The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 3): The Aftermath [Ground Zero] Read online

  The Aftermath:

  Ground Zero

  Daniel Smith

  Copyright © 2014 Daniel Smith

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1514439394

  ISBN-13: 478-1511439398

  DEDICATION

  To the zombies without them this book would not have been possiable.

  CONTENTS

  1

  Bad Day Bad Memories

  1

  2

  Ground Zero

  Pg 15

  3

  One Day at a Time

  Pg 47

  4

  Life Outside

  Pg 75

  5

  Hard Life Lessons

  Pg 99

  6

  Aftermath Negotiations

  Pg 146

  7

  Baton Rouge

  Pg 163

  8

  The Farm

  Pg 186

  9

  New Friends and Hope

  Pg 214

  10

  11

  12

  13

  Jackson

  Memphis

  New Orleans

  End Game

  Epilogue

  Pg 243

  Pg 271

  Pg 294

  Pg 318

  Pg 331

  1 Bad Day Bad Memories

  Blue eyes roamed around the street threw the glass window and door with the off-color gold grid security bars. Fixing once again on the man in blue jeans and a brown button-down shirt standing in the shade of an oak tree. A feeling of apprehension started rising from within the young man onto his face as he ran his hand through short blondish brown hair that sat on a high forehead.

  “Dan, what's up with you? Didn't you hear me calling you,” asked the female voice with the slow southern drawl.

  He turned to face the speaker as she stopped next to him by the identical door. Her medium length red hair stood out against her pale skin. As she stood next to the black and white marker of a ruler that ran up the doorframe, stopping at the five foot seven inch marker compared to her companions six foot.

  “Sorry Katrina I was not listening,” she broke into a warm smile.

  “Well, I was saying. Mother will be here in a few days and she wants to know if we want to travel with her to New Orleans.”

  Dan looked out the window for a second.

  “Sure we can get someone to watch the store and we can stay for Mardi Graw,” Dan said slowly looking to the window again.

  Katrina looked at him suspiciously.

  “That is the party were women show off their breasts,” her slow southern drawl sounding mischievous. Dan glanced to her.

  “Yes it is,” he said quickly seeing the mischievous look on her face.

  “Do you think I should do it,” she said, smiling at him.

  Dan looked out the window again, then to the tight fabric of her light blue shirt accenting the large curve of her breasts.

  “Sure if you want to you would be popular,” he said.

  Katrina playfully slapped him on the arm looking at him with her mischievous smile as her hands reached down and pulled up the tightfitting shirt revealing two large pale breasts in a white lacy bra before pulling the shirt back down.

  “Like that,” she said.

  Dan smirked as he looked at her his attention pulled from the window forgetting the man outside. Shaking his head he looked at her.

  “No, they don't wear bra's,” he said as Katrina's face showed shock at what he said she seemed to look around the shop even though they were alone.

  “So you mean like this,” she said, reaching down this time, pulling up her shirt stopping to grab her bra and pull it off, letting the two large pale globes of her breasts fall free her pink nipples hardening in the air. Before pulling them back down looking mischievously at him. Dan shook his head sadly.

  “You need to leave them out longer and move them,” he said as the shock smile crossed her face again.

  She seemed to think about it for a minute before once again reaching down to pull up her shirt and bra exposing the pale globes of her breasts with hard pink nipple sticking out leaving the shirt up she shook her chest tentatively allowing her breasts to shake from side to side. Dan made a motion with his hand to continue as he looked on expectantly as her mischievous grin grew as she put a little bit more effort into the shaking.

  The grin fading as he looked away his attention drawn out the window once again.

  “What's with you and the window,” she stated her voice going from a mischievous tone to one of being serious.

  “Sorry Katrina,” Dan said looking to her. “That guy has been out there for two days running,” he said.

  Turning to look into her green eyes and watched as her face seemingly clouded over in concentration as she looked at the man.

  “He looks familiar,” she said hauntingly.

  Her tone caused Dan to look towards her from the window as he saw a look of confusion now crossing her face.

  “That is the first time I've ever heard you say that,” he replied slightly stunned as she shook her head as if to clear it.

  They stood in silence watching the man start moving away from the shade of the tree to walk slowly down the street away from the shop. Dan waited a minute watching him go before he left the door and walked over to a glass counter full of guns. He picked up a brown paper bag sitting next to a white envelope. He reached down into the bag, pulling out a couple of bright red balls before popping them into his mouth. As he chewed, he looked at the envelope again, picking it up to see his name with the town's name written on it.

  He remembered the excitement to see his name on mail passed over his mind before fleeing. That was over five years ago before the plague started. Now, he stared at the envelope feeling empty at seeing it. He shook the feeling off as he grabbed the bag of candy before walking back over to Katrina still standing, looking out the door.

  “Candy,” he said offering her the brownbag she looked at it remotely before reaching into it, and removing a red ball.

  “Where did you get these,” she asked as she put one into her mouth and started chewing before pulling a puckered look on her face.

  “Sour,” she told him.

  “Yes, I like them before the outbreak,” he said before pulling another one from the bag. “I bought them and some ammunition from a passenger at the train depot,” he said.

  Putting it into his mouth and started chewing that stopped when he saw the man walking back up to lean on the oak tree once more before nervously looking around the mostly empty street. Dan swallowed the partially chewed candy.

  “This is trouble,” he said looking at Katrina who was looking blankly out the window at the man.

  His speaking pulled her from her trance as she turned to look at him.

  “Can you check the locks on the back doors,” Dan said.

  As she nodded her head agreeing and turned to leave, stopping briefly at the glass counter to reach down behind it, picking up a three-foot metal bar that she used as a weapon.

  Dan shoved the envelope in to his pocket holding the bag of candy in one hand. He reached down with his free hand to turn the small silver knob setting halfway up the door. Grunting in satisfaction as a metallic click sounded as the dead bolt on the door slammed home. He watched the man look around the street. Before he straightened in front of the tree to start striding towards the shop. Dan walked away from the door. Going back to the glass counter placing the bag of candy on top then reaching behind picking up a long black sword and started slipping th
e blade onto his back. Positioning the hilt to sit over his right shoulder. His hand had almost with a will of its own reached up and touched the brown hardwood checker grips of the black Parkerized Springfield Armory forty-five autoloader. Sitting in a black hawk shoulder holster under his left arm. Dan once again turned towards the double doors his blue eyes scanning the man as he reached out to try to open the locked door, shaking it slightly. The man looked unremarkable standing about five feet eleven inches. Black hair sitting on a low four head ending just above cold brown eyes with a crooked nose showing signs of a past break. He met Dan's blue eyes through the window as he motioned for him to open the door. Dan shook his head and said.

  “Closed.”

  He knew the man could not hear him. He just wanted to see what his reaction would be. The man undeterred as he pointed to the door saying something. Dan again shook his head watching the man at the door having none of it motioning for him to unlock the door. He kept looking at the man at the door for a moment before he turned slightly waving his hand at the man in a gesture of I give up. As he started walking around the counter he called quietly out to Katrina.

  “Get ready,” he said casually, not breaking stride as he walked over stopping in front of the door to look at the man with the crooked nose once again. Dan shook his head as he leaned towards the glass door repeating.

  “Closed.”

  The man's face took on an unconvincing pleading look.

  “I desperately need to get some ammunition,” He said.

  Dan studied him for a moment he knew this was going to be trouble, but it was better to meet trouble on his terms. The thought passing through his mind as he moved his hand dismissively.

  “All right,” he called through the door as he reached down with his left hand to unlock the door.

  Turning his body slightly to hide his right hand reaching up. Grabbing the brown hardwood checker grips of the Springfield Armory forty-five while cocking back the hammer in a fluid motion before dropping the safeties off the pistol. He moved away slowly from the door the forty-five still hidden by his slightly turned body as he open the door. Pulling the gun free of his Blackhawk shoulder holster at seeing the almost happy look the man showed on his face. He started opening the door the man crying out in pain as Dan slammed the door shut into his crooked nose. This caused him to drop the blued revolver that was in his hands to the ground. Dan turned his body fully exposing the forty-five and showing the man with blood now streaming from his nose that it was pointing right at him.

  “I'll have none of that,” Dan told the man quietly before backing up a few steps.

  “Inside,” he told the man.

  “And lock the door behind you,” Dan said, almost pleasantly.

  The man seem stunned than angry as he complied with Dan's command. He heard the dead bolt slap closed.

  “There is some kind of mistake,” the man started stuttering.

  “No mistake,” Dan said, before adding. “Katrina are you all right.”

  He did not turn his head to look as only silence greeted him. Motioning with the gun barrel the man started moving into the shop as he tried to position himself to see the entrance to the backroom.

  “Katrina are you there,” he called out again with a slight note of worry in his voice.

  When she did not answer, he looked at his prisoners face which had taken on a slight smile underneath his bleeding nose making him feel even more nervous. A slight look of relief cross Dan’s face as he heard.

  “Get out there,” a slow southern drawl said.

  Dan watched as the thickly set woman with stringy brown hair dressed in blue jeans and a red flannel shirt. Erupted unceremoniously through the door holding her left arm. Which was sitting at an odd angle her face a mask of pain as Katrina leisurely followed her out of the open door as she looked at Dan.

  “Found this one, she just pick the lock on the back door and was coming through,” Katrina said calmly.

  In a pain voice the woman pleaded.

  “She broke my arm,” the thickly set woman said.

  Directing her statement towards the man with the bloody face. With her saying this Katrina looked up to see the man clearly for the first time since entering the room. Dan was not sure of what to make of the several expressions that crossed over Katrina's face as one of pure rage appeared on her face. Dan was unsure if she screamed or simply stated the word.

  “You,” at the man.

  Lunging forward to swing the iron pipe savagely hitting him across his shoulder and head. Her move caught all of them off guard by her sudden attack; Dan adjusted quickly by moving the angle of the gun to point at the woman who had froze at the sudden violence. Dan was unsure of what he should do as he watched Katrina viciously strike the man repeatedly. The sound the metal pipe made as it impacted on the man's soft flesh and bone. Made a sickening thumping sound as blood flew out in drops splattering all of them as the man fell to the floor. Katrina was still striking the prone figure on the floor as a pool of blood started to grow around him.

  While, the woman with the broken arm yelled at Dan in a panicked voice.

  “She’s killing him.”

  “Maybe,” Dan told her sounding cold.

  He risked at glance from the woman towards Katrina as she continued to pummel the man on the ground.

  “Katrina,” he said in a voice a little bit more loudly than he attended as she still beat the man.

  “Katrina,” he said almost screaming, causing her to look up stopping the savage beating that she was delivering to the man lying on the floor in an expanding pool of his own blood.

  Dan saw a look of overall anger on her face as she glared at him.

  “Katrina,” he said asserting a calm tone into his voice. “What's going on?”

  She took several deep breaths as she fought to control her anger as she glared at him.

  “I remember him,” she told Dan her slow southern drawl sounding angry.

  Doing his best to keep from looking surprised he did not recall her ever using those words before with anyone.

  “Okay, you remember him,” he said calmly.

  The injured woman took this opportunity to speak.

  “Stop her. She's killing him,” Dan turned his attention back to her.

  “If she is then she is,” he said coldly.

  “But right now I would worry about myself,” he said finishing coldly. This caused a look of panic to cross her round face.

  “You can't do that,” she stuttered feebly.

  Dan continued coldly.

  “Do you want to tell me what's going on here?”

  This caused Dan and Katrina to exchange looks as panic set in permanently on her face.

  “We,” she started stuttering before saying.

  “Were just trying to score some supplies,” she stammered.

  “You were trying to rob us,” Katrina said slowly as the woman just hung her head without saying a word.

  “Watch her, would you,” Dan said to Katrina.

  Who just nodded as he walked over to the door to bend down to pick up the blue revolver sitting on the floor. He took a second to open the cylinder, as he looked the gun over closing the cylinder as he walked over to place it on the glass counter.

  “The gun is in good shape and well cleaned and taken care of,” he said to no one in particular.

  Turning to look at Katrina and the woman his eyes moving down to the man on the floor lying in a pool of thickening blood. He sighed slightly as he walked around the counter to reach down to pick up a gray day packed before putting it on his back.

  “All right,” he said pointing with his autoloader at the woman.

  “Grab him and drag him outside.”

  The woman looked at them uncertainly before stammering.

  “She broke my arm,” she said moving the arm.

  “Then use the other one,” Dan said coldly as he walked towards the door.

  “I will not have a zombie wandering around inside ou
r shop when we get back,” he said as he pushed open the door.

  “And if you don't drag him outside. I'm sure Katrina would be more than happy to break your other arm,” he said smiling.

  Katrina just looked at the woman as a slight smile crossed her face. The woman only took a moment to study Katrina before she reached down to start struggling as she pull the man, leaving a trail of blood as she headed for the door. Dan looked at Katrina the look of rage from earlier was gone but the calm look she usually had on her face was not there, even though she was smiling. Dan held the door open as he watched the woman struggle pulling the man outside with Katrina following them.

  “Hang on a second,” Dan said.

  Walking back inside only to reappear a few moments later holding a 53 inch bear archery recurve bow on one shoulder. A leather quiver of two dozen arrows now clipped onto his belt, the forty-five was back in his shoulder holster as he added on a shooting brace to his arm. He stopped to place the flat tan hat with one side pinned up on top of his head before locking the doors. Returning the keys to his pocket as he turned to face Katrina who stood to one side of the woman the metal pipe lightly resting on her shoulder.

  He studied her face for a second as she turned to face him the look on her face worrying him. A low moan breaking his thoughts as their attention turned to the man on the ground. The broken arm woman started to panic slightly as she started backing away from the moaning man. Stopping as the metal pipe flew off Katrina shoulder suddenly to extend across her path, stopping her. Dan looked down at the man on the ground, as he started shaking as if suffering a seizure. Which was possible from the savage beating he had received. The man's face slowly turned to look at him his solid milky white eyes locked on to Dan’s blue eyes and he knew it was no seizure. The man had turned into an undead zombie. Dan looked up at Katrina.

  “You want me to handle it,” he said unconcerned as his hand reached up for the hilt of the katana on his back.

  “No,” she said slowly in her southern drawl. “I will.”