Operation Z , Szepanski, G.D. [best beach reads .TXT] 📗

Contents

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Chapter One - Day One

Chapter Two - Two Weeks Earlier

Chapter Three - Day Two

Chapter Four - Three Years Earler

Chapter Five - Day Three

Chapter Six - Day Four

Chapter Seven - Two Years Earlier

Chapter Eight - Day Five

Chapter Nine - Day Six

Chapter Ten - Day Seven

Chapter Eleven - Day 237

Before You Go

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Acknowledgements

Copyright Page

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CHAPTER ONEDay One

JAMES RICHARDS’ HEART pounded like it wanted out of his chest, and his lungs burned with a white hot heat. He ignored the pain and continued to sprint. This wasn’t the Marine Corps Marathon or one of those themed fitness vacations, but James ran for his life. Adrenaline fed by pure fear drove him forward even without a clear destination in mind. All around James, the zombie apocalypse had begun, and his fun Washington DC getaway had ended. Most likely, his upcoming marriage was now over too, since his vegetarian fiancé decided ripping into the flesh of a complete stranger had become her thing. He had no choice but to leave Melody behind to complete her feeding frenzy on human flesh.

As James rounded the corner by the Great Ape House, he noticed a woman who stood over a group of zombies feasting on their own midday snack. Their meal had been a living person minutes ago before becoming their afternoon treat. Out of instinct, he grabbed her arm and dragged her along behind him. She stumbled but righted herself before she finally broke into a run alongside James. With all the shouts and moans and groans (from both the living and the newly raised dead) James didn’t have time to notice if she had been old, young, fit, fat, or attractive. There might be time for niceties later when monsters weren’t trying to devour them. Now there’s only time to race on toward safety.

A large puddle of blood pooled across the path just passed the Small Mammal House. They both hit the liquid at top speed and slid down the sidewalk. While James skated across the blood, the woman’s hand slipped from his and wrenched free. He pinwheeled his arms like a Saturday morning cartoon character who tried to regain their footing on a slippery surface. His feet careened through the puddle to the dry ground beyond, and he regained his equilibrium there.

He turned and scanned the bloody scene behind him. James discovered the woman he tried so hard to save hadn’t been as lucky as him. The path of her skid led her straight to the ground, where she landed face first in an enormous pile of human remains. She stood, but continued to slip and slide like the fallen cartoon character (Why do cartoons keep coming to mind during this nightmare?) who can’t quite get their feet under them. Before James reacted or the woman could right herself, a large man in a dirty uniform pounced on top of her and ripped the soft flesh of her throat out with his bare teeth.

James stared in shock for a second before the fear kicked in and pushed him back into a full sprint away from the bloody death scene. He couldn’t do anything to save the woman now, and he had only known her for a few brief minutes, so there’s no reason to die alongside her. Before he pushed away from this last gruesome nightmare, James noticed the uniform worn by the attacker had belonged to the Metropolitan Police Department and the police officer's holster was empty.

Off to his right, an exit road and parking lot came into view, but being a tourist James didn’t know where the street led to. It’s better to stick to the route he entered the zoo from and knew where to find the train station. James and his fiancé Melody had walked in from the Connecticut Avenue Entrance to the zoo after they rode the Metro from their hotel. He didn’t know where to run to or what he would find once he got there. James only knew if he stopped running now, he would die a painful death. Teeth tearing into your flesh wouldn’t be a painless way to die.

Somewhere between the American Bison and the Panda overlook, he found it. A glint of metal laid on the ground. James only noticed it because he heard the little girl’s voice scream “Mommy” while she continued to cry hysterically. This would be his second attempt to become a hero today, and James went into action, while he hoped for a better outcome this time. He swooped in like a superhero and grabbed both the girl and the police officer’s dropped gun and continued his run toward the exit at Connecticut Avenue.

This little girl had stood crying over the remains of her mom (at least it wasn’t spilt milk) while three zombies greedily chowed down on her corpse. Maybe the girl had been too small for them to perceive as a threat, or maybe she hadn’t been a big enough snack for their ravenous hunger, but they ignored her as she stood nearby and cried.

The exit onto Connecticut Avenue stood right before them, and James could finally see their freedom from this nightmare. His legs felt like two limp noodles and his back hurt from carrying the screaming toddler, but he continued to race onward. James had no idea what state the world outside of the zoo would be in, but knew it had to be better than the nightmare