Read Online The Zombie Chronicles - Book 4 - Poisonous Serum (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) by Chrissy Peebles - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chrissy Peebles
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two and get our bearings back,” Jackie said. “We can all use a little R and R.”
“ Yeah, I know,” I agreed. “Being out on the road like that was really starting to take its toll. I bet I’ll be able to sleep for hours when we get done here.”
“ Me too,” Jackie said with a yawn.
“ Five more minutes and the next shift’s coming up!” Howard called over after several hours.
“ Okay,” Jackie said.
“ I can’t believe the rain hasn’t let up yet.”
“ I’ve always loved the rain,” Jackie said. “My mom and I used to sit on the porch and watch lightning storms late into the night.” She let out a breath. “I wonder where she is. I wonder how the rest of my family is. Are they alive? Did they even survive?”
Pain consumed me as I thought about my own family. “I’ve been wondering the same thing about mine. I wonder if my mom, dad, grandma, and friends survived the outbreak that infested the island.”
“ I guess all we can do is hope for the best.”
“ I vow to find them,” I stated emphatically, and it was a vow I intended to keep. I had no doubt that we would eventually make it back to the island and that I’d find my family alive somewhere.
“ Shift’s over, you two,” Howard said, as others came up on the roof.
Jackie leaned against the wall, holding the umbrella, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“ Don’t worry. We’ll find your family too,” I said.
“ How?” she asked. “Going back to New York City would be beyond dangerous. Besides, my family could be hiding anywhere, and I’ve got no way to get in touch with them. They probably think I’m dead and gone.”
“ I heard some of the big cities are putting together lists of who’s there. Maybe we can find them that way.”
“ Taking attendance, huh?”
I smiled. “Something like that.”
She touched my face, and I slowly kissed her lips as we wrapped ourselves closer. We just stood there in the rain as I placed gentle, emotional kisses on her lips. We were both in pain, our hearts breaking with homesickness and missing our families. With my thumb, I wiped a tear away.
“ I know I’ve gotta stay strong, Dean. I’m trying. I really am. It’s just—”
“ Jackie, you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. Look at what we’ve survived.”
“ No!” she said out of the blue. “I absolutely will not break down in front of you like this. I refuse to let you see me this way.”
“ It’s okay,” I whispered, staring into her tear-filled eyes. “Just let it out. I’m here for you.”
She hugged me tightly. “Just hold me, Dean.”
Her deeply pained voice jarred me to the core. I held her, and we embraced the pain together. I hoped we’d find a way to help her reunite with her family, but in the meantime, I was there to take care of her, and I was glad she had Claire, her cousin. “Wherever our relatives are, I’m sure they’d want us to live for them,” I whispered.
“ I know,” she said, meeting my gaze.
“ May we have our umbrella and rifles back?” a woman asked.
I handed them to her, and she thanked me.
Howard walked up to us but kept his distance a bit. “Hey, send your sister up.”
Jackie rolled her eyes. “She’s not my sister…and I want Claire assigned to a different post than you. If I find out that’s not the case, there’s gonna be trouble, Howard.”
I gripped Jackie’s hand, and we headed down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I ran into Nick, who was pacing the facility and keeping an eye out on everything.
“ How’d it go?” he asked.
“ So far, so good,” Jackie answered.
“ Good,” Nick said. “I think this will be a good place to stay until the roads are clear again.”
Jackie kissed me on the cheek. “Go ahead and talk to your brother. I’m gonna go catch some Zs. I’m beat.”
I hugged her, then gave her a small kiss goodnight, and she walked down the corridor to her room. Nick and I talked for a few minutes, but I was far too
“ Yeah, I know,” I agreed. “Being out on the road like that was really starting to take its toll. I bet I’ll be able to sleep for hours when we get done here.”
“ Me too,” Jackie said with a yawn.
“ Five more minutes and the next shift’s coming up!” Howard called over after several hours.
“ Okay,” Jackie said.
“ I can’t believe the rain hasn’t let up yet.”
“ I’ve always loved the rain,” Jackie said. “My mom and I used to sit on the porch and watch lightning storms late into the night.” She let out a breath. “I wonder where she is. I wonder how the rest of my family is. Are they alive? Did they even survive?”
Pain consumed me as I thought about my own family. “I’ve been wondering the same thing about mine. I wonder if my mom, dad, grandma, and friends survived the outbreak that infested the island.”
“ I guess all we can do is hope for the best.”
“ I vow to find them,” I stated emphatically, and it was a vow I intended to keep. I had no doubt that we would eventually make it back to the island and that I’d find my family alive somewhere.
“ Shift’s over, you two,” Howard said, as others came up on the roof.
Jackie leaned against the wall, holding the umbrella, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“ Don’t worry. We’ll find your family too,” I said.
“ How?” she asked. “Going back to New York City would be beyond dangerous. Besides, my family could be hiding anywhere, and I’ve got no way to get in touch with them. They probably think I’m dead and gone.”
“ I heard some of the big cities are putting together lists of who’s there. Maybe we can find them that way.”
“ Taking attendance, huh?”
I smiled. “Something like that.”
She touched my face, and I slowly kissed her lips as we wrapped ourselves closer. We just stood there in the rain as I placed gentle, emotional kisses on her lips. We were both in pain, our hearts breaking with homesickness and missing our families. With my thumb, I wiped a tear away.
“ I know I’ve gotta stay strong, Dean. I’m trying. I really am. It’s just—”
“ Jackie, you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. Look at what we’ve survived.”
“ No!” she said out of the blue. “I absolutely will not break down in front of you like this. I refuse to let you see me this way.”
“ It’s okay,” I whispered, staring into her tear-filled eyes. “Just let it out. I’m here for you.”
She hugged me tightly. “Just hold me, Dean.”
Her deeply pained voice jarred me to the core. I held her, and we embraced the pain together. I hoped we’d find a way to help her reunite with her family, but in the meantime, I was there to take care of her, and I was glad she had Claire, her cousin. “Wherever our relatives are, I’m sure they’d want us to live for them,” I whispered.
“ I know,” she said, meeting my gaze.
“ May we have our umbrella and rifles back?” a woman asked.
I handed them to her, and she thanked me.
Howard walked up to us but kept his distance a bit. “Hey, send your sister up.”
Jackie rolled her eyes. “She’s not my sister…and I want Claire assigned to a different post than you. If I find out that’s not the case, there’s gonna be trouble, Howard.”
I gripped Jackie’s hand, and we headed down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I ran into Nick, who was pacing the facility and keeping an eye out on everything.
“ How’d it go?” he asked.
“ So far, so good,” Jackie answered.
“ Good,” Nick said. “I think this will be a good place to stay until the roads are clear again.”
Jackie kissed me on the cheek. “Go ahead and talk to your brother. I’m gonna go catch some Zs. I’m beat.”
I hugged her, then gave her a small kiss goodnight, and she walked down the corridor to her room. Nick and I talked for a few minutes, but I was far too
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