Against Zombies Box Set, Vol. 1 | Books 1-4

by Morgan, Alathia

  “He’ll have gone back to the apartment he shared with the other guys, but before we head over there, I’m going to grab all the toilet paper and shampoo they have.”

  “That’s brilliant. I wouldn’t have ever thought we needed to get supplies from all over the house. I’d have just gotten the kitchen and food stuff.”

  Not finding Sean meant he could still be alive out there. Although, the thought of trying to tell him and Sam that their parents hadn’t made it, almost made me want to hold off on finding him. I couldn’t come back to Sam completely empty-handed, though.

  “So how long have you liked this Sean guy?” Darren asked, holding a laundry basket full of soap, shampoo, and deodorant.

  “Huh? I never said I liked Sean. I mean, he’s like a brother, and he’s Sam’s brother.” I really hoped that I wasn’t blushing.

  Ugh! This is why I hate talking to real people. When it was through my screen, I could come off sounding funny or witty. In real life, there was no way to hide from prying eyes, always trying to figure me out.

  “It’s pretty obvious, and while I’m sure that you’re concerned for Sam’s family, he’s the main reason you made the trip from Jackson Mountain. The question is, does he know that you have a crush on him?” Darren had both of his hands full, but still paused on the porch to check our surroundings before walking toward the truck.

  “I’ve liked him for years, yet there was always the fact that I was Sam’s friend, and girls don’t really exist in the gamer world.”

  “Now that’s not true. Girls are all throughout the geek world. I mean, having hot geeky girls is the ‘in’ thing.”

  “In one way you’re so right, but even though the guys have let us into their world and are pretty accepting, they don’t come out of their caves long enough to meet us. They’re so scared we’re going to bite that they act like we don’t exist. If you’re just one of the guys, then they don’t have to face the fact you might like them or reject them. They can’t deal with it either way.”

  “You seem pretty adjusted.”

  “Thanks, but that’s just because I have one of those very nosy families that don’t take no for an answer, and it’s better to come out of hiding and join in so they’ll leave you alone.”

  We stood lookout until the others brought back all that they could carry.

  “So Sam’s parents were in there, but not her brother. Andi knows where the guy lives, and there isn’t any point in hanging around here. It’s also closer to that store we found that might have food in it. Anyone object with adding Sean’s place to the list?”

  I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn’t be a wasted trip, and we could find someone alive.

  There was a large group of dead people blocking the entrance to their apartment complex, but Darren slowly pulled out in front of the herd, leading them down ten blocks. Our group sped up, leaving them farther behind, but heading in a forward direction while we doubled back.

  I’d seen a strange flag on the top of one of the apartments, but couldn’t tell what it said.

  The gate blocking the back entrance was closed, but one of the guys from the church pulled it open manually, leaving it open behind us.

  “It’s building E toward the front. I think he’s on the second floor, but I could be wrong. I’ve only been here twice.”

  Darren patted my arm. “Don’t worry. If he’s here and alive, we’ll find him.”

  The group split up into teams of two, but only after Darren had given them a new set of instructions. “Collect all toiletries, as well as kitchen items. Batteries and any type of guns or ammo. If you’re not sure, then ask either Tony or I, and we’ll let you know if it’s something we can use.”

  A whistle pierced the air before we could start our canvas.

  I placed a hand over my eyes so that I could look up where the sound was coming from.

  “Hey, we can come down and open the door. Don’t break it down. Give us five minutes,” a voice from above called down.

  I looked around to make sure that we hadn’t alerted any of the undead, and hoped that Sean was one of the ones who were still alive.

  The door flew open and our group was tackled by about ten college guys and a few other people.

  They were so excited to see people that they were hugging everyone. I was suddenly engulfed in a strong embrace.

  “Andi? God, I’m glad to see you. Is Sam with you?” Sean released me just a little bit, but didn’t let go of me fully.

  “She’s at the church,” I muttered quietly, pushing back so that I could look at his face.

  “Sean, your parents…they’re gone.”

  He didn’t seem to notice that I’d pushed him away, but he moved in closer, giving me another hug. “I know. I found them on the second day and came back here since I had no idea where Sam was at.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I wiped a tear away, and for once, actually missed my dad and stepmom.

  “It’ll be okay. At least I know they’re not out there eating other people. We’ll find a way to tell Sam together,” he promised, keeping an arm around me as we stood waiting for Darren to tell us what to do next.

  “You guys were an unexpected find, so we’re going to need to find a few more vehicles that we can get running to help transport everyone over to the church. Collect everything, but only take a small amount of clothes. We don’t have room for any keepsakes. If things settle down in a few weeks, there’s no reason that we can’t come back here and get more stuff.”

  “Hey, you need to come with me and help me pack up the electronics.” Sean grabbed my hand and pulled me after him, toward the stairs.

  “Sean, we don’t have enough electricity to run a game system or laptop at the church. They have only the important things, like the refrigerators going.”

  “No problem. I’ve got a small solar powered energy cube. It’s the only thing that’s kept us sane when we thought the rest of the world was dead.” Sean grinned in excitement.

  “Oh, well, in that case, lead the way.” I dropped his hand, unsure if he knew the signals he was sending my direction.

  “It’s not very big, and can only run a few things at a time, but I think if we can scavenge at a building supply store, the guys and I could setup a system that’ll help us regenerate the energy we use.”

  “We’ve hit the brainlode with you guys and all of your degrees. The only question is, can you actually do something with all you’ve learned or is it all just talk?” I couldn’t help teasing him as we made it to the roof through the small access hole.

  It was covered in wires crisscrossing everywhere, but Sean walked straight over to the small panel facing the sun.

  He picked up a baby monitor. “Hey, Finn, let everyone know I’m about to disconnect the lights so I can bring it with me.”

  Seeing me standing there watching, must have made him realize how silly he looked.

  He had on normal college guy comfortable clothes, including socks with his sandals, but if I didn’t know him so well, he would have looked a little crazy.

  “You think we’ve gone insane, don’t you?” He started unhooking wires and rolling them into a backpack.

  I shook my head, trying to hold back a giggle. “Where do you want me to start?”

  “We’re going to need everything on the left side there, and I’ll take the right.”

  “Were you guys just planning to stay up here for the rest of your lives?”

  “Nah. We went hunting every few days for supplies, and to help keep the population thinned out around here.”

  He walked over, standing close behind me. “See the rooftop over there? We have plants growing, and our own irrigation system from the rain. Each one of the buildings has a fresh rainwater tub, so when the plumbing quit working, we rigged it up. The sewers keep going as long as you have something to flush it with.”

  “I’m sure the people at the church will be glad to have you setup something like this for them.”

  “Oh,
I’m coming back here after I see Sam. We’ve got a pretty good crop going up here, and it’s fresh food. But if we don’t watch over it, the plants will die.” Sean leaned in close and whispered, “Plus, I have a few ‘herb’ plants for recreational purposes.”

  “What! No way. Sean, that’s illegal.” I turned around and found my shock seep away when I was only inches from my crush.

  “Andi, really? Do you see the police or DEA hanging out to stop us from growing our pot? The world has gone to crap, and if this is one way to relax, then I’m all for it.”

  “It’s so dangerous.” I placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. “If you’re relaxed, then you won’t hear the infected because you’re not paying attention.”

  He placed a kiss on my forehead to pacify me, before moving to gather up the other stuff.

  I’d known Sean’s group smoked on occasion, but I’d never been around when they were doing it. In a sense, I could see where he was coming from, but I hadn’t ever done that at school because of my dad and cousins always breathing down my neck.

  “You do have a point. Maybe when it’s safe, you could let me try it for the first time.”

  “Ah, an herb virgin. I guarantee that the guys and I can pop that cherry for you, and what better place to do it from? A church!”

  I blushed. “You don’t have to be sacrilegious about it. What if lightning strikes?”

  Sean started to laugh, until he saw that I was serious.

  “Look, I don’t know about much in the way of a god or religion, but if ‘God’ created everything, then he also made the herb for man to use or consume. Pretty sure he’s got his hands full right now with the sudden influx of people waiting to be vetted for heaven.” He scratched at his chin. “Although, I’ve never heard of having to be vetted for hell. I might have to ask the preacher that question.”

  “All set to cut the power.” Finn’s voice came over the baby monitor.

  “Right. Almost done here. We should be down in five.” Sean zipped up the backpack and went over to the solar panel, unplugging it from the wires running down the side of the apartment building.

  He gently wrapped it in a blanket before putting it in his large duffle bag.

  “I’m going to have you go down the ladder, and then I’ll hand the bags to you so that they don’t get jarred or broken.”

  I glanced down at the group loading up into the trucks as I went to descend into the dark hallway.

  The hatch in the ceiling was the only source of light, and I began to get nervous while I waited for Sean to hand down the bags.

  “Sean, can you hurry up please?” I called softly.

  Instead of an answer, all the light was blocked out as the bag filled the opening.

  Not wanting to panic, I counted as I inhaled. Reaching up, grabbed at the bag.

  We hadn’t thought this through, because I wasn’t tall enough to reach the bag without being on the stairs.

  A hand reached past me and I screamed.

  “Andi, are you okay?” Sean pulled the bag back, trying to see me.

  “Finn, quit playing around and help me get this stuff down.”

  I stood back against the wall, holding a hand over my still thundering heart.

  “I thought I was dead there for a second,” I grumbled as Finn set one bag down and reached for the second one.

  “That was the point, Cherry.”

  “Sorry. I’m Andi.”

  “I know, but since we’re going to pop that cherry for you, it’s your new nickname.” Finn grinned mischievously.

  “You were listening in on our conversation and you knew when to come scare me!” I screeched.

  “We haven’t had this much fun in a while,” Sean chuckled, closing the door to the roof.

  “Here, take this bag and stay in between the two of us. We’ll keep you safe.”

  “Somehow, I doubt that’s your first priority,” I mumbled, hefting the lightest bag that they’d left for me.

  “Did you get the other bags from our apartment?” Sean asked Finn as we made it down the two flights of stairs.

  “Yeah, I took your bag down there. Caleb’s got everyone gathered outside waiting on us,” Finn assured us.

  The sunlight hit my face, and I had never been so glad that I wasn’t a vampire in my entire life. While hanging outside wasn’t top on my priority list, living in the pitch dark with infected things wandering around was something I really wanted to avoid.

  “Everything okay?” Darren questioned as we carefully placed the bags in the back seat of the truck.

  “Yep. Is there any way we could find a parts store on the way back? I might be able to work something out with your energy levels and get you electricity that doesn’t have to be rationed.”

  “Let’s wait until we get back to the church, then you can take a look at the setup. Some of their equipment is really old, and might not connect with whatever you pick up. Plus, we’ve got orders to get food supplies, and there’s a store nearby that hasn’t been hit yet. That has to be our priority today,” Darren insisted.

  “If these guys are as good as they say they are, this might just be the edge we need to survive,” Tony declared as we made our way out the back of the complex, pulling the gate closed behind us.

  Cole

  The two groups had both brought back a few survivors, but this also meant that it would drain our supplies much faster than before. Any life that was saved would be useful, but there would have to be some order to the chaos.

  River got together with Sarah Beth, Lee’s girlfriend, and they started dividing up the people.

  I watched, amazed, as she jumped in without asking, making everyone feel at home while directing them to something that would benefit the general group.

  “Lee, I think we need to have a meeting tonight with the main game-players about how this can work if you want us to stay around to help you.”

  “You’d stay and help us get things going?” Lee asked, incredulous.

  “It’s an option. If we just take back the one’s our group came for, we’re bringing at least ten people to the mountain, if not more. While resources aren’t really a problem there at the moment, you need more people to help clear things out. If we can get a set area that’s free of infected, we might be able to start doing some trade again between farms and other places.”

  “We’ll need to run it by the girls, and I think we need a clear plan on how to reach the goal of putting the lights back on and getting things back open in a semblance of normal,” Darren agreed.

  “A meeting after dinner would be good in the sanctuary so we can get everyone’s thoughts.” Lee seemed excited about the prospect.

  “While I’m all for a democracy, I think we need to have a smaller planning group. River, Stacy, Andi, Sarah Beth, Darren, me, you, and Sean should be enough to put a plan together before we present it to everyone. Too many chiefs and nothing gets accomplished,” I cautioned.

  “I see what you mean. After we map out a plan, we should present it to the entire group and let them vote or make other suggestions as well. I’d also like Tony to be present to represent our veterans so they aren’t left out.”

  “Works for me.”

  I wandered over to where Sean was working to put his computer system back together.

  “Need any help?” I hated to be sitting around doing nothing.

  “Actually, yes. I need to find a way to put this on the outside facing the sun. From the way we came in, I’m guessing that we don’t really have access to the outside of the building. We can run the wires anywhere, but obviously, they need to see the sun.”

  “It might require a little work, but I think that can be arranged. Let me go ask Lee if he has a specific place for that to happen.”

  Turning away from Sean, I called out, “Hey, Lee? Where do you want to put the gamers so they’re not disturbed, but have access to the outside for their solar panel?”

  “They have a solar panel, and they’re going to u
se for video games?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

  “Uh, I think that might be the best way to keep them out of the way.”

  “Cole, don’t be silly. You should have seen the setup they have, not only with power, but with plants as well. Once Sean gets a system setup here, they plan to go back over there to live,” Andi informed him.

  I should have expected her to be listening in since she’d done it from birth, but she still caught me off-guard sometimes.

  “The best place to make a command center would be over in the church building. There are rooms up on the second and third floors that have access to the windows, and it would be far enough away from where the kids are playing ball so they wouldn’t hurt anything,” Lee suggested. “I’m really starting to hate this being in charge thing,” he muttered.

  “Don’t let River hear you saying that, or I have a suspicion that she’ll take you up on it if you’re offering,” I chuckled.

  The meeting of the group leaders went a lot more smoothly than I had anticipated.

  Stacy wasn’t going to go back to the mountain without Darren, and while he would have been a nice addition, the church could use him more than the mountain could.

  River wanted to be part of the action and felt comfortable with Stacy, so that put another one up for staying.

  Sean was staying in town with his family, which meant that Andi would stay since she had a crush on him, and I was going to stay and watch over her.

  “We need a plan going forward from here.” Lee had a small speaker stand that made him seem like the preacher in the small conference room.

  “The rescue missions are going to do to things to our facilities, cause them to overflow with very desperate people, and spread our resources very thin.”

  “May I make a suggestion?” River’s hand shot up at the same time she spoke.

  “Yeah.” Lee’s eyes widened when she came to stand next to him at the podium.

  “The military had the correct idea of securing a strong building to house people. The kids who’ve been here for over a month now are about to go crazy inside, and the parents and grandparents aren’t far behind them. Now we’ve added a few extras, and I’m sure if we were to go to different neighborhoods, we’d find about ten people in each that have made it this far. That’s not going to continue as people eat through their stockpiles and that of their dead neighbors’.” River’s hands moved as she spoke to emphasize her words.