Read Online Forget The Zombies (Book 2): Forget Texas by R.J. Spears - Free Book Online

said, “I’m going down to them to see what’s up. If they shoot me down, then try like hell to get out of here. If I sense any problems with these people, I’ll use a code word or phrase.” I took a moment to think. “I’ll say, ‘It’s as safe as the lake.’” In our escape from San Antonio, we had taken refuge in a shallow lake to avoid being burnt to a crisp when the military dropped firebombs on the city. “If you hear me say that, then run.” I looked back at the roadblock and pulled my gun out, leaving it on the seat. “I’d better go.”
Joni put and hand on my arm and squeezed it. “Be safe, Grant.”
“I’ll try.” I got out of the truck and started down the road with every fiber of my being telling this was a bad idea, but there I was. They popped the spotlight on me again, so I had to look down at the road as I walked to prevent from being blinded again. A spot dead center on my chest tingled awaiting the shot that would end my days on the earth, but it didn’t come. At least not right then and there.
I made it to within twenty feet of the roadblock when the voice spoke up again, “That’s far enough.”
I stopped.
“Turn around for us so we can check you over.”
I did as commanded, spinning in a circle. I wondered if they have me do the hokey-pokey next?
“What do you guys want?” I asked.
“We just need to know you aren’t a group of banditos coming to town,” the voice said.
Banditos? Really?
“Well, we’re not,” I said.
“We’ll be the judge of that. I want you to slowly come forward. Keep your hands up.”
Since I was already in for a pinch, I might as well be in for a pound and walked forward as instructed. I got to within five feet of the closest truck when he shouted for me to stop again. Two guys with guns came out from behind the truck and patted me down. They seem satisfied that I was unarmed, but one of them grabbed me and jerked me back behind the barrier while the other covered me. There were at least three other men there and all of them had guns.
“No need to get rough, fellas,” I said.
I felt the blunt impact of something hard against my shoulder and I pitched forward, nearly falling over, but I caught myself, ending up in a crouch. A sharp pain ran down my left side.
“What the hell,” I said.
A pair alligator boots appeared in my vision as I looked down, blinking back the pain.
“Tell us about your guns,” the voice said. It was the same one that had been talking via the bullhorn.
I looked up into the face of a man wearing a cop’s uniform and a black Stetson. It looked like he wanted to have a Johnny Cash ‘Man in Black’ thing going, but he spoiled it with some over-large bushy mutton chops. They clashed horribly with the whole look. His face was broad and jowly, with folds of flesh hanging from his chin. He hadn’t gone to seed, but he was on his way. Despite this, he had a mean glint in his eyes that I knew I shouldn’t ignore, but I tried to.
“Our guns?” I said. “Well, they’re nice. They shoot bullets. Lots of them, in fact.”
“You trying to get smart with me, son?”
Oh the places I could go with that, but some sense of self-preservation took over. “No, I’m not. We’re just trying to get out of Texas. What do you guys want?”
“Well, good luck with getting out of Texas. They have the whole state buttoned down like a bank vault. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out.”
“Well, you can’t blame us for trying.”
“How many people you have on that truck?”
“Enough.”
Something cold and circular poked into my back. Hard. I fell forward a step.
“I’m not liking the way you’re treating me,” I said.
“You’ll get over it,” the cop said.
“And for the record, I’m a U.S. Marshall,” I said.
“Lookie here, boys, we have the Feds in our little town,” the cop said. “Don’t you all feel so much safer?”
There were chuckles all around. Two thousand comedians eaten by zombies and this guy was trying his stand-up act