Read Online City of the Dead by Brian Keene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brian Keene
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can do," Jim said. "She must be dead, Martin. We've got to accept it."
"But-"
"There's no way we can go outside."
"You're right." Martin sighed.
Don hurried toward the attic door, looking uneasy. He beckoned for them to follow.
65
Martin bowed his head in prayer. He struggled for words, and finally found them.
"Lord, we ask that you please accept her soul into your kingdom that she may dwell with thee. Amen."
"Look," Don said. "I'm sorry about your friend. I really am. But if you don't want to join her, I suggest we get moving."
"Where?" Jim asked. "We're fresh out of ideas."
"And places to hide," Martin added.
"My panic room first." Don opened the door and listened. "I've got to reload."
"Your panic room's no good anymore," Jim protested. "They know we're in here now. They'll find a way through. If not, they'll burn this place down as well."
"Exactly. That's why I don't plan on sticking around. It's not safe here anymore."
"Then what?"
"My Explorer is still in the garage. We can all fit in that, easily."
"That's no good," Jim scoffed. "They're all over the place out there. We've seen them rip apart an SUV like it was a can of tuna!"
"I'll take my chances. Especially since helping you has directly impacted my safety here."
Jim bristled. "Listen, you son of a-"
Danny stepped between them and took his father's hand.
"Thank you for helping us, Mr. De Santos, but can you please not fight with my daddy?"
Both men stared at each other for a moment and then softened.
"I'm sorry, Danny." Don patted the boy on the head and then looked back up at Jim. "So you're his real father, then?"
66
"That's right."
"I think I met you once, briefly, when you were picking him up for the summer."
"Could be. I don't remember. It was-difficult-being here with my ex-wife and her new husband. I usually didn't stick around too long. It's a long drive back to West Virginia."
"West Virginia. I thought you must be from the South." He nodded at Martin. "You too. The accents kind of gave you away. Your friend wasn't, though?"
"Frankie? No, she was from Baltimore. To be honest, we didn't know much about her. She'd lost a child of her own recently, and was helping us find Danny. And now ..."
"Oh. Well, I'm really sorry. But may I suggest again that we get moving? We shouldn't be standing around here talking. They'll regroup soon."
Jim paused. "I still think it's pretty useless to go outside, Mr. De Santos. But we can't stay here either. So I reckon we'll try this your way."
"Please, call me Don."
"Okay. Don. And I'm Jim."
"Well then, Jim, at the very least, let's go down to the panic room so I can reload."
Another bullet tore splinters from the windowsill as they started down the steps. The taunts of the dead drifted to them on the breeze, along with the smoke from the inferno next door.
"Jim?" Martin's voice trembled.
"What is it?"
"What if we're wrong? What if Frankie's alive?"
Jim didn't reply.
A tear rolled down Martin's lined face.
"Frankie ..."
67
When the ladder gave way beneath her feet, Frankie had time only to gasp before plunging into the swimming pool. The aluminum ladder splashed into the pool next to her a moment later. Smoky air burned inside her lungs as the cold, stagnant water closed over her head.
She sank like a stone-two feet, five feet, ten feet- before her boots struck the bottom. She opened her eyes, but couldn't see much in the murky gloom. A spray of bullets ploughed through the water in slow arcs. She dove deeper, flattening out along the bottom, as the gunfire drew closer.
Her hand flailed, closing on the M-16's shoulder strap. As she pulled the weapon toward her, she saw something moving. Something close. It was black and mottled and rotting, but still mobile. The armless zombie. She'd forgotten about it. It swam toward her, kicking its legs and licking its wrinkled lips in anticipation. Desperately, she kicked again for the surface.
The yard and pool stood out in the darkness, illuminated
"But-"
"There's no way we can go outside."
"You're right." Martin sighed.
Don hurried toward the attic door, looking uneasy. He beckoned for them to follow.
65
Martin bowed his head in prayer. He struggled for words, and finally found them.
"Lord, we ask that you please accept her soul into your kingdom that she may dwell with thee. Amen."
"Look," Don said. "I'm sorry about your friend. I really am. But if you don't want to join her, I suggest we get moving."
"Where?" Jim asked. "We're fresh out of ideas."
"And places to hide," Martin added.
"My panic room first." Don opened the door and listened. "I've got to reload."
"Your panic room's no good anymore," Jim protested. "They know we're in here now. They'll find a way through. If not, they'll burn this place down as well."
"Exactly. That's why I don't plan on sticking around. It's not safe here anymore."
"Then what?"
"My Explorer is still in the garage. We can all fit in that, easily."
"That's no good," Jim scoffed. "They're all over the place out there. We've seen them rip apart an SUV like it was a can of tuna!"
"I'll take my chances. Especially since helping you has directly impacted my safety here."
Jim bristled. "Listen, you son of a-"
Danny stepped between them and took his father's hand.
"Thank you for helping us, Mr. De Santos, but can you please not fight with my daddy?"
Both men stared at each other for a moment and then softened.
"I'm sorry, Danny." Don patted the boy on the head and then looked back up at Jim. "So you're his real father, then?"
66
"That's right."
"I think I met you once, briefly, when you were picking him up for the summer."
"Could be. I don't remember. It was-difficult-being here with my ex-wife and her new husband. I usually didn't stick around too long. It's a long drive back to West Virginia."
"West Virginia. I thought you must be from the South." He nodded at Martin. "You too. The accents kind of gave you away. Your friend wasn't, though?"
"Frankie? No, she was from Baltimore. To be honest, we didn't know much about her. She'd lost a child of her own recently, and was helping us find Danny. And now ..."
"Oh. Well, I'm really sorry. But may I suggest again that we get moving? We shouldn't be standing around here talking. They'll regroup soon."
Jim paused. "I still think it's pretty useless to go outside, Mr. De Santos. But we can't stay here either. So I reckon we'll try this your way."
"Please, call me Don."
"Okay. Don. And I'm Jim."
"Well then, Jim, at the very least, let's go down to the panic room so I can reload."
Another bullet tore splinters from the windowsill as they started down the steps. The taunts of the dead drifted to them on the breeze, along with the smoke from the inferno next door.
"Jim?" Martin's voice trembled.
"What is it?"
"What if we're wrong? What if Frankie's alive?"
Jim didn't reply.
A tear rolled down Martin's lined face.
"Frankie ..."
67
When the ladder gave way beneath her feet, Frankie had time only to gasp before plunging into the swimming pool. The aluminum ladder splashed into the pool next to her a moment later. Smoky air burned inside her lungs as the cold, stagnant water closed over her head.
She sank like a stone-two feet, five feet, ten feet- before her boots struck the bottom. She opened her eyes, but couldn't see much in the murky gloom. A spray of bullets ploughed through the water in slow arcs. She dove deeper, flattening out along the bottom, as the gunfire drew closer.
Her hand flailed, closing on the M-16's shoulder strap. As she pulled the weapon toward her, she saw something moving. Something close. It was black and mottled and rotting, but still mobile. The armless zombie. She'd forgotten about it. It swam toward her, kicking its legs and licking its wrinkled lips in anticipation. Desperately, she kicked again for the surface.
The yard and pool stood out in the darkness, illuminated
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