Z Strain

by SJ Morris

  “Yeah, I am fine. Just…a…rush…of…too…much…adrenalin…at…once.”I answered with one word through each heavy breath I took.

  “She’s a damn fine shot, though!”Said Tom as he slapped my shoulder almost toppling me over.“Sorry.”

  “Thanks, Tom but can you refrain from gorilla punching me the next time I make a nice shot? If you do that again I might just be on my ass next time.”I smiled at the big teddy bear as he smiled back.

  “I don’t know my own strength sometimes, but I’ll be careful. Don’t want to harm one of our top shooters.”

  “Where were you guys?”

  “We flanked the group and when they heard you moving around, we started firing. I’m glad we didn’t get behind them or you might have taken one of us out.”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice since they were sprinting right for me. I think we should stick together from now on, though, please. No more disappearing from my sight, you two.”

  “Good idea, I would like to keep my head on top of my shoulders instead of next to it. You almost blew that second one's head clean off with a 9 mil, pretty impressive.”

  “Thanks for the compliments, but let’s take a look at them to see if we can maybe tell where they were coming from. Then. we need to get going. Where there’s some there’s probably more. I’m pretty sure they’re attracted to sound too. So, if there are any around, even with the silencers, the commotion might draw them to us.”

  We walked slowly over to the four, now really dead, bodies.

  There were three males and one female. The one that was shot down first, Chris had taken down, and there was not much of his head left because of the caliber of his gun. He was wearing what looked like a pair of gym shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. I guess he could have been working out or getting ready to go to the gym when he was bitten.

  His arm and shoulder were badly chewed up and I assumed that was how he got infected. He was probably grabbed by an infected and bitten but managed to get away.

  I remembered from my experience in the gas station convenience store that the zombies would eat as much of their victim as they could before their victim died and then, reanimated.

  Or, the virus could be changing its victims so fast that the infected who attacked this man didn’t get a chance to eat more than his arm and part of his shoulder before he turned.

  No, that couldn’t be. I knew they went for the soft fleshy parts that could be easily torn out and devoured. They wouldn’t just go straight for the arm.

  I’m looking too much into this. I thought to myself, realizing that I really couldn’t wait for Troy to get to the cabin so that he could answer some of my questions.

  I wonder how many times I’d said that in the last day or so?

  At the thought of Troy, I was starting to worry again that we had not heard from him yet.

  However, with one look back at the dead, infected on the ground in front of me, I quickly concluded that I had bigger things to worry about at the moment; things that I could control.

  Or at least, try my best to control.

  Chris and Tom were already going over the other three bodies, going through their pockets to get wallets and find identification, to see if they were from this area or not. My guy didn't have any ID on him and neither did the woman.

  I figured when you got infected, you stopped caring about keeping your purse with you.

  The other two men did have their wallets and they lived across the street from one another. At least they each died with someone they knew.

  Chris took out his map and said the addresses were in the closest housing development to the strip mall we were headed to. I told Chris to take the IDs with us so that when we got back to the house we could ask Amelia, Gia, and Christian what their last names were.

  At least we might be able to find out if the kids really had nowhere else to go. Maybe some last names would match to the kids back at the house. I hoped not, but at least we would know.

  Chris grabbed the IDs and we headed off again. There was no question on if we should bury these people or not. We did not have the time to do it and we were sure it would probably be best if we burned the infected.

  I saw Chris looking at his watch on his wrist and marking down what looked like coordinates before we left the bodies, so I assumed we were going to get rid of them at some point in time. I wasn’t in the mood to ask questions after coming down from my adrenaline high, though.

  Chris looked up from his notebook and made an awful face.

  “I thought you smelled horrible the other night but that was nothing compared to them in person. Let’s get the hell out of here before my breakfast comes back up.”

  It took us another forty-five minutes of steady jogging before we came to a clearing and a chain-link fence with a playground inside. The building behind the fence had a rainbow painted on the back wall facing the playground. This had to be the daycare.

  We stopped at the tree line and remained hidden from anyone or anything that could be in the area.

  Chris took out his binoculars and Tom used the scope on his rifle to look around the area. Apparently, they were not happy with what they were seeing.

  The look that Chris and Tom each gave me was not good. Not good at all.

  “What are you seeing, guys? All I can see is the swing set and the slide. It looks like there are people, but I can’t really tell.”

  “Well, there are a number of bodies on the ground, some are adults and some are definitely children,”Chris said with a very serious face. I knew he was destroyed inside at what he saw, but he would never show it; not while we were out here, about to face more horrible monsters.

  “There are still a few of the infected in the playground too. It looks like they’re just standing there next to the bodies like they are waiting for something.”Tom looked very worried about the situation we were about to be in.

  “Well, boys, we knew what could be here and we came anyway. We came to help and now we need to see what we can do about clearing the building, helping any survivors we can find, and identifying the deceased here for the kids that we have back home. Let’s just make a plan and get in there.”

  The two soldiers looked like they were surprised to hear this from me but then began formulating a plan for us to get the playground cleared, and then, the inside of the building. We needed to secure the doors to the preschool first, to make sure we didn’t attract, or let in any additional unwanted visitors while we’re clearing the area. I was only allowed to help clear the playground and had to stay outside while the two soldiers cleared the inside. I was too much of a liability inside a confined space.

  I didn’t have any paramilitary training or some other‘Me Tarzan you Jane’horse shit. Whatever, I guess they were right.

  We followed the tree line as far as it would take us around the side of the building by the fence and I got a better view of the horror that was the playground.

  There was the body of a woman that was torn to shreds and barely had any flesh left on it near the back gate.

  I assumed that was Miss. Sammy. The woman the children said told them to run and closed the gate to protect them. She died bravely and selflessly. I may not have known her, but I knew she was an amazing woman for the sacrifice she had made.

  There was a total of three infected standing inside the fence. They were just standing there. I guessed I could come up with and confirm another theory. When there was no prey around, the infected go into a dormant state, waiting for his or her next meal to present itself.

  To further my speculation, I picked up a rock and threw it to the other side of the fenced in area. The three zombies’heads snapped in the direction of the sound the rock made and they began shuffling towards the sound.

  Miss Sammy’s head bobbed on the ground, but the rest of her body was destroyed so badly it was useless. Chris looked at me with a furrowed brow, like he would have yelled at me if he could.

  I just shrugged my shoulders and
smiled, since I didn’t want to make any sounds. I had my visor up so I could see better and Chris just shook his head at my smile.

  Tom waved his hands in front of both of our faces as if to say,‘Hello... kind of busy trying to make a plan to kill infected here, pay attention!’

  I made a shooing motion with my hands hoping that they would get the hint to go ahead and take the three infected out. Chris and Tom both put their rifles up and took aim.

  The air filled with two thumps of the silenced rifles, followed by a second round of two more thumps.

  Within a matter of seconds, the infected in the yard were down on the ground and no longer moving. The playground was covered in mulch, so the black oozing blood of the infected seemed to be absorbed rather quickly but the smell was still awful.

  The door to the inside of the preschool was made of glass and I could tell that at least one more infected was pawing at the door, trying to get out. I guess she heard me throw the rock too, or she was attracted to the other three when they started moving towards the promise of food before they were put down.

  Either way, we were going to have to get rid of her to get into the building. Without the threat of zombies outside hearing us, I decided it was okay to talk now.

  “Sorry about the rock guys, I was testing a theory about noise and how the infected react to it. I think their eyesight deteriorates more the longer they’ve been infected, so they use sound for finding food.”

  “Yeah, well, next time you want to test a theory, let me know first, so I’m ready for it.”Chris gave me a smug look and then his face turned sour.

  “Aw hell, that smell is something I’m never going to get used to.”

  “I don’t think any of us are going to get used to that.”Responded Tom as he put his handkerchief over his nose.

  “There’s another one by the glass doors guys, the one you’re going to need to use to get into the building. How about I go up to the door and push it a little with one of the two-by-fours lying on the ground behind us, so the infected that’s at the door can start making its way out. I will stand along the wall, away from the door, out of reach, and as soon as it is almost through the door, you can shoot it?”

  “No way.”Said Chris immediately.“What happens when the infected is stronger and faster than you anticipate and it grabs the wood and pulls you inside? Did you think about that?”

  “Of course I did. If it grabs the wood I drop it and run back towards you guys, staying out of the line of fire.”

  “How about I go up to the door, push it open with my boot a little and when the infected starts coming through the door I just put two in her head?”Said Tom with a straight face.

  Tom didn’t wait for either of us to answer before he hopped the fence and crept against the wall, towards the door. He did just what he said.

  He used his boot to push the door open a little and that’s all the infected needed. She grabbed at the crack in the door ferociously and pushed her head out right as Tom pulled the trigger. A soft thump sounded for the shot and another for her body, dropping to the floor, half in and half out of the door.

  Two more infected began clawing at the partially open door, but they couldn’t seem to navigate over their dead friend that was blocking them from getting one foot in front of the other. Tom took them out one at a time also. He stood there for a few long seconds and motioned for Chris to join him at the door.

  “I want you to hop over this fence and stay right over there, in the back corner, away from the front of the building. I want to make sure that your back isn’t open to the woods and I don’t want you near the front of the building. You may attract more zombies. I’m going inside with Tom to clear the building. Do not come inside under any circumstances, unless Tom or I come get you, understood?”Chris’face was very serious as he barked the orders at me. I understood his concern because if I had the training he did, I’d be telling him the same thing.

  I just nodded in acceptance not wanting to make the smart remark that was sitting on my tongue of‘sir yes sir’, or‘yes daddy’.

  His look softened a little as if he knew that I wanted to be an ass and say something smart, but I was holding it in.

  With a quick thank you, he motioned for me to hop over the fence, which was easier done when you were over six feet tall like him, but little old me had to get my footing.

  He laughed a little as I finally made it over and this time, I stuck my tongue out at him with my visor up so he could see it.

  “You know I saw you do that the last time and it was just as cute as it was now, but what are you, twelve?”

  “Shut up, jerk. Go help Tom, please.”

  He hopped the fence in one quick jump and snuck up the wall toward Tom. I went to my corner at the far end of the yard with my gun drawn and put my visor back down, just in case.

  I still felt so uneasy with all of the dead bodies everywhere. I felt that at any moment, one of the bodies was going to decide it wasn’t really dead enough and come after me.

  As I sat, scared shitless, in my corner, Tom and Chris had a quick conversation I could not hear and then hastily disappeared inside.

  I wanted to close my eyes and be somewhere else so bad. I had no idea what was going on inside the building and it terrified me. I heard a loud moan and the ever-familiar thump, thump of the silenced rifles that Chris and Tom were using. Then, more moans, some crashing noises, and more thumps in quick succession.

  Everything was quiet for a few minutes and then there was loud crashing that sounded like furniture being thrown around. I didn’t hear any more silenced rifle shots, so I hoped things were going okay inside.

  Either there was no more infected inside, or there were no more alive inside.

  Thankfully, I got my answer quickly after the thought crossed my mind, as Chris and Tom came strolling out the back, hopping over the three dead bodies, and propping the door partially open.

  “We’re all good. We barricaded the front door since the power is out in the building. We saw a few infected outside the building, but only two or three so we took them out before we barricaded the door. We checked all of the rooms, to make sure there was no more infected inside too. Do you want to come inside and help us look for hidden survivors? It smells awful in there, but if there are any kids inside, they’ll probably go to you a little easier than they would to either of us. Especially since they may have just watched us shoot the remaining infected in the building…It might have been some people they knew.”

  “Sure, Chris. That’s what I’m here for, right? Are you guys okay?”I looked over and Tom had tears in his eyes. I would have hugged him but then I am sure he would have cried more and I would have started too.

  “Yeah, we’re okay. It’s just... some of the infected were kids. Like, Cooper. We had to put them down, though, because they would have killed us if we didn’t.”Tom was really broken up and I’m sure when I got in there, as soon as I saw one of the young infected, I would start bawling my eyes out too. I hadn’t looked around the playground too much in fear that I’d see one of the kids that Chris had said were out there.

  “It’s okay, Tom. We know this is what we have to expect now, but it doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to deal with.”I started to reach out my hand to comfort him but he just put his hand up and shook his head. He walked away from us, over to the corner that I was standing in just a few moments ago. He just looked out at the woods, with his back to us.

  “Tom has a bit of a soft spot for kids if you haven’t noticed. He was going to have a family, a long time ago, but it…didn’twork out. Because of his history, kids and families being split up is a bit of a sore issue with the big guy.”

  “What happened? I thought he was never married and had no kids?”

  “He wasn’t. He got his high school sweetheart pregnant when she was sixteen. He enlisted in the Military soon after he found out she was pregnant, so he could take care of his girl and the baby. He proposed to her right before he left for
basic training and she said yes. They were going to be married as soon as he finished boot camp. He was only in basic for a month and there was a drive-by shooting outside his girlfriend’s mother’s house. She was killed, along with their unborn daughter. From what he told me, after that, he made the military his life. He was never going to love any woman as much as he loved this girl and their child, so he said, it wasn’t worth trying. He’s really a strong man, but every strong man has his weaknesses.”Chris said this and stared into my eyes. My stomach did flips and I felt my face flush. I turned away before the moment could get any more serious and just as I did, there was a crash from inside the building.

  Chris jumped up and ran to the door with his rifle leading the way. Tom was not far behind him. I stayed where I was because I didn’t want to be in the way.

  There was a sharp scream from inside. Chris and Tom both pushed their way through the door and disappeared again. There wasanother scream and Tom started yelling for me to come inside. I jumped over the three dead flesh eaters at the door and followed Tom’s calls.

  I found him in a classroom, where Chris had his rifle slung behind him and Tom was on his knees with his rifle hidden as well.

  There was a young girl that couldn’t have been more than eighteen, crouched in the center of the room with tears streaming down her face. She was holding the lifeless bodies of two infected children that Tom or Chris had taken down earlier. I assume the girl was hiding somewhere and when she heard the gunshots stop she came out to find the two children, that she was probably responsible for, dead. She was rocking back and forth covered in their black liquid blood and this frightened me even more than the thought of these children’s senseless deaths.

  If she had any cuts on her arms or anywhere she was infecting herself with the virus she had spent the better part of the last 24 hours hiding from.

  I looked worriedly at Chris and he looked back at me with a face that said,“I have no idea how to handle this, you take it.”

  I took my helmet off just so that she could see my face, see that I was a normal person like she was used to seeing every day and that I wasn’t infected.