Zombie Theorem (Book 1): The Culling (14 page)
We walked back and opened the rear door and stepped into the chaos of the conference room. I spied two bodies right away and nudged Brian. He nodded his head assuring me he saw them. We both moved toward the windows and found another two bodies that had been torn to pieces. They were missing skin and muscle. Brian’s shoulders slumped as he reached into his belt for his spikes. “I got these two, just wait and we will do the next two together.” He said in a soft voice soaked in pain.
He made it to the two bodies and pushed them back with his foot. I identified the two as Robert Pagano, and Sarah Condish, they both worked in my department. Brian took a spike in each hand and drove one into each of the bodies at the same time. I could tell it hurt him because it hurt me. These were our co-workers, people we had celebrated holidays, birthdays, and good times together. I know what you’re thinking. We already killed three of our own, but two were already monsters and Lisa had made her own decision, which caused so much pain.
We walked over together to the other two. I didn’t recognize the black male, who was covered in blood from the face down his chest and onto his hands and arms. He was not one of my people and I’m sure didn’t work for our company. The other was Sherry Aguilar one of our accountants and estimators. She had bites on her face and left arm. We spiked them both with no problems. I was standing there studying the two bodies. After a full five minutes I walked back to the other two and examined them.
“What’s up Boss?” Brian asked.
I pointed to the two in front of the window, “I think they were attacked first and torn to pieces, Sherry must’ve come in while the new guy was attacking them. She then tried to pull him off of them and he started biting her. What I really don’t get is why was that black guy not trying to attack us when we came in? Where’s the rest of our group?”
“Good eye boss. I was thinking the same thing. No scenario I can come up with makes sense to me. Let’s go clear the rest of the floor maybe we will figure it out later.” Brian motioned to the hallway.
We left the room and continued down the hallway toward the lobby. I took my keys out and unlocked one of the doors. Brian stood in front of me and entered first. I followed and left the door slightly open so we could get out in a hurry if needed.
We looked over the cubes from where we stood and saw they were clear. We made it down toward my office at the end and checked the printer alcove. I walked to my office and waited for Brian to take position next to me. I opened the door and Brian entered quickly scanning the room.
I walked in after him and went right for my desk. A sheet of paper was sitting there that I had not left. I picked it up and read it. My heart sunk and I felt sick to my stomach. I handed the letter off to Brian.
I watched him read it, his shoulders slumped and it looked like he lost some of his hope. He dropped the letter onto my desk and sat heavily in one of the chairs. I put my bat on the desk and sat heavily in my chair.
The note read:
Guy’s we’ve waited two days but have not heard from you. Some of the group think you have abandoned us. They have taken a vote and have decided to take our chances on the stairway. I’ve decided to go with them since I am responsible for them. Sarah, Sherry and Robert have decided to stay behind. They are afraid to leave and believe you will be back soon. We took in a guy name Gary who was pounding on the door last night. We thought it was you. He says he came from the 41
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floor; there is something wrong about him he just doesn’t seem right. Any-way, I know you two will come back for us. I just wanted to tell you where we went and hopefully you will follow. I tried my best to lead them Dan, but they had no trust in you like I do.
Matt
I picked up the letter and held on to it. I didn’t know what to do or say, so I sat there staring at the wall behind Brian. I felt numb, our entire sacrifice meant naught. “So Brian what do we do now?” I asked.
Brian stared out the window behind me, a haunted look in his eyes. He ran his hands through his hair, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. “That is an easy answer, the easiest ever. We get our butts together and go find our people. We know they didn’t go up so only one way to go.”
I looked at the clock on my desk; it was 1 pm with plenty of light left. “Well shall we go find out if Maggie wants to come with us?” I stood up grabbed my supplies and headed out of the office. Brian was close on my heels. We sped our way to Brian’s old office and Maggie’s new hideout.
Brian knocked on the door and said out loud. “Maggie it’s us. Everything is clear, open up.” The door opened and Maggie peaked around the door. I waved at her and she smiled and came out of the office.
“Did you find everyone?” She said with hope in her voice.
I tapped Brian on the back, giving him the job to tell her what was up. I walked down the hallway to the bathroom. The door wedge was on the floor so I used it to jam the door open for light. I went into the far stall sat down and took care of business. I finished and came out of the stall. Brian was at the urinal taking care of his business. I took off my shirt and started taking my pre requisite whore’s bath, which I was becoming good at. Brian came up and started using the sink two over from me. I ignored him while washing up and stopped when something caught my attention.
Maggie had come out of one of the stalls and was standing next to me stripped to her bra and doing the same as I. “Hope you don’t mind, but I am not letting you guys out of my sight anymore. So look if you have to but deal with it.” She continued to splash water on her face and neck and moving to the soap.
I laughed hard and looked over to Brian. “Hey Brian do you have a problem with this?”
He stopped what he was doing looked over at me and shook his head. “Hmm. Let me think. A beautiful woman is shirtless in nothing but a flimsy lacey red bra. Yah I am offended please stop.” He retorted sarcastically then started laughing so hard that he had to bend over to catch his breath. “I’ve already seen Dan naked so yeah feel free to do what you need to do girl.”
Maggie looked at us both and shook her head in confusion. “You two have been friends a long time I guess?”
“Nope he used to work for me, and we never really spoke much. I guess all this has pushed us together. Now I can’t get him to stop following me around.” I said with a smile. Brian groaned and just continued washing up. Maggie and I laughed at Brian’s expense.
We all finished and got our gear together. Maggie dropped her suit jacket on the counter and took her high heels off. “I don’t need the jacket and those shoes are gonna kill me on the stairs. I wish I had some tennis shoes right about now.”
“I know Sherry has tennis shoes on but do you really want to wear a dead person’s shoes?” I caught her eye when I spoke.
“No thanks I’m good, I’d rather walk on broken glass infected with Ebola.” She said seriously.
We gathered at the stairway door and Brian explained how we were gonna stack up the same again and move slow and pay attention. He gave Maggie some batteries and she replaced them in the flashlight. She still had her spike and seemed ready to go. I untied the hose and prepared to open the door. Brian stepped up getting his bat ready. I yanked the door open and stepped back, Maggie quickly moved back and Brian advanced into the stairway.
He raised his hand to show we were clear. Maggie moved quickly behind Brian took his shoulder and positioned her light. I stepped behind her and took her right shoulder. We took the first flight down and ran into what I imagined hell to look like. The stairs and walls were coated in dried and in some places sticky blood. Twelve bodies were lying on the ground, bodies almost entirely stripped of skin and muscle. We walked around and took in the next flight of stairs. I detached from Maggie, climbed back up the stairs, took my spike and started destroying brains of the people I thought were my co-workers. I could feel tears falling down my cheeks and running down my neck, coating my shirt.
Brian waited till I was finished and we continued downward toward the door of the 41
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floor. Brian stepped aside and took the other side of the door and motioned Maggie to open the door. She reached out and took the handle, it was slick with blood. Maggie though proved to not be squeamish one bit. She unlatched the door and opened it quickly and stepped back to allow Brian and I to enter. I stepped to the right, Brian to his left, Maggie stepped in behind me and shut the door.
“Movement left, stay with Maggie and secure that door.” Maggie grabbed the fire hose and handed it off to me. I tied it around the door and went back to the wheel and tied it off there. Maggie watched the entire time, I could tell she was taking in everything and learning. I moved down the hallway toward were Brian had gone. I stopped and waited, I had no idea if he went into the bathroom or somewhere else. I put my hand out and Maggie stopped and put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it lightly.
Brian popped out from a cubicle area and gave us the hold sign. He jogged back down the hallway. “I took three out in the cube farm. We need to clear the bathrooms and the conference room next door.”
We took our positions at the door of the women’s bathroom. Maggie reached out and opened the door wide. Brian and I stepped in and took turns checking under stalls. The bathroom was clear so we moved on and repeated the process with the men’s restroom. The last stall I saw a pair of feet, I checked the ground around it and didn’t witness any blood or movement. I signaled to Brian and he raised his bat. I kicked at the side of the door about where the latch was, the door burst open and I stepped back quickly. Brian stepped forward and waited, the body never moved. Using his bat, Brian poked the body in the chest but again nothing. Brian then tapped it on the head with the bat, this time the head moved slightly.
“I’m not sure what’s going on here. Could they just be sick?” Brian walked backwards toward me.
I squeezed past Brian and by using my bat held the chest in place. I reached out to the neck and Brian’s bat appeared pushing the head back and holding it in place. I put my fingers to the neck searching for a pulse. I thought I found one but it was very faint, I also noticed the heat radiating off it.
I stepped back to Brian. “I think this one has the fever and is not long for this life. I’m not sure what the right move is.”
Brian took his spike out and looked at me. I took it and moved in close, Brian reached out with the bat and tipped the head back again. I got my fear in place set the spike closer and just I was to push in the body began to shake. “Hurry it’s happening.”
The spike disappeared out of my hand and a big meaty hand grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back hard. I could hear the crunch and squishing sound as Brian did what was necessary. I moved past him and made a bee line for the sinks. I turned on the cold water and started splashing my face. I tried to control my breathing but the room started moving on me. I ran and made it to one of the stalls just in time to see the precious amount of food that was in my stomach pouring into the toilet. I collapsed to my knees and worked hard at catching my breath. I sat there for what seemed an eternity, dry heaving, shoulders hitching.
I felt a hand on my back, and could tell it was not Brian’s. A paper towel was handed over my shoulder. I grabbed it and pressed it to my face. “You’re gonna be fine, come on let’s go clean you up.” She put her hands under my shoulders and helped me keep my balance. I washed my face and gargled some water trying to clean out my mouth. I opened my eyes and felt a ton better.
I turned off the water turned around and leaned against the sink. I looked around and noticed Maggie and I were alone. “Where’s Brian?”
“He told me to take care of you and went to clear the floor. How are you feeling hun?” She had concern etched on her face.
“That person still had a heart beat and I’ve never killed a living person. Something inside me just wouldn’t let me do it.”.
“I’m glad you still have that reaction. Brian killed people while in the Marines but you have never had to so this proves you have not become jaded.” She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a reassuring hug. This was not a sexual hug but a hug to help me calm down. She stepped back and looked me in the eyes. “Feeling better?” she asked.
“A lot, thank you for being here for me.” I said blushing, a little embarrassed. “By the way when did you find out Brian was a Marine?”
“He told me during our little conversation, while you were getting me some water.”
I walked toward the door and noticed Brian had used our handy rubber stopper to keep the door open. I picked it up and secured it in my pocket. I shouldered my bat and moved out into the hallway with Maggie hot on my heels. We headed toward the Lobby and Brian came around the corner. We stopped and waited for him. He came up and put his hand on my shoulder. “You ok Boss?” Concern etched on his face.
I gave a weak smile. “Yeah I’m good to go, sorry about that.”
Brian gave me a frown and hugged my shoulders with his giant python like arm. “No need to apologize. I told you I always have your back. This floor is clear but found no supplies. We still have sun light so let’s move on.” I nodded and we moved on to the door. Maggie opened the door and fell back as always and this time I took lead on the landing. It was clear, Brian came up on me looked around and shook his head. “Should we try and go all the way down or skip a couple of floors and go to 35 while we have a chance?”
