Zombies Ever After: Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse, Book 6 (35 page)

After a few moments, he called out, “Hello?”

No response.

“Hello?” he called louder, as if that would help.

Another click and he heard his mom’s voice at the very end
of a word like she’d been talking on another line.

Rose spoke to him. “Liam, listen. This is very important. I
have an agent in Cairo that has eyes on Marty. She’s going to
get out. Do you hear me? She's going to get out. You don’t have
to go there. Your mother and I agree on this. We need you to stay
clear.”

“What about Victoria? The Marines said she has a chip in
her. A tracking chip. She’s down there. I’m not going to
leave her to die.”

Lana responded. “Liam, I love Victoria. She can take care of
herself. I need to protect you from going
into
a horde of
zombies. You know that, right? It’s already too late.”

“I know that, Mom. But I’m going. Call me in a few
hours and I’ll tell you if I survived.”

He hung up the phone. The inner child screamed for him to do it,
but he mostly did it because he didn’t want to be talked out of
it. There would never be enough of a threat to get him to avoid
rescuing the girl he loved.

It was nice to know Grandma would be safe.

2

The Osprey came in over the town low enough he could see the
disaster unfolding everywhere on the ditch line. The dead had already
crossed using the bodies of those stacked in the water as they were
cut down by the defenders. When he last saw the ditch, he could
imagine such a thing happening, but it seemed beyond the realm of
possibility. Now, having seen it done, it looked pretty simple.

The plane swung wide around the town, looped up north over the
interstate, then made another tight loop over the center of town,
giving he and Brandyweis time to study the situation.

“The buildings look intact. The zombies are just now getting
over that levee.” He pointed down to the defenders of the town.
A line of citizens stood at the top of the big levee, and jousted
with the advanced line of zombies as they came up the hill. But there
were huge gaps in the defensive line, and some of the zombies were
already on the backside of the levee.

“Where's your Grandma’s house?”

Liam looked down like he was looking at a map. He identified the
central building he and Victoria had visited on the day he woke up
and walked the few blocks back to where he thought he remembered the
house. He pointed to a large field.

“I think if you land there I can walk you in. It’s on
that street; I’m pretty sure.” Being above the trees made
it difficult to see all the homes nestled under the leaves, but it
was his best guess.

Brandyweis ordered the pilot to fly the Osprey south over the
Missouri bridge, declaring he wanted to sweep the southern tip of the
peninsula. A couple of Abrams tanks sat on a parking lot near the
meeting point of the two rivers. Lots of people and a few other
vehicles were close by, but he didn’t see any zombies.

"Looks like they've got an evacuation plan. That's good,"
Brandyweis said. “Take your seat. We’ll touchdown where
you said. We know what we're dealing with. We have to be quick.”

Liam nodded. He was grateful the man had trusted him enough to
travel all this way on the word of a kid. That’s what he felt,
anyway. Somehow he was lucky enough to get rescued by Marines, then
airlifted by Marines, all to rescue his family. Not many people would
have the same backup.

As soon as he felt the plane touch down, he was out of his seat.
Brandyweis beat him to the back door. By the time it was down, they
were both on the run.

“It’s there. That’s it!”

The yard where he playfully rolled with Victoria was just ahead.
The yard, however, had been destroyed. He’d spent enough time
with tanks to recognize the destruction one of them could do to the
landscape. It had ripped through the backyard—flattening
several of the small trees he’d searched for spears—and
turned so it could go into the next yard and cross the street.
Another swath of destruction began a few houses down, where it went
back into the grass.

They ran up to the walkway, but the Marine halted him.

“Liam, we don’t know what’s inside. Let me make
sure it’s clear before you go in? OK?”

He immediately felt naked. He was unarmed.

“Can I have a weapon?”

He handed him a big knife. “This is all I have, besides
Mike-Sixteen here.” He nodded down to his rifle.

“Thanks.” It wasn't a shiny rifle, but at least it
wouldn't cost as much when he inevitably lost it.

When they reached the door, Brandyweis turned to him. “For
what it’s worth, I respect what you’re doing. Saving your
Grandma is very noble.”

“I’m here for two people,” he answered. He was
proud the military man thought so highly of him, but he’d had
plenty of time to think things through on the plane. His mom and
Grandma Rose both warned him against showing up here, though they
were wrong—the town hadn’t yet fallen. But they were
right, he was ashamed to admit, that it wasn’t really a smart
play to come all this way for Grandma. Not if they knew she was safe
already. Instead, his real reason for risking his life was Victoria.
And, if he knew Victoria at all, the reason she was back in Cairo
without him had to be because she was here for Grandma, as well.

Find Grandma. Find Victoria.

Brandyweis kicked the front door in. The distressed wooden frame
gave way on the first attempt.

Grandma wasn’t in the front room. It was a long shot that
she’d be in the exact spot where he’d last seen her. The
floor was covered with bedding and pillows. Like a mouse had been
hoarding materials for its home.

“Dang it; nothing is ever easy. I really hoped she’d
be here,” Liam said with frustration.

“Don’t sweat it, how far could a 104-year-old woman
go?” Brandyweis tried to be funny, but Liam couldn’t
laugh. Not after the day he’d had, and how close he’d
come to finding her. “I’m sure she’s—”

It was the last thing the man ever said.

A crazy-looking girl in the hallway had just used her shotgun to
remove his head.

3

Liam was stunned. He saw the girl. Saw the shotgun. Saw what it
did. Naturally, he knew the threat to himself. But he couldn’t
move.

An image of Yoga Girl flashed across his memory. Yep, he was
frozen in inaction just like the very first encounter he’d had
with a zombie.

The girl came out of the darkened hallway, and Liam recognized
her—sort of. Like someone he remembered by sight from his
kindergarten class.

“Liam!” the girl shouted with relief. “It’s
you! I thought you two were zombies. I mean you broke open the door,
and, like, came inside.”

He couldn’t move. Or talk. Or think, he discovered.

“Liam? It’s me. Debbie.” She was much too happy
for what had just happened. He managed to turn his head to see the
crumpled body next to his feet. The gun was right there, too.

“Like, that was a close one, huh?” She pointed the
shotgun to Brandyweis.

“He wasn’t a zombie,” Liam said in a low voice,
but with fiery anger.

“Oh, I’m sure he was. Look at him. He’s, like,
gooey, and stuff.”

He wanted to reach out and wring her neck, but he still couldn’t
move a muscle. The ringing in his ears reminded him, over and over,
how close he’d just come to death. And he’d lost a
friend.

Then, just as he was getting his muscles to respond, he saw two
people walk out from the rooms at the back of the hall. They were
very old…

“Liam. Before you complain, I, like, did try to get your
grandma. I had her right here, in fact.” She pointed to the
recliner chair. “But I got greedy. I, um, like found two more
outside and was bringing them here when your grandma walked away. She
escaped.”

“What...what are you talking about?” His voice was
quaking. The fear was still riding high.

“Your grandma. I had her. I, like, kept her safe, and stuff.
You know, just like you did.” She pointed to the other two
elderly women. “See, I keep them safe like you showed me.”

“I showed you?” He was absolutely sure he’d
never interacted with her.

“Oh yeah, I heard the story of how you got your Grandma out
of the city when the zombies first came here, then, like, from that
military camp in your bicycle, and how you rescued her from that
terrible zombie factory downtown. Then, like, you got her into the
plane.” She smiled widely. “Liam, you’re my hero.
That’s why I’m, like, mimicking you.”

The moment overcame him, he wanted to let out a great sob, which
was how he felt inside, but instead he let out a deep roar of a
laugh.

Debbie was taken aback. “What’s wrong, Liam. Did I do
something wrong? I, like, know your girlfriend isn’t here. I’m
sorry. Is that why you’re mad?”

“Is that why I’m mad?” he said with incredulity.
“You mean you have no idea?” He pointed down. “You
just—
like
—shot a good man. You don’t seem to
care. And capturing little old ladies? What the hell is it you think
I do out there?”

It didn’t affect her in the way he expected. She didn’t
react with anger.

“Liam. You have it all wrong. I’m doing this to save
them. Just. Like. You.” She giggled like a hyena. “You’ll
see. I can show you,” she said excitedly, as if she just
remembered her ability.

“What? I’m not going anywhere with you.” Part of
him expected the other Marines to come charging in after their fallen
leader, but there were only three of them besides the two pilots.
There was so much gunfire already in the town, the shotgun blast
would be one pop among hundreds. Outside, other gunfire kept getting
closer.

“You have to. I have to show you. I want to make you proud
of me.” Her shotgun pointed in multiple directions as she swung
it around carelessly.

He had a dozen witty retorts, but the girl had something wrong
with her. Clearly. The two ladies she’d “captured”
looked terrified. He rolled his eyes.

Here we go again.

“All right. I’ll go with you. But only to help the two
ladies you’ve got frightened to death.”

Somehow he’d taken on the role of protector for the elderly.
And, paradoxically, this Debbie person had keyed in on that and made
it out to be something evil. Instead of protecting the aged, she was
endangering them. Somewhere along the way, he would have his chance
to put an end to this.

They left the house out of the view of the Marines on the Osprey.
Debbie was at least that smart. Or maybe it was dumb luck.

They headed west, toward the towering bridge that went across to
Missouri. He’d crossed the very same a half hour before. Back
when a character named Lt. Colonel Brandyweis still existed in the
world.

Goodbye, sir
.

John approached the house and stopped short of the front door. It
had been kicked open, then shut again. The door jam was splintered.

He looked back to the Osprey and his unit. They were down the
street, shooting random walking zombies in the area. One quick glance
north toward the meat of the approaching zombie horde now snaking its
way through the streets of the town and he calculated his odds of
getting back, getting more men, then checking the house. There wasn’t
enough time.

“Stick with me,” he said as he pushed through. Chloe
followed, with one of her spears.

“Oh, God.” An Army officer lay upon the wooden floor,
among several sheets and pillows. His leg twitched pitifully as John
watched. The spray of blood on the wall and floor was evidence of the
level of violence which had practically removed the officer’s
head. He'd been shot within the last several minutes.

He rolled the man over so he could see his name tape. “Brandyweis.
Marty had mentioned this man. He was involved in this, too, though
I'm not sure how.”

He hovered around the dead body while Chloe searched the house. In
a moment, she called out. “They left through the back door.
They can’t be far,” she said with a drop in her voice.

“What is it?”

“Zombies, sir. Lots of them.”

Chloe walked back into the room. “Who shot him, sir?”

“I don’t know. This day just keeps getting
stranger...”

His eyes fell upon the dead body. Was Brandyweis here to hurt
Marty, or was he like him—trying to protect Ms. Peters from
Elsa and her operatives. Maybe he was killed by a robber. Anything
goes in anarchy.

“Sir, there a shit-ton of zombies outside. We need to get
back to the world.” She opened the front door to reinforce the
urgency.

He picked up the dead man’s rifle. No sense leaving it for
the dead.

They ran outside, then, out of duty, he walked up to the Marines.
A couple of young women—filthy with blood, and screaming they
were still alive—ran straight into the back of the plane. A
small contingent of survivors huddled inside. “Did you guys
hear a gunshot from inside the house? Your man is dead. Brandyweis.”

Three guns were trained on him.

He put his hands up, as did Chloe.

“We didn’t kill him,” she stated loudly.
“Someone used a shotgun to clip his head off.”

The Marines shared a look, then lowered their weapons a little.
One resumed sniping nearby zombies. More were on the way.

If they were lying, there’d be no way to prove them wrong.
There simply wasn’t time.

The senior Marine spoke up. “There was a boy with him. Was
he dead, too?”

John turned to Chloe, who had searched the house. She shook her
head.

“No, son. We saw no one else in the house, but the back door
was opened like someone had just left.”

The Marine looked at the tanks and Humvees, then back at John.

“I guess you’re leading this goat rope now, uh, sir.
What are your orders, general?”

Inwardly, John respected the Marines’ ability to roll with
anything. A man in a white T-shirt walks up to them in the midst of a
zombie overrun situation, and they calmly deferred to him as the most
senior commander in the shitstorm. Of course, he could never utter
complimentary words for a Marine in front of his own men.