Pandemic Z | Book 2 | Pandemic Z 2 Read online

  Barry could see the fear in Lena’s face. “What is it?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

  Lena moved the lamp to her other hand as she reached into her pants pocket. “It’s here,” she breathed out, searching for her nail weapon Barry had made.

  Barry nodded as he slowly turned himself to see the snarling zombie standing not too far behind him. “Whoa, easy there, tiger,” he said quietly. He feared any noise would invite the zombie to attack.

  “Barry, I don’t have my weapon!” Lena cried quietly. Barry whipped his head back to look at her. “I have nothing,” she said helplessly.

  Barry cautiously shuffled closer to Lena. There had to be something to distract the zombie with. “We need to find something.”

  Lena looked around the store. “What?” she began to say before focusing on the perfect makeshift weapon. “Oh my God. We could use…” her voice trailed off into silence.

  Barry was looking exactly where Lena was. He knew it wouldn’t be fatal, but it would work to get them out of harm’s way.

  “The blister pack,” They said together.

  Lena leaped quickly, snatching up the blister pack and darting around Barry. Barry caught the lamp from Lena as she swiftly hurried past, forcing the sharp edge of the blister pack into the soft fleshy skin of the grey enemy. The zombie snarled loudly as the plastic cut through his skin, and liquids began to ooze out.

  Barry dove out of the store, running into a woman standing close by. “Shit, sorry…” he said, attempting feebly to rush an apology.

  Lena shoved the plastic deeper into the zombie’s skin before joining Barry outside the store. Barry slammed the security gate closed, trapping the zombie inside. They were safe for the time being.

  “You’re the Bruce Willis in this story.” Barry chuckled, holding Lena up as she caught her breath.

  Lena laughed quietly in return. “This isn’t a story. I’m sorry to break this to you, but I’m afraid this is real life.”

  Barry pretended to be wounded through the heart. “How dare you lie to me!” he cried quietly and playfully, making the surrounding passengers laugh in the faint lamplight.

  “Shhh….” Harrison was at the back of the group. “Quit talking,” he added more seriously. His strong ears had heard more zombie snarls.

  Emily could hear them, too. They weren’t safe yet. “We need to get moving,” she said, pushing her way to the front of the pack.

  Lena and Barry joined Emily at the front with the zombie in the electronics shop. They had only been able to grab one lantern to guide the entire crowd to safety. The darkness hung in the air like a monster ready to pounce, and the heavy atmosphere grew heavier as they continued on their journey.

  The crowd made their way down another hallway, and the red emergency EXIT signs were the only other light source. The people farther back gripped the shoulders of the person in front. It was like a desperate conga line, struggling to push to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

  “Did you know that bakers share their recipes?” Barry blurted out. The silence was crushing him, almost suffocating him with an emotional chokehold. Silence made him feel even more vulnerable than their current situation. “On a… knead to know basis,” he finished with a light laugh.

  Jonny Wray laughed loudly behind Barry, and the loud noise made Barry jump a little. He hadn’t expected anyone to laugh at his jokes. He was more used to people telling him how lame they were.

  “Why does the chicken coup have two doors?” Jonny asked the woman beside him. “Because if it had four doors, it would be a chicken sedan,” he said, not waiting for a response from the girl before laughing at his own joke.

  Barry tried to hide his laughter. Snorting into his shoulder he said, “Wow, Jonny, that was just fantastic.”

  Jonny looked up at Barry proudly. “Thanks. Learned the power of laughter at an early age,” he said, smiling.

  “I guess you figured out early on that laughter is the best way to hide sadness, too, huh?” Barry asked, remembering his own dismal childhood.

  Jonny snorted a little laugh. “No, sir. I watched Monsters Inc. a thousand times.”

  Barry rolled his eyes. “Seriously?” he joked, laughing harder. “That was clever, mate.” He was impressed by Jonny’s skills.

  The group trudged on through the hallway, which was lined with shops and stands. Glass was scattered everywhere, and the sound of running water filled the hallway as they shuffled past the bathrooms.

  They passed another gate, and there were empty chairs and torn up carpet. A wheelchair was broken in the middle of the terminal, and the zombie sitting in it was oozing uncontrollably. The soft snarls were tired and distant.

  “Extra quiet through here,” Barry whispered as they tiptoed through the zombie crawling gates.

  Lena led the group carefully through the gates. They were almost completely silent as they quietly picked their way through the scattered furniture of the different gates. The front of the group was almost through the gate when a wailing child’s cry stopped them.

  Lena froze mid-step. “Oh, fuck no,” she sighed, knowing the noise would have alerted the zombies. “Who is that now?” She was fatigued and hungry, and her tone was less than polite as a result, though she tried to be pleasant.

  Emily broke away from the crowd. “Hey, it’s okay…” she cooed as she approached the child. “Come here.”

  The small girl stood where she was and continued to wail. The zombies growled and began dragging themselves towards the girl. Emily knelt on the ground, reaching for the girl. Her small rain jacket was ripped and falling off her shoulders, and she had bright pink leggings on. Her shoes lit up as she shifted from one foot to the other.

  “Lena, I can shift to help her,” Harrison whispered in her ear. He thought of his own young daughter as he watched the small child cry.

  Lena shook her head firmly. “No, Harrison. The poor child is afraid.” She looked at him seriously. “I doubt a werewolf is going to calm her down.”

  Harrison knew that Lena was right, and he felt powerless to help the girl. Emily was trying to coax her out of the path of danger with animal crackers, but still the child did not move.

  BANG.

  The crowd froze as the sound of metal crashing echoed around them. The scent of burnt materials wafted through the terminal, and the frightened passengers jostled around and pushed against one another, not knowing the source of the noise.

  BANG.

  It happened again, only it was louder the second time. The crowd frantically searched the ceiling nooks, the shaking water pipes, and the empty gate. The zombie was getting closer to the small child and more were on their way.

  BANG.

  Jessie screamed, burying her head in Ben’s shoulder. Beth, the woman who had been so terrified to leave the aircraft, looked nervously down the hallways. She was tired of seeing oncoming zombies, and she told herself that she was done flying. It was far too dangerous. Even being in the airport was a death sentence.

  Roy applied more hand cream to his cracked hands as he welcomed the zombies as part of Asher Bramnick’s great plan. He wished it was him controlling them instead of someone else.

  Then suddenly there was total quiet.

  There were no more noises as a creepy silence settled over the clump of people in the gate. The zombie was getting closer to the group, and they had to do something.

  Barry smiled to himself; this was his time to shine. “Follow me…” he told the zombie as he ran forward, heading to the far end of the gate. “Time to deploy the secret weapon,” he muttered as he hit play.

  The silence was broken by the loud, pumped up chords of a song by Queen. The zombie turned quickly toward the music, walking as swiftly as a zombie could. Barry squealed and slid the iPod across the gate.

  The machine continued blaring the music as it slid across the floor, stopping before the check-in counter. The zombie continued on its path to where the noise was coming from, following the sound blindl
y.

  “What a shock it’ll get when he finds nothing is there.” Barry chuckled as he approached the small girl who was still standing in the gate. “Hey, eat this…” he said, handing over a cookie he’d forgotten about.

  The little girl grinned happily. Barry scooped up the child in his arms as she ate the broken bits of chocolate. He rejoined the group to soft applause. His plan had been ingenious for the single zombie.

  Harrison could hear footsteps from far away. “Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, but more are coming,” he announced, sniffing the air. “I can sense them.”

  Barry snorted. “You look hella dramatic there, buddy,” he said, nudging Harrison gently.

  Harrison snapped his head forwards, baring his teeth menacingly. “Do not mock me, Barry,” he breathed roughly.

  “Woah, okay,” Barry said, raising his hands in surrender. “I meant no harm.”

  Harrison grinned. “Me neither.” He playfully pushed Barry. “Let’s go.”

  The group began their nervous journey yet again. The loud noises of zombies moving about filled their ears as they filled their hearts with fear. They moved and flowed like one giant organism. Strangers linked arms with other strangers, making sure no one was left behind. The darkness filled the hallways which made the noises more ominous and even louder than usual.

  “The doors!” Emily said as she held onto a frightened passenger. “That’s the exit!”

  The mood of the crowd changed at the sight of the doors. Freedom at last, a way out. It seemed the day had dragged on forever with a zombie behind every corner. The journey was almost over, and the noises were fading behind them. It was like life was returning to normal, or so they thought.

  Harrison nodded to the crowd. “I’ll go first,” he said loudly over the crowd. “I’ll scope it out.” He slid his backpack off and handed it over to Lena.

  “Be safe,” she said to him, knowing that he was going to transform outside the doors. “I hope that’s his last change of clothes,” she added to herself, swinging the backpack onto her back.

  The crowd waited in anticipation behind the glass doors as Harrison left them behind. The security guard stood slightly nervous outside of the airport terminal. To his left was a tall car park. The concrete structure was filled with snarls and groans, and he knew the zombies were there. He wouldn’t be able to take them out on his own.

  A Land Rover was parked neatly a few feet from him. The large machine was fitted with a large battering ram on the front and heavy glazing on the windows. It was almost zombie proof.

  “What the… fuck?” he said to himself as he jogged over to inspect the vehicle. The Rover was impressive and useful. Whoever owned it knew what was going on.

  Harrison could hear more zombies coming, so he had to be quick. He couldn’t defeat the oncoming hordes single-handedly, and he had to be clever.

  The road between the terminal and the parking garages was filled with mismatched vehicles. A VW beetle sat beside a Mercedes-Benz. The cars were too small to fit all the passengers in, so he needed something bigger, like a Cadillac or a cement mixer.

  He chuckled to himself at the thought of the passengers crammed into the back of a cement mixer. He continued to jog down the road, hoping to find something useful. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a minibus that was just big enough for his needs.

  Harrison had driven army vehicles before. He’d been in charge of driving the emergency vehicles. The controls of the minibus seemed simple enough. Steering wheel, pedals, and gearbox, everything he needed with the exception of a key.

  He ducked under the dashboard, hoping he wouldn’t have to hotwire the minibus, but he quickly realized he had no other choice. “Damn fucking shit with a fucking shit brain asshole on toast,” he swore repeatedly as he sparked the two wires together. It had been years since he’d had to hot-wire anything.

  The two wires connected, and for a moment, there was silence. Harrison sighed, shoving the wires together again, and the minibus roared to life. He strapped himself into the driver’s seat and pulled the vehicle around, heading back to the international terminal where the rest of the crowd was.

  Lena looked out across the road to the car park. She couldn’t see Harrison and wondered where he’d gotten to. She could hear the zombies getting closer, and she checked her watch. It had been only three minutes since he’d left.

  “This is like the D-Day invasion,” Barry said quietly to Lena. He was leaning against the cold glass door. “We just need a lime green Ford Fiesta.”

  Lena looked at him confused. “A lime green Fiesta?” she asked. She knew about D-Day at the end of the Second World War, but she didn’t remember any mention of a lime green modern car being a part of it all.

  Barry snickered. “I’ll have to show you the TV show someday,” he said, laughing. “It’s hard to explain right now.”

  “Uh... Lena?” Emily said nervously, looking out over the road. “There’s a minibus out there with the engine running.” She pointed. The driver was missing, and the doors were wide open.

  “It’s a minibus,” Barry said plainly. He pressed his nose to the glass, trying to see where Harrison had gone to. “Where’s Harrison?”

  “Where’s Waldo more like…” Emily piped up as she tried to lighten up the conversation. “Oh… um… Where’s Wally. In America, it’s Waldo,” she said stumbling over her words.

  Lena looked at the minibus. “Harrison put it there to… For us to escape in?” she suggested.

  Barry shrugged. He still couldn’t find Harrison, but he knew they had to get moving before the zombies completely took over the airport. He pushed the door open, letting the sharp night air cut through the stuffy air of the terminal. He ushered the passengers out of the terminal and onto the running minibus.

  Lena followed the crowd. The sounds of the oncoming zombies were more distant, but it was obvious they weren’t in the clear yet.

  “Can you drive this thing?” Barry asked Lena. “Because I can’t even drive a car,” he added.

  Lena had driven many army vehicles before and was confident enough in her abilities to drive the bus. “Yeah, but where the hell is Harrison?”

  A low, rough growl came from behind them, and the hair stood up on Lena’s neck. Barry squeaked from fright. The crowd was almost on the bus, and Emily was hurrying the remaining people into the vehicle. Lena and Barry exchanged worried looks, each of them hoping the loudness was Harrison.

  A low, quiet rumble came from directly behind Lena, and she froze. She turned slowly and sighed in relief when she saw it was just Harrison.

  The werewolf breathed heavily, his breath showing in the cold air. His eyes were huge, and his hair stood on end. His long nails extended from his large paws, and his snout glistened in the cold night. The group of zombies roared from the concrete car park. Harrison moved his head to investigate. He had a challenge ahead, and the passengers were fully loaded on the minibus.

  “Where are we going?” Lena asked the werewolf.

  Harrison grunted, nodding his head towards the far car park, and Lena nodded. Barry smiled nervously at Harrison. He felt safer with the werewolf around. He followed Lena onto the minibus, holding on to anything he could grab to remain stable.

  “Let’s get this baby running!” Barry said, trying to reassure the nervous passengers.

  There were more people than seats, and the aisle of the bus was full of passengers gripping and holding on tightly as the bus jolted and bumped along the airport road.

  The parkade was dark except for the emergency lights flickering, bathing the parkade floor with dim light. Lena slowed the minibus down, not knowing where to go from there.

  Harrison howled into the night air, knowing the noise would entice the zombies. He always preferred a direct fight than sneaking around bushes and hoping to pick off one or two of the enemies.

  He looked around the cold night. The clouds had parted, and the moon was full and hanging low in the sky. Harrison chuckled to himself
at the irony. He howled again at the full moon, living up to the werewolf stereotype as the loud sound echoed around the airport terminals.

  But nothing came.

  Harrison slowly made his way to the car park he’d sent Lena to. He’d hoped zombies would come to him before he arrived at the car park, but that wasn’t the case. The screams were faint, but his powerful ears picked them up easily.

  Screams? He thought.

  They were coming from the car park. In an instant, he was running as fast as possible to the minibus. The noise was loud and terrifying, and he couldn’t manage this alone.

  Lena was the first to feel the minibus jolt. It hadn’t come from the engine. It was something else. She pulled the vehicle to a halt, listening closely to hear any noises.

  But there was nothing.

  Then the bus jolted wildly again, and a grey, gnarled fist smashed against the window beside Jonny Wray. He screamed loudly as the window vibrated in its frame. The entire bus started to shake, and Lena wondered if the zombies were shaking the bus from side to side. The windows rattled, and the cracked one smashed to pieces making more of the passengers screamed.

  “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Barry breathed as the bus shook again.

  Lena once again put the transmission in drive, but it died. “Shit... Barry,” she said, turning to her friend.

  “What is it?” he asked frantically as the bus shook more violently.

  “I can’t get the bloody engine to start.”

  Barry looked outside the darkened window, quickly realizing they were trapped and surrounded by zombies.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The day was fading fast as Sean, Ryan, and Nathan frantically threw together a feeble plan. It was too simple to just drive to the main control room and then press the big red button to stop the plant from leaking.

  “It’s too simple,” Nathan, said pessimistically. He feared they were going straight into a trap, a trap they wouldn’t be able to crawl out of.

  Ryan agreed as he looked at the setting sun. The colors splashed the sky with a glittering piece of saddening art. “The darkness isn’t going to help us either,” he added, talking close to the microphone.