Day Zero
Chapter 19

Day 71:

“Okay, it’s a four mile walk from here to the zoo” Strader explained.

Abigail nodded. “Alright”

“But first we need to make a pit stop” Strader explained.

“A pit stop?” Riley asked.

“Yep. We need the ten essentials plus a few more things, and since I lost my gear when the zombie flipped the boat. I need more” Strader explained grabbing his gun and his multitool.

Hunter grabbed his axe and Riley his gun.

“What are the ten essentials?” Abigail inquired.

“Well first we all need a pack to carry it in. The ten essentials are a journal, snacks, water, an extra layer, headlamp, something to start a fire with, compass, map, first aid kit, knife…an eleventh would be a weapon. Something that you need” Strader explained.

“So we are going to R.E.I. so that you can play mountain man?” Hunter inquired.

“No, we are going to R.E.I. so that I can keep you alive” Strader replied.

The three scientists looked at one another, obviously curious about his thoughts on the matter but Riley simply shrugged. “He has gotten us this far.”

Abigail and Hunter nodded in agreement.

R.E.I. had already been broken into when they arrived. Strader noticed that the only things that were really missing were the food supplies, gas stoves, sleeping bags and a few backpacks. He was willing to be that there were some clothes missing as well. Looks like I am not the only one who uses the ten essentials around here Strader thought. He shoved a list of the ten essentials into each of the scientists hands and told them to go find their gear, but to keep their eyes and ears open because R.E.I. only carried knives when it came to weapons.

He wandered around the store as well, he grabbed a large backpack and began to fill it with equipment that he determined would come in handy. He shoved a climbing rope into the pack, multiples knives, a silk liner for a sleeping bag, water purification kits, batteries, and an ice pick. When he walked past the water based sport section he saw the life vests. Not much but it might do some good to have a bit of padding he thought as he walked over to the life vests. He grabbed and extra small for Abigail, a small for Riley, a medium for himself, and a large for Hunter, after working for Outward Bound for so long he had gotten good at guessing sizes for different people.

Abigail found him first and he tossed the life jacket at her “Thanks but I know how to swim” she said.

“It’s not for swimming. Some type of protection should help you out” Strader said.

Abigail looked at him but then nodded and taking off her backpack zipped up the life vest. Strader did a quick check on her to make sure it fit well, he cinched the straps down tightly and grabbing the top shoulder straps yanked upwards to make sure it was tight enough, the last thing he needed was for her to have something that would come up above her head.

When Riley and Hunter appeared he did the same things. “Everyone has their ten essentials?” he asked.

The three of them nodded.

“You aren’t children so I am assuming that you grabbed it all, now we have a few poisonous animals to find.” Strader explained.

He turned to Abigail and handed her the icepick. “I don’t think we are going to find you a gun. So this will have to do” he explained.

Abigail tenderly took the icepick in her hand testing the weight and looking at it wearily.

“Let’s head out” Strader demanded.

∆∆∆

Abigail fell into step between Riley and Hunter with Strader in the lead. The streets of Seattle were eerily empty and quiet. “I don’t understand where are the” She was cut off with a clash when a zombie leapt out from behind a metal trashcan and began running towards them. Abigail let out a scream as the creature that had once been a priest at a Catholic church came running towards them. His holy robes were torn and stained with the blood of Christ and a few others as well. It was Strader who reacted first he fired his gun and hit the once holy man in the chest. When the zombie fell to the ground, Strader shot it again, this time in the head.

“Only head shots kill them?” Abigail gasped. Well shit, how the hell am I going to get close enough? she thought.

“Anything that severs the central nervous system seems to do the trick. At least that was the last I heard from my brother. Although a head shot is probably your best bet” Riley explained.

“Let’s keep moving” Hunter stated simply.

Once again Strader led the way, stopping only to pull the map they had printed off at the institute from his pocket to check and see if they were going the right way. They were walking down a main road now. There were a couple of empty cars parked at parking meters as if waiting for their owners to return from picking up a few groceries. Further up the road was a flipped over ambulance, sirens silent and flashing lights burned out. There was a body of a paramedic on the roof, his blood had dripped down over the sides of the roof and was painted on the sides of the vehicle.

“Holy shit” Riley muttered behind her. Abigail nodded absentmindedly.

A silence fell over the group as they continued walking. Abigail sighed and adjusted the backpack that was already beginning to hurt her slender shoulders. She was never the athletic type, the most physical activity that she did were walking and yoga.

“What type of bug are we looking for?” Strader inquired.

“There are some species of scorpions and spiders that are found in the Middle East, Fabiana wrote the down for me but I don’t remember their names” Abigail replied.

Strader snorted.

“What’s so funny?” Hunter inquired.

“Do you know how many poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions there are in that part of the world?” he demanded.

Abigail sighed. “Yes I am sure that there are many species”

“Abigail, when I was stationed in Afghanistan, my buddies and I would search for poisonous spiders and scorpions and things and then watch them fight each other in a little ring we made. Do you know how many poisonous creatures we had fighting each other?” the ex-marine asked.

“Good, then you can help us identify the ones at the zoo” she replied. She heard a chuckle from Hunter behind her.

Strader glanced at her before rolling his eyes. Strader held up a hand indicating them to stop. Abigail almost ran into Riley before she managed to stop.

“What is” she was cut off by Strader

“Quiet” he whispered.

The three members stood in a tense line; beside her she heard Riley and Hunter take the safety off their guns. She raised her ice pick, getting into what she hoped was a semi-ready position.

Strader raised his gun and pointed it at the trashcan.

A gun shot rang out and Abigail jumped looking quickly between Riley and Hunter trying to decipher who had fired the shot. Both men looked equally shocked.

“All of you put down your weapons” a voice from behind them said.

Abigail turned to see a man in a National Guard Uniform with a gun raised walking towards them. “How about we lower them? It’s a bit dangerous without a weapon nowadays” Strader replied.

“Fine. What are you three doing out here, this is a restricted area” he asked.

Abigail saw another man climb out from behind the trash can and walk towards them, his gun also raised.

“We are part of one of the research teams. We want to go to the zoo to see if we can find a couple of specimens” Strader explained.

“Why?” the other man asked.

“We think there might be a link between this virus and venom found in some sort of reptile or insect” Abigail said.

“And you three are going to the zoo?”

“Well a majority of the airplanes are currently out of commission” Strader replied.

A ghost of a smile crossed the soldier’s face. “I’m sorry; this is still a restricted area”

“You don’t understand we need to get in here” Riley said.

“I understand completely. However, this area is restricted” the soldier replied.

“Why?” Hunter inquired.

“Classified” the solider answered.

“But we need to get in there! This could provide a cure to this disease” Abigail cried out.

“Direct orders. I can’t let you in” the officer answered.

Abigail opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off once again by Strader. “Yes sir. We will be going then” he replied.

“But-I don’t” Abigail stuttered as Strader dragged her and the others away. They stopped walking when they rounded the nearest corner. “Now what?” Abigail demanded. She felt angry tears prickling her eyes, she was sure that they were close to something. She quickly shoved them away and looked over at Strader expectantly. Strader remained silent.

“We figure out a way to get around the guards” Riley replied.

“How?” Hunter asked.

“We will just go around” Riley replied simply.

“No. You will not just go around. There will be National Guard personnel posted at every possible entrance or exit from this restricted area. You would get shot before anything else” Strader answered.

“Well then how the bloody hell do you expect us to get in there?” Riley demanded.

Strader sighed. “I don’t know yet”

“Could we go in from above?” Abigail asked.

Strader sighed and looked up. “I doubt it” he replied.

“Why do you say that?” Abigail inquired.

“Because if this place is so restricted then there will be people on the roof” Strader said.

Hunter leaned against the wall and rubbed his temples “Isn’t there some type of ridiculous James Bond-esq military move you can pull to get us in there?”

Strader looked at the other man incredulously.

I don’t blame Hunter; I was just thinking the same thing Abigail thought to herself.

“If this was the enemy…there would be more men who would kill the National Guard soldiers allowing us to run in to reach the objective” Strader explained.

“We aren’t going to do that are we?” Abigail asked.

“No we won’t” Riley replied.

Strader gave them a different look. “Well unless you three can think of another way?”

“You are saying that we would have to kill other innocent people?” Abigail demanded.

“That would be our only shot at getting into the zoo” Hunter stated.

“But-that’s murder!” Abigail cried out.

“So is killing the zombies, they were once human” Hunter explained.

“But those people have already died. They are dead” Abigail exclaimed.

“Sometimes sacrifices have to be made,” Strader explained sadly.“The United States has done it. We sunk the U.S.S Salvation. There were innocent people aboard. The U.S. government knew about that and were trying to destroy the virus before it got to the United States, but it still managed to spread, There are other countries that are doing the same thing. It has already happened in China and Russia. There have been entire cities blown up because they were infected. Hong Kong was destroyed and so was Vladivostok. Odds are it could happen here as well, you remember what Yumi said. Afghanistan and Pakistan are now no fly zones. They will shoot anyone down, even medical relief.” Strader explained.

“But Strader, we are not a communist country. Sacrifices for the greater good!” Abigail exclaimed.

“You’re both right. This is a seriously ethical problem” Riley finally spoke.

“Abigail, listen to me” Strader said grasping the girl’s shoulders. “These men are preventing us from saving millions of lives. I don’t want to do this anymore than you do. But we have to do something.”

Abigail looked at the older man as tears began to fall down her face. Strader sighed hugged her tightly before letting her go. Abigail stepped back and cleaned her glasses with the hem of her shirt. She clenched her jaw tightly before nodded curtly to Strader.

“Stay here. Riley, Hunter, and I will go. Mostly likely there will not be any type of back up unless it is called for. Zombies are still prowling around after all” Strader explained.

Abigail nodded and leaned against the brick wall they had been hiding behind. She slid down the wall until she was squatting on the ground. Afraid that if she did sit down that she would not be able to get up quick enough.

“Let’s go” she heard Strader say.

Abigail tensed until she heard the first two shots, then the sound of a trigger from a gun being pulled. She put her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. But she heard the footsteps running towards her. She jumped up quickly raising her ice pick and ready to strike if necessary.

“Woah, Abigail it’s me” Riley said. He slowly approached her as she lowered her weapon before yanking her into his arms.

“We have to go” he said into her hair before pulling away.

Abigail nodded before running after him. They were met at the intersection by Strader and Hunter. Hunter looked pale and shaken; he looked as terrified as Abigail had been.

Strader remained silent as he motioned for the three of them to follow. Abigail followed without a word as they ran and ducked behind the overturned cars that were scattered on the road. They did this for an hour before the gates of the zoo presented themselves. The three of them paused before the immense gates surrounded by a brick wall. There was a section where the bars of the gate had been stretched wide as if someone had tried to get in. Abigail looked down, there was also blood and a pair of pliers beneath that section that had been stretched.

Strader walked over to the gates and measured the distance between the two rails. He measured the width between his hands before walked over to Abigail and placing his hands on her sides measuring her width from the side, she suddenly felt self-conscious as Strader measured her.

“Looks like you’re going through” Strader said.

“What makes you think I will be able to fit through there? Why can’t one of you go through?” she demanded.

“Because we are all too broad, even Riley” Strader explained.

Hunter chuckled at the comment earning a light punch from Riley.

“You’re the smallest one and you will most likely be able to fit through” Strader explained.

“What if I don’t?” she demanded.

“Then we will have to find another way. Let’s just hope that you do”

“Way to make a girl feel good about herself” Abigail muttered.

Strader set his pack down and opened it, he then yanked out a coiled up rope.

“You’ve been carrying that the whole time?” Hunter demanded.

Strader nodded before handing the rope to Abigail. “Slip through the gate and then tie the rope to the sturdiest thing as close to the wall as you can get before throwing the rope over” Strader said to her.

Abigail took the rope in her hands and almost dropped it, it was heavy.

“But I’m a girl…How much is this? It must weight thirty pounds” she complained.

Strader rolled his eyes before pointing to the gate.

Abigail sighed and shoved the rope between the spaces in the gate before slowly beginning to ease herself through the gate.

First she slipped one leg through and then twisted her body to get one of her shoulders and her arm through. The gate already felt tight against her bottom and as she continued to attempt to slide through her chest was stuck for a few seconds.

Think thin! Think thin! She mentally screamed at herself.

“Exhale” Strader demanded.

She exhaled all the air from her lungs and managed to squeeze her body through then finally her head. She took her glasses off her face before barely managing to get her face through, her nose bent slightly to one side as she managed to get her head through before her other leg.

She managed to get through the gate and shoved her glasses back on her face.

“Bloody hell she did it” Riley muttered.

“Are you calling me fat?” she joked before picking the rope up and staggering under its weight walked to the tree that was closest to the gate.

She wrapped it around the tree a few time and tied knot after knot after knot in the rope. It looked like she had just tied the Gordian knot. I hope that holds she thought to herself. She then grabbed the remaining coil and lugged it as close to the gate as she could. She swung it and shocked herself when she managed to make it over the brick wall on the first try.

“Got it!” Strader called out.

∆∆∆

Riley looked at the wall before him. It had to be at least fifteen feet tall. Just tall enough for it to really mess him up if he fell.

“Ummm” he managed to say.

“Come on, kid. If Abigail can manage to squeeze through that gate, you can climb up a wall” Strader said.

“Hunter you first” Strader said tying the end of the rope around the tree closest to the gate, but leaving plenty of slack for them to successfully climb the rope.

“What’s that for?” Riley asked.

“We have to have a way out” Strader replied.

Riley groaned. I have to do this twice? He thought.

Hunter walked up to the rope and began to yank himself using the brick wall as traction for his feet before reaching the top of the wall and lugging himself over the edge. “What’s the matter? Ever climbed the rope in gym class?” he asked before he disappeared over the edge.

No. I failed gym. Riley thought to himself.

“Riley listen up. You have to make it over this wall. If we leave you alone you are screwed and you know it” Strader explained.

“You don’t get it. I can’t do that. I am terrified of heights” he explained.

Strader sighed, running a hand down the side of his face.

“This is the only way into the zoo” he said.

Riley shook his head. “There is no way in hell that I can do that. That is high enough that if I fall, I could seriously hurt myself.”

“There is that risk. And that is also the risk of you being eaten by a zombie, or worse turned into one. I had rather you risk a broken ankle or arm over dying” Strader explained.

“But I could land on my head or back and sever my spinal cord” Riley found himself countering. God I’m a wimp.

“Look I will spot you from this end and Hunter and Abigail will help you out on the other side” Strader explained.Riley looked between Strader and the rope doubtfully.

“Besides what would Abigail think?” Strader whispered to the boy.

“That I am a wimp. And oddly enough I am okay with that” Riley countered.

“Get your ass up that rope” Strader demanded using what Riley assumed was his military voice because Riley was instantly intimated.

“If something horrible happens to me, I swear to God” Riley said wrapping his hands around the rope and shooting Strader what he hoped was a death glare. Strader walked over and stood slightly behind and below him, obviously unaffected by his threat.

Riley took a deep breath and yanked his body up as he began climbing, his feet scrambled against the wall as he tried to find some type of divot to put his toes in.

“Move your hands and climb” Strader demanded from slightly below him.

Riley grunted and continued his climb. I feel like I am back in school, I never made it very far off the ground. In fact I am pretty sure that I gave up around this moment he thought. Riley saw the top of the wall, grabbed it with one hand and scrambled around trying to yank himself over.

“Treat it like getting out of a swimming pool” Hunter called from below.

Riley continued his struggle until he managed to get his chest over the edge, he kicked his legs wildly and he attempted to roll over the ledge, now I know what a beached whale feels like. He thought. He made it onto the ledge and was now straddling the brick wall. Okay now what?” he gasped noting how ridiculously out of shape he was Not that I was never in shape to begin with he thought once again.

“You climb down. Or jump” Hunter explained.

Riley felt his eyes widen in shock. “What is wrong with you?” he demanded.

“You have to get down now, regardless of which way you go!” Strader called from the other side.

“Bloody hell, I hate you all” he stated as he grabbed onto the rope and slowly began to swing his other leg over the wall. He started to down climb before his sweaty hands slipped from the rope and he fell. He was too scared to even let out a scream. He dropped like a rock landing painfully on his side. He groaned and rolled onto his back. Abigail and Hunter were next to him in an instant. “Riley?” Abigail asked.

I’m paralyzed. No wait, I can wiggle my toes. Can I move my fingers? Yes. He concluded his mental check. “Yeah I’m fine he moaned.

“All clear?” Strader called from the other side. Hunter yanked Riley to his feet and hauled him away from the landing zone.

“All clear” Abigail replied.

Riley sat in the grass of the still breathing hard. Strader was at the top of the wall in a matter of seconds and gracefully repelled himself down to the ground. Riley instantly both admired and hated the outdoors man. Just remember this is his profession Riley mentally reminded himself.

“Nice work everyone. Let’s go find some animals” Strader said as he walked over to the pile of backpacks that Riley hadn’t noticed were thrown over the wall. The four of them shouldered their packs and walked into the zoo.

He heard Abigail and the others gasp when they saw the animals in their cages. Most of the animals were lying on the ground ribs protruding and obviously dying a painful death.

“They were just abandoned.” Riley said disgusted, his mind going back two hours earlier when they had their sacrifices have to be made discussion.

Certain cages smelled like decay, some of the animals were dead and beginning to decompose. Every cage smelled of feces and neglect. To Riley this was worse than watching people get attacked by zombies. “These poor animals” Abigail whispered.

“Let’s get to the reptile exhibit and see if we can find any snakes first” Strader suggested.

The reptile exhibit was worse than the mammals that were slowly dying in their cages. The entire exhibit smelled of rotting fish. The only animal that seemed to be alive were the crocodilian species that Abigail had read could live for up to a year without food.

“Let’s hope some of these animals are alive” Hunter said. They walked past the snakes, none of which were moving. But it was always hard to tell with snakes anyways. Strader knocked on the glass. The snake stirred slightly; obviously the lack of bangs on the glass and gasps from small children had confused it.

“This is the Indian Cobra, they are native to Afghanistan and Pakistan” Riley read.

“How are we going to move them?” Abigail asked.

Strader shrugged his pack off his shoulders and yanked out what looked like a silk sleeping bag and a pair of heavy duty gloves. “How the hell do you think of all this?” Riley demanded.

“Let’s just say that I have a lot of experience dealing with snakes and other poisonous things” Strader replied.

He tossed Hunter a second pair of gloves. “I need you to hold the liner bag open for me and once the snake is in there, tie it shut” he said. Hunter didn’t say anything instead he just nodded and slipped on the gloves before opening one of the pillowcases. Strader grabbed his gun from his waist pocket and banged it on the glass until the glass shattered.

The snake jumped up, it’s hood expanded and hissed. Riley grabbed Abigail and yanked her back, holding her against him.

“Damn it” Strader muttered before he miraculously grabbed the snake and dropped it in the pillowcase. Which Hunter quickly tied shut. The process was repeated multiple times with other snakes with the description of being from Pakistan or Afghanistan.

“How are we going to move the scorpions?” Abigail asked as they walked into the insect section. Strader walked around the room. “We aren’t, they’re dead”

“All of them?” Abigail asked her voice rising slightly.

“Yep” Strader replied.

“Ballocks” Riley muttered.

“How are we going to transport the snake?” Hunter asked as he held up the sleeping bag liner

“By the way, I really hope that these things aren’t cannibalistic” Abigail said.

“I’ll put them in my pack, but I need to do a gear swap” Strader said simply.

“Won’t they suffocate?” Abigail asked.

“Nah, they will be fine. We just need to find them some food” Strader said.

Hunter shrugged off his pack and began taking some of Strader’s gear before zipping it up and re-shouldering it. Strader gently placed the snakes in the pack and closed it up.

“So snake food?” Hunter asked looking around.

“What about the rodent enclosure? Fabiana told me that a majority of rats and mice will turn to cannibalism in horrible times like these” Abigail explained.

Riley grimaced.

“Let’s go” Strader said.

After they grabbed the mice, the four of them exited the rodent enclosures and quickly made their way out of the zoo. A loud groan was heard behind them and they turned to see a zombie running towards them. “Shit” Strader muttered to himself as he yanked the gun that he had taken from one of the dead soldiers from behind his back. The other men did the same. Two more rasping screams were heard as two more zombies started running towards them.

“Zoo keepers” Hunter muttered as he took aim.

Abigail threw one of the knives at a zombie what Strader assumed was something she had seen in the movies. To his and obviously her surprise she hit it in the chest while Riley finished it off firing his gun. More cries and groans were heard as other zombies appeared.

“Run!” Strader commanded.

∆∆∆

Abigail followed the man and the three of them stopped at the gate. Abigail turned quickly. “Where’s Riley?” she cried out. Riley came running around the corner grasping his shoulder tightly as he sprinted towards them, a clinking sound told them that he was holding the keys. The zombies appeared behind him seconds later. He skidded to a stop and frantically started inserting key after key trying to figure out which key opened the gate. Abigail found herself standing beside Strader and Hunter firing Riley’s gun that she yanked from his waistband. It was such a huge mass of bodies that she managed to shoot a few of them.

“Got it!” Riley cried out the gate swung open. Abigail and Strader slipped through behind Riley. The gate slammed shut behind them, Hunter leaning against it firing his gun.

“Hunter!” Abigail screamed about to run back up to the gate before Riley and Strader grabbed hold of her.

“Run!” Hunter managed to scream before the zombies were upon him, his screams of pain echoed in her ears as she ran away from the gates being half dragged by Strader. They didn’t stop running for a long time only stopping when they could no longer hear Hunter’s screams. They stopped and leaned against the brick wall. They were all in shock. Hunter’s gone. Abigail’s mind screamed over and over again. The sound of gun shots finally answered the question about why the guards were protecting such a restricted area. There were zombies trapped in the zoo, it had become a restricted area to prevent the spread of the disease.

“We need to go” Strader said.

Abigail couldn’t move she was cold all over and her body was shaking. Riley grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. They began the long trek back to the Research Institute.

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