Dead Man's Party
Chapter Four
Meanwhile, in Washington State, all eyes were fixated on the strange occurrences happening in Seattle and spreading like wildfire throughout the state. Bizarre creatures with an insatiable hunger for the brains of the living were roaming the streets. With just one bite, the unsuspecting humans would die simply to awaken a moment later with the same condition. Things were no different in the Swan Household, where keeping track of the news had suddenly become priority number one. The TV stations were only broadcasting the news due to the emergency situation and wondering when their own neighborhoods would be overcome by what the media were unofficially calling zombies.
"We have breaking news," the broadcaster announced. "Investigators have traced the zombie phenomenon to a clinical trial held at the Repose Biomedical Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Ian Fected, a researcher with the center, had been conducting a clinical trial to see if a course of injections combining inactive scorpion venom with anabolic steroids and Botox would eliminate cellulite. But unfortunately, the twenty-four participants in the study went out for a dinner break and never returned. We will report more news to you as it comes, but as of now, the mayor urges all residents to stay in their homes for their safety. Do not go outside, and do not approach or engage the zombies."
A few minutes later, the entire Cullen Coven came to call. Charlie Swan welcomed them all inside. They were followed quickly by Billy Black, who had arrived with the elder Harry Clearwater.
"What's the emergency?" Billy asked.
"Alice had a vision. Victoria has now given up on exacting revenge because she has found another mate." Carlisle explained.
"Uh, can a vampire have two mates because a wolf can only have one as far as we know?"
"The thing is, we're not sure if Victoria and James were mates, or even if this new person is. Alice said he looked familiar and drew a sketch of the vampire in question." Carlisle passed the paper to Billy, who handed it to Charlie.
Sam peered over Charlie's shoulder. "I know him. I was supposed to graduate from high school with him before I dropped out. His name is Riley Biers. He used to play baseball with me."
"Hey, you're right. Now that I think about it, that is definitely Riley Biers," Chief Swan said. "I just talked to his parents. His mother said they just spoke to him on the phone a couple of days ago. According to them, he's doing great in school and even has a new girlfriend. They even talked to the new girlfriend. She's a computer technology major." Charlie recalled one more thing. "I'm supposed to tell you that Riley and his new girlfriend wish you both well."
"That was really decent of Riley. He always was a nice guy. He dated Leah's cousin, Emily Young, while we were in high school," Sam informed them. "I don't know what he ever saw in her. She was very clingy. You know, the type that never leaves you alone." Sam glanced up at Elder Clearwater. "No offense."
"None taken," Harry said, "You know that Leah and Seth consider you the normal cousin even if you're only their third cousin."
"Hey, isn't that Victoria on the TV!" Bella suddenly exclaimed.
"Holy shit! That is her!" Jasper cried. "The one with the shock of red hair."
Everyone's attention turned to the television. The zombies staggered and tottered down the street, making guttural groans as they searched for living humans to satisfy their craving for brains. Victoria found a lone zombie lumbering along the road, literally dragging one leg. The redhead moved in to decapitate the zombie but was unable to. Instead, other zombies swarmed the vampire like a hive of bees, biting into her arms, legs, any part they could wrap their teeth around.
"Victoria!" her boyfriend hollered as he tried valiantly to save her by biting into the neck of one of the zombies to drain it. Riley immediately collapsed onto the road with violent convulsions until he ceased functioning as death overcame him.
"Oh my God! Zombie blood is lethal to vampires," Esme cried out in fear.
"Or not," Sam stated. "Look! Riley just opened his eyes."
Sure enough. Riley's eyes popped open. They were no longer red but back to their original brown. They held the vacant expression of a newly awakened zombie. He suddenly let out a great, guttural groan.
Less than a minute later, both Riley and Victoria abruptly stood up and joined the horde of zombies as they wandered through the streets of Seattle with the rest of the walking dead.
All the vampires watched silently, transfixed to the screen in shock. They were not immune to whatever virus the zombies carried in their system, which shocked them to the core.
"Fuuuuck!" The cameraman screamed as one of the zombie sorority princesses, a once-pretty Native American girl with the flesh of her cheek hanging off her jaw reached into the open window and took a big bite out of the driver's arm.
"Drive, drive, drive!" The cameraman urged to no avail because the driver promptly passed out, and then reawakened as a zombie with a furious snarl. The driver immediately turned his attention to the cameraman. The picture suddenly flickered violently, and screams of agony could be heard in the background before turning to snowy, white static.
"You know the zombie sorority princess with the big hair tie and her cheek hanging off her jaw?" Harry Clearwater asked.
"The one with the hot pink scrunchie that chomped on the driver's arm like it was a turkey drumstick?" Bella asked.
"That's the one," Harry replied. "I believe that was my niece. If I recall correctly, Emily went away to college with Riley."
"That was her," Sam confirmed. "I told you she was nuts. Oh my God! Uncle Harry, you're related to a zombie!"
"Well, now, we can only hope and pray that Leah's imprint meets with the same fate," Harry deadpanned.
"Come on, Jason Cameron is a stand-up guy. He works hard at the prison and is in the Army Reserves, too," Sam argued.
"Sam, it's a father's prerogative to feel protective about his daughter. Let's just say I feel the same way about him as Charlie feels about you," Harry replied smugly.
"Charlie, you don't want me to become a zombie, do you? You like me, right?" Sam asked Bella's father.
"Don't be too sure of that," Charlie stated impassively, before announcing to everyone in the room, "You know, it appears to me that we need to figure out a way to get rid of these creatures. As of yet, no one has come up with an idea, and it looks like the problem is just spreading. The government bureaucrats are pussies. They haven't made any concrete decisions since this fiasco began. We need to take things into our own hands before we're all killed."
"I agree," Jasper Whitlock piped in. "Those zombies were able to overpower two vampires, turning them into zombies. That means they are immune to vampire venom, so we cannot use traditional means to kill them. It also means the wolf pack can't shift and bite their heads off. They'd risk becoming zombie wolves, creating a whole new set of problems. It's bad enough we now have two vampire zombies."
While everyone discussed the best way to kill a zombie. Bella took matters into her own hand and decided to do some research on her own. She popped a movie into the Blu-ray player and started watching it. After a while, her father, who had noticed the news was no longer on the TV, turned to her. "Isabella Marie Swan, what happened to the news? We need to keep updated on the situation in Seattle."
"Well, excuse me! I happen to be doing some important research on zombie killing! I'm watching 'Shaun of the Dead' for some ideas on protecting ourselves from these creatures." Bella grabbed her father's Winchester and spin-cocked it, making a shucking noise. The bewildered vampires all stared at her open-mouthed. They had never seen this side of the girl. Clearly, she took after her father more than they realized.
"I never should have taught you how to do that." Chief Swan immediately snatched the shotgun away from his daughter with an exasperated expression.
Before he could reprimand her, Billy interrupted with, "Hey, now, that's not a bad idea, Charlie. Watching a movie for ideas on how to kill a zombie is the only reasonable suggestion we've had so far. Bella, be a sweetheart and get your Uncle Billy a beer. We'll watch the movie with you."
Unable to come up with a better idea, everyone settled into the Swan's living room to watch the movie. Every single spare chair was brought downstairs for extra seating. The younger set all sat on the floor. After 'Shaun of the Dead,' the group watched 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' and 'Zombieland' before heading home for the evening. They agreed to meet at the Cullen household the following day to discuss their research and develop a game plan.
XOXO
"Sam, do you think we're ever going to be able to move into your house?" Bella asked.
"Our house, babe. It's our house. And, yeah, after all this bullshit is over with, we're moving into our house." Sam and Bella went over to the house daily to work on it. So far, they had re-painted the house, and they were working on refinishing the hardwood floors. Old Quil had loaned them his orbital sander, and they had stripped the flooring of the old finish. All they had to do was apply the new finish, but it was hard work, and it smelled pungent and toxic. While they both worked part-time, they had limited funds because they were still just out of high school. Sam also had his stipend from the reservation just for being a wolf.
Charlie, on the other hand, wanted them both to stay at his house until they had, at least, graduated from the local community college. He understood why they wanted to move but could not stress enough how important it was that they had the means to support themselves comfortably. While Sam's home may have been gifted to him from the tribe, there were still expenses that came with living independently. Unfortunately, neither of them made enough money to make ends meet; so, he was determined to talk some sense into the couple.
The Cullen household became meeting central for the supernaturals and their families the following day. The parents of wolves and their imprints, all of whom knew about the existence of supernatural creatures, showed up wanting to help. None of these families were going down without a fight.
"Through extensive research, we have concluded that the zombies in Seattle are more like the 'Shaun of the Dead' zombies. They move slowly but are powerful. The most important thing is to not let them bite you anywhere. One bite from a zombie, and you become one. Also, and this is specifically for the wolves, do not phase. I repeat, do not phase!" Charlie said.
"Why not? We're at our most powerful when we're phased," Jacob pointed out.
"Yes, but the only way you'd be able to decapitate a zombie when you're phased is by gnawing its head off. That's a sure trip to zombiedom, if you know what I mean."
"I don't get it." Jacob had a confused look on his face.
"Jacob, if you bite a zombie, even if it is just to chew his head off, you'll end up ingesting whatever poison they have in their system, and you'll turn into one of them," Sam explained.
"That would be harsh! I'm too good looking to be a zombie." He patted his face gently, horrified at the thought of his flesh decaying.
"Back to the topic! Number one on the rule list for shifters and vampires is no biting. And everyone needs to keep their mouths clamped shut because you don't want to be ingesting any of those toxins!" Charlie flicked the back of his hand underneath Jacob's chin to close his open mouth.
"Second, if you are one of those armed with a gun or a rifle, we're going to use the rule from Zombieland: the double-tap. That means always shooting twice to ensure the zombie is good and dead. Aim for the head because the only way to kill them is by destroying the brain or removing the head."
"Charlie, what if we're not good with guns?" Esme Cullen asked. "I've never even fired one."
"For those of you not good with guns, dislodging the brain by hitting them several times with a long sturdy object will do the trick. Think shovels, baseball bats, sledgehammers, mallets, regular hammers, tire-irons, wood, anything along those lines will work. Collect anything and everything that you can swing and strike!"
Paul Lahote raised his hand next. Charlie allowed him to speak, "What if we went to Old Man Hinkley's junkyard and asked if we can have some of his stuff? He's got a ton of steel objects there like crowbars and tire irons."
"Carlisle, add Old Man Hinkley's place as a resource in addition to Newton's, the hardware store, the police station, and the maintenance departments for both Forks and La Push. He turned to Paul. "That was some good thinking, kid."
The door to the Cullen home opened. Three red-eyed vampires entered the house.
"Oh my God! They've got red eyes. Sam, are we supposed to phase?" Leah asked.
"There will be no phasing," Charlie replied. "Carlisle told me these people would be arriving. They're friendly." He turned to the vampire doctor. "Maybe you should introduce these fine people to us."
Carlisle took the helm. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Garrett Adams and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Whitlock have come to assist us with our plight. These vampires, although human-feeding, do not take the lives of the innocent. They only feed on the dregs of society: child abusers, rapists, murderers, and the like."
"Then they're doing us a favor," Old Quil Ateara stated. "They're cleaning up society for us."
"Exactly." Carlisle went on to formally introduce everyone to the three vampires before continuing. "All three of these people have combat experience. "Garrett was a soldier in the Revolutionary War."
"Dude, as in the American Revolution?" Quil interrupted.
The friendly, brown-haired vampire with twinkling eyes chuckled. "Yes, the American Revolution."
"Cool! Did you ever meet Paul Revere?"
"Sadly, no, but I was fortunate enough to meet Carlisle during the Siege of Yorktown. He was working as a physician."
"You served in the Revolutionary War, too, Doc?" Embry asked.
"I did."
"Well, it would have been nice if you had told me before I turned in my final paper for my history class. I ended up with a 'C' on the paper."
"Embry, you could have asked Sam or me to help. We both did really well in history. And Dad knows his history super well, too."
Tiffany shook her finger at him. "You got a 'C' because you were too busy playing D&D with Jacob and Quil. Don't try to deny it! When school starts again next year, I expect more effort from you! It's either that or I'm taking your dice from you."
"You play Dugeons & Dragons?" Jasper asked, his eyes lighting up. It was his favorite thing to do in the world, but he could never gather up enough players. Embry nodded his head in reply, too afraid to say anything else while his mother was angry. "Can Emmett and I join in?"
The boy's eyes brightened, and he broke out into a smile. "Yeah, that'll be awesome, man! My dad helped me set up a space for it in the basement. Sometimes, he'll come downstairs and join us."
When Charlie Swan had married Tiffany Call, Embry had been the first to accept the new blended family situation. He loved having a male role model and enjoyed having Bella as his sister. In addition, having Sam, his real half-brother, living in the house was a bonus. He always wanted to be a part of a close-knit family, and now he had one of his very own.
Charlie ruffled Embry's head fondly. "Why don't we let Carlisle continue with the introductions, son?"
Carlisle motioned to a smiling, blonde couple. The female had long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail, while the male had blonde hair with bright red eyes, making him look like he was a happy drunk. "Next, we have Charlotte and Peter Whitlock, who served in the Southern Vampire Wars with Jasper. Additionally, Peter was a captain in the Army during World War 1. He also has additional information to impart."
"I do." Peter stepped forward. "Yes, indeedy. I'm a seer like Alice, but my visions are not subjective. I see a clear picture from past to future, giving me a definitive outcome. While I don't get visions as often as Alice, I am never wrong. First of all, I want to explain how these zombies came about. On the news, you might have seen how the clinical trial in Seattle to get rid of cellulite was involved. The investigators got that part correct. Unfortunately, they aren't aware that two idiot vampires kidnapped all of the clinical trial participants and turned them into vampires as they were leaving to get dinner. How they were planning on handling twenty-four newborns at once is news to me, but it's safe to say they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed. They also kidnapped an entire sorority house full of girls to use as feed for the newborns. To make a long story short, the chemicals used in the clinical trials ended up interacting with the vampire venom, and the newborns woke up as zombies instead. From there, they tried feeding on the sorority girls, who, in turn, also turned into zombies. And that is how two idiot vampires started a zombie apocalypse. They will be here in less than three days."
"Well, if the zombies are coming to Forks and La Push, we will show them what we're made of. I am going to be the Chief of Zombie Operations. From this moment on, what I say is the law."
"Chief Swan, you say that all the time anyway. You always say that you are the law as the Chief of Police. Do you remember last year when you caught Jared and me drinking by the creek? You said that to us as you were driving us home to our parents." Paul reminded him.
"And that is still a fact! I am the law, especially with this operation. Chief Black, Dr. Cullen, and your father will be my three right-hand men. Paul's father, Gene, is a lieutenant at the Forks Police Department for those who don't know. Dr. Cullen will be in charge of handling any injuries. He'll be running a triage unit in the high school gym in case of any injuries."
"Yeah, you can't have three right-hands, even I know that."
"Paul, shut up, and Bella, what the hell are you doing?" Charlie yelled when she noticed his daughter was no longer paying attention. Instead, she watched a movie on her phone while eating ice cream straight from the container.
Bella looked up. "Excuse me, I got hungry. I came here straight from work and got no lunch because Mrs. Newton is a slave driver."
"And why aren't you paying attention?"
"I happen to be watching 'World War Z' for more extensive research. Bear in mind that none of you would have had an inkling of where to start if it weren't for me," Bella huffed, raising her nose arrogantly in the air.
"You can let the prom queen be. She'll be kicking ass with the best of us," Peter informed Charlie.
"How did you know I was the prom queen?" Bella asked the vampire, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Bella, how many times do I have to tell you? There was no way you weren't going to be the prom queen. You have my genes!" Charlie pumped his chest out in pride. "You're a Swan!"
"Because you have the same cocky attitude as this arrogant bastard," Peter pointed to Charlie. "And you're as pretty as a picture." He patted Sam on the back. "You're a lucky guy." And then Peter spoke to everyone. "Trust the police chief. He's our best hope."
"Alright. Listen to me. Tomorrow morning, I will hold a mandatory town hall meeting to impart this information to our fellow citizens, albeit it will be the non-supernatural edition of the talk. Once this meeting is done, I will call our on-ground assets to arrange matters. Every citizen will be supplied with food, water, medical supplies, and weapons. I need to know if anyone has military experience other than Garrett, Jasper, and Peter."
A Quileute man stepped forward. "I'm Joe Cameron, Jared's father. I served in the Marines for twenty years. I retired at the end of last year as a First Sergeant. I'd like to help."
"Perfect. Join the other men, please. The four of you will be working on the best strategies. It is to my understanding that the wolves are fast, even in their human forms. So we're going to use the speed of the wolves and vampires to our advantage. The rest of you will fight with honor. Forks and La Push may be small, but we're mighty. We will stand our ground, save our towns, and show America and the world how it's done. We're not going to hide in our homes and cower like those snowflakes in Seattle! We're going to get out there and eradicate these zombies once and for all! Who is with me?"
"Oorah!" Joe Cameron cheered, and everyone else joined in. Then, after Charlie went over a few more essential points, the two seers confirmed that the zombies would be arriving in three days.
"Except for the men on the planning team with me, I want the rest of you to get home and start preparing for the coming battle. We'll need food and drinks that we can grab and eat, ready to go. I want younger kids, the elderly, the sick, and the disabled to be secured with a competent caretaker. If any of your neighbors are physically unable to fight, temporarily take them into your homes. And then I want everyone to get some rest because every able-bodied citizen will fight. If the dead want to attack our towns, they'd better be ready to party.