Slow Burn: A Zombie Novel by Mike Fosen, Hollis Weller

her small son, who lay dying in the confusion.
    She never found him before dying herself, as the fight escalated into a full blown riot.

    * * * * * * * *

    Stephen put his squad into park, sank his face into his hands and rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes.
    “ What in God’s name is wrong with people today?” he asked, not looking for an actual answer.
    Roy, thinking Stephen was talking to him, decided to add his two cents.
    “ I think since we work in a predominately African-American neighborhood that also has had a recent influx of Hispanics, it is inevitable that tensions will be high. Confrontation and physical violence is bound to occur as new social boundaries are laid out.”
    Stephen looked over at Roy through his fingers. “Learn that in a college, did you?”
    “ Yes sir, Western Illinois University bachelor’s degree,” Roy replied.
    “ That’s what I figured,” Stephen moaned. "Say, do me a favor and shut the fuck up. Since we’re parked a block from the housing projects, at least we won’t have far to go for the next ‘inevitable physical confrontation’ call.”
    At that, Stephen’s cell phone rang, and he saw it was Mattie, that smoking hot Greek officer that just about the whole department was after. Taking the opportunity to ignore Roy, he answered the phone.
    “ Hey what’s up, Mattie? Are you still babysitting that shit bag up at the hospital?”
    Mattie filled Stephen on the circumstances that had left several officers already injured in disturbances all over the city, prior to her being dispatched to a fight call with Sherman. All eight or so suffered only minor injuries and had already been sent home. It seemed only poor Officer Sherman was seriously hurt, with a real nasty bite to his rib cage, when he had a crazy Hispanic guy from the Aztec bar in a headlock while trying to break up a fight. She further explained that she was still guarding the arrestee from that fight, and when he got medically cleared she would transport him to the county jail. However, it appeared this mutt was not doing well. He was feverish and had a pale, almost yellowish look to him. For the last hour he had been screaming incoherently.
    “ I hope it’s not that new flu I was reading about online before work,” Mattie said in a worried tone as she then began to tell Stephen how she managed to handcuff the suspect by pulling the guy off Sherman and slamming his face into the push bumpers of the squad. Then, while he was momentarily stunned, she cuffed him and threw him in the back seat.
    “ That a girl!" Stephen exclaimed after hearing the story.
    Mattie just laughed and Roy could hear the seductive tone over Stephen’s phone and shot him a jealous look.
    “ Oh yeah thanks, just part of the job. Hey, how was your camping trip by the way?” Mattie asked. "Did you have a good time?"
    “ Real good," Stephen replied. "I hope we get a bit of a break in the action soon. When that finally happens I can get up to the hospital, check on Sherman, and fill ya in on all my neighbor drama up north.”
    Almost on cue, their radios crackled to life. “Sector 1 from Joliet,” Janice from dispatch called.
    “ Damn, we are getting a call, got to go. Tell Sherman to hang in there for me,” Stephen groaned and disconnected the call before responding into his radio.
    “ Go ahead.”
    “ Be advised we are receiving multiple calls on 911 of a very large fight in progress in the housing projects,” dispatch relayed.
    “ 10-4,” Stephen replied as he put the squad car into drive. He looked over at Roy, who had a look of anguish on his face and was now squirming in his seat.
    “ What the fuck is the matter with you?” Stephen asked.
    “ I, uh…um, I’ve got to pee,” Roy stuttered meekly.
    “ Well you’re going to have to hold it, missy," Stephen snapped, " because it’s GAME TIME!"

4

August 26
Day 1
Matamoros, Mexico

    Capt. Matvei leaned back in his chair in the state of the art, climate controlled command