Authors: David Forsyth

03 Deluge of the Dead (38 page)

Suddenly one of the zombies’ head exploded, just as Floyd’s had. Then another zombie, and another, fell to the sniper’s fire. Billy stood stunned until he noticed that the gunfire had stopped. The sniper must have needed to reload, but there were still six zombies reaching for Billy with foaming mouths and hungry bloodshot eyes.

Bang! A gun went off next to Billy’s ear and a man in a wetsuit limped up next to him holding a revolver. “Run, Billy! Run!”

Billy didn’t think it was possible to be more surprised than he was already, but hearing that voice did it. “Dad?!” he yelled. How was that possible? How could Scott be there? And how could he still be human?

“Run, goddamn it!” Scott bellowed as he fired another shot into the head of a zombie about to bite Billy. The muzzle flash lit Scott’s face long enough to confirm his identity, despite a black mask covering his nose and mouth, and Billy followed his order, running a dozen steps into the water and falling into the waves as he turned to see if his father was following him.

He wasn’t. Scott had fired the last of his bullets as he drew his divers’ knife. He faced the three remaining zombies with the knife in one hand and used the pistol as a club in his other. It was the bravest thing Billy had ever seen, but it seemed destined to end in tragedy as one of the zombies tackled Scott and the other two dove on top of them. Worse yet, at least a dozen more zombies were running down the beach to feed.

Billy and Michelle were both screaming and the girls were crying so loud that they hardly noticed the sound of the helicopter until it swooped in to land in front of them on the beach. Armed figures emerged and engaged the zombies. Most of the men fired on the approaching Zekes while three figures ran to Scott’s aid. Billy recognized Sergeant Major O’Hara who held a pistol to the head of each zombie in turn and quickly dispatched them. Then he pulled the bodies off of Scott and helped him to his feet.

A woman dressed in assault gear with the letters FBI emblazoned on her chest ran down to the water and yelled, “Get on the chopper!” as she motioned Billy and the women out of the water. She escorted them back to the helicopter as Billy stared at his blood drenched father with a mixture of wonder and horror.

“Come on, Billy,” Scott said as he was helped aboard the helicopter. “Let’s go home.” Dawn was breaking over the mountains to the east and the
Sovereign Spirit
was clearly visible at it charged up the coast. The pirate ship had already disappeared to the north, but the Cigarette boat was in hot pursuit. It had been a long and terrifying night, but this was the beginning of a new day.

Epilogue

Scott lay on his stomach in the bed of his master suite aboard the
Sovereign Spirit
. With a zombie bite on one ass cheek and a bullet hole in the other, he wouldn’t be sitting in a chair for a while. Nevertheless, it was a relief to be back in his own bed, even if Michelle could no longer share it with him. He would choose another room eventually, probably the suite below the bridge at the other end of the ship, but Michelle had insisted that he recuperate in the master suite.

Michelle and Billy had been devastated to learn that Scott was contagious and not allowed to have any physical contact with them or others. However, they were overjoyed to discover that wasn’t going to die from the virus. They could hardly believe it when the doctor assured them that Scott’s antibodies should also protect him from the zombie bites and scratches he receive on the beach. He was actually quite lucky that the wounds had been so minor. The full wetsuit had protected him from the worst of the bites and gouges that the zombies directed his way.

Upon returning to the ship, and before going to sickbay for treatment of his wounds, Scott had ordered Captain Fisher to pull the
Expiscator
off the sandbar, assign a crew to her, and then set course north in pursuit of the pirates. When Scott returned to his room, covered in bandages, the captain had come to clarify the Commodore’s orders to keep chasing the pirates.

“We have to follow them, Jordy,” Scott explained. “I promised George Hammer that I would rescue his family. We can’t attack the pirates while they’re at sea and holding hostages up in front of the windows, but they will have to stop for fuel and supplies eventually. We’ll be there when they do.”

“Shouldn’t we go back to the Safe Haven now?” Fisher asked. “They might need our help setting things up after the evacuation.”

“No,” Scott said. “I’m not sure we’ll ever be going back to Terminal Island, at least not for a while.” This shocked Fisher, so Scott explained. “We’ve done as much as we can to help establish the Flotilla and Safe Haven. They have the Captains’ Council and now they have the Marines and an alliance with the city. They don’t really need us anymore, but others do.”

“What’s your plan?” the Captain asked.

“We’ll sail north,” Scott said. “First we’ll rescue the hostages and end the threat these pirates pose to other survivors. I can’t stand the thought of those rapists getting their hands on other innocent women and children.” Fisher nodded in full agreement. “Then,” Scott continued. “We’ll see if we can help organize other safe havens for survivors further up the coast.” Fisher nodded again. “But most importantly,” Scott pressed on. “We need to find the people who unleashed the Super Rabies virus and destroy them, if they don’t give us the cure for the virus they released on the world.”

“What are you talking about?” Captain Fisher asked in confusion.

“Professor Bernhard explained it to me in confidence, so this will have to stay between us for now,” Scott cautioned. “But you need to know in case anything else happens to me. There is group that call themselves the Tabula Rasa. They decided to solve overpopulation by releasing the Super Rabies virus. One of their main labs was in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t know exactly where it is, but I intend to find it.”

“Dear God,” Captain Fisher murmured. “No wonder you want to go north.” They finished their discussion in agreement as Billy entered the room carrying his laptop. He paused expectantly until Scott motioned him forward.

“What is it, son?”

“Well, Dad, you know how I’ve been monitoring emails and transmissions from other survivors? Well, I just got one that I think you should hear.” He set the laptop on the foot of the bed facing Scott and hit play.

“This is Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, located at 37.86N 122.43W. We are a group of civilians that have secured the island and are accepting survivors. For those in this area, your best hope is to get to water, secure some type of boat and get onto the Bay. We are sending out daily patrols as far south as possible. There are other safe docks and anchorages in the Bay and you will be escorted to one of those locations for intake if Angel Island reaches capacity. Coast Guard forces are thin, and so is their patience. If you encounter them, use caution when making initial contact. Yield to their directions precisely.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT approach any mainland docks. This includes the San Francisco Marina, Embarcadero Piers, Sausalito and Tiburon. These areas have not been secured and are infested with the infected.

Survivors are reporting marauders on the Marin County side of the Bay. Caution is strongly advised if you are traveling overland in that area. We have not heard anything from the South Bay approach. You should assume ALL land routes are unsecure. Do not enter the city. It is overrun.

Avoid all contact with the infected. The use of melee weapons as a last resort is strongly advised, as loud noise attracts them. Once they have seen you they will pursue relentlessly. We are all fighters, but for now we must survive. This is Angel Island. You are not alone.

Scott smiled at his son and said, “Well, Captain Fisher, assuming we can deal with these pirates, it looks like we’ve found the next port of call for the
Sovereign Spirit.
”

Keep the ship out of surf and spray, or you will plunge to destruction – Homer

Afterward:

I hope you have enjoyed the first three books of the Sovereign Spirit Saga. You can post your own post-apocalyptic reports at
www.sovereignspirit.net
and follow the progress of the saga at
www.davidpforsyth.com
. It has been a great pleasure to write this series and the response from readers has been fantastic. Your loyalty and interest are the fuel that powers the Sovereign Spirit.

Yes, there will be more books in the Sovereign Spirit Saga, including a spin-off collaboration tentatively titled “Bay of the Dead” with another new author. A trilogy of edition of the first three books will also be released soon. The ship has a long way to go and many challenges to overcome before they face the Tabula Rasa. I hope you remain aboard and enjoy the ride.

David P Forsyth

Malibu, CA (12-12-2012)

Email questions or comments to [email protected]

Reviews and word of mouth marketing are welcome!

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