Read Online Death After Life: A Zombie Apocalypse Thriller by John Evans - Free Book Online
Authors: John Evans
Tags: Zombies
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phone. She flipped it open, checked the I.D. and smiled apologetically. Winter started gathering up the plates to take inside. Nic accepted the call.
“Hey, darlin’! What’s up?” She listened for a moment, then said, “I’m having dinner at Winter’s... I'm sorry, baby, I thought you worked late on Mondays! ...Okay, sounds good. Love you!”
She closed her phone and followed him inside. “I best fly. Thanks for dinner, my friend.”
“Always a pleasure,” Winter said, and popped a fresh beer. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be his last of the night.
#
As she drove home from the Center, Lena mulled over the day’s events and listened to classical music. She felt a bout of depression coming on and regretted not grabbing a pick-me-up before she left. A little mood enhancement, nothing she’d take regularly, just something to help her get her emotional bearings straight again.
She irritably escaped some gridlock with a bold move and turned onto her street. The 25-story tower she called home was the largest on the block and only a few streets from the waterfront.
Lena pulled up to the security kiosk and handed her identification through the window. As she waited for the guard to scan it, behind her the garage door closed the ramp to the street. She was cleared for entry and piloted the VW into her parking space.
An elevator lifted her to an entrance hall under 24-hour guard. Recognizing her, a doorman let Lena into a baroquely furnished lobby with mirrored walls, brass fixtures and a multi-tiered chandelier. She carried her Safeway bags past the front desk attendant.
“Evening, Dr. Gladden. Long day?”
She greeted him with a smile. “Hiya, Tommy. They all are.”
Another elevator would take her to her floor. This one was mirrored and appointed like a luxury hotel’s.
Lena’s elderly neighbor, Izhak Carmel, hurried to join her as she entered. She held the elevator for him.
“Thank you, thank you,” he said. He seemed in a sour mood.
“No problem. Haven’t seen Felix lately, is he all right?” Felix was Izhak’s Pomeranian.
“The building bastards made me give him away.”
Lena was shocked. “What? Why?”
Izhak’s voice dripped with contempt. “Security! Some residents passed around a petition. A dog can bite, you know. And they don’t live forever.”
“Well, I didn’t sign anything.”
He shook his head. “That’s what everyone says. Amazing how the management claims that 250 of you signed it. That means about half the people I see in this building, every day. Why, there’s a better than fifty-fifty chance that you signed it.”
“I didn’t sign it,” Lena said, and got off at her floor. Izhak said nothing.
There were workmen trooping through the hall. They wore windbreakers emblazoned with the logo of “Chambliss Home Security.”
As she progressed toward her unit, Lena saw that the workers were heading that way. In fact, her door was open and an electrician was installing wiring in the threshold.
“Excuse me,” she said, slipping past him into the kitchen/living room area. Workers, tools laid out on the carpet, were installing components in the ceiling.
Slightly disconcerted, Lena transferred her groceries to cupboards and fridge.
Someone suddenly cupped their hands over her eyes and Lena felt an instant of alarm. But she recognized the gentle, familiar touch, and her concern turned to delight.
She covered the strong but delicate fingers with her own. “Let me guess? Is that…. Nicolette Ann Waters?”
“Dammit,” Nic said, releasing her with a broad smile. “What gave me away?”
“I think it was just your irresistible lifeforce,” Lena said, and kissed her. She thought she surprised Nic with the length and intensity of her kiss.
“Wow,” Nic said, afterwards. “Hi honey, I’m home!”
Lena embraced her loving wife. She caught one of the workers watching, not judgmentally but with prurient interest, and whispered, “What’s with
“Hey, darlin’! What’s up?” She listened for a moment, then said, “I’m having dinner at Winter’s... I'm sorry, baby, I thought you worked late on Mondays! ...Okay, sounds good. Love you!”
She closed her phone and followed him inside. “I best fly. Thanks for dinner, my friend.”
“Always a pleasure,” Winter said, and popped a fresh beer. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be his last of the night.
#
As she drove home from the Center, Lena mulled over the day’s events and listened to classical music. She felt a bout of depression coming on and regretted not grabbing a pick-me-up before she left. A little mood enhancement, nothing she’d take regularly, just something to help her get her emotional bearings straight again.
She irritably escaped some gridlock with a bold move and turned onto her street. The 25-story tower she called home was the largest on the block and only a few streets from the waterfront.
Lena pulled up to the security kiosk and handed her identification through the window. As she waited for the guard to scan it, behind her the garage door closed the ramp to the street. She was cleared for entry and piloted the VW into her parking space.
An elevator lifted her to an entrance hall under 24-hour guard. Recognizing her, a doorman let Lena into a baroquely furnished lobby with mirrored walls, brass fixtures and a multi-tiered chandelier. She carried her Safeway bags past the front desk attendant.
“Evening, Dr. Gladden. Long day?”
She greeted him with a smile. “Hiya, Tommy. They all are.”
Another elevator would take her to her floor. This one was mirrored and appointed like a luxury hotel’s.
Lena’s elderly neighbor, Izhak Carmel, hurried to join her as she entered. She held the elevator for him.
“Thank you, thank you,” he said. He seemed in a sour mood.
“No problem. Haven’t seen Felix lately, is he all right?” Felix was Izhak’s Pomeranian.
“The building bastards made me give him away.”
Lena was shocked. “What? Why?”
Izhak’s voice dripped with contempt. “Security! Some residents passed around a petition. A dog can bite, you know. And they don’t live forever.”
“Well, I didn’t sign anything.”
He shook his head. “That’s what everyone says. Amazing how the management claims that 250 of you signed it. That means about half the people I see in this building, every day. Why, there’s a better than fifty-fifty chance that you signed it.”
“I didn’t sign it,” Lena said, and got off at her floor. Izhak said nothing.
There were workmen trooping through the hall. They wore windbreakers emblazoned with the logo of “Chambliss Home Security.”
As she progressed toward her unit, Lena saw that the workers were heading that way. In fact, her door was open and an electrician was installing wiring in the threshold.
“Excuse me,” she said, slipping past him into the kitchen/living room area. Workers, tools laid out on the carpet, were installing components in the ceiling.
Slightly disconcerted, Lena transferred her groceries to cupboards and fridge.
Someone suddenly cupped their hands over her eyes and Lena felt an instant of alarm. But she recognized the gentle, familiar touch, and her concern turned to delight.
She covered the strong but delicate fingers with her own. “Let me guess? Is that…. Nicolette Ann Waters?”
“Dammit,” Nic said, releasing her with a broad smile. “What gave me away?”
“I think it was just your irresistible lifeforce,” Lena said, and kissed her. She thought she surprised Nic with the length and intensity of her kiss.
“Wow,” Nic said, afterwards. “Hi honey, I’m home!”
Lena embraced her loving wife. She caught one of the workers watching, not judgmentally but with prurient interest, and whispered, “What’s with
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