Day One
Miami, Florida
I love my job, Maria Lopez told herself as she pulled the van in behind the ambulance and the police car. "Dade County Mobile Crisis" was written in bold letters across the side of her van.
"Good morning, Ms. Lopez," the officer said as she approached. She didn't recognize him, but he apparently knew her by name. "I'm glad they sent a fluent Spanish speaker for a change."
She recognized him from a recent conference, but she still couldn't recall his name. "Our guy speaks Spanish?" she asked. She glanced at the assignment sheet. "Michael" didn't sound Hispanic.
The officer shrugged. "It's a mix of English, Spanish, and crazy," he joked. "Maybe you'll be able to make more sense of it. He's well known to us, Miguel . . . he gives us a different last name every time, and he's got no ID, but I'd know him anywhere."
The man was sitting by the edge of the road, shivering. An EMT was dressing his arm.
"What's his story?"
"Came out of one of the homeless camps," the officer said with a nod toward the woods at the edge of the park. "Says they were attacked by a zombie. Killed three guys and bit him. Bit some of the others, too, before some guy killed it with a hammer." The cop shook his head.
"Did they—" She looked at the woods.
"Naw," the officer said. "The guy's an old schizophrenic. He's always got some wild-ass story. Probably bit himself. Anyway, he says he's terrified that he's going to become a zombie now. Can't get him to calm down."
"You want him placed?" she asked with a weary sigh. I love my job. "You know how tight mental health beds are. We had to send the last guy all the way to Orlando."
"He's insisting we take him 'somewhere safe,' and the only place I got is jail. Hate to see him there, the way he's shaking."
Maria watched the shabby old man as he trembled, watching the tree line like he was scared for his life. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Poor guy needs some anxiety meds at least. I'll see what I can do."
YOU ARE READING
Zoey and the Zombies (A Mondamin Court Adventure)
Science FictionThe world is overran with undead. Giant hordes of zombies are pouring out of the East Coast, threatening the Midwest. The defense of Mondamin Court, a quiet neighborhood in Des Moines, Iowa is up to a disabled cop, a fourteen year old boy and a tran...
