Read Online Omega Days (Book 3): Drifters by John L. Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John L. Campbell
Tags: Zombies
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wandering the forest.” He waved at the trees and hills again. “Got to be a thousand or more, all staying close and moving together, damned if I know why. When they pass through, it looks like something out of that Kevin Costner movie, the one with him and the Indians, hunting buffalo. The Stampede leaves a crushed-down path in its wake. And that’s what come out of the trees that day.” He spit again. “I headed out right away, and I haven’t been back until today.” He shook his head. “But I’m still awful sorry about your daddy.”
Angie let out a shaky breath. “He’s resting now, Halsey. What made you come back now?”
“I saw your chopper,” Halsey replied. “Made it out to the Skyway just in time to see you bank over this way. There’s nothing out here except your daddy’s ranch.” He told them he had no idea Angie was on board. He had only wanted to know what all the helicopter activity was about and that maybe it was a sign that things were getting under control. Then he told them about seeing the Black Hawk wreckage shortly before their arrival. He hadn’t gotten close to it and could offer no suggestion as to who they might have been.
“What about Dean and Leah?” Angie asked. “We didn’t find their bodies. Are they . . . ? Did they . . . ?”
The ranch hand shook his head. “I was watching, and if those sons of bitches had taken them when they left, I’d have seen it. Maybe they got away.” He didn’t add that maybe Dean and their daughter rose from the dead and just wandered off. Halsey was a direct man, but that didn’t mean a person had to deliver unnecessary cruelties.
“What about my mom?” Angie said. “Did you see her?”
The cowboy’s eyes cut away and he said nothing, only spat tobacco.
“Halsey, did you see her?”
He sighed. “After.” Then he looked up at the woman. “Your mama’s dead, Angie, but she came back.” Halsey thought again about unnecessary cruelty, and weighed it against a young woman’s right to know what had happened to her mother. “They took her. That trash put a collar on her and chained that woman into the bed of a pickup truck, like they’d caught a mountain lion or some damn thing, and they took her.”
Angie closed her eyes as her body shook. Carney put an arm around her and pulled her close.
“When did all this happen?” Skye demanded.
Halsey took a moment and squinted up at the misting, slate-colored sky. “Oh, I’d say two, three weeks after all this started. Call it the first week of September.”
Skye looked at her friend. “I found something at the far end of the tunnel, Ang. A single word spray-painted on the wall.” She told them what she had seen, and Angie became animated, hugging Skye fiercely, new tears in her eyes, but smiling now.
“They’re alive,” she breathed.
The others simply nodded, none of them prepared to throw cold water on their friend’s sudden relief by reminding her that had been more than four months ago. A lot could have happened in that time.
Angie planted her fists on her hips. “I’m going after them.”
Skye looked at her friend. “You know I’m in. No matter what we find.”
Carney nodded, a thin, unpleasant smile on his face. “And we need to kill some motherfuckers.”
Angie squeezed their shoulders, mouthing a silent
Thank you
at each.
Vladimir clapped his hands. “Yes! We will find Angie’s family, and there will be killing of the motherfuckers. I like this!” He pointed at the Black Hawk. “That, however, is going to be a problem.”
When they looked at him, Vlad shook his head and spat out something in Russian, folding his arms. When he spoke, it was as if to children. “Tell me, is there anything left in this world that draws more attention than a working helicopter?”
“How about an aircraft carrier?” muttered Skye.
The Russian wagged a finger. “You are most amusing. The answer is
nyet
. It calls to the dead like a bell for the dinner, and it
Angie let out a shaky breath. “He’s resting now, Halsey. What made you come back now?”
“I saw your chopper,” Halsey replied. “Made it out to the Skyway just in time to see you bank over this way. There’s nothing out here except your daddy’s ranch.” He told them he had no idea Angie was on board. He had only wanted to know what all the helicopter activity was about and that maybe it was a sign that things were getting under control. Then he told them about seeing the Black Hawk wreckage shortly before their arrival. He hadn’t gotten close to it and could offer no suggestion as to who they might have been.
“What about Dean and Leah?” Angie asked. “We didn’t find their bodies. Are they . . . ? Did they . . . ?”
The ranch hand shook his head. “I was watching, and if those sons of bitches had taken them when they left, I’d have seen it. Maybe they got away.” He didn’t add that maybe Dean and their daughter rose from the dead and just wandered off. Halsey was a direct man, but that didn’t mean a person had to deliver unnecessary cruelties.
“What about my mom?” Angie said. “Did you see her?”
The cowboy’s eyes cut away and he said nothing, only spat tobacco.
“Halsey, did you see her?”
He sighed. “After.” Then he looked up at the woman. “Your mama’s dead, Angie, but she came back.” Halsey thought again about unnecessary cruelty, and weighed it against a young woman’s right to know what had happened to her mother. “They took her. That trash put a collar on her and chained that woman into the bed of a pickup truck, like they’d caught a mountain lion or some damn thing, and they took her.”
Angie closed her eyes as her body shook. Carney put an arm around her and pulled her close.
“When did all this happen?” Skye demanded.
Halsey took a moment and squinted up at the misting, slate-colored sky. “Oh, I’d say two, three weeks after all this started. Call it the first week of September.”
Skye looked at her friend. “I found something at the far end of the tunnel, Ang. A single word spray-painted on the wall.” She told them what she had seen, and Angie became animated, hugging Skye fiercely, new tears in her eyes, but smiling now.
“They’re alive,” she breathed.
The others simply nodded, none of them prepared to throw cold water on their friend’s sudden relief by reminding her that had been more than four months ago. A lot could have happened in that time.
Angie planted her fists on her hips. “I’m going after them.”
Skye looked at her friend. “You know I’m in. No matter what we find.”
Carney nodded, a thin, unpleasant smile on his face. “And we need to kill some motherfuckers.”
Angie squeezed their shoulders, mouthing a silent
Thank you
at each.
Vladimir clapped his hands. “Yes! We will find Angie’s family, and there will be killing of the motherfuckers. I like this!” He pointed at the Black Hawk. “That, however, is going to be a problem.”
When they looked at him, Vlad shook his head and spat out something in Russian, folding his arms. When he spoke, it was as if to children. “Tell me, is there anything left in this world that draws more attention than a working helicopter?”
“How about an aircraft carrier?” muttered Skye.
The Russian wagged a finger. “You are most amusing. The answer is
nyet
. It calls to the dead like a bell for the dinner, and it
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