Apocalypse Z (A Zombie Novel)

by Swanson, G. E.

  Jeff asked, “Why? We should be out of her soon.”

  “No, it’s not that. Mark is supposed to meet that nurse. Apparently, she has something very important to tell him, but he has to go alone. I don’t like it and I don’t trust her.”

  Mark spoke up, “Well, I don’t think I need to worry about her overpowering me or anything. Besides, it’ll be a lot less conspicuous if only one person goes.”

  Lisa leaned back on the counter and crossed her arms. Looking away, she shook her head.

  Mark got up. “I’m going to have a look outside to see what the zombies are doing.”

  Amy asked, “Lisa, you seem kinda edgy. Why don’t you go into the room next door and get some sleep?”

  “I think I’ll do just that.”

  Before she left the room, she heard Mark coming back and saying, “Just flippin’ wonderful. When you think things can’t get any worse than what they already are, you get shit slapped right upside the head.”

  Lisa waited there for him to come back in. Curious, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

  Mark sat down. “Do you really want know what’s wrong? Those dammed zombies flipped the truck. Right now, it’s outside the door, resting upside down on its roof.”

  Amy said, “Why don’t you and Lisa get some sleep? We’ll figure something out in the morning.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Mark woke to the sound of the alarm on his watch. Climbing out of the bed, he rubbed his face, trying to wake up. Lisa was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. “Do I need to say it again?”

  Mark shook his head. “No, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear.”

  She stared at him for a minute then said, “And you know you could be walking into a trap?”

  “I’ll admit it is possible, but then aren’t we already trapped here anyway?”

  Her face softened a bit. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

  “Let me go see what she wants. I promise I’ll come right back and we can all met up here. Then I’ll tell you what she had to say.”

  Lisa threw her hands out and said, “Fine!” She stepped back as Mark left the room and she watched him walk down the hallway. Going over to a chair next to the bed, she plopped down in it and crossed her arms as she said, “Fine!”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Mark entered the room, Sheryl was already there waiting. “Good, you made it.”

  “What is it you need to tell me?”

  “You and your friends are in danger.”

  Mark’s insides started to knot up. “What do you mean?”

  “The doctor has gone off the deep end. He has been trying to come up with a vaccine that will stop the zombie virus.” Mark tried to speak, but Sheryl continued. “The bad part is that he has been using the patients as test subjects and he’s turned them all into zombies.”

  Mark felt a chill and had to sit down. “But how? He’s a doctor; he’s supposed to help people.”

  “He was at one time, but his wife was one of the first to become infected. From what I hear, he went home one night and found her in the kitchen. She had cut her abdomen open and was eating her own intestines.”

  Mark had a vivid visualization and felt his stomach beginning to tighten. “What are we supposed to do? The truck we came in is sitting upside down in the parking lot.”

  Sheryl put her hand on his chest. “I need you to help get me out of here. In turn, I will help you. You see, the doctor has run out of patients to test. My friend Paula has gone missing and I fear he’s now using the staff.”

  “Why can’t everyone stand up together and stop him? You easily out number him.”

  “It’s not that simple; people are scared to. The last nurse that tried was thrown out. She only got about thirty feet before those things out there got a hold of her. Everyone in the hospital could hear her screaming and begging for help while those things ripped her to pieces.”

  “That’s fucked up.” He shook his head in disgust. “But right now we don’t even have a vehicle and I don’t know where to find one.”

  “I think…” She stopped when they heard footsteps out in the hallway. They both listened carefully as they drew closer.

  Sheryl pulled her scrub shirt off, “Hurry, take off your clothes and get in the bed. If the guard catches us in here talking, we could be thrown out.”

  Mark pulled his shirt off and froze. Sheryl stood before him wearing only a tiny black thong. She was perfect, what every eighteen-year-old boy fantasizes about, and she was standing there before him in the living flesh. She helped him get his pants off and shoved him onto the bed. She climbed on top of him. Just as the door started to open, she leaned forward and began to kiss him.

  He heard a man’s voice say, “Oh, sorry, Sheryl.” And the door closed.

  She sat up and looked down at him. “He was supposed to have been through here half an hour ago, but I think we’re okay.” She moved her hips, her eyes got big and she smiled. “I can tell you have been blessed. What do you say we finish what we started here then figure out a plan?”

  Mark was unable to speak, all he could do was look at her so she asked, “Don’t you want me?”

  He thought to himself. Do I want you? Oh hell yes I want you. He grabbed her and rolled her over onto her back. She started kissing his chest. Her lips were soft and the feel of her body under his, drove him wild. He caressed her face and gently ran his fingertips over her breasts and down her sides to her hips. Slipping his fingers under her thong, he slowly pulled it down her legs. She kicked it off her ankle and onto the floor as she ran her hands up his sides to his shoulders.

  She let out a gentle moan as he slid himself inside her and began thrusting. Looking into her eyes and the feel of her smooth soft skin in his hands only intensified the experience. He lowered his head and began kissing her neck. She ran the tips of her long nails gently over his back and up to his shoulders. She felt him swell up as he released and filled her. She held onto his arms tightly as she arched and took it all in. Biting her lip, she let out a satisfied moan.

  He lay on top of her, both of them out of breath. Neither one could speak. He started to get up, but she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him back. She looked into his eyes and smiled, then barley got out the words, “That was incredible, can you do that again?”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Paula watched the doctor enter her room and take more of her blood. The last two days had been pure torture for her. He had put her into this situation against her will and she wondered how he could so easily take the lives he swore to save. He said with a smile, “This will only take a few minutes. So far everything looks good. Maybe in a day or two, I can let you up.” He walked out of the room.

  She closed her eyes tightly and prayed for good news. She waited for what seemed like forever before he returned. This time he wasn’t smiling; his face wore the look of defeat as he spoke. “I’m sorry, Paula. The virus has started to speed up. I give you a couple of hours before it has completely taken over your body. But look on the bright side, your death will come quicker and you should feel less pain than the others did.”

  Her heart sank and tears filled her eyes as all hope of getting out of this alive faded away. She wanted to reach out and hurt him in some way for what he did to her. She pulled at the restraints and struggled to get free, but she couldn’t. All she could do was lie there and wait, hoping it would be like drifting off to sleep. She thought about her husband and two children waiting for her in the MQC and how she would never get to see them again.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Lisa paced in the hallway outside of Todd’s room while Amy sat inside with her brother. “Lisa, why don’t you come in here and sit down?”

  She continued pacing as she said, “Where is he? It’s been two hours already. I didn’t want him to go alone, but he wouldn’t listen. I swear that man is impossible.” And she flung her arms out. “He is going to drive me nuts.”

  Amy asked, “Do you like him?”
>
  Lisa stopped. “What?”

  “I said… Do you like him?”

  “You mean Mark? Well… yeah, as a friend, but that’s all. I mean, I trust him. I know when shit starts to fly, he’ll have our backs. Who I don’t trust is that nurse. I just know she set a trap for him! I knew something was going on by the way she was sizing him up like a cougar about to pounce on some meat.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t a trap. Maybe she was just horny.”

  Lisa turned and threw her a hard stare. Amy tried to push herself farther back into the chair. Feeling the stress, she bit her lip and slowly said, “And maybe she’s not.”

  Twenty minutes later, Mark came walking down the hallway. Lisa asked, “Where the hell have you been?”

  Mark had a surprised look on his face. “You know where I was. Where’s everyone else?”

  “They’re asleep a couple of rooms over.”

  “Well, wake them up and get them in here. This is serious and we don’t have much time.”

  The tone of Marks voice and look in his eye sent a shiver down her spine. Lisa wasted no time in waking and getting them into the room.

  He sat down in the chair and said, “It seems our doctor has been experimenting with a vaccine against the zombie virus. In pursuing that, he has turned all the patients and maybe some staff into zombies. Sheryl believes we may be next. So we’re getting out of here tonight. She’s going to help and in turn, we’re taking her with us. So with that, here’s the plan.”

  VI

  Lisa and Sheryl stood in the third floor hallway, just around the corner from the main elevators, waiting for Sam. She still didn’t trust Sheryl so she had her guard up. They had already been there for five minutes and Lisa was becoming inpatient. “This plan of yours better work,” she said quietly.

  “It will, and it wasn’t all mine, you know. Mark came up with part of it.”

  “Really? Did he come up with our part?”

  She turned her eyes down. “No, this part was mine. He didn’t really like it, but I assured him we’d be alright”

  Lisa pursed her lips. “I already dealt this perv when we first got here. All I have to say is this man isn’t going to touch me, let alone get sex.”

  Sheryl waved her hand. “Don’t worry about Sam. He’s harmless. Even if he tried, you’d never even know it.”

  Raising her eyebrows, she asked, “Really? How’s that?

  Sheryl held up her pinky and giggled. Lisa almost smirked, but was able to keep a straight face. They heard the elevator door open and footsteps in the hallway. Sheryl pulled her scrub shirt down a little to expose more cleavage. Lisa straightened her shirt and pushed her chest out a little.

  Sam came around the corner and stopped. Sheryl put her hand on his shoulder. In a very soft and seductive voice, she said, “Hello, Sam.”

  That same goofy smile came across his face. “Hi, Sheryl.” He looked over at Lisa and said, “Hi.”

  “You know, Sam, we’ve been feeling kind of tense lately.” She rubbed the side of her neck with her fingers and slowly moved them down over her shoulder and breasts. “I was just wondering if you could give us a nice oil massage… all over.”

  He looked at Lisa. “Both of you? Together?”

  Lisa gave him a soft smile. “Sure, that is if you think you can handle us both.”

  He let out a jerky little laugh. “Yeah, I know I could. I just hope I’m not too much for you two ladies.”

  Sheryl ran her fingers down his chest. “Meet us in room 344 in five minutes.”

  Still smiling, he said, “Okay, I’ll go get some oil.” And he hurried down the hallway.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Mark slowly pulled the stairwell exit door open and peeked down the hallway. He turned and whispered to Dedee, “I don’t see anyone. Let’s go.”

  Quietly, they crept down the empty hallway until they came up to another that crossed it. Standing with their backs to the wall, they listened for footsteps. When they were satisfied they were alone, he peeked around the corner. Mark thought for a minute, then asked Dedee, “Was it right here, then left at the next? Or left here and right at the next?”

  Dedee shrugged and shook her head. Mark waved for her to follow him as he turned right. The hallway was long and they followed it to the end where it ran into another. From there, they turned left. They followed that one and just before the end, they came upon the set of double doors they were looking for. After Mark peeked in, both of them went into the room and started looking around. Dedee found the switch and turned on the lights.

  They went over and started looking through the metal cylinders. Mark looked at his hand trying to match what Sheryl had written on it and the markings on them. He stopped and put his hand on Dedee’s shoulder. “Shhhhh.”

  She asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “I think I heard something.”

  Standing perfectly still, they listened. They heard footsteps outside in the hallway and they were drawing closer. They ducked down behind a gurney close to the doors and listened. The footsteps stopped and the door opened, then the person stepped inside. A woman’s voice asked, “Who’s in here?” When they didn’t respond, the woman said, “If you don’t tell me who you are, I’m going to call security.”

  Mark pushed the gurney to the side and quickly came up behind the woman before she could react. He covered her mouth and pulled her into him as she let out a muffled shriek.

  He calmly whispered in her ear. “We’re not here to hurt you. If you understand me, nod your head” And she did. “If you cooperate, you won’t get hurt. Do you understand?” She nodded. “If I move my hand, do you promise not to scream?” She nodded her head again. “Now when I move my hand, if you scream or make any noise, I will hurt you in a most unpleasant way. Do you understand?” And she nodded.

  Slowly, he moved his hand and stepped back. Trembling, she turned and looked at him, her voice cracked as she whispered, “Please don’t hurt me. I’ll do anything you want as long as you don’t hurt me.”

  “I want you to show us where this is at.” He held out his hand and she looked at the writing.

  Surprised, she asked, “That’s it? That’s all you want?” Then she looked toward Dedee, and Dedee nodded.

  Mark nodded and said, “That’s all we want.”

  She took them through another set of doors, showed them where it was, and set it up for them. Then she said, “An eight second exposure would put someone out for a couple of hours.”

  “Alright, now I need you to get on the gurney and lay down.”

  She began to tremble as she complied. “But you promised, if I cooperated, you wouldn’t hurt me.”

  Mark put a mask over her face. “We’re not going to hurt you. You’re going to take a little nap, and when you wake up, we’ll be gone. Now breathe deep.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Jeff and Jet waited by the corner with their backs against the wall. Jet reached down and pulled his hand up. She looked at his watch, then put it back down. A few minutes later, they heard footsteps from around the corner. They waited until they were almost on top of them and Jet shot around the corner. She looked at the guard and smiled as she walked by.

  He turned. “Can I help you with something? You’re not allowed in this area?”

  She said, “I’m just looking for a bathroom.” She saw Jeff sneak around the corner and she turned to walk away.

  The guard reached out, grabbed her by the hair, and jerked her back. Jet let out a little cry and tried to take a step back as she reached for the guard’s hand. Jeff reached up, grabbed a handful of the guard’s hair, and jerked his head back. He brought his arm up and slammed his elbow down across bridge of the guard’s nose as hard as he could. His legs wobbled and he fell to the floor. Jeff straddled the guard, picked him up by the collar of his shirt, and punched him in the face two more times in rapid secession.

  With blood flowing from his nose, the guard begged, “Please, no more.”

  Jeff looked
over at Jet; she was wincing and rubbing the back of her head. Jeff felt an anger growing inside him. Gritting his teeth, he said, “This is for hurting my girlfriend.” Then he punched him in the face even harder, causing blood to spatter on the front of his shirt. He looked at his hand that was covered with the guard’s blood and said, “And this is for bleeding on my fist.” He hit him in the face once more and the guard went completely limp. Jeff let go of his shirt and let him fall to the floor with a thud. Reaching down, he wiped the blood from his hand on the guard’s clothes.

  Jeff gently ran his hand over the back of her head. “Are you alright?”

  She looked up at him and smiled as she said, “Yeah.”

  Jeff pulled the guard into a nearby janitor’s closet and cuffed him to the sink’s drainpipe. Jet took the mop and quickly cleaned up the blood in the hallway. As they closed the door, Jeff made sure it was locked.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Lisa and Sheryl went into room 344 to wait for Sam, but he was already there with a small bottle of oil in his hand.

  “Are you ladies ready?” he asked as he held it up.

  Sheryl took the bottle from his hand. “We sure are.”

  He turned to Lisa. “I thought you wanted some too?”

  Nervously she said, “Uh… yes… I do.”

  Sam waited for Lisa to come closer then he heard Sheryl. “Hey, Saaaammm, Aren’t you going to rub it in?”

  He looked back over and was unable to move. Sheryl had her scrub shirt off and had oil running down over her breasts. He stuttered, “Uh… uh… yeah.”

  Lisa quickly picked up a metal bedpan from the counter and slammed it down on the crown of his head. It made a loud ping when it hit and he dropped to the floor with a thud. She gasped and her eyes got big. Stepping back, she said, “Oh my gawd! I think I killed him.”

  Sheryl wiped the oil off with a towel and put her scrub shirt back on then ran over to check for a pulse. “No, he’s alive. He’ll just wake up with one hell of a headache. Quick, get his clothes off and help me drag him over by the bed.”

  They took his handcuffs, ran them around the frame of the bed, and cuffed his wrists. Sheryl went through his pockets. She took a folding lock-blade knife, a set of keys, and his notebook. Placing the keys and knife in her side pocket, she started flipping through the notebook. On the inside front cover, she found the keypad codes to all the doors. Lisa stuffed his socks into his mouth and ran some cloth tape around his head to hold them in place.