“Stay right there!” he screamed. “I’m coming inside to get you!”
He found her inside the bedroom, frozen in place by the window in both terror and shock. He grabbed her arms and shook her, trying to release her from her mental state.
“Come on; we don’t have a moment to waste. The entire area is under attack. We have to go find our daughter. The last I heard, she was going to the mall with Patricia. It’s all over the news on the radio. The mall is under attack.” He stared at her. Her eyes looked emotionless. “Jennifer, are you listening to me? We have to get to our daughter.” He continued to shake her.
“All right! I’m all right now. Please stop shaking me. You’re going to make me vomit.”
“Okay,” he said, stopping. “We can’t stay here. We have to get our daughter and get out of the state. Indiana and Illinois are the only states reporting these attacks.”
“What exactly has happened?” she asked, looking into his eyes.
“Zombies! I don’t know why it’s happening or how it’s happening. All I know is they killed Brian and several other people.” He stopped to catch his breath. “Listen, I know all this sounds farfetched, but you have to believe me when I tell you we’re not safe here.” He paused to think about it. “Actually, I’m sure we’re not going to be safe out there either, but right now our daughter is probably counting on us to find her. We can’t let her down. Do you understand? We cannot let her down!”
“Are you sure she will still be at the mall? Perhaps she’s already on her way home as we speak. If we leave, we can miss her. Shouldn’t we stay here and wait for her? We can wait inside the closet until she arrives. She’s going to arrive you know. Just give her some time. She’ll get here; you’ll see. We raised our baby to know what to do when she’s in danger. Once she gets here I can make us all dinner. I’ll make a meatloaf. It’s both of your favorites. I’ll also make my homemade mashed potatoes, and I’ll bake a fresh apple pie. All we have to do is wait for her to get home. I bet you she’s on her way now thinking about a fresh baked apple pie.”
He grabbed her and shook her once again. “Jennifer, snap out of it. You don’t understand. If she was trying to get back home, she would already be here. We have no choice. We have to go out there and find her ourselves. It’s what families do; they find each other during times like this.”
“No! We need to stay and wait for her! You’ll see; she’s going to want ice cream on her pie. Do we have any vanilla ice cream left? I don’t remember if we have any left.”
He knew he was losing her. He knew he was going to have to carry her to the car he had stolen earlier. He picked her up as she continued rambling about the ice cream and put her inside the car. He looked around the neighborhood. The entire area was teeming with the walking dead. He shook his head and got inside the car and slammed the door shut. He looked over at his wife. She was staring back at him.
“Where did you get this car? You don’t have a car; you have a truck.”
He didn’t want to go into the details on how he had procured the truck. He looked ahead at the shambling zombies making their way toward the car. He said a prayer asking God to help him find his daughter. He slammed on the accelerator, hoping he would be able to get to the mall without any problems.
Chapter Eleven
News of an airborne virus spread like a plague throughout Dr. Krage’s staff. He was determined to hide the truth from them, but he knew he was losing their trust. Tests were being redone to confirm the earlier results about Dr. Hollman’s research. He was now worried his staff would want to leave the installation, but he knew he couldn’t let it happen. If the tests were accurate, they could infect Nevada and the state could eventually suffer the same fate as Indiana and Illinois. The process had to end with them. He sat inside the area referred to as the ark where his zombiefied animals were safely locked up at the moment. He was facing a decision that bothered him. Could his pets actually infect innocent people without biting them? This setback could put them months behind schedule. Still, he couldn’t risk infecting the rest of the American population. Too much suffering had been caused already and it was spreading. He blamed Professor Hollman for it. He had been assured by him there wasn’t a possibility of his work going airborne. The only way somebody could be infected was being bit by a carrier. There was never supposed to be a zombie outbreak. Everything had been carefully considered. Even in war, the smart zombies were instructed to severe the brain of any of the enemy they killed. He didn’t want to risk the enemy being able to come back from the dead. He slammed his fists against the wall. Professor Hollman’s crucial mistake was going to make him look ignorant to the scientific community. It was going to crush his dreams of being recognized for his achievements in science. He heard someone cough uncontrollably behind him. He turned to look. It was one of his scientists who was doing the retesting of Professor Hollman’s formula. She looked feverish. He knew she was succumbing to the airborne virus.
She approached him, continuing to cough. It didn’t bother him she was coughing without covering her mouth. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he was suffering the same side effects. “It’s as we feared,” she said, handing him some paperwork. “All the tests came back positive.”
He glanced through the paperwork. “There is no cure for this. It stands to reason most of us will become smart zombies.”
“In theory,” she responded, coughing once again. “Some of us will turn sooner than later. Doctor Krage, I don’t want to live as a zombie, smart or otherwise. A zombie is still a zombie.”
“You don’t have to worry. I will make sure nobody will live as a zombie who doesn’t want to live as one. Preparations are already being made. In fact, if the virus spreads farther into the United States, all the smart zombies will be destroyed. If just one of them got free, they could infect the rest of the world. The rest of the world shouldn’t have to suffer for our mistake.”
“What about our families? We need to alert them and help them. We need to find a safe place for them to escape all of this.”
Doctor Krage held his head low. “You know we can’t do that. Besides, if this spreads, there would be no place safe to take any of them.”
“Can you actually live with yourself knowing you didn’t do anything to warn them about what could happen to them?” she asked, coughing once again. “I have a husband and children. They deserve to know what could happen to them.”
“Remember the oath you took. Informing them will be treated as an act of treason.” He paused for a moment. “Listen, I’m not the heartless bastard you’re thinking I am. I have an ex-wife out there, and I have two daughters. My heart is being torn over the decision I’m making. If we inform the public, we’re going to start a nationwide panic. I can’t let that happen. Do you understand me? I have a plan in place to fight the existing zombies, but since we now know the virus is airborne, we’re going to lose the battle.”
“Then you’re telling me our families are already doomed. I’m sorry; I cannot live with myself knowing I didn’t warn them.” She turned to storm away but was abruptly stopped by a soldier standing in her way. He was pointing his M16 at her face. Two shots suddenly rang out, and she slowly slumped to the ground. He looked at Dr. Krage.
“I’m sorry, doctor. My orders are clear. No one is to contact the outside world about what’s happening here. The entire installation is now on lockdown.”
“Your orders are to kill my people? Do you realize who you killed? She is vital to the work being done around here.”
“I’m really sorry about her, but there are no exceptions. I suggest if you don’t want to lose any more of your staff, you personally warn them not to contact the outside world.” Doctor Krage watched as he walked away, whistling as if nothing had occurred. It angered him, but he knew the soldier was right. They had to do two things. They had to keep the virus contained, and they had to keep the American people in the dark. He knew his scientist’s death was going to be for nothing. None of h
er family will be allowed to know what had happened to her.
“It’s for the best,” said General Milkwood. “I have been informed the White House is also on lockdown.”
Doctor Krage wasn’t sure if he was glad to see the general or not. He represented the organization he was angry at. He moved past the general and made his way down the hall. “Where are my pets?”
“If you’re referring to Ares and Thelma, they are both in back being checked by your team leader. He wants to make sure we haven’t harmed them. It’s ironic that you’re worried about their welfare when they’re already dead.”
Doctor Krage stopped to look at the general. He couldn’t tell if the general was joking with him or not. “If you’re trying to amuse me, you’ve drastically missed the mark. You know my pets are worth millions, and without them, we don’t stand a chance of survival. I’m thinking I made a big mistake having you brought back here, General Milkwood. I’ve heard from Captain Spanner. Lucky for us he had a field phone with him because all cell service is down where he’s at. He informed me he is setting up a command center at the mall in Joliet, Illinois.” He stopped to make sure nobody was listening to their conversation. “I want you to go there with Ares and Thelma and help Captain Spanner. Take a dozen of the smart zombies, as well. It’s time for a field test. We need to get a handle on things before the rest of us succumb to the virus. That reminds me, you’ve been warned about our situation. Why aren’t you wearing a gas mask? You’ve now been exposed.”
General Milkwood laughed. “Have you already forgotten? I was here for a long time before I first left. I’m sure I’ve already been exposed.”
Doctor Krage sighed. “I’ve forgotten. This leaves me with a dilemma. If you are truly a carrier of the virus, once you leave again, you could infect other people.”
“If I’m just going to Illinois, I’m sure they are all infected by now. I don’t think I will be a risk. I realize this is going to be a suicide mission.”
They continued down the hall. “General, you need to leave right away. If the virus gets any worse, the soldiers are not going to let you leave.”
“They can’t stop me. I outrank every one of them.”
“You know as well as I do rank won’t matter. When it comes to the safety of the nation, soldiers will follow their orders, even if it means killing innocent people in the progress. You have to leave now while there is still a chance. Where is this mall again?”
“Joliet, Illinois. Please make sure you make it there with the smart zombies. Take a few helicopters so you can land at the mall.”
“I’m leaving now. And doctor, I hope you haven’t been infected. The country is going to need your expertise when this is all over.”
Doctor Krage watched as the general made haste down the hall. He stood there feeling queasy. He knew he was infected, but he didn’t want the general to know it. He was weary, but he knew he couldn’t stop to rest. There were too many people depending on him to find a solution to the problem. Even though there was a slim chance of solving it, he still had to try. He wasn’t the type of man to just roll over and die. He heard more gunfire echoing down the hall. He had to find the solution before the soldiers killed all of his scientists. Without them, all hope would be lost.
President Andrews was watching the news, hoping the situation in Illinois had changed since he last heard a report coming from there. He listened intently as a reporter was reporting the situation was escalating and the National Guard wasn’t making any progress slowing the zombie outbreak. It wasn’t the kind of news he was hoping to hear. He wasn’t left with any reasonable options. He knew dropping another bomb was out of the question. None of his advisors had any suggestions that would improve the situation. He thought about all the people who were depending on him to find a solution. He didn’t have any reassuring words for them. He was stalling. He had nothing he could tell the nation that would make the situation any better. Instead, he locked down the White House and was about to hide from the people who had elected him to office. Gerald Thornton entered the office and approached him. He was carrying a small stack of papers and handed them to him. He took them and stared at the first page.
“So we’re being told there isn’t any hope. There is nothing that can be done to stop the virus from spreading.”
“Apparently not,” said Mr. Thornton. “I’ve been advised it could advance across the Illinois state line in a few days. We have to plan for the worst case scenario.”
“I think we’re too late to formulate a plan now. Our first attempt to stop this outbreak was unsuccessful. I doubt anything we try now will alter the final results.”
“That’s why we need to get you to the PEOC.”
“It’s premature to usher me away to the President’s Emergency Operations Center. Washington isn’t facing any threats at the moment. I don’t want to alarm anybody here by hiding in the basement.” He turned the television off and went to his desk. “For the first time since being president, I don’t know what I should do. I never imagined I would be the first one to have to deal with a zombie outbreak. What would you do if you were in my shoes, Gerald?”
“I’m just glad I’m not wearing your shoes. There isn’t any easy solution to this problem. I doubt there are any words you could say to the American people that would ease their worries. If there were, I doubt they would believe any of it. They are going to base their fears on what they’ve seen on television and read in books. Perhaps we should consult with George Romero or John Russo.”
President Andrews didn’t look amused. “You do realize before now there wasn’t any such things as zombies. Neither of them would know what to do during an actual zombie outbreak.”
“I was being facetious, Mr. President. I didn’t actually think either one of them would have an answer for us.”
“The only person who could have an answer for us is throwing in the towel. According to this report, he’s telling me to abandon all hope. He‘s even warning us not to leave Washington and to stay as far away from Nevada as we can. Perhaps there isn’t any hope or at least he doesn’t think so. There has to be a way to stop this thing from spreading.”
“If there is, the only person who can figure it out isn’t willing to figure it out. Anybody else who can help us is either MIA or has already died. Captain Spanner is setting up a command center in Illinois. If we’re lucky, maybe he can figure something out.”
President Andrews didn’t appear hopeful. He didn’t believe an officer in the military would have the right knowledge to prevent a virus from spreading across the state. He looked at Gerald. “I’m going to have to eventually address the nation. If I don’t address the nation soon, chaos is going to ensue.”
“I’ll get to work on a speech right away.”
“Don’t bother, Gerald. I’m going to address the nation from my heart. They need to hear comforting news, not something written by a speech writer. This is something I need to do myself. Let everybody know I’m going to go on air in two hours. That will give me plenty of time to prepare a speech that will definitely be put into history books, that is if America can survive the outbreak.”
Chapter Twelve
Dixon Rush sat inside the bomb shelter listening to the news over his antique radio. He was alarmed to hear what was happening in Illinois. He knew he would be safe inside the shelter. Nothing or nobody would be able to gain easy access without him knowing about it. He had made careful plans when building it and stocked it with everything he needed to last for at least two years. He never dreamt he would be hiding inside it because of a zombie outbreak. He figured it would be because one of the foreign countries had grown tired of America pushing it around. He turned off the radio and went over to his bed and sat on it, looking around at all the boxes stacked throughout the shelter. He was positive nothing had been forgotten. He didn’t want to risk his life leaving the shelter to procure the forgotten item. He knew nobody knew about his shelter, so he was sure nobody would come looking to tear d
own the door to gain entrance. He knew if they did, it would take Hercules to break it down. It was made with reinforced steel. He reached over to a metal shelf and snatched a gun magazine and flipped it open. The one thing he had overlooked when he had stocked the shelter was what he was going to do to keep himself from going insane. He knew he would eventually read all the magazines and books he had stored. He hadn’t thought about boredom. Actually, he never really thought he would ever use the shelter. He should have stocked it with board games, pads of paper, some of his collections, anything to take his mind off of the time. He checked his watch. He had only been inside the shelter for two hours, and he was already going stir crazy. He knew it wasn’t from boredom. It was from knowing a zombie outbreak was happening outside of the shelter. He wondered how something like that could have happened. He had a frightening thought. If the world was overrun with zombies, it would mean he could never leave the shelter. It wouldn’t be safe. He knew he only had enough food to last a couple of years; he had spent a fortune stocking boxes of MREs from the military surplus store. He would eventually run out and would have to venture outside in the midst of the outbreak if he wanted to survive. He could only survive two years. The very thought haunted him. What was he going to do when the time expired? He knew it was a long time off, but he needed to plan for that day.
He heard something outside of the shelter. It sounded like something was trying to gain access. He held his breath and listened. He couldn’t understand it. He had been extremely careful not to let anybody know of the existence of the shelter. He heard the noise again. In a panic, he reached over to a shelf and retrieved a shotgun and made sure it was loaded. He was determined not to give up his shelter without a fight. He walked over to the entrance and made sure the door was secure. Whoever was trying to break in wasn’t going to gain entry easily. He put his ear to the door. He could no longer hear anything. They must have given up and left. He was about to walk away from the door and return his weapon to the shelf when curiosity got the better of him. He needed to know who knew about his shelter, and he wondered if they would be back to try again. He made his way back to the entry and stood in front of the door, wondering if opening it would be the smart thing to do. What if somebody is waiting for me to open the door on the other side? The shelter didn’t have any windows so there was no way he could find out. The only course of action he could take was to open the door. He went back to the shelf and retrieved the shotgun and went back to the door determined to open it and find out who was on the other side. He felt confident he would be all right. After all, he did have a loaded weapon in his hand.
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