by Ricky Sides
***
“How’s the baby doing?” Herb asked Erma when she entered their cabin.
“We don’t know yet,” his wife responded. “As Doctor Fielding predicted, introducing the nanobots into the infant through the mother’s milk almost killed her. If she’d been given the typical nanobot injection, we’d be burying her by now.”
“Would the dosage she is ingesting have killed her if she were a zombie?” Herb asked.
“I’m afraid we don’t know. I think so, but we have no way of being certain. Right now, there are still traces of the parasites in her body. We should know something definite by morning.”
“We? Are you going back to the clinic tonight?” Herb asked.
“Yes, I’m afraid so. I’m here to get a few hours’ sleep so I can spell the doctor and do the remainder of the watch while he rests.”
“Okay. Would you like a little company there during the wait?”
Erma smiled at her husband. “I was hoping you’d ask. Yes, I would. This whole thing is sort of creepy. If the child were still human, then it wouldn’t bother me in the least. Not knowing whether I’m dealing with a zombie or a regular child, under the influence of the parasites, has me a bit on edge.”
“I can understand that,” Herb responded. Then he asked, “How are the parents holding up?”
“If their baby lives, they should be okay. They’re very concerned about her at the moment.”
“Did the baby attack the mother again?” Herb asked.
“No, and I don’t know what you men were thinking. I’m glad you called me in on the case. I didn’t permit the baby to breastfeed. There was no reason for the mother to take that risk.”
“But I thought you said she drank the mother’s milk,” Herb noted in a state of confusion.
“Yes. I had the mother milk her unaffected breast and then she bottle fed the baby. She was trying to bite her mom at first, but the child settled down during the feeding. I checked a sample of the milk and there were nanobots present. By now, the mother’s milk will contain a much greater proportion of them, but when she did the milking, the ratio of nanobots was about one hundredth the normal injections. We saved the milk that wasn’t used during the first feeding, so if another is required to cure her, we’ll have the same dosage available.”
“Well, speaking of feeding, I left dinner on the stove for you.”
“Good, I’m hungry. Thank you. I’d better eat and then get some sleep,” Erma responded.
“You go ahead. I want to go and check on our new arrivals, and then I’ll sleep a couple of hours myself,” Herb explained.
***
A light breeze ruffled the leaves in the tree above Dana as she observed the camp of the marauders she had been trailing. After encountering the zombies today, she had a change of heart about approaching the men, so she stopped when she spotted smoke from their cooking fire. She had then stashed her bike and backpack behind some foliage along the side of the road and moved into the woods to approach the camp.
Now, Dana observed the men in the growing twilight. She counted them several times and was sure that there were fourteen men present in camp, which consisted of three pickup trucks, a van, and one RV. The recreation vehicle interested her. She assumed that it was being used by the leader of the group, so she had kept it under observation, but had yet to see anyone enter or leave it.
As to the men comprising the marauder band she had been following, they appeared to be former military personnel. She thought that because they were all armed with military weapons, and most wore at least partial uniforms. They evidenced no apparent concern about attracting the attention of zombies or other people. They had their vehicles parked in a circle in the clearing. A large fire burned in the center of the camp. The men had set up several small tents inside the perimeter established by their vehicles where they planned to sleep for the night. Dana noted that several of them seemed to be passing around a bottle of liquor.
As she was observing the men from her place of concealment, Dana felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to rise, and she began to feel that she was in danger. It occurred to her that the men might have been smarter than she gave them credit for, and they may have perimeter guards patrolling the area around their camp.
She had been on her own now for months and had learned to trust her sense of warning when it flared up. Therefore, she opted to be cautious, slip away through the scrub brush, and make her way down into a drainage ditch to the left of the encampment. Then she could crouch down and make her way past them to the trees on the other side. From there, she could continue to observe the men. It was her intentions to watch them until she could relate everything they had done for a considerable period of time, which should impress their leader. Then she would offer herself to that man and tell him about the refuge and the nanobot cure for the parasites that turned people into zombies. If that didn’t interest him, a possibility she considered very unlikely unless he was just plain stupid, then she was sure the tons of food stores and other supplies would capture his interest.
The growing darkness complicated her situation. On one hand, it meant that it would be more difficult for the men in the camp to spot movement, but on the other, it meant that she couldn’t see as well either, which made it harder to move about quietly.
At one point, as she was moving through the ditch, Dana thought she heard a faint moan. She froze in place and listened intently, but heard nothing but the men in the camp, who were growing rowdier by the moment as the liquor they were consuming began to influence their behavior. She resumed her movement through the ditch.
Back at the tree Dana had used to observe the men, Shaunna the zombie stood with the group that had followed her. She was scenting the air as she searched for her prey, but the scent of the men in the camp kept distracting her. She hadn’t feasted on a live human in over a week, and the parasites had filled her with an unholy desire to rend live flesh from bones. The zombies beside her moaned in anticipation, but looked to Shaunna who they had followed to take the lead.
One of the guards, who was a little less intoxicated than his companions, must have sensed that something was amiss. He left the inner circle of the camp and headed out toward the small group of zombies. He hadn’t spotted them in the growing darkness, but they all saw him coming and moved out to meet him. They were moaning as they went, but the man didn’t hear them because of the raucous noise his group was making in the camp.
The unlucky man chose that moment to relieve himself. He had his back turned to the zombies, as he answered nature’s call. One of the big male zombies reached out, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled him off balance. “What the hell!” the man exclaimed as he fell on his back. He thought that one of the other men was pulling a prank on him. He realized too late that zombies surrounded him, and then they fell upon his hapless body. His screams coincided with a lengthy and loud round of cackling laughter by most of the men who were busy entertaining one another with off color jokes. The reanimated corpses feeding on him were so hungry that they tore the man to pieces in a matter of moments.
When the struggles of their victim ceased, the zombies feeding on him seemed to lose interest almost at once. The imperatives hardwired into them by the parasites caused them to leave prey they had been feeding on in favor of a fresh victim when one was available. Therefore, most of them turned their attention to the other nearby humans almost immediately.
The zombies were inside the circle of vehicles before the humans in the camp even knew they had a problem. During the chaotic panic that ensued, three of the men in the camp were shot by the panicked gunfire of their friends. One of the zombies was killed by a shot to the head. The other three involved in the attack were shot as well, but they weren’t killed. They continued to press their attacks on the drunken men.
During the two minute melee that followed, the three attacking zombies were all killed by a giant of a man who dispatched them with pistol shots to the head at point blank rang
e, but not before they had bitten or clawed an additional four men.
As the shooting tapered off, Shaunna the zombie paused in her hunt for the woman that she was seeking in the ditch. She then moaned. Dana heard the moan from her place of concealment in the woods. She was less than thirty yards from the zombie. She moved through the trees toward the recreational vehicle with the intention of seeking shelter inside it.
Dana wasn’t the only person who heard the moan. Some of the men in the camp did as well. “Get to your transports! Now!” the giant who had terminated the attacking zombies ordered.
“What about the wounded?” one of the men asked.
“Leave them here. Kill them if they interfere or attempt to stop you,” the leader said ruthlessly.
“I know a way to save your men,” Dana said from the dark shadows near the RV. “I know where you can get a cure for them.”
“Who are you?” the leader demanded.
“I’m going to be your friend and lover. I’ve been hoping to meet you, but now is not the time to discuss that. There are other zombies out there. We should go. I’ll ride with you and explain everything.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, the leader of the marauder band was intrigued by the woman’s beautiful voice. When she stepped out of the shadows so he could see her, he saw that she was a beauty. “Load the wounded in the back of the trucks and let’s move out. I don’t know why the zombies haven’t attacked us yet, but they will unless we leave at once.”
Down in the drainage ditch, Shaunna the zombie was searching the ground around her and moaning from time to time as she crawled along the ditch on her hands and knees. She was following the scent of the woman who recently killed Lily. During the excitement of the hunt, she had dropped the decaying carcass of the anizombie. She had looked for her to hold her up to the smell when she scented Dana. Her damaged brain kept forgetting that Lily was dead, and she had wanted to let the dog scent their enemy. She found her as the first of the vehicle engines turned over and started. Her moans grew louder and more urgent as she discovered all over again that Lily was dead.
The men in the camp could hear the moans coming from behind them. Since they were changing in tone and position, they were convinced that there were several more zombies outside their camp concealed by the darkness. This caused them to feel a sense of urgency as they loaded their wounded and got inside their vehicles.
Dana was entering the RV when she heard a scream of rage in close proximity to the camp. The leader of the marauders came through the door a step behind her. “Get up here and ride in the passenger seat,” he instructed her and then he brushed past her, moved through the center of the RV, and slid into the driver’s seat.
“Sure,” Dana said as she settled into the bucket seat beside him. “I’d like to get a better look at you anyway. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”
“Yes, I expect that’s true, but whether or not you enjoy that experience depends on the explanation you’re about to give me. And, baby, this better be good,” he warned. Then he asked, “Did you lead the zombies to us?”
“No. They always show up where people are making noise or using smoky fires,” Dana replied. Then she added, “I’ve been following you and your people for a while now. I want us to join forces because I know a place where there are tons of supplies and the people there have a cure for the parasites.”
John had gotten them out onto the blacktop and was increasing their speed as Dana finished her opening remarks. “If you know of such a place, then why aren’t you living there?” he asked candidly.
“The leaders there didn’t like me and kicked me out when I tried to have one of them killed,” Dana replied truthfully.
“What’s a little murder between friends?” the big man replied with a chuckle.
Dana smiled. “I think I’m going to like you,” she replied.
“Speaking of murder, I heard a woman screaming out there where we heard zombies moaning. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” the man asked.
“What’s your name?” Dana asked, and then she introduced herself.
“I’m John Walters, but most people call me Big John,” the man responded, but then he frowned and said, “Now answer my damn question. Did you leave a friend to the zombies back there?”
“I’ve been alone now for months, John. I thought that woman screaming might have been one of your victims. I don’t know anything about her. Frankly, I’m surprised that you’re concerned about whoever she was. I’ve seen several of your victims, so I know you’re no saint.”
John shook his head in irritation. “I couldn’t care less about the woman we left behind, but I do care if you left a companion to the zombies, because the next time that person you abandon could be me.”
“Don’t worry about that. If you live up to your nickname, then I intend to see to it that nothing happens to you for a very long time,” Dana said coquettishly.
“Oh really?” John said.
“Yes, really. Turn right there,” Dana instructed as she pointed to an intersection. John shrugged because he had planned to take that route anyway, so he saw no harm in complying with her directions.
Dana continued, “Honey, I haven’t had a man in three months, and haven’t had a real man for a great deal longer. Hell yes, if you’re half the man I’m hoping you are, then I’m serious. You’re worth a great deal to me alive, although I imagine you spent most of your passion at the church earlier today.”
John frowned at that reference and said, “That was my men. I didn’t indulge myself with her.” He turned to face Dana for a brief moment. He saw her sitting with her back to the passenger side door staring at him, and he liked what he saw. She was as beautiful as he’d thought back at the camp, which was the only reason he hadn’t had her killed or used as bait for the zombies. That, plus the fact that she claimed she knew of a cure. “I never mix business with pleasure, but some of the men needed a woman to take the edge off their pent up energy,” he explained, and then he returned his attention to the road.
“What about you? Don’t you need to take the edge off too?” Dana asked. Then she added, “I sure as hell do.”
“First things first. Half my men are going to become zombies unless you were being honest about that cure.”
“I was. We can be there in a few hours. Why don’t you stop and get us a driver. I can tell him where to go, and then you and I can go into the back of the RV and get better acquainted. Wouldn’t you like to knock the edge out of our tension? I know I would,” Dana said persuasively. The expression of lust on her face was unmistakable. He’d seen such expressions often enough to know that Dana’s was genuine.
John shook his head in amusement, but he applied the brakes. As he brought the RV to a smooth stop, he said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman as eager to get sore as you are.”
“Get sore? I don’t get it,” Dana confessed.
“Yeah, well, when you do, you may not be able to walk right for a few days.”
Dana’s eyes widened in understanding and she said, “You mean everything is proportioned to the size of your body. Most big men aren’t that way, you know.”
“I wouldn’t know about that, but I know about me. Trust me when I say you wouldn’t be the first female that needed bed rest for a couple of days after a night with me. Oh, and fair warning, once I start, we stop when I say, and not one damn minute sooner.”
Dana smiled happily. “I hope all that’s not just so much male ego talking, but I’ll take what I can get.”
John chuckled. “Oh you’ll do that and then some. By the way, I think I like you too, unless I find out you’re just playing some kind of twisted games with me. If that turns out to be the case, then you’ll wish you never met me.”
John rolled down the window and motioned to one of the men sitting in the passenger seat of the van. When the man rolled down his window, John informed him that he needed a driver and instructed him to
get in the RV. Dana was out of her seat and headed for the back of the RV before John even got his window rolled up.
***
Shaunna, the zombie, moved past the bodies of her former undead followers. She felt nothing for them or their loss. She carried Lily in her right arm and moaned, as she smelled the freshly spilled blood of the humans. She stopped and squatted down beside one of the dead men. Her desire for human meat caused her to tear at the flesh of one of John’s men who had died of gunshot wounds, stuffing chunks of the man’s forearm in her mouth and chewing voraciously. When her hunger was sated for the moment, Shaunna, a creature of habit, ripped the man’s t-shirt apart and pulled a small, choice, piece of fatty meat from his stomach, which she then held out near Lily’s nose while moaning encouragement to the little anizombie as she always did. When the dog didn’t respond, she remembered that it was dead and screamed in anger once more.
She got to her feet and followed the blood scent that led away from the camp. The wounded men had been loaded into the back of the truck carelessly. One man had his wounded arm hanging over the tailgate of the truck. Droplets of his blood spilled on the grass leading to the asphalt highway. It wasn’t much blood. The drops were spaced far apart, but there was enough of a trail for Shaunna to follow.
A few minutes into her pursuit, she encountered other zombies. Thanks to the discharge of the firearms during the battle, several were converging on the area. They joined her a few at a time and followed her because she walked with a sense of urgency, as if she were hot on the trail of her prey. When she scented the blood droplets, her excited moans caused many of the others to join her in vocalizing their desire and need. This in turn attracted other zombies that hadn’t heard the gunfire or seen the smoke from the fire. To them, the moans were the equivalent of the howling of wolves calling others of their kind to join the hunt, and their behavior reflected that similarity.