Killer in Black

By Pam Hanes

Distraught over the death of his wife and daughter, Adam Devlin leave the society he no longer wishes to belong. He purchases a decommissioned prison farm and with his sons and friends, who join him in his self-imposed exile, they live, safe and secure, away from the madness of crime-filled cities and a techno-crazed population. Until the end of their world begins.

The Ophidian Virus spreads to all corners of the planet, reactivating the Dead who then attack and eat the flesh of the living. In the aftermath, the survivors of the Colony train Soldiers to hunt and kill the reanimated Dead. Tya Maxell is one such Soldier.

During a Status Challenge against a former First Killer, Tya uncovers a devastating secret: that the society she grew up in was based on a lie. Escaping from the Colony with a prey-child she saves from the Dead, Tya teams up with other survivors who are determined to bring an end to the perpetrators of the greatest hoax on the planet. She must Challenge the corrupt President of the Javier Corporation, who uses the Dead to control the survivors of the Plague. In a life or death battle-not only against the Dead, but against a man who will fight to preserve his power at any cost-Tya must prevail, or all will be lost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Nov 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781480849457

Pam Hanes

Canadian Author Pam Hanes was born in Ottawa, Ontario on July 20, 1961. Growing up with an insatiable thirst to bury herself into any book which caught her interest, she became an avid reader of Anne McCaffrey (The Dragonriders of Pern Series), Jean Auyl (Earth's Children Series), Stephen King (the master of Horror) and any book in the Horror/Science Fiction/Fantasy Genre. She became fascinated with the Zombie culture after watching the movie 'Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things' (also known as Revenge of the Living Dead, Things From the Dead, and Zreaks), a 1972 comedic horror film directed by Bob Clark. Her interest in the Living Dead continued after watching Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004) by filmmaker George A. Romero. She composed a story 'Giganotosaurus Trouble' for the National Novel Writing Month, (NaNoWriMo), where her passion for story telling took flight. 'Killer in Black' is her first novel based on the 'Zombie' theme. She is now editing her second novel, 'A Meeting of the Minds', an alien-human romance, while writing her second 'Zombie' novel, 'Time and Again'.

Book preview

Prologue

Throughout human history one insignificant act by an insignificant person could sometime change the course of history, sometimes with devastating results. There is a story of a Jewish man who invited a starving young man living on the streets into his home. However, upon noticing the budding love-interest of the young man towards his daughter, the father banished him from his home. This rejection, it’s believed, turned Adolf Hitler into one of the most prolific serial murderers in modern history. Adam Devlin was such a man who changed the course of history. Not as a murderer but someone who would, in the fullness of time, play an important role in the history of mankind. Adam Devlin was a millionaire by the age of 25 and a multibillionaire by his 40th birthday. He wheeled and dealt with the rich and famous from all around the world, using his intelligence and natural charisma to grow his fortune. By the age 50, as one of the richest men on the planet, he was ready to retire from the rat-race to a warm climate with his beautiful wife and allow his two sons to take over the family business. Until his world came to a crashing end.

His wife and daughter, while traveling to her parents’ home for Thanksgiving dinner, (where he and his sons would meet them later in the day), got caught up in a blizzard. Unable to see through the blinding snowstorm, they pulled over to the side of the road to wait it out. A man, foolishly driving in the snow storm and unable to see the car through the blizzard, crashed into their car, killing himself and the two women who were waiting patiently for the storm to end.

Adam Devlin, the richest man in the world-who thought he could buy and sell anything and that everyone had a price-couldn’t pay anyone to bring his wife and daughter back to life. Despite having his two sons to console him, he was inconsolable.

Distraught at the deaths of his beloved wife and daughter, Adam decided to abandon the society he no longer wished to belong. To this end, he purchased a decommissioned prison farm in the middle of a forest of beech trees which had given the prison its name, far from the community he had been a part of for so many years. The high cost of maintaining the prison farm had forced its closure and with the death penalty reintroduced and tougher sentences for crimes, prison occupation had been substantially reduced. The main prison area of the Beechtree Prison Farm, which included the prisoners cells, (formerly housing over three thousand prisoners), laundry, shower facilities and cafeteria, was surrounded by a wall made of a new substance called K.I. (Keep In) cement, which dried to an impenetrable shimmering blue-green coating. The wall rose up from its embedded concrete foundation twenty-five feet high and, except for a small door leading into the prison grounds, was seamless. The outer prison fence made of steel-plated panels encompassed the entire property of the prison farm and the beech tree forest. These walls, which had been used to keep criminals imprisoned, now served the purpose of keeping the maddened world out.

For ten years the small secluded colony eked out a living on their enclosed living space, ignoring the taunts and rumors from the people who lived in the surrounding towns. The occupants of the farm had trees for firewood, land for growing crops and raising livestock and enough space to allow a disillusioned man and his sons, (and like-minded friends who opted to join him), to live in solitude away from the madness of terror-filled cities and a techno-crazed society. Eventually the nearby town’s troublemakers left them alone or forgot about the crazy people living in the middle of nowhere.

Until the end of the world began.

Some of the colonist on the former prison farm, unable to live life in complete seclusion, had abandoned the Colony over the years to rejoin the rest of society. Others, who had heard the rumors of their group, had left their stressful modern lives for the simple life the Colony offered to anyone who desired to join. Without the ‘modern conveniences’ of computers, cell phones, t.v.’s, radios and newspapers, the only news the citizens of the Beechtree Farm heard about the outside world was what they were told from new members joining their group-and most of that news wasn’t good. When a large number of the former members of the Colony suddenly showed up at the front gate requesting to re-join their group, Adam had a sinking feeling that the reason for returning was more than a change of heart. And he was right.

The former members reported stories of a virus spreading from city to city in Africa, killing the infected person within hours of contracting it. Thousands of people had died in a matter of days and it was heading their way. Although the news of the killer virus was terrifying to the residences of the Colony, what made it more unbelievable for them was the rumors that the dead were somehow ‘reactivating,’ coming back to ‘life’ and then attacking and consuming the flesh of the living.

Adam suggested that his people be moved into the inner Colony behind the KI wall as a precaution, although he had another decision to make. Did he allow the growing group of town people, (who were now gathering outside the steel-panel wall gate requesting entry), to come into their secluded Colony, or in order to protect his family and friends refuse to let them in? Adam finally agreed to accept the town people inside the outer gate on the condition that their only Doctor, Sarah Roberts, thoroughly examine each person. Only after examination, and confirmation of their uninfected state, would they be granted entry into the main Colony. The town people were permitted to wait outside the main K.I. wall until the doctor cleared them of any sign of the viral infection, signified by a white, pasty face and red-rimmed eyes. It was nearing dusk when, after examining almost two thousand town people, Sarah declared them uninfected and admitted them into the main Colony before it became too dark for her to see faces clearly. The last few hundred town folks had to remain outside the wall to be examined by her in the morning light.

The military had been called in to block off the roadways of the distant towns and cities in an effort to keep the citizens and the virus contained, however four people managed to escape detection from the soldiers from Braeior Town, the town closest to the Colony. The four reached the Colony just before nightfall and were allowed into the outer waiting area before the gates were closed and barricaded for the night. No one knew that the four new arrivals were already infected with the so-called ‘zombie virus.’

Adam and a few of the colonists stood lookout at the guard tower inside the wall, (a remnant from when their home had been a prison), fearful that the army would show up at the Colony to kill those who had sought refuge behind the steel gates. The people in the Colony worried that the fire and smoke, which filled the sky from the two closest towns, (Braeior Town and Egan Lake), could spread to the Colony, but luck of the wind blowing farther North kept the fire from reaching them. Adam and his people knew that, if it had threatened to overcome the Colony, there was no place for the Colonists to go.

As the hours passed, the glow of the fires from the towns died down, relieving Adam and his people of that concern. However, as the Colonists and their new members sought some respite for the night, the sound of gunfire and explosions erupting from the nearby towns shattered the peace, bringing an end to their tranquil existence. Gunfire and explosions continued sporadically throughout that long, dark night but just as dawn began to lighten the eastern sky, the eruptions were overshadowed by the outcries of pain from the four newest arrivals. Then, as the sun broke over the horizon, they died within minutes of each other.

The fever that had incubated during the night soon spread to those sleeping closest to them, who soon began moaning in agony as the virus took hold. As a precaution Adam had refused to allow Sarah to leave the safety of their Colony to care for the sick during the night-which not only saved the lives of the Colonist inside the wall from losing their only medical doctor, it also prevented the virus from spreading to their people inside the Colony. Adam would always be thankful that he stood his ground against the doctors’ persistent arguments to ‘help the sick and dying as was her duty.’ Sarah’s anger at his restriction soon turned to anguished relief as the four recently deceased come back to ‘life’ and began attacking the town people in the segregated area. Those who were safe behind the K.I. wall could only watch, helpless and impotent, as the people who had been seeking shelter were attacked and consumed by the Reactivated humans. And soon after, to also ‘reactivate’ and become flesh-eating monsters.

Armed with only a few deer hunting rifles, the Colonists’ firepower was no defense against the Regenerated. To show mercy and to prevent the living from suffering the horrific attack from the Dead, Adam ordered that they shoot as many of the remaining survivors as they could-not realizing, of course, that in order to stop the reactivation of the infected, the person had to be shot in the head. They did not have enough bullets for the hundreds of men, women and children who had sought refuge in what was to become their graveyard, and the screams of agony, anguish and the terrified pleas for admittance from those remaining went unanswered-had to be ignored-but not unheard. As most of the survivors retreated into the middle of the Colony, attempting, in vain, to block out the anguished cries of the victims, others could only stare, mesmerized and unbelieving, at the slaughter taking place. No one who lived through that terrible event ever forgot what they had observed or heard: the howling cries of the living as their flesh was ripped from their bones and the sounds of the Dead as they feasted on their victims.

Adam, with his sons by his side, gazed out at the carnage surrounding them. Fearing that the people in the Colony may be the only living humans left on the planet, Adam knew they would need to do everything possible so none of their people became like those who were now beginning their endless circling of the property in search of fresh meat.

Chapter 1

Twenty feet up in the tree, holding onto the safety line which helped her from swinging in the light breeze, the young woman kept her eyes on the group of twelve Deathers who had gathered around the base of the tree where she had taken refuge. Her feet lay lightly on the tree limb below her, the small spikes on the bottom of her boots offering a secure hold on the rough bark and helped her from slipping off. One hand tightly grasped the limb in front of her, her gloved hand securing her grip. The safety line, unrolled from the utility belt around her waist and clamped to the tree limb just over her head, kept her above the sight-line of the group, who, as a whole, rarely looked up. She would be safe from detection unless she made a noise that would draw their attention to her hiding place among the tree leaves. One or two Deathers she could dispatch with her ballitgun but not Grasp of twelve. That was too many to take on at the same time, considering the tree she was hiding in, (had raced to when she sensed a large group of Deathers heading her way), was not a full-grown tree-barely four feet in circumference. During her training as a Killer she had viewed videos in which a Grasp of Deathers had pushed a small tree out of the ground to dislodge a Killer from his hiding place and then had quickly dismembered and ate the unfortunate person alive.

Keeping her breathing low and steady she slowly looked away from the Dead milling at the bottom of her hiding place, willing them to move on, wondering what was their interest in her tree? Finally, which felt like hours yet was just a few moments, something distracted them and off they went, shambling in their dead-stiff gait somewhere, anywhere else, except underneath her refuge. Waiting until she was sure none were still within hearing distance she let out a small sigh of relief. Pressing the button on her belt loosened the safety line, lowering her slowly and silently down to the ground. One more check of the area and, with no Deathers coming her way, she pressed another button to release the clamps gripping the tree limb, guiding it as the line and clamps coiled back into the container on her belt. Crouching against the base of the tree to stay out of sight of any Deathers passing through the darkening forest, she checked her ballitgun. Still over a hundred ballits left in the chamber, more than enough for her to reach the compound which was just over an hour away from her present position. She slid her gun securely into its holster and then pressed her thumbs to her palms to release the five slightly curved metal claws from her gloved fingers. She carefully examined the serrated claws to ensure that they had not been damaged as she had hung onto the tree limb while waiting for the Dead to leave. Satisfied they were unscathed, she retracting the knives back into their sheaths. Slowly standing upright, her back pressed against the tree, she glanced around the darkened forest for any Deathers which could still be in the area. All clear. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she then slowly continued her trek towards home.

She had a good four days out hunting, which was her contractual shift during the late spring to early fall: four days out hunting and then two days Inside to rest. She was anxious to return to the Colony, looking forward to a hot shower and a hot meal, yet she kept her senses alert as the sun began its journey to the top of the horizon in the West. The encroaching darkness was the most dangerous time to be out and about in the Dead Land, especially a lone Killer without a Hunter partner. The Deathers were heading to wherever they went at night, sometimes in large groups, (which would make it easier for her to sense them coming towards her), sometimes alone, although it was the single Deather that could cause her the most trouble. If she didn’t see or sense them first, (and shoot them before they could alert the other Dead), she could be easily swarmed in a matter of seconds. Coming across small groups of three or four she would be able to put them down for good, however any group larger than twelve, (a Grasp), she would need to hide, allowing them to pass her hiding spot and leave them to exist for another night. A lone Killer had to be careful.

Although she usually worked with a partner, a Hunter, (who would be a second set of eyes and a backup if she got into trouble), her last partner hadn’t been able to keep up with her. She had rejected him after returning from their first outing working together, which would have ended his career as a Hunter right then. With the unfortunate talent for making noises at the most inopportune moments, hindering her kill-shots or exposing their presence to the Dead, this made her job more difficult than it should have been to find adequate hiding spots. Unable to monitor his breathing rhythm, (which she felt was due to inadequate training as a Hunter), his huffing and puffing after a short run of cat and mouse with the slow, stumbling Dead, increased the danger in setting up kill-sites without compromising their safety. She had no choice but to disqualify him as a partner, as it meant they could get attacked by the Dead or her own life threatened by his inability to keep quiet while on patrol. The Director of the Colony, Alid Saverd, was confident in her abilities and skill as a Killer, regarding her as the most natural Killer the Colony teachers had trained since the infection began nearly fifty years earlier. As such, instead of insisting she be provided another, possibly unsuitable, partner on such short notice, he had authorized her lone patrol in the Dead Land.

She stopped short, freezing in mid-stride, only her eyes moving as she scanned the darkness surrounding her. Smelling, listening and reaching her senses out, she detected something coming closer. Pinpointing from what direction whatever-it-was that had put her on alert was coming from, she slowly, quietly, stepped back to the large tree she had just passed. Pulling the safety cable from her waist belt she sent the line flying upwards to the tree limb above her head, the clasps sinking their sharp hooks into the hard wood. She quickly retracted the line into her belt, which lifted her silently upwards until she reached a safe distance above the ground. Gripping the tree trunk with her finger knives to steady herself, she hung twenty-odd feet about the heads of the thirty Deathers as they stumbled by below her. When they shambled out of sight, she released her grip from the tree, descending quietly to the ground. Scanning the gloom, she quickly made certain that the area was clear before cautiously continuing on her way.

Arriving safely at the Barren Ground, she crouched beside a tree, staying out of sight of any Deathers that were wandering in the area. The Barren Ground, a twenty foot wide patch of ground, was kept free of grass and trees to separate the forest from the protective wall enclosing the Colony, which allowed the Guards to spy any Dead circling the wall and dispatch them. She whispered a question into her headset nestled in her ear, hidden by the wig that made up her disguise. A soft voice coming from her ear device assured her that the area was clear of any Dead, and the rope line was waiting to be lowered over the wall. Ready she whispered. Watching as the line was lowered from the crane arm which had swung out over the top of the wall, she waited until it reached the ground. Glancing to the left and right to make sure the coast was still clear, she crouched over before racing towards the lowered line. Got it she whispered into the listening device. She felt herself being raised up and as she reached the top of the wall the swing-arm swung inwards to deposit her on the steel platform. The steel scaffolding had been built for the guards to patrol, to not only watch for the Dead circling the wall surrounding the Colony but to allow Killers and Hunters the only access into and out of the Colony from the Watchtower Observation Post. She nodded her thanks to the guard who had hoisted her up, quickly removed her outer vest coat and her wig, placing them into the container where they would be stored until her next outing. Her vest coat, which still retained the unpleasant noxious smell of the Kakosima she used to cover her human odor from the Dead, would be kept outside until her next patrol in the Dead Land. She then walked into the Watch Tower Observation Post, pleased to see the Watcher who was manning the station and waiting to greet her was her foster-father Talbart. She returned his welcoming smile, a wide grin which showed his relief at her safe return from the Dead-infested battleground.

A former Hunter, Talbart had retired almost four years earlier to the more comfortable, yet essential duty, of manning one of only four Watchtower Observation Post entrances into the compound. Watchers were trained to detect any signs that the Killers or Hunters had been infected while Outside on patrol in their task of killing the Infected. They were solely responsible for allowing, or not allowing, the soldiers admittance into the main complex of the Colony. A breach of a soldier who had been contaminated by the Dead had not happened on Talbart’s watch, although another Watcher had the necessary obligation to refuse entry to a Hunter. Noticing the tell-tale signs that a Hunter was infected after his four-day excursion Outside, the Watcher had regrettably performed the execution before the time of change-a necessary death as it could save the lives of thousands of Colonists. It was a responsibility that any Watcher took seriously.

With a nod of respect towards her foster-father, Tya began the custom of re-admittance into the Colony. Removing the ear bud from behind her ear she handed it to Talbart, who placed it in a container for cleaning until her next foray Outside. She unhooked the holster holding her gun from her utility belt and then released her utility belt from around her waist before placing them both on the examination table along with her chain-mail gloves. She pulled off her tunic and handed it to Talbart before unhooking the knife holster straps which circled her calf and placing them on the table. Unclasping the straps holding her boots together, she took them off and carefully placed them beside the table leg, leaving her socks on as protection on against the cold wood flooring. She removed her long pants and then her undergarments, also collected by Talbart, who examined the clothing for any tears. He then placed everything into a cloth bag to be sent to the laundry to be made ready before her next scheduled shift.

Her uniform, consisting of gloves, tunic and long pants, were made of thin black metal strips tightly woven tightly together to form a mesh (chain-mail). The weaving of the material made it virtually impenetrable to the bites and scratches of the Deathers, and, besides her ballit gun, was the best protecting against a Deather attack. The black-dyed undergarments she worn under the metal armor, which protected her skin from the rough metal material of her uniform, was woven from the softest cotton produced in the Colony.

Finished undressing she then she stood before her old friend, naked, ready for inspection.

Talbart quickly checked her body for bite marks, scratches or any sign of a wound that could cause the virus to enter her bloodstream. His perusal completed, she held out her hand for him to take a small sample of her blood for testing, to confirm her uninfected state. He gave her a quick smile and handed her a paper gown to wear until she showered, which she quickly wrapped around herself. Welcome home, Tya he greeted her, his broad smile an indication that she was clear of any noticeable infections that he could see from his examination. Protocol restricted them from the warm hug they usually shared upon meeting one another, but that could wait until they saw each other another time. She bowed her head in response to his warm greeting. Thank you, Talbart she replied, smiling broadly at her foster-father.

He had been on duty when she left four days ago, although for the old man seeing his almost-daughter going out among the ravaged beings who used to be humans, four days was an eternity of concern and apprehension that she would return this time-or if she would return whole. He nodded and smiled, but before their lackadaisical attitude could get him removed from his post, he straightened up and pressed the ‘all-clear’ button on his desk. Shower, he told her all business again, knowing that their conversation was being recorded and monitored, we’ll talk soon. She nodded and smiled before turning towards the elevator door which had slid open, and felt it slowly descending before the doors opened onto a short hallway leading to the shower room. She was anxious to rinse off four days of sweat and dirt and the still-present noxious smell of Kakosima, the liquid she used as part of her disguise which she and Talbart had concocted to cover her human scent. The smell was disgusting, which is the reason it was possible for her to mingle with the Deathers virtually undetected.

Clean and wrapped in a soft terrycloth robe and slipper shoes, she strolled down the quiet corridor towards the changing room. Dressed in civilian clothing, and with her stomach growling in complaint of the long stretch from her last meal hours earlier, she hurried towards the small cafeteria almost expecting her former Hunter partner, Jared, to be sitting at the table waiting for her to arrive. She stopped short in the doorway, feeling a stab of sorrow when she saw that the room was empty. Jared had been diagnosed over the winter with a heart murmur, which had disqualified him as a Hunter. This had forced him to retire from Service. She missed her former partner who always seemed to be in good spirits and loved telling jokes, which helped reduce the stress of their hazardous profession. Assigned a new partner for the beginning of hunting season, Tya had found him inexperienced and undisciplined, forcing the Protective Service no other option but to accept her request to hunt on this latest tour by herself. This would be the first time in five years since joining the Service that she would be eating her meal alone.

Janel, the Dietetics Manager who was in charge of cooking and serving meals for the returning Killers and Hunters, had waited patiently for her in the eating room. The Grasp of Deathers had delayed Tya by almost an hour, as she waited, sitting in the tree for them to leave, slowing her journey long enough to arrive home in the dark. Janel, however, would remain at her post until she came in. Noticing her in the doorway, and even before Tya could greet her properly, Janel had already filled her plate with her favorite food and was strolling towards her, holding the tray of food out for her to accept it. Smiling in appreciation, Tya thanked her friend, however, before she could ask her any questions, with a determined look on her face, Janel cut off any greetings. Go. Eat. Talk later! she scolded her, waving her hand, shooing Tya away. You’re pale to ghost! Quickly grabbing the tray full of food, (including her favorite desert of chocolate ice cream), she sat at the table with her back to the wall where she would be able to see everything in the small room or if anyone else entered. Habits die hard, even in the most secure facility in the Dead world.

Before the security protocols had been put in place to detect the infected Soldiers coming in from the killing zone there had been reports of people suddenly ‘changing’ and rampaging, killing people before the guards could reach the area under attack. It was sometimes hard to let her guard down, although by the first hour she could usually relax and allow the security of being inside the Colony help calm her after an intense four-day of hunting Outside among the Dead.

Wolfing down her food-her first food since midday-included cafa, a hot beverage made with coffee beans grown in greenhouses during the winter. Cows, (which were on the farm inside the Colony and therefore safe from the breakdown of their world), produced milk which was made into butter, cheese and other milk-based products-including iced cream. Flavors of a variety of herbs grown on the farms improved the flavor of plain ice cream, including chocolate, her favorite. Finished her meal she sat back, rotating her head and neck to relieve the stiffness of the stress of her time Outside. Janel strolled over to her table to pick up her empty dishes and more importantly, to bring her a full pack of nictos and a lighter. "Thank you,