Infamy: A Zombie Novel (11 page)

Chapter 11

Dead Nation

“You looking for something
, Mr. Seth?” Caesar says.

“
Ammo.”

“
You’re fully loaded. We did that back at the apartment.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Trying to talk my way out of this is just pointless. I point my handgun at Caesar.

Shock and bewilderment light
s up his face. He raises his hands slow, showing neither weapon or challenge.

The
next person shocked and bewildered is me.

Caesar busts out laughing as if it’s a joke that I’m even pointing a gun at him.
“We both know you don’t have what it takes to shoot the living,” he laughs. Now put down the gun. This isn’t a videogame, cabron.”

“If you don’t stop laughing I’m going to w
alk over there and gun-fuck your head.”

“
If you insist on keeping up this feeble display of dominance, then I’ll play along. What is it you want from me?”

“Just let me take this book and Ella.
Think of it as the rest of my payment for leading you here.”

“Where will you go? You’ll never escape this city without me
. Why do you want that book? It’s nothing. It’s useless.”

“
You can’t read German? I can. This is my ticket out of this shithole.”

Caesar
starts pacing back and forth. It’s as if having a gun pointed at him doesn’t matter anymore. “So you know everything?” he says.

“
Let me try to put it together. Drug lord finds new narcotic. Drug lord decides to get ahead of his competition. Drug lord realizes the apocalypse ruins business. Yeah. Got it.”

Caesar
points at me.

I want to shoot his fucking finger off he looks so angry.

“You think I meant for all this to happen?” he says. “I don’t make money off the dead. The dead have cost me everything. My family, my army, the labs. Every resource I have is gone. An entire empire wiped out in within days. You think it was just me? Maybe you think it was the Russians? Or the Nazis? Try the Americans. Your government forced me to release Infamy. You should be blaming them. Their so-called war on drugs is a lie. They attack the supply. If they were smart, they would attack the demand. All those resources they could be using to battle addiction are wasted. They just create innovation in the drug world among the cartels. The world needed something new. Something dogs couldn’t even smell. I found it. And I released it. And now . . . I regret it.”

I almost feel sorry for the
asshole spilling his guts like this.

His chest heaves as he attempts to catch his breath from his ranting. After a few seconds he drops his hand back to his side. Almos
t like a gesture of surrender. Then he continues . . .

“It cos
t me almost everything just to get enough men to break through the border,” he says. “Every one of them died just to get me here. Then my driver wrecks our car. If he hadn’t died I would have killed him.”

“
That’s a nice story, but I really need to get going,” I say. “Sorry I can’t stick around for you to test Marco’s formula on me.”

Caesar laughs again.
“I never planned on doing anything to you. You I like. There are smaller, more expendable parties . . .” He smiles at Ella. “Who knows what other secretes that book holds. Why don’t you join me? We could make hundreds of millions off a cure.”

Caesar
must have put something in the bottle he made for her before we left. And here I thought he was just being kind. Asshole. My attempt to control my rage weakens. “You heartless fucker. What did you do to her?”

“
She has the only known cure in existence. She just needs to be exposed to the infection. Think about it. You can come out of this looking like a hero. The sacrifice of one can save millions. And out of those millions, we will gain fortunes.”

“Sacrifice?
I guess there’s no other way, is there?”

“That’s right,
” Caesar says.

“
Shove your millions up your ass. We’re leaving.”

“I won’t let you.”
Caesar’s arm reaches to the back of his waistband.

I fire my gun. The shot echoes. Vibrations flow through hallways and corridors,
chased by the voice of Caesar.

“My ear. You shot my fucking ear.”

“I told you I wasn’t playing around.”

Caesar grips his bleeding ear.

Unfortunate for me is the fact I was aiming at his chest.

“No baby-
toting boy fucking shoots Caesar Valdez and lives,” he shouts, firing a few shots toward us.

I take cover behind a nearby pillar
.

Caesar dives behind a couch.

The lobby is a combustible IKEA showroom floor. Décor explodes as bullets collide with lamps, paintings and table centerpieces.

My
skill with a gun can’t hold a candle up to Caesar’s mastery of the weapon. Still, I hold my own, keeping him pinned down. That is until the dreaded
click, click, click
comes, followed by me mouthing, “Fuck, fuck, shit.”

What a perfect time to run out of ammo.

The good thing is Caesar’s bag only a few feet away. Can I get to it? I unstrap Ella so I can dive for it.

“Sorry baby,” I say. “D
addy needs a gun. You stay here. No laughing.”

She
smiles.

I take a deep breath and
jump for the bag, hoping I can swoop it up and hide behind a pillar. Doesn’t work that way. In mid leap my face is greeted by Caesar’s forearm, which knocks me away from the gun bag and Ella.

He smashes
his fist into my face before taking aim at my chest.

“You insect. First I’m going to shoot you in the gut so you’ll bleed all over the floor. Then I’m going to let those infected fucks come and eat you alive.”

“There’s no need,” I say. “They’re already here.”

Caesar cocks his head slightly
. Confusion washes over his face.

An
arm grabs around the chest. Another wraps his forehead.

T
his is what I like to call the Zombie Death Grip.

“No-o-o.” Caesar tries to
shoot a zombie but he’s met by a mouth that bites into the flesh of his forearm.

A rather uglier-than-normal zombie with a huge burnt fro
, two gangrene eyes, and saliva pouring from its bloodstained mouth, rips into Caesar’s neck. Fucker must have sniffed him out.

“Seth, help me!
” Caesar cries.

“Not even therapy can help you from this kind of gang rape
.” I grab his shotgun and a couple of clips to throw into the diaper bag. I then hit the exit with Ella giggling and dangling from me like a little tumor.

The undead are everywhere outside. The only good news is they’re slow and dumb as rocks. It’s not long though until they start chasing me. I give a couple of undead asshole chicks a good kick to the kneecaps and send their asses to the ground. Then I huff down the street. My head pounds from the beat down my face just received from Caesar. I only make it a couple of blocks before having to run inside a Goliath-sized building that dwarfs the El Cortez.

The undead enter the lobby in droves. I carry Ella and the bag to the stairs and throw open the door. Inside it’s pitch black. I drop the bag and frantically reach into a side pocket for a flashlight. Got it. Fortunately, the first thing the light shines upon is a fire axe. After busting it out of its glass prison, I wedge it in to the door handle to lock out the infected. No sooner do I let go of the axe the horde reaches the door and begins an assault on it.

Suddenly
the smell of baby shit hits me. “Damn it, Ella. You couldn’t hold it in?”

She
goo goos.

We head up one floor and enter a large room full of cubicles. I change Ella’s diaper
on a desk and decide it’s time to give the Major another call. An empty filing box works out great as a makeshift bed for the baby.

Good timing. When I turn on the radio that asshole is trying to call me.

“Seth, come in. This is the U.S. Army. Please respond.”

“
I’m here,” I answer.

The
Major is on the line.

“We’ve been trying to contact you
.”

“
I have the journal. Lobo is dead. Before he died, he injected something in my baby that he believes is the cure.”

“
That’s good news. We intercepted a helicopter carrying a wounded Russian operative. A young woman onboard claimed to know you. She was under the impression you’d been shot.”

“Jessica? S
he alright?”

“She’s
fine and is trying to contact her husband right now.”

There’s a
sudden drop in my gut. Nice to know I’ve been played a fool. I try to focus my attention on the Major. “How about that ride?”

“
My CO said no to my request, so I’m taking matters in my own hands. I’ll be coming for you myself.”

“What the hell? Don’
t they want a cure?”

“
It’s a difficult situation. Your radio has GPS so we have your position. Satellite photos show the streets are too hot to land. Can you make it to the roof of the building?”

“
I’ll get there.”

“
You have just under two hours.”

“Or what, this building will
self destruct?”

“
In two hours, Operation Rapture takes place. It’s going to be a tight window, so leave the radio on. I’ll keep you posted on our progress. Our helicopter is fueling now. God speed.”

Chapter 12

Fist full of Boomstick

It’s bullshit they have to wipe out an entire city just to kill off an enemy that takes around twenty minutes to walk a mile. Can’t help but think about all the survivors still out here waiting for help to arrive. Sure hope I’m not one of them for much longer.

I
keep the radio on and attach it to the diaper bag, waiting for the call. Ella cries, begging for her bottle. I’m reaching in the bag to pull out some formula when I feel a sharp pain.

“
Aaahhh, my arm!” I scream.

T
eeth bite into me, tearing forearm flesh.

My feet kick over
the box Ella is in, causing her to start screaming too. I fall on my shoulder, jamming it pretty good into the floor, and get slammed with dread—this awful reality that I’m now infected.

When I look
up at the zombie I realize the fucker is Caesar. He’s covered in blood and bite marks. Half of his neck is gone and one of the eyes has been chewed out of his face. His clothes are torn and bloody, and his blackened ear I mostly blew off is completely shredded. If this isn’t scary enough, he spits out the chunk of my arm, pulls out his gun and starts talking.

“
You think some fucking corpse can finish me?” he rages. “Someone should have made sure to finish the job.”

“What kind of sick
asshole are you? You make a shitty zombie too.”

“
Always joking, aren’t you? You’ll be suffering and crying soon enough. So will that baby. Trying to save her has been pointless. How does it feel knowing you’ll be the one gorging on her organs?”

Caesar has really outdone his
fucked
upness with this one. The words from the book begin to race in my mind. It said the change can take up to eight hours. Also said it could take seconds. And if he hasn’t changed yet, will I? I’m fucked. I don’t even know what the signs are to indicate I’m turning into one of those monsters.

C
an there still be enough time to get Ella to the roof? Assface interrupts my thinking.

“Go ahead
. Take out your gun and shoot her while you still have time,” he says. “I’ll let you grant her that single mercy.”

“Fuck you.”

Caesar leans against a desk, catching his breath. Blood oozes from his entire body.

I
place Ella back in the box.

She cries as she looks up at me
.

“
You have your revenge on me already,” I say. “Let me take her to the roof. Then you can do whatever else you want. There still may be time to save her.”

“
You really want to be the hero, don’t you? Why don’t you just answer this simple question? Will she die by your mouth or your gun? None of us will leave here alive. At least you get to choose how she dies.”

Why would he put me through this shit?
I don’t want her to suffer. He’s right. If I kill her now, then I won’t have the worry of turning and ripping her apart.

“I hope you fuck
ing burn in Hell,” I say.

 
              “I’m sure we both will,” he says. “Now do what you know is best. Just take out the gun and pull the trigger.”

The grip of the
gun is still warm from our battle earlier. Somehow it feels much heavier.

“That’s it
, Seth. Now squeeze the trigger.”

He’s right. I have to do this. Otherwise she will become a little monster, and the most helpless one of all. She will rot
; her decaying body will wither into a piece of infected baby leather.

“I’m sorry
, Ella,” I cry. “I hope somehow you know I love you.”

My finger slides
against the trigger; palms sweat. I feel as low as Caesar. I’m a baby killer.

Ella
stops crying and stares up at me. She doesn’t know what I’m about to do.

My breathing becomes
rapid. Nothing can prepare a man for this moment.

And then she does something I never expected
in a million years.”

“Da-
da,” she smiles. “Da-d-a-a-a.”

The
se might not be real words, but they just might be the most powerful I’ve ever heard.

A
memory flashes in my mind of the man who left his daughters in the lobby of the condo. He did it knowing it was the only way he could give them a chance. He had the look of a man who would die ten thousand times if it meant saving them. I couldn’t understand what he was going though at the time. Now I know.

I swing the gun
away from Ella and fire at Caesar. Each squeeze of the trigger doesn’t feel like it’s enough so I keep pulling. His mangled, blood-soaked body takes in every shot. Blood, flesh and clothing fly everywhere.

Ella
laughs her ass off. Can’t blame the girl for loving a great zombie kill.

I put down the gun,
take out one of the baby blankets from the bag and wrap my arm with it.

I put
Ella in one of the baby carriers.

Caesar
’s body is motionless on the floor as I head for the staircase.

The stairwell is still as dark as it was before, but this time not as quiet. Footstep
s and moans echo. Caesar must have let them in before coming after me.

Shining the light downward
to see how far away they are turns out to be a bit of a mistake. They’re everywhere below and still pouring in. And they’re drawn to my light. Shitfuck.

Running
still sucks for me. What sucks more is running upstairs. My legs begin to cramp and lungs burn. Fear, however, is a great motivator. I leap two stairs at a time.

Though
I’ve been going up what seems like forever, it feels like the top is still far away. I keep pace ahead of the infected below, then pause at the sound of feet pounding from above. I shine my light up the stairwell. A charging, full-rage, coffeehouse barista zombie comes into view, followed by all of her ugly, flesh-hungry friends.

Zombies are fucking assholes.
This is a great rescue they’re ruining.

I push in
a door next to us and get out of the stairwell. Ella is pretty happy for some reason. No idea why. She claps her hands. I kind of stop for a second to watch her. It’s really cute.

The hallway leads to a set
of office doors. Zombies aren’t pausing to check door numbers or to smell the flowers, so I need to hurry and decide. I swing open an office door and push a desk against it.

Great timing. The
radio crackles.

Fuck me. Is this how I’m going to die? A few steps too short?

“Chris is starting the chopper. Get to the rooftop. Rapture pilots are beginning to take off. We don’t have much time.”

“
I’ll be there, Major.”

I have no idea how I’m getting out of this one.
The undead continue to bang away on the door. Ella sits in my laps as I bounce her on my knee. She smiles, watching the door shake from undead fists pounding and clawing.

Noise doesn’t seem to bother her like
it does other babies. Something has changed in her. Is she just damaged goods like me now? If so, I love it.

“We’ve seen too much, Ella,” I say. “All this violence and death and you just think it’s a game. It’s not a game. Except maybe getting to the roof
. Level one hundred. Game over.”

I
try to guess how many floors we are from the top. I need to think a little longer before I make some sort of move. I have to try. Can’t just die here in this room, even if I do have a happy baby as company.

“You’ve
become my pretty little enemy, haven’t you?” I say. “Got me in the worst situation imaginable. Will we get out of this one?”

Some baby talk
comes out of her mouth along with some drool, which I take as agreeing with me.

“Smart kid,” I say.

She’s broke through every barrier surrounding my heart. Can’t help but admit it now. “You’ve shown me love, little girl. More than any other woman that’s for sure.”

If we
never met I might have stood a chance of living. I may have survived on my own. None of that matters now. I’ve been bit. Nothing can change that. I’m just going to live with the fact that asshole Caesar infected me.

“Well, fuck you, Caesar.
Me and this baby aren’t giving up. We still have some business of our own.”

Ella claps.

Caesar may have thought his revenge was turning me into one of them. He’s wrong. I’m going to make sure his plan fails just like all his others. His cartel, his family, his escape. He was a dead man walking the day he was born. Failure is written all over that sack of meat. But not us. Not Ella.

It’s liberating not trying to survive
the infection anymore. The gloves are off. Nothing can hold me back from what needs to be done. Ella is all that matters. No zombie Hell unleashed will keep me from getting her to the roof.

T
he military radio kicks on.

“We’re ten minutes out,” says the Major.
“Don’t be late.”

“How much longer
until the Rapture?” I say.

“You just worry about being on that roof and having that journal.”

Asshole. I’m trying to save Ella before I die and this guy is only coming for a book written by some Nazi dipshit.

“It’s strapped to the baby,” I reply.

While tightening the straps on the baby carrier to make sure Ella and the journal don’t fall out, I see fighter jets and helicopters in the sky. So this is the Rapture.

Bombs
begin dropping from aircraft. Massive explosions light up the sky in fiery billows. Buildings break apart. New towers rise in a cityscape of ash and flame. This is some really fucked-up shit. At least any survivors will go fast when the time comes. Not much suffering when you’re turned into clouds of particles.

The shotgun has one shell. Both hand
guns are fully loaded. Only one grenade. Fucking bullshit. Wish this was a video game. Someone please turn on the unlimited ammo.

After cocking th
e shotgun for its final bang, I stand in front of the door and take a breath, anticipating this final push.

Ella is quiet
.

“Time to start laughing, girl. This is
gonna be a riot.”

The girl is a giggling mess.

I aim the shotgun at the door. “Gonna fuck you up,” I say.

Then
the most unexpected thing happens. I tear glides down my right cheek.

“I didn’t even cry over that bitch, Kathy,” I laugh. “Look what you’re doing to me kid.”

Ella calls me da-da again and chuckles.

This is it. G
o time. There’s no save point, no pressing continue to try again. Even if Ella is immune to the infection, she can still be killed. Mangele’s Journal can burn with this world if she’s not going to be living in it.

She’
s all there is for me to live for. She’s all there is for me to die for.

The
n the pounding stops. Do those zombie fuckers know Hell is coming after them? 

I squeeze the trigger.

The shotgun rips a huge hole through the door. I drop the gun, bite down on the pin and toss the grenade into the hole. Zombies claw and tear at the broken wood, trying to get in as I duck with Ella tight in my arms.

An
explosion shatters what’s left of the door and flings chunks of wall and flesh in every direction.

I jump up and
take off running through a newly formed path between dozens of infected.

Ella roars with laughter like she just heard the best stand-up comedy in the world
. What the fuck is wrong with this kid? I love her.

I
come to a huge hole in the floor and jump across the terrifying drop. I stick the landing but the diaper bag slips from my fingers into the hole. Shit. Those assholes better have Pampers on the chopper.

Firing
both handguns, now, I continue toward the stairs. Rounds fly, tearing away noses, eyes, cheeks, ears, punching through foreheads, blowing away scalps and chunks of brain. Many shots don’t even nail the fuckers in the head. Bullets rip through necks, sever vertebrae, and blast chins, releasing long, flappy tongues. Other shots hit torsos, at least causing the fuckers to stumble backward.

Zombies
scratch against my arms and back trying desperately to cling on. They can’t get ahold. I’m a slippery fucker.

Ella’s laughter is my fuel.

We rage on.

F
ighter jets scream overhead, rattling windows in their wake. An explosion rocks the building, but I don’t stop. The floor shakes violently, causing almost all of the infected to fall.