Read Online Beyond Death: Origins, Book 1 by Silas Cooper - Free Book Online Page B

lost your leg! I was the one here to help you heal. Seems that means nothing,” Richard threw his words at her. The hushed tones did nothing to disguise the anger in the room.
    “You’re unbelievable. I don’t compare. And I don’t give out hero awards,” she countered.
    “Really?”
    “No. I’m going with the smartest bet, the one with the most connections to hopefully save our lives. You’re the one who can’t see the truth for your jealousy. You want us all to die so you can be the hero?” Jayda challenged him.
    When Richard failed to answer, just glaring at his uneaten sandwich, Jayda let the subject drop. She focused all her efforts on eating. And at the moment, it took every ounce she had to get the rubbery excuse for meat down.
    “So, Sherri, tell us how you met your husband. I’m sorry if you mentioned before, I can’t seem to recall now,” Richard asked.
    Jayda shot him a quizzical glance.
    “What? I’d like to talk and maybe drown out that infernal sound. Thought maybe it would be nice to remember him with good memories,” Richard explained himself.
    “Nothing exciting. A mutual friend introduced us at a party. We didn’t have a lot in common, but somehow we never ran out of things to discuss. He opened my eyes to being a much more accepting and compassionate person. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and neither of us over the years seemed to dare to let some differences of opinion get in the way of that,” Sherri smiled as she talked, her sandwich now just a prop she held. “I remember the wedding and the honeymoon like it was yesterday rather than eighteen years ago. We had so many great years together. I want to grow old—”
    Sherri’s quiet sobs drowned her words. Jayda shot Richard a look. She was appalled he’d make the poor woman cry again for his own selfish reasons. She figured if the woman wanted to talk about her dead husband she would, on her own terms.
    “Do you think he knew that I allowed him to be killed? Do you think they understand anything, sick or dead or whatever, that some part of them still remains?” Sherri asked as her lungs tried for large gulps of air.
    “No,” Richard said a little too loudly. He looked over his shoulder then as if he could see anything. “It was not him anymore, Sherri. Whatever is happening in their bodies, it’s not human. He was gone already. You did the humane thing for the man you love.”
    “It doesn’t matter. Nothing will really ever matter again,” she sighed, her lungs still fighting for jagged breaths she tried to stifle.
    “Sherri,” Jayda began, “Do you remember that trip we all took to your parent’s cabin? What an amazing time. We had so much fun.”
    “Yeah. That’s a great place. I’ve used it more times than they’ll ever know,” she grinned, though it was short-lived.
    A loud sound of furniture moving drew their attention. Jayda saw one of the boards over the big picture window start to give way. Hands, ones with flesh hanging from them, soiled with dried blood, forced their way through the opening, grasping at the air. Before Richard could get there, the board gave way, and the zombie fell through.
    The thing rebounded fast. He moved at them without grace, but with great speed. He reached Sherri first, but Richard struck it with his trusty bat. He pushed Sherri behind the island in the kitchen.
    “More are coming,” Jayda pointed to the window. “You need to fix it. I’ll deal with him.”
    Richard moved fast. He struck several heads coming through. He pushed their stunned bodies back out through the window, and grabbed the fallen board. He yelled to Sherri to come push against it as he pounded in more nails.
    As they worked, the zombie in front of Jayda stirred. Wrapping her hand in a dishtowel, she grabbed a kitchen knife. With a swift dexterity, she plunged the knife into the zombie’s eye. He stopped moving almost instantly. Grateful it wasn’t anyone she knew, she stayed poised over it in