Read Online Deadrise by Steven R. Gardner - Free Book Online

hurried out of the bus, and bent to Sharon.
    "Sharon we have to get out of here." he tried pulling her away from Frank, but she clung tightly to him. "Sharon please?" his voice cracked, and he broke into tears once again. "Please? We have to get out of here." He pulled harder, and she finally came away from her dead husband, turning and throwing her arms around Matt. Hers sobs shook him with the fury of an earthquake. "We have to gas the bus and leave. Zack has been injured. We need to get him to the hospital or he will die." Sharon wiped away her tears and nodded in agreement. She looked back at Frank and burst into fresh tears.
    Suddenly, Susan screamed from inside the bus. Not a scream of sorrow, but a scream of fright.
    THE DEAD SOLDIERS!
    Matt had forgotten all about the corpses. Only one of them had been shot through the head. The other still had an intact brain, and it could revive! Matt looked for his gun, but he had left it on the ground when he carried Zack aboard. Luckily an M-16 was lying next to Frank and Matt snatched it up and ran aboard the bus.
    The soldier Frank had shot through the chest had become a zombie, and it was on its knees and using a seat to pull itself to its feet. Matt stepped up to it, put the barrel of the rifle to the creature's forehead and squeezed the trigger. The back of its skull exploded and it fell dead between the seats.
    "Up to the front of the bus." Matt ordered Susan and David, and they complied silently. Matt quickly dragged the two corpses out of the bus. He then went back aboard and pulled a blanket out of one of their packs and went back outside.
    "Into the bus." he told Sharon, ushering her in. "David, grab your gun, and come out when I tell you." Matt tossed aside the M-16 and retrieved his own AR-15. They were going to the hospital and if any other soldiers saw the M-16, it could get them into trouble.
    He quickly put a bullet through the head of the final soldiers corpse just as it was beginning to stir. Finally, he grabbed Frank’s body by the feet and dragged it to the rear of the bus. He aimed the rifle at Frank’s head, but could not bring himself to pull the trigger.
    Maybe he won't come back? Maybe he will stay dead?
    Matt knew he was wishing for a miracle that would never be answered. Frank’s corpse opened its eyes. It let out a small moan and began to raise its arms.
    "I'm sorry." Matt said, blinking away more tears before putting a single bullet through Frank’s head. He then spread the blanket over the body. He quickly wiped his eyes dry then walked to the front of the bus, where Sharon and David stood in the door.
"We heard shots," she said.
"It was nothing. Now go back on the bus."
"Where’s Frank?" she asked, looking around.
    "I moved him to the back so you wouldn't have to look at him. Now please go back on the bus?" She looked at him, her eyes pleading for him to explain what had happened, why her world had turned upside down? Why her husband was dead? "Please Sharon?"
    Susan appeared behind her. "Come on mom." she said softly. "Come and help me get Zack cleaned up." Matt could see she was fighting her own fear, but she had found strength for her mother.
    Matt turned to David. "I need you to stand guard while I pump gas." Matt said.
    "Ok." David said, looking half in shock himself.
    Matt grabbed the large pump nozzle and inserted it into the fuel receptacle. It took several long, paranoid minutes, always expecting either more soldiers, or zombies to appear out of the darkness. But none came. When the pump clicked full, he hooked the handle back to the pump and they both climbed back aboard the bus. Matt took the wheel and they were on their way…

 
    Chapter 6
     
     
     
Thursday, June 21, 2001
Salt Lake City, UT
7:40 PM
     
     
    They had not driven more than mile through dark suburban neighborhoods before Zack began coughing fitfully. Matt stopped the bus in the center of the road and killed the headlights. He walked back to where Zack lay. Susan