Zombified (Book 1): The Head Hunter Read online

  “Think you’re staring daggers into that man’s back enough?” Camilla asked him as she smirked, one pink Victoria’s Secret bag swinging in her left hand. She moved closer to him and took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s just go home. We can avoid the mall for a while if you’d like. I, for one, don’t want to see another mall for at least six months to a year.”

  “You say that now, but you’ll change your mind after a week or two, especially if Jenny comes to you begging to go shopping again. Then you’ll come beg me for the credit card,” he said as he looked down as his wife as they walked. She was a head shorter than him as was their daughter, but their daughter was much smarter than the two of them combined. She didn’t mind reminding them of that fact every now and again.

  Jenny had practically sprinted to the car, her parents trailing slowly behind. She pulled the door handle, and nothing happened, and when she looked up, her father was laughing while digging the keys out of his pocket and pressing the button to unlock it. Her mother let go of her father’s hand and moved toward the car a little faster, Caesar still taking his time and watching the sky barely spotted in stars, a few definitely brighter than others.

  He froze in place and knew what those were instantly. He knew just enough about astrology and seen enough movies about natural disasters that they were easy enough to recognize. Meteors through the sky, some of them burning up completely while most seemed large enough to stay intact.

  “Caesar? What is it?” Camilla asked as she took just one hesitant step away from the car, Jenny standing right behind her.

  Caesar pointed toward the sky and replied, “Look up.” Both sets of eyes turned upward and then grew wide with fear as the meteors barreled down toward the ground.

  There was a loud explosion far behind Caesar back toward the mall followed by screaming, and they all turned and looked on in horror as explosion after explosion erupted in the distance, lighting up the darkened sky as screams of pure terror drifted to them on the wind. Fear made its way through Caesar, Camilla, and Jenny as they looked on, knowing there was nothing that any of them could do to stop it. Their terror deepened as a red mist began to rise from the craters, melding with the flames and spreading out like a fog across the ground like it was actively seeking out a victim. It moved snake-like and sinister, seeking them out like it could sense their presence.

  “Get in the car and lock the doors,” Caesar yelled back towards Jenny and Camilla, taking a step backward in the direction of the car.

  “What about you?” Camilla shouted over the sounds of horror and disaster around them.

  “I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Dad!” Jenny yelled as Camilla grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her into the car. Jenny struggled against her.

  She knew her father would sacrifice himself to save someone, even a perfect stranger, and she couldn’t stand by and watch it happen if anyone were to need his help. The mist was moving faster now, like a tidal wave, taking a few people with it as they ran trying to escape it. And it was closing in on Caesar, now only twenty or so yards away. He took a few more steps back, stumbling as one of his own feet tripped him up. He would’ve fallen if he didn’t catch himself with one hand planted on the ground. Jenny and Camilla watched in fear, frozen in place despite being ordered to get inside of the vehicle. They just couldn’t. Their feet refused to move. A sharp, loud whistle penetrated the air, and both women turned to see a meteor coming in their direction. Camilla pushed Jenny to the side, but she was still too close.

  A loud explosion sent Caesar flying forward, landing him directly into the sea of red mist that had been coming towards him. He sat up as quickly as he could and saw the twisted hunk of metal that was their car on fire, sending black smoke into the air and the surface of a giant meteorite peeking through the curtain of smoke. His ears were ringing, and he could barely hear the commotion around him anymore as he started into the flames of the meteorite that had killed his wife and daughter.

  Caesar didn’t have time to process what had just happened before he realized he was sitting in the middle of the red mist. It had cleared around him as he fell, but was now swarming back towards him even faster than it had been before, sensing the urgency in his heartbeat.

  “Oh my God!” he yelled as he stood, covering his mouth and nose with the collar of his shirt to keep from breathing in the crimson cloud.

  He had no idea what it was and only knew of one place that would have anything close to an answer. And, as far as he knew, this meteor wasn’t even supposed to hit the Earth after being blown to pieces before it had even reached the Earth’s orbit. That was according to NASA and Area 51, but apparently they had been wrong, and that mistake had cost the lives of his family and so many others. Who knew how far this would spread?

  He took off at a run, thinking that there was only one thing to do and that the only thing that mattered now was saving the world even though his wife and daughter were gone.

  Chapter 2

  Madison, Wisconsin

  Crony’s Carnival

  May 2020

  “Joshua, come on. Do you wanna miss the freak show?” Joshua’s mother cried out as he and his father trailed behind her.

  Joshua squinted his green eyes past the glare of the setting sun to see his mother moving at breakneck speed to make it to the front of the line so she could get a good seat, ushering them with a wave of her delicate hands, a large smile on her lips. Her blond hair gleamed in the sun as it set; setting the sky on fire in gorgeous oranges and pinks just like a painting his mother had done recently. She was very talented when it came to the arts, but Joshua had shown no interest in it, disappointing her. His father had taught him the joys of the outdoors early, teaching him everything he knew about everything that had to do with nature. And his mother loved them both for it, going on hikes with them to draw inspiration from nature; that was exactly what her trip into the freak show tent at Crony’s Carnival this year was about. This carnival came through once every year because the people in Wisconsin always welcomed them with open arms.

  Joshua’s father roughed up his dark hair and smiled, nodding towards his wife as they rushed to catch up with her. “You guys love the freak show. Maybe they’ll have the fire eater there this time,” he said in his deep baritone voice.

  Joshua had inherited his father’s dark hair and lean, muscular build, but had been gifted his grassy green eyes from his gorgeous mother. She was happy go lucky and laid back, never once having to yell to get Joshua or his father to do something and they both gladly obliged her. That included the freak show that Joshua only came to watch the fire eater. That was all he was interested in. His mother loved every single part of the show while his father favored the man who was so flexible he could fit himself inside of a Plexiglass box. This act made Joshua cringe, and even just the thought of it made him shiver.

  “Dad, we come to this thing for Mom, and ya know it,” he said as he rolled his eyes, looking to his father who was watching his wife stand in line.

  She was holding a spot for them so they could sit together and she always loved to be up front so she could see better. Those around her were laughing as she spoke animatedly about God only knew what, laughing uproariously at something hilarious she had just said. She was so personable it was always a shock when someone didn’t like her, and Joshua had inherited that trait as well.

  “Yeah, well, she loves it, so we love it, right?”

  “That’s how it works?” Joshua asked.

  His father shot him a sideways glance as they neared the line, walking past the cart selling funnel cake that made Joshua’s mouth water as the smell permeated the air around them, also filled with the smell of corn dogs and cotton candy.

  “That’s how marriage works, at least, but I love your mother, and I want her to be happy. Plus, I want to see the guy who can fit himself in that glass box again,” his father answered as he winked at him. “You know, to satisfy my morbid curiosity.”

>   “So that’s why you watch all of those sick medical shows,” Joshua gasped, mocking surprise at his father’s interests as they walked.

  “Ya caught me,” his father teased.

  Before they knew it, they were at the line, Joshua’s mother in an uproar again over a joke that another person waiting in line behind her had spouted. Joshua knew his mother loved a good joke, but he sensed that she was laughing this hard to be kind. She only did so when she was trying not to be rude. She practically guffawed as he watched her and he was attempting not to shrink away and hid behind the funnel cake stand while stuffing his face with the sweet confection. And he wanted one oh so badly at that point, thinking about forgoing the show altogether to have one of those along with a corn dog and an enormous soda. His stomach growled, and both of his parents gave him a strange look.

  “Didn’t we just eat before we came here?” his mother asked as she eyed him speculatively.

  “Ya know teenage boys, honey. Ya have to feed and water them every hour,” his father joked, poking him in the rib cage.

  Joshua laughed and replied, “Just remember the rule. No food after midnight.”

  “That hasn’t stopped ya yet. And look . . .” His mother paused just long enough to look him up and down. “Ya still haven’t turned into a Gremlin. I think you’re safe.”

  “In that case, can I go get a funnel cake and a Coke?” he asked sheepishly, knowing his parents would let him as long as he got them each one when he was finished eating his. Didn’t want them getting cold.

  “Yup, go for it, son,” his father said as he pulled out some cash and stuffed it into Joshua’s open palm. “And you know the rule. You sure you want to miss the show?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, you guys go on in. I’ll make sure to have funnel cake waiting for you when you get out.”

  “Ya sure?” his mother asked. “Ya don’t wanna see the fire-eater?”

  “Food or fire-eater,” Joshua replied with a grin. “Food.”

  “Okay, son. Be careful. We’ll be back in a few,” his father muttered with concern.

  His mother watched him wearily as he turned to walk away, saying she was all right with that but leery about everyone around them. She was normally a trusting person, so this change in her demeanor caused Joshua to worry, which in itself was troublesome. Their family was laid back, almost carefree, and perfect, never once truly yelling at each other and able to talk out what they had done wrong and dole out punishments accordingly. And Joshua always played by their rules, not straying even a little bit. He hadn’t even tried pot despite his friends pressuring him to do it. He wanted something better for himself, so getting hooked on drugs and whatnot wasn’t a part of his life plan. Granted, he was only sixteen, but he had thought about what he wanted to do with himself enough to have a well thought out plan of action.

  He wanted to go to college, become a doctor, and cure degenerative brain diseases. He had an aunt who was suffering from Huntington’s and he hated watching her slowly lose control over her body and what the depression of that was doing to her. He even wondered about his predisposition to the disease even though his mother didn’t have it and was not showing signs of it, but it was possible that she might at some point. You never knew for certain despite the statistics, so the anxiety was always there just under the surface.

  Joshua sighed as he moved to the cart dishing out funnel cake, and ordered as he attempted not to worry about the unknown.

  ***

  “Mark! Mark!” someone yelled from beyond his small tent on the outskirts of the carnival.

  He recognized the voice instantly, rolling his eyes as Crony, the man who ran the fair, came crashing through the entrance to the tent that was supposed to be his private quarters. When taking part in a carnival there seemed to be no such thing. The carnival was appropriately named as was Crony. He was short, balding, and extremely overweight, his belly peaking at the edges of his dirty white tank top with chest hair poking out at the very top in a disgusting display.

  “What do you want, Crony?” Mark asked as he watched the man stumble his way through the tent on filthy bare feet. “And haven’t you ever heard of privacy?”

  Crony cleared his throat and let out a wet cough, causing Mark to cringe as he watched the man. He didn’t like him but was thankful to him despite that because he had given him a place to go when he lost his parents in a car accident with a drunk driver. He had run away from the family who were fostering him in Southern California and hit the road, finding Crony pretty quickly. After only a couple of days of sleeping in the trees that lined the highways he found the carnival, Crony took him in, and Crony decided he needed a skill. The one Mark had found annoyed Crony some, but when Mark found his niche he took off running. Literally.

  Stilts and the carnival were now his life, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Some of the other carnival workers even said the stilts were attached to him, he was in them so often.

  “Get out dere, boy. Ya know how this works,” Crony said in his low, gravelly voice. It held just a hint of the wet mucus he had nearly coughed up onto the floor of Mark’s living quarters.

  “You want anything else, Crony? Or just to come in here and complain?” Mark asked as Crony watched him with his giant, insect-like eyes that reminded all too much of those of a fly, watching his every move like he’d perform a trick.

  “Ya’d do best not to talk back to me. If it weren’t for me, ya’d still be on the streets.”

  “And if it weren’t for me your carnival would still be suffering. People come to see me, and you know it. They don’t mind waiting all of a few minutes while I get myself together. Plus, haven’t you heard of privacy?” Mark said as Crony continued to eye him. Mark sat down on his cot and grabbed his stilts and his shoes, putting his shoes on before strapping the metal contraptions to his legs.

  “No such thing as privacy here, boy. Ya know that all too well. We’re all family, so ya might as well get used to people comin’ in and out as they please.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I got it,” Mark confirmed as he made a move to stand up from the bed, Crony stepping in front of him to block his path towards the exit of the tent. “Do you want me to go out there or not?”

  Crony stepped out of the way and made a gesture with his hand towards the exit, jerking his head back in the same direction. “Get out of here and watch how ya talk to me. I may just decide I don’t need ya after all.”

  Mark stood and made his way out, saying only a few words to Crony as he left.

  “If only you didn’t, huh?”

  ***

  Joshua had scarfed down his funnel cake and slurped his large soda in what seemed like one large gulp, still not minding that he had missed the freak show that he actually loved to see. Now he was headed towards the tent where his parents were waiting for theirs, possibly able to catch the last couple of minutes where his father got to see the man fold himself into a Plexiglass box. Joshua had no doubt that he would be standing up clapping his excitement when he was able to make it inside and to the front row where his parents were seated, enjoying the show. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the boy on stilts that his parents loved to speak to, but he kept walking, knowing his parents were waiting for their food.

  As he neared the entrance to the freak show tent, he noticed most of the people around him stopping and staring into the sky. He stopped in his tracks and turned his head up to see what they were looking at. His mouth dropped open as he saw the large, burning meteors that were barreling down on the carnival and the scenery surrounding it as the sun set, throwing bright pinks and oranges into the sky that was now on fire. He watched in awe as one meteorite slammed into the ground in the distance, causing the ground to shudder beneath his feet and him to drop what he had in his hands. Cold Coke splashed his shoes and jeans, but he barely noticed as he took a few steps forwards. Smoke rose into the sky in the distance as screams from the town just beyond the carnival that burned and collapsed while those watching from a
far couldn’t do anything about it.

  “Oh my God,” he breathed as he stared into the distance and listened to the chaos and the terror that floated on the wind and greeted his ears. Red mist floated into the air alongside the smoke; the piercing cries dying down until there wasn’t a single sound left coming from the town at all. Then the screams returned, followed by the sounds of something that he couldn’t decipher.

  Cries erupted around him, and people began to run, pushing against him as he stood frozen, looking up into the sky to see that only a couple small meteors burned up in the atmosphere, even more of them falling to the ground with ear-shattering explosions. They were coming from all around him, but he only had eyes for the ones that seemed to be headed straight for where he was standing.

  “Hey!” he heard someone call from behind him, but he couldn’t take his gaze away from the large, flaming hunks of space rock falling from the sky.

  Within seconds of the shout, he felt someone grip the sleeve of his shirt and pull hard, jerking him away and down towards the ground as a small meteorite smashed into the ground where he had been standing, creating a small steaming crater in the exact place. He turned to find the boy in stilts on the ground beside him, breathing heavily and watching him with wide, skeptical eyes.

  “Why didn’t you get out of the way?” the boy asked him as they sat there, the meteorites falling around them and causing the Earth to rumble.

  “I—I—” Joshua stammered as he looked at the boy. He seemed to be around his age but wise beyond his years based on the look in his eyes.

  There was a sharp whistle in the air as Joshua heard someone call his name. He turned to find his parents exiting the tent where the freak show was taking place, the commotion and shouts from outside drawing everyone inside outside to investigate. The whistling sound was drawing nearer as he looked on in horror, his parents’ eyes lifting to the sky just as a large meteorite collided with the Earth, demolishing his parents and the tent they had just left. He rose to his feet and took off at a run towards the flames, and he could feel the boy on stilts behind him, a swipe of cold air narrowly missing his arm as the boy attempted to grab him to pull him away from the blazing heat.