The Zombie Principle II Read online

  They ended up a minute later in the holding area. A row of cells lining both sides of a wide hallway, six in total. The first cell had a man in air force blues lying on his side on a cot, facing away from the Major. The rest of the cells appeared to be empty until they reached the last one on the right-hand side.

  The Major looked inside and saw a man sitting upright on the edge of the cot. His western style shirt torn, blood stains covered a good portion of his left arm. His expression, a mixture of confusion and concern, didn’t change when he turned to acknowledge the Major’s existence. He sat with his head down, wringing his hands, and looking exhausted. That all changed when the woman came into his view. He sprang to his feet and rushed to the bars. She pushed past the lieutenant and Captain Morris to meet him at the bars.

  “Katie!” he yelled.

  Their hands met at the bars, his on top of hers.

  “I’ve tried to tell them, but they won’t listen,” she explained to him.

  “It’s ok dear, I don’t blame them. It’s actually hard to understand given the current circumstances,” he answered.

  Finally, Major Bradley spoke up.

  “Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here?”

  Sergeant Sanchez offered an explanation.

  “This here is Katie Sharp,” Sanchez said motioning to the women, now on the verge of tears. “The man behind bars is her father, Malcolm Sharp. They were both found outside gate 12. They were being pursued by several infected.”

  Sanchez paused for a moment as if he had just remembered something, turning to the lieutenant he asked, “Did you inform the sweepers of the bodies outside of 12?”

  The lieutenant nodded. Sanchez continued.

  “Anyway, we didn’t have time for the usual chit-chat before letting them in, so we admitted them first,” he said looking away from the Major’s disapproving gaze at breaking protocol.

  “While administering first-aid, I noticed the marks above Mr. Sharp’s left elbow.”

  “Malcolm, please call me Malcolm,” came the request from the jail cell.

  The Major stepped forward to get a better look into the cell. Malcolm turned his body slightly to give the Major a better look at his wound.

  “How did you come about that bite mark Mr. Sha… er, Malcolm,” the Major asked.

  “My daughter and I had sought refuge inside our bomb shelter. We were there for a couple of weeks when I needed some air,” he said matter-of-factly. “So, I checked to see if the coast was clear using the periscope inside the bunker. I didn’t see nothin’,” he continued.

  “I told him it wasn’t safe,” Katie interjected.

  “She did. She did at that. I kinda wished I had listened to her but you know, getting stubborn in my old age.”

  The Major was hoping he would get to the part where he gets bit, he had a plane to catch.

  “So, I made my way outside, slowly at first. Then, while standing outside, I took a look around and saw there was nobody there, dead or alive. I carried a baseball bat just in case. After a few minutes I told Katie to come up, it was a beautiful day…” his voice drifting off at the recollection of the sun beating down on him.

  “Malcolm…” the Major prodded.

  “Yes, sorry … So, we were standing near the edge of our property where I have an old Chevy pick-up, 2006 Silverado … black with silver trim … still runs … if it had any gas in it. Anyway, I guess one of those things were hiding, just hanging out in the truck bed. I didn’t see him. When I walked past the truck he reached out and grabbed me. I dropped the bat and tried to fight it off but … it got ahold of my arm and took a bite outta me. Katie grabbed the bat off the ground and beat the livin’ hell out of it. Killed it, but it was too late. I thought I was a goner,” he finally finished.

  Katie picked up the story from there.

  “What we had read and heard on the news before everything started going dark was the infection took anywhere from fifteen minutes to a couple of hours to spread. Not to mention what we had witnessed ourselves. My brother … um,” she stammered holding back the tears. The Major felt for her and gave her a second to regain her composure.

  “I was preparing to do what needed doing, but of course couldn’t. We went back into the bomb shelter. I grabbed the loaded shotgun we kept down there. We only had a few bullets left. The deal was we were saving them for ourselves if necessary. I cleaned the wound the best I could and then sat, a safe distance away with the gun in my lap … watching him. An hour passed, then two. After almost two days I put the shotgun down. I couldn’t stay awake any longer. I fell asleep. If he was going to turn I figured he would have by now. The following morning, at least I think it was morning, I woke up and dad was still sitting in the chair where I had left him. I got up slowly and walked over to him. I couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive. I grabbed the shotgun and shook him a couple of times and stepped back. He woke up, same as before,” she said.

  “Exactly how long ago did he get bitten?” asked Captain Morris, speaking up for the first time.

  “Well, the days come and go now. There doesn’t seem to be much reason to keep track anymore. But I would say over two weeks ago,” she answered.

  One could feel the air let out of the room. There had been many reports coming in from outside the base. Everyone who was let in and allowed to stay was, at some point, fully debriefed about what they had witnessed prior to arriving. Any military personnel who left the base was required to file a report on anything they witnessed or heard that would be useful in battling the infected or, hopefully, finding a solution. But no one had heard of anything quite like the story the Sharps had just told them.

  “So, you see … there’s no reason to keep him locked up, he won’t hurt anyone,” Katie reasoned.

  Major Bradley folded his arms and then removed his cap to scratch the top of his head. He was rarely at a loss for words or at a loss for an idea. But, he had to admit to himself, he was stumped.

  “There is no agreed upon incubation period, Major,” Captain Morris chimed in. “We’ve not heard of it taking this long but there is no reason to safely assume that it’s impossible. We just simply don’t know.”

  “Maybe the bite wasn’t deep enough?” the Major offered.

  “Negative sir, I got an up-close look, it went almost to the bone,” Sanchez said.

  “Any reason you can think of Malcolm why you’re the lucky one? The one person who may be immune to this infection,” The Major asked, turning his full attention to Malcolm.

  “I have spent nearly two weeks asking myself that very question, Major,” Malcolm said.

  “And …”

  “And I haven’t the foggiest idea,” he answered.

  “It would seem then that based on what we know about the infection,” the Major said turning to Katie Sharp and looking into her eyes, her deep brown eyes, for the first time, “there is no logical reason that your father should still be alive.”

  Chapter 5

  Tribute

  As a member of the Civilian Army Corps, Stephen had access to a number of things that regular civilians at the base did not. One of them was a Jeep. He had procured one earlier this morning to load up the tools he needed to expand the fence line. It was in this vehicle he and Lucy rode in silence heading back to the house they shared with several others.

  “What was unusual about the two people you rescued?” Lucy asked breaking the silence.

  The base was fairly large but news traveled very fast. Everyone in the base, military personnel and civilians alike, always had their ears open for any information that might lend a clue to the whereabouts of lost loved ones or reports of a possible cure.

  Stephen didn’t remember anything that was said at the barracks that might have led Lucy to think there was anything unusual about the new arrivals. On the other hand, she was a very astute girl capable of figuring things out on her own. It was one of the things he liked most about her.

  “The guy had been bitten in the ar
m but hadn’t turned yet,” Stephen answered.

  “Oh, no! Did you have to … you know?”

  “No, he claimed to have been bitten two weeks ago,” Stephen said as he took a sharp left turn onto the road leading to the base housing.

  “Is that even possible?” Lucy asked.

  She had spent most of her time in the logistics office since getting settled here at Fort Carson. So, she was privy to a great deal of information, including those debriefing reports filed by the logistics officers. At no time did she come across anything confirming such a story.

  “If he is to be believed, then yes, I guess so,” Stephen answered.

  Lucy thought about the implications for a second and came to a conclusion that no one had really arrived at yet.

  “If it’s true, there may be a great deal we could learn from him,” she stated.

  “I hadn’t really thought about that. You’re right … if it’s true,” Stephen said.

  “Why would someone make up a story like that?” Lucy asked.

  Stephen had no answer. If he was recently bitten, he might lie to be let into the base. Perhaps so that we would let his daughter in as well. But she corroborated his story. It seemed too genuine to have been rehearsed. Anyway, he had no idea if it was true or not so he just shrugged his shoulders.

  They again rode in silence until pulling into the parking lot for the housing complex they had been living in for the last couple of months. It was a two-family house that was now, by necessity, accommodating more people than before the outbreak. They got out of the Jeep and walked along the sidewalk leading to their house. Upon entering, they were surprised to find it empty. Stephen was home a little earlier than usual, as was Lucy. Kim and the kids were usually home by now, as was Nick when he didn’t have any duties after he was done teaching. Chester’s schedule was anyone’s guess but he always managed to make it home before nightfall.

  It was interesting to Stephen that he now thought of this as home, not just as temporary lodging. He had not heard any news about his family, his mom and dad. He held out hope that a reunion was just a matter of time. He was after all alive, why was it impossible to think that his parents might be as well?

  It was probably the fact that Lucy was here with him now that this place felt like home. They had been together for only two months, but it helped him make some sense of the hell that was unfolding around him. Maybe if things ever returned to normal, they could have a life together.

  They lived on the bottom floor of the duplex. There were two bedrooms, one shared by Stephen and Lucy, the other by Kim and her children. A small den had a fold out couch where Nick slept. When he came home, Chester used the couch in the living room. There was an end table, a lazy boy chair, and even a television in the main living area. The television was never on because no one was broadcasting anymore. The kitchen was small but functional. There was only one bathroom which sometimes created a problem. Base regulations only allowed one shower a week, the rest of time one used a bucket and pumped water from a well. That water was used for cleaning as well as cooking. All things considered, they had it better than most. And they were thankful.

  “I’m going to wash up,” Stephen said as he headed to the bathroom. He was dirty and sticky from working under the hot sun all morning. He opened the bathroom door to discover the water buckets were empty. With a groan and a shrug, he grabbed one of them and made his way to the back door. Back outside, he walked down a few worn wooden stairs and onto a small brick patio. The well was across the street and around the corner. As he made the turn he noticed several people in front of a small wooded area. He immediately recognized the group as his roommates.

  Adjusting his route, he crossed the street and came alongside a small vegetable garden. He turned around at the sound of a screen door slamming shut. Lucy had emerged from the house and was now heading across the street to join him.

  Kimberly Walker was standing in front of the garden with Jason, her eleven-year-old son, on one side and Danielle, her eight-year-old daughter, on the other. The garden was a project she had taken up to help pass the time. She knew it was too late to plant anything useful but to her surprise, the vegetables were coming along nicely and they should have some edible produce by the fall which was just around the corner. She told Stephen the garden was, at first, more therapy than anything else. But after a while, she decided it was something she could teach her kids to do. Given the current situation, she figured it might be a useful skill.

  Nick was standing behind them and off to the left. Everyone looked as if they had robbed an army surplus store. Since most of their personal belongings had been left in the parking lot of a Hess gas station outside Washington D.C., they wore what was given to them. Nick was the first to notice Stephen.

  “What’s going on? Time to harvest the crops?” Stephen asked with a smirk.

  “A dedication ceremony,” Nick answered.

  Lucy finally arrived at the gathering. Having overheard Nick, she asked, “Ceremony?”

  That question caught the attention of Kim who had been preoccupied talking to her children.

  “Oh, hi Lucy … Stephen.”

  They both responded with a nod.

  “Welcome to our little ceremony. We’re dedicating the garden today. It was Jason’s idea,” she said looking down at her son. Turning toward Stephen she handed him a plaque attached to what appeared to be a three-iron golf club.

  Taking it gently he turned it around so that he and Lucy could read it. It was bronze in color and had a depiction of some generic leaves on a vine, the inscription read:

  THE MARCUS WALKER MEMORIAL GARDEN

  It was roughly 12 by 16 inches and had been welded onto the top of the golf club that Jason’s dad had given him. The grip had been removed and filed into a point, like a stake. The plaque had been attached to the club head. He handed it back to her.

  “Where did you get that?” Lucy asked.

  “Well, a nice man who works at the machine shop came into the infirmary a couple of weeks ago. He had cut his hand on some equipment. Nothing too bad, a couple of stitches, but we got to talking. He had lost his wife and I told him about Marcus and …,” she stopped for a moment to gather herself.

  “Jason thought we should do something to remember daddy by, so I got to thinking about the garden and how he would have liked being out here with us. I stopped by the shop last week and asked Terrance, which was the man’s name, if he could come up with a sign or plaque or something without getting into trouble. I know metal and other things are in short supply. He said he owed it to me for fixing his hand. When I told the kids about it, Jason suggested mounting it on the club.”

  “So we could stick it in the ground,” Jason added.

  This new world was going to be tough on everyone but none more than the children. Stephen was constantly amazed at Jason and Danielle’s resilience. He had no idea how he would have handled watching his father die in front of him at their young age. It wouldn’t have been easy, that much he knew.

  “Mommy, we should say something,” Danielle said.

  “Of course, dear,” Kim replied, gently stroking the girl’s head.

  They all gathered a little closer together, moving as a unit so that everyone was in front of the garden. Stephen removed his cap and put his head down; the others followed suit. Kim took a step forward, golf club in hand, and pushed the plaque down hard into the soil. Nick and Stephen controlled their urge to rush and help her. They knew that it was something she wanted to do by herself. After a minute or so she had it deep enough into the ground where it would stay erect on its own. Finished, she retraced her steps and rejoined the group.

  “May this garden,” she began after a moment’s pause, “with the love of family and friends, bear fruits and vegetables to help sustain us through these troubled times. May we also never forget those we have lost along the way.” Kim thought she heard a sniffle next to her but couldn’t be sure who it originated from. It could have been fro
m her for all she knew.

  “God bless this ground and all those who work in it or benefit from it. Amen,” She finished.

  Everyone was silent for a moment followed by a smattering of ‘Amen’s”. Then Lucy spoke up.

  “That was beautiful Kim, really beautiful,” she said as she moved to wrap her arms around Kim and give her a hug. Lucy couldn’t help but think of Dave and Emma. And then of her own family.

  “Yea,” Stephen added.

  “Ditto,” Nick said.

  The kids had remained silent and stood in place as the adults started to move back toward the house. Kim turned back around after a few steps and watched her children. They didn’t seem to be crying. They just stood there. Then Jason reached down and took hold of his sister’s hand. He squeezed tight and she responded in kind. A tear rolled down Kim’s cheek. It was then that she knew her kids were going to be fine. They were fighters; just like their dad.

  The moment was broken up by what sounded like an airplane engine. Stephen looked up toward the sky in time to see a Gulfstream G670 coming in for a landing. An odd feeling of déjà vu suddenly came over him.

  Chapter 6

  Lost and Found

  Chester Boone had once again strategically separated himself from the Fort Carson hunting party. It was becoming an irritation for Major Bradly, constantly having to defend Chester’s behavior when his superiors complained of his arrival at the base’s gates alone dragging animal carcass’ behind him. The simple fact is Chester hunted better alone. He was never one to sit in a blind and wait for the animal to waltz by. Nor was he a big believer in working as a team, flushing the deer out into the open to one’s fellow hunters. No, he was a tracker. He prided himself on that ability and had depended on it most of his adult life. If it caused the Major a little agitation, oh well.

  Today, however, was not one of his better days. He had been out in the woods since early this morning and so far, nothing. He had seen plenty of squirrels and rabbits but he wasn’t particularly interested in small game. The meat locker at the base, currently being powered by a generator, was in need of larger game. If he was hunting for himself, a nice rabbit stew would be just fine with him.