by Buda, Chuck
Caged 3
Divided who falls?
Old alliances are broken. New alliances are formed.
Lines have been drawn. And it becomes nearly impossible not to cross them.
The Warden’s new plan has devastating effects. But it might not be foolproof. Will he have the chance to see it through? Can Jack Turk survive long enough to escape the walls of Warsaw Prison? Or will Muncie succeed in tearing everything apart, one bloody strip of flesh at a time?
Zombies are nearing the perimeter. And the legions of undead are growing inside the prison walls.
The surprises in this post-apocalyptic horror tale have readers on the edges of their seats.
Buy this book to continue the terrifying series today!
Caged 3 is the third novella in the Zombie Lockup series by Chuck Buda. It is approximately 25,000 words and contains adult language, scenes of horror and a cliffhanger ending. Reader discretion is heavily advised.
Caged 3
By Chuck Buda
Edited by Jenny Adams
Copyright © Chuck Buda (2017).
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Any semblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The author has taken great liberties with locales including the creation of fictional towns.
Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited.
The author greatly appreciates you taking the time to read his work. Please consider leaving a review wherever you bought this book, or telling your friends or blog readers about this book to help spread the word.
Thank you for supporting my work. Without you the story would not be told.
Cover art by Marc Gonzalez / mggdstudio.com.
Contents
Caged 3
Copyright
Dedication
Special Thanks
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Continue the Thrills
Inside the Hole
Join C-Pod
About the Author
I Need Your Help!
My Other Series
Dedication
Dedicated to Ernie.
This story links me to you more than you will ever know.
Special Thanks
I would like to thank Christopher Zingaro and Daniel Adomilli for doing the impossible.
Chapter 1
“That’s a lot of blood.”
Warden Gorgon stared at the bag which hung alongside his cot. He watched Dixie force a grin his way before exiting the room. Dr. Shipley nodded as he removed the needle from the Warden’s arm. He indicated the Warden should raise his arm above his head while holding onto the cotton ball.
“The chances of this working are highly unlikely.” Dr. Shipley spoke with his back to the Warden. His attention appeared better spent on securing the bag of blood and tidying up after himself.
Warden Gorgon chose not to argue with Dr. Shipley. He knew it would be no use. Dr. Shipley had no clue what had happened outside the scope of his Infirmary. And the Warden intended to keep the doctor in the dark as long as he could.
“All options must remain on the table, doctor. We cannot allow small-minded thinking to cloud our abilities. Maybe there are methods beyond current medical knowledge we can tap into.” Warden Gorgon stared into Dr. Shipley’s eyes.
The doctor wrapped medical bandages around the Warden’s arm to secure the cotton covering the wound. “I prefer to keep my eye on the medical ball rather than the metaphysical one. If God were real, then His intervention would have been revealed by now.” Dr. Shipley adjusted his glasses. “Or maybe He would have prevented this catastrophe before it ever happened.”
“You have to have faith, doctor.” Warden Gorgon stood up from the cot. He lowered his shirt sleeve and began fixing up his appearance as he spoke. “Faith in the cosmos. God has nothing to do with this.”
Dr. Shipley shook his head and began scratching notes in his journal. “I’ll do whatever you ask of me, Warden. You know that. As much as I disagree with your methods and decisions, I don’t have any other choices.”
Warden Gorgon clapped Dr. Shipley’s shoulder. He grinned and chuckled. “That’s the spirit.”
The Warden pulled his suit jacket on. He glanced around to be sure the nurses weren’t in range before speaking. “Make sure you stretch the blood as far as you can. And how long will it take to administer to...them?” He nodded his head in the direction of the zombies in the next room.
“It won’t take long to inject them. Although, it will be hazardous.” Dr. Shipley ran a hand through his greasy hair. “I would think it would take a few hours to let the blood integrate. Then I will draw samples and inspect the results under the microscope. Give me a few hours. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
The Warden watched the doctor carefully. He needed to be sure Dr. Shipley was still on board with his wishes. He chose not to believe Dr. Shipley’s words. He’d rather read the doctor’s body language.
“Very good. If I don’t hear from you in two hours then I will return.”
“It’ll take more than two hours.” Dr. Shipley’s whine cut through the Warden’s patience.
“Then I’ll give you three hours.”
Warden Gorgon spun to leave the doctor to his work. He heard Dr. Shipley groan about the fraction of extra time he had been given. The Warden knew how to raise the bar to get the most out of his people. Even when he asked the impossible.
He passed Samantha on his way out of the Infirmary. She smiled at the Warden. He thought, at least one of my employees is happy to see me. The warmth of his thoughts quickly evaporated as he walked the empty hallway. His mind recounted the events of the last few hours.
Working with Guyton had required some extra grease. The Caribbean guard had come to speak with him as requested. After some careful questioning, the Warden uncovered Guyton’s exposure to black magic. As a child, his grandmother and his mother had been practitioners on the island. Guyton hadn’t studied under their tutelage, but he recalled enough of some of the prayers and spells to give it a run. The Warden asked Guyton to consecrate his own blood so that he might control the zombie bodies with his mind, just like he had seen in an old horror movie. Guyton had balked at the Warden’s request because he feared the powers of the dark rituals. And he would need a sacrifice in order to perform the magic. Besides, he had told the Warden, there was no guarantee the ritual would work.
The Warden insisted Guyton help him with this request as a last ditch effort to save all their lives. He made sure to emphasize that Guyton would die at Muncie’s hands if he didn’t play ball. The Caribbean guard understood the seriousness of the Warden’s request. He gulped and nodded his agreement.
Warden Gorgon picked up his phone and dialed Sheila. He asked her to come into his office for a moment. When Sheila entered the room, the Warden slammed the door shut and gripped Sheila’s mouth with his hand. He whispered an apology to his long-time assista
nt while he slit her throat. The Warden held Sheila’s body up until life left her.
He had been surprised to find Guyton staring at Sheila’s body in shock. If voodoo required sacrifices then how could the man be surprised to see the deed done? Guyton stammered how the sacrifices were typically chickens or small animals. The Warden had shrugged and told Guyton he should be able to do more with the powers of a dead human behind his rituals.
Warden Gorgon recalled the ritual. He watched every second, memorizing each gesture and word, just in case he would need to perform it on his own at a later time.
He felt horrible about Sheila. She had been a faithful servant to his needs for years. But at this point, everyone was expendable if they could serve a purpose to further his survival plans. Sheila had served two purposes. She became the sacrifice Guyton required in order to perform his rituals. And her death signaled a warning to Guyton that he would do whatever it took to ensure their survival. Even if it meant killing people with his own two hands.
Guyton understood.
Warden Gorgon silently prayed for Sheila’s forgiveness. And for God’s forgiveness. The Warden still believed in Him, even if He had forsaken them all for the time being.
Chapter 2
Claudia sang to herself.
The hole was black. Not an ounce of light made it into the small room. But odors were abundant. The stink of human waste and sweat burned Claudia’s nostrils when they first stuck her in the cell. She quickly habituated the fetid smells.
The song was incomplete. All she repeated was the chorus. She hated Pink Floyd. All classic rock. Claudia enjoyed pop music more than any other type. She preferred music with a beat she could dance to. Sadly, her mind had been void of pop songs to draw from. The only song she could recall was Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall. She couldn’t figure out why.
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall...
Claudia giggled. The harsh sound of her laughter shook the cobwebs from her brain. She tried to estimate how long she had been in the hole. But it had been too long. It could have been five or six hours. Maybe it had been ten or twelve hours. She gave up thinking about it.
The plan she whipped together wasn’t much of a plan at all. Claudia intended to get cut so she would wind up in the Infirmary. She counted on an overnight stay in the Infirmary for observation. Then she would try to escape from there. Before a trip to the hole.
It hadn’t gone according to plan.
The guards brought her straight to the hole. They tossed her around a bit first. Claudia felt each punch and kick. The guards wore stiff boots and were built for confrontations. Not like the prisoners she had to fight against in D-Pod. And they made each strike count.
One of the hardcore guards had grumbled about the prisoners while she worked Claudia over. The guard complained how she was fed up taking care of prisoners. She believed they could last longer if they got rid of the inmates.
The guard’s rants confirmed the news. Tracee and Bo brought back similar intel from Janie. Claudia wished Janie was around to protect her. Janie was the one prison guard who had a conscience. Instead, Claudia had to deal with the two goons.
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall...
Claudia thought the lyrics without singing. She felt like a brick in a wall. More like a brick surrounded by a brick wall. Claudia hoped she would get released from the hole before the madness took over. It was difficult keeping a grip on reality when all your senses were shut off from the world.
She forced her mind to move forward. Moments at a time. The guards would either take her from the hole to the Infirmary or they would move her back into D-Pod. Either way, Claudia needed to be prepared to take action. If she went to the Infirmary, she would try to work some health-related angles to earn her a longer stay. Constipation. Major migraine. Maybe she could convince them she was temporarily blind from the head trauma. They would have to keep her away from the other prisoners for her own safety if she had no vision. Claudia wondered if they would even give a shit.
If they took her back to D-Pod then she would have to act faster. And it would be more dangerous. Chances were good she would be escorted by two guards again. So she would have to fight her way past two of them. At one time. Claudia fantasized about getting her revenge against the two guards who pummeled her. Especially, the gung ho one. Claudia salivated at getting her pound of flesh.
But then what? If she were lucky enough to overpower both guards, where would she run to? Claudia’s knowledge of the prison’s infrastructure was limited to the parts of the building she had seen. Which hadn’t been much. And what if the guards she fought alerted others? Or if the noise brought more guards without needing to be summoned?
Claudia realized she hadn’t thought out her plan as thoroughly as she had meant to. Her only goal was to make it to the Infirmary. She had not built in contingencies for other possibilities. Now it might be too late. But she still had a chance as long as she was breathing. She figured the worst case scenario. Claudia would be tossed back into D-Pod to ride out the end of the world with her fellow convicts. At least Claudia knew how to navigate those waters.
She chuckled under her breath. Claudia was adept at handling the inmates during ordinary times. But this situation was far from ordinary. She knew the shit would hit the fan once the ladies got desperate, or sooner if they learned the truth behind their fates.
Claudia heard the tumblers rolling on the door lock. The time had arrived to learn her fate. She couldn’t wait to breathe in some fresh air. Even the bathrooms in D-Pod smelled better than the hole.
The door cracked open. Bright lights blinded Claudia. She held her hands up to shade her eyes until they could adjust to the outside world. Someone shouted at her to get moving. Claudia pulled herself up on her shaky legs, still shielding her face from the brightness.
Strong hands grasped her arms on both sides and tugged her toward the hall. Her eyes watered as she was no longer able to protect herself from the light.
As she stepped into the hall, Claudia struggled to make out who stood before her. Through the steady flow of tears, she counted the number of shapes outside the hole. There were two at her sides. And another two figures stood in front of her. One of the figures appeared to be dressed in the same uniform as the other guards. But the other person was dressed differently. Claudia thought the figure wore a light-colored jacket. She couldn’t tell if it was a doctor’s lab coat or a grayish suit jacket.
Claudia’s stomach sank. She suddenly realized her plans were going to be foiled yet again. She didn’t think she would be heading back to D-Pod. At least not anytime soon. They wouldn’t have brought so many people to drag her back to the pod.
“Who are you?”
Claudia’s question echoed off the bare walls which surrounded her.
Nobody answered her.
As they dragged Claudia forward, fresh tears ran down her cheeks. But the tears had nothing to do with the bright lights.
Claudia feared what was coming next.
Chapter 3
Muncie watched Dr. Shipley work.
He tried to hide his anger. It felt like the veins in his neck were throbbing hard enough for others to take notice. Muncie clenched his fists to quell it.
Frustration had been mounting for Muncie. Jack no longer wished to fight him. Warden Gorgon was hell bent on working with Jack, for some reason Muncie couldn’t begin to fathom. And the Warden was becoming an obstacle. Muncie had always respected authority. A man didn’t rise to his level without following orders, whether he agreed with them or not. However, the world had changed. The old system of top-down leadership was no longer valid under the new world order.
Survival was the only master.
Muncie needed to drive a wedge between the Warden and the other guards. Maybe Jack’s skull would be the perfect fulcrum.
He chuckled out loud.
Dr. Shipley glanced away from his microscope. “Are you here to help or to
distract?”
Muncie didn’t appreciate the doctor’s tone. He knew everyone was growing short in the confined environment. But it didn’t mean he had to stand for it. He approached Dr. Shipley.
“You know, Shipley, you should be more concerned with doing your job rather than mouthing off at people.” He pursed his chapped lips.
Dr. Shipley sat up straight. “And what exactly is YOUR job these days, Muncie? Bullying everyone smaller than you to compensate for other deficiencies?”
Muncie snatched Dr. Shipley up out of his chair and slammed him into the table. The doctor strained his neck to watch the fragile items on the table shake. A few things tipped over.
“The sooner you fucking realize I am your best chance at surviving this shit storm, the easier it’ll become for you.” He breathed heavily, his nose touching Dr. Shipley’s nose. “You do what Gorgon tells you to. But it might not be wise to give him everything he needs.”
Dr. Shipley trembled in Muncie’s clutches. “The Warden wants me to save us all. That’s what I am working on.”
“Save us all? Or save him?”
Muncie watched Dr. Shipley’s expression shift as he considered Muncie’s statement. Muncie let go of the doctor’s collars. He tried to collect himself, backing away a few steps. The doctor fixed his clothing and ran an unsteady hand through his hair.
Muncie began admonishing himself for losing his cool. He had let his temper get the best of him. And now he may have tipped his hand to the doctor. Muncie scrambled to figure out how to take back his words. Or at least better explain himself so Shipley might side with him down the road, if need be. Muncie never liked Dr. Shipley and he trusted him even less. But he could use an ally in his ploy to usurp control of the prison. Maybe Dr. Shipley could be a part of the equation. Until Muncie no longer required his services.