Zombies (16 page)

“I got you covered
.  Just watch your back,” yelled Michael.  His voice was barely audible, but that was all Arnie needed to hear. 

Turning to face his opponents,
the little man was shocked by how close they were.  “You guys want a piece of me?  Come on if you think you are man enough,” said Arnie.  However, the group consisted of an equal number of women among the undead, but they barely resembled females.  The few things they had in common were the eyes, the blood dripping down their faces and bodies, the moaning, and that terrible stench.  After issuing the challenge, Arnie began the journey to the bottom of the stairs still unaware of how his partner intended to cause an explosion.  With doubts building, he envisioned meeting zombies at the end of the descent.  Had his so-called friend set him up to save his own butt?  The thought did cross his mind.  Then he realized Michael had searched him out to watch over him during the period of waiting.  “He wouldn’t do that,” Arnie mumbled, attempting to sooth his feelings.  “How many more are there?” he mumbled.  He was out of breath and the bottom of the stairs was nowhere in sight.

“Is the Mighty Rambo out of shape?” asked a familiar voice.

“Crap, man!  You scared the daylights out of me,” said Arnie, holding his chest.

“Sorry
about that I thought you saw me.”

“How could I
?  There is barely enough light in here to see where we are going,” said Arnie.  The sound of the creatures descending the stairs reminded them of the urgency of the matter.

“Well
, my friend, if this works, you will be able to see for miles.  I just hope you got them to follow you,” said Michael.  About that time, several of them rolled down the stairs while tripping over each other.

“What do you think that was?” asked Arnie.

“Yes, but I hope they all followed you.  If not, we may be in trouble here in a few minutes,” said Michael.

“Don’t worry about that
; they are zombies, remember?  Those dumb beast will follow the one in front of them,” said Arnie. 

As they reached the bottom, Michael peeked outside.
  “It’s clear.  Now run for those woods as fast as you can, and don’t look back,” instructed Michael.

“What about you?” asked Arnie.

“I will be fine.  This is where I do my part,” said Michael, patting him on the back.  Arnie paused to consider what would happen to his friend.  “You need to get a move on.  They are coming for us.”  Reluctantly, he left through the front door and ran like the wind.  Michael laughed at the way that looked.  It reminded him of the first time they had met.  That little guy came out of the bushes, took the phone from his hands, and disappeared in a flash. 

The scent of raw gas was soon overpowered by the stench of the zombies.  It was now or never as Michael removed the lighter from his pocket.  He
had never used it; but since it was a gift from his grandfather, he couldn’t bear the thoughts of parting with it.  However, now would be the time to put it to good use. 

Standing just outside the door, he gave the metal wheel a firm push. 
Sparks flew from the old flint type device.  Nothing happened.  Startled by the failure of the wick to ignite, he tried it again.  Still nothing happened.  With the zombies in plain view, he was now in a heap of trouble.  The plan had failed.  Not willing to give up, he struck the flint in rapid motion while preparing to make a run for it.  Suddenly it ignited.  When the flame shot from the lighter, he became ecstatic.  Tossing the lighter and running with all his strength, the fearful young man could only hope not to become caught up in the draft from the fiery explosion.  Seconds later, a frightening blast rocked the world.  Falling to the ground and covering his head, Michael could only hope he would live to tell of this incident.  The heat was so intense it singed his hair, but thankfully he was not on fire.  That was his cue to get up and run.  That he did and moments later he was greeted by his friend.

“Woo-hoo, you did it,” said Arnie, giving him a high five.  They could now enjoy the performance from a distance as the
creatures were being incinerated within the fiery inferno.  Silence followed as the zombies were flinging their arms all about; but other than that, they showed no emotion.

“Do you think the owners
will be ticked off at us?” asked Arnie, staring at the burning building.

“
Probably but who cares?  At least they can file it on their insurance.”  Michael paused before adding, “That is if the owners are still alive.”

“You got that right.  I haven’t seen any
normal people in quite a while,” said Arnie.  He thought for a moment.  “That is besides you and Angelica.”

“Well it looks like this worked.  Now if we can figure out a way to do
it again, I think we can take this city back,” said Michael.

“We make a pretty good team
, don’t we?” 

“Yes we do and those women are going to love us after this,” said Michael.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, my friend,” said Arnie, offering his hand. 

Being confused, Michael stood there staring at his companion.  Then he remembered the reason for coming out there in the first place.
  “I am not going anywhere.  We are in this together.”

“You don’t have to do this.  Thanks to you I can manage for a few days.  If I come back
, you will know I am not contagious.  If not, we gave it our best shot,” said Arnie, holding out his hand again.

“
Would you stop talking like that?  I am not going anywhere without you, my friend.  Now let’s find a place to hide out for a few days,” said Michael, placing his hand on the small man’s shoulder.  The little guy wiped the subtle tears from his eyes before staring up at his companion.  “Are you crying?  Get a grip man.  We can’t be crying.  Geez!” said Michael.

“Just when I was beginning to like you
.”  He stopped short of saying what was on his mind.  Deep down it went against his true feelings.  Nobody had ever done anything like this for him.  Then he remembered the women and how they depended on him for everything.  He realized he had made it possible for them to survive.  Maybe after they took the city back and were finally rid of the zombies, he could enjoy many a true friendship. Of course that was assuming he was not already contaminated.

Chapter 14

“What in the world was that?” asked Niki
as a loud explosion rocked their hiding place.  When the ground beneath their feet settled down, they realized something dramatic had happened.

“Stand watch at the door while I check it out,” said Angelica, rising from her place on the concrete floor.

“Be careful out there.  Do you think the zombies are responsible?” asked Niki.

“They are too dumb. 
I tend to believe it is the work of our menfolk,” said Misty.

“I perceive you are right, but I need to see for myself,” said Angelica
, peeking outside through a small opening to make certain the coast was clear.  “I will be right back.  Make sure you don’t open this door for any reason until I return.”

“We are used to the drill.  Arnie has drummed that into our heads night and day,” said Niki.  After hearing the bolt fastening on the other side,
Angelica left while heading in the direction of the loud blast.  A few steps further and she had a visual of the roaring fire.  “How in the heck did they do that?” mumbled Angelica.

“Michael did it,” said a familiar voice. 

She turned to look into the shadows of the wooded area to the west where she spotted her two companions.  “You startled me.  What are you guys doing out here?” asked Angelica.

“We just destroyed half the zombies
, and thought we deserved a break before hunting down the others,” said Arnie, proudly.

“Did you guys do that?” asked Angelica.

“More or less.  We really don’t know how many zombies were in that building when it blew; but it was packed full, wouldn’t you say, partner?” asked Michael.

“Believe me I have a good idea how many there were.  After all
, Michael used me as bait,” said Arnie.

“Are you serious?  Michael wouldn’t do that,” said Angelica.

“Tell her, partner,” said Arnie.

“He is right, but somebody had to do i
t.  Besides, I was in just as much danger when I lit the raw gas.  It could have burned me to a crisp if it hadn’t worked.  But as you can see, we both made it.  Now we are minus several hundred zombies,” said Michael.

“Well us girls may have
come up with a way to get rid of the rest,” said Angelica.

“We have this under control
, don’t we, partner?” asked Arnie.

“Let’s he
ar what they have to say first,” replied Michael.

“Some of the girls seem to think there is a massive fertilizer storage facility nearby,” said Angelica.

“They are right, but how can that help us?” asked Arnie.

“Think about it.  What does ammonia nitrate do when it
is ignited?” asked Angelica.

“She is right
.  That stuff has been known to cause massive explosions.  In fact, it can level huge buildings even in relatively small quantities,” said Michael.

“But how are we going to invite our friends to the barbeque?” asked Arnie.

“Gag a maggot.  Must you talk about one of my favorite foods like that?” asked Angelica.

“I didn’t know you liked barbeque.  My treat when this is over,” said Michael.

“I don’t know if I want to now,” said Angelica, shivering in disgust.

“Let the lady finish
.  She may be onto something here,” said Arnie.

“First answer a question for me.  How did you guys get the zombies to fall for your trick?  Didn’t they suspect something?” asked Angelica.  Immediately she realized how stupid that sounded and answered before the ridicule could begin.
  “They can’t think, can they?”

“Nope, they are dumber than a rock and have only one thing on their feeble
minds.  They want your brain, not for normal reasons, but to eat it,” said Arnie.

“Okay, so Arnie was the bait?  Do you think you could
do that again?” asked Angelica, watching for a response from her little friend.

“That was my one and only gig at being zombie bait.  Somebody else can do this one,” said Arnie
, shifting from foot to foot.

“I
’ll do it, but you guys will have to help me.  I will need someone to set the charges and lock the doors behind the zombies once they enter the building,” said Angelica.

“How are we supposed to do that?” asked Arnie.

“I am sure you will figure out something,” said Angelica, staring at the roaring flames off in the distance as if to send a message.

“She is not
going to tell us, is she?” asked Arnie, looking up at his friend.

“Nope, and you know how women can be,” said Michael.

“Hey, I don’t like what you are insinuating.  Just watch it because we outnumber you guys fifteen to two in case you have forgotten,” said Angelica.

“He was just yanking your chain.  We will lure the zombies
inside if you think you can handle the explosives,” said Arnie.

“Deal!  Now why don’t you
two come back to the fortress and get a good night’s sleep,” said Angelica.

“You guys go ahead.  I will just hang out here until morning.  Why don’t you meet me there say about day break?” asked Arnie. 

Michael and Angelica quickly realized where this was headed.  “I will wait here with my partner,” said Michael.

“Then we will all sleep out here and switch up guard duty until morning,” said Angelica.

“There is no sense in your staying.  We got this covered,” said Michael, nodding in the direction of the hideout.

“You guys are making me cry,” said Angelica.

“Hey, there is no crying on our watch.  Right, Michael?”  The young man chuckled as he remembered saying the same thing to Arnie.

“That’s right and you need to check on the girls.  Us menfolk will be fine out here,” said Michael.

“I don’t mind staying if I can be of assistance to you guys,” said Angelica.

“We appreciate the offer, but you need to
stay with the girls until morning.  Besides, you can fill them in on our plans,” said Michael.  After considering the matter, she agreed to leave.  However, before she did, there was something she wanted to do.  She kissed Michael squarely on the lips.  It was obvious he liked it from the way he lingered.  Finally, Angelica turned toward Arnie.

“Don’t even thi
nk about it,” he said.  She laughed before realizing why he had refused the offer.  However, she issued another warning.  “I will let you off the hook for now.  But, when this is over, you will get a smack right on the lips too, young man.”

“
Are you sure you want to do that?  I am older than I look.  But, thanks for the offer anyway,” said Arnie, beaming from ear to ear.

“You guys take good care of each other
, and I will see you at sunrise.  You do know how to get there, don’t you?” asked Angelica.

“I do and thanks for checking on me and my partner,” said Arnie.
  She smiled and rose up to leave.  Moments later she disappeared into the night.  “That girl is hot, man.  Are you sure you can handle her?” asked Arnie.

Out of the stillness of the night, a voice said,
“I heard that.”

“Shoot, she was listening.  Guess I had better watch what I say about her.”

“You should have thought about that earlier.  Now you’ve done it,” said Michael.

“Do you really think she is mad at me?  I love that girl and couldn’t stand the thoughts of her being mad at me,” said Arnie.

“I will fix it for you.  Just leave it to me,” said Michael.

“You are a good friend.”  He paused for a moment.  “But then again you did use me for zombie bait.”

“Must I remind you that we were both zombie bait.  If that hadn’t worked, right now we would be one of those stinky beasts ourselves,” said Michael.  He realized how that sounded, but it was too late to recant.  In a couple of days, the same thing could happen to his brave friend.  They stared at the burning inferno, enjoying the illumination it provided.  Yet, they were delighted to see there was not a creature stirring anywhere, at least not visibly.  “Isn’t it strange how our world can change so quickly?” asked Michael.

“I have already forgo
tten what it was like before this zombie crap,” said Arnie.  Entering deep thought, both men had their own recollection of how disaster struck.

“I can distinctly remember how my world became turned upside down.  One morning I awakened to attend classes
; and before the day was over, I had met a beautiful girl, and we were immediately cast into a battle.  In fact, Angelica calls it the Battle of Immortal Spirits.  But to be truthful with you, I still don’t understand all this,” said Michael.

“How so?” asked Arnie. 

This caused Michael to realize how quickly things had changed and that he couldn’t possibly reveal all the details.  At one point, he considered Angelica to be an angel; but now he was not so sure about that.  Obviously she had changed, but just what she was before that change had taken place was still unclear.  However, he needed to answer his companion.  “What do people think led to the rising of the undead?  Obviously there was some speculation before it deteriorated to this,” said Michael.

“That
’s what is so puzzling.  Clearly all of this had a beginning, but who knows what started it.  The parasites that entered the brains of the dead evidently caused them to climb from the grave, but why now?” asked Arnie.

“Well some think the official
s allowed it to get out of control because they had an ulterior motive.  Now their worst nightmare has been unleashed.  By the way, where are these officials now?” asked Michael with a plan in mind.

“Nobody knows.  I suppose they have been eaten by zombies.  After that they were most likely turned and
, in fact, they may be in that burning building as we speak,” said Arnie.

“If only we were so lucky,” said Michael.  He was both angry and relieved by the sound of that prediction.

“Do you think the girls’ plan will work?”

“Why not
?  It worked for us.  If we can manage to get the zombies to chase after us into the building, we may actually win this battle,” said Michael.

“Yes, but how are we going to do that?  Those things are scattered everywhere,” said Arnie.

“That my friend is up to us.  So if you don’t mind, we need to get a couple hours of sleep before morning,” said Michael.  They lay back on the soft grass covered ground and closed their eyes.  However, sleep was elusive.

M
oments later the silence was broken.  “I’m not sleepy,” said Arnie.

“Me neither,” replied Michael
, rising from the ground.  “We just as well do something useful.” 

“What do you have in mind?” asked Arnie
, following suit.

“Do you think you can find that
fertilizer plant in the dark?”

“I know this place like the back of my hand,” replied Arnie.

“Then where do you suppose the rest of the zombies are holding out?”

“Oh, I know exactly where to find
the majority of them, but are you sure you want to do that?  Why not wait until morning?” asked Arnie.

“I figure it will take a while to get them assemble
d at the warehouse.  Once we start, we will have to finish.”

“You are right, but shouldn’t we run this by Angelica
first?  Won’t she be angry with us for starting without the girls?” asked Arnie.

“You let me handle Angelica.  You saw how she kissed me.  That girl is in love.”

“Yes, and I saw how you kissed her too.  You are smitten, my friend,” said Arnie. 

After remembering her warning
, Michael could hear the very words she had spoken to him.  “Pride goes before the fall,” mumbled Michael. 

His companion barely heard him.  However, he decided to focus on other matters.
  “You understand the risks involved in doing this, don’t you?” asked Arnie.

“It couldn’t be any worse than what we have already been through.”

“You are wrong about that.  This bunch of zombies are scattered everywhere, and we will have to move right in the heart of them.  By now they are starving and would like nothing better than to eat our brains,” said Arnie.

“You speak as if they can think.”

“To be truthful, I don’t really know what goes on inside their heads,” said Arnie.

“They don’t have a soul
, and their brains are controlled by a parasite thus living up to their name.  They are zombies, my friend.”

“I suppose you are right,” said Arnie
, shrugging his shoulders.

“I know I am right,” replied Michael.  “Besides we couldn’t destroy them if we thought otherwise.”

“That’s true and those dead people need to be sent back to their graves,” said Arnie.  “But I can’t help thinking there is something else controlling them.”

“It’s probably the demons.  So
no worries, mate.”