Free Zombie Rehab by Craig Halloran Page B

man as he pressed the issue.
    “Have you been here the whole time?” Henry asked.
    Weege was fumbling with a remote control that seemed unusually big in his tiny little hands. A zombie woman, clad in the rehab suit and helmet, was slowly spinning around in a circle. Weege banged the remote with his hand and shook it. “Stupid thing.”
    “Hey, don’t call them that,” Alice said, glaring at Weege.
    “I’m not talking about the zombie; I’m talking about the stupid remote. The zombie’s not responding.”
    Henry had the willies as he stood among a half dozen zombies that walked aimlessly back and forth. One zombie, built like an anvil, pulled a plow the length of the field, only to stall inside the corner of the fence. A couple of others were scraping their boots over the ground, one dragging a rake and the other was biting the end of a small shovel. He felt Tori press her body closer along his side as another woman zombie with a face full of veins and long whispy hair was smacking her lips and groaning “num-num.” His stomach recoiled. His hand fell to the .44 magnum revolver at his hip. He didn’t take any chances these days. Not with full-grown zombies, anyway.
    “Do you really think that’s needed,” Alice remarked in Henry’s direction, with an attitude.
    Here we go.
    Turning towards her, he replied, “They’re always needed when the zombies are around, Alice, and I think it would be wise if you and Weege exercised a bit more caution. Why aren’t you two wearing your suits?”
    Weege’s eyes slid over to Alice and back to him before he turned away.
    Alice huffed and said, “The director said we didn’t have to wear them if we didn’t want to, and I don’t think we need to. We haven’t ever had a zombie attack inside here, and besides, we have security that will handle any problems. We don’t need any cowboys to come to the rescue.”
    Henry admired Alice’s scientific knowledge and appealing looks, but her personality was in need of a major overhaul. He stepped between the two women when he felt Tori stiffen at his side. Tori was very open about her hatred of Alice, and Alice was just as open about her feelings for Tori. He’d better get the train on another course before Alice and Tori collided. He cleared his throat and tried to sound as pleasant as he could.
    “Okay, Alice, if the director says you don’t have to wear the protection, that is fine. You and Weege can do whatever you want to do with the zombie rehab. As a matter of fact, it looks like you have made an awful lot of progress here. Wow, six zombies, all working towards a common goal,” he said, looking around. “This place has never looked better.”
    Six zombies, millions of dollars spent, and not a single tulip or trimmed tree to show for it. That’s the WHS at work.
    Alice folded her arms across her chest and said, “My zombies have come a long way, Henry. As a matter of fact, that’s the reason I’m going to the WHS Conference—in Aruba—as our facility’s top scientist this year, and not you.”
    “No, it’s because you’re screwing the director, you four-eyed slut!” Tori yelled.
    “You’re the one screwing everyone around here, not me,” Alice said.
    Henry grabbed Tori by the waist and pulled her back, saying, “Let it go.”
    “Ah, look, the cowboy rescuing the cow pie. How sweet.”
    Tori pulled away from Henry and pointed her finger in Alice’s face.
    “I’m going to make you pay, Alice! You zombie-hugger!”
    Henry tried to grab Tori as she stormed away. Best I let her go. Time to straighten this out.
    “Weege, quit screwing with the zombies and get over here,” he ordered. “And don’t you go anywhere either, Alice. We aren’t finished. If you think you can act like a professional for ten minutes and answer my question, I’ll be out of your hair in no time. Fair enough?”
    Alice was looking at her nails, and Weege was looking at her. It was pretty clear to Henry that Weege was under the