Zombie Off - The Beginning Read online

Gold.”

  The people around him exchanged glances.

  “How much gold do we need for a can?” asked another onlooker.

  “The number of cans you receive will be dependent upon how much gold you bring.”

  Again, the crowd exchanged glance.

  “Now, I’m sure you all are anxious to go out and try out my product. My men will be passing out my business card with a shortwave radio frequency and CB radio channel printed on it. If you like how the ZOMBIE OFF works and are interested in purchasing more, simply contact me. Or, if you prefer, you can come directly to my gates.”

  Turning, he headed for his SUV, three armed guards flanking him closely. When he reached the vehicle, he stopped and addressed the crowd one final time.

  “I look forward to doing business with each and every one of you. Please, feel free to tell your friends if you like my product. There is plenty to go around.”

  As one of his men opened the door, he called out to the visitors.

  “My men will show you out.”

  With that, he closed the door and the SUV drove away. At the guard’s request, everyone returned to their vehicles and headed out of the gate, returning to their respective safe zones with a whole new outlook on the zombie apocalypse.

  Connor sat in his apartment, staring at the small can of ZOMBIE OFF sitting on the coffee table. Monty sat on his lap, enjoying the long strokes of his hand as he contemplated what he had witnessed at the Chemcorp facility.

  He had given up hope for a vaccine or cure long before now, figuring it wouldn’t do much good anyways. You can’t bring them back, and the best a vaccine could do would be to prevent turning if you were bitten. But what Morrow had created . . . this could make a difference.

  Connor reached out and picked up the can, spinning it around in his hand. If this stuff really did work, then it could change everything. Supply runs would no longer be feared. You could actually walk outside of the walls without fear of being attacked.

  Reading the blood red words out loud, he shook his head in amazement. “ZOMBIE OFF.” He paused for a second, looking down at Monty. “This stuff could change the world.”

  Getting up from the couch he headed to the window and looked out over the Schuylkill River. After a few seconds he let out a heavy sigh. Monty had jumped onto the table behind him and sat watching him quizzically.

  “I know what I saw buddy. There’s no way they could have faked it,” he said to the cat. “But I have to know for sure.”

  Stripping off his clothes, he grabbed the can and headed for the bathroom. After a minute, he came out and put on his socks, boots, underwear and shorts. Next, he put on his motorcycle riding gear. Lastly, he slung his katana over his shoulder, threw one of his large hunting knives into his backpack with his other supplies, and headed for the door.

  “Wish me luck, buddy,” he called to Monty as he closed the door behind him.

  Connor headed through the lobby toward the main exit of his apartment building, passing the two old men seated at the game table.

  “What’s new, Seeker?” one called out.

  “Everything,” replied Connor as he walked past and out the door.

  Reaching the sidewalk, he headed for his motorcycle, which was parked along the side of the building. The motorcycle was equipped with two saddlebags and two pieces of luggage that were attached to the sissy bar/luggage rack combo. He used the bike for smaller supply runs that didn’t require the need for carting back large amounts of stuff. Since this was a ZOMBIE OFF test run, he wanted to have the bike for a quick getaway in case something went wrong. Folding up his backpack, he placed it in the larger of the two pieces of luggage.

  Hopping on, he slid his helmet on, fired it up, and headed for the front gate. After quickly signing out, he was on his way. He had thought about where to test the product, and he had decided on a location that had been a trouble spot since the supply runs started - the local Walmart. He needed batteries and bottled water, so he might as well get some supplies while testing it out.

  The ride to the store was short, taking only a few minutes. With the motorcycle he easily avoided any random zombies along the way, and since his bike wasn’t a Harley, it didn’t attract nearly as much attention.

  Pulling into the large parking lot, he killed the engine as he coasted the final 30 yards to the front right corner of the store. Flipping down the kickstand, he dismounted and looked around.

  Cars littered the parking lot of the Super Walmart, one of the largest in the area. Numerous times a supply run team attempted to raid the giant store, and each time they failed.

  When the apocalypse broke out, the store had been full of shoppers. When the apocalypse hit full stride, the store was full of zombies. So many that it made a supply run inside difficult at best. The store was dark and had countless clothes racks and isle displays, not to mention the odd layout of the isles themselves. In the darkness, with so many zombies roaming the store, the risks were proving to be too high.

  When the shit hit the fan, people that stayed inside the store locked and barricaded themselves in, which made accessing the store through the various entrances nearly impossible. As a result, teams couldn’t use the “draw them out” method to clear the store either.

  To get in, you needed to access the roof and go in from the top. The few teams that tried this met with disastrous results once they were inside the store. The sheer numbers of undead were more than they could handle, and most team members were lucky to escape alive.

  Connor stood at the corner of the store, surveying the surroundings. A handful of zombies wandered the parking lot, drawn by the sound and movement of the motorcycle. These would be the perfect first test for the ZOMBIE OFF.

  Taking off his motorcycle gear and pulling out his backpack, he quietly drew his katana and slowly moved away from the bike, watching as the undead moved closer. Standing motionless, his muscles tensed as the zombies closed in, searching for the source of the noise they had heard just minutes before. The closer the undead came, the tighter Connor gripped his sword. Now the zombies were only a few yards away, and all of his instincts screamed for him to kill them. It took every ounce of self-restraint for him to stand his ground, but he forced himself to stay frozen.

  Seconds later, the zombies were there. A dozen undead, wandering and staggering around him as if he didn’t even exist. Slowly, he turned in a circle as he watched the hideous creatures pass just inches away, showing no interest in him whatsoever.

  Gradually, the grip on his sword relaxed, a slight smile crossing his face.

  “Holy shit,” he said to himself. ‘This stuff really works.”

  Slowly, he turned and walked through the roaming group of undead as he made his way to the back of the building. Along the way he passed dozens of zombies, and none of them even turned their head in his wake.

  “Incredible,” he said to himself.

  Moving along the loading docks, Connor came to a semi trailer parked at one of the loading bays. A tall extension ladder leaned against the side of it, with another ladder positioned on top that gained access to the roof. This was how the supply run teams had accessed the store.

  Reaching the ladder, he couldn’t help but notice the blood stains on the rungs, a sobering reminder of the fate of the last team that entered this place. Looking up, he slung the backpack over his shoulder, took a deep breath, and started climbing. A few minutes later he was standing on the roof.

  The quiet crunch of rooftop gravel was the only sound to be heard as he made his way across the open expanse to the small rectangular brick structure on the right side of the roof. A single closed door beckoned as he approached. Halfway there, he passed the decomposing corpses of the previous team members that didn’t make it. Each had a single gunshot to the back of the head, the standard procedure for dealing with the infected. There was no sign of struggle, for each of the unfortunate men and women knew that this was the only o
ption if they were bitten. The surviving team members had an obligation to those unfortunate few. No one is left to rise again.

  Connor never broke stride as he passed the fallen. Their bodies served as a reminder of the dangers that awaited, ZOMBIE OFF or not. Reaching the door, he unslung his backpack and removed the knife, attaching it to his belt. Taking off the sword sheath, he set it on the ground and prepared to go in. He decided to leave the sheath on the roof to avoid accidentally hitting something as he navigated the inside of the darkened building. The backpack he slung over his shoulders in its place.

  Standing at the door, he pressed his ear to the metal, listening for any signs of movement on the other side. Hearing nothing, he grabbed the handle and slowly opened the door, staying behind it, just in case.

  The first team that attempted to loot the giant super store had picked the door lock, and ever since it was left unlocked for any other team that chose to take on the challenge.

  With the door open, Connor waited a few seconds and then headed in. Pulling a small LED flashlight out of his pocket, he turned it on, illuminating the dark stairwell. Shining the light downward, he could see the tiered stairs were clear down to the door at the bottom. Quietly, he made his descent until he was standing at the bottom.

  On the other side of the door was the large back storage room, and from the reports, it was