Aftermath of the Manhattanville Incident: An Undead Novel

By Jason Medina

In this thrilling sequel to The Manhattanville Incident: An Undead Novel we reconnect with a familiar group of survivors at the Camelot Estate, as they try to establish a self-efficient colony in the Canadian wilderness of Québec.
What could possibly go wrong during the Zombie Apocalypse?
The second half of the story introduces us to the zombie-killing soldiers of Company Z, a military convoy from Indiana. After spending the past year hiding in an underground bunker, tensions are running high and supplies are running low. It is time for them to rejoin the rest of the world; only it is not how they left it. Now, they must trek across zombie-infested lands in search of a new home.
Who will live and who will die?
Join the exciting adventure, as both groups must contend with the ever-growing number of undead that walk the Earth. Will there ever be a cure for the Fox Serum Virus or is humanity doomed to die out and fade into nonexistence?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984578990

Jason Medina

Jason was born in April of 1971and raised in the Bronx, New York. He lived with his parents on the second floor of a three family house surrounded by family both upstairs and downstairs from him. Ever since he was a small child Jason always had an interest in telling stories. He wrote his very first comic book-style story at the age of five in his parents bedroom, while he watched television. It was the first of an ongoing science fiction story based on short hairy fictional creatures from another world. They were caught up in an intergalactic war against humans from Earth and another race of beings. Jason went on to do over ten comic stories based on these characters, drawing the pictures to go along with the story. He even won first prize in a book-making contest, while in the third grade.

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Copyright © 2020 by Jason Medina.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/11/2020

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Tribe.

Prologue

Part I

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Part II

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Part III

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Aftermath Of The Manhattanville Incident

Snowfall

Facts About the FSV

About the Author

TRIBE.

This book is

dedicated to the memory of two of my friends and

former fellow co-workers, David Ondrick and Daniel Ward.

I hope you’re both enjoying a cold drink together in the afterlife.

I would also like to dedicate it to my uncle,

Jose Joe Medina, who died in April of 2020.

Rest in peace, guys.

"The boundaries which divide Life from Death are

at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where

the one ends, and where the other begins?"

— Edgar Allan Poe, The Premature Burial

PROLOGUE

Jacque Tromboy was out of breath, after running across the dark grassy fields. Sweat dripped down his damp brown hair. He stopped long enough to catch his breath, while leaning against a tall white wind turbine. The vibration relaxed him like a soothing massage. There were dozens of wind turbines in every direction, as far as the eye could see. The entire island was full of them. It was some kind of wind farm, as far as he could tell. The steady, hypnotic, sound of the turbines spinning helped him to focus his mind. He allowed himself a moment to get his shit together, while gripping his heavy shovel tightly. It was the only thing he found at the house that could be used as a weapon. He dared not lose it.

He glanced upwards at the nighttime sky. It was cloudy, so there were not many visible stars for him to gaze upon. He gradually slid down to the ground with his bony back against the wind turbine. So much running left him feeling completely exhausted.

He was out of shape despite being leaner than ever. Over the past few months, he lost so much weight and had suffered from malnutrition leaving his body thin and frail. This was the most exercise he had in weeks. His body was not used to it.

He laughed to himself when he remembered how overweight he used to be before the apocalypse. Ha. If his family and friends could see him now, they would not even recognize him. He once weighed over three hundred pounds. Fortunately, he was dieting at the time leading up to the apocalypse, so in a way, he was already preparing his body for the lack of food that would cause him to lose most of his body mass over the past year. These days, he no longer craved junk food or fast food, but he did want food. It was just hard to find. He was no hunter, so he had to rely on scraps.

It was a good thing he was able to eat before leaving the house.

He wondered how much further he had to go, until he was home free. The full moon had provided him with enough light to see where he was going, but he still had no clue which way to go. He only had a rough idea based on what Darwin and Trey told him earlier. When he started running from the zombies that surrounded him, he did not think twice. He simply ran. In hindsight, he realized that might have been a crucial mistake because he was lost and on his own. Even after being on the island for the past couple of weeks, he was a stranger to its layout and unfamiliar with its few roads.

When he arrived earlier in the month, he was with a few other strangers. At least, that was how they began in Toronto. Together they managed to fight past dozens of undead during a daring escape from that zombie-infested city. Another city lost to the virus. Luckily, Perry had access to a traffic helicopter from a local news station. He single-handedly saved the group and brought them to Wolfe Island. The harrowing experience was still fresh in Jacque’s mind. He was grateful to be alive.

He thought he was finally safe, after months of being on the run. It turned out, he was wrong. The nightmare was far from over. It was happening all over again. Everything would have gone well, if not for that damned couple.

Well, Nadia was not really to blame. She genuinely had no idea. It was her idiot boyfriend, Trent. This particular outbreak was his fault. He did not bother to tell anyone he was bitten. Instead, he foolishly got on the helicopter and brought the infection with him to the island. Selfish bastard. The virus spread quickly, once he was overtaken by it. Even the doctors at the so-called research facility could not help him or do anything to contain it, although they tried.

They tried and failed.

Trent did a fine job of mucking up what, otherwise, could have been a safe isolated island retreat. He went on a rampage infecting anyone in his path. Within a day, there were dozens of zombies roaming the fields, along with the occasional newly infected maniac screaming for blood. On an island that was six miles wide and eighteen miles long with more than 1,400 inhabitants, it started to feel like a claustrophobic death trap.

Jacque and the others he arrived with did the only thing they could do to survive. They ran as far as they could, leaving the research doctors to deal with the mess. They found a safe place to hide out near the southern portion of the island. It was a house that had been abandoned abruptly. Based on the photos on the walls, it belonged to one of Trent’s fateful victims, which made them feel somewhat guilty about being there. They only intended to be there for a few days. It would give them time to get cleaned up, put on fresh clothing, and eat a decent meal for a change. There was a sufficient amount of food and supplies to sustain them long enough to outlast the dangerous period of the outbreak when the recently infected would run wild searching for others to tear apart and infect.

Realizing they could not remain there for too long, by the third day they came up with a plan of action. Leaving the island seemed like the only viable option for them, but first they had to reach the helicopter. The plan was to leave the next day.

On the next morning, after breakfast they took turns using the shower. Jacque went first, followed by Perry. Darwin slept late, so he could get a little more rest on a comfortable bed, while he was able. Trey stood by the window and looked outside to make sure there were no zombies waiting for them. That was when he heard the unmistakable sound of a helicopter in the distance.

He ran outside and looked up at the sky, but could not see it. It sounded like it was moving away. When Jacque heard the noise, he soon joined Trey outside and his fear was confirmed. It seemed they were stranded. Someone had apparently located the helicopter. The two stood there hopelessly. Eventually, they went inside and broke the news to Perry and Darwin. It was a huge blow because that helicopter was their only means of escape and it was gone.

For the next couple of weeks, they tried to make the best of their situation. They avoided the zombies easy enough by limiting how often they went outside. The windows were covered and they only lit candles at night keeping the light dim, so it was not too noticeable from the outside. However, the food was starting to run out and there were barely any sanitary supplies left.

It was around that time when Darwin and Trey went out on a supply run. Upon their return, they were overjoyed with excitement. Jacque and Perry could not wait to hear the good news they had to tell. While searching houses further east than usual, they came across a familiar clearing. It was the same one where they originally landed the helicopter and much to their surprise, it was still there! That meant the helicopter they heard weeks ago must have been another helicopter, probably from Kingston. They could finally leave the island and not a moment too soon. However, it was getting dark, which made it twice as dangerous outside due to the zombies roaming the island.

After what they thought happened the last time, they were reluctant to wait another day, so they figured to make their move in the middle of the night, after they had time to eat and rest up.

That same night, they snuck out of the house carrying whatever supplies were left, which was not much. It was basically a knapsack filled with bottled water, clothing, and toiletries. Perry carried it. Darwin and Trey led the way, since they knew which way to go. It was going to be a long walk.

They hurried eastbound along the road, until they nearly went head on into two blood-soaked recently infected men. It turned out the peak time of infection was not over, yet. When the infected men spotted them, they savagely gave chase. The group turned and ran toward a thicket of trees and tall grass. Darwin was the fastest runner, so he was in the lead. Trey stayed close behind his friend, followed by Perry and Jacque.

Suddenly, Trey tripped over a log. Darwin stopped to help him, just as a zombie approached him from behind. Perry intercepted it and stabbed it in the head with his knife. Soon another zombie came, and then another. Within seconds they found themselves surrounded, and then to make matters worse the two recently infected men caught up to them. One tackled Trey and the other ran after Darwin, who tried to lead it away. Perry was about to help Trey, but when he saw him being bitten, he knew there was nothing he could do to save him. Instead, he shoved his knife into the head of the nearest zombie. Several of the zombies surrounded Jacque, forcing him to flee, separating him from the others. He realized he was in an open field with no place to hide, so he kept running and did not stop to look back.

Now, here he was alone in the dark in a field of wind turbines, after having escaped the zombies. He found himself thinking if only they thought to move the helicopter closer to the research facility upon their initial arrival, while there was still time, before the infection spread across the island. They never would have had to remain as long as they did. They could have escaped weeks ago. The fact that they wasted valuable time under the false assumption someone stole their helicopter did not make things any better. How were they to know there would be another helicopter flying around?

Their helicopter seemed like it was a hundred miles away on foot and Jacque was so tired.

He closed his eyes and could still hear Trey screaming when the infected man bit into him. It was horrible. He felt bad for Trey. Being eaten alive was no way for a person to die. The pain must have been unimaginable. Tears rolled down his cheeks for his dead friend. He hoped Perry and Darwin made it out alive. A dreadful thought occurred to him and he wondered if they would wait for him if they reached the helicopter. He surely hoped so. After all, he considered them his friends, too.

First, he just needed a moment to rest... just a brief moment.

Jacque woke up to the rhythmic sound of the wind turbines spinning combined with uneven shuffling footsteps approaching. When he opened his eyes it was daytime.

He leapt to his feet and brushed the grass from his bottom. Just as he did, a zombie reached for him. It grabbed his arm and pulled him closer for a bite. Jacque struggled desperately to free himself, but the zombie was stronger. It dug its fingernails into his flesh, while drawing him near. Jacque beat its arm frantically and kicked it in the leg causing it to loosen the vice grip it had on his arm. In a stroke of luck, Jacque was able to slip his thin wrist away. In doing so, he lost his balance and fell down to the grass. His eyes shot open with excitement when he saw his shovel nearby. He quickly crawled toward it and snatched it up. As the zombie lunged down at him, Jacque swung the shovel upwards as hard as he could, striking the zombie in the side of its head. Infected blood splashed everywhere and the zombie fell to the ground with a thud. Jacque swiftly moved away and stood up. He grimaced in disgust and wiped the blood from his face. He noticed the blow was not powerful enough to kill the zombie because it was still moving.

He tried with great effort to pull his shovel out, so he could hit it a second time, but it was jammed firmly into the skull. He decided to leave it and ran away, before the zombie stood up for round two.

The daylight made it easier for him to see, where he was going. Somehow, he was able to find his way back to the helicopter. The sound of the propeller helped guide him to the clearing, where they left it. He reached it just in time, as it was about to take off. He waved his arms frantically in the air and shouted for the others to wait, as he raced toward it.

Wait! Don’t leave me!

Perry took notice of him and waited. Darwin was with him and already seated in the front passenger seat. They were both surprised to see him. Darwin unbuckled himself and threw open the rear door and beckoned him to hurry, while the propellers roared loudly overhead.

Jacque hastily climbed inside and exclaimed with relief, Thanks for waiting! Wow! I can’t believe you guys waited all night for me to get here!

Perry and Darwin eyed each other guiltily, but said nothing. Jacque began to wonder if finding them was only a happy accident on his part. Maybe they were about to leave without him.

As the helicopter lifted into the air, Perry finally replied, We wanted to leave last night, but to be honest, we got lost and had to hide out until daylight. We thought we lost you, too.

Jacque grimaced at the thought. Almost, he replied. "I fell asleep and woke up to a nightmare, who was aboat to turn me into breakfast."

Darwin asked, "Please, tell me you got away withoat a nibble, eh?"

Oh, yeah, Jacque answered with relief. I wish Trey was as lucky. He frowned.

Darwin faced front and did not respond. Trey had been his best friend. They survived the apocalypse as a team. His death was tearing him up inside. He was trying hard not to show it.

The helicopter flew away from the island, passing over the St. Lawrence River.

Jacque asked, Where are we going?

As they approached the mainland, Perry noticed Fort Henry just ahead. It was an old military fort. He considered landing there, but kept going north, instead. He decided to follow the river. He glanced back and replied, We’ll go as far north as our fuel will take us. Maybe even to Québec? In the meantime, I think we’re in the clear, boys. Dare I say it, at long last, we might actually be safe.

Darwin sighed sadly. Their escape was bittersweet for him because he was still thinking about his buddy, Trey.

Jacque sat back and relaxed. He could not believe they were finally free from Wolfe Island. For some reason, his eyes were irritating him and he had a headache. He was also feeling airsick from being in the helicopter. He figured it was a combination of hunger, fear, nervousness from the way the helicopter vibrated, and the annoying sound of its propellers. The important thing is they were safe and away from Zombie Island. He rubbed his wrist and scratched it gently. It had been itching a lot. He looked at it and saw several scratches, which must have been caused by the zombie that woke him from his sleep. He felt nauseas and began to worry.

Not long after, the helicopter made an emergency landing at Aeroport De Charlevoix in Saint-Irénée, Québec. The rest is another story.

End of Prologue

PART I

CHAPTER ONE

It was not too long ago when things did not seem so grim. Everyone was actually happy, for the most part. This was back when it was still summertime, right before things began going downhill, again.

It had been a year since the Zombie Apocalypse wreaked havoc on the United States. As the virus spread quickly across the country and to a few other parts of the world, it did not take long before all hope began to fade. Small pockets of survivors made the best out of their situations and found places to hunker down, while others took advantage of the weak and adopted a survival of the fittest attitude. Elsewhere, entire countries closed their borders to anyone from the outside for fear that their nation would fall next. It was total chaos around the world and fear was taking over.

Amidst the chaos, somewhere in the Canadian wilderness of Québec, a group of survivors has come together with unique knowledge that might make the difference for the future of the human race. Forty-five-year-old microbiologist Dr. Jonathan Rhodes, who once made his living at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, has been struggling for nearly a year to create a cure for the deadly virus that has already claimed the lives of millions. At long last, he believes there is definite hope for an actual cure in the foreseeable future.

Former police sergeant Charles Foster and his friend, Aramis Perez, a former emergency medical technician and marine, have entrusted him with detailed research notes and a broken syringe that contained residue from a possible anti-virus acquired from the virus’ place of origin in Manhattan. Armed with this extremely valuable knowledge, Dr. Rhodes has spent countless more hours studying the virus. He has come to realize it has many aspects of several known diseases, including characteristics of rabies combined with a deadly flu virus transmitted through bodily fluids, yellowing of the skin as with jaundice, and much like with encephalitis the body is overcome with fever symptoms. There is also an aggressive nature brought about by primal urges. The only good thing is that it does not appear to be airborne.

Meanwhile, the group from New York has more than settled into their new home at the Camelot Estate. They have each become integral parts of their new community. Grant Hamilton, Liz Mayaguez, Devin Ross, David Castillo, Roberto Medina, Chryssy Peters, and Joy Rahas have become successful hunters, who help supply the estate with food, while patrolling for zombies. Some of these brave survivors were former police officers, another has military training, and the rest have street smarts to get them by, but all were experienced in killing zombies and dealing with any other potential threats to the group.

Kirk Kamassa, the tallest and strongest of the group, took a job as head mechanic at the parkade, while taking young Sam Rahas as his apprentice. Millie Delgado works in the main kitchen with two other cooks and has quickly proven that she has the potential to become head chef. Her new friend, Rachel Zuckerman, found work as an art teacher in a new school that was erected for the children, although there are only two. Teenage Taryn Bartell found work in the mansion, along with Charles and Aramis. Taryn and Charles help with research, while Aramis assists Dr. Rhodes at the hospital wing.

A few from the group have also taken on additional responsibilities. David, Millie, and Sam assist with farming duties and there is plenty to be done on ten acres of farmland. Luckily, they have other more experienced farmers, who work with them. Millie serves as a nurse at the hospital wing, as well, whenever she is not cooking or reading books. In addition, she became head librarian with Grant and Devin as her assistants, due to their mutual love of books. Grant was put in charge of the armory and appointed as firearms instructor for the indoor shooting range. Roberto kept his promise to Chryssy and quit smoking, so he could focus on his side job, as a personal trainer for those wanting to stay in shape. Charles serves as the inventory quartermaster and maintains updated lists of all supplies, along with help from a few inventory officers. Joy helps out in the kitchen, as an assistant cook, while her son, Sam, has been training to become a hunter. He mainly does his part by using the drone to provide aerial reconnaissance of the estate and surrounding areas. Most of the group worked together and assisted with building the new old-fashioned one-story schoolhouse, which took nearly a month to complete. Kirk hoped to add a school bell someday, but Roberto reminded him it would only serve as a dinner bell for zombies. There was even talk about building a windmill sometime in the distant future, as a backup for the solar panels.

While the group has strived professionally and as a community, they were also doing better personally. Grant and Liz had a wedding ceremony in the mansion using the estate’s ordained minister, an older Abenaki Native American man named Jenner with long salt and pepper hair that everyone calls Jen. Charles was the best man, while Chryssy was Liz’s maid of honor. Sam played the role of ring bearer and Taryn was more than happy to be the flower girl. Kirk took photos using Grant’s old Nikon camera.

Liz found it amusing that she was a traditional June bride. She never thought that would happen, even before the apocalypse, although she lacked the traditional white dress understandably.

The reception took place in the main dining hall, which was decorated with handmade flower garlands. The weather was nice, so they were able to utilize the outdoor seating area. Millie, Gil, Aramis, and Joy prepared a fabulous feast. Everyone partied for a good part of the day.

During the reception, Rachel painted a beautiful wedding portrait of them with newly acquired paints. Everyone was impressed with her artistic talent. Grant and Liz later hung the painting over their bed. Every time they see it, they think back on their special day and smile.

They try not to dwell too much on the circumstances of how they met. What is important is that they were able to find each other and make it work, despite what was going on at the time.

Toward the end of June, everyone celebrated Saint Jean Baptiste Day, a major national holiday in Québec. Normally, the entire province would shut down for June 23rd and 24th in honor of the French Canadian official patron saint. Back in 1636, five cannon shots and a bonfire marked New France’s first Saint Jean Baptiste Day, along the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. It has been celebrated ever since with Montréal usually throwing the biggest festivals. They would start off with a colorful parade filled with circus performers, music, and giant replicas of famous figures of Québec. Throughout these particular days, musicians would perform in several languages, including French, English, Creole, and Algonquin. Vendors in Montréal’s Chinatown usually sell their famous dragon beard candy, which is essentially the Chinese equivalent to cotton candy. Afterwards, the celebrants would finish off the evening with a huge bonfire and a prolific fireworks display.

Of course, with the looming threat of zombies the celebrations for this year had to be toned down significantly, especially in Montréal where the threat was even greater. At the Camelot Estate, they confined themselves to secluded locations, such as the recreation building and dining hall, where they listened to music, danced, feasted on delicious meals prepared by the cooks, and then shot their weapons in the air five times. It was a much-needed celebration, after everything they experienced over the past year.

The celebration was topped off by a bit of fantastic news. It seemed Roberto and Chryssy had an unexpected surprise. The young couple learned they would be having a baby. If all went well, it would be the first baby to be born at Camelot. Grant playfully scolded Roberto for not using the box of condoms he was given on the previous Christmas, and then he congratulated them. Everyone was excited about the announcement. The gift of life was precious indeed, so everybody took it seriously.

Only Joy was reluctant to take part in their good news. Deep down, her mind kept drifting to the daughter she lost only a month ago in a tragic fire that caused the group to leave their former home in New York, thus making the long trek to Canada. Glenda was very young with her whole life ahead of her, or so it seemed. The sorrow was still too fresh for Joy to feel anything other than fear for this unborn child’s life, despite the celebratory mood everyone else was feeling.

She wondered if this baby would live long enough to have a decent chance at life, or if it would also succumb to the dangers of this new harsher world they all lived in. She did not really want to think about it, but could not help herself. It was too depressing and it was ruining her mood. She was tired of grieving, although she knew it would never stop. How can one ever truly get over the loss of their child? The pain was still too fresh.

Fortunately, for her son, he found a way to get past his grief, or at least it was a way to stay distracted. Sam and Taryn had become boyfriend and girlfriend. Not much in this world can discourage teenagers in love, especially these two, who have become strengthened by their trials and tribulations. They often enjoy spending time with the other couples to learn how a strong lasting relationship should work. They find it to be socially helpful and educational, while also being quite entertaining.

Grant and Roberto seem to revert to their teenage years whenever Sam is around and trying to learn how to be a better boyfriend. There have been many occasions to laugh, since they enjoy having fun together. Liz and Chryssy try to show Taryn how to deal with their juvenile behavior.

Occasionally, some of them reminisce about those they have lost over the past year. There have been too many, so it is very hard to forget. Sam even has a few old photos saved on his laptop computer, which include his sister, making that laptop one of his most prized possessions.

As a tribute to those they’ve lost, Kirk got the idea to erect a memorial made out of plaster in their memory. Everyone loved the idea. Rachel agreed to make it, since she was the resident artist. She secretly designed it using a combination of Grant and Liz, along with Roberto and Chryssy, as her models. She had a deep admiration for their bravery in the face of danger. Besides, she wanted the statue to be of a couple. The others agreed it was a brilliant idea to represent both sexes.

The memorial was erected in front of the mansion’s south hospital wing across from the cemetery. Rachel worked on it for two weeks before it was completed. It depicted a ruggedly handsome male and a beautiful female standing tall, back-to-back, with weapons in their right hands and tools in their left hands. The male held a handgun and a shovel, while the female had a bow and a hammer. In a sense, all of these items could be considered weapons, especially in the Zombie Apocalypse. To top it off, dead zombies lay sprawled at their feet. Beneath it was an inscription that read, Survival lies in our ability to fight and rebuild. It was a quote made up by Grant, who seemed to have a way with words. It was quite fitting for their group.

Since the group from New York arrived at Camelot, they have had time to befriend the others, who had already been living there for more than a year. The estate was actually founded by a wealthy philanthropist named Nicholas Michel Rhodes and his survivalist group to serve as a self-sufficient community months before the Zombie Apocalypse began. Sometime afterwards, Nicholas suffered a massive heart attack. Apparently, the realization that the world as he knew it might actually be coming to an end was too much for him to take.

Terrence Philipse, or Terry, as he preferred to be called, was one of the founding members of the group. He originally became friends with Nicholas while working as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer. A half British Canadian and half French Canadian survivalist with a love for coffee and European mythology, it was he who came up with the name for Camelot.

Terry was also the first new friend the group from New York made on the day they arrived. He gladly welcomed them with open arms, once the others voted unanimously to allow them to stay. In truth, they were short on fighters with experience in killing zombies and these particular New Yorkers had that in spades, having survived that first fateful night when the outbreak began. It was a night, which has since become known as the second worst night of the apocalypse.

The day New York was nuked had the distinction of being the worst.

Through Terry, the group was introduced to the other residents of Camelot. Aside from Terry, there were nineteen others residing in the modified, rectangular, military-style, barracks buildings.

Terry’s elderly parents, Scott and Carmen, lived in the same barracks as him, but in a separate unit. Both were retired and in their seventies. Scott’s grandfather traveled to Canada from their longtime family home in England. Scott was born and raised in Ontario, but moved to Québec, where he met and married his French Canadian wife, Carmen. Since moving to Camelot with their son, they mainly spend their time enjoying the lush beauty of the estate.

Dr. Rhodes also shared their barracks, along with the group’s main cook, Gil Harrison, a Cajun male survivalist named Liam Moir, his French Canadian girlfriend, Eva Goslin, and her inquisitive ten-year-old daughter, Gina Marie. Liam, Eva, Gina Marie, and Gil were all native to Québec.

In the next barracks was the Savageau family. They were Native Americans of the Abenaki people from Québec. In Canada, Native Americans are referred to as the First Nations. Jenner, or Jen, was the patriarch of the family. Wise in his years, as he was a great hunter and fisherman. He also served as a spiritual leader and ordained minister for those that needed it. Rose was his stubborn, but nurturing wife, who served as the knowledgeable head farmer of the estate, since she had spent her entire life farming. She was also in charge of gardening due to her love and closeness to nature. Their eldest son, Walter, was a skilled hunter and fisherman like his father. Marisol was their daughter, who was younger than her brother. She worked as a farmer and an assistant cook. Joe, the youngest son, was only slightly older than Sam. He, too, was a hunter and fisherman, except he was still learning how to be better at it. He hoped to someday be as skilled as his brother and father. The family all grew their hair long as part of their tradition.

Walter and Terry were good friends, who have known each other for many years. Both were part of the same survivalist group that founded the estate, which is why Walter’s family also resided at Camelot and they alone were allowed to occupy the second barracks.

The rest of the people in Camelot resided in the third barracks. Tommy and Donna Wyatt was a couple from Rochester, New York. Tommy was the only other African-American at Camelot, aside from Charles. Donna’s younger sister, Dawn Hanover, lived in the unit next to theirs. At nineteen, she was old enough to be on her own. She enjoyed the feeling of independence it gave her. Billy and Kathy Reynolds moved to Camelot from Montréal with their twelve-year-old son, Gordon. Last, was Victor Volpato, a Canadian survivalist in his mid-forties, who kept his head shaved bald because he hated worrying about his hair. He was also one of the original founding members and a longtime friend of Terry.

Grant, Liz, Charles, Devin, Aramis, Joy, Sam, and Taryn lived in the fourth barracks. Naturally, Grant and Liz shared a unit, as did Joy and Sam. Everyone else lived in his or her own.

David, Kirk, Millie, Rachel, and Roberto and Chryssy occupied the fifth barracks, while the sixth remained vacant, probably because nobody wanted to live too close to the barn. That left a total of thirty-six vacancies in the six barracks buildings. No one lived in the mansion, even though it had enough rooms for everyone to have their own. The community agreed as a whole it was best served for medical, research, and governmental affairs. It was essentially like their very own city hall and hospital combined.

In the medical research wing of the mansion Dr. Rhodes worked together with Aramis, Charles, and Grant to create a real zombie survival guide that listed every known fact about the Fox Serum Virus that they learned up to this point. Rachel even sketched a few illustrations for it. It took several days to compile and sort out all the information. When it was finally completed, Taryn uploaded it to the Internet for the world to see.

It was uncertain how long the Internet would remain up and running, but as long as it still did, they planned to take advantage of it. Their goal was to help others to survive, as they had done. Within a few short weeks it was already being used as a survival guide by countries across the globe.

Copies were printed out and given to every resident of the Camelot Estate. Rachel even taught it to the children at school in a limited format. Everyone had to know this stuff, if they were to live out their days with some semblance of hope.

Whenever Dr. Rhodes was alone, he went to his private research laboratory in the basement of the mansion. No one else was allowed down there. Actually, no one even knew it existed. He alone had access to this secured area. Mostly everyone knew he had a private office somewhere in the mansion, but they did not think anything of it. It was there where he experimented in secret on trying to create a cure for the virus, using more unorthodox methods. Thanks to the residue of the anti-virus given to him by Aramis, he had renewed hope that he could succeed, where he failed before.

Within this private laboratory were eight reanimated dead bodies from some of those, who had supposedly died and were believed to have been buried in the cemetery. Dr. Rhodes induced comas into each person, after they had become ill, in order to fake their deaths. He then secretly injected them with blood samples containing the virus, which he acquired from a top-secret special military task force that infiltrated Manhattan, before it was nuked. This mission was unknown even to the late Angelo Williams and his Special Ops team. In a sense, Dr. Rhodes was only continuing his original assignment given to him by the CDC. Find a cure, at any cost.

The military team that worked with him had only one mission objective. They were sent into the city, which at the time was overwhelmed by the outbreak, to acquire live samples of the infection for the CDC. A helicopter watched over them from the Hudson River, as they completed their mission and waited for their eventual extraction, which occurred under cover of darkness on the night before the city was destroyed by a tactical nuclear strike.

As it happened, it was those live samples that would ultimately bring about the downfall of the CDC. However, before the CDC fell, Dr. Rhodes was able to escape with blood samples from those infected that were captured, so he had what he needed.

In his secret lab, he could study his batch of test subjects without any interruption. He was a workaholic, so he tended to spend hours down there alone. As a result, he no longer bothered to shave and had a full beard. His hair and clothes were often disheveled because he could not be bothered wasting time with his physical appearance. He had more important things on his mind.

Unfortunately, his infected test subjects were well past the death stage and were now zombies. They had been so for months. He lost track of that long ago. He used to spray them with disinfectant on a regular basis, but when it ran out he eventually began to get used to their foul stench. For safety reasons, each was tied firmly to a table and securely muzzled to prevent them from biting him.

Dr. Rhodes had been working meticulously in both the main laboratory and down in his secret lab to find a cure using whatever means available to him, while testing multiple versions of various possible anti-viruses he created. He was able to reverse engineer the residual contents of the broken syringe, so he had an idea of the original formula. He was still trying to figure out the exact dosages of each ingredient. Plus, there was no certainty this alleged anti-virus would even work, since it had never been tested on an actual infected person, at least, not to his knowledge. According to the journal of David Frino that Charles showed him, the original creator, Dr. Herbert Fox, became infected before he could test the anti-virus.

Considering the only test subjects available to Dr. Rhodes were already decaying from death, there was little chance of knowing how successful any vaccines he can make will be. He would need to test it on a recently infected individual and that was absolutely out of the question.

Instead, he had to resort to new creative methods, which have not been very helpful. He has tested infected blood, dead coagulated blood, and even tried infecting small animals to see how his potential cures affect them. His results have been disappointing to say the least. The virus does not affect animals in the same way it affects humans, so animal trials are a complete waste of time and valuable resources.

Any new research and results are added to his computer files without delay and backed up on a special one-terabyte flash drive, which he always keeps with him on his person. No one else has seen these files, so as far as they know everything he is doing is on the level. He is the only real medical doctor in the community. Therefore, the others, who assist him, never question his work. Of course, that is because they have no idea what he keeps behind the locked door of his secret laboratory in a secluded part of a separate basement.

He knows they would not understand the importance of his work. Medical research is all about trial, error, and sometimes sacrifice. In the end, he will be the one to create the cure that saves the world. He has to do it. Otherwise, mankind will come to an eventual end. This has become more important than trivial morality issues. They will realize that when the time comes.

Unfortunately, for the doctor, he became too comfortable with his zombie specimens from being around them so much and it made him careless. He accidentally got a little too close to one that was trying unsuccessfully to reach out for him. Of course, the doctor was not bitten or scratched. No, he was far too careful for that kind of amateur mistake.

What happened next was so subtle even he had no idea it took place. It happened too fast for him to even realize it. A tiny droplet of infected saliva shot out from a zombie’s mouth, through the mesh like muzzle, and found its way onto the sleeve of his lab coat, where it remained for a little over a minute.

The weariness of the day soon got the better of him. He wiped away the sweat from his brow using his sleeve, and in that moment, the droplet blended with the sweat on his forehead. It gradually made its way down into his eye. Several minutes later, his eye began to itch.

Dr. Jonathan Rhodes was now infected.

However, his infection process would not be immediate due to the miniscule amount of the virus that came into contact with him. It would likely take almost an entire day, before the parasites can spread and it takes effect. By the time he starts experiencing any of the more common symptoms, it will probably be too late to do anything about it.

He was now a dead man walking.

Image01MapofCamelot.jpg

CHAPTER TWO

It was late August and summer was coming to an end. Taryn’s birthday had passed and Rachel’s was on the last day of the month. Soon it would be fall, and then the group would experience their first winter in Canada, which will probably drag out. It was something none of them were looking forward to. Hopefully, the heaters would not breakdown like Terry said they did on the previous winter. The fireplaces in the mansion, dining hall, recreation building, and schoolhouse should also keep them warm. Kirk knew how to keep them cleaned, since he once did work cleaning chimneys. Tommy offered to help.

The group made sure to stock up on any supplies that had to be gathered from the outside. It was something that was typically done about two or three times a month. A small group was selected for this task. Grant volunteered to lead today’s group. He liked driving and wanted to learn the land around them as best he could. Liz, Devin, and Terry joined him and they headed into the nearest town, Saint-Siméon.

Grant opted to drive the police SUV he acquired in Monroe, New York, because he was used to it. He liked being in a vehicle that had authority on the road. Other drivers tended to give him the right of way. He found it funny how there were even other vehicles on the road. It still took getting used to being around an actual civilization, again. It felt too unrealistically normal.

Devin had other things on his mind. He realized both Grant and Terry had trimmed goatees. He glanced at himself in the rear view mirror from the backseat and tugged at the red hair of his full beard. He sighed to himself and asked, Do you guys think I should shave or keep the beard?

Liz looked back at him from the front passenger seat and responded first, Maybe just trim it a bit like Grant did before shaving last week. It will make you look younger. You’ve had it for a long time now.

Terry agreed, Oh, for sure. I like to keep mine nice and neat. He caressed his chin briefly.

Yeah, I noticed, said Devin. We all had beards a month ago. Now, I’m in the minority.

Uh, uh! Liz shook her head and blurted, I didn’t have one!

They laughed at the thought of her beautiful face marred by a scruffy dark beard.

Grant glanced at Devin through the mirror and turned his eyes back on the road, before saying, If you’re thinking about it, then it must be bothering you. Maybe you need a change. Definitely trim it, first, before shaving it completely. That might give you a better idea of how you want it. He then became distracted and grunted. Damn, there is a lot of traffic, for some reason. What do you make of this, T?

Devin felt satisfied with their opinions and sat back unconcerned with the traffic.

Terry leaned forward and tried to get a better look. He furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought and looked up and down the road. At last, he responded, I don’t get why there would be this much traffic. It’s not like it used to be, so this makes no sense. Hmm. Traffic is mostly queued to the north. Interesting.

When they reached their destination, Terry got out of the vehicle to speak with someone he knew about making a trade. That was how things were done these days. Money was no longer as important as supplies and goods. Stores and shops had become trading posts like in the old days.

The others sat in the SUV and waited. They did not want to intimidate Terry’s acquaintance.

By this time, Devin began taking notice of the mass exodus of vehicles heading north on 138. He pressed his face to the window for a better look. Where are they going?

Away from here, Grant guessed.

That’s not good. Is it? It’s like last year. We are screwed. It’s getting closer.

Grant sighed and said, That’s inevitable. We can’t keep outrunning the infection. It’s going to keep finding us. Camelot is a lot safer than where we used to be. We can stay there and defend it.

Devin scoffed, Humph! Camelot. I’m surprised that place doesn’t have a king, considering it’s name.

Liz responded, That would be silly. Not to mention it would be a huge mistake. Kings tend to have absolute power and absolute power corrupts.

Devin scoffed, again, Absolutely.

Grant added, Leadership is important, though.

Terry got back into the car, as Liz replied to Grant, And we have that based on a democracy. It’s better that way. No one person has to deal with making all the decisions. I figured you could appreciate that, after how things were back in Monroe between you and Charles.

That goes without saying, Grant said.

Terry was intrigued by their conversation and asked, Had a little trouble with your leadership back home, eh? I thought you and Charles were like brothers.

We are, Grant replied. There was no trouble. Besides, that’s in the past. Camelot is our home now. So, what’s the good word, T?

Terry sighed. "Soarry, but it’s not good, my friend. We can still get what we need today. After that, we might have to find other options. I learned something interesting. Trouble is coming."

Devin threw his head back against his seat and frowned, I knew it. We’re screwed.

As Terry began to explain the situation to the others, more vehicles filled the road heading north. Traffic did not look as if it would let up anytime soon. It was going to be a long day for them. They still had two more stops to make. They hoped to acquire everything they needed.

Back at Camelot, it seemed like a typical morning. Some people were tending the fields. Others were eating breakfast. The children were at school learning about mythology from Rachel.

Kirk and Sam were sitting in the parkade wiping grease off the tools from the toolboxes to pass the time. Kirk liked to keep the tools clean.

Sam looked at him and noticed he seemed deep in thought, so he said, This is relaxing, huh?

Kirk nodded silently, barely hearing a word he said.

Is something wrong? Sam became concerned.

What? Oh, no. Everything’s just fine and dandy. I was just thinking about random stuff.

Like what? Sam asked.

Just stuff. You know? Kirk shrugged it off and smiled Nothing worth talking about.

Roberto called out, as he approached, Good morning, cave dwellers! What are you guys doing on this fine morning? Playing with your tools and polishing your knobs?

Kirk looked up at his friend and grinned. Rob! What are you doing up already? It’s still morning! You should be in bed! Aren’t you going to burn up in the sunlight or something? He teased back.

Sam smiled and greeted him, as well. Hey, Rob. What’s up? We’re just cleaning off the tools. Gotta keep them clean. We got them dirty yesterday giving the pick-up a tune up.

Ah, I see. That’s very good, grasshopper. Very good. He looked toward Kirk and said, I see you are training our young Padawan well, Master Kirk.

Yes, indeed. He’s a fast learner.

Sam smirked and continued cleaning tools, while trying to ignore their silliness.

Roberto pulled up a seat and sat beside them. He rubbed his hands together happily and said, I still can’t believe I’m going to be a father. It’s crazy, bro!

This time Kirk smirked, as he responded, God save us all.

Bro! You know you’re going to help me raise this kid, so cut the crap. I want my kid to know everything we know. By the time this kid is ready for school, I want it to be able to teach Rachel a few things.

Kirk chuckled, Yeah. That would be something. So, ‘it,’ huh? I noticed your mind isn’t committed to any one sex, yet. Do you want a boy or a girl?

Trying to keep an open mind, bro. Honestly, having a kid in these times scares the shit out of me, but I have to try and think positive for Chryssy’s sake. It really doesn’t matter to me if we have a boy or a girl, as long as it’s a healthy baby.

I hear that, my brother, Kirk understood.

Sam asked, feeling awkward, Can I also teach your baby things? I mean I’m the best here when it comes to using the drone! He tried to sound more confident.

Roberto smiled at Sam and replied, Of course, Sammy! I want everyone to teach my kid, especially my friends. He reached over and patted Sam on the shoulder.

Awesome. Sam smiled and returned to work feeling better.

David walked into the parkade next, after having walked around the grounds of the estate.

"Kemo sabe! Kirk announced. Have a seat, pal. Join us. We were just shooting the shit."

David grabbed a chair and moved it close to the others. He sat down and exhaled exaggeratingly. It felt great to rest his weary legs. Camelot was a very big estate. It was much larger than their former home in Monroe. Patrolling the grounds took far more