Sex Zombies

by S. Wolf

  “You’re welcome,” she said softly. “I was so scared I had lost you.” Her eyes welled up again, and he leaned in to kiss her, pulling her close again.

  After a long kiss, he pulled back and looked at her. “You ready?”

  “I’m ready.”

  Chapter 35

  Chief Moore pace the lobby of the police station, where he had been kept all day. When Trax had told him about his plans to round up all the people in the town, Moore had refused to be a part of it, so Trax had kept him here. Guards were posted at both exits, and they refused to let him leave. With the phones out, all he could do was sit and fret about what was happening in his town.

  Trax had come and gone a few times, but he hadn’t seen Strang since the incident at the church, and was particularly worried about what that weasel was up to. The last time Trax had come by, he had ordered his men to remove all the sick people from the holding cells and take them away. Moore had questioned him about where they were being taken, but Trax ignored him.

  All he had to eat all day were snacks from the vending machine, and his stomach growled from hunger. That made him think of Maggie’s turkey pie, which she had planned on making for Sunday dinner today. And that made him think of Maggie.

  Was she ok? They lived on the outskirts of town in an old farmhouse they were currently in the process of renovating. Would Trax’s roundup include her? He wished desperately he could talk to her.

  The front door opened and Trax and Strang came in.

  “Chief Moore,” Trax said, “you’ll be happy to know we’re almost finished here, and most of my men should be out of your town within the hour.

  “Where is everyone? What did you do with the people?”

  “All of the healthy ones are being kept at Prichard Auditorium. The sick have been taken to a special research facility we’ve set up.”

  “Where’s this special research facility?”

  “I’ll take you there,” Strang replied. He smiled and Moore felt the oil dripping off his words.

  Moore stared at him. “Can I have my gun back?

  “Your gun will be waiting for you when you return,” Trax said. “Don’t worry Chief, you’ll get your town back. And I’ll even put in a good word about you to my bosses. Maybe they’ll give you a medal.”

  “You can shove your medals up your ass.”

  Trax laughed. “Go with Lieutenant Strang. You’ll see. Everything is under control.”

  Moore looked between the two. He had known them less than a day, but he could tell they were up to something.

  “You ready?” Strang asked.

  “Let’s go,” Moore replied gruffly.

  They went out to the Humvee, and Strang told the driver he wouldn’t be needed. They climbed into the front seats, and before Strang pulled out he leaned into the back and brought a cooler up to his lap. He opened it and took out a bottle of water, closed it again and began to put the cooler back in its place. He stopped.

  “I’m sorry Chief, that was rude of me. Would you like a drink?” He reopened the cooler and held it out to Moore.

  Moore glanced at the bottles. They did look good, and he was starving. Maybe it would take some of the hunger away.

  “Thank you,” he said begrudgingly, and took one of the bottles.

  “Have as many as you like,” Strang said, still holding the cooler up.

  “This will be fine, thanks.”

  Strang smiled and put the cooler back, placing his bottle in the cup holder before pulling the Humvee out of the lot.

  Moore opened his bottle and drank deeply, draining half of it before stopping. It was nice and cold and felt good going down.

  Chapter 36

  The foursome crouched down behind a guardrail opposite the school, watching the gymnasium. There wasn’t a sign of life anywhere.

  “Looks like I was wrong,” Josh said. “There’s no one here.” They could hear the frustration in his voice.

  “We have to be sure,” Emma said, “Let’s go check.” She took Josh’s hand and pulled him to his feet.

  Emma did a final scan to make sure no one was around, then jumped the guardrail and ran across the road. The others followed her. They stopped at the outer doors of the gymnasium.

  “They’re probably locked,” Josh said.

  Emma pushed on one, and it swung open.

  “That’s odd,” Josh said with a puzzled look.

  They moved into the lobby, which was dimly lit with security lights.

  “Shit, you were right,” Amber said. She pointed at the set of inner doors leading into the gym. Each one had a heavy chain looped through the handles, secured with a large padlock.

  “Those fuckers locked them in there,” Billy said.

  Josh looked at his watch. “We have forty minutes.”

  “How can we get in?” Emma asked.

  “The locker rooms,” Josh said, “we can get in through those. You two check the boys’ down there, and Emma and I will check the girls’. We’ll meet back here.”

  “Sounds good,” Billy took Amber’s hand, and they hurried off.

  Josh and Emma went in the other direction, down the hallway and around the corner to the entrance to the girls’ locker room. There were no chains, but a large metal bracket had been bolted to the door, sealing it closed.

  “Damn,” Josh said, “they’re serious about keeping people out.”

  “Or in,” Emma added.

  They went back to the lobby where Amber and Billy waited.

  “Girl’s room is locked tight,” Josh said.

  “Same with the boys’,” Billy replied.

  Amber looked like she was going to cry. “How are we going to get in?”

  “How about bolt cutters?” Emma offered. “We could break into a hardware store and borrow a set.”

  “That might work,” Josh replied, “but then again, this is the Army we’re talking about. These chains could be some alloy that can’t be cut. We don’t have time to be wrong.”

  “Any other way in?” Amber asked. “Some way we haven’t thought of?”

  Josh concentrated but came up blank. “I can’t think of any. I’m sorry.”

  Billy, who was being quiet, finally spoke up. “I know a way.”

  Amber turned to him. “How?”

  “I’ll tell you, but you all have to swear not to tell anyone else.”

  Josh gave him a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”

  Billy stuck out his little finger. “I’m serious. Pinky swear.”

  “Wait,” Amber said, “what’s this about?”

  Billy shook his head. “Can’t tell you until you swear not to share it.”

  Emma looked at Josh. “Do you know what this is about?”

  “I don’t have a clue,” Josh replied. “Whatever the secret is, he hasn’t shared it with me.”

  “Sorry dude,” Billy said, “but I swore to my brother I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  Josh hooked his pinky in Billy’s. “I’m in. I swear not to tell.”

  Amber and Emma exchanged a dubious look.

  “You two can stay here if you want,” Billy said with a grin.

  Emma quickly hooked her pinky in. “No way you’re leaving me here. I swear.”

  Amber stared at her cousin. “Traitor. Ok, I’m in too. I swear.” She pinkied in. “Now what’s this secret?”

  “Follow me,” Billy said.

  He led them down the hall towards the girls’ locker room. Josh was about to tell him he checked that door already, but Billy went to the door opposite instead. It had a ‘Furnace Room’ sign on it.

  Billy tried the handle, but it was locked. Undeterred, he took out his wallet and removed his bank card. Sliding it down between the door and the frame, they heard the soft click as the bolt slid back, and the door swung slightly open.

  “Are you some kind of criminal in your spare time?” Amber asked.

  Billy laughed. He pulled the door open and motioned them all inside, then followed them i
n and closed the door.

  Chapter 37

  Strang drove out to Harlan Street, turned south, and then made a right on 14th. A minute later they pulled into the parking lot of the high school, and Strang parked in front of the doors to the gymnasium.

  “Why are we here?” asked Moore.

  “This is where our research facility is. Let’s go.”

  He got out of the vehicle and Moore followed. They walked up the steps to the entrance and entered the lobby. Moore noticed the chains around all of the doors.

  “What the hell is this?” Moore asked.

  “Chief Moore, I haven’t been entirely forthright with you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “About our research facility.”

  “What about it?”

  “We don’t have one. Not around here at least.” Strang walked to one of the chained doors and stopped in front of it.

  Moore’s expression was puzzled. “What are you telling me?”

  Strang produced a key from his pocket, opened the lock, and pulled the chain off. He turned to Moore and said, “I’m telling you we have all the test subjects we need. We had them before this event happened to your town.”

  The Chief still looked confused. “I don’t understand. Where’d all those people go then?”

  Strang pushed the door open and moved to the side to allow Moore to enter. Moore walked through the door into the darkened gymnasium. The light from the open doors briefly washed over an indistinct shape, but before his eyes had a chance to focus, the doors closed and the darkness returned.

  He heard the sound immediately – it was a hum of voices, obviously human but incoherent in its entirety. A chill ran down his spine.

  “What is that?” Moore asked.

  “I’m surprised you don’t recognize it Chief.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s the sound of your fellow townspeople. You know, the ones you’re so concerned about?”

  Strang reached back to the wall and flipped a few switches. The overhead lights blazed on, illuminating the entire gym in their bright light.

  Moore’s eyes widened in horror.

  They were in here. They were all in here. A sea of writhing naked humans lay before him, coiling and twisting around each other in an obscene tableau of lust. The entire gym floor was covered with them, several layers thick in some places. There had to be at least a couple thousand people in that writhing mass of flesh. Looking closely, he recognized a few faces before his mind refused to look closely any more.

  “What the fuck is this?” he asked.

  “This is our solution,” Strang replied.

  “Solution to what?”

  “To this epidemic.”

  “These are human beings. You can’t treat them like this.”

  “Wrong,” Strang replied, “they used to be human beings. Now they’re just infected vermin who have to be eliminated.”

  Moore spun back towards him. “Eliminated? What the hell does that mean?”

  Strang smiled. “Come on Chief. Are you telling me you haven’t figured it out yet?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Does the name Salem ring any bells?”

  Moore’s brow furrowed. “What does Salem have to do with this?”

  “The General told you this wasn’t the first time we’ve run into this.”

  Moore paused and considered what Strang had told him. Then the enormity of it struck him.

  “Holy shit! That gym explosion wasn’t a terrorist bomb, was it? It was you murdering those people.”

  Strang grinned. “Finally, the light bulb goes on.”

  “You fucking murderer.” He took a step towards the Lieutenant.

  Strang brought his gun up, leveling it at Moore’s chest. “That’s close enough Chief.”

  “You’re planning on doing the same thing here, aren’t you? To these innocent people?”

  Strang grinned again. “Chief, we have a very bad terrorist group on the loose. Of course they’re going to strike again. It’s the perfect cover-up.”

  “You son of a bitch.”

  The Lieutenant looked at his watch. “The missile is due in twenty-five minutes, and when it hits, there will be nothing left to this place. All the evidence will be gone. Unfortunately Chief, you’re part of that evidence.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you’re going to be here when everything goes boom. Don’t feel bad, you’ll be considered a hero. By the way Chief, you’re more one of them than you think.”

  “How’s that?”

  “The water I gave to you was laced with the virus. You’ve probably only got a few minutes of sanity left.”

  Moore stared at him without speaking.

  Strang raised the pistol and pointed it at Moore’s head.

  “Join your people Chief. They want you to be with them.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Get in there with them. It won’t be long before you’ll be enjoying all that fun.”

  Moore glanced back at the mass of bodies. “No, I’m not going in there.”

  “I’m running out of time,” Strang said, “I’ll give you a choice: either join in with the orgy in front of you, or I put a bullet in your head.”

  Moore took a step towards him. “If I’m going to die, I’m going to die knowing who I am.”

  Strang grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.” His thumb cocked the hammer back.

  Chapter 38

  “Over here,” Billy led them across the room to the furnace, which was currently off. He pointed up and they all peered up into the darkness.

  “I don’t see anything,” Josh said.

  “Up at the top of the wall,” Billy replied.

  Josh squinted, and he saw it. The wall didn’t quite reach all the way up, and there was about a two-foot high crawlspace between the wall and the ceiling.

  “Where does that lead to?” Josh asked.

  Billy grinned. “You’ll see. Amber, you go first.” He cupped his hands together to give her a lift.

  “You sure about this?” she asked.

  “Positive,” he replied. “Ready?”

  She stepped on his hands and up she went, until she grabbed onto the top of the wall. With his help, she scrambled over the ledge and disappeared.

  Josh put his hands together. “Ready Emma?”

  She followed Amber’s lead and repeated her actions, disappearing also.

  “You next,” Billy said.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, I’ve done it on my own before.”

  With Billy’s help, Josh pulled himself up over the ledge, and scrambled through the dark in the direction the girls went. He could hear Billy moving behind him.

  He caught up to someone’s shoes, but it was too dark to tell who’s they were. He squeezed her calf. “Who is this?” he whispered.

  “It’s Emma, Zombie Boy,” she whispered back, and he grinned and slid his hand up to her inner thigh.

  “You pig!” Amber exclaimed in a whispered voice. Billy chuckled from behind.

  Emma kept crawling and stopped beside Amber. “Is that what I think it is?” she asked.

  Josh wormed up beside her. They had stopped at a vent of some kind, and he peered through.

  It took him a moment to recognize the room they looked down on, and a grin came to his face.

  “Are you shitting me Billy?” he whispered, “You’ve been holding out on me.”

  Down below them was the dimly lit girls’ shower room.

  “Ow!” Billy said, who must have reached Amber and taken an elbow from her.

  “You are a pig!” she said.

  He laughed. “I’m not denying it.”

  “Have you ever watched me in there?” Amber asked.

  “Sure,” he replied, “why do you think I asked you out? Ow!”

  Josh cocked his head. What was that sound? “Shh,” he said.

  They all listen
ed, and they heard it – a murmur of voices, making sounds but not really speaking. It was eerie and sent a chill of fear through them.

  “What is that?” Emma whispered.

  Instead of answering her, Josh said, “How does this open?” He pushed on the vent.

  “It swings out from the bottom,” Billy said, “Let’s push it from both ends.”

  They both pushed, and with some effort it swung out and then locked with unfolding braces at each end.

  Billy went through first, holding the ledge and dropping the short distance to the floor. Amber went next with his help, and Josh and Emma followed. They stood on the tiled floor listening to the eerie sound, as if reluctant to go further, afraid of what was creating it.

  “You all ready?” Josh asked, and Billy looked relieved he had taken the lead back.

  They crept out into the girls’ locker room, and Josh began leading them towards the door.

  “The other one,” Amber whispered.

  “What?” Josh asked.

  “That’s the door to the hall,” Amber replied, “This one over here leads to the gym.”

  “Oh. Must be opposite the guys’ then.”

  “I guess,” she replied, “I wouldn’t know because I’ve never been in there.” She gave Billy another elbow. He returned a weak grin but that sound wouldn’t allow it to spread very wide.

  Josh went to the door and pushed it open slightly. Like the boys’, it didn’t open out into the gym, but instead a small entranceway just off the gym floor. Through the crack in the door he took a peek into the gym. The lights were off but he could make out some shapeless mass on the floor. He pushed the door open and crawled out into the darkness. The other three followed.

  They all kneeled in the entranceway, their bodies huddled together as they stared into the darkness, listening to the sound. Louder now, it was clear what it was. It was people, making the sounds people make when they’re having sex. But it wasn’t only a few. Or even a couple. It was the constant murmur of an entire throng of people.

  It reminded Josh of the time he and Billy snuck into the local casino. He had heard that high ringing sound that turned out to be all of the slot machines sounding as one, creating an eerie noise so unlike a single slot machine. Here, instead of machines pinging and beeping, it was people breathing and moaning, all joining to create an inhuman thrum of pleasure.