Read Online Jake's Law: A Zombie Novel by James Gurley - Free Book Online
Authors: James Gurley
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a motley group of bikers, ex-cons like him, and street scum lucky enough to be immune to the Staggers. “Let’s see what the locals missed.”
He shouldered the M16 he had taken from a home they had raided a few weeks earlier and sauntered toward the store, stroking his goatee. He stopped when a Staggerer wearing a filthy, tattered pair of green mechanic’s coveralls appeared from around the corner of the building. A tire gauge and a Phillips-head screwdriver protruded from the creature’s breast pocket. The blood-smeared name tag above the pocket read ‘Bobby’. A second zombie stumbled into view close behind the first, a naked man covered in cuts, lacerations, and cactus spines.
Levi winced at the second creature’s grisly condition. “Mindless bastards,” he said.
From experience, Levi knew to aim for the head. He placed his first shot in Bobby’s forehead from ten paces. The back of the creature’s head exploded, splattering the front of the metal building with a spray of dark blood and matted brains. The body hit the pavement, shuddering slightly. The screwdriver fell from the creature’s pocket, landing beside the twitching fingers of the hand that had once wielded it. The second creature stepped over its companion and lunged at Levi. He sidestepped it easily and clubbed it across the back of the head with the butt of the rifle. The zombie collapsed on the pavement, adding more scrapes and cuts to its already tortured body, as it skidded in the gravel. Before it could rise, Levi lowered the barrel of the M16 and delivered a can’t-miss shot from a distance of twelve inches. The head disintegrated, leaving a bloody pulp on the ground. Levi eyed the mass of wriggling worms that had changed the creature from a human into the walking dead and spat at them, knowing they would soon wither and die in the heat of the day.
Posting two men outside to take care of any stray Staggerers, he led the others into the darkened store’s interior. The building had been thoroughly looted of food and canned goods, but they found flashlights and batteries, boots, clothing, tools – things that would eventually come in handy. Moving like a precision team, they quickly gathered and piled their loot by the door. Outside, sporadic shooting told him the area was getting hot with zombies.
“Time to leave,” he announced. He wasn’t afraid of a few zombies, but night was falling and darkness made it more difficult to see the creatures coming. There was no reason to take unnecessary chances. Houses were safer to loot. “Let’s see if Ax and Spence found us some good digs.”
As they were loading the truck , an elderly couple emerged from a house across the street. They held hands as they crossed the highway, looking both ways as if expecting traffic. Levi chuckled at the useless gesture. They both wore reasonably clean clothing and appeared well fed, a fact which immediately attracted Levi’s attention. The man spoke first.
“I’m Charlie Drake. This is my wife Emma. Are you boys with the military?” He waved his hand toward the army truck.
O ne of the men behind him snorted. Levi smiled.
“We’re what you might call independent contractors. How have you two managed to survive this long surrounded by zombies?”
“Oh, Emma is quite a canner,” Charlie said. He patted her hand. “We have quite a supply of canned goods.”
“Charlie,” Emma warned quietly. “We don’t know these people.”
Charlie turned to her. “Hush, Emma. These boys are here to help us.” To Levi, he said, “If you like, we’ll feed you boys. Then you can take us to one of the shelters the military have set up.”
Levi nodded to Slant and grinned. Slant smiled, dismounted the Harley he straddled, and walked over to the couple. “We’ll take real good care of you,” he said.
Before the man could react, Slant drew the pistol from the holster he kept slung over his shoulder and shot the man in the head. The woman, knowing what
He shouldered the M16 he had taken from a home they had raided a few weeks earlier and sauntered toward the store, stroking his goatee. He stopped when a Staggerer wearing a filthy, tattered pair of green mechanic’s coveralls appeared from around the corner of the building. A tire gauge and a Phillips-head screwdriver protruded from the creature’s breast pocket. The blood-smeared name tag above the pocket read ‘Bobby’. A second zombie stumbled into view close behind the first, a naked man covered in cuts, lacerations, and cactus spines.
Levi winced at the second creature’s grisly condition. “Mindless bastards,” he said.
From experience, Levi knew to aim for the head. He placed his first shot in Bobby’s forehead from ten paces. The back of the creature’s head exploded, splattering the front of the metal building with a spray of dark blood and matted brains. The body hit the pavement, shuddering slightly. The screwdriver fell from the creature’s pocket, landing beside the twitching fingers of the hand that had once wielded it. The second creature stepped over its companion and lunged at Levi. He sidestepped it easily and clubbed it across the back of the head with the butt of the rifle. The zombie collapsed on the pavement, adding more scrapes and cuts to its already tortured body, as it skidded in the gravel. Before it could rise, Levi lowered the barrel of the M16 and delivered a can’t-miss shot from a distance of twelve inches. The head disintegrated, leaving a bloody pulp on the ground. Levi eyed the mass of wriggling worms that had changed the creature from a human into the walking dead and spat at them, knowing they would soon wither and die in the heat of the day.
Posting two men outside to take care of any stray Staggerers, he led the others into the darkened store’s interior. The building had been thoroughly looted of food and canned goods, but they found flashlights and batteries, boots, clothing, tools – things that would eventually come in handy. Moving like a precision team, they quickly gathered and piled their loot by the door. Outside, sporadic shooting told him the area was getting hot with zombies.
“Time to leave,” he announced. He wasn’t afraid of a few zombies, but night was falling and darkness made it more difficult to see the creatures coming. There was no reason to take unnecessary chances. Houses were safer to loot. “Let’s see if Ax and Spence found us some good digs.”
As they were loading the truck , an elderly couple emerged from a house across the street. They held hands as they crossed the highway, looking both ways as if expecting traffic. Levi chuckled at the useless gesture. They both wore reasonably clean clothing and appeared well fed, a fact which immediately attracted Levi’s attention. The man spoke first.
“I’m Charlie Drake. This is my wife Emma. Are you boys with the military?” He waved his hand toward the army truck.
O ne of the men behind him snorted. Levi smiled.
“We’re what you might call independent contractors. How have you two managed to survive this long surrounded by zombies?”
“Oh, Emma is quite a canner,” Charlie said. He patted her hand. “We have quite a supply of canned goods.”
“Charlie,” Emma warned quietly. “We don’t know these people.”
Charlie turned to her. “Hush, Emma. These boys are here to help us.” To Levi, he said, “If you like, we’ll feed you boys. Then you can take us to one of the shelters the military have set up.”
Levi nodded to Slant and grinned. Slant smiled, dismounted the Harley he straddled, and walked over to the couple. “We’ll take real good care of you,” he said.
Before the man could react, Slant drew the pistol from the holster he kept slung over his shoulder and shot the man in the head. The woman, knowing what
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