The Undead World (Book 1): The Apocalypse (16 page)

She gave her patented half-shrug, lifting only her right shoulder.
“John used to put his thumb on the end between, you know, sucks. And then when it got close he'd put the end down into the plastic can.”

Neil tried this approach, biting back a wave of crankiness over the fact that she had failed to mention this little helpful hint before. And then the gas came gushing along the tube and he sat back feeling
a touch of competence.

Sadie climbed up on the car and began rocking it.
“John used to have me do this. I don't know why. So what did you do before? I'm betting you weren't a mechanic.”

Why did it seem that she put him down with every sentence? And why did he care? She was a kid, who was exactly half his age. It shouldn
't have mattered at all, but it still did.

“
I was a corporate raider,” he answered. “I was one of the most feared men on wall-street.” He had hoped that she would be somewhat impressed, but she set her lips and raised an eyebrow.

“
I may not know what a petard is, but I know what a corporate raider is. I saw
Pretty Woman
. I know what Bane Capitol was. You destroyed companies for your own greed. You fired people just so you could make a buck.”

The gas fumes were giving him a head-ache and he didn
't think he could win with this girl—and again the question of
why
he would even want to came to mind. It certainly wasn't sexual. She was nothing but a kid.

“
If that's what you think then you should probably try reading a book, maybe learning something instead of watching movies. Corporate raider is a fancy and not a very descriptive name for what we really do. I was in mergers and acquisitions. And we not only saved jobs, but created them as well.”

“
That's not how it is in the movies, and before you get all high and mighty they told us about corporate raiders in school too.”

“
Teachers never had to make a bottom line, do they?” Neil replied and again attempted to boost his image in her eyes. “Let me explain as easily as I can. Let's say you had a bunch of grapes. If one got moldy it might spread to the rest and ruin all of them, so what do you do? You cut the one off to save all the rest. In essence that's what we do. Yes, we fire people, but when the rest of the company starts picking up and doing better they hire people back.”

She raised an eyebrow and said,
“Well it sounds awful boring either way. I bet you're glad that's over with.”

“
No, I don't,” Neil said, dropping his chin. “My life wasn't great…I mean on a personal level it sucked. I was lonely. But I was happy with my work. I made good money and I could point to many successes where I helped people. I figured the rest of my life would turn around eventually. You know a girlfriend and maybe a family. But now, I think I'm built even less for this world than the old one.”

“
I think you're doing fine,” she said, with a little smile. “You're a survivor and there aren't that many people left who can say that. And look: you have this fine truck and all this food and you have me for a friend. What more could you need?”

“
To find a way west,” he answered. “And somewhere to bath. I feel gross with all this gas on me.” His needs were met; that evening he bathed in a clear lake in the middle of Pennsylvania, and after, the two slept soundly high up in the monster truck—she in the front, he on the long bench in the back—and neither stirred as an army of zombies crested like a wave at the top of a hill and flowed around them.

At night the Island wasn't the calmest of places. Gunfire rang out frequently and a gunshot at one end of the island was only slightly muted at the other. Sarah's sleep was even worse compared to most. She dreamed of her daughter and then of the colonel and then of Veronica. This last wasn't a sexual dream and she was glad for that. If it had been it would have only added to her confusion.

Her one lesbian experience had been so good and yet she knew it would never likely be repeated. The circumstances she had been under: the pressure, and the fear, and the g
reat mental taboo, and the girl, Veronica not being a lesbian either had helped tremendously, these all added up to a moment that could not be replicated.

Especially not that night. It was one thing to sneak into a dark tent and explore another woman and be explored by her, it was another thing entirely to do it under the watchful eyes of the
colonel. It wasn't going to be a magical moment, it was going to be do or die. If Veronica was on the verge of being sent to the platoons, that meant Sarah would have only one or two chances to show the colonel what a good little whore she was or she would be sent packing.

And no matter how the girls spun it, the idea of being a platoon whore was a terror for her. She would go crazy for certain, and then what would happen to her parents? Along with all the other
“non-essentials”, they were on the second island, what every one called The Island of Misfit Toys.

The people there were just that, misfits. Some were parents of soldiers or tag along family members or friends but mostly they were people who just had clung to the unit and wouldn
't leave. They did odd jobs such as cleaning the latrines, or cooking, or the laundry. The soldiers barely regarded them as people.

After breakfast, Sarah had crossed over the rickety pontoon bridge that connected the two islands and visited her parents. Both put on painfully fake smiles.

“We have jobs,” Denise said. “They're not such good ones, but I can't complain.”

Gary Rivers agreed and smiled agreeably though he smelled overwhelmingly of chemicals. His eyes were bright red from them.
“And what of you?” he asked looking at her sharply, seeing the clean dress she wore and the fact of her painted face—Veronica had helped her with her makeup. “Are you being treated fairly? There are rumors about the colonel.”

What could she say to her father? That she was a whore, but a high-class whore so it was ok?
“If there are, I haven't experienced them. So far he's been a perfect gentleman. Are you getting enough to eat? My tent has a little private stash. It's not much but I can bring some over.”

Her mother
's lips formed happy words but her head shook side to side. Her father was a better liar. “No we have everything we need, but it does come with a price. Time for us to get to work.”

Sarah watched them go, feeling low, and this Veronica picked up on quickly.

“Chin up, chin up,” she said. “The colonel likes to make his plans early. He's all about schedules and perfect plans. Are you going to be ok?”

“
Yes, I think so.”

Veronica looked around and then stepped close with a look of determination and placed her hand on Sarah
's right breast. “No, don't flinch. Act like you want me to do this. Press into my hand…good.” She took her hand off and it shook.

“
What about you?” Sarah asked trying to sound nonchalant. “Are you going to say your hand is shaking out of excitement?”

“
Yeah, maybe. I guess,” she said, seeming more nervous even than the day before and Sarah gave her a look. “There's a new girl,” Veronica explained. “Even Cindy is worried.”

“
That pretty?”

“
Yes and that slutty too. When she heard what was to be expected she didn't bat an eye. She says she likes to do everything and I mean everything. She went down a list and let's just say that what we are planning is just a warm up for her.”

“
How's Bobbi taking it?” Sarah asked.

“
I can't worry about her,” Veronica said distractedly.

Sarah
feared that if this experienced woman freaked out things would definitely fall apart and that couldn't happen. She reached out with both hands and took the woman's face in her hands and pulled her in close.

“
We'll start just like this,” she said and then kissed Veronica deeply and felt a zing down below. “It'll work. He'll love us.”

Her conf
idence was misplaced. When the colonel came in to “Check on his girls” his eyes went to the new girl. She was tan, raven haired and very pretty; what was more she was wearing a very high cut pair of denim shorts that had most of her tight ass hanging out. Sarah owned underwear that covered more than the shorts.

“
Good, I'm glad to hear you're all getting along,” he said easily, and then just as the day before he looked the girls up and down. Cindy stood as far from the new girl as she could, while poor Bobbi looked sick. Veronica and Sarah held hands, hoping that the colonel would notice. Unfortunately the new girl sucked all the oxygen out of the room.

T
he colonel, eyeing the new girl’s tan thighs, began, “I was hoping that…”

“
Excuse me sir?” Veronica interrupted. “Sarah has a question for you, but she's too shy to spit it out.”

“
What is it?” he asked, but now he saw that the girls were holding hands and then he saw Veronica's left hand was out of sight behind Sarah; there was movement to her dress and it was clearly captivating.

“
If you pick her, she wants to know if I can come too. I think it'll be fun.” Veronica's smile was all vixen.

“
That does sound like fun,” Colonel Williams said, his eyes widening at the idea. “I'll see you two tonight at seven.”

The plan did not go over well with the others.
“You fucking bitch,” Cindy seethed at Veronica. “Why didn't you choose me? I would have been much better than her.”

Bobbi went to her cot and cried, repeating over and over:
“That's so unfair.” And then she sat up with an idea and turned to the new girl. “We could do that too. We can be a team.”

The new girl made a dismissive noise and said,
“I don't need a partner. I'm more than he can handle all by myself.”

And then came the waiting. Sarah and Veronica went through a plan of action for that night, move by move. When they would jettison this article of clothing or that
, when they would kiss and when they would move to the next position. They memorized the plan until each could repeat it by heart. Veronica grew more relaxed, but Sarah felt her insides tighten.

If all she had to do was make love to Veronica she would
've been just fine—the woman was pretty, sweet, and had a kind heart. The problem was that the colonel would join them at some point and both women knew that he would be aiming most of his affections Sarah's way. And that was something she dreaded. He was a horrible man. He stole from the weak, he bartered the lives of innocents for personal gain, he abused women to a hellish degree, and perhaps worst of all he did these things wearing a false mantle of honor.

He had turned honest, decent American soldiers into mercenaries, thieves, and assassins. Evil should be seen as such, but instead he had women begging for the chance to prostitute themselves, and thanking him when he
consented to it.

How could she allow that sort of man to touch her she didn
't know. It would be a trial for her.

Thankfully the evening started well enough. A heavy rain came and he was late. Veronica passed the time giving Sarah a neck rub. It wasn
't sexual, instead Sarah felt very much like a boxer before a fight and this was mainly due to the fact that Veronica kept up a stream of talk about how pretty she was and how the colonel would likely cream himself the second that they started kissing.

This got them laughing, so it was easier to smile when he came in mid-way through.
“What's so funny?” he asked, taking off his hat and heading for the already set table. Veronica actually told him the truth and he laughed as well. “Maybe. I hope it's that good.”

“
Oh it will be,” Veronica assured him. “We've been practicing.”

“
Veronica!” Sarah cried, embarrassed and feeling flush. The colonel had them sit on either side of him and now it took a purposeful will to keep her smile pinned in place. Eating helped. The colonel had a private cook who had served up steak, which was a huge surprise.

“
Oh, yes, quite a prize,” Williams said around a mouthful. “One of our scrounge crews found thirteen head of cattle, untouched by the stiffs. Man, this rain is coming down hard.” It beat upon the roof of the tent and they had to practically shout to be heard over it.

Sarah ate greedily, and when she was almost done she said,
“You know what this needs? Some red wine. Tell me you have some?” As the dinner had progressed she had stiffened up more and more and she worried that she would be dry as a desert when the time came.

“
I don't,” the colonel answered. “Alcohol and soldiers are a deadly combination, though I suppose that I will have to lighten up on that rule eventually, but…first…is that thunder?”

Even as he asked there came another heavy crunching noise that shook the air.
“Crap! What are the tanks firing at?”

He left in a hurry and the two women sat there growing nervous as gunfire could be heard all along the upriver edge of the island. And then it began to slip down the banks of the island on both sides. A few minutes later a soldier burst into the tent.

“Where's the colonel?”

“
Why what's going on?” Sarah pleaded. She had a terrific fright going and felt useless and unprotected in her summer dress and high-heels.

“
The second island is being overrun, now where's the damned colonel?”

Veronica said something, but Sarah didn
't hear, she was busy running. Out into the night and the rain she ran, but did not get far before her heels sunk three inches deep into the new mud. She left her shoes where they were and ran to the south end of the island where the firing was picking up.

The scene around her was nearly beyond her ability to comprehend. The river on both sides was clogged with zombies. Thousands had entered up stream and now they were being swept along and at the sight of so many humans they were doing an odd swim; they basically clawed at the water. It was ineffective except that there was just so many of them that the ones in the rear pushed the others forward.

Many hundreds were hung up in the concertina wire, while others were climbing slowly up the pontoon bridge that connected the two islands. Guns were firing at a rapid rate, shredding the creatures but more came on and on.

And then the c
olonel came up in a humvee. He took one look at the situation and ordered, “Cut the bridge! Let it go! Don't waste any more ammo unless they actually come onto this island.”

A second later he was shocked as Sarah grabbed him and screamed over the gunfire and the rain,
“No! My parents are over there.”

He shoved her roughly away and she went down in the mud.
“My orders stand. In every war there is collateral damage. It's for the greater good.”

The c
olonel was lucky she wasn't armed; she would've killed him on the spot. The idea of being armed made her realize that her parents were defenseless—not a single one of the misfits were allowed a gun.

A soldier in front of the bridge put down his M16 and began working on one of the pins that held the pontoons in place. In a flash Sarah ran forward, picked up the gun and then
sped out onto the heaving bridge. A grey hand reached out from the water and tripped her and then the bridge swung crazily as the first of the chains let go.

Someone yelled over the din,
“There's a civilian on the bridge! Don't cut the chain.”

“
No!” yelled the colonel, staring right into Sarah's eyes. “Cut it.” The chain let go and Sarah, who had just regained her feet, fell into the water where thousands of zombies waited.