Lucas grabbed the man’s arm. “Stop that! You tryin’ to announce our presence to hordes of zombies or what, mister? I don’t figure the undead will be offering us a cold beverage and welcoming us into their humble abode.”
“Kid, if that chopping didn’t wake the dead, my hollerin’ sure as heck ain’t gonna,” the man retorted in a huff, shaking Lucas’s arm off him.
“We can board up this window once we deem the place safe and everyone is in,” a woman in a wet leather jacket said.
“Should we stick together or split up into teams?” another man asked.
Nick stepped forward. “I think it’s best to split up. We can cover more ground that way and get this place secured.”
“We’d better hurry. All those other people are sitting ducks in the cars out there,” a woman wisely noted.
“Right,” Lucas said, “so why are we still standing here talking about it? Let’s go, folks, and leave no stone unturned. That means we check the elevator, the stairwells, driers, stoves, freezers, and fridges—every nook and cranny.”
The man nodded. “I think it’s best that some groups search the halls, while others watch for zombies outside. We can also post guards at the window that’s been, uh…compromised.”
“Finally, somebody’s making sense around here,” Lucas said.
Jackie glanced around. “This place reminds of a haunted house,” she said with a shudder.
“Forget the house. It’s too big for that. It’s more like a haunted castle,” Claire said. “Before all this happened, I was reading this book about some haunted castle in Scotland so this place really gives me the creeps.”
I had a sick feeling in my gut, but I couldn’t let that stop me from searching the place. I shined my flashlight to the left, then to the right. There seemed to be a west hall and an east hall. Elevators were directly in front of me, and stairs lead to the second and third floor. I felt some grim certainty that something horrible was going to happen, but I knew I needed to push those worrisome thoughts aside. We’ve found safe hideouts before, I reminded myself, like the airport tower and the gym. We didn’t have any horror movie moments in there. Still, as much as I tried to convince myself, nothing calmed the unsettling feeling of dread that was running rapid through me.
“We’ll take the east hall,” a blonde woman said, turning right.
A slightly chubby, balding man motioned to the left. “Then we’ll take this one.”
“We’ll go upstairs and start with the second floor,” Lucas said.
“Leave the third floor to us,” said a man with a raspy voice.
Nick motioned me to follow him, and we headed up the winding stairs. I opened the door and carefully stepped in while the other group pounded up the stairs, heading to the third floor. Straight ahead was a circular nurses’ station. I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. Charts lined the back wall, and a medication cart was parked off to the side. My light beam roamed over filing cabinets, a computer, a printer, a copy machine, and papers and clipboards littering the floor.
Val touched my arm and pointed down the west hall. It was so dark, so eerie. I knew anything could dart at us at any given moment; if enemies of the human or zombie variety were hiding in there, they’d have the element of surprise on their side. I couldn’t help but picture hordes of the undead bursting out from both directions. My nerves were on edge as we headed down the lonely corridor amidst the shadows that danced on the wall from our flashlight beams.
My brother pointed to Claire, Val, and himself, then gestured to the rooms on the left. He pointed Lucas, Jackie, and me to the rooms on the right.
I shot him a nod to indicate that I understood his voiceless command, and then I eased the door open as a cold shiver shot down my spine. The window was boarded up, but I could hear the screeching wind and the pelting rain and the crashing thunder. It was terrifying to be in that large, dark, lonely building with no light or electricity, and the pounding wind didn’t exactly ease my tension. The dark, musty room smelled like mold, and dust particles floated all around us. My flashlight beam swung around the room in an organized fashion as I gripped my gun tightly, my gaze darting everywhere. With my very next step, my foot landed on something that cracked under my weight, startling everyone. Of course, I remained cool, calm, and collected—or at least I tried to appear that way.
Whether we liked it or not, we had the disadvantage in combat because we didn’t know what lurked in those dark corners. I thought back to the day when the chaos had begun. I imagined the owner had evacuated the place and then boarded it up, hoping to come back one day and start over again. Surely someone had cared about the place if they’d gone to so much trouble to secure it. Then again, there could have been survivors there at one time who had since departed for one reason or another—reasons I didn’t want to think about. For all I knew, the poor survivors who’d been staying there had gone to find food and supplies and never made it back to their sanctuary.
I moved silently and cringed every time the floorboards creaked under my boots. A droplet of sweat rolled down my face, and my heart felt like it might actually beat its way out of my chest. As I continued to move carefully through the room, I suddenly saw a figure. I freaked out and jumped, startled for a split second, until I realized it was my own reflection in the dresser mirror. My nerves were so on edge that every little thing was beyond frightening; I was just thankful that Jackie and Lucas didn’t catch my blunder.
It felt as if we’d stepped into some kind of time capsule, an episode of The Twilight Zone, for everything was frozen in time, from the crossword puzzles on the bedside table and neatly made bed to the birthday cards lining the dusty dresser. The curtain divider was stretched across the middle of the room. I could feel my heart pumping as I pulled it back, just waiting for something to jump out at me. Nothing? Thank God. Just another bed and dresser. “All clear,” I whispered.
Jackie waved me over, her eyes locked on the closed bathroom door. I nodded, trying to look brave, but my stomach sank. I took a deep breath and shifted my position to deflect a possible attack, then slowly opened the creaking door. It was empty, so I let out a sigh of relief. Jackie looked under the bed, and Lucas checked the closet.
Next, Lucas motioned for us to check the next room. We nodded and followed him as he kept his gun pointed, alert for any signs of danger. When we searched the next room, my light beam suddenly landed on one eye and half of a face. My stomach lurched.
“Zombie!” Jackie shouted.
I gasped, my mind reeling. I let out a shot straight into the zombie that was lying on the bed.
Lucas laughed, but I didn’t find one bit of humor in it. By the look on Jackie’s face, I could tell that Jackie didn’t think it was a joke either. Adrenaline spiked through my veins, and I had to force myself to take slow breaths.
“You okay, baby?” she asked.
“I’m fine. You?”
“I about had a heart attack. At least it’s dead.”
Lucas doubled over in laughter.
Nick rushed in, his eyes wide. “Did I hear gunfire in here? What’s going on?”
I shook my head. “I just saved our butts, that’s what.”
Lucas dangled a dummy in the air with a bullet hole in its forehead. “Yeah, man. Your li’l bro here just saved us from the big, bad CPR practice mannequins. If he hadn’t, I might have had to give the thing the Heimlich Maneuver!”
“You’re kidding,” Nick said, shaking his head.
Val softly touched my arm. “Dean, what if that had been a survivor? I know you’re scared. Heck, we all are. But you can’t be so quick to pull the trigger.”
“Well, excuse me for trying to protect everybody!” I shouted. The truth was, I felt like an idiot. My nerves were completely rattled, and I started to worry that I might be losing it—that I wasn’t cut out for soldiering after all.
“You gotta be more careful, Dean,” my brother said, beginning the lecture I figured he’d give me, as he was never
one to keep quiet about it when I screwed up. “You have to make sure it’s really a zombie before you shoot.”
I swallowed hard.
“It’s okay,” Jackie said. “I thought it was a zombie, too, especially with its face ripped off like that.”
“Right. What’d Howdy Doody do to deserve being smashed in the face with a crowbar anyway? Musta taken a real dummy to waste their time and energy doing that.” Lucas said, laughing at his own puns, which no one else seemed to get. “I bet they had to take a breather or two in between whacks!”
Claire chuckled and rolled her eyes. “You can stop now.”
“Lucas, that was awful, but your right. Personally, I’d have saved my strength for the zombies,” Val said. “C’mon. We have to finish securing this wing.”
In spite of the fact that most of the others were laughing and shaking their heads at Lucas’s sorry attempt at humor, I was still angry with myself for being such an idiot. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head so we could move on. I feared they’d never let me live that one down, but for the time being, we had bigger and better fish to fry.
Once we determined that the entire floor was devoid of zombies and survivors, we headed back up to the entryway and met up with the rest of the men. The entire place was secure, and Nick and Lucas even double-checked just to be sure. We were very lucky to find the place, and Claire even suggested staying for a few days to rest. It sounded like a good idea, but we’d have to follow Nick’s lead; if he thought we should just stay long enough to wait out the storm, that would be what we would do. He was the leader, and as much as I hated to admit it, I’d learned the hard way that he knew a thing or two about surviving the zombie apocalypse.
Everyone piled into the nursing home, and we hurriedly boarded the window back up. We decided to stay in the west wing of the first floor, and there were enough rooms for everyone. We planned on taking shifts and posting guards everywhere to make sure we could sleep in peace.
Nick and I chose a room in the back, and the girls, Claire and Jackie, took a room next to us. Lucas and Val each had a room to themselves. We placed two of the giant flashlights on the dresser to serve as a makeshift lamp, and the girls and Lucas did the same.
“I brought a little friend to keep us company,” Nick said, holding the axe he’d used to break in. “If any of those undead freaks get through and past our sentries, we’ll be able to break out through the boards and hop out the window.”
“You wouldn’t be Nick if you didn’t think of everything,” I said. “You’re always prepared.”
“Semper paratus.”
“What’s that?”
“The Boy Scout motto. Always ready.”
“Boy Scouts? Aren’t you a little old for that, or do they give out a special patch for killing zombies? Besides, I’d rather you be a Girl Scout. You could sell me some Thin Mints, and I bet your hairy legs would look great in that little green skirt.”
Nick tried to stifle his laugh, but the vision of himself in such an outfit had him chuckling. “Well, Scouts or not, we have to be prepared if we wanna stay alive.”
A second later, Jackie rushed in, holding a pile of clothes. She was dressed in a pair of slightly baggy pleated pants and a frilly floral top that looked like something my grandmother would have loved, but she somehow still managed to flash some serious curves. Even in old-lady attire, it was hard for me to tear my gaze away from her. She was gorgeous and literally took my breath away. “Look what I found,” she said, handing me a pair of pants and a shirt. They smelled a little musty but they were much better than my current outfit, which was muddy, ripped, and caked with dried blood.
“Nice! Dry clothes.”
“The dressers are loaded with all kind of things to wear,” she said. “They’re a little old-fashioned, but beggars can’t be fashionable, right? Besides, I’m sure they’ll fit you perfectly.”
Claire playfully poked me. “I told her to grab one of those backless hospital gowns for you instead, but she wouldn’t.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t do hospital gowns.”
Jackie smiled and smacked my butt. “I should’ve. I bet you have a gorgeous butt.”
I flashed her a shy grin, not sure what else to say in the face of such flattery of my gluteus maximus.
It was nice to relax for a minute since we always seemed to be on constant guard. Nick laughed and pulled Claire close, then kissed her on the forehead. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, as they seemed like the oddest couple of all time, but they seemed to be really hitting it off.
“I got you something too,” Jackie said, handing him a polo shirt and some black slacks.
Nick held up the outfit and frowned. “Uh…not exactly my style.”
Claire smiled, playing with a strand of red hair. “C’mon, Nick. The newest style tips in the zombie era are to always think clean and dry.”
“Am I gonna look as hip as Nick?” I asked.
Jackie winked. “Even hotter.”
“Thanks for the clothes,” I said, grinning at her.
“How could I resist helping you, with those gorgeous baby blues of yours?”
“Oh, brother,” Nick muttered as he squeezed his large arms into the sleeve of the polo shirt.
“I’ll see ya later,” Jackie said to me.
I kissed her on the lips. “Be safe, babe.
As she turned to leave, Lucas came in, holding a box.
“Hold up, Jackie,” he said. “I’ve got us chow.”
Jackie smiled. “Chow? I’m starving. Okay, I’m staying for a little bit longer.”
“What you got there?” I asked, curious.
“A veritable buffet, boys…and uh, girls! Found a bunch of canned food in the kitchen, along with a can opener. Let’s see…we’ve got corn, beans, squash—”
“I think I’m gonna like it here,” Claire said, snuggling up to Nick. “For the first time in far too long, we’ve got food, shelter, real beds, and clothes, and we’re all boarded up, safe and sound. Best of all, there aren’t any zombies loitering around.”
Nick pulled her close. “I think we oughtta rest here for a day or two.”
“We sure do deserve to take a break after all we’ve been through,” Claire affirmed.
“Definitely, and you know what? I’m gonna volunteer for first shift of guard duty,” Jackie said. “That way, I can sleep for hours when it’s over.”
“How about we grab a quick bite to eat first?” I asked.
Lucas held up a can. “Mmm…Ensure!” He held it up and stared at the label. “Says here it promotes a healthy digestive tract.”
I laughed. “I mean, it’s not like we have 9,000 other things to worry about.”
We all shared a laugh and then chowed down. Sure, it was just cold canned food and health shakes, but it was the best meal any of us had eaten in a while.
Chapter 6
Nick said he’d hidden the black bag of vials in the nursing home, so I felt pretty secure about that. They were our most precious commodity and had to be guarded at all costs.
We had a major problem Nick was trying to keep under wraps so people didn’t panic…we were low on guns and ammo. Nick and Lucas said we’d look once we were on the road, but if we got forced into battle with a horde of zombies, we were in trouble. I had some ammo, but not nearly enough.
“Knock, knock,” a female voice said, jarring me out of my thoughts.
She peeked her head in. “Hey, guys. I’m your next door neighbor.”
“Kate!” I said. Kate was the blonde that fought alongside of us in that arena back in Kingsville. I had no idea she was in the caravan of cars that trailed behind us.
Kate had been in Kingsville to investigate her sister’s disappearance. When she learned her sister was dead, she was mortified, especially with the gruesome way she died. She’d been thrown into the makeshift arena and was killed by zombies. What that town did to strangers was criminal and insane. I still couldn’t believe we went through all of t
hat.
Kate motioned to the girl behind her. “This is my roommate, Asia.”
Asia was about my age, and she was African American. She had the most beautiful, dark eyes and a cute figure. Her medium length hair was tied back in a ponytail. She waved as introductions were made between all of us.
“Kate filled me in on the entire story,” Asia said. “I just wanted to thank you guys for saving my life.”
“It means the world to us that you’d stop by and thank us,” Claire said. “We want to help as many people as we can.”
Out of all those people, she was the only one to come and express her gratitude. I couldn’t help but be touched by her sincere words.
Her voice started to tremble. “I’m not good at this kind of stuff.”
“You and me both,” Nick chimed in.
“But I just wanted to show you my appreciation,” she continued. “We’ve got to get this cure into the right hands.”
“That’s the plan,” Lucas said, softly.
I met Kate’s gaze. “How are you doing?”
Her face hardened. “Hanging in there. I decided to go on living…for my sister. She’d want me to keep fighting to live. So that’s what I plan to do.”
“You’ve been through so much,” Jackie said, gripping her hand.
“We all have,” she whispered. “We live in a cold, cruel world now.”
“Never give up the fight,” Nick said. “No matter what life throws at you. Always remember to keep fighting…especially when you’re hit the hardest. That’s what I do.”
Kate nodded. “Don’t worry, my survival instincts won’t let me sit down and take it. I plan on fighting until to the very end.”
I remember how valiantly she fought in that arena. I believed every word she said and definitely knew she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“Well, if you need anything, don’t hesitate, neighbor.” She waved goodbye and left.
“Bye,” Asia said, smiling. “Nice meeting you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” I said.
***
The Zombie Chronicles - Book 4 - Poisonous Serum (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) Page 5