The Zombie Chronicles - Book 6 - Revelation (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) (28 page)

“
But how would they control the hybrids? How did they keep them from killing any of the scientists?”

“
I have no idea, but we’ve got a mystery on our hands,” Claire said. “Maybe we should discuss it with the Scooby gang back at headquarters.”

I laughed. “

“
A storm is brewing,” Claire said.

“
I know. The gang wants to take over the city.”

“
Trouble’s coming big time,” Claire said, exhaling a deep sigh.

“
We’ve gotta get out of here and warn Max. He needs to know that Frank was either killed by the pack of zombies attacking the lab or by the hybrids.”

“
He never should have gone on such a dangerous mission,” Claire said, shaking her head.

“
I know, but at least now Max will have closure.”

“
What are you two whispering about?” a woman asked.

Claire glanced up, still straddling my lap. “Sweet nothings into my ear.”

“
She’s my sweetie pie,” I said.

“
Aw. You two just can’t get enough of one another, can you?” she said. “I remember being in love like that.” She pointed over to a queen-sized bed. “You can sleep there. You might wanna snuggle close. It’s gonna be a chilly night,” she said, then walked away.

Claire bit her lip.

“
What?” I asked.

“
If we don’t figure out how to get out of here, we’re gonna end up saying our I-do’s.”

I shook my head. “They won’t do it without Z, and if he sees us, they’ll have to be worrying about last rites more than wedding vows.”

“
Right. We’ve gotta to get out of here fast. Z sounds like the kind of guy who’ll execute spies in a heartbeat.”

We casually strolled past everyone and outside, holding hands all the way.

An Army truck pulled up, and the driver called us over. He was huge and buff, with brown hair and brown eyes, and he looked to be about forty years old. “We’re goin’ to a warehouse in the red zone to pick up some oil,” he said. “It’s pretty much an in-and-out gig, and we could use a couple of lookouts.”

Claire played up the girl angle. “Um, that sounds scary. I’d rather just stay here with the women.”

The man eyed her up and down. “That’s odd. Z said you aren’t afraid of anything.”

“
I’m not,” she said. “Gotcha!”

He laughed. “Get in, honey.”

The men looked like mercenaries, armed to the hilt, and I was afraid of what they’d do if we refused, but I still tried to get us out of it. “I’m so tired. I promise we’ll go on the next mission with you.”

“
Not good enough,” he said. “You’re welcome around here as long as you do your part. Now c’mon and show us what you’re made of, or I’ll put a bullet in your head.”

Chapter 27

When we realized we weren’t going to get off the hook, Claire and I jumped into the Jeep and made small talk with the people in the back. We laughed and joked and fit in quite well with the ragamuffin crew of zombie-killers.

When we arrived at our destination, we walked into a huge warehouse that contained barrels upon barrels of precious oil. Claire stood guard while I helped to pack up the large drums.

Suddenly, after the man called Claire to step into the warehouse, all of the men circled around her and pointed their weapons at her head.

“
What’s going on?” Claire demanded.

The driver stepped forward. “I’m Z.”

My heart thundered in my chest, for I knew we were screwed.

“
Just got back into town,” he said. “You don’t look a thing like Marla,” he said to Claire, “so I guess that makes you a spy.”

Claire fumbled for words, but there was nothing she could say to salvage the operation and save our necks, and she knew it, so she held her tongue.

“
That’s right. You can’t lie your way out of this one,” he said. “Who are you, and why are you pretending to be Marla?”

My pulse ramped up.

Claire inched closer and got on her knees. “My name is Andrea. My brother was Frank Maloney. I just needed to know what happened to him, if he is dead or alive. I didn’t mean to lie to you, but we didn’t have any answers, and…” She trailed off for dramatic effect and let out a long breath. “I was hoping to find him here, safe and sound.”

“
Your brother died a hero,” Z said. “He was killed by zombies when we attacked the lab.”

Claire sobbed.

Z pulled her into a comforting hug. “We’ve lost a lot of good men and women to this crap. Best advice I can give you is to take your anger out on the lab that killed him.”

“
I want revenge!” she screamed, her voice echoing off of the walls.

“
And you’ll get it, sweetheart,” he said. “You didn’t have to trick me. You could’ve just come to us and told us the truth. We’d never hurt Frank’s sister. We loved him like a brother.”

“
Yeah we did,” one of the men said.

“
I’m sorry. But I was scared and I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“
It’s okay,” he said. “Let’s go back to the compound.”

“
If she’s Frank’s sister, then she’s one of us,” one of the mean said.

“
Do you have a place to stay?” Z asked.

“
No,” Claire said.

“
You can come stay with us.”

“
Thank you,” Claire said.

Was there anything Claire couldn’t pull off? They actually fell for her story. She’d gotten us off the hook.

“
Hey!” one of the men announced, looking quizzically at me. “It just dawned on me where I’ve seen this guy before. He was at the lab massacre! Matter fact, he fought against me in the lab. He works for the lab and was shooting at me.”

“
You work for the lab?” Z asked, his accusing eyes ripping into me like daggers.

“
No!” I said. “He must be mistaken. I just tagged along on this adventure to keep Andrea safe.”

“
I’m not mistaken,” the man insisted.

“
My brother was killed in that lab explosion,” Z roared. “And now those mad scientists are sending spies?”

We had gotten ourselves out of the John and Marla lie, but things turned sour when one of the men recognized me from the gun battle at the lab. That was just my luck!

Z turned to Claire. “And you’re as much of a liar as he is!” He grabbed her by the throat and squeezed hard with every bit of rage within him. How could he turn on her that quickly?

I moved to help her when her face began to turn purplish red and her eyes bulged out, but the men pointed their guns directly in my face. “Let her go!” I shouted.

“
I won’t tolerate liars,” Z said, his voice rising to a furious crescendo.

All of the sudden, something pounded on the door that led to the other side of the factory.

Z loosened his grip on Claire, and she stumbled back and gasped in a giant breath.

I raced to where she fell as she sucked in gulps of air. Pain radiated across my back as Z kicked me. When moans echoed from the other side of the door, we all knew what was back there.

The door started to rattle, and Z smiled. “Beyond that door is a warehouse full of zombies, eager to meet you—or rather,
eat
you.”

“
No!” Claire pleaded. “You can’t kill us like this.”

“
I can, and I will, and I’m also gonna kill the people you work for,” he roared.

“
We’re not with the lab,” Claire said. “Please believe us.”

He motioned for his men to leave as Claire screamed and begged him to stop.

“
I’ll tell you what,” Z said. “I’ll do you a huge favor. I’ll shoot the first couple of zombies so I have time to get away. Good luck.” He opened the door and shot about four of them, then took off out the main door.

I heard the rattling of chains as he and his men secured the door behind him. My mouth gaped as I gave Claire a yank to move away from the door.

She rushed over to a wooden crate and began smashing it with her boots, then picked up her wooden weapon. I picked up a piece of wood, but I knew it wasn’t strong enough to take out my opponents that were quickly filling the room.

Zombies poured into our section of the huge facility, and I was painfully aware that we couldn’t take them all on, especially without suitable weapons. Our only chance was to outthink them. Suddenly, an idea came to me. “Oil!” I said. “Zombie slip n’ slide!” I rushed over and tried to pry the lid off, and with Claire’s help, we managed to free it. We dumped the barrel, and black oil spilled out like a river. We went and got another one and another, spilling them all until the floor looked like a black sea of slippery slime.

The shuffling dead began to slip and fall, and I couldn’t help but shout in joy. When others came from behind, they just fell on their friends, creating a zombie barricade.

Claire and I frantically lined up the drums so we could climb them to reach the open window. When I peered out, the men were still waiting, just laughing and talking around their Jeep, waiting to hear us die.

“
They want a show?” Claire said. “Let’s give ‘em one. They need to think we’re being mauled to death.”

“
Right. They won’t leave till they think we’re dead,” I whispered back.

Claire let out a long shriek. “Nooooooooooooo!”

I screamed in agony and watched Z double over in laughter. After we put on a good show, we kept silent. My throat felt coarse and dry as Z’s men poured fuel around the building, then lit it on fire.

“
No one messes with me!” Z shouted at the building. He hopped in the Army truck, and tires screeched as they sped off.

Claire started to climb out the window, but I pulled her back.

“
Just wait a minute, in case they come back.”

She nodded.

We waited until they were out of sight, then climbed out the window as leaping flames jumped at us. My eyes burned and I coughed from the smoke. It was overwhelming so I covered my face with my t-shirt. We scurried down the fire escape, then hid behind a tree as the flames crackled and black smoke swirled high into the sky.

I wrapped an arm around Claire. “We did it! We got some valuable info and didn’t get ourselves killed or married in the process.”

“
Killed or married, huh? Wow. That’s some comparison.”

“
No offense,” I said, shrugging.

She suddenly leaned into me, and her face grew serious. “They’re sick, Dean.”

“
Yeah, well, we’ve met a lot of nuts out here.”

“
I can’t believe Max sent us on this mission. It’s far more dangerous than he said. We almost got killed in there!”

“
I don’t think he expected Z to come back early.”

“
Or maybe he just doesn’t care,” she said. “Maybe that’s why he sent us and not his own people. His lame excuse about your age didn’t make sense.”

“
The gang knows what his people look like,” I said. “We’re strangers.”

“
Apparently not. I mean, that one guy did recognize you.”

“
Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“
We almost died for the umpteenth time,” she said. “If I had my gun, I would’ve shot Z,” she said, “but they stripped us of our weapons.”

“
I’m glad you left your prized gun back at the apartment,” I said.