Read Online The Last Infection: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller by Michael W. Garza - Free Book Online Page B

between the seats and taken the boy’s place next to Alicen. Both were presently snoring.
    “What is it?” Chris asked.
    Jake hadn’t elaborated nor had his grip loosened. “I hear something,” he whispered.
    Chris waited for a bette r explanation, which never came.
    “ Details please.”
    “ It’s…just…” Jake stopped and his grip tightened to the point where it hurt.
    Chris went to grab the boy’s wrist when he heard an odd clanging of metal. Jake’s head snapped around and his saucer sized ey es gawked at him as if to say, you heard that right? Chris started to dismiss it, but when the sound returned, it was in the form of three distinct hits in rhythm. He pushed the boy’s hand away, then reached back and shoved Jen. She awoke and looked from Jake to him to which the boy made a formal announcement.
    “We’ve got trouble.”
    She picked up the pistol from her lap and leaned toward Chris. “What do we do?’
    Chris shrugged. “We have to go back. I don’t want to draw attention to us , but there’s more to worry about than just the dead or the infected.”
    “You’re not going to get any complaints from us,” she said.
    Jake agreed with a nod. Chris struggled through his choices and deci ded on the lesser of two evils.
    “Wake her and put your seatbelts on.” Everyone started strapping in , but the true extent of their troubles came to a head when Chris turned the key and nothing happened. “What the hell?” He turned it off, pumped the gas, and tried it again without as much as a click. The growing terror on Jake’s face was highlighted by Alicen’s voice from the backseat.
    “What’s the matter? Why aren’t we moving?’
    Chris frantically tried to get the van to start several times, and then laid his head against the steering wheel. In a defeated tone, he stated the obvious. “I’m going to have to take a look.” The silence from the group spoke volumes. Chris took a deep breath, popped open the door and stepped out. He had his pipe, leaving Jenn with the gun. He closed the door and motioned for them to lock it. Jake promptly leapt across the seats and complied.
    The air was much colder than it was during his first outing. A shocking chill ran up his spine as a gust of wind rushed across the interstate to greet him. Chris let his eyes and ears adjust to his surroundings. His senses told him a number of things by the second. There were sounds under the wind he hadn’t heard inside the van. There were footsteps for sure and his hands shook as reality set in.
    He turned towards the blockade of vehicles and took a step before a shuffling of feet pulled him around. He caught sight of movement first, then a dark figure rushing towards him from the rear of the van. Chris swung his pipe with one hand as he tried to open the driver’s side door with the other, neither having success. The pipe missed its mark and slammed into the side of the van. He stumbled back and swung again. The second attempt made solid impact and the result was unexpected.
    “Damn it .”
    The sudden outburst froze Chris in place. A flurry of action followed as several figures rushed the van from both sides of the road. Chris took a step back to prepare to fight and as he did , a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. He struggled against the clutch until the approaching figure punched him square in the jaw. The first shot dazed him and he dropped the pipe. The second shot took him down.
    Chris was on his stomach when Jenn fired the gun. A series of smashing glass followed as a gathering grew around the van. The size of the group swelled in seconds until they were surrounded. Chris heard Alicen yell for Jake, and then she called out his name. He tried to get up to his hands and knees when something solid smacked him on the back of the head. The world spun out of control as he hit the pavement face first. A second later, and he was swallowed by the surrounding darkness.

 
    8.
     
    Chris felt throbbing in his