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not good. The zombies are even using the web to advertise.”
    Looking back, I’m still pleased that my mouth was both empty and dry at that moment. I would have probably ejected anything in my mouth after hearing such a thing.
    “What are they doing? Telling people who are infected to come see them and get pumped full of anesthetic before they’re eaten alive?” I couldn’t keep the incredulity out of my voice.
    “Yes, there is that. I also saw quite a lot of ‘We are the Master Race’ sorts of things. Disgusting, but not as disturbing as the news feeds.”
    “I guess you’re going to tell us that things are worse than we imagined. Right?” Shawn asked.
    “Oh yes. Africa is almost devoid of human life. South America is nearly as bad off, but there are pockets of civilization in Belize and Costa Rica. China is,” he just shook his head, “very bad off. They bombed and gassed major population centers to destroy the zombie population but keep the industrial infrastructure.”
    “Good God Almighty. That is beyond insane.” I couldn’t find words, but Shawn’s were eloquent enough for both of us.
    “What about things here in the US?”
    “Based on what I saw, we may be somewhat better off in terms of existing industry and services, but the rate of infection is increasing. DARPA and the NIH have confirmed the virus is passed human to human. Luckily, it has yet to go airborne.”
    “What is the,” I needed to ask, “viral vector between people?”
    “They are confident it is passed through sexual contact and non-sexual fluid exposure. There is some possibility it may even be passed in sweat and saliva.”
    “Any idea why the critters are eating the infected?” Shawn asked it quietly, but I heard his knuckles cracking as he squeezed his fists closed.
    “Apparently, the virus starts to die within 24 to 48 hours outside of a living host. It provides the initial resurrection and subsequent maintenance of the zombie, actually repairing or replacing damaged tissues. However,” he paused, “it begins to die off quickly. They attack living people to obtain fresher viral material to keep their bodies going. It isn’t even a choice on the part of the zombie.”
    “The virus compels them to do it,” I asked “or do they attack out of their own fear of dying a second time?”
    “Everything seems to suggest that they are compelled by it, at least as far as pain is concerned. The viral die-off is complete and utter agony, coupled with fading cognitive and motor functions.”
    Shawn cut to the chase, “That’s not the only bit of news. I mean, we sort of figured that the virus was keeping them alive. Sucks to know we can get it from touching other people and all. You’ve got something worse to tell us. Don’t you?”
    Jayashri reappeared behind Baj and put her hands on his shoulders. I began to pray, silently, that he wasn’t going to tell us they were infected. Not only would we, in time, lose them to the enemy, but the chances of being infected by them scared the piss out of me.
    “From my perspective, Shawn, I do have something worse to say. We had a visitor yesterday afternoon: the leader of the zombies that relocated to this area after Chain Bridge.”
    My stomach curled into a knot. I didn’t really like the idea that a second intruder had made it inside our defenses. The dreadlocked dude was bad enough. I made a mental note to talk to Gina about more explosives in useful places.
    “You see, my friends, I knew him when he was alive. His name was Warren Hightower, and he was the CEO of the company I worked for before things began to fall apart.” Baj looked very upset. His long face seemed more compact, as if the weight of his emotions added 20 pounds to his brow, causing it to sink and shadow his eyes. Maybe it was that weight and the combined gravity of whatever else he needed to say that kept him silent for a few minutes.
    “I love you, man,” Shawn said, “but you have to finish the story. Why