Read Online DEAD RAIN: A Tale of the Zombie Apocalypse by Joe Augustyn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joe Augustyn
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lunatic sees it. You circle around the cruiser. On my signal I want you to distract him. Don’t try anything stupid. Just get his attention and back off fast to a safe distance. I’ll grab the officer’s gun. It’s our only chance.”
Kerri wasn’t sure she liked that plan, but she knew every second was precious and they needed to act immediately or the trooper would probably bleed out.
“Okay ,” she said. “But if that loonie comes at me, put a bullet in him fast and don’t stop shooting until he’s down. I don’t want to end up as dessert.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t hesitate. Just get clear of the line of fire as soon as you get hi s attention. I’ll do the rest.” He took a position near the back of the cruiser and checked to make sure the gun was where he’d last seen it. It was. Just a quick dash and I’ll have it, he thought.
Kerri snuck stealthily around the side of the deputy’s cruiser. Her heart was pounding, the image of the psycho chewing on the officer’s leg meat fresh in her mind. Every step she took felt like it would be her last.
She crossed the front of the vehicle and gazed down at the perp. He was still absorbed in his bloody feast, munching on flesh and gristle with sloppy wet sounds that seemed amplified by the foggy air.
Hector crouched anxiously at the back of the cruiser and gave her a vigorous nod, poised to spring forwar d as soon as she made her move.
But Kerri hesitated, reconsidering her options. As she watched the back of the zombie’s head bob up and down and heard his gluttonous chewing she decided her best chance was to make an aggressive strike. Hefting the steel pry-bar she rushed forward and clobbered the ghoul with all her might. His skull cracked loudly and he slumped to the ground, twitching once or twice before he lay still.
“Jesus, Kerri!” Hector exclaimed as he hopped forward and scooped up the gun. “I told you to distract the pendejo, not kill him.” His heart was thumping fiercely but he was secretly relieved. Kerri had spared him from making a life-or-death decision. He’d fired guns at paper targets but never into a live human being.
“I saw an opening,” Kerri replied. “I had to take it.”
With the danger over, they switched into EMT mode. Afraid the deranged perp might make a miraculous recovery while they were working on the officer, Hector dragged his unconscious body several feet towards the curb. He was shocked when he examined him for signs of life. The man’s face was severely mutilated, wounds that he couldn’t have inflicted on himself. And more disturbing, when Hector felt for a pulse, the man’s body temperature felt like that of a corpse.
With an involuntary shiver he dropped the man’s wrist and blessed himself with the sign of the cross.
13
A few miles away on the other side of town, Emma lay tossing and turning in her bed. She had arrived home to find her mother asleep, and fought the temptation to wake her. To do so would only have opened a boiling kettle of worms.
Stealing a Xanax from her mother’s nightstand she tried to get some sleep, but the pill didn’t help. She was still too rattled, overwhelmed with anxiety and perplexed about how and where to seek help when the morning sun rose. She considered taking more pills, but didn’t trust that they’d be any more effective than the first, and might just sink her into a helpless stupor. She longed for the blissful peace that sleep would bring, but wanted to sleep lightly, ready to spring awake if danger threatened.
She buried her face in her pillow, trying to wrestle her nagging fears away, to formulate a basic plan so she’d be ready to act as soon as she woke the next morning. I have to tell Uncle Johnny. He’s smart, he’ll know what to do—if I can convince him to take me seriously. I’ll call him first thing in the morning. If I explain it all calmly he’ll have to believe me.
She finally felt like she had her nerves under
Kerri wasn’t sure she liked that plan, but she knew every second was precious and they needed to act immediately or the trooper would probably bleed out.
“Okay ,” she said. “But if that loonie comes at me, put a bullet in him fast and don’t stop shooting until he’s down. I don’t want to end up as dessert.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t hesitate. Just get clear of the line of fire as soon as you get hi s attention. I’ll do the rest.” He took a position near the back of the cruiser and checked to make sure the gun was where he’d last seen it. It was. Just a quick dash and I’ll have it, he thought.
Kerri snuck stealthily around the side of the deputy’s cruiser. Her heart was pounding, the image of the psycho chewing on the officer’s leg meat fresh in her mind. Every step she took felt like it would be her last.
She crossed the front of the vehicle and gazed down at the perp. He was still absorbed in his bloody feast, munching on flesh and gristle with sloppy wet sounds that seemed amplified by the foggy air.
Hector crouched anxiously at the back of the cruiser and gave her a vigorous nod, poised to spring forwar d as soon as she made her move.
But Kerri hesitated, reconsidering her options. As she watched the back of the zombie’s head bob up and down and heard his gluttonous chewing she decided her best chance was to make an aggressive strike. Hefting the steel pry-bar she rushed forward and clobbered the ghoul with all her might. His skull cracked loudly and he slumped to the ground, twitching once or twice before he lay still.
“Jesus, Kerri!” Hector exclaimed as he hopped forward and scooped up the gun. “I told you to distract the pendejo, not kill him.” His heart was thumping fiercely but he was secretly relieved. Kerri had spared him from making a life-or-death decision. He’d fired guns at paper targets but never into a live human being.
“I saw an opening,” Kerri replied. “I had to take it.”
With the danger over, they switched into EMT mode. Afraid the deranged perp might make a miraculous recovery while they were working on the officer, Hector dragged his unconscious body several feet towards the curb. He was shocked when he examined him for signs of life. The man’s face was severely mutilated, wounds that he couldn’t have inflicted on himself. And more disturbing, when Hector felt for a pulse, the man’s body temperature felt like that of a corpse.
With an involuntary shiver he dropped the man’s wrist and blessed himself with the sign of the cross.
13
A few miles away on the other side of town, Emma lay tossing and turning in her bed. She had arrived home to find her mother asleep, and fought the temptation to wake her. To do so would only have opened a boiling kettle of worms.
Stealing a Xanax from her mother’s nightstand she tried to get some sleep, but the pill didn’t help. She was still too rattled, overwhelmed with anxiety and perplexed about how and where to seek help when the morning sun rose. She considered taking more pills, but didn’t trust that they’d be any more effective than the first, and might just sink her into a helpless stupor. She longed for the blissful peace that sleep would bring, but wanted to sleep lightly, ready to spring awake if danger threatened.
She buried her face in her pillow, trying to wrestle her nagging fears away, to formulate a basic plan so she’d be ready to act as soon as she woke the next morning. I have to tell Uncle Johnny. He’s smart, he’ll know what to do—if I can convince him to take me seriously. I’ll call him first thing in the morning. If I explain it all calmly he’ll have to believe me.
She finally felt like she had her nerves under
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