Zombie Road: The Second Omnibus | Books 4-6 | Jessie+Scarlet

by Simpson, David A.

  He’d replaced one Jessie for another and that was going to change things up because he wouldn’t do the things he did before. He knew better. Maybe the world would grow to be a better place now. Or maybe he’d just destroyed it. Probably not. It wasn’t that fragile.

  He hung from the railing, dropped to the balcony below then repeated the move again to get to the ground. He remembered the Mercury was in a parking garage and looked around to get his bearings. The Casino burned brightly in the afternoon sky and if nothing changed, if the wind didn’t shift because the moon wobbled a little last month or a tree fell into the flames, it would burn itself out and the rest of the city would remain. He’d seen the ruins so it was one possibility that had already happened.

  A thing so simple as a bug being squashed under someone’s shoe on a sidewalk can change the world. He knew that now. If that bug would have survived, maybe it was the one that found a home in the bark of a mighty pine. Maybe it had tens of thousands of offspring over the years and maybe they ate away at the tree. Maybe they were the reason it fell with its top touching the flames. Maybe that is how the fire would spread to burn down most of the city. But that one bug died years ago and the city was spared.

  Jessie couldn’t keep thinking like that. He was no longer responsible for the future and if he agonized over every little thing he did, he would be frozen in place, afraid to move. The bracelets were gone and he was free. He had finally made it to the right time and in time to get Scarlet out. The plan for a thousand years had been to go with her and he still wasn’t sure why he’d done what he’d done. He wasn’t sure if they would be able to survive where he sent them but everything they needed to know was in the database, they would figure it out. Those two were on their own and he couldn’t keep trying to fix things. He couldn’t keep resetting the world hoping for a better outcome, it was as good as it was going to get.

  He found the garage and started up the ramp, trying to remember which level he’d parked. He heard Bob’s warning growl and was surprised. He’d forgotten all about the dog, it had been so long since he’d seen him. He clicked his tongue and crouched down, held out his hand.

  “It’s me, boy.” he said and patted his leg. “C’mere. That’s a good boy.”

  Bob approached sniffing the air, ears cocked. Something wasn’t right but something was. It was his master but it wasn’t. He trusted his nose and ears more than his eyes and finally came forward, hesitantly at first. Jessie ruffled his fur and smiled. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about the dog, they had been so close. It took a moment but he accepted him as Jessie because after all, he was.

  Nefertiti hissed when he approached and wouldn’t let him touch her. Scarlet said cats can see the supernatural and he wondered what she saw in him. She hopped off the car and stared into the shadows, looking for her mistress.

  “She’s not coming.” Jessie said.

  The cat that was more than a cat held his eyes for a long moment then turned and walked off, her tail held high. He sighed and opened the door. She wouldn’t be coming back. She only tolerated them because of Scarlet. He leaned back in the seat and turned on the radio. Her playlist started. He closed his eyes, listened and remembered.

  Epilogue

  Jessie woke up slowly, easily and without pain. He was warm, feeling floaty and it was almost like he was still dreaming. The world was filled with a quiet, thick sound that really wasn’t there unless he thought about it. He opened his eyes and everything was fuzzy. The air felt thick and it tasted a little bit sweet. Far away he heard a beeping sound then saw Scarlet look down at him. She saw he was awake and did something he couldn’t see off to the side. He tried to reach for her but his hand hit something solid and he turned to see what was stopping him. He was floating in a glass box in something thick but clear and he realized he was submerged. He should be drowning but he wasn’t. He couldn’t work up the effort to be alarmed about it so he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.

  When he woke up again, he was in an overstuffed chair and thought he might have dreamed the whole thing about floating under water. He didn’t exactly hurt but he was sore all over. His hands went to his sides, feeling for the guns but he wasn’t wearing them. He didn’t sense danger, though. The room felt safe. He remembered the fight with Ricketts and reached up to touch his head. It felt fine, not even a bandage. He must have been out for a long time. Weeks, maybe months. He wondered if he had been in a coma and wondered how he got to a hospital. The building had been on fire and he didn’t remember driving anywhere. Then he remembered other things. The other Jessie and the time traveling bracelet. Scarlet losing the battle against the virus.

  He sprang up, ready for pain to hit him but none came. He had definitely been out for a while. He must be in the Tower, it was the only place with advanced medical equipment, the only place that could have taken care of him if he’d been in a coma. It didn’t look like the Tower. The room was grayish and cluttered and dirty. Things had familiar shapes but were different. The door was obviously a door but it was steel and rounded. The floor was a floor but it was textured and made of metal. The desk had strange contraptions on it and the light didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere, it just was. He slid out of the reclining chair and tested his legs. They seemed to work fine. He was wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing when they attacked the Cult but they were clean and all of the rips and tears had been mended. They looked brand new.

  The door slid into the wall and it took him a minute to figure out how to make it work. He pushed and pulled and jerked but when he rested his hand on it, it slid away with a quiet hiss.

  Scarlet looked up when he entered the kitchen area.

  “I’m glad to see you have awakened.” she said “Welcome.”

  Jessie ran to her but she held up a hand to stop him.

  “I am not for your pleasure.” she said, her voice cold and her features neutral. He stopped, confused.

  “I wasn’t going to…” he started then broke off.

  He was flummoxed. It was her but it wasn’t.

  She went back to preparing some sort of stew. He searched her face, looking for the telltale signs of infection, the dark runners or the blackened eye but they were gone. The three diagonal scars were still there but her complexion was clear. Her hair was long and black, the blonde was only at the roots, like it had been during their first few weeks at the farmhouse. When they’d first got to know each other.

  “Scarlet is still healing.” she said. “Her affliction will take another seventeen earth days to purge.”

  She continued dicing potatoes or something that looked like a potato.

  “She is in the infirmary if you’d like to see her.”

  She pointed to another door and Jessie moved across the room on auto pilot. The weird room with weird furniture and weird light and weird, muted colors. He managed to get the door to slide open without fighting it and saw her, encased inside a glass coffin, floating in an opaque liquid. This was the Scarlet he knew. Battle scarred with chopped hair that was more blonde than black. Her leathers and batons were cleaned and repaired and slung over a chair. The room was much cleaner and more organized than the others, it was obviously a small medical facility. He stared at her resting peacefully, at the strange box with unreadable writing and indicator lights that could have meant anything. Why wasn’t she drowning? The other Scarlet said it would be seventeen earth days before she would be purged. He wondered what that was all about.

  “Your food is prepared.” A voice called out and he snapped back to the present. He’d pushed her clothes aside and sat down for a moment but time must have passed. He felt like he was still dreaming and realized there weren’t any windows when he walked back into the main living area.

  “What is this place?” he asked

  She didn’t answer and he sat at the table. The food smelled okay, he couldn’t say it smelled good because he’d never actually smelled what he was smelling before.

  “It is unfla
vored. Spices are available if you would like. I do not know your preferences.”

  “Who are you?” he asked and again she didn’t answer.

  She stood at the end of the counter and stared unblinking at him and he got the feeling if he were to challenge her to a staring contest, he’d lose by about a week.

  “You’re kind of creeping me out.” he said.

  “I do not know who you are so I do not know which protocols I should enact.” she said.

  “Well,” Jessie said. “I guess we can start from the beginning. Hi. I’m Jessie. How are you.”

  “You are not Jessie and I am in optimum health.” she replied.

  He looked at her for a long moment, considered meeting his future self, thought about being completely healed by floating in a tank of strange water and took in his surroundings.

  “What year is this?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer.

  “Are you a robot?” he tried.

  She was silent.

  “Where are the time travel bracelets?” he asked.

  Nothing.

  Jessie stood, pushed the food away and stalked over to the other door. He had to find out what was going on, where he was and more importantly, when he was.

  “You cannot go outside.” she said and moved to intercept him.

  “Watch me.” he growled.

  “You will die.” she stated.

  Jessie kept walking but his eyes darted for a weapon.

  “You gonna kill me?” he asked.

  “No. The air will.” she replied and stepped in front of the door.

  “Sure, it will.” he said and reached out to push her aside.

  He stumbled and nearly tripped over his own feet when his hand passed right through her and he was thrown off balance. He recovered and stared.

  “You’re a hologram?” he asked, amazed at how real she looked.

  He slowly extended a finger to touch her.

  It passed through her arm as if it wasn’t there.

  Then it was.

  Solid like a chunk of steel and wrapped around his hand tight as a glove and unmoving as a building. He pulled. She didn’t budge, not even the slightest hair. She was as solid as a mountain and his hand was trapped.

  “Let go.” he said and pulled harder to jerk her off her feet.

  She was unmoved, rooted to the floor. He put a foot on each of her knees, grabbed his wrist and strained with all his might. He might as well have been trying to lift a tank. Suddenly he was falling backward, she had turned to air again. He looked up from the floor, examined his hand and asked.

  “What are you?”

  “I am your protector.” she said. “Your questions might be answered in seventeen earth days, once Scarlet has awoken. Until then, I do not have mission parameters. You are not supposed to be here. I cannot divulge information to unauthorized entities. Jessie sent you here for a reason although I do not understand why. If Scarlet allows you permission to query the database, you will be granted full access.”

  Jessie stood, starting to get annoyed.

  “I’m Jessie.” he said. “I grant myself permission. Where is the database?”

  “You’re not Jessie.” she said simply and clicked a lock on the door. “Your food is getting cold.”

  Afterword

  This concludes the story of Jessie and Scarlet in the Zombie Road world. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. There are still a few loose ends but most of them have been tied up. There will always be unanswered questions about people and things when the characters inhabit such a huge world but I have tried to complete story arcs without leaving too many dangling threads. Hopefully, you can close this book and be satisfied with a conclusion of sorts.

  The first three books told the tale of the outbreak, the journey to safety and building the walled city.

  The second three books explored the rebuilding of the nation, eliminating most of its enemies and the doomed love affair of two special teenagers.

  The world is recovering, cities are flourishing, the undead are withering away. The boy got the girl, the good guys won and the mad men who arose from the ruins have been dealt with.

  Yah! I love happy endings.

  Jessie the Traveler is stuck in this world with no way out. He was always a loner and a little crotchety, I’m sure he’ll carry on as he once was, doing Road Angel stuff. He didn’t get the girl but in a way he did. He knows she’s safe and with someone he trusts. Himself.

  Winter is coming but they will be prepared.

  Elections are soon, too. When November rolls around, Gunny will finally be able to step down as acting president and someone else can take over. Someone duly elected.

  He’ll probably retire, tinker on old cars and fish. Maybe start a distillery. After he signs an executive order making it legal, of course.

  The Tower is still being standoffish but they may have a change of heart and decide to share knowledge.

  I imagine Griz will make an honest woman out of the good Sheriff and have a fancy church wedding. She’s Catholic after all.

  Tombstone, Cascade, the Island and dozens of other communities will flourish now that they don’t have madmen trying to kill them. Trade routes have been established, Airplanes are in use again and the Hell Drivers can get any part anywhere in a day or less or delivery is free.

  The central States are becoming a civilized and genteel nation.

  What’s next? Lawyers, taxes and politicians?

  Maybe Gunny will sign an executive order against those before he leaves office.

  The future is so bright, they gotta wear shades.

  If you are through with the people and places you’ve met along the way, read no farther. I have unanswered questions and if you keep reading, they may become your unanswered questions also.

  The Anubis cult was completely obliterated. Except for the labs under the hospital but no one knows about those. Right?

  Casey was left busted up and bit, trapped in a gully with zombies tumbling down from above. I’m pretty sure there is no way he can survive that, this isn’t a Friday the 13th story where the bad guy comes back to life every time.

  We’re don’t know exactly where or when Jessie and Scarlet wound up. They have a protector, though. She (it?) will keep them safe so life should be worry free and easy. Except for the guys the other Jessie made enemies with. He seemed fairly certain they held grudges. But surely, young Jessie can just explain he’s not the same guy, they’ll understand. Just a simple misunderstanding. Really, fellas. I’m not him.

  He and Scarlet will probably settle down to a simple, quiet life. Maybe open an accounting office or something.

  The ancient Jessie sounds like he had a hard time finding them, like he’d been searching for millennia and when he finally did get to her, he let her go. He was probably just kidding about living for thousands of years. Nobody is that old. His story would probably be boring.

  The Tower is guarding its technology and secrets closely. Who knows what kind of mutated super soldiers they might come up with using Scarlets tainted blood? Or what they’ll do with that time machine.

  Why was Sandy gaining so much weight?

  Whatever became of all those kids living with the animals?

  That is one of the few questions I can answer. There is a separate series about those kids called the Feral Children. It tells their story from the beginning.

  I have been working with another very talented writer on this new set of books and we hope you’ll like them. Wesley Norris has written numerous short stories set in the Zombie Road world and we decided to collaborate, put our heads together and come up with something a little different. Check out the first one here: The Feral Children: Animals

  For all the latest information about what I’m up to and the occasional giveaways, stop by the David Simpson Fan Club Facebook group and say hello. I’m on there frequently and can answer any questions you may have.

  Thanks everyone and if you can, please leave a rev
iew. It really and truly does make a difference for indie writers and not just for our ego’s. It’s one of the few ways we get noticed by others perusing Amazon, Audible or Goodreads.

  As always, live life, be safe and don’t get hit by a bus.

  David A. Simpson

  2/7/2019

  Also by David A. Simpson

  Novels

  Zombie Road: Convoy of Carnage

  Zombie Road II: Bloodbath on the Blacktop

  Zombie Road III: Rage on the Rails

  Zombie Road IV: Road to Redemption

  Zombie Road V: Terror on the Two-Lane

  Zombie Road VI: Highway to Heartache

  Zombie Road VII: Tragedies in Time

  Zombie Road VIII: Crossroads of Chaos

  With Wesley Norris

  The Feral Children: Animals

  The Feral Children: Savages

  The Feral Children: Nomads

  Anthologies

  Tales from the Zombie Road: The Long-Haul Anthology

  The Zombie Road Fan Fiction Collection

  Undead Worlds: A Reanimated Writers Anthology

  Undead Worlds 3: A Reanimated Writers Anthology

  Treasured Chests: A Zombie Anthology