Zombie Day Care (12 page)

“
Just call him.”

“
We tried.” Rudy had sauntered over. “You know he won’t answer. He never does. As for the breech, he won’t report it. He’s too afraid they’ll shut us down.”

He spoke up, “Okay, Weege get over here.” They all gathered. “Let’s lock up the rest of the zombies. We need to gather Dad and Jimmy. I have a bad feeling this place isn’t safe. I’m going to check on Louie. Weege, monitor the floors …”

Henry looked around.

“
Is anyone else here?”

“
It’s after five dude, the rest have rolled, it’s just the night shift,” Rudy said.

“
Okay then, you and Tori go down there and latch the cages.”

His friends gave him a funny look.

“
Okay, I’ll go with you. You don’t know how to lock them without the security cards. I’ll show you. Let’s go.”

Their footfalls rushed over the platform, across the catwalk and down the ladders. He hated this. Herding the zombies was dangerous because they were stubborn. This was what he needed Ronald for. The burly man would bundle up, round up the children and toss them in. It wasn’t something the rest of them usually had to do.

A simple scratch from a zombie would garner a feverish reaction, but their bites were fatal. There wasn’t anything you could do. He could see the worry on everyone’s face as they slipped on heavy cotton beige suits and thick padded gloves. There were over a dozen cells along the outer wall, like ones you would see in an animal shelter, but much larger and secure. Tori opened up several of them, side by side. Each hatch had a red light.

Here we go.
“You ready Rudy?”

“
Yeh, who are we getting first?”

“
Peggy. She’s the easiest.”

They surrounded a gaunt little girl, dressed in a Halloween outfit, about five years old. The child stood before a large flat screen television, showing nerdy little kids singing and playing instruments.

“
On three, Rudy!” he shouted through a mesh faced protective mask. His heart was pounding. He’d never done this before. “One … Two … Three!”

Each man locked his hands around the girl’s wrists and stretched her arms taunt. He could feel her little arms pulling back, strong like a small animal, but not strong enough. Her fingers clutched as they dragged her toward the cell, but she wasn’t fighting. They had her inside, let her go, and each rushed back out. Tori scanned the door lock. It turned from red to green. Henry was relieved.

“
Here’s how you do the double lock,” he said with a muffled voice.

There was a small concealed handle at the top of the silver cage, like one used to open or close an old window. He spun it around until it clicked.

“
You got it gorgeous!” Tori said.

“
I got it baby!” he winked inside his mask.

“
I’m sweating my ass off and I’m still single. Can we get this over with you two love turds!” Rudy exclaimed.

“
Okay Rudy, okay. Tori, be sure to double lock those other cages too, we don’t want the rest accidentally getting out.”

One by one, using the same tactic, they got the other zombie kids inside. The zombies resisted with only the chronic ‘Num-Num’ phrase. Oh, to have a muzzle on them, Henry thought. He’d do anything to never hear those words again. It took about thirty minutes with little Mike, because he wouldn’t let go of the jungle gym. The little boy in Phantom Leap pajamas, provided by Rudy, had been clutching the yellow coated playset for hours. Henry considered cutting off the boys fingers, but a screwdriver managed to pry them off.

“
Ah … that sucked,” he said, as they all took off their masks and anti-zombie suits.

Everyone’s hair was matted and wet. Rudy was soaked head-to-toe in sweat, but the sight of Tori in damp jeans and a V-neck T-shirt made him sweat more. It made both men gawk. Her eyes enlarged when she looked their way and she made a dash for her lab coat.

“
Man, you are one lucky dude. She is smoking.”

The comment didn’t bother him as it felt good for a change, having a woman like that.

“
Hey! Hey guys!” It was Weege shouting from above in alarm. “Hey!”

They all walked over and looked up at him. Weege’s dark face was ashen.

Henry yelled up, a smile on his face, “What is it Weege? Did the Pope die too?”

“
No! No! It’s Louie! He’s gone again!”

CHAPTER 22

“
Nate McDaniel is dead?” Jimmy said as a hysterical laugh burst from his lips. He never would have known if he hadn’t been watching all the commotion at Weege’s station. Looks of alarm and surprise caught his fancy as he zoomed in another camera to see more. He watched from above the scene. The expression on their faces enlightened his flesh. Their suffering brought him joy. He knew his time had come, and it was his turn to be the most famous man in the world.

He checked his recordings on the screens from the security room, they were all in order. The monitors were saving every image and clip for his purpose. He knew the live feed might go, it happened from time-to-time and that is why he had a backup recording. The remote area created havoc on communications when the wind and rain came. He could see his stepfather Stanley singing to the undead girls inside the biolab. As far as he could tell they weren’t going anywhere.

Jimmy rubbed his nose and sniffed, and looked for his brother Henry.
Go ahead brain child. Go put up the zombies. I’ve got a surprise for you.

He googled Nate McDaniel’s and Christie Backwater’s faces on his smart phone. He touched her face on the screen. “Oh yeah, babes like you will soon be mine.”

He finished off another can of beer and pulled up the action in Louie’s cell. He bit his dirty fingernails while twisting his ball cap around before he entered a code. His foot was tapping as he waited. Jimmy had not only helped Stanley give Louie the XT Serum, but he also had been starving the boy. The lack of zombie dew that kept the children docile would build Louie’s hunger for flesh and brains. He saw to it Louie missed his doses. The XT serum sped up the boy’s metabolism as well as other things. That’s what his employers told him to do. That is what he did.

Jimmy looked at another camera feed; he could see them in the zombie suits, jerking the little minions into their holes. He loved doing that. He hated the rotten little fiends, his life could have been perfect if not for them. They took his life, his friends and family, in a single day, all but Henry and Stanley, the ones he despised most. It was the time when the world of madness consumed him and crushed his soul. He couldn’t cope with all the changes. He survived the only way he could, like a rodent that feeds off others. He considered suicide, but he didn’t want to leave this miserable world for the next. Those were his thoughts back when, but he didn’t remember them anymore, as many memories were a clump of fried brain cells. He just wanted to feel great all the time. He wanted to be the next Nate McDaniel.

He could see them in the kiddy zoo now, and he knew they were talking about him.
Stop talking about me. I might show mercy.
He pressed RETURN on the keyboard.

“
Bye-bye douche bags!”

CHAPTER 23

A familiar sound filled his head. He turned to face it. An opening stood before him and he couldn’t help but pass through. Many colors and objects were beside him, behind him and below him. Everything was spinning, moving and stopping. There was blackness, and there was the light. Something was shuffling below him and humming above him. He heard sounds before him and said, “Numma–Numma.”

Louie didn’t understand where he was or what he was doing. He ran his hands over the cold metal walls of the day care. He could hear voices, but he didn’t understand. He smelled things, but didn’t know what that meant. He needed something, but he didn’t know what it was. He had to find it. Everything was blurry though. The shapes seemed to make sense, but the spectrum of bright colors annoyed him. Somewhere nearby was what he needed. Instinct pressed him that way, as more objects rushed past him. The sounds of voices became louder, and he stopped moving. The hunger was building inside of him as he moved toward the sound. It was food he wanted and it was near. He just didn’t know what the food was.

Louie didn’t know what the loud words meant, but they frightened him.

Someone shouted, “Sound the alarm Weege!”

CHAPTER 24

It had been one of those days that lasted a lot longer than normal. The midday sun had long passed and the dark clouds above were filled with rolling thunder. The heavy breeze was such that John had closed the guard shack door. His feet ached from all the standing and his butt was sore from all the sitting. Over an hour had gone by without a word between him and his grandson. The boy was intent with his video games, and not much for conversation.

“
Is that battery ever gonna die Fergie?

The boy looked up, rubbing his puffy brown eyes and said, “I’ve got more batteries. There’s a plug-in here too.”

“
Oh … Wanna play some cards?’

“
No.”

Shrugging, John pulled a card deck out from a top desk drawer. The guard shack was accommodating. It had an air conditioner filled with icy air and toasty heater as well. A back up diesel generator was outside, but he had never used it. There was a beige push button phone sitting on the countertop, but it only made calls inside the facility. He had never used it before and didn’t know that anyone ever had.

He dealt out a hand of solitaire with his blue and white drug store cards. He hadn’t won in weeks, but maybe this would be his lucky day … but he didn’t feel lucky. He felt like a man in the forest tracking a bear, waiting for the big beast to show up at any second. He wiped the dampness on his forehead.
Why am I sweating?

Sprinkles of rain came and went with an occasional rumble of thunder. Somewhere in the distance he swore he heard a tree fall.

“
Hey Fergie, why don’t you help me out with these cards? You were always good at this.”

The boy looked up, his freckled cheeks smudged with snack cake fudge.

Messy boy.

The boy replied, “Do I have too, I’m comfortable?”

He sighed, “Suit yourself.”

A couple of rounds of solitaire passed with failure, he shuffled the deck again and dealt a new set on the counter. He kept thinking about what a long day it had been, as he looked outside, stroking his moustache.

His stomach was growling. He opened the door and inhaled some fresh air. The cold drizzle was refreshing on his face. The facility was quiet as always. He hoped someone would come out. It had been awhile since Ronald passed on without having said a word, green as a toad.
Poor fella, never seen him look worse and he looks bad enough to begin with.

Taking his glasses off, he squinted at the facility. The green lights spread on the fence posts had turned red. About then, a fierce wind picked up forcing him back inside, and he closed the door with a loud smack
,
causing the boy to lurch from his seat.

“
Ferguson, did you see those lights turn red?”

“
Uh-huh.”

“
Well, how long ago did that happen?”

There was a pause.

“
Fergie! How long?” he almost shouted, as a chill rushed through his veins.

The boy took the time to check his watch and said, “Maybe forty minutes.”

John felt all of his muscles tighten between his shoulder blades, “Forty minutes!”

He didn’t know what to do. Those lights had never come on before. He grabbed the telephone. It rang, and kept ringing. He left it off the hook. A sudden gust rocked the shack and the wind began to howl like banshees.

The boy had a stunned look, and fear in his eyes. The boy dropped his game as he cried out, “Grandpa!”

John rushed over and put his arms around the boy. The child was shaking and clutching at his clothes.

“
Come on Fergie, let’s get in the truck.” The boy didn’t want to go anywhere, not letting go of his legs. The wind was so loud he couldn’t hear his own voice. He tried to pick the boy up.

“
Fergie, let me go!” he hollered.

He was nervous now, feeling trapped inside the shack as the heavy rain began beating down on the metal roof like rocks. If he didn’t get moving, they might be in for a long night. It hurt him to do so as he hoisted the boy up into his arms, tearing the muscles in his aged back. Somehow, he slung a hundred pounds of dead weight over his shoulder and stepped into the unexpected maelstrom.

The rain soaked him the second he stepped outside, splashing him like a thousand tiny waves. The winds were roaring in his ears, and he could see where a large pine had fallen onto the fence. He fought through the wind and could hear the boy’s terrified screams in his ears. He forced his way through the chaos and fumbled for the handle on his truck door. He opened it, blockaded himself inside the door as the boy crawled inside like a frightened rabbit. He jumped inside the cabin as the wind slammed the door behind him.