Zombie Cop: The Enoch Wars, Book 1

Zombie Cop

The Enoch Wars, Book 1

Copyright 2014-2017 Ben Settle

www.EnochWars.com

Published through MakeRight Publishing, Inc. at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Crypt of Contents

1 - Azriel

2 – Chief Rawger

3 – The Blue Pills

4 - The Doctor of Death

5 - Dirty Revenge

6 - Unholy Appetite

7 - Belasco Woods

8 - The Meat Locker

9 - The Monster Hunter

10 - Too Late

11 - Finius

12 - Second Helpings

13 - The Zombie Cop

14 - Azrael

Advanced Sneak Preview – Vampire Apocalypse: The Enoch Wars, Book 2

Acknowledgments

1 - Azriel

"God hates me. That’s what it is."

- Roger Murtaugh

Lethal Weapon

"One would not easily believe that corpses come out of their graves and wander around, animated by some evil spirit, to terrorize or harm the living, unless there were many cases in our times, supported by ample testimony"

- William of Newburgh

12th Century English Historian & Cleric

Historia rerum Anglicarum, Book 5, Ch. 24

- 1 -

When the skinny pale kid with the coke bottle glasses hit the wet locker room floor, nobody would have guessed he’d be the most ruthless killer of evil things who ever lived.

When he grasped his stomach and grimaced from throbbing head and abdominal pains, nobody sensed the raw power he would soon unleash on the small town of Belasco, Illinois.

And when he glanced up at Todd Rawger – Belasco High’s most sadistic bully – nobody would have thought he’d save the world from an evil that hadn’t walked the earth for over 800 years.

Get up, Creed! Get the fuck up! said Todd Rawger.

Azriel Creed tried to get up only to fall right back down. His head was in excruciating pain, and his stomach felt as if he’d just eaten a pile of rotten eggs. This happened whenever he got too scared or angry, or if he even so much thought about violence due to the medicine keeping him alive.

Todd was a particularly vicious bully. Even evil according to the other kids he picked on – many of whose heads Todd had dumped into shit or piss-filled toilets just for kicks. And today he had a particularly strong desire to grab this Azriel kid by the throat and humiliate him in front of the entire gym class. Todd kicked Azriel in the face as he struggled to get back up again. Azriel hacked and sputtered, drool coming out of his mouth as he fell back onto the hard floor. Blood ran towards the shower drain from his nose, mouth and a fresh cheek cut from Todd’s toenail. The other boys gathered around, one taking lookout duty for Coach Carson. Todd was the local football star, and pride and joy of Belasco High. He was also the son of Belasco’s Police Chief. Thus, his coach, the teachers and pretty much every other adult gave him a little leeway. As long as they didn’t see what he did to someone, they didn’t really care. Unless, of course, it was one of their children.

Todd towered over Azriel’s body. He was a foot taller and had almost 100 pounds on the kid. Todd grabbed Azriel by his neck and lifted his naked body up into the air with one arm, holding him off the ground. See that toilet over there, punk, said Todd, cocking his head towards the bathroom stalls in the locker room. "Here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna take a giant shit. And then I’m going to dunk your head in it. And then you’re gonna eat it. Azriel could barely breathe with Todd’s strong hand wrapped around his windpipe. There was no telling what Todd would have done had Coach Carson not heard the commotion. The lookout kid hissed to Todd, He’s coming!"

Todd and Azriel locked eyes for one more brief moment. The boy was in pain, but he wasn’t scared. He didn’t fear Todd as the other kids did. This kid with the funny name Azriel was different from the usual kids he picked on. He was small, weak and sickly looking. Yet, Todd would never admit it to anyone else or himself, but he was scared of the kid. Todd tossed Azriel into the towel bin next to the shower walls. Azriel’s glasses fell onto a stray towel on the floor and didn’t break. Todd picked them up and walked away leaving Azriel not only beaten and bloody, but nearly blind. For the past several years Azriel’s prescription had gotten progressively worse. And his eye doctor feared the boy might go blind altogether.

My dad says you’re dangerous. He told me to stay away from you. I’m gonna hurt you next time, baby, your ass now belongs to me, Todd said, as he strutted towards his locker.

The other boys laughed.

They dared not laugh.

They didn’t want to be Todd’s next victim. They didn’t want to have their heads shoved into the toilet or be tied naked to the bike rack outside. Todd decided to give this bike rack idea a try when he saw a couple kids walking home from the library one night. He pulled his truck over. Got out. Beat both kids into the ground with a couple well-placed punches, and duct taped their arms and legs. Then, he took them to the school and tied them to the bike rack in a homosexual position – as if one was mounting the other – just like in the movie Men at Work where he got the idea. The two boys were found the next morning. And, like all the kids Todd bullied, they didn’t say anything to anyone about it. Todd warned them, in precise detail, what would happen if they did.

Of course, everyone knew it was Todd Rawger.

But, nobody was dumb enough to say anything.

Most kids would have been expelled for some of the things Todd did. But, he got away with it because he was the high school football and wrestling hero for four years in a row. When you’re the son of the police Chief, and when you’re the reason the booster club gets any money at all, teachers at Belasco High tended to look the other way.

Azriel lay in the towel bin trying to calm down, so the pain in his head and stomach would subside. He hated that medicine and what it did. He once looked up what his name Azriel meant and saw it was, God’s help. This felt like a sick joke to him because it always seemed like God hated him. Or maybe God didn’t hate him. Maybe it was his own fault for taking that medicine each day without question. And so, on this morning, due to a strong gut feeling he couldn’t ignore, as he got ready to take that medicine – which was in the form of blue capsules – he decided not to take them. He always took the medicine in the morning and again after school. But today was different. Just as Todd Rawger had felt a strong urge to brutally pick on Azriel, Azriel felt a strong urge to not take his medicine. He had considered not taking it before. But he was always haunted by the video footage and images he’d been shown of people with his disease – the red underwear from the penis discharging blood... the bleeding eyes that looked like they’d just been stabbed... ears gushing crimson... it was horrifying. But today he didn’t care. Today he was going to test not taking his medicine, just like back when he saved his friends during the Belasco Woods Massacre.

Azriel didn’t bleed or get sick back then.

So why suddenly would he today?

Whatever the case, he was glad he didn’t take his medicine. He would need to defend himself if this Todd asshole really did intend to shove his head in a toilet and was willing to take the risk.

The bell rang and he limped over to his locker to get dressed. He would be late to his next class.

- 2 -

The next few hours went by without incident until fifth period: Lunch time.

So far, Azriel didn’t notice a single sign of any bleeding (other than his cheek and nose, both of which stopped hours ago).

No sign of all the horrible results not taking his medicine was supposed to cause.

No sign of anything different at all.

In fact, the only thing out of the ordinary was the way people reacted to him as he walked down the hall. He felt stronger somehow. More confident. More comfortable in his own skin. He was no longer in the blue pill haze – as he called it – where his senses were dulled and his wits not quite as sharp as they should be. People looked at him differently. There was none of the usual pity or contempt. There was something else: respect.

That was a new one.

He only had one friend who was allowed to hang out with him since the Belasco Woods Massacre five years earlier. And since then, almost everyone had forgotten about it, and now pitied the pale, skinny kid who walked around with his head down avoiding looking at people.

But if Azriel had been paying more attention he would know why people were so impressed with him: Todd Rawger was going around mockingly wearing Azriel’s glasses and bragging about all the cruel things he was going to do to the kid. He was gonna torment Azriel so bad he wanted to make the kid want to kill himself. A fight was brewing, Azriel was one of the main stars – and he didn’t even know it. But Todd didn’t just have a hate on for Azriel. He was also more aggressively attacking other kids: Pushing one kid into his locker and closing it. Putting a freshman in the big trashcan in one of the bathrooms. He even stabbed one kid in the arm so hard with a pencil it stuck. His friends were starting to wonder if he was possessed or on a new kind of drug. The sudden brutality was extreme even for Todd.

As usual, nobody said anything.

This was Todd Rawger’s kingdom where he was lord and master.

All of which is why, when the other kids saw this new air about Azriel – of not just confidence... not just cocksureness... but outright arrogance – they couldn’t help but notice. It was like Azriel had already kicked Todd Rawger’s ass and the fight was just an afterthought. It reminded some of the more sports-aware kids of how Michael Jordan behaved before the playoff series. Jordan would sit in his Ferrari, cigar lit, before the game, celebrating a win already. It messed with his opponents’ heads. And today Azriel was messing with Todd’s head in the same way.

But Azriel didn’t notice any of this.

He was still reflexively blocking out thoughts of violence or fighting or even swearing. If he let himself so much as think of swatting a fly, he got that sick feeling. Although, it was more diluted now, and he started to allow himself to remember what it was like on the day when he and his friends Marvin and Kerri were alone in Belasco Woods in mortal danger. Their attackers wanted nothing more than to rip out their beating hearts with their teeth and eat them right in front of their dying eyes. It’d been so long since Azriel could safely access that memory. Whenever he tried to think about those times the waves of pain hit him. So, he became a master at blocking that memory out, avoiding bullies and trouble, and staying off the radars of guys like Todd Rawger.

And for five years it worked.

He avoided people, and they avoided him.

But today, his peace streak ended.

And he was so caught up in his own inner thoughts, he didn’t even realize it or notice the kids talking about him as he strutted down the hall.

Azriel strolled into the lunchroom with his new cocky walk like he owned the place and did his usual ritual:

Scan the room for his friend Marvin Worely (the only kid whose parents would allow him to be friends with Azriel after the Belasco Woods Massacre) and find his seat. Marvin was a target for bullies, too, and they had a system for changing up their seats each day in the lunchroom to avoid sitting near people like Todd Rawger. Azriel made a beeline for his friend when he saw him. But he also noticed out of the corner of his bruised eye Todd Rawger and his table full of Belasco High’s rogues gallery of douche bags and assholes. They roared with laughter as he walked in. Todd was still wearing Azriel’s thick glasses and mocking him with nerd movements and reenacting how he punished Azriel that morning. None of the guys at the table had seen the beating Todd handed Azriel, and were getting the embellished story. (Apparently, in this newest version, Azriel had started crying and pissing on the ground.)

Usually, Azriel would ignore the douche bag table, try to stay off their radar and go another day unmolested by Todd and his henchmen. But today, instead of suppressing the dark, violent thoughts wanting to bubble up into his conscience... a few strays got through, including this one thought that popped into his head:

I’m gonna make these assholes eat their own shit and drink their own piss. Then I’m gonna kill every last mother fucking one of these bastards.

No pain.

No shooting headache.

No nauseating stomach-churn.

It’d been years since he could think something like that, but there it was.

And he liked it.

He also started to realize his eyesight wasn’t as bad. He could see without his glasses. Maybe not 20/20, but his vision was sharper than if he wore those thick glasses with the cheap ugly frames his mom picked out for him.

Azriel walked over to Marvin and took his seat.

Damn dude, the bitches are all talking about you, said Marvin who rarely referred to women as anything but bitches or hoes. He was convinced he was God’s gift to women, even if he couldn’t get a date to save his life. The other kids called him a wigger thanks to him trying to emulate his older brother – a white guy who thought, dressed, and acted like he was a black rapper. His brother had even produced his own rap albums: A Bitch Named Crazy. Then the sequel album: Bitches Be Crazy. And the third album to complete the trilogy: Crazy Bitches. Marvin’s brother was a stain on the town’s reputation according to some of the older citizens. But he had carved out a niche for himself in Los Angeles where he now lived. What startled the people who knew Marvin’s brother most was the suddenness of his success. He had always been a shy, withdrawn kid who spent hours in the woods. Then, one day, sixteen years earlier, after spending an entire week by himself in the woods, he emerged a different man. His voice changed. His personality changed. And he attracted a major record label as if he’d been rapping professionally his whole life. Some of the older folks in the church joked he’d made a deal with the devil to have that kind of success. It was a joke. But, considering Belasco’s reputation and history, it was a joke nobody laughed at.

Whatever the case, Marvin worshipped his brother and wanted to be just like him, and acted like him all the time. What he didn’t realize was his brother got women because he was on stage and a rap star, not because of what he did on stage or the content of what he wrote. Little Marvin still had much to learn. And his comments often got him in trouble with girls. In one case, a girl knocked him out cold with a textbook after he asked her if she wanted to go home with him and give up the pussy. It was this particular geek’s goal in life to follow in his brother’s footsteps. And that was exactly what he planned to do – one slap in the face at a time.

What are they saying, said Azriel sitting down and opening his paper sack lunch. His mom had made him a roast beef sandwich.

Never mind... said Marvin. He was staring at something behind Azriel.

Azriel turned around and Todd was standing there, along with his friend and side kick Leo Gomez.

I just wanted you to know you little fuck, said Todd, still wearing Azriel’s glasses in mockery, you’re sitting in my seat.

Azriel locked eyes with him, slowly chewed his food, and swallowed. Usually the pain from the adrenaline rush of such an encounter would send him into a world of head and stomach pain.

But, the pain wasn’t there.

Instead, he felt something else.

Something hot and good that gave him focus: Anger.

Azriel winked at Todd and shot him a cocky smirk, and dismissed the bully with a single look and by turning back around to focus on his sandwich.

It startled Todd.

He wasn’t used to this.

He was used to fear and submission – and here was this skinny little turd, staring him down, mocking him back.

Todd continued, I have something of yours. Azriel turned back around nonchalantly as Todd pointed to his glasses, which had started to give Todd a headache of his own by now.

Again, Todd expected a reaction.

Something... anything.

He got none.

Azriel just kept staring Todd in the eye, refusing to even blink.

Now Todd knew he hated this kid.

And he would make him suffer.

Azriel stood up, ready to fight... but then, suddenly the anger subsided and was replaced by a familiar shot of pain racing into his skull and belly, as the usual blue pill haze returned, dulling his wits.

What just happened? Azriel thought.

Todd was walking away and didn’t see the change of Azriel’s expression as the pain hit him. Instead, he pushed Azriel’s head and ruffled his hair, muttered something about how Azriel better watch his ass and walked over to his table, still wearing Azriel’s thick glasses.

Todd had every intention of tormenting the kid more.

But the lunchroom, with all the witnesses and lunchroom monitors, was not the time or place.

- 3 -

The pain subsided shortly after Todd walked away, leaving Azriel as confused as ever. Marvin stared at him. It made him nervous being Azriel’s only friend at Belasco High School. And if he’d had any more friends (he had none, the life of a wigger was a lonely one in Belasco, Illinois) he probably wouldn’t have hung out with Azriel at all. It was just too dangerous. After all, if these douche bags targeted Azriel for a good toilet diving, they’d surely go for him, next. Torment by association.

Azriel took a deep breath and kept eating his sandwich, chewing and thinking. That returning blue haze hovered in his head. But it was thinner than usual. It didn’t cloud his thinking as much as before.

What was interesting was how fast the pain subsided this time.

It left as quickly as it came back.

And where were the symptoms his mom and Pastor Shane told him about? The bleeding from his dick, his butt, his eyes, ears, nose and any other orifice?

He felt or saw none of those symptoms.

Once again the haze faded and a new urge came on:

Get your glasses back, you pussy.

Intellectually, Azriel knew this was a bad idea. He weighed a buck ten soaking wet (if that) while Todd Rawger was 6’7, weighed 195 pounds, and was pure muscle. Todd’s frame literally over-shadowed Azriel’s skinny 5’5 Gollum-like body.

This urge... it was crazy, Azriel thought.

After all, this Todd douche already threatened to take a dump and make him eat it.

Why provoke him?

Quit being a pussy, go kick his ass, he thought to himself.

The thought (or was it a feeling?) came out of nowhere as soon as the blue haze lifted. Azriel stood up and gazed over at Todd Rawger’s table. Marvin watched, wondering what the hell was wrong with his friend. Was he on drugs? Marvin didn’t know. What he did know was, there was something about the way Azriel stood, the way he moved – the grace, the confidence; it was like Azriel thought he was invincible, and had an invisible suit of armor around him and couldn’t be hurt.

Watch my books, said Azriel as he walked away from the table.

Where you going? asked Marvin.

Azriel stared directly across the room at Todd who was still mocking him. He balled up his fists and started towards Todd’s table. The fact he even could see that far without his glasses, and as clearly as he did, didn’t register.

To get my glasses back, he said.

- 4 -

The boys sitting at Todd Rawger’s table didn’t even notice Azriel strutting up to them. Nor did they notice Azriel walk right behind Todd, whose massive back completely hid Azriel’s skinny frame. No, nobody ever noticed Azriel Creed until this moment in time when he tapped Todd Rawger on the shoulder.

Todd turned.

What...?

Azriel standing was almost at eye level with Todd sitting. They stared at each other, eyeball to eyeball, again. But this time, Azriel wasn’t hunched over in pain. This time he didn’t have a cut on his cheek and a bloody nose. This time he wasn’t going to just lay there in a bin of towels and be threatened with having to eat this guy’s shit. And once again this time Todd didn’t fully understand it on a conscious level, but there was something different about Azriel.

About his eyes.

About the way he stood.

Even about the way he breathed.

Really? said Todd, adjusting Azriel’s glasses on his face.

Really, said Azriel. His voice was cold and emotionless, with just a hint of anger behind it. Give me my glasses dick head and I’ll let you keep your eye ball. Azriel’s left hand was in his pocket, feeling his house keys. The thought of plunging the front deadbolt key deep into Todd Rawger’s eye orbit pleased him. The excitement of not being scared and nauseous right now was thrilling. It was like the feeling of not having a headache after suffering from a migraine for five straight years. Azriel didn’t see Todd Rawger as a powerful bully wanting to dunk his head in a pile of his shit. He saw Todd as someone who had his stuff, and if he had to hurt, maim or kill him to get his stuff back he would – without a second thought.

Alright, that’s it! said Todd standing up, towering over Azriel. Even the teachers were afraid of this Rawger kid – he was like a mini-giant.

Azriel grinned and tensed his body for battle.

And then, as quickly as it had left, the blue haze crept back into his mind.

The anger instantly subsided.

And, the idea of plunging a key into Tom’s eye disappeared, was replaced by a wave of pain shooting through his head, and nausea bubbling up in his belly. Azriel was again that wet, bleeding kid from the first period gym locker room. His hands jittered, his face turned another shade of white, and he fought back the grimace wanting to form on his face from the headache and stomach pain gushing back.

Okay girls, knock it off. came a deep old man’s voice.

It was Principal Hayes.

Hayes had turned a few blind eyes to Todd Rawger’s antics in the past. But the way he saw it, his job was to prevent forest fires, not put them out. So he kept a close eye on the High School star linebacker and wrestler who scared the other schools in the conference and brought way more money into the booster club (and attention to their little town) than they ever could without him.

Sorry Principal Hayes, said Todd sitting back down and handing Azriel his glasses. Todd blinked hard a couple times as his eyes readjusted. I was just giving Azriel here his glasses back. Todd’s eyes never left Azriel’s. "You lost them in the locker room and I found them, buddy. Try not to lose them again. That would be a very... crappy... thing to do."

Todd didn’t emphasize the word crappy on accident.

- 5 -

When Azriel got home from school it was empty as usual.

His mother worked double shifts packing mushrooms in cans and often they didn’t even see each other on weekdays. So he did his usual routine when he got home: Made himself some mac and cheese in the microwave and drank a Pepsi.

Thus was his diet more or less.

That and his blue pill medicine.

He had the bottle in his hand and was about to take a couple of the blue capsules but paused. What if he didn’t take them? What would really happen? Today was one of the most interesting days of his life. People respected him for a change, didn’t pity him. They didn’t look at him like he was a freak; they looked at him like he was a hero almost. He was someone with the balls to finally stand up to Todd Rawger, even in the face of being threatened with a good face-in-toilet dunking. It’d been 24 hours since he last took his pills. His dosage was two pills twice daily – one in the morning before school, the other after school. And yet, there was no blood coming out of his ass or penis or eyes or ears from not taking this morning’s pills. Not even a single trace of discomfort at all. What if he simply didn’t take them... what would happen?

He decided to chance it.

Ironically, the longer he didn’t take them, the sillier it seemed he should take them at all. Why did he not question taking these pills before?

He knew the answer:

It was the blue haze that came over his mind the pills caused.

That haze that made him want to watch nothing but boring