The Z-Day Trilogy (Book 2): Z-Day [Day of the Zombies]

by Mark Cusco Ailes

  “Innocent or not, it doesn’t matter. Soon the whole story will be broadcast on TV about how a disgruntled employee and his girlfriend freed the zombies,” said General Poe. “You’ll probably get the death penalty.”

  “But Ben is one of the owners,” pleaded Chloe. “The public already knows that.”

  General Poe knew she was right. “How about this. Ben is upset because he didn’t get all the credit he thought he deserved and talked you into helping him get revenge on me and Mr. Forenstein. Does that sound more convincing to you? It really doesn’t matter what I say. You’ve already been convicted and are going to be put to death.”

  Sounds of footsteps echoing on a tiled floor filled the room. Four men dressed in military attire carrying M16s appeared and stood behind the general. Without looking, he ordered them to arrest Ben and Chloe. They put them in handcuffs and led them out of the building to a waiting deuce and a half. The soldiers helped Ben and Chloe get into the back and two of them jumped in the back with them. Ben thought he recognized one of the soldiers. He didn’t say anything; he just kept staring at him, trying to figure out where he had seen him before.

  The truck drove through the parking lot, making pulp paste of a couple of stray ghouls shambling toward them. The soldier kept his eye on Ben as they felt the truck run over the top of a couple of zombies, bursting them open like ripe watermelons.

  Without warning, the soldier Ben thought he recognized turned and fired a shot at the other soldier. He slumped forward landing in Chloe’s lap. She screamed and used her knees to free herself from him. He then quickly pushed Ben forward and unlocked the handcuffs and did the same for Chloe as the deuce came to a halt. They heard other soldiers get out of the cab. The soldier tossed Ben a weapon.

  “If you want to live, shoot once you see them.”

  They sat there holding their breath waiting for the two soldiers to appear. As soon as they came into view, cones of fire blossomed from their weapons in controlled bursts. The two soldiers, with looks of shock, fell to the ground. The soldier looked at Ben and Chloe.

  “Come on; we have to get out of here before anybody realizes what happened. I’ll drive.”

  They piled into the cab of the truck. The soldier looked at Ben. “By the way, my name is Donnie Jorsen. I heard they were going to pin the zombie outbreak on you and have you executed. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  “You’re the leader of ‘PETZ’,” said Ben. “I don’t understand. I thought you hated me for coming up with the idea for the park.”

  “I do hate you for that. You’re the reason the park was built in the first place. I’m giving you a chance to make it right. You know the truth about the park, and I want to help you tell your story.”

  “How do we know we can trust you?” asked Chloe. “How do we know you’re not the one who caused all this?”

  “You don’t know. Listen, I just came to your rescue. If that doesn’t give you a reason to trust me, then I don’t know what will. Listen, I have to get you to my bunker. We’ll be safe there, and it will give us a chance to plan our next move.”

  “What is our next move?” asked Ben.

  “To expose General Poe for the fraud he is. Ben, you don’t realize who you pledged your allegiance to. Let me tell you about General Poe. He’s in charge of several defense companies who develop weapons for the military. One company in particular, financed by Mr. Robert Forenstein, has been working on a special project creating smart zombies. These creatures are being developed to infiltrate our foreign enemies. That’s why there has been a decline of the homeless in America. They’ve been using them as guinea pigs. They’re killing innocent people and bringing them back to life as zombies. It’s a crime against humanity. That’s where you came into the scheme of things. You gave them the idea for the zombie park. And of course you know how that ended up.”

  “They were using me?” asked Ben, glancing toward Chloe. “I had no idea.”

  “Well, you do now,” said Donnie. “You’ve been given a second chance to help make it right.”

  “How are we going to do that? The zombie virus is spreading like wildfire. People are turning within minutes of being infected.”

  “That’s one of the problems,” pointed out Donnie. “At this rate, we’re going to lose the entire population of Valparaiso in a day. What we have to worry about are all the animals that got loose. They can get out of the area undetected if that hasn’t happened already. Hell, we might already be too late, and we’ll be forced to live underground.”

  Chloe sighed. It was not the news she wanted to hear. She felt an agony of despair. Just when she thought her life was finally coming together, a zombie outbreak happened. “Is there any hope?”

  “I don’t know. One thing I do know is only the strong will survive. Weak links will get people killed. I’m counting on the both of you. Remember, there is no place in the zombie apocalypse for a weak link.”

  Ben put his arm around Chloe. He wanted to console her, but she had a strange expression on her face. Her tortured brain screamed with shrill cries of revenge. She wanted to make General Poe pay. Blood demanded blood, and her revenge would be swift.

  They remained silent the rest of the way to the bunker, each formulating some sort of plan in their own mind.

  Chapter Three

  Clive heard the front door open and shut. He figured John had left the store to take his chances outside with the damned. He closed his Bible and made his way into the front area. The front door was wide open and his business was filled with the living dead knocking over displays and making unearthly sounds.

  Frightened beyond measure, he turned to run to the back to snatch a machete. It was the one he brought back with him from an African expedition he went on several years ago. He snatched it and turned to run, but he was met by an elderly, gray-haired lady with her arms stretched outright. He swung the machete and slashed through her neck as easily as hacking brush in the wild. She fell but he was immediately met by another zombie. He swung again. Death squirted from the wound as the machete completed its deadly arc. Beyond the falling zombie, several more were entering the back area.

  He knew his only chance of surviving the assault was to retreat to the back door and take his chances on the street. Before retreating, his machete kissed the neck of another zombie. He turned and ran to the back door.

  Outside in the alley it was clear of zombies as if they were avoiding it. He felt fortunate he wouldn’t have to defend himself while making an escape to his car located at the end. He slammed the door shut behind him and sprinted to his car, hoping nothing surprised him.

  He made it to his blue Cadillac and jumped inside. He was lucky. None of the zombies shambling on the streets had noticed him. He sat there catching his breath and thinking about how John had almost got him killed. He looked at the bloodied machete on the seat next to him. He felt fortunate he had kept it all these years.

  He sat there wondering where he could possibly go. The streets were teeming with zombies. If he was going to get out of the area, he had to find a clear street so he didn’t damage his car in the process. He didn’t want to have to hit any of the creatures. It could stall his car. He looked around. He noticed something flapping its wings heading toward him. It drew nearer and landed on the hood of his car. It was a zombified parrot. It looked at him through the windshield.

  “Death comes tonight.” It then took flight and headed down the alley.

  His car shook. He shook his head in despair. The milling mass of hungry dead made it impossible to move forward. He shifted the car into reverse and hit the accelerator. He heard a loud yelp. He kept moving and stole a glance out the windshield. He saw a small dog rolling along the side of the street. He didn’t know if it was a zombie or not, and he didn’t care. A horde of zombies swarmed the injured dog and quickly it became their dinner. He backed the car onto another street and shifted to drive and headed down the street. He didn’t know where he was going to go. All he knew was he didn�
�t want to stay here anymore. A house exploded near him, and he saw a burning zombie staggering from it. The hungry flames devoured the house. He hit the accelerator hard and made a mad dash down the street. He didn’t slow down for anybody or anything. He just wanted to put some distance between him and the zombies.

  Gus and Cindy were dropped off just outside of the city limits. The National Guard was busy setting up traffic barriers across the road.

  Gus approached one of the soldiers. “I don’t think those are going to keep zombies from getting through.”

  He stared at Gus uncaringly. “I’m following my orders. The National Guard can handle zombies. Besides, reinforcements are on the way.”

  Gus took Cindy by the arm and led her away. “My friends are still out there. I have to get to them and help them.”

  “We can’t go back in there. It’s too dangerous. I’m sure they’ll be all right.”

  “You don’t have to come with me. It will probably go faster if you don’t.”

  She glared at him angrily. “You’re not leaving me here! I don’t know anybody. Listen, my parents are also inside there. There is nothing I can do for them. We’re safer with the military.”

  He shushed her. “You don’t want them to hear us. I don’t want them locking us up so we can’t get back through the barriers.” He looked around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. “My whole life is in Valparaiso. I need to get back there. We can go through the woods. Are you with me?”

  She didn’t like the idea of venturing back to the area the zombies had overrun. She knew she had no chance of surviving a zombie attack. She didn’t even have a weapon. She looked around. Everybody around her had weapons. They were trained for something like this. She wasn’t. She sighed and hit Gus in the arm.

  “Damn, Gus, I don’t know what to do. We don’t have any weapons. How are we going to protect ourselves?”

  “We’ll have to be creative for now until we can find some.”

  “That’s not reassuring,” she said. “I don’t want to die.”

  “I don’t want to die, either.” He looked around and found a large rock. He picked it up and showed it to her. “You can use this.”

  She glared at him. “Really? I’m going to use that for a weapon?” she took it from him and tossed it back on the ground. “I’d rather have one of their guns.”

  He looked at the soldiers. “I don’t think there is a chance we can get one of them. Come on; we’re wasting time.”

  Reluctantly she let him lead her into the woods next to the road. Black clouds hid the moon in a sea of night. They made their way through the thick underbrush trying not to trip over rotting tree limbs and unseen obstacles. A cool breeze clung to them like death. Cindy regretted having left with him to trample their way through the darkness. She was scared. All around her she heard sounds she didn’t recognize. It was as though the darkness was welcoming her to her certain death. She grabbed his arm and squeezed.

  “Not so hard, Cindy, that really hurts,” he said, trying to free himself from her grasp.

  “It’s your own fault. We should have stayed where we were. We were safer with the soldiers. Only God knows what’s lurking in the darkness.”

  “Quiet! I hear something.”

  They both listened. Nothing. The darkness was playing tricks on his senses. He looked around through the black. Inky shadows moved through the forest’s gloom. He closed his eyes and opened them again. His mind was playing tricks on him. He was about to take another step forward when he heard something, much closer this time. He turned around fearing for his life. Something was following them. He heard decayed branches disintegrating under its feet. A lone wolf loped from out of the shadows landing directly in front of them. Hungry milky-white eyes peered from its skull. It growled at them, baring its blood-stained teeth. The intensity of its stare bore through them like hate. Gus motioned for Cindy to remain still. She glared at him, trying to say something, but fear kept the words locked in the back of her throat.

  The wolf salivated at the thought of its feast. As it was about to pounce on its dinner, a shot rang out, bringing the wolf to the ground. An angry cry sprang from its throat as the gore gushed out. It was silenced.

  A shadow detached itself from the darkness. It approached Gus and Cindy and stopped in front of them.

  “They can’t contain the animals. They are fighting a war they can’t win.” He looked at the shocked look on their faces. “My name is Ralph Gleeson.” He lowered his shotgun and extended his hand to Gus.

  “My name is Gus and this is my friend, Cindy. What brings you out here?”

  “I’m hunting the animals. I’ve already taken care of a bear, a tiger, a hyena, and now the wolf. I was at the park when the animals got free.”

  “So were we. We were working at the cafeteria when all hell broke loose.”

  Ralph shouldered his shotgun. “It’s a good thing I showed up when I did. You didn’t stand a chance against the wolf without a weapon. Where are you going, anyway?”

  “My friends are still in the city. I have to get to them.”

  “You’re not going to get far,” said Ralph. “The city is completely overrun with those things. If they are in the city, they’re most likely dead by now.”

  “How can you say a mean thing like that?” asked Cindy. “You don’t know that for sure. They might still be alive.”

  “The only way to survive is to become one with the darkness. If they see you, you’re going to die. They attack in packs. I saw a group of them completely disembowel a group of children. It was a gruesome scene. There was blood everywhere.”

  “You’re sick!” screamed Cindy. She was disgusted by him even though he had just saved her life. She just wanted to leave so she didn’t have to hear any more about the blood and guts.

  “You should get used to it. It’s how things are going to be from now on. If you’re squeamish, you’re never going to survive.”

  She stared at him with a blank expression. How dare he be so rude to me. I’m going to survive; squeamish or not. She tugged on Gus’s arm trying to get him to move. She didn’t want to stay here and discuss the blood any longer.

  “Why don’t you come with us? We could use your help getting to the city safely.” asked Gus. He felt Cindy lightly hit him in the back. He knew he had upset her. “That is if you want to.”

  “That’s all right. Your woman doesn’t seem to care for me much. No, I have a safari to go on. A lot of animals got free tonight.”

  “Thanks for helping, I mean, killing the wolf,” said Gus. “I owe you one.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. Just be careful if you’re really going to the city. Stay off the main roads if you can. They’re completely infested with the infected.”

  “Thanks, I will remember that.”

  Ralph left them and blended back within the shadows. Cindy grabbed Gus’s arm. “I thought he would never leave.”

  Gus thought for a moment. He didn’t know if he wanted to risk Cindy’s life by taking her with him. He knew she would be angry at him if they split up. Then again, he didn’t think he could trust the military to look after her. They would be too busy to pay her any mind. He sighed heavily. He wasn’t being left with much of a choice.

  “Come on; we need to get moving before another creature tries to make us its dinner.”

  They continued into the darkness as another shot erupted behind them. They both knew Ralph had scored another trophy.

  Jake Reynolds and Marie Shelby were running down the highway being chased by a zombified bobcat. They had escaped the park once the outbreak began, but the animals that had gotten loose made a beeline for the city. It was no longer safe to be within its limits. Zombies were pulling people from their cars and eating them in the middle of the street. They witnessed several zombies holding a small poodle, tearing off its legs.

  In front of them a semi plowed into the side of a bus full of senior citizens who had just left Applebee’s for dinner. The bus explo
ded on impact. Behind them they could hear the wailing of sirens heading in their direction.

  A man standing to the side of them was panicking and screaming he had to get back to his daughter, Samantha, who he had left in the car so he could check out what was happening. He turned to head back, but he was tackled to the ground by two zombies, his head exploding on impact like a blood-filled water balloon as it met with the warm concrete.

  A shot rang out. The silver handgun’s booming thunder took the bobcat down. A large man wearing a blood-soaked shirt approached them as the bobcat rolled past them, spraying the ground with a red mist.

  “You better get off the street!” he screamed. “It’s not safe out here!” Before he had a chance to turn around, a crowd of zombies brought him to the ground and tore him open like a wet paper bag.

  Marie screamed at the sight of the gore and looked around. There were too many zombies surrounding them. All she could see was carnage. Policemen were being ripped apart. Firemen were being pulled apart. Paramedics were being pulled apart. She stood frozen in terror.

  Jake grabbed her arm and dragged her through the feeding frenzy. He was leading her toward a police motorcycle lying on its side. With every ounce of strength he had, he lifted it and told her to jump on the back. As she did, she saw a zombie with an oozing eye socket blindly stagger forward toward her. She hit Jake’s back.

  “Come on; we’ve got to get out of here.”

  “I’m way ahead of you. Hold on tight. We have a lot of obstacles to get around.”

  He put the bike into gear. He slowly made his way around the zombie swarm, which was surging in all directions, an endless line of teeth and claws. Marie closed her eyes. She couldn’t bear seeing the gruesome spectacle anymore. She tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Let me know once we get out of here. I can’t watch this any longer.”

  He gave her the thumbs up and swerved around a burning car with several zombies ripping several teens apart in the middle of the street. A parrot sat on the hood of the burning car, oblivious to the raging fire. It looked at Jake as he maneuvered the motorcycle around the car.