The Z-Day Trilogy (Book 4): Zombie World Read online

  Zombie World

  By

  Mark Cusco Ailes

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  Prologue

  On the tropical island of Isla Zomblar, located one hundred and twenty miles off the coast of Costa Rica, Professor Ted Hollman watched as his specialized air purification units were being brought to the island by transport helicopters. He waited anxiously as one of them landed and a large, muscular man wearing khakis jumped out and ran over to him.

  “I have everything you wanted.”

  “Good,” said Professor Hollman. “Do my parents know what you were there to do?”

  “You don’t already know? Both of your parents are dead.”

  Professor Hollman smiled. “It serves them right. Neither of them would listen to me when I warned them the serum they developed would have disastrous results. I warned them their virus would go airborne if they didn’t make the necessary changes to the formula.” He looked at Randus. “None of it matters anymore. Do you have my zombies?”

  “Four dozen like you ordered. We also found some of the animals that escaped from the zombie park before all hell broke loose.”

  “Did everybody wear their chemical suits as ordered?”

  “I’ve personally seen to it,” said Randus. “So you’re planning on building a zombie park here on the island.”

  “Not just any zombie park, Randus. The one I’m building will be bigger and better than the one built in the United States.”

  “And look how that turned out for them.”

  “That’s their fault! They were careless! They made too many mistakes! Ones we’re not going to make here.”

  “A rumor is floating around that the park was sabotaged. That’s how all the zombies got out.”

  Professor Hollman glared at him. “You’re in charge of security now, Randus. Make sure security is tight around here. I already have enough trouble with Julio Rojas. Do whatever it takes to keep any sabotage from happening in my park!”

  “How soon will we be ready to open?”

  “Zombie World will be open in a few months. Now that we have my zombies, we can get to work on using their blood to manufacture more. All we need now is for some volunteers to make into zombies. Do whatever you need to do to get the volunteers. Look for the homeless. Nobody ever misses any of them…and if it’s necessary, payoff whoever you have to. After all, this park is going to make me filthy rich.”

  Chapter One

  Randus stood casually at the corner, sipping hot coffee, and watching a group of elderly men sitting next to a building. Their clothes were soiled and ripped as if they had been worn for several months without a single wash. These were the people he knew nobody would miss or care about if they suddenly disappeared. These were also the people his boss was paying him to bring to the park. He tossed the cup he was holding into a nearby box lying near the curb and was about to step into the middle of the street when he was cut off by a black limousine with dark tinted windows. The rear door suddenly opened, and he saw a large, dark-skinned man staring at him.

  “Get in,” the stranger said. “It’s not safe to conduct business in the open. There are too many prying eyes.”

  Randus looked around at his surroundings trying to decide whether to get inside the car or not. He looked at the man sitting inside the limousine who was tapping his wristwatch trying to tell him he was on a schedule. He decided he would take his chance and get inside the car. He closed the door and the limousine moved away from the side of the street. Randus looked at the man hoping he had made the right decision.

  “Where are you taking me?” he finally asked after a few awkward minutes.

  “I’m taking you to inspect your merchandise, Mr. Randus. I want you to make sure we are delivering everything you are expecting. My boss received your wire transfer this morning.”

  Randus looked at him concerned. “When you say merchandise, you’re referring to the homeless, aren’t you?”

  “Correct…merchandise. It’s what you ordered.”

  Randus stared through the tinted windows while they continued down the street. He wasn’t sure what to make of the stranger or if he was being lied to or not. He felt uneasy, but there wasn’t anything he could do about his situation. He could sense the man staring at him.

  “Tell me, Mr. Randus. What is your boss planning on doing with the merchandise? I suppose it won’t be lawful.”

  Randus turned his head to look at him. “Does it matter?”

  “Probably not…I was trying to have a friendly conversation…you know as you Americans say, trying to break the ice.”

  Randus smirked. He knew it was more than trying to just break the ice. He was prying into his business. What was to become of the so-called ‘merchandise’ was his business. Nobody needed to know all the specifics. “How long before we get where we’re going?”

  “Not long…nevermind, we have arrived.”

  The limousine made a right turn into a back alley behind a large warehouse. Randus noticed several large men carrying M16s standing near the building as they pulled next to it. Once the car came to a halt, the driver got out and opened the door for him and waited until he got out before closing it. Randus followed the stranger into the building and was met by two guards who patted him down to make sure he wasn’t hiding any weapons. He was then led down a long hall until he came to a large office with a desk and several chairs situated around it. An obese man wearing a white safari hat was sitting behind the desk and smoking a foul smelling cigar.

  “Sit, sit, Mr. Randus…my name is Mao Salas. Welcome to my office. I hope you had a pleasant drive. My associate was instructed to make sure you were comfortable.”

  Randus took a seat on a metal folding chair. He looked around the room. Several guards stood in the rear staring at him as if they didn’t trust him. He looked back at Mr. Salas. “Where is my merchandise?”

  Mr. Salas laughed. “You Americans are always about getting down to business. Relax a moment and have a drink with me to commemorate our business dealings.” He pulled out a half bottle of local whiskey and two glasses from his desk drawer and poured them both a shot. He had one of the guards take the glass over to him. He looked at him and held his glass above his head. “To our new cooperative.”

  Randus swallowed the entire contents and handed the glass back to the guard. “Now, how about my merchandise?”

  “Very well,” said Mr. Salas, standing up. “If you will follow me, I will take you to your merchandise.”

  Randus followed him out of the office and down the hall. They came to an elevator and he got on with Mr. Salas and two guards. “We’re going to the basement where we keep the merchandise.”

  Once they reached the basement, the elevator door opened revealing more guards and several cages on the opposite side of the room. Randus could see all the cages were crammed with people wearing old and soiled clothes. He followed Mr. Salas over to the cages where he had a better view of the people locked inside them. He made a quick inspection. He turned to Mr. Salas who stood staring at him.

  “They will all do fine,” said Randus.

  “Are you sure?” asked Mr. Salas. “I don’t want you to be disappointed or feel like I cheated you.”

  “No, they will serve our purpose. Now how do we get them to Isla Zomblar?”

  “They’ll arrive tomorrow
morning by boat. All the arrangements have been made. You can go back to the island and inform your boss everything is moving smoothly and there is more merchandise in stock.”

  “I will make sure he gets your message. Now if you can drive me back to my helicopter, I will get back to the island and prepare for my merchandise to arrive in the morning.”

  “My limousine will take you where you need to go. I do hope to send more of my merchandise to the island soon.”

  Randus smiled. “Don’t worry. I don’t feel that will be a problem.” He shook hands with Mr. Salas. “Next time I come back here, I’ll bring you a bottle of American whiskey.”

  “Jack or Jim?”

  “I’ll surprise you. Perhaps I’ll bring you both.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that, Mr. Randus, and next time, we’re going to have more than just one drink.”

  Chapter Two

  Cheng Liu was busy typing something on his computer when Ted Hollman walked into the lab and made a beeline toward him. He was interested in Cheng’s progress on a special project he had him working on.

  “Cheng, we don’t have much time left. Will she be ready in time to go on display?”

  Cheng looked up from his computer and looked at Ted. “Not if you keep interrupting me. What you’re asking me to do is going to take some time and research. You’re asking me to take your parents’ research to the next level.”

  “I understand all that, but can it be done? Can you deliver what I’m asking for?”

  “Ted, I’ve told you a hundred times. I can deliver what you asked for. As a matter of fact, I’m positive I’ll have her by the end of the week.”

  “That’s great news. The public is going to love her.”

  “And that’s not all the news I have for you,” said Cheng, standing up and moving across the room. “We don’t need the chemical suits any longer. We fixed the problem with the formula. We no longer have to worry about an airborne problem in the park.”

  “That’s a relief…wait a minute, what about the zombies we had brought here to the island?”

  “They’ve all been incinerated. Now we can have the type of park Shelton Franks originally wanted.”

  “Have you informed him of this yet, Cheng?”

  “Not yet. I figured you would want to give him the good news yourself. You can go inform him now; I really need to get back to my research.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” said Ted. “I’ll stop by his mansion and give him the good news. When I left my house this afternoon, he was washing his jeep, so I know he’s most likely still there.” He looked around the lab for a moment and then left.

  Shelton Franks was relaxing next to his pool sipping sun tea with Kurt Freeman his publicist. They were discussing what still needed to be accomplished before the zombie park could be opened to the public. They were about to head back inside the mansion when Ted appeared from inside the house.

  “Ted, what brings you here this fine morning?” asked Shelton, stopping directly in front of him.

  “Cheng informs me he’s close to completing our special project.”

  Shelton glanced over at Kurt, smiling. The project Cheng was working on was important to the success of the park. He knew if he was going to get the world to forget about what was happening in America and come to his park to witness his zombies firsthand, he needed something spectacular to offer them. He knew if they accomplished that, the word would spread, and the world would come to experience it. He wanted to offer them the Hollywood experience of a lifetime. He looked back at Ted. “How close is he?”

  “By the end of the week, perhaps.”

  “Inform Chris Kaeb I’m putting him in charge of our project. I’m holding him personally responsible for it. His only concern will be the safety of both our project and the public. The enclosure has been completed ahead of schedule, and Randus has thoroughly inspected it to make sure it is up to our specifications.”

  Ted moved aside and let Shelton and Kurt enter the house. He followed them both into the luxury kitchen. He watched as Shelton opened a bottle of gin and poured it into his glass of tea and stirred it. He took a sip and looked at Ted. “I’m glad I approached you about this park. Everything so far is going according to plan. I can see it in my mind now. A perfect park where families can visit together and have memories they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.”

  Ted looked concerned. “Will they forget about what’s happening in America? The news media is referring to it as the United States of Zombies. There is a genuine concern the same could happen at our park.”

  Shelton took another drink. “That’s why we have Chris Kaeb and Randus working for us. Both of them are more than qualified to keep the park safe.”

  “What about Julio Rojas? He’s already invaded the island once. He’s vowed he will be back and with reinforcements.”

  “Relax, Ted. We’ve replaced everybody working for us on that day. Every single one of them was weak. We were careful this time who we hired. Captain Jonas is in charge of the security team stationed at intervals around the island. Nobody is going to be able to penetrate the island without us knowing it. And don’t forget we have cameras covering every single angle of the island. Our eyes will always be watching.”

  Ted relaxed a bit. “I guess I’m being paranoid. I guess I should trust our island is completely safe.” He paused for a moment. “We still have to account for severe storms.”

  Shelton shook his head in disbelief. “I keep telling you we’re prepared for the worst. Not even the weather is going to penetrate our island without us knowing about it in advance. When we know the weather is going to be severe, we’ll simply close the park for the duration. We’re equipped to get updates on the weather anytime it changes. I promise we will keep the public’s safety in mind each day before we open. Does this ease your mind?”

  Ted smiled. “You’re right. Perhaps I am being paranoid. I’m sure you’ve thought about everything that could go wrong.”

  Shelton looked at his wristwatch and then at Ted. “Come with me to the beach. There is something I want you to witness.”

  Once the three of them reached the beach on the north side of the island, they saw Captain Jonas standing in front of dozens of men dressed in black riot gear. He was giving orders to the men about the exercise they were about to perform. He stopped momentarily to acknowledge Mr. Franks who he knew had arrived. Mr. Franks nodded to him, signaling he was ready for the exercise to commence.

  “I hope this exercise will ease your mind, Ted. We’re about to witness our security team in action.”

  “What are they about to do?” asked Ted. “Are we expecting some kind of trouble?”

  “No trouble. You’re about to witness two scenarios. The first one will demonstrate what will happen when somebody tries to penetrate our island, and the second scenario will demonstrate what will happen if one of the zombies gets loose.”

  Ted looked confused. He didn’t fully understand what Shelton was trying to convey to him. He watched in horror as one of the homeless, who was recently brought to the island, was brought in front of the team with his hands tied behind his back. He looked at Shelton alarmed. “What…?”

  “Just keep watching, Ted, this is all for your benefit.”

  Ted continued to watch as the homeless man’s hands were untied, and he was pushed to the side. Captain Jonas approached him and in a loud voice screamed, “Run!”

  The homeless man looked at him for a moment and then turned away from them and ran as fast as he could through the sand. Captain Jonas waited for several minutes until the man had put some distance between him and his team before giving the order to pursue. They swiftly flowed behind the homeless man and then in unison raised their weapons and opened fired. The deadly impact from the many rounds sent the homeless man tumbling into the sand. He lay there motionless. Ted glared at Shelton in horror. This wasn’t what he was expecting. Good money had been spent procuring the homeless man and now, he felt it
had been wasted.

  “I know what you’re thinking, Ted. But don’t worry, we’re about to kill two birds with one stone.”

  Ted stared at him oddly and then turned his attention back to the beach once he heard Captain Jonas commanding orders once again. The homeless man had risen to his feet and was now shambling toward the soldiers. In unison, several shots broke the silence. The homeless man’s head recoiled from the impact, and the rounds exited his skull in a murky sea of crimson. He toppled over backward onto the sand. A pool of gore formed around his body. Captain Jonas turned to look at Mr. Franks, and he gave him the thumbs up. He then turned his attention to Ted.

  “I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with security on the island.”

  “But that was too easy. It was staged. I doubt very much it will be that easy.” Ted watched as the soldiers set the zombie ablaze and stood there cheering over their kill. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he knew the exercise had been necessary. If the park was going to remain safe for the public, everybody had to be ready for anything that could happen. It was one of the many things his parents hadn’t done. They hadn’t prepared for anything that could have gone wrong with their research. They were the ones responsible for the downfall of America. If they had only listened to him, perhaps America would still be zombie free. None of that mattered now. He had taken every precaution to make sure the island didn’t suffer the same fate. Still, something bothered him about the test. There were still things they had to consider. He looked around the beach. He couldn’t worry about it now. He had too many other things to worry about.

  “Let’s head for the meeting, Ted,” said Shelton. “I want to make sure everything is operational and also hear what concerns anybody might still have. I want to hear what concerns you still might have. I don’t know any other way to show you we have everything in hand. We don’t need to run another test. Our men are capable of handling any situation that will present itself. Whether you thought it was easy or not, we’re not going to have any problems so get that notion out of your head now.