Read Online Monster Hunter Vendetta by Larry Correia - Free Book Online Page B

talented, and tough as nails. Julie is the spitting image of her mother, only alive and not filled with soul-crushing evil. "Oh, man! I'm sure glad to see you." I hugged her and ran a filthy hand across her cheek. Being a tough guy, I tried not to cry like a sissy in front of the federal agents. She held me tight. She must have thought that she had lost me. I sure did hate that feeling.
    She tilted her head back and kissed me. Man, I'm glad to be out of jail. Finally she broke away, removed her glasses and wiped a tiny bit of moisture from her eyes. "You taste like chemicals."
    "Lice powder. What's going on?"
    "I should ask you that. What happened at the resort? There were zombies, and then you disappeared, and then the Feds showed up looking for you."
    "It's complicated, I'll try to explain, but is the team okay? And what are you doing with these guys?"
    "Everybody's fine. I made Myers bring me when I found out he was looking for you. Oh, Owen, I'm just glad you're safe."
    The driver's side door opened and Agent Franks squeezed his bulk behind the wheel. Myers slid into the passenger side. The interior light died when he closed the door. Myers turned to face us over the seat.
    "You didn't make me do anything. I let you come," he snapped.
    "I hoped we could use her to ID your body," Franks said emotionlessly. That made two complete sentences in one night, which was pretty good for Franks. Sadly, both of them had something to do with wishing for my death. I suppose I just have that effect on some people. Franks slammed the big vehicle into gear and gunned it out through the gate in a spray of gravel. Prisoners caught in the headlights had to jump out of the way to avoid being run down. Myers turned back around and spoke into his radio, ordering the other two vehicles to watch for an ambush. The gates of Tijira Prison faded into the background.
    "And the zombie outbreak? Did we get it contained in time?" I had to know. It was stupid, but I felt like it was my fault.
    "There were only a few more casualties after you were arrested. A Girls Gone Wild video crew had their brains eaten...so no significant losses," Myers stated.
    "What happened? How did you end up here?" Julie asked. "And what happened to your head? That lump is huge."
    "Shotgun butt." I dismissed it with a wave. Unfortunately for me, traumatic brain injuries were a relatively common occurrence. "I'll explain later. I saw your mom and dad."
    "What?" Julie's voice rose an octave. "Here? Now?" She turned and watched out the window. "Not again..." Normally Julie's Alabama accent was very faint, except for when she got excited, or in this case, scared. Susan and Ray would be a dark spot in our life until they finally got staked and chopped.
    "I think they're gone for now." I put my arm over her shoulder and pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "I'll fill you in on what they said, but I don't want these pricks to hear." She nodded and her hand moved to the black mark on the side of her neck, an unconscious habit that she had picked up when she was under a great deal of stress. To most people, the mark looked like a thick, black, line tattoo. In actuality it was something entirely different. Susan's parting words had been about how the mark that had saved Julie was going to eventually kill her. Not if I can help it.
    "Pitt, at the resort, did you see him?" Myers queried, back to business.
    "Him who?" I decided to play stupid. I knew that the Feds had not rescued me out of the goodness of their hearts and I wanted to know why.
    "The leader of the Condition. The necromancer."
    "English guy, turns into a giant shadow when the lights go out, throws toilets at people, that one?"
    Myers got excited. "Did you see his face?"
    "A little, but it was dark."
    "I'll have you talk to a sketch artist on the flight home. You're now the only person we know of who has seen him in person."
    "What's the Condition?" Julie asked.
    "The Sanctified Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition.