The Apocalypse Chronicles (Book 3): Rebirth [Undead]

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  About The Author

  Copyright © 2018 Jonathan DeLeon

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9781717933669

  For Sarah, & Justin

  Chapter 1

  The Russian Cabin: Outbreak Day + 70

  Tyler woke up to the noise of crackling wood. A loud pop rang from a fire nearby. He opened his eyes and stared at the fire. He watched the flames twist and lick around logs. Tyler wiggled his toes and moved his limbs. He could feel the softness of furs rubbing against his skin. Realization dawned on him. This had to be a dream. It didn't feel like a dream.

  "Where am I?" Tyler asked as he began to sit up. Shooting pain radiated through his body. "Aaugh."

  Kurt was stoking a small fire in the oven in the corner of the room. He heard Tyler groan from the small wooden bed. Kurt walked over and sat down in a wooden rocking chair next to the bed. "Hey, man, how are you feeling?"

  "Kurt? Oh, thank God," Tyler said as he lay back down, the pain in his chest stopping him from sitting up. "I thought I was dead for a second there. Not to complain about a fire and a bed, but if this was heaven, I would have felt cheated."

  "No, it's not heaven, man. We're still in BFE Russia," Kurt said, laughing after.

  "Great," Tyler said sarcastically.

  "So how do you feel?" Kurt asked.

  "Like someone took a sledgehammer to my leg," Tyler grunted out.

  "Yeah, you got tore up really good. Probably should have given you stitches, but I can't sew, so I tied the gauze extra tight to try cinching it together. I've changed the bandage a few times, and it seems to be working."

  "What happened?" Tyler asked, sitting up more, coughing this time and wincing at the pain. He lifted his shirt to see a bruise on his chest.

  Kurt fluffed the jacket Tyler was using as a pillow. "You've been out a few days, man. I'm guessing the last thing you remember is the waterfall?"

  "The waterfall. Right. I did what I had to. Sorry about that, man, but we were trapped."

  "It's all good, man, don't apologize. Well, after the waterfall, the river carried us both downstream. I thought I had lost track of you at first, but then I saw you. You were up against a rock and stuck there, the flow of the river pinning you. I was able to grab you and, after some dragging, get you into this place. I didn't realize you had hurt your chest too, but I bandaged your leg and got the fire going. Are you hungry? I've got some rice I can cook."

  "Rice? A stove? This cabin? Where did you find all this stuff?"

  "We actually got kind of lucky. This cabin was just off the river. I think we found ourselves a prepper's cabin. There is a shed outside with a bunch of rice and dehydrated supplies, plus a shit ton of firewood that's pretty dry."

  "Wow, that's super lucky," Tyler said, poking his chest bruise and letting out a small grunt.

  "To a point," Kurt continued. "The outhouse is about twenty feet into the woods, and he didn't prep toilet paper. Hope you're okay with pinecones."

  Tyler and Kurt laughed for a moment. Tyler got sad. "I am sorry about the waterfall, man."

  "Come on, dude, you really don't have to apologize. You did what was needed."

  "Yeah, but I probably could have warned you first."

  Kurt laughed. "Yeah, that would have been nice, man. Hitting that cold water with empty lungs wasn't exactly fun."

  "Sorry about that. I just have to survive. No matter what, I need to live. That fall was the only way."

  "I know, man. I get it," Kurt said jovially.

  "No, I'm not kidding, man. I must survive this. You have to understand. Liz understood in the end."

  "I thought you said she sacrificed herself for you?"

  "Yeah, I did. She died so that I could live. I have to live."

  "For her?"

  "Of course. I mean, I can't let that death go to waste."

  "The sacrifice?"

  "Yes, her sacrifice allowed me to live. That makes it worth something."

  "Okay, man." Kurt turned and looked into the small fire. His brother was always the one with a sense of when things were wrong, but this time, he had some feelings himself.

  Tyler coughed and propped himself up higher against the wall adjacent to the bed. "Are we safe here?" Tyler asked.

  "Yeah, I think so."

  "No zombies or anything?"

  "Not that I've heard or seen, but then again, can we ever really know?" Kurt had lost hope of ever finding true safety again.

  "What do you mean?" Tyler adjusted the blanket covering him, with a painful grimace.

  "I mean, how the hell are we ever going to feel comfortable again when zombies can tunnel to islands and pop up out of nowhere?"

  Tyler simply nodded back at Kurt.

  "How the hell did that even happen? I don't get where those freaks came from," Kurt asked Tyler.

  "Wait, you don't think they tunneled now?" Tyler asked, confused.

  "No, not the tunnelers, the ones that attacked the camp. The freaks that turned the settlement into such a freak show."

  "Oh. I think I may be able to answer that question."

  Kurt looked intently at Tyler, waiting to hear some sort of explanation that made any sense.

  "Well I told you I am a big history buff, right?"

  Kurt shook his head.

  "Oh, well I am. Well the night I spent alone in that communications building, I thought about that same question and another I had." Tyler leaned forward. "The zombie that . . . well, that took Liz, he was wearing a uniform. I had seen that uniform before, but I couldn't remember where. Then it hit me. It was a Russian military uniform from WWII."

  "What?"

  "I know, right. I think our settlement was positioned over a mass grave."

  "Wait, you're telling me we were attacked by WWII zombies?"

  "Yeah, I am."

  "How is that even possible? I thought this Enerjax stuff made living cells go crazy, not already-dead ones."

  "I think it did."

  "How? These people died decades ago."

  "Yeah, but you have to remember, they died in the middle of winter in one of the coldest places on Earth. I think that this mass grave was dug during that time. When the bodies were put there, whoever dug the pit must have gone deep enough to get under the permafrost and then sealed them inside."

  "What does this have to do with the zombies attacking us?"

  "Well I think the permafrost essentially acted like cold storage for the bodies. All it would take is for some of the cells to be put into hibernation. Then because of the increased traffic from the camp and the massive bonfires, the permafrost melted. Well that pallet of Enerjax we had sitting outside of camp was covered in snow. When that snow melted, it must have drenched the boxes and liquefied the drug. If the drug then penetrated the groundwater, it could have reactivated the hibernating cells, and then you have WWII zombies coming up from underneath."

  "That's ridiculous. That's just crazy," Kurt said.

  "What about this whole thing isn't ridiculous or crazy?" Tyler answered back. "That's where you draw the line?"

  Kurt shrugged. "I guess that's true, but still, man, World War II zombies?"

  Tyler lay back down. "I guess it doesn't really matter how, just that it happened."

  "Yeah. Well either way, rest up, man. I'll keep us warm and fed. We can hang here for a while, while you heal up, or at least until the spring warms up the world outside and we can travel without having to deal with freezi
ng waters or mud."

  "Sounds good to me, man." Tyler lay back down. "Hey, Kurt."

  "Yeah, man?" Kurt answered.

  "You were kidding about the pinecones, right?"

  La Vida Dulce: Outbreak Day + 70

  It had been twelve hours since leaving New Miami. La Vida Dulce was sailing with the convoy heading across the Atlantic to Newlantis. Joe walked up the stairs of the fly deck of the yacht. "Kira, I'm here to relieve you. What are you doing up here?"

  "I needed some fresh air," Kira answered Joe. "This convoy is bigger than I expected. How many ships do you think it is?"

  "I'm not sure," Joe said, sitting down on the bench seat of the fly deck. "I'd guess nearly fifty. It’s hard to tell for sure since we can't see past that massive tanker to see what smaller ships are on the other side."

  "Is it weird that no one is talking to us on the radio at all?" Kira asked with concern in her voice.

  "Kinda," Joe answered with the same concern. "I guess maybe that's the rule? That main security guy told us to get in this line of smaller ships, keep well spaced and maintain course. That's it. Maybe we aren't supposed to talk among us."

  "That's weird, right?" Kira asked again.

  "I don't know. I don't mind just talking to you," Joe said flirtatiously.

  Kira smiled.

  "All we can do at this point is keep sailing anyway. But we are heading to Europe, so that's a win. Go get some sleep. I'm up on the piloting rotation," Joe said.

  "Can I stay with you a little?" Kira asked.

  "Of course, but switch me seats," Joe said, standing up and extending his hand to help Kira move out of the captain's seat. As Kira stood, a wave hit the bow of La Vida Dulce, throwing her off balance. Joe caught her, hugging her tight. The feeling of her body in his arms filled Joe with butterflies. He froze; she did too. As they leaned in to kiss, Joe heard a strange voice calling his name.

  "Joe, Joe Feller, come in."

  Kira turned to reach for the radio. Joe stopped her and pressed his lips to hers.

  "Joe Feller, this is the head of security for the convoy, come in."

  Joe and Kira separated, and Joe grabbed the receiver. "This is Captain Feller."

  "Captain Feller, we didn't get to talk much before leaving, so I wanted to speak with you about the rules and how this convoy works. It's very simple. If you look to your starboard side, you'll see an adapted military Zodiac coming around the back of the tanker." Joe watched a large military boat, a mixture of attack and utility, crest over the wake of the large tanker. "I am on that boat. This is the main security ship. You'll see me and my men constantly patrolling the convoy, ensuring everything goes smoothly. An aggressive move toward the security ship or refusal to comply with any of my commands will result in swift repercussions. Is that understood?"

  "Roger," Joe said, being as clear and brief as possible, still wanting to get a feel for the situation before asking questions.

  The security transmission continued. "The first rule of the convoy is that you agree to boarding and search by me and other security personnel. Understood?"

  "Yes," Joe replied.

  "There are four other main rules that you must follow. Number one, you must maintain space between your ship and the others of the convoy. Number two, you must stay quiet on most of the radio channels. If you'd like to talk to security, specifically me, I can be reached on channel 11. However, using that channel for too much chatter will result in issues. So please keep it to emergency calls. If you'd like to join the group chat of the convoy, that's on channel 5. The rules for the group chat are no profanity, no sexual discussions and no violent or aggressive behavior. Breaking the chatting rules can result in expulsion from the convoy. Are you still with me?"

  "Roger. I'm tracking," Joe responded.

  The security commander continued. "Good. Number three, under no circumstances are you allowed to transport Enerjax. If you have anything that contains Enerjax, you must throw it overboard now and report it. Clear?"

  "Roger," Joe answered again.

  "Okay, good. Now that that's all laid out, do you have any questions for me?"

  Joe paused for a second, thinking.

  "Joe," Kira said, "How do we get food and gas?"

  Joe pushed the transmission button. "I have a couple questions. First, uh, what's the procedure for getting food and fuel?"

  The radio answered back. "Oh right! Sorry, most people get a month-long orientation program before we arrive, so this is all addressed. The gas and food will be delivered daily by one of the convoy's ships. There are two of them and they’re painted bright pink, so you can't miss ‘em. Which actually makes me remember another question I needed to ask you. Do you have anyone with nut allergies?"

  Joe looked at Kira. She thought for a second. "No," she said, "all the kids have had PB and J before. I remember them telling me. I don't know about Jolie though."

  "No nut allergies here," Joe said.

  "Okay, well that about covers it. If you have any issues with other boats, call me first."

  "Issues? Why would we have issues?" Joe asked.

  "I'm being upfront with you, so do me the same favor if there are any problems. Some of the other ships do not like that you got to join the convoy without waiting. Most of the boats here lost loved ones or had to make huge sacrifices to survive and make it to the convoy while sitting in the dock for a month. I'm sure you experienced some things in New Miami. Imagine a month of that. So some of the ships are jealous, but don't worry, I'm never that far away if you need help. Just call me on the radio on channel 11."

  "What's your name?" Joe asked.

  "God, I keep forgetting things. My name is Ricahrd, Ricahrd Calter."

  "Did you say Richard?" Joe asked. The wind blowing up top had gust right when the transmission came through.

  "No. It's not Richard. It's Ricahrd. You can thank my mom for giving me a life of correcting people for that. Anyway, we're going to keep patrolling now. I'll check in occasionally. Otherwise, stay off the radio other than the group chat. Every day at 6:00 p.m., we give a news update from Newlantis and New Miami over the security channel, so tune in to learn more about where we're going."

  "Sounds good," Joe said. "But you forgot to tell us rule number four."

  "Oh yeah. Rule number four is, don't be a dick. Over and out," Ricahrd said, hanging up the radio and steering the security boat away from La Vida Dulce.

  "Well I guess that answers why no one was talking," Kira said. "Although I'm not sure if I feel better or worse about it."

  "Maybe you shouldn't stay up with me, and get that sleep instead." Joe's eyes were scanning the ships closest to them. "We might both have to stay at 100 percent this whole trip."

  "Okay. But first . . ." Kira grabbed Joe's face, turning him and kissing him. "Good night."

  "Sweet dreams," Joe answered back with a smile on his face.

  The Russian Cabin: Outbreak Day +75

  The late afternoon was darkening fast. Kurt could barely see the sun setting throughout the dense pine trees, each with a few pieces of snow still holding on. He glanced around, taking in the beauty of the river's water rushing by. It was getting stronger by the day, filling with snowmelt. Kurt watched as the stream broke on a rock. It was still too low. Even if it was higher, Tyler still wasn't ready to make the trek. His leg was healing fine, but the chest injury was worse. Tyler and Kurt had come to a group decision that it was a bruised rib and would take some time to heal. They would have to wait for his body to do its thing. Still, Kurt wanted to be ready to leave when they were able, so he got to work.

  Not wanting to waste the little sunlight he had left, Kurt walked to the side of the cabin, inspecting the canoe. The first time he had seen it, it was covered in snow. Now the snow had mostly melted, showing the canoe's polished wood veneer, the bronzed metal tips and the gaping hole in the hull.

  "Shit," Kurt exclaimed. Then he broke out into a fit of laughter, and a grin spread across his face as he was carried f
ar away across distance and time.

  Kurt's Dorm Room: Outbreak Day -1 Year

  6:00 p.m. Kurt glanced at the clock and changed the channel on the TV in his dorm room. He lay down on the futon that he and his roommate had slid under one of their lofted beds.

  The title animation for Man vs. Wild, a survival show where a British ex-military man is dropped in the middle of nowhere and often throws himself into worse conditions to show how to survive, scrolled across the screen.

  The door opened behind him as his roommate, Brannon, walked in.

  "Hey, man," Brannon said.

  Kurt glanced at him. "Hey."

  "Don't you have lab right now?" Brannon asked while throwing his backpack onto his bed.

  "It got cancelled. I guess the TA is sick," Kurt answered back.

  "Lucky you."

  "Yeah, no joke. God, they make cool subject labs boring. Who knew you'd learn physics by following perfect instructions to draw lines on a screen. Dumb," Kurt complained while not diverting his attention from the TV.

  "Whatcha watching?” Brannon asked, plopping down in his desk chair.

  "Man vs. Wild," Kurt said, already expecting criticism.

  "This stupid show again. I told you it's fake, man. You know it's all scripted and his camera crew is giving him food and shit."

  Kurt just sat watching as Bear Grylls fixed a hole in his rain jacket to make a raft using tree sap and wood chips.

  Brannon continued his critique. "When are you ever going to need to know how to fix your coat with tree sap?"

  "It's possible at some point," Kurt answered, suddenly wishing his roommate wasn't back.

  "Possible? Yeah in the rare event a helicopter drops you in the least accessible place in the world and then leaves you. That's ridiculous. Come on, put something better on. Hey, switch to American Idol."

  Kurt shot back at Brannon. "And you're going to win a singing show and become a superstar?"

  Brannon shrugged his shoulders and pulled his chair closer. "Who knows? Besides, you haven't heard me sing.”

  Kurt just shook his head and laughed. "Fine."