Read Online The Truth is Contagious (The Contagium Series Book 4) by Emily Goodwin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Emily Goodwin
Tags: Romance, Paranormal, paranormal romance, Survival, Zombie, apocalypse, Living Dead, Dystopian, undead, walking dead
Ads: Link
sides. Hayden tipped his head toward it then
looked at me.
“Yeah,” I breathed. We jumped off the path
into waist high weeds and sprinted to the old building. Hayden
skidded to a stop and raised his rifle. He ducked inside, scoping
out the surroundings.
“Clear,” he whispered and stepped into the
shade. The sweet smell of rotting leaves mixed with the foul odor
of rain-ruined boards.
I let out a breath and relaxed my bow arm.
Then something grabbed my hair, yanking me back. It caught me off
guard and I tripped as my feet scuffed the ground. Hayden whirled
around and jumped into action right as I elbowed the crazy in the
ribs. He didn’t react to the pain but hesitated when the air
whooshed out of his lungs. I brought my arm up and spun, bringing
it down on his wrist and breaking his hold on my hair.
Hayden rushed in and, with swift grace,
pulled the knife from his hip and shoved it into the crazy’s ear.
He stepped back and let the crazy slum to the ground. Blood
splattered my feet.
“You ok?” he asked and flicked the brain
matter from his knife. Fresh brains weren’t as sticky as zombie
brains. And it didn’t smell as putrid.
“Yeah, but the bastard ripped out several
strands of hair.” I reached back and felt my braid.
Hayden gave me a wry smile. “Well, if that’s
the worst he did then we’re lucky.” He put the strap of his rifle
over his head and put his hand on my arm. We stepped into the
shelter of the old building.
“What the hell,” I whispered.
“A herd of S1s?” he asked incredulously.
“That isn’t supposed to happen. And they’re armed. Not well,
but…”
“I know. This is bad. Really bad.”
“We need to get out of here.”
I nodded in agreement. “We need a plan
first.”
“Right,” he said and took a step to the
entrance of the old barn. He winced.
“Shit,” I swore. “You’re bleeding.” I swung
the bow up and over my shoulder and moved to Hayden’s side. I knelt
down and pulled up the leg of his jeans. A large splinter had
forced its way under his skin. I cringed at the sight of it. That
thing had to hurt like a mother.
“Just leave it, Riss.”
“No way. It could get lodged in even
further.”
He looked down at me. “I don’t think it works
that way.”
I shook my head. “Raeya always said so,” I
muttered. “This is gonna hurt.” I pinched his skin with one hand
and grabbed the splinter, digging my nails into the shard of wood.
I had to brace myself for the pain it would cause Hayden. On a
mental count of three, I yanked the sucker out.
“God damn,” he swore and turned away, lifting
up his leg.
I pushed my eyebrows together and stood,
holding up the splinter. “It needed out.”
Hayden took in the size of it and
shrugged.
“I need to stop the bleeding.” I said. I was
pissed at myself for leaving the first aid kit in the truck.
“It’s not that bad. And it won’t matter
unless we figure out how to get out of here.”
“Good point.” I dropped the splinter and
looked at Hayden. “I say we run that way,” I pointed in the
opposite direction that we had come, “and cross the river as soon
as we can. Then book it through the trees and get back to the
truck. Well, given we don’t run into the crazy train again.”
“Good enough for me.” He peered out once
more. “Ready?”
I nodded and we took off. We ran through the
long forgotten pasture that surrounded the little barn and jumped
over a broken white fence. More trees surrounded the old barn, but
they at least weren’t as thick as the ones we had come through
before.
Using the sound of the river as my guide, we
rushed forward. I held my bow out in front of me, pushing away
branches to keep them from scratching my face. Sunlight filtered
through the thick leaves, creating blinding patches of light.
Something snarled and crashed toward us.
“Duck!” I shouted as I pulled an arrow.
Hayden bent at the waist. I strung the arrow without looking and
pulled it back. Right
looked at me.
“Yeah,” I breathed. We jumped off the path
into waist high weeds and sprinted to the old building. Hayden
skidded to a stop and raised his rifle. He ducked inside, scoping
out the surroundings.
“Clear,” he whispered and stepped into the
shade. The sweet smell of rotting leaves mixed with the foul odor
of rain-ruined boards.
I let out a breath and relaxed my bow arm.
Then something grabbed my hair, yanking me back. It caught me off
guard and I tripped as my feet scuffed the ground. Hayden whirled
around and jumped into action right as I elbowed the crazy in the
ribs. He didn’t react to the pain but hesitated when the air
whooshed out of his lungs. I brought my arm up and spun, bringing
it down on his wrist and breaking his hold on my hair.
Hayden rushed in and, with swift grace,
pulled the knife from his hip and shoved it into the crazy’s ear.
He stepped back and let the crazy slum to the ground. Blood
splattered my feet.
“You ok?” he asked and flicked the brain
matter from his knife. Fresh brains weren’t as sticky as zombie
brains. And it didn’t smell as putrid.
“Yeah, but the bastard ripped out several
strands of hair.” I reached back and felt my braid.
Hayden gave me a wry smile. “Well, if that’s
the worst he did then we’re lucky.” He put the strap of his rifle
over his head and put his hand on my arm. We stepped into the
shelter of the old building.
“What the hell,” I whispered.
“A herd of S1s?” he asked incredulously.
“That isn’t supposed to happen. And they’re armed. Not well,
but…”
“I know. This is bad. Really bad.”
“We need to get out of here.”
I nodded in agreement. “We need a plan
first.”
“Right,” he said and took a step to the
entrance of the old barn. He winced.
“Shit,” I swore. “You’re bleeding.” I swung
the bow up and over my shoulder and moved to Hayden’s side. I knelt
down and pulled up the leg of his jeans. A large splinter had
forced its way under his skin. I cringed at the sight of it. That
thing had to hurt like a mother.
“Just leave it, Riss.”
“No way. It could get lodged in even
further.”
He looked down at me. “I don’t think it works
that way.”
I shook my head. “Raeya always said so,” I
muttered. “This is gonna hurt.” I pinched his skin with one hand
and grabbed the splinter, digging my nails into the shard of wood.
I had to brace myself for the pain it would cause Hayden. On a
mental count of three, I yanked the sucker out.
“God damn,” he swore and turned away, lifting
up his leg.
I pushed my eyebrows together and stood,
holding up the splinter. “It needed out.”
Hayden took in the size of it and
shrugged.
“I need to stop the bleeding.” I said. I was
pissed at myself for leaving the first aid kit in the truck.
“It’s not that bad. And it won’t matter
unless we figure out how to get out of here.”
“Good point.” I dropped the splinter and
looked at Hayden. “I say we run that way,” I pointed in the
opposite direction that we had come, “and cross the river as soon
as we can. Then book it through the trees and get back to the
truck. Well, given we don’t run into the crazy train again.”
“Good enough for me.” He peered out once
more. “Ready?”
I nodded and we took off. We ran through the
long forgotten pasture that surrounded the little barn and jumped
over a broken white fence. More trees surrounded the old barn, but
they at least weren’t as thick as the ones we had come through
before.
Using the sound of the river as my guide, we
rushed forward. I held my bow out in front of me, pushing away
branches to keep them from scratching my face. Sunlight filtered
through the thick leaves, creating blinding patches of light.
Something snarled and crashed toward us.
“Duck!” I shouted as I pulled an arrow.
Hayden bent at the waist. I strung the arrow without looking and
pulled it back. Right