Life After The Undead (Book 1) (82 page)

We
opened
the
door
and
were
confronted
with
five
undead.
The
creatures
didn
’t
notice
us,
and
we
would
have been
fine
and
cou
ld’v
e
taken
out
the
threat,
but
Anderson
let
out
a
small squeak
of
horror.
They
turned
and
let
out
a
long
moan.
Quinn,
Kyle,
and
I
cursed
under
our
breaths
before
opening
fire.

We
backed
away
from
the
supply
room
to
the front
door.
Anderson
led
the
way,
running.
We
turned
into
the
main
hall
only
to find it
infested
with
undead.
We
were
trapped. Anderson
fired
wildly
into
the
crowd.
I glanced
around,
trying
to
find
somewhere
to
go.
All
the
rooms
around
us
were
closed,
and
I
heard
the
creatures
banging
to
get
out.
I
fired
a
few
shots.
We
probably
cou
ld’v
e
taken
out
most
of
the
m,
but
the
quarters
were
too
tight,
and
Anderson
kept
moving
into
the line
of
fire. She
shot
wildly
into
the
crowd,
missing
targets
and
wasting
ammo.
Quinn jumped
onto
a
gurney
and
worked
on
removing
a
ceiling
tile.

“Krista,
c’m
on.”

He
grabbed
my
hand
and
pulled
me
up
next
to
him.
I
grabbed
the
ceiling
and
hoisted
myself
up.
Once
I
was
secure,
I
reached
down
to
help
Kyle.
Quinn
called
for
Anderson,
but
her
ammo
was
gone
and
she
panicked.
She
ran
blindly
toward
the
nearest
room.
I
pulled
Quinn
into
the
ceiling,
watching
as
Anderson
opened
the
door,
only
to
be
swarmed
by
more
zombies.
I
didn
’t
have
to
keep
looking
to
know
what
happened
next.
The
three
of
us
crawled
to
the
front
of
the
building and
kicked
out
a
tile
over
the
front
door.
We
jumped
into
the
sun
and
then
sprinted
to
our
vehicles.
The
front
door
caught
on
a rock,
and
zombies
streamed
out
of
the
hospital.
I
floored
it, and
we
drove
to
safety.

When
the
truck
stopped,
Wilks
flew
out
of
his
cab
and
jerked
open
my
door.
“Where
’s
Anderson?”

I
shook
my
head.
“She
didn
’t
make
it.”

“What
do
you
mean
she
didn
’t
make
it?
Did
you
leave
her
there
to
die?”

“No.”
I kept
my
anger
in
check.
How
could
he
even
imagine that?

Wilks
turned
around
and
pulled
on
his hair
with
both
hands,
muttering,
“No,
no,
no.”

It
was
odd,
but
everyone
reacts
differently.
I
set a
hand
on
his
shoulder.
“I’m
sorry.
There
wasn
’t
anything
we
could
do.”

He
collapsed
onto the
ground
and
cried.
I
turned
to
the
other
guys.
They
shrugged.

“I say
we
give
it an
hour,
then
head
back
to
the
hospital.”
 
Quinn
put
his
wrist
brace
back
on
. A look
of
pain
pinched
his
face,
but
he
tried
to
cover
it
up.

Wilks
jumped
up
from
the
ground. “Go
back?
Are
you
insane?
We’ll
be
eaten
alive!”

Bill
shook
his
head.
“Now,
Wilks,
everything
will
be
fine.”

“How
is it
going
to be
fine?
Did
you
see
how
many
zombies
were
in
that
place?”

Bill
nodded.
“I
did
, but
think
about
it. Most
of
them
came
streaming
out
of
the
hospital. In
an
hour,
they
’ll
have
wandered
to
other
parts
of
the
city.
The
hospital
will
be mostly
clear.”

Wilks
pointed
at
him.
“You
don’t
know
that.
How
could
you
know
that?”

“We
’v
e
been doing
this
for
a
while,”
Kyle
chimed
in.

Wilks
shook
his
head
and
pounded
his
fists
on
the
side of his skull.
“I
don’t
care.
I’m
not
going
back.
You
can
’t
make
me!”

Bill
placed
his
hands
in
his
pockets
and
spit
on
the
ground.
“You
’r
e
going
back
, but
you
can
wait
in
the
truck.”

Wilks
paced
in
a
circle
as he
muttered
incoherently.

I
rolled
my
eyes
and
approached
Quinn.
I
jerked
my
head
to
the
right. “You
got
a
minute?”

“Always.”

We
went
to
the
other
side
of
the
truck
so
the
others
couldn
’t
hear.

“As
I’m
sure
you
’v
e
deduced,
Liet
is
trying
to
phase
you
and
your
people
out.”

He
placed
his
hands
on
his
hips,
a
look
of
concern
crossed
his
face. “Do
you
think
he
knows
about
us?”

“I
doubt
it.
Besides,
he
was
suspicious
before
anything happened.
He
just
needed
an
excuse. I
think
my
running
away
may
have
pushed
him over
the
edge.”