Read Online The Hungry 5: All Hell Breaks Loose (The Sheriff Penny Miller Series) by Steven Booth, Harry Shannon - Free Book Online

cold.
    “They turned us in. The military is sending a Special Ops team to extract us like a rotten tooth.”
    “Oh, shit,” Rat said.
    “If he’s right about that, then we have yet another big problem,” Sheppard said. “We just can’t seem to catch a break.”
    “Well, thank you Captain Understatement. Any other amazing observations you want to make?” Scratch kicked a little bit of dirt onto Sheppard’s boot.
    “Well,” Sheppard said, “at least they were telling you the truth about not being cannibals any longer. They must be getting supplies from the Army, probably just enough to keep them alive and make them totally dependent. Not bad thinking on the Army’s part, actually. Get good intel from eyes and ears on the ground. Maybe they help to trap research zombies, and turn in human stragglers.” Sheppard paused. “Wait. Actually, the only flaw in your theory is that they are dealing with Crystal Palace. I was in command there for months, and I would have heard something about this.”
    Miller considered the point. “Yeah, and you didn’t have drones, either. But maybe our psychopathic friend Rubenstein set all this up without filling you in, Karl. I wouldn’t put it past him.”
    Sheppard thought for a moment. They were missing something, and they both knew it. “I wouldn’t either, but…”
    “We’ve got more than a mess on our hands. We’ve got five or six of the enemy just around the corner, more down deep, and the only thing that’s keeping them from coming after us is that they are afraid of the drones.” Miller looked at them all. “Does anyone still have a decent weapon?”
    After a long pause, Sheppard said, “You’ve still got that pry bar, Penny.”
    “That’s it?”
    “I’m afraid so,” said Sheppard. Rat nodded her agreement. “We dropped our tools in the cave when we followed you here. The guns are in the rubble.”
    “So, summing up, the good news is we’re back together. The bad news is that we’ve got the Army on the way, a group of ex-cannibals with questionable motives hiding a few yards over, and the only weapon we have is this fucking pry bar.”
    “Guess that’s about the size of it, Penny,” Scratch muttered.
    “Wait, don’t forget the drones,” said Sheppard, helpfully. “They will pretty likely kill us the second we step outside.”
    Miller laughed quietly. Eventually so did the others. “Damn, this day just keeps getting better and better.”

CHAPTER FIVE

    Miller listened for the faint sound of the drone engine as it searched for them, that insect-like humming from overhead. She kept her people in a crouch until it had passed them by. The pilots seemed prone to flying long, looping patterns. The craft would be back, but not for at least a couple of minutes. She looked at her team with a warm feeling in her stomach. They were safe for the time being, or so she hoped, but they’d need one hell of a smart move to take them to the next level. Miller studied their situation. She surveyed Scratch with his fairly short hair and beginnings of a new beard. From this angle, he almost looks like… Yes! Miller came to a decision. The others just sat quietly, waiting for orders.
    “Okay, here’s the plan. We bluff.”
    “Whatever you say, Penny,” Scratch said as he got to his knees. “As long as we do something besides sit here and pee in our jeans waiting to die.”
    Miller hefted the pry bar. “Follow my lead.” She took a deep breath and began shouting at the top of her lungs. “We found him! Praise God! He is alive! We found Terrill Lee!”
    Catching on, Sheppard and Rat cheered and whistled. “We found him!”
    Scratch shot her a strange look shrugged. He shouted too. “Praise the lord, we found him!”
    Frustrated, Miller turned to Scratch, and punched him in the arm. “ You’re Terrill Lee, Scratch,” she whispered.
    “ I am?”
    “I’ll explain later. Just act like a savior and let’s hope these people buy it.” She went back to