Revenge of the Dead

Chapter 18: The Operation

"Operation PDBI stands for Population Decrease by Biological Infection and was the top-secret plan to reduce the population in hugely populated countries such as China, Japan and even America," my Dad explains in a superior tone. I take in the information and then a frown tugs at my forehead. 

"America? I thought this was a Western operation and they'd be part of it," I state blankly and my Dad purses his lips tightly.

"They were, but the powers in Europe decided to go against them and effectively stab them in the back," he mumbles and shakes his head in dismay.

"Why? What did they do?" I press on and lean forward, listening intently with my hands clasped tightly together.

"Well, they decided that America could do with reducing their population as well. America had put the money in but they decided it was for the greater good, a whole lot of good that did in the end though, and so they infected the president in a meeting," he explains and I shake my head, embarrassment flooding through me for my countries stupidity and immoral decisions. "After that, all hell broke loose and, of course, America retaliated," he sighs deeply. Vivid images flash through my mind and a collage of gruesome detail flickers together.

"So then the virus spread worldwide causing the zombie apocalypse," I finish with a knowing tilt of my head, pursing my lips tightly and catching my Mums nod that she discreetly aims at me.

"The planned countries were hit first and people started to turn, then the government had realised what was truly happening and what they'd done to the American president. Zombies were never part of the plan. The infection was just meant to kill people and well, it did. They just didn't stay dead," my Mum adds and slides her tongue across her front teeth in annoyance.

"I can't believe the government did that, brought this on us," I seethe angrily, "It doesn't matter what they intended to do, how they wanted people to die, it was disgusting and immoral from the very start," I blabber on and then huff with my head in my hands. Exhaustion tugging at the back of my conscience naggingly. I grimace in frustration and Josh strides over to massage my shoulders soothingly. 

"Madeline, maybe the government had a fair point," he mutters and I gape as anger courses through me. I push up from my chair and spin around in fury, anger boiling through me like turning on a switch.

"THE GOVERNMENT HAD A FAIR POINT TO KILL MOST OF THE WORLDS POPULATION?" I shout, my cheeks flushed with anger, "WHAT? MURDER IS OK WITH YOU?" I snap rhetorically. Josh grinds his teeth together audibly and places his hands in front of him in an innocent and somewhat passive gesture.

"Of course murder is never ok, Madeline, but the world had come to a point where we were killing both each other and the planet. We were rapidly destroying everything, they had to do something," he explains in a strained tone, his voice rising slightly in volume. I clench my fists in rage and stare directly into his glazed-over eyes, my heart thumping against my chest. 

"I GET THAT JOSH, MORE THAN ANYONE, BUT YOU CAN'T FIGHT A FIRE WITH FIRE! THEY'RE HYPOCRITES IF THEY KILL PEOPLE AS A SO-CALLED SOLUTION BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED TO STOP IN THE FIRST PLACE!" I shout, my body trembling uncontrollably.

"The rate of population increase was so out of hand that we were falling apart, destroying our planet, WE WOULD HAVE KILLED OURSELVES!" he argues, shouting in pure annoyance at the end of his sentence.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE TRYING TO JUSTIFY WHAT THOSE MONSTERS DID TO EVERYONE!" I yell and throw my hands up in the air, despair washing over my body.

"OH AND WE WERE ALL SO INNOCENT BEFORE?" he shouts in a sarcastic and questioning tone, venom lacing his voice as he shoots daggers at me.

"OF COURSE NOT, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS BEING INNOCENT ONCE YOU REALISE WHAT A CORRUPT AND BACKSTABBING WORLD YOU LIVE IN!" I snide and continue to rage at Josh who's face contorts in anger.

"WE BOUGHT THIS UPON OURSELVES MADELINE, WE DID. NOT OUR GOVERNMENT OR THE OTHER WORLD LEADERS, US MADELINE. IT WAS ALL US!" he shouts loudly, echoing around the small room.

"THIS WAS NEVER OUR FAULT SO DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND TURN THIS AROUND!" I scream and wave my hand to him in dismissal, a lone tear leaking down my reddened cheek.

"AT LEAST THEY DID SOMETHING!" he yells before lapsing into a short silence. I shake my head at him and tears roll silently down my cheeks in cascades of saltwater.

"Yeah, well maybe if they hadn't Amelia and Toby would still be here, along with all the other innocent people," I mumble and stare down at my feet which shift uneasily on the dusty tiles- making them creak beneath my muscular frame. I hear Josh let out a long and utterly exhausted breath and I shake my head in anticipation of his words.

"Look, all I'm saying is they had fair reasons," he says calmly and I laugh bitterly, my head rolling back in sarcastic laughter and my eyes streaming with tears. Then I stop, my icy cold eyes meeting his as hell freezes over. 

"You're as bad as them," I spit and turn around, starting to walk towards the door where sunlight peeks through the growing cracks. Dawn has settled over the town now and the air is cold, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife adding to the chilling temperature dramatically.

"Madeline..." he starts and places a hand on my arm, freezing me in place instantly and pulling me back towards him softly. I jerk at his touch and shrug his hand away, it falls limply to his side and he stares at me painfully. 

"Don't touch me," I spit in pure disgust and walk over to the crumbling door. My hand closes around the handle and I push it open soundlessly, walking into the autumnal sunlight that sulks right on the edge of darkness, before looking over my shoulder.

"I thought I could trust you," I say and a tear rolls delicately down my rosy cheeks, dripping to the leaf-strewn floor and mixing into the debris. I wait in a moment of eternal silence before turning back to Josh.

"I guess I was wrong."