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  Dead Evolution

  Necrose Series Book Three

  Tim Moon

  Beast Mountain LLC

  Copyright © 2014 Tim Moon

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, products, and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead (or undead), is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. Furthermore, the inclusion of zombies renders any resemblance to reality invalid.

  Connect with Tim:

  TimDMoon.com

  @TimDMoon

  Facebook.com/TimDMoon

  Contents

  Dead Evolution

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Thank You

  Also by Tim Moon

  About the Author

  Dead Evolution

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  To My Family

  1

  The front door creaked like the joints of an old man as Ben Chase entered the poorly lit house. Anuhea followed right behind him while Chadwick stayed at the front door to watch their backs. Water, food and supplies were on their agenda and securing those meant hunting for infected.

  Ben and Anuhea stalked through the halls with their rifles at the ready. They moved like wraiths, clearing each of the rooms. Neither were military veterans, but they had a rough idea of the procedure, and after some practice at his mom’s house, they had felt comfortable enough to test their strategy for real.

  So far, so good.

  Ben licked his lips and tried to control his breathing. Tension filled him. Walking through silent, empty houses was intense. He blinked to keep his vision from blurring. Infected could be hiding around any and every corner. Not to mention the risk of startling survivors who might be hiding out inside.

  Framed pictures in the narrow hallway revealed the family of four that used to occupy the house. Ben had never met them, but they looked nice. Strangers in pictures usually do though. Ben felt odd, as if he was invading their space. Never mind the fact that they would never return. It still felt like a violation.

  After reaching the end of the hallway, Ben turned around to clear the back of the house. One picture in the hallway caught his attention. The mom and dad stood behind their two children. All four had an arm out gesturing like game show hosts at a beautiful lake centered behind them. Their smiles shone bright, eyes twinkled, with the stress and burdens of life melted away in that instant.

  What had they really been like? he wondered.

  There were many photographs on the walls. Reflections of a more peaceful and innocent time.

  “The first floor is clear,” Anuhea said softly as she walked past him. She glanced at the pictures as she did and pressed her lips into a tight line.

  Ben nodded and squeezed past her. “There’s no second floor. Let’s check for a basement.”

  After thoroughly searching every room, closet, nook, and cranny, they returned to the front room. Chadwick was still watching outside. He glanced back when he heard them approaching.

  “Good to go?” He asked.

  Anuhea gave him an okay sign and make a clicking sound like a cowboy, indicating everything was fine.

  “Time for the next one,” Ben said.

  Chadwick let out a small sigh.

  Two hours had gone by and they had cleared half of the houses on the block. A process they would keep repeating until the entire block, both sides of his mom’s street, had been cleared. So far, every home they checked was devoid of both the living and the dead.

  Ben chewed on the inside of his cheek. Thinking through their strategy kept him from dwelling on the staggering loss of life these empty homes represented. He couldn’t change what was done. All he could do was work hard to keep his family and friends safe.

  Their survival hinged largely on how well they fortified the area against the zombie hordes. The failure of the Quarantine Center in Kona proved that fences and other simple barriers were not enough on their own. He would have to do better. They all would.

  The plan he had formulated with Anuhea and Chadwick used the houses themselves as part of a buffer zone. It would only be effective if each individual house was safe. Once each one was cleared, they could focus on defenses to plug the gaps between the houses or create funnels to lure infected or survivors into predefined kill zones.

  “It’ll be worth it when we’re done,” Chadwick said.

  “It’s only the beginning,” Anuhea said, scanning the neighborhood as they walked. “There’s still so much left to do.”

  It was true, their current fortifications were minor. Or non-existent if Ben was honest with himself. Most front yards were wide open. The few that weren’t open were enclosed by short, decorative picket fences. Not exactly Fort Knox.

  Backyards had proven to be better. Nearly everyone had a tall wooden or chain-link fence in the back. Only three houses had no fence at all, and two of those had simple shrubbery that could be easily breached or destroyed by the infected. Until they had scavenged the tools and material needed to take on a major construction project, they would have to be satisfied with frequent patrols and a guard to watch over the neighborhood.

  So much work to do, he thought, and shivered in the cold winter air. So little daylight.

  Once the buffer zone was established, Ben and the others would be free to move about the neighborhood. Being able to go outside in relative safety would be a nice change. Having to live cooped up in one house would eventually drive them all crazy. So far things had gone well, but that wouldn’t hold forever. Having space was the key to their long-term survival and sanity.

  “We’re going to have a nice haul when we circle back through for food and supplies,” Anuhea said. “I never realized how much stuff most people cram into their homes. It’s crazy.”

  “Good old fashioned American capitalism,” Chadwick said with a laugh.

  “That stuff is going to be a game changer for us,” Ben said. “Water, food and weapons are the priority. They’re more precious than ever before. Anything else is icing on the cake.”

  Chadwick looked up at the gray sky. “Do you think we’ll get snow?”

  Ben shook his head. “I doubt it. We get some snow every year, but it usually doesn’t stick. Every few years we get dumped on. I have no idea what kind of year it’ll be. There’s one thing we can count on though.”

  “What’s that?” Chadwick asked.

  “It will rain for sure.”

  Chadwick chuckled. “Just like London, mate.”

  “We should collect rain water, it could come in handy.” Anuhea turned and checked b
ehind them, then pivoted back around.

  “There are a million things we should do,” Ben said. It was a great idea though. “We have a plan we can add that to and it will all come together in due time.”

  Ben was happy with their plan and if they found any flaws or new opportunities, such as collecting rain water, he had no problem modifying it. They had only arrived, what, a week ago? Ben scratched his chin. After the long journey to Vancouver, Washington, everyone had been content to stay put for a while. This was the first step.

  Speaking of steps… Ben looked at Chadwick.

  Chadwick limped behind them, clearly in pain. The gunshot wound he had sustained during the escape from Hilo was healing well, but it would take time. Lots of time. He had grit, no doubt about it.

  In the tight confines of a house, Chadwick’s injury slowed him down and made him a liability. He insisted on helping though, so Ben had him watch the front door of each house. That way he could remain useful, yet out of the way.

  “Don’t push yourself too hard,” Ben said. “We already know you’re a badass.”

  “Thanks, mate.” Chadwick chuckled. “How much sitting around can one man take? It feels good to get up and do something.”

  “Don’t feel bad if you need to rest though,” Ben said.

  Chadwick scowled, waved off the concern, and continued to hobble along with a determined look on his face. Ben let it go. The man didn’t need coddling.

  Anuhea led the way into the next house. It was a one-story yellow house with white trim and a short, decorative fence around the perimeter. The flower beds were full of wilted plants that made the bright house look sad. While Ben and Anuhea entered the house, Chadwick posted himself in the doorway, leaning against the frame as they cleared the living room. They quickly moved through towards the back.

  Ben went to the left and found himself in the dining room. Moving on, Ben cut through the kitchen. All he found there was a bowl of moldy fruit on the counter that gave off a sweet rotted odor. No survivors. No infected. From there, he met back up with Anuhea as she emerged from the last bedroom.

  “All clear.” She lowered her rifle.

  Even outside of the kitchen, the house smelled funny. It also lacked the family photos that the previous house had had in abundance. That void was filled with an odd mixture of all things kitten, mixed with Western-themed paintings. Kittens adorned every room in the form of kitten pictures, sculptures and even kitty pillowcases. Cowboys, sunsets, and horses decorated the spaces not occupied by tiny felines. The house didn’t have the ammonia stench that a bunch of actual cats would give off, so this wasn’t the home of the neighborhood cat lady.

  Someone’s grandparents, I’d bet, Ben thought.

  “That’s a wrap then,” Anuhea said.

  “Done for now…” Ben’s voiced drifted off.

  “That wasn’t too bad,” Chadwick said.

  Anuhea gave Chadwick a curious glance.

  “Sorry, I expected more dead people,” Chadwick said with a grave expression. “This area is pretty well cleared out.”

  Ben nodded in agreement. “Strange isn’t it? I mean, where did they all go?”

  Chadwick shrugged and patted him on the shoulder.

  Anuhea stopped and stared at a shelf that was lined with small porcelain figurines. One was a kitten batting a ball of yarn; another was a kitten in a teacup, while a third looked up with its head tilted and a wide-eyed expression that melted even his heart.

  “That’s weird too,” Ben said.

  “The kittens?”

  Ben tilted his head with a shrug and gestured at the shelf of figurines. “Yes, but I meant, it’s weird what people spent their time and money on. It’s all so pointless. Random knick-knacks to clutter up the house.” He paused and shook his head. “I don’t know, I’m just rambling.”

  Anuhea looked at him with concern in her golden-brown eyes. He turned to leave, pretending not to notice her captivating beauty. Ben swallowed down the lump in his throat and walked outside. Anuhea followed, and Chadwick fell in behind her as they crossed the yard. Their footsteps made squelching sounds in the wet grass as they crossed the front yard.

  Fall had given way to winter, and with so few people left, no one was concerned about raking or sweeping. Leaves and sticks littered the area. Debris spilled out of yards over the sidewalks and into the street. Ben breathed in the cool fresh air that was so different from the island. He shook his head at how much had changed and how much had been lost.

  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw dark smoke rising into the sky, staining the clouds. The aftermath of the bomb. He couldn’t imagine what it must look like over there.

  When they got close to the house, Charlotte opened the door for them. “How was it?”

  Ben’s mouth set into a line, and he gave her a quick nod as he passed. Anuhea and Chadwick stopped to talk to her. Their hushed voices faded as he took the stairs two at a time. He closed the bathroom door and let out a breath. He rinsed his hands and face off with a scoop of water from a bucket.

  Dirty water swirled down the drain. It washed away some of the sweat, but it couldn’t cleanse the darkness in his heart. A flood of emotion welled up inside his chest. The future was grim, especially for Oliver. Everything was a struggle. How long could they scrape by? What would they do after fortifying the neighborhood?

  Ben had lost his best friend. That was hard enough. He couldn’t imagine losing his mom.

  His gut clenched. Taking a deep breath, he dunked a cup into the water bucket and splashed it on his face. He tried to grasp at hope, but it seemed elusive; consistently slipping through his fingers like a cloud.

  Squinting hard, and glaring at the water sliding down the sides of the sink and into the drain, Ben contained the frustration that stung his eyes. His fingers curled over the edge of the counter and his teeth ground together. He wanted to break something, anything. He lifted a clenched fist, and for a second, he almost punched the mirror. He stopped when he saw his reflection. Punching it wouldn’t accomplish a damned thing. It would make a mess and injure his hand. That could impair his ability to build up the neighborhood defenses they sorely needed.

  Everyone had lost people. Oliver had lost his parents. All three of his friends had almost certainly lost everyone they cared about. Ben sat on the floor and leaned back against the shower stall.

  It’s not going to get easy anytime soon. He pressed his palm against his forehead and sighed. This is the world we live in now.

  2

  Ben opened the front door to go outside, knowing that his friends would be there waiting for him. Anuhea and Chadwick sat on the edge of the porch, talking while they kept an eye out for danger. Ben ran a hand through his hair. He was ready for more work.

  It was time for the next step in their plan. Like any normal home, theirs wasn’t built with defense in mind. Which meant they had to make their own.

  “You two all set?” Ben asked.

  The screen door opened and closed with a terrible screech. He winced and then scowled. How did I not notice that before? “We need to fix that. It sounds like two alley cats fighting.”

  Their expressions told him that he wasn’t the first to notice.

  No one thought to fix it?

  His scowl deepened. One more thing to add to the ever-growing list. As if they didn’t have enough to worry about.

  When they had first arrived in Vancouver, Ben had brainstormed places they could move. Fallout from the bomb was a real concern but it seemed to blow out to the west. Nevertheless, they had stayed indoors for days, and he had spent much of the time considering places such as government buildings, a remote cabin in the mountains, or even a prison – anything that would give them more security for little effort.

  He had quickly discarded that plan. Everyone had been worn out by the relentless pace they had kept up, rushing from place to place just to reach Vancouver. Staying close to stores and other houses they could easily raid for supplies was another bonus. So,
for the time being, they had to be content with simply making the neighborhood as safe as possible.

  Fortify was Plan A and resettle was Plan B. They even had two cars in the garage pre-packed with gear in case they had to escape in a hurry.

  “What are we doing again?” Chadwick asked.

  “We need to block off both ends of this street,” Ben said. “Then tomorrow we can block off the road behind us and by tomorrow night, we’ll have a 360-degree buffer around our house.”

  “Oh, right. And, uh, what are we blocking it with?” Chadwick asked.

  “Cars, trucks and SUVs.” Anuhea smirked a little.

  “What about vans?”

  “And vans,” Ben added.

  “That makes sense.” Chadwick tried to play it off like he already knew it, but Anuhea glanced at Ben and smirked.

  Ben scanned the block, gauging which side to work on first. The stillness was weird. There were six other houses on their side of the block, not counting his mom’s house.

  That put it in the middle, flanked by three houses on either side. Ben liked that. When the streets were blocked off, they would have a great line of sight and plenty of warning for any attackers - zombie or human.

  “We should have more than enough vehicles.” Ben started toward the east side of the block, historically the busier side since that road branched off a major street called Mill Plain Boulevard. “We’ll need to push the vehicles tightly together, bumper to bumper so there are no gaps.”