Z Plan (Book 3): Homecoming

by Lerma, Mikhail

  “Oh fuck!” he exclaimed. “Ah God. Just keep it together,” Cale coached himself.

  He dragged what he could of the man outside, but due to the high level of decomposition both arms and a leg dropped off. His ranger’s uniform had been eaten away with his flesh by the insects. Cale tried to place him in a respectable manner before going back to retrieve the parts he’d lost. He looked at the state of the room. All sorts of arthropods scurried around. They were on the ceiling, the windows, the floor. Some flew, buzzing about. There was no way he’d get it all cleaned out. It was its own habitat; an enclosed ecosystem with its own food chain. Hell, it had its own atmosphere. He couldn’t sleep in here. Empty water bottles and rusted food cans littered a workstation. A radio occupied one corner and a sleeping cot the other. Cale debated pulling the man’s cot outside, but determined it also was too contaminated. It appeared he’d be camping under the stars tonight. It’d be cold but he’d manage. After reassembling the body, he grounded his gear and went down the tower to the shed to look for a shovel.

  The door was open. Shovels and axes hung on one wall. The other had a shelf of old ropes and oil cans. Cale grabbed a spade and went out to the grave. He began to dig one for the ranger next to his friend. It took around a half hour to finish the job.

  “I’m sorry about the shallow grave,” he apologized to the ranger as he lowered his body into the hole he’d dug. “Three feet was all I could manage.”

  The sun was setting when he finished burying the man. He still had some work to do before he called it a night. Cale hoped that the truck would run. It’d definitely help him put a dent in his journey. He utilized more of his army training as he preformed a preventative maintenance check and service on the Bronco. It puttered at first but roared to life. He let out a sigh of relief. It had a full tank of gas and the tires were fully inflated, what more could he ask for? Other than the oil being nine months overdue for a change, he was all set.

  In total darkness Cale climbed the tower. At the top he closed the hatch and laid out his sleeping bag over it. He’d sleep on the door and if anything tried to come up it’d wake him. Cale pulled out a packet of dried fruit but returned it to his pack. The smell had killed his appetite. It was probably for the best, since he’d have to ration his food from now on. He sat down on the deck and leaned against the wall facing north. He noticed a swath of stars that were missing from the sky. Their light was being obscured by the plume of smoke he’d seen earlier. An orange dome illuminated the base of the plume and proved to be the source. It was only a few miles away. He speculated that someone was burning a large amount of infected if the dome were that big. No way it was Curtis and the others. He watched the smoke rise and disappear into the sky until he got cold.

  Cale crawled into his sleeping bag for warmth. His coat smelled like the dead man but that couldn’t be helped now. The stars twinkled in the sky. As his eyes adjusted, he could see the full mosaic of the night sky. Multicolored clouds blanketed the sky. This was the first time he was seeing an interstellar nursery. The birthplace of stars. He marveled at its beauty. Cale wondered if somewhere, someone else was stargazing. He hoped it was Lauren.

  He fiddled around inside his sleeping bag, hoping to gain access to his pocket. Cale successfully retrieved his iPod and pulled it out. He turned it on, and the screen illuminated.

  “Fuck,” he whispered.

  The screen was cracked. It’d probably happened when he’d fallen earlier. The device still worked, despite the damage. He didn’t dare look at his pictures, for fear a cracked screen would somehow drain the battery faster. He let it play from where it’d left off the night before and quickly shut the screen off. “Lucky You” played. It was still on the Deftones album. He thought about his plan for the following day. His plan was simple. Go west and north until he found an interstate. Then everything Mr. Uribe taught him in his sophomore year of high school would do the rest. Part of the geography class was to memorize the interstates. And Interstate 80 was the closest to them. It also connected the west and east coasts together. Cale and Lauren traveled down it every time they went to see her mother. Cale’s brothers and aunt Marie lived only ten miles off of it.

  A shooting star streaked across the sky. Its tail burned brighter than Cale had ever seen. Quickly, he wished he’d wake up at home in his own bed with Lauren next to him. That this entire last year had been one long nightmare. Now all he had to do was go to sleep and see if his wish would come true.

  Chapter 15

  TOWN OF THE DEAD

  The warm glow of the fire revealed Lauren’s soft expression. She stared back at Cale. Her look became lustful. She winked and nodded to the tent. Eagerly they both scampered into the canvas hut. Cale threw himself down onto their bed of blankets and sleeping bags. Lauren crawled on top of him, her face just inches from his own. A lock of her hair brushed the side of his face. It tickled. He smiled as he used two fingers to brush it behind her ear. She smiled back. Their lips met. Lightly at first, but with each tender embrace it became more passionate. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and he pushed his back. His hands wandered as if he were rediscovering her body.

  It was starting to get hot inside the tent. Lauren and Cale began to undress one another. Despite peeling their layers off of their sweating bodies the temperature continued to rise. They were too preoccupied with their task to care. Rhythmically she grinded against him. Her hair fell back into his face. She smelt like wood smoke. Outside the crackling fire began to mute their heavy breathing. Then the crackling became a thunderous clap. Lauren rolled off of him surprised.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  “It’s the fire,” he said, sounding like he doubted himself.

  The flames exploded into a massive fireball. Smoke bellowed into the tent’s opening. He coughed and reached for Lauren, but she was gone. There was another loud crack.

  “Fuck!” he shouted as he woke up.

  The forest to the north was ablaze. Flaming trees snapped and toppled loudly mere yards from the base of the tower. Cale could feel the heat pouring off of the burning wood. He jumped up and gathered his things. He crammed his sleeping bag back into its case and attached it to his pack. Smoke rolled in and hindered his view, but dissipated quickly. After looking around to ensure he had everything he threw open the hatch and bounded down the steps. He looked to the Bronco to see if it was clear of the fire. It was, but not for long. Zach stood next to it. He was pointing at something under Cale. Cale struggled to peer through the smoke. He couldn’t see anything, so he went down a few more steps and tried again.

  “What the…” he trailed off.

  Five infected stood in a line and watched the forest burn. Cale would have to get by them to get to the truck.

  “Hurry!” shouted Zach.

  Cale left his rifle slung and pulled out one of his handguns. He coughed violently as he choked on the ash. He made it to the ground and moved toward the undead. It was eerie how they stood in a perfect line, like a wall of defense. Or five friends defiantly facing their doom. Thanks to the fire, he could see them in all their glory. He sized them up. The first three were too mangled to even tell what their genders had been They were naked dried up husks. The fourth in line wore ACUs. Cale could see he still had an interceptor vest full of ammo. His throat and face had been ravaged in an attack. The last one was a female in civilian attire. He forced his watering eyes to make out her face.

  “Oh no,” he whispered.

  It was Huffman. Her hair was loose and disheveled. Other than the blood in her eyes, she could pass for just being ill. Her bite had to have been hidden on an arm or leg. The man was the first to notice Cale. He lumbered at him with more speed than was expected. Cale discharged his weapon at him and missed. He fired again and struck the man’s chest. He launched himself the last few feet at Cale. Cale dodged but the man caught hold of his bag. Cale could see Huffman was coming as he was whipped to the side. She also moved with a tremendous amount of agility. He wres
tled the man’s grip free and prepared for her attack. He fired his weapon at her and missed again. Damn his watery eyes.

  Her body slammed into his. Given her small build, he easily cast her aside. She attempted to grasp his clothing as he tossed her, but yielded no success. Cale attempted to run for the vehicle but the man had recovered enough to seize Cale’s leg. He fought to bring it closer to his mouth. Cale had a better shot now. The weapon recoiled slightly and the man went limp. Huffman shrieked. Cale ignored her and made another dash for the truck. All three husks were closing in. Cale barreled through them, easily knocking them down. Huffman was hot on his heels. He spun to face her as soon as he reached the vehicle. Cale caught her as she flew through the air at him and pinned her to the ground. He sat on her chest and held her arms down with his knees. She growled and attempted to bite and scratch him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said before placing his gun against her forehead and pulling the trigger.

  Cale climbed off of her. The husks were much slower. They were just getting to their feet as he jumped into the Bronco, throwing his bag and rifle into the passenger seat. He tossed the 9mm onto the dashboard and grabbed the key in the ignition. It started right up. He put it in gear and drove down the road going west. The fire’s light faded as he followed the winding dirt path. He zigzagged down the mountain. The truck bobbed, swayed, and bounced across the uneven surface. Its leaf springs and struts squeaked loudly. He wasn’t sure which way he was going anymore. Cale slowed the vehicle as the road opened up to a four way intersection. The new route cut the previous one at a forty-five degree angel. He could either go northeast, southwest, or west.

  “Where to now, chief?” inquired Zach smugly from the back seat.

  Cale didn’t answer but continued straight. Huffman’s presence weighed heavily on his mind. What happened? The others wouldn’t have let her turn. Cale knew Ballard would never let it happen. Not to one of his own.

  “They’re probably dead,” Zach said what Cale was thinking.

  Cale stared at him in the rearview mirror. He was probably right. The eastern sky was beginning to turn blue. Cale checked the clock on the truck’s radio. 5:23 am. The sky shifted from dark to light blue in the east. The headlights revealed a deer standing in the road. He slowed and allowed it to run into the thick brush, then sped up again. As he rounded another bend in the road a familiar sign came into view. He obeyed and halted the vehicle at a paved road. He looked left, then right, and left again.

  “What the hell are you doing?” inquired Zach.

  Cale hadn’t realized it but he’d turned on his blinker to turn right. Old habits. Zach’s question went unanswered again as Cale turned north. After another mile he came to a “T” intersection. To the right, he could see the fire had crossed a road about a mile down. The rising sun was almost obscured by the massive smoke cloud. He was glad he wasn’t going that way. Cale headed west. The road gradually curved to the northwest.

  “Perfect,” he whispered to himself. “exactly where I wanted to go.”

  Cale searched the roadsides for signs, but there weren’t any. No mile markers, highway markings, there weren’t even speed limit signs.

  “What did you expect?” asked Zach. “Straight up backwoods.”

  He mimed playing a banjo and mimicked the iconic tune from Deliverance. Cale smiled slightly but focused solely on the road. Mile after mile went by and still nothing. A set of black tire marks swerved across the road and entered into the woods and down a hill. Finally, up ahead there was a sign for a gas station. Cale slowed to get a good look but didn’t stop.

  Its windows were boarded up and a tree had fallen into the building. The sign read “CLOSED 4 BUSINES S.” There was a gap between the “S”s. Fliers were posted around the station. Cale could see a biohazard symbol on them. It was best not to stop here.

  “That looked like a pleasant place to stop,” joked Zach.

  “Sure did,” Cale ribbed back.

  Then next few miles of road were completely empty. For a second Cale could imagine that this was a morning just like any. It was so early he just happened to be the first person out on the road. He was just going for a drive and the world was completely devoid of zombies. Leaves floated down and across the road. Cale had gotten caught up in watching the leaves fall and fabricating a world where the dead didn’t walk, he nearly swerved off the road when an infected threw itself at his truck from the roadside.

  “Shit! Where did she come from?” he asked himself.

  He watched her stumble in the road behind him and disappear as he went around the curve. The undead woman was the first crack in the world he’d invented for the moment, but it was shattered as he completed the curve.

  “Fuck me,” he hissed.

  The road was packed with undead. It was a swarm of them. He wouldn’t be able to stop in time to avoid them and if he tried he’d end up at the middle of their herd. On instinct he forced the accelerator to the floor and prepared to barrel through them. The engine roared and the infected flashed their hungry smiles at him as he sped into them. Cale could hear their soft bodies slamming into metal, it was like a watermelon falling to the ground and cracking open. The Bronco barely slowed as it bounced over them. Many of the infected were pulled under the vehicle, others were tossed to the side. Another became entangled in the vehicle’s grill. Desperately he clambered for something to hold onto, but like all others, he was pulled under. The truck jumped. Almost causing Cale to strike his head on the roof. The group thinned as he made it to the other side of the mob. In the rearview mirror, he could see them attempting to recover. Many of them would be too mangled to ever be a threat again. His heart sank when he realized some of the undead were children.

  “They aren’t kids anymore,” stated Zach.

  “They’re always going to be kids Zach,” explained Cale. “Just because they’re dead, doesn’t mean they weren’t human once.”

  Zach shrugged. “Agree to disagree.”

  Cale shook his head and continued his search for road signs.

  “Finally,” Cale said to himself.

  A set of signs provided him the information he desired. He was on US Highway 70 W and Cove City was seventeen miles away. Cale hoped the town didn’t have a large population. His stomach growled with hungry frustration. He reached over with one hand and searched his bag for a piece of jerky and a bottle of water. The Bronco swerved slightly but was easily brought back on course with his free hand. Cale placed the water bottle in his cup holder then struggled to open the plastic wrapped jerky with his teeth.

  “So,” said Zach as he pushed Cale’s bag to the floor board. “how long before you think you’ll be home?”

  “Hard to tell. Couple of days if the roads stay clear,” answered Cale between bites.

  “So this is it huh?” Zach inquired as he fiddled with the radio.

  Static blared through the speakers and Cale quickly turned the volume knob down as he held the jerky in his mouth.

  “Yeah, that simple. Just drive home,” retorted Cale.

  Zach set the radio to scan for a frequency.

  “What are you doing?” Cale asked.

  “Hoping to find a good station,” joked Zach. “Don’t want you falling asleep behind the wheel and getting us killed.”

  The radio swept past all of its stations multiple times, producing nothing but more static.

  “Man, you look like shit,” stated Zach.

  “Thanks,” Cale replied sarcastically.

  It was true. He barely recognized himself in the reflections he’d caught in the mirror. Soot covered his face, which detracted only a little from the bags under his eyes. He’d even sprung tufts of facial hair. Cale always hated trying to grow it out because it never came in even.

  “It’s pointless,” Cale said angrily. “Stop fucking with the radio.”

  Cale went to shoot Zach a glare but his bag was all that sat in the passenger seat. It was his hand on the radio’s dial. He flicked the radio off. A l
arge green sign was coming up. When Cale got closer, he could barely read it under the large biohazard symbol that had been spray painted over it.

  This was Cove City, North Carolina. Population four hundred. At least that’s what the sign said anyway. There was no telling what its population was now. Four hundred undead, maybe? Maybe he should be more optimistic. What if it were four hundred and zero undead? He searched the streets, as he passed through, for signs of life. It didn’t look promising as he slowed to avoid abandoned vehicles. Business fronts still had their Christmas decorations up from the year before. A brick building had postings of missing persons on it. On the sidewalk in front of it was a vigil. Trash littered the vacant streets. But still there were no people, living or dead. Maybe the population was zero. Cale had to stop. Two police cruisers blocked the streets leaving only a narrow path, which was blocked by a bicycle. The door of the Bronco groaned as he stepped out. A chilly wind kicked up some papers that twirled in the wind and blew away. A newspaper wrapped around his leg.

  Cale pulled it off and looked at it. It was dated for the twelfth of December. “The Dead Walk” was the bold headline. It was accompanied by a black and white picture of poor quality. It was most likely rushed to print. Other smaller stories covered the speculated origins of this mysterious virus. Comets, radioactive satellite crashes, alien slugs, bio weapons, rage infected monkeys, and even God were all potential culprits.