CHAPTER 18
Washington, DC
Jack watched in awe. The men of the security team couldn’t withhold the fear that grew in their faces as the zombie rushed forward. It was almost like playing a video game, except the shotgun blasts and screams were so much more real. Unable to hide his fascination, he giggled as the men fought against the hoard only to be barreled over and pushed down into the fog. They couldn’t have made it any better in Hollywood. The zombies were on the men like a pack of jackals, tearing off the suits and sinking their faces into the men. The close view of the zombie eyes was a little too close as the image thrashed and jerked like it was on a roller coaster.
“Good Lord, Jack,” Don exclaimed, “What are you doing? Those are our people!”
Jack looked over at the distraught features of his uncle and noticed the man had aged another ten years.
“Ah, you know what you always taught me Uncle Don: Don’t mess with the WHS. I’ve got my orders, and I have no choice but to run this op. It’s for the greater good. You always told me that … remember?”
His wide-eyed uncle looked like he had swallowed a toad. For decades, Jack had thought his uncle was as tough as iron and cunning as a shark. Now his uncle had changed. Don looked old, haggard, and weak. The time had come for a strong young man to pick up the banner and lead the charge to bring order back to humanity. No mercy. Just results. And if turning loose a wild pack of zombies on a bunch of men and women was what they wanted, then that was what they were going to get. A show.
Don was pleading:
“Jack, there comes a time in your life that you’re going to make choices that you’re going to regret. This will be one of them. I didn’t bring you in to become a bigger part of this. I brought you in to protect you. These people that are dying have families. Just like me and you.”
“I know that. But, we can’t all have the life that we want. I consider myself grateful this is happening to them and not me. Besides, they're all loners.”
“They’re human beings!”
“They’re expendable. Just like that other billion you helped wipe out, so what’s a dozen or so more? Isn’t that what you wanted to begin with?”
Don was silent.
“That’s what I thought. Now keep your eye on the screen, Uncle Don. And just so you know, this isn’t my first rodeo,” Jack said with a wink. “I’m having them cut the power to everything except the security wall and the interior fence. If anything tries to climb that fence, man or zombie, they’ll be fried chicken. The security servers have all been switched under our control. Inside the complex, everything is dead except for the emergency lights. All of the zombie shelters are sealed off with magnetic locks, and if you aren’t already inside, you won’t be getting in. All communications are off unless they hack into our system, but that’s not likely. It’s on the other side of the wall.”
He cleared his throat as he pointed at his screen.
“And if it makes you feel any better, the humans are still armed. They have shotguns, side arms, and plenty of ammo. They have zombie suits, masks, and helmets, so they aren’t fish in a barrel. They're just the fish and the zombies the fishermen.”
His uncle was as stone-faced as he’d ever been.
“Come on, Don. Now’s not the time to get attached to people. You know what is going on. We’re the lucky ones. You might as well make the most of it and enjoy the show. You know they’re going to want your opinion on this and that you’ll have to play along as if you like it, so go ahead and pretend to like it.” He cleared his throat again. “Come on, you’re making me uneasy.”
“Okay, okay,” Don grumbled. The older, bigger man pulled his head and shoulders back and flipped open his computer cover. His fiery gaze returned as he stared Jack back in the eye and said, “You want to make it fun, Boy? Then put your money where your mouth is.” Don extended his hand. “I’ll put twenty thousand dollars that those men and women beat your zombies.”
Jack swallowed hard and said, “Well, I hardly see the poi—”
“TWENTY THOUSAND, NEPHEW! That’s what it will cost for me to enjoy this. What’s the matter? You’re not losing your faith in the dead, are you?”
Jack stiffened at the remark and said, “Fine, you’re on!”
“Good, then what are your terms?”
“Easy, just one of them has to live until sunrise.”
Don had a calculating look in his eyes as he scratched at his chin. Jack wasn’t worried, though. The last complex they turned the zombie soldiers loose on ended up being a slaughter. The humans lasted little longer than three hours, and the next sunrise was over twelve hours away. The zombie soldiers were incredible hunters that could smell blood and brains from a mile away, and even if the men managed to disable them, he still held another ace up his sleeve. He smiled. All of those years of online poker in college were going to finally pay off, big.
Don shook his hand and said, “Let loose the dogs of war …”
“… and cry havoc.”