Read Online Riding The Apocalypse by Frank Ignagni III - Free Book Online Page A

appeared human and uninfected. It was as if this particular area had so far been spared the influx of monsters. Then I noticed a car door open to my left, and blood outside the vehicle, but there were no bodies present so—although I will never get used to how red blood is in the light of day—I stayed positive.
    I half expected to see the military trucks and armed guards in front of Kmart, policing a free-for-all with looters and gunfire galore. Instead, what I saw was something quite different, and even more shocking. It appeared the police were a bit lenient on the Martial Law order while people got what they needed. If the military had desired, it could be shooting people on sight, but what I saw was something different. I saw people working together, and the police looking the other way, watching their backs.
    I smiled under my helmet to the point my cheeks pushed on the inner padding.
    I had always had trust issues but my faith in humanity in general had reached something of a low ebb recently. It seemed like the world had become a more selfish and a less community-minded place to live, at least compared to my youth. So when I saw this scene, I was both humbled and gladdened. I might have to rethink my stance on the moral decay of society, which I had been a staunch believer in. It was an altogether different form of decay now.
    A large bed sheet marked with block letters hung on the facade of the Kmart:
     
    “HELP US HELP U, TAKE ONLY WHAT U NEED!”
     
    There were at least twenty people keeping order in front, most still wearing the blue vests. Many of them were handing out food, cases of water, and other supplies. There was an orderly line of people waiting off to the side. As I looked closer I saw police officers shouldering rifles and squad cars parked nearby. But then I realized they were actually unloading a semi trailer rather than actively keeping the peace. My eyes welled when I saw how considerate and practical these people were acting on both sides. Instead of a free-for-all with every man for himself, people were working together. I realized as we got closer they were actually letting people into the store. We pulled the bikes up onto the sidewalk, because we could, and endured the cross looks from the car drivers. Cagers are what we like to call them, at least we do when we aren’t in our cars. Anyway, we went to the back of the line of people who were waiting to get into the store.
    We had decided beforehand what we needed and made a list which included toiletries and assorted dry goods. Max was back at the garage filling buckets with water while the plumbing was still working; water was not a concern and others seemed to need it more.
    “Have you heard the latest? You get the radio on that thing?” asked a man line who was pointing  to the antenna on my helmet.
    He had an ear bud in one ear, which was plugged into his phone, and looked to be seconds from shorting the phone out from nervous sweat.
    “It is more for talking to other riders, so not really,” I answered.
    “They’re coming, man,” he said with a grim look on his face.
    “Who?” I replied.
    “The zombies, dude, get all you can and get the hell out of here. Radio says there are tens of thousands of them coming from downtown San Jose, and they are spreading like wildfire. A whole shitload of ’em just shut down 280 South, look!” he said, pointing in the direction of the freeway.
    I could see smoke in the distance, but it looked miles away. Downtown San Jose was about ten miles southwest of here, and we hadn’t planned on heading that way, so I mostly felt relieved it wasn’t from our direction.
    At least not today.
    “How is it spreading so damn fast?” asked Buell. “Jesus, they are so slow, can’t people just move out of the way?”
    “I know, it’s like an inferno jumping the fire breaks,” the sweaty man said emphatically. “I sure hope it isn’t airborne or some shit like that, ’cause then we’re all fucked