Val: Prequel to The Zombie Chronicles

by Peebles, Chrissy

  “Well, these boots are made for walkin’,” I muttered to myself, figuring I’d have to be the guinea pig since the whole thing was my idea.

  The crowd of decaying creatures surged in like football fans at the Superbowl, following our human scent into the room we’d been staying in. As they poured in, I stayed on the sidelines and walked slowly and methodically. I shuddered with every shuffling step and with every growl and hiss they made. Fear clenched my stomach while the dead-eyed, malevolent, bloodthirsty ghouls stumbled like drunks on twisted limbs. The choir of guttural moans tapped into my deepest fears, and horror and revulsion raced through me. Shudders rocked my body, and I fought to breathe. It had never bothered me to see a corpse at a murder or accident scene, but those corpses stayed still long enough for us to draw chalk around them. It was completely different when they got up and gave chase.

  I lost my footing a bit when I stumbled over a fallen zombie. I gasped, scrambled to my feet, and took a quick glance around. When I did, a zombie who looked like a grandmother, dressed in a frumpy black sweater and with its hair pulled back into a tight, white bun, moved within inches of my face. I froze as it gazed into my eyes, its jaw chomping and snapping so hard that the top portion of its dentures were falling out. It twisted its neck way to the left and hissed, then moved on; only then could I let out the breath I’d been holding.

  My feet crunched over glass as I made my way out through the hole the horde had created. It felt so good to be out of that museum. I looked up at the blue sky through my clunky helmet and was so thankful to be alive. Trying to drown out the howls and moans, I walked as fast as I possibly could in a suit of steel.

  Rob, whose stronger legs had a little less trouble with the armor built for a man, took the lead. He’d forgotten the map, but he knew which way to go to get us to the car.

  When I saw Kyle, I walked over to him. Jenny was breathing deeply for a moment, but then her breaths grew shallow. I feared she might have awakened and caught sight of the zombies and gone into an all-out panic attack.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Sammy asked.

  “She has pneumonia,” Kyle said. “I have antibiotics for her back at the house.”

  “Then let’s get you there,” I said.

  We hurried into the car, and Rob drove the route he’d mapped out from memory, taking backstreets that he hoped wouldn’t be guarded. Fortunately, he’d chosen the safest passage.

  Once we were at a safe distance from the melee, Kyle gave him directions to the house where Jenny’s antibiotics were kept.

  I hopped out of the car. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Just go back and get those people out. Don’t let them be turned into…well, you know.”

  “I’ll try my best.”‘

  Rob clapped his shoulder. “Wait… You’re not coming with us, man?”

  “I’m more than willing to help, but I’ve gotta take care of Jenny first. She’s my daughter, my only child. I’ll meet up with y’all later,” Kyle said. “I just have to make sure she’s safe in the house and stabilize her breathing.”

  “All right. Mindy’d rather babysit than fight,” Rob said, “so she can stay with the kiddo. We’ll come back for you in a bit.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Kyle said.

  I walked him to the porch to make sure he got Jenny safely inside, and he thanked me over and over again for saving them. He was a good man, an excellent, loving father, and I was glad I’d made the right decision. I didn’t regret it for a minute.

  “Val,” he said, “I’d love to take those cannibals down. Be sure you come back to pick me up. I just can’t leave Jenny yet.”

  “Of course. I completely understand. I’d do the same thing.”

  “I’m glad. Listen, I’ve got some weapons we can use.”

  I nodded. “All right. Be ready. We’ll be back as soon as we can.” I looked around at the home for a moment. “Is this your house?” I asked.

  “No. I’m heading to Cleveland,” he said. “I just stopped here to rest for a week, but we were captured.”

  “Really? I’m heading to Sandusky myself.”

  “Hmm. Planning a little getaway to Cedar Point?” he asked.

  I laughed. “No. I’ve got no need for rollercoasters and funnel cakes. All of this stuff is stomach-turning enough.”

  Kyle had the brightest white smile and I couldn’t help but be attracted to him.

  “After this is all said and done, I’d love to get back on the road,” he said. “You’re more than welcome to join Jenny and me, as it’s much safer to travel in groups. I have plenty of guns, food, water, and first aid supplies…and that’s not even the best part.”

  My smile widened. “What’s the best part then?”

  “In the garage is an EarthRoamer.”

  I touched his arm. “What!? One of those fancy Xpedition vehicles I’ve heard about, a cross between a four-by-four and an RV?”

  He nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “Whoa! Those things can go deep in the wilderness, and they have their own electricity, solar panels, a shower, hot water, and all kinds of other bells and whistles. It’s like…an armored, self-sustaining apartment on wheels.”

  “Yup,” he said, beaming. “Much of the coach and appliances are completely powered by diesel.”

  I smiled. “Does that mean warm soup?”

  “The hottest ever. Just be sure you come back for me.”

  “You can count on it,” I said. I then bid Kyle and Jenny goodbye, wished them luck, and hopped in the car with the others.

  * * *

  Rob sat in the passenger seat and gave me instructions on how to get to his little hideout, where all of his soldier-boy friends were hanging out. As I sped down the road, he looked at me.

  “Where you heading?” he asked.

  “To your hideout.”

  He chuckled. “No, I mean, before we were almost turned into meatloaf or permanent museum displays. Where were you heading?”

  “Ohio.”

  “Really? Why? Got a loving husband and kids waiting for you there?”

  “No…and no. I’m twenty-four, so there’ll still be plenty of time for the whole two-and-a-half-kids and white-picket-fence thing after this zombified, hellish mess is cleaned up. I’m heading there to meet my biological mom, dad, grandmother, and two brothers.”

  “Going and meeting your biological parents can be a Pandora’s Box.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “It could be something really special and awesome or it could be your biggest nightmare if your parents don’t meet up to your expectations and throw you to the curb. Just be ready for either outcome.”

  I smiled. “I’ll be prepared for the special and awesome one.”

  “Do they know you’re coming?” he asked.

  “Well, when all of this first happened, my grandmother begged me to come live with her. I’d just found out a few months prior that I was adopted, and I’d only had a few phone conversations, but Grandma loved to text me all the time. She told me the whole family was coming from South Carolina to stay with her. We lost touch after that though. For all they know, I’m already dead.”

  “Well, if your grandma knows you at all, I’m sure she’ll assume you’ve survived.”

  “I haven’t spoken to them in a year, since all communications went down, but I’m taking it as an open invitation. I hope they don’t mind the really overdue RSVP.”

  He chuckled again. “Better late than never.”

  “The last time I talked to my mother, she hadn’t yet told my brothers about me. She was going to explain everything to them the following day, but then this zombie thing broke out.”

  “Do you think she ever got a chance to tell them?”

  “I dunno. Maybe not, especially if she thought I was killed. Why put them through mourning my death when they didn’t even know I existed?”

  “Are you excited to meet them?”

  “Of course.
Nick is twenty-two, and Dean is eighteen. In the pictures, they look just like me. As a matter of fact, I have a Christmas picture of the family in Sammy’s bag. Wanna see?”

  “Sure.”

  Sammy handed it to him. “I carry that bag with me everywhere. It has a few things I can’t live without and a picture of my family as well.”

  Rob reached for it and studied the smiling faces. “What a nice family.”

  “Thanks,” Sammy said.

  He then looked at my picture.

  “You have a beautiful family as well. You do look alike.”

  “I know. They’re my family, my flesh and blood, and I want to be with them. My mother said she wants nothing more than to meet me in person.”

  “If ya don’t mind me asking, what happened to your adoptive family?”

  “Dead, along with my fiancé, Travis. Sammy’s family is gone too. We had nothing left in Philly, so we left and haven’t looked back since.”

  “Most of my relatives are dead too.”

  “I’m so sorry, Rob.”

  “I’m heading to…well, I guess I’m just sort of a drifter, just trying to survive, looking for someplace safe to live. I got word that my brother and his military friends have a safe place, so I thought I’d try it.”

  “My grandmother said her place is safe. I think I can stay there until the world gets back on its feet again.”

  We drove for a little while longer, chatting along the way. When we got to the edge of another town, Rob instructed me to pull into the parking lot of a grocery store. The second I stopped the car, red dots of light bounced around my chest.

  Rob jumped out of the car, and a group of armed men pointed weapons at him too.

  “Get out of the car!” one demanded.

  I slowly exited the vehicle and lifted my hands high in the air, as I’d instructed suspects to do countless times. The others got out and followed suit.

  Rob lifted the flap of his helmet. “Just me,” he said quietly. “Don’t shoot.”

  A tall man with brown hair smiled and greeted him, pulling him into a brotherly hug. “Put your guns down, boys and girls. This is just my brother and his friends. Why they’re all dressed up like knights, I’ve got no idea, but I’m sure it’ll be one heck of a story,” he said. He turned back to look at Rob and wrinkled up his nose. “What is that goop, and why do you stink so bad?”

  “Like you said, it’s a long story.” Rob said, “and to make matters worse, we’re not wearing anything but hospital gowns underneath. You talk about chafing! You know what chainmail does to the backside when you’re going commando?”

  “I can’t wait to hear all about it!” he said.

  Sammy smiled. “It’s one fish tale I wouldn’t even believe if I hadn’t personally lived through it.”

  The men slowly lowered their weapons, and my shoulders drooped in relief.

  Rob made the introductions, particularly to his brother, Marvin, and then we were led inside to tell our tale. As we did, shock and disbelief were etched on their faces. I wasn’t even sure if they believed us.

  “Mark went missing two days ago,” a man said. “We haven’t seen Meg for four. We thought the zombies got them and the others, but maybe not. You think they could be there?”

  “It’s worth checking out,” Rob said.

  “Those maggots tried to kill my brother,” Marvin said. “For that, they’ve gotta pay, whether they took our people or not.”

  “We don’t know if they have the others,” said a man with bushy, red hair. “It sounds like the place is pretty secure and armed. We can’t risk losing our men over this.”

  They debated back and forth for a while before Rob threw out his trump card. “You’re right about them being armed,” he said. “The place is loaded with weapons, rooms and rooms full of them.”

  “You help us get the captives out of there,” I said, “and the stockpile is yours.”

  “But nobody else has reported seeing this,” said a big, buff guy in a muscle shirt. “How do we know you ain’t lyin’ just to get us to help you.”

  “Because we’re here, that’s why. Rob would have been lunchmeat right along with the rest of us if we hadn’t rescued him. Besides, I’m a good person, and I don’t appreciate being called a liar.”

  Marvin chimed in, “You sound very trustworthy to me, and I’m a good judge of character. If you say there are guns and ammo there, I’ve gotta believe you. Besides, you brought my brother, so how could I not? I’m runnin’ this little operation, and if I say we’re gonna check it out, that’s what we’re gonna do. Just give me a little while to sketch out a plan and find a map. I’ll have Rob fill me in on the details.”

  “We need some clothes,” Sammy said.

  “We’ve got plenty,” a woman said and led us over to a pile of garments they’d pilfered from various houses.

  I found a pair of black jeans that were a size too tight, as well as a black t-shirt with an “Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine” logo on it. “I could use a little moonshine right now too,” I joked.

  “Hush your mouth!” Sammy scolded. “Some of us aren’t even legal drinking age, you lush,” she joked.

  I smiled, pulling my hair into a long ponytail.

  Sammy opted for a white, lacy tank-top and a too-long pair of jeans. “Perfect,” she said, even though the bottom of the jeans dragged the ground when she walked, “or at least better than my butt swingin’ in the wind.” She pulled her hair into a tight bun.

  Both of us noticed when Marvin popped some pills into his mouth for the second time while we were there, and Sammy pulled me aside.

  “Are you really ready to be in cahoots with a paranoid drug addict?” she asked.

  “It isn’t ideal,” I said, “but for now, they’re the only backup we’ve got, even if they are a little, uh…medicated.”

  “I read the bottle. He’s on some pretty strong stuff. Maybe it’s because of that back injury he mentioned, but I’m not so sure.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll go our separate ways the second we free the others.”

  “Agreed.”

  We spent the next hour coming up with one heck of a plan. While we worked on that, Marvin’s scouts returned and informed us that security had been doubled. We decided we’d park as close as could to the laboratory, then move closer via the storm drains and pipes; after being smeared with zombie remains, even the sewer didn’t seem so daunting. After we took down the guards and getting inside for the rescue mission, Sammy and another person would maneuver a huge motor coach bus near the building on our signal. We’d load all the people on the bus, set off a few homemade bombs, and get out of there with plenty of guns, ammo, and survivors.

  “Easy-peasy,” Sammy said, trying to sound positive.

  “Yeah? Well, we’ll see about that,” Marvin said, sounding a little more uneasy than I wanted him to.

  Chapter 18

  We went over the plan a few times, hammering out any obvious flaws and oversights. Marvin was on a path of revenge, because he believed the cannibals had taken his friends. The dirty dozen, his little military posse, were doing it only for the guns. As for me, I was just going to save lives; the need to serve and protect still lingered strongly within me, and there was no way I could just move on and pretend like those people weren’t there. They were going to die and be used for food, and nothing sickened me more than that. I knew I couldn’t continue my journey until I set those people free and gave them a fighting chance. After all, we were all they had. If we didn’t fight for them, no one else would. Even as they lay unconscious in their beds, they had no idea of the danger they were in, and I couldn’t just leave them there, vulnerable and helpless.

  I knew we could easily take the guards down, especially with the element of surprise. Our posse included a dozen military-trained men and women, armed with machineguns and other high-tech gadgets. Sammy and Melinda wished me luck and I told them I’d see them both soon. They’d be driving the buses to collect people and guns once
we secured the place. I hoped this plan worked.

  I tried to get Marvin to stop by the house where Kyle was staying, but they wouldn’t. “We’ve got enough people,” Marvin said, brushing me off. I was pretty sure they just didn’t want to share their guns with him, but they refused to listen to reason, even when I told them he had weapons they could use. I only hoped Jenny was all right and that Kyle wouldn’t be too upset at me for being unable to convince them.

  Marvin loosened the manhole cover and went in first, followed by a few of his men. We waited a minute for him to give us the all-clear. When he did, I quickly made my way down the rusty rungs and jumped into the cold, slimy water, then took a good look around the narrow, moldy brick tunnel.

  “Ugh! It’s rank down here,” one of the men complained.

  “Oh, man up, David,” said a woman with short, dark hair.

  Another man nudged me. “I hope I don’t catch a disease down here.”

  “Right. I didn’t realize it’d be so wet. We shoulda brought a canoe,” I said.

  He laughed.

  A layer of trash and debris floated on the surface. “Watch out for nails, glass, and syringes, people!” Marvin warned.

  I bit my lip as the filthy water soaked right through my pants. When the water level became waist deep, the foul, sulfuric stench of rotten eggs hit me full force, and I tried to take shallow breaths. It took everything I had not to gag from the disgusting sewer smell, but we were on a serious mission, and I had to treat it as such. Wading through stinky trash would not deter me when lives depended on it.

  “Behind you!” the man named David said, obviously nervous and on high alert.

  I spun around, cocked the gun, and fired. My well-placed shot hit a zombie right between its milky eyes, and it fell with a splash.

  “There are some live ones down here,” Marvin said. “Pay attention. Nice shot, by the way, Val.”

  Before I could even thank him for the compliment, something brushed against my leg, and I glanced down. A figure swirled in the flowing water, staring up at me with white eyes, sending a chill down my spine. I aimed my rifle again, but just as I was about to shoot, Rob touched my arm.