Aftershock Zombie Series (Book 2): Breakdown (A Collection of Survivors Tales) Read online

  The conference I was coming home from was held mainly to discuss the emergence of rapidly evolving viruses like the strains of influenza in China that changed so much from host to host that vaccination was totally ineffective. Reports from India last year talked about a strain of rabies that was threatening to become airborne. It was a bunch of backstabbing, nay-saying, and vying for government funds. Not one peep about what had sprung up in the weeks leading up to the conference.

  On the fifth day of the conference, outside the convention hall, while some of the greatest minds in medicine invented problems to throw money at, there were people in the streets rioting. And dying, lots of them were dying, and then of course getting back up and killing others. A National Guard unit had to be assigned to escort us back to the airport. Thirty minutes after we were in the air, word came from the pilot that we would be making an unscheduled landing at Atlantic City International, but a few of us noticed the F-whatever fighter jet that “escorted” us down to the landing strip.

  So now I sit here in this abandoned manager’s office flipping through journals, my notebooks, some college anatomy textbook I found in someone’s luggage and dragged over here with me. Anything I can get my hands on to try and continue what little progress we made before communication collapsed. All I have are theories with no real way to test them anyway. Like it matters. Even if I found the cause, what are the chances of developing a cure? And let’s say for argument’s sake, that by some fluke, I find the magic bullet. How the hell would we manufacture it? And deliver it? Even just to disseminate the information… We wasted most of the fuel sending the chopper and the smaller planes out to drop flyers. The helicopter was supposed to go all the way to Florida, but that was months ago and we haven’t heard back from them. Mike says we have to keep a couple of the big 737’s fueled as escape vehicles. Great idea, but where the hell would we go if the shit hit the fan here?

  4

  Amy

  Mick and I had another one of our long talks about leaving the group. There came a point where we realized the decision to stay was based on the same mentality that keeps a woman in an abusive relationship, fear of the unknown rather than a real desire to be with them anymore. Fear drives so much of our behavior since zombies have become our main, and only, focus. We no longer have the luxury of a lazy Sunday spent curled up against the one we love. We’d try though, and take little moments while wrapped up in each other on some rooftop in some town we had never heard of before our trek towards New Jersey.

  Mick was getting tired of following orders and I was tired of the monotony. Add to that the bite in the air at night, reminding us that it’s time to find a place to settle for the winter. It wasn’t safe to spend it on the road. None of us are really trained to know when a storm will roll through. We spent our lives depending on a man in a little box to tell us if we needed an umbrella and panicking if a few inches of snow were in the forecast. Yet, the preppers seemed content with just crawling along. Maybe the monotony is what they need, the safety in knowing each day will be like the last.

  Wayne was the only other person who looked like he wanted to bolt. I think he stayed for a different reason than Mick and myself, though. His role had primarily been leading the group, even with the crazy system they cooked up where each person gets a turn at lead. The real decisions were always made by Wayne. He allowed the rest to feel like they had an equal say but, at the end of the day, it was all on him. That kind of responsibility was a chain that tethered him to the group.

  “What if we can get Wayne to leave with us?” I whispered as I pushed my face into Mick’s back and breathed in deeply. For a man who hadn’t had a decent washing since all hell broke loose, he smelled wonderful. It was a deep, musky smell, not off putting like body odor, but masculine like men smelled before they began dousing themselves with body sprays.

  “I don’t know if we could ever convince him that everyone would be alright without him. If I don’t believe it, why would he? I know most of these people know how to survive, but they don’t have the people skills to maintain the group. They all need to stay together to stay alive. I just don’t know if he would be able to do it. His conscious will probably stop him from leaving. ”

  “Well, we need to make our decision soon. Winter is coming and I don’t want to be caught on the road for it. We’re going to need time to set up camp.”

  “The zombies seem to move slower as it gets colder, maybe they’ll freeze up for the winter,” he pondered.

  “Guess we’ll find out soon,” I sighed.

  Gently kissing his back one more time, I rolled over and started lacing my boots. Somewhere along the way I had morphed into a character from a post-apocalyptic video game. Black boots, black pants and a black t-shirt had become my uniform. It’s a survival thing. Color makes you stand out, and standing out is the last thing you want. I had a shitty black windbreaker, but I needed to make it a priority to find our small family better cold weather clothes over the next few days. The preppers had started rubbing off on me, and, annoying as they may be, I gained some good habits when it comes to preparedness.

  I unzipped the tent and stretched my way onto the roof. Half of the group was awake and already working. Mick and I had managed to fall into the routine of never being first or last to wake. I wandered over to the far corner of the roof and tapped Garett on the shoulder. He had been on watch for the last portion of the night. He turned towards me, and stared at me with eyes that were far too serious for a boy of his age.

  I keep saying ‘boy’, but I know damn well that he’s not a child. Both Zoe and Garett have had birthdays in the last month. I did my best to celebrate with each of them. I found Zoe a new backpack and a fancy journal. On her birthday, we had our dinner alone at a small camp stove. Birthdays felt like they were meant to be celebrated with just the family. I managed to find a bag of marshmallows on one of the scouting trips and hid them as a special treat. She seemed genuinely excited. I wished it could have been more, or better, but roasting marshmallows on a roof was the best we could do.

  Garett had no interest in celebrating but I made him push through the motions. Emma had asked to help, and once I told him it was important to her, he let it go. We had adopted Emma into our small group after her father died. Mick felt we owed her father after what happened, but there was never really any other option. Garett was head over heels in love with her and I didn’t have it in me to leave her alone to fend for herself. She didn’t have the wits to make it on her own, and she was pretty enough to be scooped up by someone with bad intentions. Her naivety made her a target, and I’ve seen too much innocence destroyed in this new world.

  “There were less zombies last night than we are used to seeing in this area.”

  “That’s good to know. Maybe we can convince whoever is in charge today to let us get further than a mile before we stop for a look see.”

  “Wouldn’t that be nice,” he replied flatly. “Emma’s with me, and you and Mick got Zoe today.”

  “Fine by me, I am sure you want some alone time after being lookout all night. Just promise you’ll be careful.”

  He huffed at me in that way only teenagers can, making me feel like I was two inches tall for even insinuating that he was unable to care for the two of them. It wasn’t that I felt he was incapable because god knows there are times he has saved me from my own stupidity. It was concern out of caring. I love those three kids, and I just need to know they’re going to be alright.

  Morning pack-ups usually went like clockwork. Even with our newest members, we moved like a machine. There was no chatter, no need for it. Everyone had a job, and since the routine was a daily occurrence, they knew how to do it without instruction. It took less than an hour to get the entire camp packed, cars and trucks loaded, and safety checks done. Wayne was in the lead, which always made me feel a perk in my step.

  Mick took the wheel and Zoe climbed in the back of the Durango we had recently picked up. It was a real gas hog but it could ge
t around pretty good without being too big. Plus, in a pinch, all five of us could cram into it. After grumbling from the back seat for a minute or two, Zoe’s breathing turned soft and steady as she drifted off for her morning nap. She was a sound sleeper so I knew that Mick and I could discuss whatever we wanted without much chance of her overhearing us.

  Wayne started the caravan off slow and steady. Mick and I were hoping he’d push us along until dinner. The roads in the area had been cleared by others making their way through. They weren’t cleared completely but most of the debris had been pushed to the sides to clear a path, leaving small areas that were still barely passable only every few miles or so. By noon I was almost giddy. We had passed four towns that looked promising and Wayne just barreled along without stopping.

  “He keeps this up, and I say we stay.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing, but how likely is it that we can manage to convince the others that this is the way we need to be moving every day?” Mick grumbled, obviously not caught up with the same optimism I felt.

  Zoe was still out. Teenagers are weird that way. They require a ridiculous amount of sleep. They also have their days and nights reversed. Makes them good for night watch. I really don’t mind them sleeping as long as we are in a safe place. Hell, I wish I could close my eyes and dream this existence away most days. Wayne pulled us into a rest stop. Gas run and bathroom break. I was just happy he found a place we could do that quickly.

  Mick hopped out and ran up to the lead car as I slid over to the driver’s seat. I rolled the window down and craned my head out, hoping to hear what was being discussed. I was a few car lengths too far to hear the conversation, but I could tell from the flailing arms on some of the preppers that not everyone was as jazzed as I was about our progress. Mick looked frustrated but was smart enough to let Wayne handle them. Damn, I hated when that man is right. There was no way we could convince the others to move any faster than a snail’s pace.

  Garett, on the other hand, looked like he was going to take a swing at one of the men. I whistled sharply to get his and Mick’s attention, hoping to diffuse the situation. Mick looked in my direction but not Garett. I pointed frantically but before Mick could decipher my gestures, Garett cocked his arm back and his fist connected with the face of one of the other drivers. Mick lunged for Garett as he dove on top of the man, slamming fist after fist in the guy’s face.

  I couldn’t see who Garett had on the ground before Mick finally got a grip on him and ripped the stubborn teenager off. Garett was fighting every step but Mick dragged him back to our truck and threw him in the back seat. He landed right on Zoe.

  “Ow! What the hell!” Garett yelped. “You know damn well that jackass deserved it!”

  “Doesn’t matter Garett! Jesus!” Mick fumed for a bit, slowly calming himself as he paced back and forth next to the car. “Damn it, Garett! You put us in such a shitty position here.”

  Emma came running to Garett’s side, which was also against the rules. Whenever we made a quick stop, we needed to leave drivers in each car in case we needed to take off quickly. Otherwise your driverless vehicle would be blocking the exit of all the other cars. This was due to our ever-expanding group. There had once been a time when the middle cars could still position themselves with an out. Emma didn’t care for the rules much since her dad died, though. She said that rules didn’t save him, so what was the point.

  “Garett! Your face!” She cradled his chin in her small hands as concern washed over her face.

  “It’s nothing, Em. I promise. I’m fine.”

  “You’re fine! Well whoop-de-fuckin-do, Garett! You sit here and wait while I go back and sort this shit out.” Mick huffed as he stormed off towards the group.

  I figured it was best to not form an opinion until I had an idea of what was going on, so in my calmest voice, I asked Garett what had happened. Amazingly, it worked and I received an answer without attitude or defensiveness.

  “He threatened Em. He’s been pushing it with me for a few weeks now. Even went so far as to come find me on watch one night and try to trade me supplies in exchange for a night or two with her. This time he said it would be a shame if something happened and I couldn’t watch out for her. An accident or something. He promised he would ‘Take care of her for me’. That was when I had enough. He was threatening us both in front of everybody, and everyone is too P.C. to do anything about it. I’m tired of keeping my cool for a group that doesn’t have my back.”

  I took a minute to let all that sink in. He was right. I knew Mick knew it too, but he needed to calm the situation down. “Mick and I have been considering leaving the group for a while now. I wish you would have told me what was happening earlier, but it is what it is. We can’t change what just went down, so now we move forward. We can’t just take off, but I do agree with you, Garett. This isn’t working anymore.”

  “What about Em?”

  “I can’t believe you feel like you have to ask. She’s family. She comes with us. Right now, we’re lucky that you’re only two cars back. When there’s a chance to change that, you take it. I want you two right behind me. Understand?” I paused long enough to catch a nod from him. “Now, go back and sit in your car. Get a drink, eat something. Be ready to go. You talk to no one. Lock your doors and stay in line until we take off. Be smart, Garett. If you want to take care of Em, you have to think ten steps ahead of where we are right now. You didn’t do that when you cold cocked that jerk. I’m not mad about it. But you need to just go and do what I say this time, no back talk.”

  They walked off hand in hand and I smiled. I was happy for them. Life may have sucked compared to how it used to be, but at least they had each other, which was so important. My brother had raised his boy the right way. Just thinking of him and my sister in law broke my heart all over again. They should be the ones here with their kids. I bet all three would still be alive. Instead they got me. I somehow inherited a herd of orphans who don’t know the truth. I’m not full of any wisdom, at least no more than they have. I’m just faking it.

  5

  Daniel

  I was about done with these assholes. I couldn’t help but think of them as anything but lately. And I was tired of their whining, sand bagging asses. A trip that should have taken weeks was now looking more like months and the closer we got to the coordinates on the flyer, the slower we moved. Every snapping twig, every flutter of wings in the woods, every shadow held an uncountable horde of the undead, and they scattered. Even though our group had swelled to nearly seventy men, women and children, there weren’t more than five I trusted with the guns they carried. But I made a promise to the Rev, and I owed it to him to keep that promise.

  After chasing me down on that roadside, he was the only one that actually forgave me for what happened between the two of us. Every other one of these assholes still harbored some resentment or another, some of them still blamed me for what happened back at Sanctuary. You know, I never heard anybody call it that while we were there, but Francine started it one night and it was like we had been calling it that all along. I didn’t even really blame them for hating me. They needed a scapegoat. They needed somebody to crucify, but they also needed somebody to tell them when to shit and which direction to wipe. The Rev and I were okay, but I was getting tired of babysitting.

  At the pace we were moving it would be another month before we made to this mythical compound. I had to figure it would be in ruins by the time we got there. The closer we got to anywhere that used to be populated, the worse it got. And we had skirt way wide of Philly when it came time to cross into New Jersey. No telling how much time we lost there, but no way was I going into a city that size, with or without this group in tow.

  We picked up stragglers along the way. The Rev said we had a duty to and no matter how much I argued about spreading our dwindling rations even further for people that couldn’t carry their own weight, he would just look at me and say, “As you have done to the least of my children, so yo
u have done unto me.” I guess quoting the Bible at me was his way of winning an argument. It worked though, I gotta give him that. He’d start in with Job, or Matthew, or 5th Corinthians or whatever, and I would throw up my hands and walk away. That shit was his crutch, not mine. Didn’t matter that for every wandering soul we added to the group, we lost two or three the next day. They were tired, starving… Hell, I was tired and starving, some of them just didn’t have what it takes to survive the way things are now.

  See, most of these people used to live in a world where the next meal was as close as the fridge and only as far away as a drive to the store. You could lock your front door and feel safe enough to sleep through the night. Ten thousand steps a day on your pedometer was some kind of fucking accomplishment. And the real scary shit went down in some other neighborhood, in some other country. All that was gone now, and just wanting to survive wasn’t going to cut it. The softest ones went first, and they went fast. I’ve seen people die in a lot of different ways, but watching someone starve to death, or walk themselves to death is even more fucked up than watching them get torn apart by moaners. And we saw way more of them than we did living people.