Janus (Zombies versus Dinosaurs Book 2) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Prologue

  CHAPTER ONE: Initial Outbreak

  CHAPTER TWO: Hunt

  CHAPTER THREE: Working

  CHAPTER FOUR: The Merchant

  CHAPTER FIVE: Unlocked

  CHAPTER SIX: A Visitor

  CHAPTER SEVEN: Infected

  CHAPTER EIGHT: For A Few More

  CHAPTER NINE: Dumb

  CHAPTER TEN: Beta

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: Interruption

  CHAPTER TWELVE: Rampage

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Into The Cave

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Preparing

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Accidents

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN: An Admirer

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: The Flood

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Greetings

  CHAPTER NINETEEN: Greetings back

  CHAPTER TWENTY: Enclosed

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Why

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: The Change

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Escape

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Paul's Daughter

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Small Victories

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Questions

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Reunion

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Survival

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: Capture

  CHAPTER THIRTY: To Continue

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: Rocks

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: A Name

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: The Hut

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: A Knock

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: Broken

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: A Disappearing Sun

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: Prey

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: Way of Life

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: A Voice

  CHAPTER FORTY: Hug

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: Sleep Walking

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: The Equation

  Meet the Author

  JANUS: ZOMBIES VERSUS DINOSAURS (BOOK 2)

  James Livingood

  Copyright © 2015 James Livingood

  All rights reserved.

  Prologue

  Blood dripped from his mouth. Not the fresh stuff, but congealed blood. The fresh stuff always came at a cost. They thrashed when he bit into the fresh stuff. All things held tight to their own blood. It was the anchor that kept them in this world. Janus cast them off to explore the next. They would either explore their instinct or they would explore the world after this one.

  Men had given him many different names. Some called him rabid. When the blood foamed around his mouth, he could see why they called him that. Some called him a dog off the leash. Others said he was a blue brain or blue. That’s because everyone who he bit, if they stayed in this world, turned into something like him. Their brains turned a shade of blue. He knew that because he had seen the brains of both his enemy and his tribe. However, what most called him, was a zombie.

  Zombies were humans reshaped and reanimated. Things he bit normally got that title because they clung to their bodies extra hard. He watched now as sheriff’s gunned down his look-alike in the woods. He had kept his look-alike for weeks, tied up in the woods, feeding him scraps. The bite had long taken effect when Janus decided to kill his parents and start a new life. He now watched the brutal scene beneath the trees as men gunned down his twin. Janus’s breath was ragged as he watched. He knew that the world needed to think him dead. That was the only way he would build enough support around him.

  “Are you okay? Looks like he took a chunk out!” said a tall, lean law enforcement officer. He pointed towards the blood stain on his fellow officer’s coat.

  The large officer looked at his arm. His coat was in shreds and blood was soaking his arm. He was breathing heavy and staring at his arm.

  “Well… you in shock or something? Speak up now, you okay?” repeated the lean man.

  “Yeah. Yeah. Pushed him off.” Said the large officer. The officer was panting and sweating, his face flushed trying to catch a breath.

  “So, what do you make of that?” said the lean officer, pointing down at the carnage of this man thing.

  “Strong” Replied the bloody armed man.

  “Yes, strong, but not that. Look at the brain. It looks like it was stained by a pen or something. Do you think that’s why it was so aggressive? Something to do with that blue color?”

  “Doctor” said the large man.

  “Yeah, you’re right. Probably a job for a doctor to figure this out. Some nerd is going to go crazy dissecting this thing.”

  *Thud*

  “Oh! Holy guacamole you meant for you! Hold on there buddy, I’ll get you to a doctor. Don’t bite your tongue or anything. You there, buddy? Calm down buddy. Just a bite to the arm, no big deal. It’s not like you were shot or anything.” The lean officer was panicked and leaning over his fallen man.

  Janus decided to leave. He knew what would happen next. The freedom in his kiss would liberate the injured man from frivolities. Paying bills and arguing about land jurisdiction would be a thing of the past. Instinct would return to the injured man. The rhythm of nature would flow through his veins. He would then share this new perspective with anyone within biting range.

  Janus petted the deer near him and got on. When instinct returned to the injured man, certain gifts would be his. One of those gifts was a communication with nature. Liberated men, like Janus, could talk with nature using a level of instinct long buried in modern man. The deer shot deeper into the forest with Janus riding on its back. Janus may bite the deer later to convert it to cling to life tighter. However, deer were already fairly liberated, so it would not be like biting a man. Society needed liberation and he was the one to do it. He would re-claim as many as he could; his work was far from done.

  CHAPTER ONE:

  Initial Outbreak

  An article from the New Eye City Government

  Published on the network

  Date unknown, Author unknown

  It was at a baseball game that the officer turned. He had not agreed to go to this game. In fact, he had not spoken for a number of days. We have video evidence and a hospital report given by the wife. She claims that he looked dazed.

  Video shows that he might have had one last shred of humanity before he was a blue brain. He got up and walked away from his wife. Perhaps he felt a hunger within? Video does show the man stealing and trying to devour another patron's food. When that patron went to confront the officer, he was bit multiple times. The officer then went on a rampage, biting everyone within arms length. As people tried to pull the officer off their loved ones, they too got bit. Security guards got bit several times before using excessive force. As they used batons to smash at the man, they could see that they were breaking bone. However, since very little blood was involved, they didn't let up. Soon, they had ended the life of the officer. However, from that one man, 20 turned a few days later. The news broke with a salmonella controversy at the ball park. Within a few weeks of that news, all planes around the world were grounded. Just a group of 20 baseball fans had turned the country into a national crises. The disease might have been contained, if one of those 20 was not an international visitor.

  At first, governments did their best to quarantine off areas and exterminate with extreme prejudice. The pace quickly out ran what the world governments could keep up with. Containing soon flipped into barricading. An unchecked zombie could bite hundreds in a night. Humanity was not ready to fight back against its own family and friends. As the numbers swelled, the military used its resources to destroy huge swathes. Soon, ghost towns started to appear. Survivors used up the resources. Gasoline tanks went dry and people left their cars where they stopped moving. Those that had
looted and stolen batteries, soon found that even batteries have a limit. Several pockets of society tried to build infrastructures, but those became beacons of hope. With pinpoints of hope being scarce, people flocked to them. Soon, the infrastructure was over run with people. Then one zombie would break through and that was the end of that pocket of humanity.

  The only thing that didn't seem to have a limit was nature. Humanity had learned the secrets of genetic experimentation before being ripped apart. Several young scientists had even found a way to accelerate growth. This allowed the scientists to experiment with generations of modified creatures quickly. At the brink of destruction, humanity did not care what kinds of creation it brought into the world. All that humanity cared about, was finding a way to survive. Building huge beasts to pull plows or kill zombies was a way to survive. They built larger and larger franken-beasts. Out of respect for the past, they named these creatures dinosaurs.

  CHAPTER TWO:

  Hunt

  Years passed since the work had started. Janus surveyed his tribe and was proud of how many liberated men stood there. Janus also had many wives and children. It always surprised modern man to see his kind building their numbers. However, all animals reproduced. Janus had been very successful in building more of his kind through kisses and reproduction. His mates were near him, waiting for a direction. He communicated to them using instinct. They shuddered and moved away. Non-liberated humans used too many words since their instinct had left them. He thought about how the communication between his children must look like telepathy to the outsider. No words were exchanged. Elaborate hand signals and foot stamping was not needed. They simply used a level of instinct to communicate.

  Janus had communicated that the large beast was eating leaves nearby. He would surround this man-made beast. The thing was not created from nature. Nature had a way of working with itself. These beasts did not have that equilibrium. They just ate and ate until the land was stripped. Man had created these franken-beasts just for this reason. They would not listen to Janus’s commands. The beasts would clear land for the un-liberated men so they could pursue their frivolities. Janus made a vow to fully understand the beasts and turn them to his cause. He had discovered biting was a way to move the franken-beasts around.

  They moved silently through the deep canopy of the forest. The beast smelled the approaching liberated and started to run. His side group pushed forward and yelled slightly. The beast turned again and lowered it’s head. Janus also saw that the legs pushed out just subtly. He knew that posture from deer butting horns together. The beast was about the charge. Janus warned his liberated men on the other side of the on-coming charge, but they were too focused on surrounding. The beast trampled them into the ground as it charged away.

  It felt like a primal challenge. In this fatal game he would be the hunter, the beast his prey. This one would not be captured. It would become food for his tribe. The thought didn’t take much time to play on his brain. By the time the beast had taken three steps away, Janus was already busting out of the tree line after the creature.

  The joy of the hunt flooded through him. He knew, without doubt, he was free. The air rushed on his face as he charged forward. Non-liberated men would be pushing carts and dealing in round metals. Janus had no agenda, just a desire. A strong momentum to push forward and attack. He would taste that flesh before the sun set on this day.

  Twigs and dirt dug between his toes and the sky shone blue. Today was a warm and beautiful day to run through the woods in search of food. He was alpha and led the pack. Some of the younger turned and barked a little as they realized how the men pushed forward. Young lost that bark the more instinct took over. Janus smiled broadly as he pushed shrubs and leaves out of his way.

  His deer started running beside him. He jumped on and saw his men jump onto a flock of deer nearby. His deer was strong and well under control. Janus petted his ride affectionately as it ran forward. He thought of the deer as “Stubs” since the creature was still growing. The beast pushed forward with blood lust and hunger. The deer was mirroring its better, Janus. Janus continued to smile broadly as the beast jumped high over a log.

  The tribe moved quickly near a stream to go over a fallen log. That would make up time the franken-beast had missed. If instinct had been with this creature, it would know the quickest route away was not through muddy banks. They had gained some ground against the thing. The beast was not stupid though. It darted sharply and banked it’s head against a hunter. The liberated man flew from his deer and tumbled. He rolled into the hit, instinct flooding through his veins. He was on his feet and running past his dead deer trying to still hunt. Janus knew he would not catch up, but blood lust blinded him. Janus approved of listening to one’s blood.

  Janus stood up on ‘stubs’ the deer. He kicked the deer in the butt several times telling it to move faster. He moved aside the large franken-beast. The risk was worth the reward. Janus saw something deep in that dumb creature’s eyes. Something buried among the rage. Janus saw a twitch of panic in the beast. Panic meant fear. Fear meant that Janus was going to devour the thing. Fear also caused hesitation. The beast went to move its neck to the side to knock Janus off his ride. Before the beast could do so, Janus pushed his foot into ‘stubs’ face and planted the deer in the ground. Janus launched off the deer, causing two effects. The first was slowing the deer’s momentum so that the beast wrenching its head did not kill his ride. The second is the jump helped Janus land on the franken-creature.

  Smiling, Janus began to get to work. He grabbed the knife tucked into his waist. He began to thrust madly into the creature. Three quick thrusts, then he climbed over to another spot, stabbing three more times. The beast shook hard to get Janus off, which gave Janus an opportunity to dig the knife in deep and use the beasts momentum to cause a large gash. He continued to slice and stab until the thing slowed. He took the slowing pace and decided to risk a killing blow.

  Janus crawled under the dinosaurs neck and freed the beast into the next world. Janus jumped from the creature and rolled. The beast kept moving for several steps and collapsed in a set of bushes. Janus ran up and started throwing the bushes aside. He dug his knife out, scraping bone.

  A younger liberated man would howl. He heard his hunting party start up a chorus of howls. They yipped and celebrated the life of this creature. What an honor and celebration of this beautiful creature’s strength. Janus had no time to celebrate. He had made a promise to taste this creatures blood and wasted no time. He began to eat with abandon, his tribe watching with carnal lust. They could not eat of this kill until Janus had his fill.

  The man who was thrown off early came running up and took a mouthful of beast, not realizing the alpha was still eating. Janus chucked the knife and landed in the liberated man’s arm. The man saw Janus staring at him with death in his eyes. It was an invitation of strength. If this man felt he was ready to be Alpha, Janus would taste his flesh as well. The liberated man ran away, blood clotting already around the wound. He was of Janus’s pack, so knife wounds would mean little to him. The challenge was more than enough. This man just got bumped to the lower part of the pack. If he became a challenge again, Janus would dispatch him brutally and among the pack. Beta pack members deserved no less.

  Janus watched the liberated man disappear into the woods. Janus growled at the rest of the tribe watching. There was no howling or baying now. The celebration of the kill had turned into a somber moment. Janus could, and would, kill anyone he pleased. Being liberated meant no less. Janus turned back to the dinosaur and filled his belly.

  CHAPTER THREE:

  Working

  Paul, the pale rider, hugged his young daughter. Somehow, under the craze of farming, he found some money. Apparently using that money on others had gained him a reputation. Others flocked to Paul. He had become a known man. Personally, he had saved half the town from disasters. Some disasters included helping young couples prepare for winter. Others included solving disputes that
could have torn the town apart. However, the worst ones always involved zombies. Those blue brains were always the most frightening part of life. Those creatures didn’t need much food to survive, but they infested and ate with greed. Brutal and savage creatures only thinking of their stomachs.

  Zombies were the reason Paul didn’t want a family. Looking down at his daughter, with her large eyes and happy smile, the fear only grew. He would crack the Earth in two if something happened to his daughter. Like a giant egg, he would let the ruin of the Earth flood into space. There was nothing that would stop him from protecting her. He had no doubt even his ghost would haunt her to the end of her days.

  “Daddy? Is some-ting awng?” She asked noticing the tears welling up in her father’s eyes.

  “No little one, there isn’t.” Paul made no move to wipe the wetness on his cheeks.

  “What is it daddy? Did I do a bad?” she bit her lip and gazed away, suddenly ashamed for no reason.

  “For heaven’s sign, no, child. You know you can do no wrong in my eyes.” Paul gently pushed her cheek towards his face, so they could meet eye to eye.

  “Then why are you crying daddy? Is it because mommy went to live upstairs?” The young girl pointed up to the clouds.

  Paul smiled. He had difficulty explaining death to a child. His wife was taken during child birth, and if the child hadn’t been healthy, he would have been completely lost.