No Mere Zombie: Deathless Book 2 by Chris Fox Page B

tight to belong to a peasant or even a common soldier. He knelt next to the body, smiling when he realized it was primarily intact.
    He seized the corpse by the neck, dragging the head into his lap. Two claws in the ocular cavity let him pry open the skull, exposing the spongy grey matter within. It was old, but intact. He might be able to glean memories from this poor fool. Irakesh carefully peeled away the prefrontal cortex, devouring bite sized morsels until it was gone.
    His eyes closed as the rush of memories washed over him. So much, all of it new. This man was an officer in the military of some house known as Mohn. He’d been second in command here, an observer dispatched to watch over the real commander and to report back to his masters. The craft he’d crashed in was a helicopter, which had been bound for a kingdom called Panama. Mohn possessed a stronghold there. A stronghold with powerful weapons.
    Wait, what was that? Irakesh focused on a recent memory, some sort of communication with this man’s masters despite the fact that he was thousands of miles away from them. He’d been ordered to retrieve a weapon of incredible power. The soldier didn’t understand precisely how this bomb worked, only that it split the atom and generated a massive burst of radiation and explosive force. Irakesh’s jaw fell open as he considered the implications.
    He must obtain this weapon. More, he could use the strange transports contained at the stronghold in Panama. They would allow him to travel far more quickly, potentially reaching the Ark of the Redwood in days instead of months.  
    Irakesh rose to his feet, dropping the body as he exited the craft. He needed to be away before the Ka-Dun and his vicious Ka-Ken caught up with him, but first he’d leave a trap to occupy their attention while he gained room to maneuver. Irakesh smiled wickedly. He had just the thing.

Chapter 14- Zombies

    Mark exited the elevator and strode briskly down the hallway toward the holding cell. Benson was already waiting, studying his approach as she removed a pair of blue latex gloves. They left a powdery residue on her hands, but if it bothered her she didn't show it. He found that sort of pragmatism attractive. She wasn't concerned with appearances, just data.
    That was further reinforced by her short black hair, cut just above the shoulders. It was all about function rather than form, and offered nothing an enemy could take advantage of.
    "Right this way, sir," Benson said, spinning on her heel in a way that suggested time in the military. He followed her up the hall, her heels clicking on the tile as they approached a wide window. It looked down into a well-lit room with a single figure strapped to a steel table.
    "You vivisected it?" he asked, peering at the still open chest cavity. The thing had once been a young man with dark, curly hair. The bloodshot eyes roamed the room, though his head was strapped to the table.
    "Yes, sir," Benson replied. She picked up a tablet from a cubby next to the window and handed it to him. "I've compiled all available data, but I'll give you the highlights. The body has been taken over by a virus. The flesh is necrotic, but the nervous system is still active."
    "The virus reproduces through a bite?" Mark asked, scanning the data on the tablet.
    "Or through any fluid exchange. Blood or saliva can transmit the virus as well," Benson replied, leaning towards the glass as she studied the figure. "The real mystery is the cause of the virus. We know that it activated when the CME hit, but we don't know its origin. Our assumption is that it's been present all along, dormant in the hosts. It may have even masqueraded as another virus, though we have no way to corroborate that."
    "We may never know," Mark said, frowning as he watched the living corpse. "Too much was lost in the chaos after the CME."
    "Sir, what do you want me to do with it?" Benson asked.
    "Have you learned everything you can from it?" Mark asked,