“Someone has to know another way.” Rudy suggested. “There’s always a way, right Bawk?”
“Craig would know,” one intern said. “That schemer tricked Bird Lady a half a dozen times. Comes in for twelves and works six. Changes his makeup. She still hasn’t figured it out.”
“He told me he’s got a master passcode,” another one said.
“Yeah, to you pants,” chuckled another.
“Hey!”
“He’s a dickhead,” the guy in the frat shirt said. “Just a bullshitter. You can’t believe anything that creep says.”
“Well, he and his brother, Paul, were here a few hours ago. Let’s find them.”
“And if they aren’t here? And we’re locked in here?”
“Then we’ll just have to make another way out,” Henry said, thinking of that one skylight that had escaped being boarded up. But it was a long way up. Another way out would be preferable.
“Let’s split up. Meet back here,” Rudy suggested.
“This mall’s not so big. No, we better stick together and round up any others,” Henry said. He took a head count. Alice and Weege were already moving. “Hey, were are you going?”
“Screw you, Bawkula,” Alice said and kept going.
Weege didn’t even turn his mousy little head around.
“Maybe I should follow them,” Rudy said.
“Sure, Rudy. Go right on ahead.”
“Henry!”
“I’m not fighting it,” Henry said with a sigh. “It’s their lives, they’ve got to live them.”
“But what if they find a way out?” an intern said.
“Look, you guys can do what you want. You’re big boys and girls. But I think it’s best you stay with me.”
No one argued. They followed. Henry planned. In all truth, he didn’t think they stood a chance. With the Zombie Dew fountain drained, the zombies would be getting aggressive in a few more hours. They had to get out before that happened.
“Come on,” one of the girl interns said. “Craig likes to hang around at the food court.”
On the way, Henry noticed a small kiosk near the wall with a small green and red indicator on it. He pulled Tori towards it.
“Remember what Dana said? About the weapons for emergencies?”
Tori nodded.
“Kinda odd, isn’t it?”
It didn’t seem likely that the woman who had gassed and trapped them would be an ally. But maybe she’d been trying to warn them. Help them.
“Here goes,” Henry said, pressing his thumb on the pad.
The kiosk popped open.
A shotgun and handgun were inside. Ammo too.
“I’ll be.”
Henry grabbed the shotgun and stuffed in the shells. Stuck the others in his pocket. He handed it to Tori and held the pistol ready.
“You know I’m not very good with these things,” she said. “But I’ll hold it for you.”
“Say,” an intern said, “How’d you get those things?”
“They’re called weapons, Dumbass,” the frat guy said. “Give me one.”
“That’s all there is,” Henry said.
“What’s it there for?” another said.
“Dana, or the Bird Lady, said they were for emergencies.”
“Never told us that.”
“Well, you better not be shooting any zombies,” said the mousy one. “That’s murder.”
“No, it’s self defense.”
“That’s not what they’re teaching me in law school.”
“Ayeeiii!”
Someone screamed at the empty fountain.
“It bit me! It bit me!”
A commotion started. A zombie had an intern pinned to the ground.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Shots rang out in the mall. Voices screamed from everywhere.
Rudy appeared in the main hallway waving his hands.
“They’re back! Run!”
Pop! Pop!
Rudy’s big body spun around and collapsed on the ground.
“Rudy!” Henry yelled. He started to run.
Tori snatched his arm. Yanked him back.
A dangerous figure rounded the corner.
A metal skull masked the zombie’s face. Its sagging jaw snapped. It was just like the ones at the Rehab. In a zombie suit for the toe to the neck, its movements stiff. Fast. No, it was different. It had a pistol in each hand. Pointed right at them.
Duck!
He pushed Tori to the ground. Covered her with him.
Pop! Pop!
CHAPTER 28
-Morgantown, WV-
Nate felt like he had a thousand butterflies inside his stomach when they squeaked to a halt at the gate to Facility 105. What am I doing? Why am I doing this? For some reason people were counting on him. They wanted him to lead them into the belly of the beast and back out again.
Oliver and Walker stuck their badges in the faces of the men on either side of the van. A third guard popped the side door open.
Nate and Ashley handed over their ID’s.
“Getting a lot of visitors today,” the guard said. “Seems pretty strange.”
“So?” Ashley said.
Nate shrugged.
“Just making conversation,” the man said. He handed back their ID’s and slammed the door shut.
“I’ll have to phone it in, Colonel,” the guard at Walker’s window said. “Be a couple of minutes.”
The other two guards checked the two vans behind them.
Walker looked back at Nate.
“It’ll be alright. Just don’t say anything stupid.” He fired up a smoke. “Remember, I do all the talking.”
Nate could barely breathe. He ran his finger under his collar.
“You okay?” Ashley said. Her pale face was calm, almost serene.
“No. And you are?”
“Sure, every day is a life or death situation. You should be—”
“I know,” he huffed, “used to it by now.”
No, this wasn’t normal. Life wasn’t normal. It was a mess. And now Nate felt like he was about to storm the beaches of Normandy. Ashley sat there all prim and proper, like she was going to a wedding. Up front, Oliver and Walker, normally stone-faced, grinned and chuckled a little.
A few minutes later the guard emerged from the gate shack. Saluted.
“You’re all clear, Colonel. Just swing up the hill,” he pointed, “take the back entrance where the depot is. They’ll clear things up there.”
“What do you mean, clear things up?” Walker said.
“Hey, people coming in and out all of a sudden. I don’t know, but something’s going on. Probably closing us down.”
“Why you say that?”
“Black Chopper. Bad Omen. When they show up, bases start closing.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
The guard motioned to the other men. They stepped out of the way and the gate opened.
Oliver put the van in drive and eased his foot on the pedal.
Up the hill they went, rounded the corner and there it was. An old mall. All the store entrances were sealed up with block and mortar. Like a bunker. It made Nate think of a Mausoleum. Oliver pulled around to the loading dock. A dozen men in black flack vests and helmets stood along the dock, M-16’s at the ready on their chests.
Nate’s chest tightened
“What the—Walker, I don’t like this.”
“It’s alright,” Walker said. “We’ve got friends. Allies. I’ll do the talking.”
“Should I keep it running?” Oliver said.
WHS security didn’t move. They were all still as statues in the rain.
Walker slipped on his ballcap. Popped open his door.
“What are you doing?” Nate said.
“I said, keep it closed. I can handle this.” Walker hopped out. Closed the door.
“He’s going to get himself killed,” Nate said. His foot was burning. Fingers tingling. No
thing was right about this. He rubbed his hands on his thighs.
“Are you going to vomit?” Ashley said.
“Maybe.”
She scooted away.
“Where’s your leader?” Walker said.
One of the garage doors juttered open. A big man with salt & pepper hair and a neatly trimmed goatee emerged. He had two cannons on his hips, as big as Walker’s one.
“Walker,” he bellowed, “When you going to stop smoking those damn things?”
“Soon as you stop eating at the Eat-N-Puke,” he said, flicking away his cigarette.
The man sauntered down the ramp with a big smile on his face.
“You keep dropping those butts on the ground I’ll have you and your men policing this lot later.”
“I don’t think so, Jake.” Walker shook his hand. “Remember who you’re speaking with.”
“Sorry, Colonel,” Jake said, releasing his hand. “Just funning around.” He eyed the vans. “You sure brought the cavalry up today, didn’t you?”
Nate sat quietly, neck craned towards the window. Walker said they had allies, but who was who? He hoped Jake was one of them. He felt Ashley’s hand touch his. Her hand fell to the pistol on her hip. “Feeling it now?” he said.
“Uh huh,” she nodded. She popped the strap over the hammer. “I don’t like the way those dudes are looking at us.”
“Me either,” Nate said. He checked his pistol. I couldn’t hit the mall with this. He grabbed the shotgun. Jake and Walker were walking farther away. “Where are they going? Oliver, roll down the window. I can’t hear them.”
Walker lit up another cigarette. Pointed towards the vans.
“What’s he saying?” Nate said.
“I can’t read lips,” Ashley replied.
Walker and Jake’s exchange got heated. The big man’s ears reddened. Walker was on his tiptoes poking him in the chest.
“We need to get out of here,” Nate said. “This is bad. Real bad. They’re on to us.”
Walker punched Jake in the arm. Laughed. He waved at the van.
“Come on out. We’re gonna stay for a while.”
Oliver shut off the engine.
“Let’s go.”
Nate looked at Ashley.
“You first,” she said.
Nate opened the door, winced as he hit the ground.
Walker dipped his glasses on his nose and pushed them up.
Be ready.
Behind Walker, Jake waved to his men on the dock. Then he looked up at the mall roof. Pointed. Dropped his hands.
Two men were hunkered behind the low roof up there. A long green tube was hoisted on their shoulders.
“It’s a trap!” Oliver yelled.
Two blasts of fire burst from the roof. White hot missiles shot through the windows of the other black vans.
Ashley shoved Nate to the ground.
“Cover your—”
Two muffled explosions blasted the van’s windows out. Gunfire crackled.
Kaboom! Kaboom!
The vans were burning. Black smoke rolled out. Men screamed and dove out. Rolled and patted the flames out.
Nate felt a rifle barrel in his nose. Ashley had a knee in her back. Walker had his hands behind his head. Oliver lay with his blood spilling on the blacktop.
The Zombie Rebellion was over.
***
“Ah,” Ravenloft said, “I see our guests have arrived.”
Arms flexicuffed behind his back, Nate was shoved into a chair alongside Walker and Ashley. He was in a conference room with oversized blank LCD screens lining the walls. Ravenloft, Julie Edgerd and Leslie Mckinley were the only familiar faces. Two security guards stood along the wall behind Ravenloft.
A stumpy bald man in a white lab coat sat near the head of the table. His dark eyes were intelligent. Beady. Two other men in lab coats sat staring at fancy laptops like the one Don Baker had. Everyone else was dressed to the nines.
“Colonel Walker,” Ravenloft continued, resuming his chair at the head, “it’s taken months to snuff you out. So full of dirty little tricks. The WHS’s chief assassin and betrayer. Scandalous.”
“Thanks,” Walker said.
Jake popped him in the back of the head. Knocked his mirrored glasses off.
“Yer gonna pay for what you did to my men, Asshole,” Walker said.
“Every war has casualties,” Jake said, shoving his head.
“Oh don’t stress, Walker. The men who survived will make excellent zombies. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.”
Nate kept his chin and eyes down. Keep quiet. That’s what Walker had said. Maybe this was all part of the plan. After all, they were right here in front of Ravenloft. The very head of the WHS.
“Excuse me, Mr. McDaniel?” Ravenloft said.
Nate kept his head down.
“Come now, Nate, surely you aren’t going to continue to play the game. Please, Man Who Saved the World. Engage me. Engage us. It’s fascinating.”
Nate rolled his head back and stared Ravenloft in the eye.
“Oh, what a fine job they did, don’t you think so ladies?”
“I like the beard, Nate,” Julie Edgerd said.
“And your eyes are still soft as a puppy dog’s,” said Leslie Mckinley.
“Thanks,” he muttered. There wasn’t much of anything else to say.
“No, thank you,” Ravenloft said. He drummed the table. “Not only have you risen from the dead, but you’re even bold enough to try and save the world again. Brave. Admirable.” His smiled turned downward. “Stupid. You see―Nate, Walker―this world, you should know by now it’s not worth saving.”
A fire lit inside him.
“Who are you to determine that?” Nate said. He struggled with his cords. What am I doing? I’m not a superhero.
“Ah, Nate, if you only saw it our way. You see, the world is overpopulated—”
“Just shut up!” Nate said. “I don’t care if it’s over or under. Killing people is murder. You, all of you are mass murderers. You’d make a Nazi blush.”
Ravenloft giggled.
“Don’t be so serious, Nate. Listen, you’re alive. I like you. I like Walker too. I can use good men like you. I’m giving you a chance here.”
“What about Ashley?” Nate said. “Do you like her, or does she fall in the category of the overpopulated unwanted people?”
Ravenloft raised a brow. Smiled.
“Quite the contrary. Young, bright, energetic. The WHS always has openings for people like that. Especially when they’re …” He eyed Ashley. “… loyal.”
Jake walked over and unbound her wrists. She rubbed them and smiled. Shrugged.
“Sorry guys, I caved. I’m too young to die, and your plan was a pretty stupid one to begin with.”
“But,” Nate blurted out. He wanted to choke her. He wanted to ask why, but he knew the answer to that. The WHS paid better.
“Oh, the look on your faces. It’s one of the reasons I brought you up here.” He huffed a laugh. “For my entertainment. Oh, I wish I had a picture of that. Priceless.”
“You might as well be the one to shoot us too, Ashley,” Walker said with a sneer. “An awful lot of people will have died today because of you.”
“Everyone dies anyway. It’s the price we pay for living.”
“Alright,” Ravenloft said, “let’s get on with this, shall we? Begin the show, Charles.”
This is really happening. Nate felt helpless. Angry. The last moments of his life were closing in.
“You had it right, Walker,” Ravenloft said. “Another Outbreak is coming. And that’s not all.” He turned in his chair and faced the screen. The others followed suit. The men in lab coats’ fingers went to work on the computers, and images took form on the LCD’s. “That look is outstanding. Terrifying. Almost gives me a chill.”
Several images popped up on the screens. An overhead camera image of zombies like the ones from Don Baker’s computer caught his eye. The same meta
l skulls and chomping jaws. Their suits were dark gray camouflage. One thing was different this time. They had guns. Bright flashes burst from their guns.
They can shoot! Nate leaned back in horror. The interior of the mall was a madhouse. Zombies were fighting zombies. Zombie faces were screaming, yelling, shouting. Those aren’t zombies. A pair of zombies latched arms with a man in a fraternity shirt and ripped the man’s arms off.
“Oh!” Julie Edgerd said, turning away. “That’s horrible.”
A Zombie Soldier blasted a woman in the back.
“Good shot!” Ravenloft said, swinging his arm. “Now, get those cameras on Bawkula.” Ravenloft looked over at Nate. “Let’s see how that buddy of yours fares. He’s quite formidable.”
One screen was at eye level. The motion of someone running, gun barrel forward. Darting figures dashed left and right. A gun barrel raised in the line of sights. The face of a man with glasses was in the cross hairs.
“Henry!”
CHAPTER 29
“Get that suit zipped up.”
“I’m trying, but it’s tight. This guy’s bigger than the others.”
“Boo hoo. Now hurry up.”
Ziiiiiip Ziiiiiiip Ziiiiiiiiip Ziiiiiiiip.
“He doesn’t look like the others. Look at his eyes. They’re blinking. Zombies don’t blink, do they?”
“Just shove a helmet on him and get him to the treadmills. Let the eggheads figure that out.”
“Well, I’d hate to be the one facing this guy. What he doesn’t shoot—”
“What he doesn’t shoot, he’ll eat. Just be glad it’s not you. Now get the lead out.”
***
What?
The lights were bright. The images blurry.
What?
The lights moved. Stretched out like clouds overhead. Something was squeaking.
What?
He tried to speak. No words could be found. A sugary taste hung in his mouth.
The squeaking stopped. Fuzzy faces formed over him.
“Get those IV’s out. He’s full. Strap the pack on him. They want him pronto. Seems they want to show him off or something.”
Pop. Click. Zip. Pop.
“Avatar synchronization ready. Man, we’re really getting the hang of this. Give me a hand sitting him up. Damn he’s heavy.”
What?
“Sync complete. Get him out there. The show’s started. Need the finisher.”
What?
He moved. He walked. He touched his head, fingers, knees and toes.
“This one’s a keeper. Fluid. A real killer.”
***
“Duck, Tori!”
A zombie stumbled over, jaws clicking and mouth bloody.
Kablam!
Henry shot its brain across the food court.