Machines of the Dead (Book 3) Read online

  “You look disappointed,” Cable said.

  “I shot you.”

  Cable nodded. “Yes, you did. Just a flesh wound, really.” Cable rotated his shoulder. “Hurts like a bitch, but I’ll manage.”

  “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”

  “But you didn’t. The fates see it fit to have us do battle again which is what we’re going to do here today. Set the record straight. See who wins the war.”

  “You want to fight?” Zaun asked.

  “We’re not on the playground. A couple of kids duking it out. We’re trained killers. This is life and death. A war between two warriors.”

  Zaun couldn’t believe it. This maniac wanted to fight it out instead of simply putting a bullet into him. The guy had clearly lost his mind.

  Cable removed the machine gun strapped to his back and slid it down the aisle, keeping his handgun trained on Zaun. “Before I disarm myself, we’ll need to make sure Maria here doesn’t interfere. Find something to tie her up with. I’ll give you a minute.”

  Zaun glanced around. He didn’t see anything he could use. “I don’t know where to look.”

  “That’s okay,” Cable said. He aimed the gun at Maria. “I’ll just kill her, and then we can begin.”

  “Wait,” Zaun said, holding out his arms and stepping in front of her. “I’ll find something, but I’ll need to check the aisles.”

  “Get going then. Time’s running out.”

  Zaun picked up the flashlight and was ready to run down the aisle where the guns had been tossed, when Cable said, “Not that aisle.”

  Zaun nodded and took off down a different lane.

  “Try anything funny and Maria gets a bullet to the head,” Cable threatened.

  Zaun searched the shelves for something he could use to tie up Maria. He passed by screws and piping before reaching the wide aisle that cut through the store and separated the smaller aisles into two parts. He turned down another aisle, seeing it was stocked with boilers and other equipment, and moved a couple aisles down to where he found pliers and bolt cutters. He continued along and came across screwdrivers, but they were all sealed in hard plastic packages. He could’ve easily hid one down his pants and used it as a stabbing weapon when he fought Cable, but there was no way he could get the package open quickly and quietly. Next was the hammer section. Most were too large to hide on his person, but then he saw a small, ball-peen hammer. He pulled it from the hooks it was hanging on and shoved it into the small of his back and covered it with his shirt and jacket.

  “Time’s almost up, Zaun,” Cable yelled.

  Picking up his pace, Zaun reached the end of the aisle and turned down the next one. The flashlight’s beam fell on coiled ropes of thick orange and green-colored extension cords. Too thick, he thought and moved the light farther along until he came across smaller, thinner bundles—the kind of extension cords a person would use every day in their home. Thin enough to be used to tie someone’s hands together. He grabbed two handfuls and returned to Cable.

  “Now tie her wrists behind her back, then secure her ankles. Make sure you do a good job, because if I have to worry about her interfering with us, I’ll just make the problem go away.”

  Believing Cable’s words, Zaun made sure Maria wouldn’t be able to escape her bonds. When Zaun was finished, Cable had him back away and checked the job he’d done.

  Maria came to as a few moans escaped her lips. She appeared groggy, but it only lasted until her eyes fell on Cable.

  “Get the hell away from me,” she shouted.

  Cable stood back and laughed.

  She looked at Zaun. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Just sit tight. Once I kill this psycho, we’ll be all right.”

  “I like the confidence, Zaun,” Cable said. “Glad to see you’re up to this. How’s the leg by the way?”

  “Let’s just do this.”

  Cable shook his head. “Take off the jacket.”

  Zaun did, tossing it away.

  “Turn around.”

  Zaun rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. He felt the cold steel of Cable’s gun press against the back of his skull as he was patted down. “What’s this?” Cable asked, his hand on the hammer. The nail-whacking tool was removed from Zaun’s possession.

  “I’m very disappointed in you, Zaun,” Cable said, taking a few steps back. “First, you use a gun; upped the stakes between us. Now, we agree to hand to hand combat, and you had this hammer on you.”

  Zaun didn’t know what the man was going to do, so he quickly said, “I didn’t know if I could trust you. I remember you pulling a blade on me during our last meeting. Wanted to be able to even the odds if I needed to.”

  “Ahh, so this was a ‘just in case’ item?”

  “Yeah,” Zaun said, knowing his words meant nothing to Cable.

  “Face me,” Cable said.

  Zaun turned around, expecting to be whacked in the face with the hammer, but found himself catching it after Cable tossed it to him. He looked at it, confused and worried.

  “For attempting to cheat, I want you to smash one of your hands. Just once, but make sure it’s hard, or I’ll be forced to have you smash Maria’s hand too.”

  “Afraid to fight him?” Maria asked. “You almost had him in the basement of that house, Cable. Don’t you want a fair fight?”

  Cable chuckled. “I did, but Zaun here seems not to want one. So he’s going to be penalized.” Cable raised the gun and pointed it at Maria, but spoke to Zaun. “Smash one of your hands with the hammer or I’ll shoot her. You’ve got until I count to five.”

  Zaun got on his knees and placed his hand on the frigid floor.

  “One . . .” Cable said.

  Zaun raised the hammer, his brain screaming at him to stop.

  “Two . . .”

  He stared at his left hand, hoping he’d be able to do it hard enough. Satisfy the madman. But if he did it, he’d be at a severe disadvantage.”

  “Three . . .”

  Zaun glanced up and saw Cable staring at Maria, smiling. The maniac’s focus was on her. Cable loved seeing her turmoil.

  “Four . . .”

  Zaun swung his arm forward and let the hammer fly. Cable’s face went slack as the object approached, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Zaun lunged forward, wanting to come in right behind the hammer, Cable only a few feet from him.

  Unable to move completely out of the way, the hammer smacked Cable above his left eye, the thud deafening.

  The gun went off.

  Zaun didn’t know where the bullet had gone. He didn’t feel anything and was on Cable in seconds, forcing him to the ground.

  Straddling the lunatic, Zaun used both his hands to control his enemy’s gun arm. He took a punch from the man’s free hand, but the blow had little power behind it. They wrestled for the weapon, Cable refusing to let go. Zaun tried twisting and then slamming the man’s hand against the ground, but his effort proved ineffective. Cable punched him again, then latched onto his throat and squeezed. Zaun lost the ability to breathe and managed to tear himself away from the man’s grip while keeping the gun hand pinned down. Not knowing what else to do, he leaned down and sank his teeth into Cable’s wrist. The man howled as his hand open, and Zaun was able to knock the gun away.

  Cable punched Zaun in the throat. Zaun felt his strength momentarily leave, allowing Cable to heave him off. He landed next to the big guy, and knowing he needed to get away from him, rolled.

  Cable got to his feet and headed toward Zaun.

  “Watch out,” Maria yelled.

  Zaun looked just in time to see Cable’s foot coming at his face. He covered up and absorbed the blow, pain exploding in his forearm. Zaun wheezed in a breath, his throat semi-closed from the hit he’d taken there. Another blast from Cable’s boot hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. Needing to get out of that position, he rolled as if on fire, and then jumped to his feet.

  Cabl
e was on him in seconds, swinging a punch his way. Zaun ducked and moved sideways, then came up with a kick to Cable’s liver. Cable answered with a kick of his own to Zaun’s thigh.

  Breath coming easier, Zaun launched an open palm into Cable’s chin and forced the man’s head back, then sprang forward with a knee that landed in the man’s groin. Cable hunched over and Zaun jumped up with his other knee and nailed Cable in the nose, feeling it crunch under the impact. The psycho flew backward and tripped over Maria’s legs.

  Zaun looked around for the gun, saw it laying against a piece of charred 2x4. He hurried over to it and scooped it up, then spun around, expecting Cable to be charging at him, but instead saw the man holding a knife to Maria’s throat.

  Chapter 10

  Jack awoke with a searing hunger in his stomach. Opening his eyes, he quickly sat up, confusion befalling him. The last thing he remembered was lying against the snowmobile, dying and trying to keep himself from being eaten alive. Now he was in an office, a soft orange glow illuminating the place. He wasn’t cold. In fact, he was comfortable, warm. He saw the source of the soft glow and knew heaters had been placed around the room. Instead of feeling safe, he panicked. None of this made sense. Where were Maria and Zaun?

  Then he remembered that he’d been shot.

  Jack ran a hand over his thigh. There was no pain. He stood and pulled his pants down, needing to see the flesh. A bandage covered his skin. It wasn’t soaked with blood. He didn’t see a drop. He tore off the dressing. His leg was normal-looking, as if nothing had happened to it. He brought a hand to his neck, felt another bandage and ripped it off. The skin below was smooth.

  Jack pulled up his pants. He suddenly felt weak, legs wobbly. He collapsed back to the couch, a wave of dizziness falling over him. He took a moment, pain engulfing his stomach.

  He needed to eat.

  He saw his backpack, along with Zaun’s and Maria’s over by the door, and could practically smell the food within the bags. Like a ravenous creature, he crawled over to his pack and pulled out two MREs and a bottle of water. He prepared the meals, knowing he needed both. He wanted to eat them as they cooked, hardly able to wait. Normally, he’d think to ration, but the thought didn’t even enter his mind. As soon as they were ready, he gobbled down the food. When he was finished, he waited a few minutes. Still needing to eat, he made another MRE.

  He allowed the food to settle, hardly believing he was able to eat so much and not feel like he was going to explode. But he felt good, energized.

  For a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming.

  Getting to his feet, he saw a Home Depot banner across the wall. He didn’t remember anything past his being shot. Somehow, he’d been brought to where he was, but how in the hell was he uninjured yet alive? He figured with his wounds healed and his incredible hunger, that he’d been asleep for some time. A month maybe. It seemed impossible, but how else could he explain it?

  He needed to find Maria and Zaun.

  He went over to the door and opened it. The hallway was pitch black. He grabbed a flashlight from his pack, strapped on his gun belt holding the .45, then grabbed his shotgun and headed into the hallway. There was another office across from him, and next to that was a larger room. There was a sink, cabinets, a counter, chairs and vending machines. An employee breakroom.

  He moved to the end of the short hallway where the cavernous warehouse store opened up. His flashlight proved but a faint glow in the vast darkness. The ceiling and aisles seemed to extend into an endless void. The smell of lumber surrounded him. Sheets of wood took up the aisle he was standing in.

  He started forward, ready to call out to Maria and Zaun, but decided it might be best to keep his mouth shut. He had no idea what was going on.

  The air was much colder outside the office. He wished he’d taken his jacket, but he wasn’t about to return for it now. If he had to go outside, he’d consider going back.

  He heard voices as he neared the end of the aisle and killed his flashlight. Peering around the corner, he saw figures standing in a huge sunlit area. The entrance to the store was open. From where he stood, he couldn’t see who they were.

  Still shrouded in gloom, he moved forward, knowing he couldn’t be seen, and when he finally came close enough, he saw someone on the ground, a large man and a smaller one. Moving closer still, he was able to see Zaun and . . . Cable? Then he saw the gun in Cable’s hand.

  He couldn’t believe it. How the hell did that maniac follow them? Then he knew. It had been Cable who shot him. Had to be. The figure on the floor was Maria. He wondered if she was dead, then heard her speak and relief flooded through him.

  Wondering what his best course of action was, he watched as the men talked. Cable took something from Zaun, then handed it back to him. There was no way Jack could charge in. And with only a handgun and a shotgun, there was no way he could aim a shot and not take a chance of hitting Zaun—especially in his current position. Zaun was closer to him, partially blocking his view of Cable at times. He needed to—

  Zaun got down on his knees.

  Jack froze, straining to see what was happening. Then he saw the hammer in Zaun’s hand, raised above his head. First Cable takes the thing from Zaun, then gives it back, but to what end?

  It didn’t matter. He needed to get over there and take out Cable.

  He hurried back down the aisle—flashlight on, but covered by his hand so only a sliver of light shone—until he came to the wide aisle that cut across the entire midway point of the store.

  A gunshot sounded.

  Jack’s mind raced with horrendous images of Cable blowing Zaun’s brains out. He’d been too late. He should have charged straight in and caused a distraction. Went in firing. Something, anything.

  He raced along, no longer covering the light. He needed to see, to vault over items in his way. The closer he came to the end of the corridor, the more sunlight allowed him to make out things ahead of him. He slung the shotgun over his shoulder and pulled his sidearm.

  “It’s over asshole,” Zaun said.

  “You have no honor,” Cable said. “Drop the gun or Maria gets a new smile.”

  Jack slowed as he approached the end of the aisle. He saw Cable, the man’s back to him. The madman was holding onto Maria. About ten feet away Zaun stood, pointing a gun.

  Jack had his sights on Cable’s head, the .45 aimed at it. He moved to his left a little, clearing Maria’s head of Cable’s, the silhouetted outline of the two creating a two-headed monster. Jack could shoot, end it all, but there was a chance the bullet could hit Maria too.

  “You’ve got until I count to 5, then this bitch dies,” Cable said.

  “Then you die too,” Zaun said.

  “Doesn’t matter. The pain of her death will haunt you forever. I’ll eternally be in your thoughts. You’ll never shake me.”

  Jack crept up, avoiding the rubble on the ground as best he could. Then something crunched under his right foot, the sound echoing like a gunshot. He froze, wincing.

  Cable spun around, keeping Maria in front of him. He had a knife to her throat. His eyes went wide, a mask of utter disbelief on his face.

  “Impossible,” he said.

  Jack knew a window of opportunity had opened. He saw Cable’s body relax, the big man obviously stunned. Maria’s eyes met his. Unspoken communication took hold between the two. She yanked down on Cable’s knife arm, clearing the blade from her throat. Jack took a moment to make sure his aim was good, then fired.

  Cable’s head jerked back. Maria tore herself free as her tormentor’s body collapsed to the floor. Zaun ran up, stood over Cable and put another bullet into his head. He looked at Maria, saw she was okay, then looked at Jack. “You’re up.”

  Jack nodded. “Yeah, I sure am.”

  Maria hugged him. Then Zaun joined in.

  When they were finished, they backed up and looked at each other.

  “How do you feel?” Maria asked.

  “Numb and a little confus
ed,” Jack said. The adrenaline rush was wearing off and weariness was settling in. He wobbled, and Zaun caught him.

  “Whoa,” Zaun said.

  “I’m okay,” Jack assured him.

  “You look better,” Maria said, smiling.

  “Good to hear,” Jack said, scratching the back of his head. “Now could someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”

  Chapter 11

  After being stripped of his weapons and jacket—Jack wearing it to keep from freezing—Cable’s corpse was dragged outside and laid among the strewn landscape of dead undead. It was Zaun and Maria’s first up-close look at the undead that had been blown from the wall. Some were crispy, but most were still as they had been before the explosion, but in more pieces. Fresh blood stained the snow as if some of the undead had been alive—which was impossible as everyone knew. The more likely scenario was they had been recently turned. Maybe a group of survivors had been hiding in the mall, were overrun and turned before they finally made their way outside. When the zombies spotted the fire, they came over only to meet an early undead death.

  Maria mentioned how the two undead she had come across on the strip mall’s roof appeared fresh, too, though their clothes said otherwise. Studying the bodies in front of her, the same thing could be said. Not all the undead were in ‘good’ condition. A few were emaciated, stripped of flesh in areas where bone could be seen. The flesh on those undead was cracked and gray, old-looking.

  “Based on the clothing,” Maria said, “I don’t think many of these undead are newly turned. I think something’s up with the bots.”

  “Yeah,” Zaun said, nodding. “Something’s definitely up with them.” He looked at Jack who was feeling hunger pangs again.

  “You think they’re keeping them fresh?” he asked. “Maybe even healing them?’

  Zaun chuckled. “You’ve got no idea, Jack.”

  Maria cleared her throat.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Jack asked.