Read Online The Zombie Chasers #4 by John Kloepfer - Free Book Online Page A

“Come!”

    Twinkles barked and wiggled his rump, then took a flying leap as the train shot into the tunnel. The little pup landed on the platform unscathed and pranced toward Madison. She clutched Twinkles to her chest and pressed her cheek to the little Boggle, who was now happily licking her ear.
    â€œYou okay, Mad?” Zoe asked her BFF.
    â€œMm-hmm,” Madison lied, biting her bottom lip to stop it from quivering.
    Twinkles made a little whimpering noise and barked twice at his master.
    â€œUh-oh,” Zoe said, examining her friend.
    â€œWhat?” Zack and Ozzie asked simultaneously.
    â€œYou might want to back up,” Zoe said. “She’s gonna have a meltdown.”
    â€œWell, what do you expect?” Madison broke into tears, sobbing. “We almost just lost Twinkles. And Rice is a zombie and I’m not the antidote anymore, and I just almost got bitten by that weirdo, and if he had had just one tooth, I’d be a goner right now, you guys!”
    â€œDon’t worry, Madison,” said Zoe, trying to comfort her friend. “Because the creepy weirdo didn’t have any teeth and you’re not going to turn into a zombie, okay? I promise.”
    â€œWe just gotta keep going, Madison,” Zack said, trying to be encouraging. “We’re almost there!”
    â€œAre we?” Madison pouted. “Because it seems like all we’re doing is buying time. Face it: We’re done for!”
    â€œMadison, I know you’re scared,” Ozzie said. “We’re all scared. But right now we all need to be tough and stick together. We’re only as strong as our weakest link.”
    Zack looked at Rice trying to chew through the mouth hole of his gorilla mask. Nom-nom-nom.
    He hoped Ozzie was wrong about that.

N ew York City’s Upper West Side was a flash of red-white-and-blue ambulance lights. Police sirens blared their shrill whoops through the crisp night air. The whole street reeked like the gunk beneath a grungy toenail. Zack almost gagged on the pungent fumes as they hurried up to street level, now dragging Rice by the leash up the staircase one step at a time. Fresh off the subway, they found themselves on a familiar block. Zack looked up and noticed that they were back at the museum where the zombie exhibit had opened earlier that morning.
    â€œHang on, you guys,” Zack said, and raced up the stone steps. “I’ll be right back.” He burst into the museum and looked around the entrance hall. Zombie moans resounded throughout the building, but Zack had a clear shot to the human brain sample, a part of the exhibit. Zack cranked back his arm and struck the display case with the butt end of his umbrella. The glass shattered to pieces and Zack picked up the human brain, then raced back outside.
    Zack walked down the stone steps, holding the brain specimen in his hand.
    â€œEw, Zack, gross!” Madison cringed. “What’s that for?”
    â€œYou know how they lead a horse by dangling a carrot in front of its face?”
    â€œYeah,” Madison said. “I guess.”
    â€œSame idea,” Zack said, digging through Rice’s pack for supplies. “Except zombies don’t like carrots. . . .” He tied the brain with string from the backpack to the end of one of the umbrellas and held the strung-up brain over Rice’s head, keeping it just out of biting distance. “They like brains.” He smiled.
    Zombie Rice marched ahead, led by Zack dangling the brain in front of his face. They all crossed the street together, retracing their steps through the Central Park gates into the green oasis at the center of Manhattan. They worked their way down a dirt path winding through a patch of contorted trees twisting up out of the ground like giant hands clawing for outer space.
    A patch of clouds blotted out the moon, and the night darkened, making it much harder to distinguish zombies from