Zombie Lockup Series (Book 2): Caged 2 Read online

  Caged 2

  The plans become infected.

  Things are getting messy...

  The ladies of D-Pod want to join the fight. Jack Turk is fighting Muncie. Dr. Shipley is fighting his conscience. The prisoners in C-Pod are fighting each other.

  And Warden Gorgon is fighting to keep it all together.

  The Warden’s original plans have failed. But he has another idea in mind. One which could tip the scales in his favor. If only he can get it to work, before everything falls apart.

  And before there are more zombies inside the prison walls.

  This is a suspenseful tale of post-apocalyptic horror.

  Buy this book to continue the terrifying series today!

  Caged 2 is the second novella in the Zombie Lockup series by Chuck Buda. It is approximately 25,000 words and contains adult language, scenes of horror and a cliffhanger ending. Reader discretion is heavily advised.

  Caged 2

  By Chuck Buda

  Edited by Jenny Adams

  Copyright © Chuck Buda (2017).

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any semblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The author has taken great liberties with locales including the creation of fictional towns.

  Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited.

  The author greatly appreciates you taking the time to read his work. Please consider leaving a review wherever you bought this book, or telling your friends or blog readers about this book to help spread the word.

  Thank you for supporting my work. Without you the story would not be told.

  Cover art by Marc Gonzalez / mggdstudio.com.

  Contents

  Caged 2

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Special Thanks

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Continue the Thrills

  Inside the Hole

  Join C-Pod

  About the Author

  I Need Your Help!

  My Other Series

  Dedication

  Dedicated to Pheebz Jackson.

  You are so giving and never ask for anything in return. Every author should be so lucky.

  Special Thanks

  I would like to thank Christopher Zingaro again and again. Your attention to detail is magnificent.

  Chapter 1

  Dr. Shipley removed his glasses, rubbing his tired eyes with numb fingers. His team had been at it all night without a break. And he still had not achieved the results Gorgon was after.

  Dr. Shipley wanted to rage against the Warden’s insane demands, but he knew it would be useless. If he didn’t find a way to make things work, then Warden Gorgon would resort to something sinister against him. Either way, Dr. Shipley knew he was trapped in the prison. He figured it would be easier to survive on the Warden’s good side as opposed to on his shit-list.

  Dixie exhaled loudly. Shipley caught the sight of her breasts swelling out of the corner of his eyes. Focus, Shipley reminded himself. He glanced at Dixie who stared back at him with reddened eyes. Samantha broke the silence, relieving the doctor of his own thoughts.

  “There must be something else we can try. These zombies can’t be that mindless, can they?” She chewed on one of her painted fingernails which was losing its color.

  Dr. Shipley scratched his head, leaving a tuft of messy hair behind. “Why can’t they be mindless? They were fucking idiots when they were alive. I wouldn’t expect it to be any different in their current states.”

  The silence around him forced Dr. Shipley to consider his choice of words. Guilt swirled in his belly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so...”

  “Inhuman?” Dixie finished Dr. Shipley’s thought. She folded her arms over her chest in frustration.

  Dr. Shipley nodded without speaking. He knew Dixie was right. They had lost their humanity with the experimentation and the purposeful infection of innocent survivors. He chuckled to himself that the monsters seemed to be more human than they themselves were at this point. The zombies did whatever came naturally to their own survival. Whereas, the doctor and his nurses had a choice, and moral judgment. Yet, they chose to move forward with the horrific deeds of the Warden.

  Dr. Shipley reminded himself about the Warden’s prior conversation. They were all on a direct course with death. So they had to look beyond the current situation toward a potential cure. Or at least a means to survive. Even if it meant killing some in order to live another day.

  “Samantha’s right. We haven’t tried everything yet. Just because we haven’t thought of it, doesn’t mean we are out of possibilities.” Dr. Shipley rubbed his dry hands together to warm himself. The sterile environment and drab walls left him feeling chilled and hollow.

  He approached the creature which used to be Rico. He leaned forward, hands on his knees, staring into the vacant eyes of the thing gnashing its teeth in his face. Dr. Shipley felt his anger rise as the monster seemed to taunt him from behind its restraints. Thoughts of operant conditioning and the classic B.F. Skinner work rolled through his brain. Showing the creatures what to do wasn’t getting anywhere. Perhaps a system of rewards and consequences would yield more positive results. He could re-create a process by which the monsters would learn to get what they desired if they followed orders. What would zombies want more than anything else?

  Dr. Shipley shuddered as the images of torn flesh and blood filled his mind. Of course, the driving mechanism within the hosts was single-minded focus on consuming human flesh. What else would it crave? Rats? Dogs or cats? Dr. Shipley scratched his head again as he stood upright. He quickly spun on his heels.

  “Samantha. Have we seen any rodents lately?”

  Samantha grimaced and stared at Dr. Shipley. “No, thank God. I think the exterminator visits have worked.” She gripped herself tight, obviously uncomfortable with the thought of the nasty critters roaming the halls of the prison.

  “We need to find some. Quickly.” He squeezed his tired eyes shut, trying to imagine where the rats would be. He asked himself, if he were a rat, where would he spend most of his time? Dr. Shipley laughed out loud. His mind was slipping without rest. And he suddenly felt the awkwardness in the room surrounding him, as the joke was only privy to him.

  “The cafeteria!” Dr. Shipley slammed a fist into his palm. Samantha appeared to realize what he was driving at. Dixie blinked her eyes.

  “You. Go to the cafeteria and find us some rats. Quickly.”

  Dixie took a step back. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” She rested her hands upon her hips.

  Dr. Shipley lunged at Dixie and grabbed her shoulders. He shook her frame as if she were a rag doll. “Don’t fucking question me, Dixie. If you want to live through this shitstorm then you will do what I say.”

  Samantha grabbed Dr. Shipley’s arm. “Doctor. Please.” Her eyes beckoned him to release his grip.

  Dr. Shipley felt horrible
for lashing out at Dixie. But they were under a tremendous amount of strain. And now wasn’t the time for Dixie to take the moral high ground. They needed gains, fast. Or they would all be dead.

  “I’m...sorry, Dixie. Forgive me.” He released her scared body and stepped back. “I am tired. And stressed.” He sat back on one of the stainless steel stools. He loosened his tie and searched the drab floor for answers, where none existed.

  “If we don’t find a way to get what the Warden needs using the rats, then I’m afraid we will have to resort to other volunteers.” He let the veiled threat linger in the air like a dense cloud of blackness. Dixie’s tears flowed down her cheeks. He didn’t know if it was from his physical outburst or the threat to feed her to the zombies. Dr. Shipley didn’t care anymore, either. The time was slipping away and they had to do whatever was necessary to get through the horrific outbreak.

  “I’ll go with her. Our chances will be better if we can corner some.” Samantha, ever the dedicated employee, proposed as she comforted Dixie with a hand on her back.

  Dr. Shipley nodded at Samantha. A forced smile briefly touched his lips before his thoughts took him back to the operant conditioning.

  As he listened to the sound of the nurse’s shoes scuffing along the tile floors, Dr. Shipley glared at the patient formerly known as Rico. He watched Rico-creature moan and gnash. Its head strained at the bindings while it tried to get at his flesh.

  Dr. Shipley hated Rico. At least, the current version of Rico. And he would force himself to view these things as rats from now on. They were simple experimental rats. No longer people. No longer living.

  The comfort of his new outlook wore off very quickly.

  Chapter 2

  Claudia Franchino was the pod boss of D-Pod. She had never been a leader in her life outside the walls of Warsaw Prison. The reason she found herself locked away in the pen was because she had followed others. People she had trusted. Even when she knew they would get her in trouble.

  On the inside, things were different. Claudia’s nurturing endeared her to the other inmates. Having become the default Pod Mom to criminals and unmarried mothers of children, Claudia struggled to keep up with the names. But Claudia had another side to her personality. A side her fellow inmates had learned to respect without endearing them.

  Shanika braided Claudia’s silky, black hair as she stood behind her. “Girl, your hair is so smooth. It feels like whale shit on an ice flow.”

  The crew laughed at Shanika’s analogy. Shanika had a way with words, revealing an intelligence which didn’t follow her poor decisions in life. She smiled at the crew for laughing at her remark.

  “I’m glad you like it. It’s called Jail Grease. A new shampoo I found on an infomercial.” The girls grinned at Claudia’s joke, a tiny reaction compared to Shanika. Claudia shrugged her shoulders in admission she wasn’t funny.

  “Must be nice to have straight hair.” Diandre quipped with her arms folded over her large breasts.

  “Or hair at all, chica.” Maria slapped Diandre’s butt to show she was busting her chops. Diandre kept her head shaved bald, like a man. She had told the girls she didn’t like afros and it was too much upkeep to try straightening her hair every day. So she decided to shave it all off.

  Diandre shot a dirty look at Maria and then grinned. Maria hugged Diandre.

  Two girls made their way through the tables in the main room. They stood before Claudia with pained expressions on their faces.

  Shanika stopped braiding Claudia’s hair. The crew huddled around closer to find out what was happening.

  “I take it you have bad news.” Claudia rubbed her lips with the back of her hand. The stale taste of morning breath still caked upon her dried mouth.

  The tall, skinny blond crouched down on the floor in front of Claudia’s feet. Tracee was the youngest of the inmates in D-Pod. She was only eighteen. Killing her boyfriend and his two-year old daughter from a prior relationship had earned her a life sentence. Bo was much shorter. Her delicate frame hid the ferocity she had cultivated as a member of an Asian gang. Claudia glanced up at Bo before speaking.

  “Shit is going down on the outside. And inside.” Tracee looked at Bo again as if she needed confirmation.

  “We got a tip from Janie that the world is going to shit. And apparently one of the other pods found out. They staged a riot to attempt escape but Gorgon crushed them.” Bo pulled the already-tight knot in her ponytail tighter. Claudia liked Bo better than most of the girls because she was very respectful and only spoke when spoken to. Probably a result of her Asian upbringing, Claudia reasoned.

  “How did you get that fucking bitch Amazon to give up the dirt?” Diandre looked perplexed over the prison guard who spilled the beans. Claudia didn’t care who the news came from. She just wanted to learn more.

  “What kind of shit?”

  Tracee and Bo exchanged worried glances before Tracee continued. “There is some virus or something going around and it’s making people do all sorts of crazy shit. It’s like the motherfucking apocalypse in the real world and the Warden is trying to outlast the storm.”

  The girls exchanged worried glances. Claudia felt the fear which coursed through her inmates. She needed to keep them calm while she figured things out.

  “That’s why commissary is gone and the meals have been scaled back to one a day.” Bo finished the story.

  Claudia stood up. Her knees buckled a bit at the thought of being trapped inside the walls of the prison with dwindling resources...and people who were willing to do anything in order to get what they wanted. And that was when they had the world at their fingertips on the outside. She imagined how things would go down in the pods with killers and vile human beings.

  “Muthafucka needs his ass whooped.” Shanika smashed a fist into her palm. Her eyes took on a different sheen, one filled with violence.

  Claudia waved her hands to settle the crew down. “And tell me what happened to the other pod? The one which rioted?” Her eyebrows came together as she worked to figure out their next steps.

  “C-Pod staged a riot. They didn’t really do it. But it sounds like they tried to burn the place up and the guards just watched them. Didn’t lift a finger. Gorgon doesn’t care if we live or die.” Bo wringed her small hands.

  “Course not. Muthafucka lives longer if we all gone. More food. More water. Muthafucka.” Shanika circled the crew as her breathing became erratic. It was like she was preparing for a brawl.

  Claudia grabbed Shanika’s elbow. “Listen. We’ll get through this, okay? I wouldn’t let anything happen to you girls. But we gotta stay calm. If the others find out then we’re going to have a fucking mess on our hands in here. Be cool, okay?” Claudia stared into Shanika’s eyes. She waited while she saw the understanding settle in Shanika’s expression.

  “What are we gonna do? It’s not like we have a choice in here.” Luna finally spoke up. She was even quieter than Bo. Maria coddled Luna. She always took her care of her “little Latina sister from a different mami.”

  Claudia took a moment to look at each of her friends. She read the fear and the desperation in each of their faces. Claudia felt the heaviness of her responsibility. It weighed her down, starting with the bile in her stomach and working its way down to her feet which felt like they were encased in cement shoes. How was she going to manage this crisis? She could settle differences between the women on petty bullshit like bars of soap and who looked at who the wrong way. But this was different. This problem was bigger than just getting along in D-Pod. It was a problem which affected the whole prison. And the world outside.

  Claudia chewed the inside of her cheek. What difference does it make if we survive in here? If the world has gone to shit on the outside, then it will only be a matter of time before things disintegrated inside. No escape. No tomorrow. Claudia felt the sting of hot tears in her eyes. She quickly glanced at her feet to hide the tears. She had to steel herself for them. It wasn’t about her.

  Claud
ia lifted her head and took in the rest of the inmates of D-Pod. They all seemed pre-occupied with their own daily living. Nobody had noticed the crew’s impromptu meeting. Claudia realized they would have to talk in one of the bunk rooms from now on. It was too risky carrying on in the general population area.

  “I have an idea.”

  Chapter 3

  “Man, you fucked up, cuz!” 8-Ball shook his hands in front of Jack’s face. Jack wanted to lay a beating on 8-Ball but he knew it wouldn’t help solve their problems. Although it would make him feel really good, he thought to himself.

  “Shut yo ass, nigga.” Melvin shoved 8-Ball’s chest to move him away from Jack.

  “Get yo Uncle Tom muthafuckin’ hands off me, gramps.”

  Melvin charged half-heartedly at 8-Ball but Swede stepped in between the two inmates.

  Joker sat on the lower bunk giggling to himself. Jack suddenly noticed the noise as it grated on his already frayed nerves. “Something funny, you fucking crackhead?”

  Joker sprung off the bunk. He laughed as he came at Jack. His breath reeked of sewer gases as he spoke too closely to Jack’s face. “Failure is funny until you die.”

  Jack shoved Joker’s head away. “Fuck off. Or I’ll hold you down while Frenchie fucks your crazy ass until he’s had enough.” Joker slinked back to the bottom bunk, glancing at Frenchie out of the corners of his eyes. Frenchie licked his lips and cooed at the possibilities.

  “What now, Jack?” Melvin returned to the conversation. “Muncie gonna let us kill ourselves before he opens them doors again.” Melvin looked more haggard than usual. Jack felt a pang of sorrow for the old man. But it wasn’t his fault the plan went sideways.