove it. I didn’t have anything, so I tried her pockets. I found an old pocket knife. It would have to do. This was going to be messy. I used the knife to cut into her neck to get at the bullet. She wasn’t even reacting, this was bad. I managed to prise the bullet out and pull it free. I threw it away.

  “Please heal,” I whispered.

  I cradled her in my arms and waited. I brushed her hair back from her face, praying she would open her eyes.

  She gave a choking gasp, her body shuddering.

  “Spread out,” one of the AS yelled.

  Jenna moaned.

  “Ssh,” I said.

  They were going to hear us. I couldn’t let them find her. I lay her on the ground and moved further into the cave. I let one of them see me before I took off running.

  They chased me, firing off a few rounds which I managed to avoid.

  Keeping to the shadows, I came up behind one and punched him in the head. He crumpled. A bullet struck the wall above me. I ducked and charged him. We collided and fell. Rolling across the ground, he got in a couple of shots. I head butted him, regretting it immediately, but it did the job. That left one more. I found him a few feet away, aiming his gun at me.

  The last AS was distracted by something behind me. I turned to find Jenna. Her eyes had gone zombie again.