The Apocalypse Chronicles (Book 2): New World [Undead]

by DeLeon, Jon

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  About The Author

  Copyright © 2018 Jonathan DeLeon

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9781980744191

  New World

  Undead Book 2

  The Apocalypse Chronicles

  by Jon DeLeon

  For Sarah.

  CHAPTER 1

  Naval Air Station Key West: Outbreak Day +3

  I promise. Last night, he had promised Kira to come back. Joe had never made a promise like that. It was considered bad luck. To commit to something after a tour or make a promise of return was almost signing your death certificate. A new level of nervousness rose from Joe’s gut and burned in his throat.

  Joe walked along the connected boats’ back decks. He was leaving Kira and the kids. He would rejoin the military, do what he could to save others. It was his job. Still, it was one of the hardest walks he’d taken.

  Joe hopped into a jeep that had been sent from Naval Air Station Key West. He had been in communication with a fellow officer at the base, relaying all the intel he could about his personal interaction with the undead. The air station had been running raids and rescue missions the past two days. Their efforts had saved the lives of many and drawn a line of farthest advance for the zombie threat. The islands were connected by only one road, which created bottlenecks with each bridge. The southern islands, which remained free of Enerjax, had been cut off from the northern islands for protection by blocking a bridge farther north.

  Upon arrival at the base, Joe was taken to the base commanding officer’s office.

  “Colonel, you asked to see me?”

  “Yes, come in.” Inside was a mix of wood and brick. A touch of class in an older, cheaply built room.

  “Captain, I’m told you have special training in exfiltration, more specifically in airborne extraction.”

  “Yes, sir.” Joe had trained in Special Forces with a focus on rescuing or live capturing of high-value targets.

  “Good. I need you to lead a team to rescue anyone you can from the Keys north of here.”

  “Of course, but why do you need my expertise, sir?”

  “When this ‘outbreak’ started, we didn’t know what the hell was going on. It took us a few hours to figure it out. By that time, we needed a strong response. We aren’t a major hub down here. Over the past years, our numbers have been cut drastically. We did the only thing we could really do. We cut ourselves off and protected what we could until more forces arrived.” The colonel stood up and pointed at a map on the wall. “North of here is Cudjoe Key. We took out the bridge between Cudjoe and Sugarloaf.”

  “You took out the bridge?” Joe had expected a roadblock and gun positions.

  “Yes, we had to set up an operationally sound base. We have the equipment to rebridge to the island, and now, thanks to the recent arrival of two crew ships, we have the men. We are going to repeat the actions we took. The plan is to blow the bridge connecting Cudjoe and Summerland, the Key to the north of Cudjoe. Rebridge to Cudjoe and sweep it of any threats. Once done, we repeat with the next one.”

  “Island-hopping.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Seems like a sound plan. Why do you need aerial extraction then?”

  “It’s going to take time to island-hop, and we are receiving distress calls from Keys several hops away. I won’t leave innocents out there to die simply because we must move carefully. So I’m sending you. Look, the truth is, we are building a new America. Hell, it’s a new world. This is a process of rebuilding and regaining territory one island at a time, but for those people out there, it’s a matter of holding on and praying that their time doesn’t run out before we can get to them. You can get there and bring them here. Every soul you rescue, not only are you going to be protecting lives but you’ll be providing hope for the people here that something else survived. That it’s possible somewhere down the road to reclaim a sense of normal. That sense of normality is the best hope we can strive for.”

  “What’s the plan, sir?” Joe asked.

  The colonel stood up and walked to a very official-looking map of the Keys that was hanging on the wall. He pointed as he talked. “Currently we are here on Key West. As I mentioned, we cut ourselves off and will be island-hopping. The order of operations is as follows. Naval forces tactically blow the bridge to the north of the next island in the chain. Now that it is completely cut off, we have control of the island. Snipers and mounted technicals from boats clean up any undead we can see. Once they are done, the engineers will bring the bridging equipment up and close the gap in the southern bridge, allowing us to have access. Ground forces and vehicles will enter the island and completely sweep it of undead. Once it’s clear, we move on to the next island. While this is happening, you and your team are flying on rescue missions farther north. Any questions?”

  “Where did you get all the bridging gear from?”

  “Luckily enough, we actually had a stockpile of it in a warehouse here on base. It was being phased out, and we were tasked with destruction and reclamation of the materials to be turned into reef-building material. Part of a project for military resources to help reinvigorate the marine life here.”

  “That’s lucky.”

  “Well with everything that happened, I guess we have to get one.”

  “Yeah, so what’s my job exactly, sir? I have worked with all the branches in multiple roles in my career so far, so where do you need me?”

  “Well when you radioed in, we checked your file on the databases that are still running for the meantime, and it says you’re airborne. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir, among other things.” Joe adjusted his seated position to better show the colonel his Special Forces, Airborne and Ranger tabs.

  “Good. We have people. We have a few soldiers, marines and seamen but not many officers. I need you to command a unit.”

  “Yes, sir. If I may, what happened to all your officers?”

  “Unfortunately when all this mess started, two of the enlisted men who were working in the officers’ mess had taken some Enerjax in order to feel more awake. Well they started a rampage wave of zombies that would have overrun the base if it wasn’t for a little luck. I was on my way to the mess when I heard something going on. I looked through the window to see the zombie corpses of my men rising from the dead. I did the only thing a person could do. I jammed a pole through the door handles and corralled a firing squad. We ended that outbreak in time. Unfortunately we also lost most of the commanders. Which is why you’re needed.”

  “When do I start?”

  “Now. The man outside will take you to your team. We don’t have much time before we lose the light.”

  The commanding colonel walked to the door. Joe followed suit.

  “Good luck.”

  Joe left the office with a little extra pep in his step. He knew what was happening out there. If people were alive and trapped, they didn’t have much time.

  Florida Keys: Outbreak Day +3

  8:00 a.m.

  The chopper whined as the sea and ground flew by outside. Joe and his three-man team were headed north to Islamorada. A man had radioed down from his boat about a family he could see trapped on the roof of a restaurant in town. From his accounts, the undead were working on tearing the building down. Apparently the horde had given up trying to climb and decided to bring their prey to ground. That idea frightened Jo
e. If the zombies were still somewhat intelligent, that meant they were more dangerous than he had thought. Hopefully this eyewitness account had simply been wrong.

  As the helicopter approached the location sent in from the fishing vessel’s captain, Joe saw his worst fears coming true. There was the family trapped on the roof of the building. They were only a few hundred feet from shore, but it may as well have been a mile. Hundreds of zombies swarmed in a slowly rotating mass of undead human flesh. The restaurant was built on stilts, like many island structures. It was impossible to tell from above what the horde was doing beneath the building, but the occasional wood bracing flew from under it. The zombies were actually ripping the restaurant down to get served their meal.

  Time was running out. The south side of the building was already beginning to sag. Joe and another man were winched to the roof. The family ran to them, tears and fear in their eyes. It was a grandfather, dad, mother and young son. The mother and son were pulled up first, followed by the grandfather and dad. Only after a quick canvas of surrounding windows and rooftops did Joe and his man clip into the winch.

  The helicopter turned south and began heading home, with its occupants safe. Joe watched out the window as the building fell, engulfed by the zombie horde. A loud wail climbed into the sky, the zombies clearly upset their meal had gotten away.

  Joe and his men dropped off their human treasure and left, again heading north for another run.

  La Vida Dulce: Outbreak Day +3

  Joe had just gone out of sight when Kira, who had woken early after hearing his boot steps, broke down crying. The weight of the world now fell on her shoulders, but she would keep her promise too; she would protect these kids.

  Kira was watching three small mouths eat breakfast with sad looks on their faces. She was staring. Kira didn’t know what to do. Two days ago, she had been an assistant at a yacht sales office. The greatest responsibility she had ever held was not losing the keys to an expensive boat. Now she had to provide and care for the lives of these kids. Who was she to take this on? She wasn’t ready to be a mother, even for a couple days.

  “Miss Kira?”

  Kira had been staring at her bowl of cereal, which had now turned into a lump of mush. Elizabeth had broken her trance.

  “Yeah, yeah, Elizabeth?”

  “Jack needs to change.”

  The little boy had spilled some milk down his shirt. He was just learning how to eat with a grown-up spoon. Thank God he was potty trained, thought Kira.

  “Oh okay, then let’s . . .” Kira realized midsentence that the children didn’t have any extra clothes. Neither did she, for that matter. “Okay, girls, will you help me put our dishes away? Then we can go find your brother some new clothes.”

  The little girls put the bowls in the on-board dishwasher and rinsed their hands in the sink. In the meantime, Kira wiped the boy’s shirt with a towel. The milk spill still showed, but at least it would dry faster. Kira helped the children put their shoes on and got ready to leave.

  “Do you guys know the hand-holding rule?”

  “Yes!” Elizabeth beamed with pride. “I hold Chrissy’s hand and yours, and you hold Jack’s!”

  “Don’t call me Chrissy.” Christine pouted.

  “Okay, Christine. Now everyone hold hands,” Kira interjected.

  Together they left their new home and headed toward the mainland.

  Key West: Outbreak Day +3

  Kira had a few missions on this trip to the mainland. First they needed to find some clothes for the kids, and then they needed to find a way to get fuel. During their raid of CVS in South Beach, they had procured enough food and medicine to last for weeks, but without gas, the boat wouldn’t provide fresh water or be very comfortable living quarters.

  Finding clothes for the kids turned out to be easy. The economy on the island had gone back to simple bartering. It had cost Kira her gold earring just to buy herself a pair of jeans, ill-fitting sweatpants and a few tank tops and sets of underwear. The kids’ clothes came free. The shop owners lit up at the sight of a group of young, well-behaved kids. Kira suspected they thought she was the now-single mother of the trio and took pity on her. She didn’t care. After each of the girls and Jack had five or six changes of clothes, she set her sights on finding a way to get gas.

  After a few hours waiting in line, she reached the front. She filled out the paperwork, interrupted a few times by one of the kids trying to wander off, and handed it back to the man. The man sitting at the table handed her a number. “What’s this?” Kira asked.

  “Show up here tonight at 6:00 p.m., and you’ll be issued a fuel canister with your daily allotted rations. Make sure you keep track of your canister. In the morning, bring it back here, and I’ll give you a number again. No can, no number, no gas. Got it?”

  Kira nodded yes. Elizabeth did the same, trying to seem more grown-up. Kira and the kids went back to the boat and put on their new change of clothes. At 5:00 p.m., Kira turned on the television and put in the DVD of some animated movie. The yacht dealer had stocked every boat with the movie to entertain children while taking their parents on test rides.

  Kira made her way to the fuel line and got into position. She felt like she was on a broken escalator. Step forward, stop. Step forward, stop. Again and again for about an hour, until she reached the front. There were lines of fuel cans. One was a ten-gallon container, while the other was twenty gallons. Kira handed the man her number card, and he reached down for a ten-gallon container.

  “Wait, how come I don’t get the twenty gallons? We have a larger boat.”

  “Do you have a catch to trade in?” the man handing out fuel asked.

  “A catch?” Kira asked.

  “Fish, crab, conch?” the man asked, more annoyed.

  “Well no,” Kira said.

  “Then you get the ten gallon.” The man shoved the can into Kira’s stomach. She stumbled back a few steps. “Next.”

  Kira turned, shocked and hurt, and started walking home. “Hey, wait up a minute.”

  A young man ran up behind her carrying his twenty-gallon container. “My name’s Hank. What’s yours?”

  “Kira.”

  “I saw what happened. I want to help,” Hank said.

  “How?” Kira asked.

  “I have a fishing boat. I go out in the morning and come back before lunch. Yesterday I brought in two times the catch amount. You help me catch more fish, and I’ll split some of the catch with you. Then you can get more gas.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Look, you help me catch more so I can barter more, and you get more gas. It’s a win-win.”

  “I haven’t fished in a while.”

  “It’s all good. It’s easy around here. Look, my boat is the Conte Cristo. It’s docked right there.” Hank pointed at a small, inflatable, zodiac-style boat that was tied to the pier. “See it? It’s nothing big, but it’s fast and lets me fish easily. Show up at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, and we’ll hit the waves. Don’t trust me? Here, I’ll trade you my gas canister. I have extra fuel right now anyway. Take it, come back if you want.”

  “No, thanks, I don’t need the gas that badly,” Kira said, wary of this man she didn’t know and of owing favors.

  “Don’t be foolish. This is just a gift,” Hank said.

  “What’s the catch?” Kira asked.

  “Grouper.” Hank said, smiling.

  “You know what I mean,” Kira said, not amused.

  “No catch, really. I believe in helping those in need. If my heart calls me to give, I do, and it’s telling me to help you out and that you’re a good soul.”

  Kira wrinkled her brow.

  Hank got serious. “Do you have someone you survived all this zombie stuff with?”

  “Yes,” Kira answered, “I have three small children and a man.”

  “Well those close to me didn’t survive,” Hank said, pausing to control his emotions. “All I ever had was my father, really. He was an abusive drunk, and most
of the time, he smelled of liquor. I hated him, but I also loved him. Well he got bit. He turned. I . . . I had to kill him myself. At first I was happy. I felt like God finally was paying him back for everything he had done to me, but then, well, I started to miss the bastard. Without him, I’m completely alone. The zombie plague left me more alone. Everyone is so retreated into themselves and hardly talking. I get it. We’re all still coping, but I could just use someone to talk to. Out there on the ocean, it’s peaceful, but while I’m sitting there, it’s so mind-numbingly boring. I just could use company, someone to talk to while sitting out there. After that, I sell my fish, try to get supplies and sleep until the next day. Seriously, please come tomorrow. Just go fishing with me once. We’ll be home so early with two of us, so it will only be a few hours, max. I’d bet your kids aren’t even up yet by the time you come back.”

  “I help you fish, that’s it. We clear the nets when we reach the quota for each of us to receive the larger fuel portion, and we come home.”

  “Absolutely,” Hank answered.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” Hank said, clearly excited.

  “Okay,” Kira said.

  “Awesome!” Hank said. “I promise you will not regret this. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Hank walked past Kira and headed toward his boat.

  At least some people are still human around here, Kira thought.

  Kira shot an evil eye at the gas distributor and walked home. She needed to get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s fishing trip. If they caught enough fish fast enough, she would be able to come back before the kids were up and about.

  Key West: Outbreak Day +4

  4:30 a.m.

  Kira got up and quietly made her way to the kids’ bedroom. They were all sharing the larger queen bed in the VIP guest room. It made them feel safer being together. All three children were still fast asleep. Before tucking them in, she told them she was going fishing and would try to bring back lunch. Kira had taken the king bed in the main room, with Joe’s absence. She didn’t know when he would be back again. She peeked in the other guest cabin, hoping to find Joe in one of the beds, but they were empty.