Beyond Dead | Book 2 | The Day The Whole World Went Away Read online

  “We have to move.”

  “Are you nuts?” Green asked. “That roof is solid steel! Unless the Zees figured out a way to open an elevator shaft they’re just stuck in there.”

  Boom.

  Another body striking the roof. And then another and another. There were so many now that it sounded like gunfire.

  “Close the doors.”

  “We’re going. Gather your gear. Now!” Fletcher yelled and reached out a hand for Kat who immediately put her hand into his and clutched baby Bowen to her body. Everyone was gathering up something. The only ones who had nothing to grab were the two new joiners to the party, Robby and Justin.

  Fletcher grabbed Kat by the arm and pulled her along. Rivera was at the window inside the restaurant just a flight of stairs away. He took the end of his gun and smashed through the glass.

  “Zees looking this way. We need to move!”

  Behind her and Fletcher were the boys, Robby and Justin, and taking up the rear were Green and Jonesy. They were all up the stairs, Rivera outside of the window standing on the small eave with his weapons pointed down at the mass of zombies that had turned their attention his way.

  “Oh my God!” Robby screamed and Green slammed his palm over the young mans mouth to silence him.

  “Shut the fuck up!” He whispered through gritted teeth. Justin looked as though he were going to say something to Green and then lowered his eyes.

  “Fletch, what’s the plan?” Rivera asked.

  Fletcher pointed, “East, to the harbor. There are boats at the aquarium. We take one, get up coast to the Coast Guard base. We’ll be safe on the water.”

  “I got point.” Rivera said.

  “I’ll cover,” Fletcher said. “Green, Jonesy you take up the rear and we keep the civvies between us. Stay in tight.”

  Fletcher pulled Kat close to him.

  “Stay on my ass.”

  “I will.”

  “Ready?” Fletcher asked Rivera.

  “Nope.”

  “Me either. Let’s move.”

  The group moved to the edge of the eave and Fletcher and Rivera dropped down. The others helped Kat and baby Bowen get down and then followed. The zombies were everywhere. While the group looked for a way around the horde, Fletcher smashed his shoulder into the door of the adjacent building and pulled Kat and baby Bowen along with him.

  “Through here!” he yelled.

  It was a solid plan. Move through the buildings, keep the Zees at their backs, get to the aquarium, take a boat to the coast guard, and get the fuck out of Boston. And for that moment in time Fletcher believed he could save them all.

  Chapter 18

  It was the sound the rest of the living world heard first. Long before the first bright blight of light. A sound unlike anything a person had ever heard. The barrage of an entire fleet’s arsenal as the country that colonized America, led a coalition unlike anything the world had ever seen, to militarily – with devastating casualties – quarantine North America.

  Chapter 19

  Moments before England began their attack, Fletcher led his group through the streets and buildings of Boston and maneuvered through the dead traffic on State Street with the looming aquarium in sight. It was a straight shot to the wharf and no Zees ahead of them. Fletcher had his hand pressed on Kat’s shoulder with his gun leveled. Jonesey, Green and Rivera were all ahead of him and stuck between them were Robby and Justin.

  “Move, move, move,” Fletcher barked, “Check those boats for keys!”

  Above them came the roar of a F-35 Lightning as it burned over their heads. Somewhere in the Atlantic, the HMS Prince of Wales was launching more fighters

  “What the fuck?” Fletcher watched the fighter jet as it maneuvered through the sky.

  Green yelled, “What is it?”

  “Don’t know. Not ours!”

  Rivera said, “What’s our play, Fletch?”

  “Boats, get to the boats,” he ordered, “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  His men split up and were each on one of the docked boats. Justin and Robby were on the docks near the men but waiting to be told what to do next. Fletcher turned and saw the Zees finally coming for them. They were crossing State Street and moving past the aquarium parking garage. Fletcher took a knee and put one Zees head in his sight and pulled the trigger. The zombie went flying off its feet with a round exploding out its head. He lined up another shot and started plugging away at the dead.

  “We gotta go!” he yelled to his men.

  The roar of the fighter jet returned and Fletcher looked away from his targets and back to the sky. High above him he could see the circling of another fighter jet.

  This was wrong.

  “Oh shit,” he whispered to himself as he saw the fighter jet lining up down the coast.

  It all happened so fast. Fletcher was so fixated on the fighter jet in front of him he never saw the one behind until the first missile struck a boat and it exploded in Boston Harbor. They were blowing up the boats. Their escape. He never had time to even yell to his men as the fire began to engulf everything around him.

  Fletcher grabbed Kat. Baby Bowen was screaming and he began running for the aquarium. A large yacht exploded and Fletcher was off his feet with Kat and baby Bowen wrapped in his arms as he leapt over the side of the wharf. Fletcher sank into the cold water of the harbor. From above, he saw the fire eating the sky as debris from shattered boats joined him in the Atlantic.

  Kat’s hand slipped out of his.

  To Be Continued…

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost I have to thank my wife for all the hours she put it helping me edit and get this story ready for publication. Without your continued support and positive attitude I don’t think I could keep going.

  Jodi Ramos at Millyard Studios for being patient with me while I struggled through trying to get my headshot done – I hate getting my pic taken – but Jodi made it bearable.

  An extra thank you to Paramita at creativeparamita.com for working with me on our fourth cover together. Your art truly gives life to my characters.

  Last but hardly least my good friend Mike over at the United States Army who has given me so much advice on all things military inside this story and the one to follow. Thank you for your guidance and patience with my never-ending text messages on what the Army would do with zombies – turns out not too much.

  Any and all mistakes of course fall on me and no one else. I took knowledge given to me by others and warped it where the story saw fit. So blame me not the hard working people that got trapped by my imagination.

  Cheers till next time.

  Christopher Frost

  April 8th, 2014 to March 9th, 2017