Read Online The Zone: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Infection Chronicles Book 1) by Tripp Ellis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tripp Ellis
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burning of the APC.
The major glanced at his watch. He had an hour to get to the extraction point. But if Delroy and Parker had abandoned him, he’d have to beat them there. And that seemed impossible.
CHAPTER 13
INFECTED BEGAN TO swarm around Steele. The stiff in the tattered suit stumbled into the street. Steele grabbed the sword from behind his back and spun it around. His eyes scanned the crowd of infected gathering around—maybe fifteen of them. Not bad. At least it wasn’t a hundred.
Their feet scraped across the concrete as they staggered. Their bodies were contorted into ghoulish shapes. Maybe muscle spasms were causing them to seize up, Steele thought. They snarled and moaned and drooled. And they smelled. A pungent, putrid stench. The kind of stink that burns your nostrils and makes your eyes water.
Steele took a moment and just watched them. It all seemed so surreal. Mindless creatures, endlessly roaming. How did this happen? What were they? He knew only one thing for sure—he never wanted to be one. Steele pulled his tactical goggles down over his eyes. It was time to get to work.
SWOOSH!
Steele swung the blade, slicing off a lurker’s head—it spun and splattered on the ground. Steele slashed in the opposite direction—another head toppled.
Swish.
Another severed head.
Swoosh.
Infected guts spilled out.
Slash.
A torso cut in half.
Spinning and slicing, Steele worked his way through the stiffs. Dark blood and guts spewed everywhere as Steele hacked and slashed. He left a trail of eviscerated remains behind him. Soon, he had chopped all of them down. The bodies writhed and twitched on the concrete.
Steele lifted his goggles and wiped the blood from the blade. As he surveyed his handiwork, he heard the scraping sound of the SUV’s rims against the concrete. An instant later, the Range Rover rambled around the corner. Steele trotted to the SUV and climbed in the passenger seat.
“You didn’t think we were going to leave you, did you?” Delroy said.
Steele lifted an eyebrow.
“Give me more credit than that, Major.”
“Drive, Delroy.”
“Yes, sir.”
Delroy dropped it into gear and hit the gas. The rims were like a disc grinder on concrete. The grating sound got annoying quickly. It would certainly draw a crowd wherever they went.
The SUV sped down the road and weaved through the neighborhood, mowing over lurkers here and there.
“We’ve got a little bit of a problem,” Delroy said.
“What is it?” Steele asked.
“Gas tank may have gotten hit,” Delroy said. “Or a fuel line.”
“We’ve got roughly six clicks to the extraction point. Let’s see how far she takes us,” Steele said.
The engine was sputtering within a mile. It clamored to a stop in the middle of the road several hundred yards later.
Delroy punched the steering wheel. “Damn it.”
“Looks like our lease is up,” Steele said. “Time for a trade in.”
“Coming right up,” Delroy said. “See anything that strikes your fancy?” Dozens of parked cars lined the roadway. They were covered in dirt and grime, and none of them had been started in several months.
“Find one with gas that will start,” Steele said.
Delroy hopped out of the SUV and began scavenging the roadway.
“Parker, keep an eye on her,” Steele said, nodding to Chloe.
“Yes, sir,” Parker replied.
Steele stepped out of the SUV and scanned the area. It was empty for now. But that wouldn’t last long. The lurkers had a way of finding you. Mostly attracted to sound, but some swore they could smell living flesh. Like a shark sniffing a drop of blood in a square mile of water. People said a lot of things, didn’t make them true. But stand in one spot for long enough and the lurkers would come for you.
Delroy scampered from car to car, looking for something suitable. He finally settled on a 2036, Vexpa sedan. Black with leather hand stitched interior. It was a nice car, although it
The major glanced at his watch. He had an hour to get to the extraction point. But if Delroy and Parker had abandoned him, he’d have to beat them there. And that seemed impossible.
CHAPTER 13
INFECTED BEGAN TO swarm around Steele. The stiff in the tattered suit stumbled into the street. Steele grabbed the sword from behind his back and spun it around. His eyes scanned the crowd of infected gathering around—maybe fifteen of them. Not bad. At least it wasn’t a hundred.
Their feet scraped across the concrete as they staggered. Their bodies were contorted into ghoulish shapes. Maybe muscle spasms were causing them to seize up, Steele thought. They snarled and moaned and drooled. And they smelled. A pungent, putrid stench. The kind of stink that burns your nostrils and makes your eyes water.
Steele took a moment and just watched them. It all seemed so surreal. Mindless creatures, endlessly roaming. How did this happen? What were they? He knew only one thing for sure—he never wanted to be one. Steele pulled his tactical goggles down over his eyes. It was time to get to work.
SWOOSH!
Steele swung the blade, slicing off a lurker’s head—it spun and splattered on the ground. Steele slashed in the opposite direction—another head toppled.
Swish.
Another severed head.
Swoosh.
Infected guts spilled out.
Slash.
A torso cut in half.
Spinning and slicing, Steele worked his way through the stiffs. Dark blood and guts spewed everywhere as Steele hacked and slashed. He left a trail of eviscerated remains behind him. Soon, he had chopped all of them down. The bodies writhed and twitched on the concrete.
Steele lifted his goggles and wiped the blood from the blade. As he surveyed his handiwork, he heard the scraping sound of the SUV’s rims against the concrete. An instant later, the Range Rover rambled around the corner. Steele trotted to the SUV and climbed in the passenger seat.
“You didn’t think we were going to leave you, did you?” Delroy said.
Steele lifted an eyebrow.
“Give me more credit than that, Major.”
“Drive, Delroy.”
“Yes, sir.”
Delroy dropped it into gear and hit the gas. The rims were like a disc grinder on concrete. The grating sound got annoying quickly. It would certainly draw a crowd wherever they went.
The SUV sped down the road and weaved through the neighborhood, mowing over lurkers here and there.
“We’ve got a little bit of a problem,” Delroy said.
“What is it?” Steele asked.
“Gas tank may have gotten hit,” Delroy said. “Or a fuel line.”
“We’ve got roughly six clicks to the extraction point. Let’s see how far she takes us,” Steele said.
The engine was sputtering within a mile. It clamored to a stop in the middle of the road several hundred yards later.
Delroy punched the steering wheel. “Damn it.”
“Looks like our lease is up,” Steele said. “Time for a trade in.”
“Coming right up,” Delroy said. “See anything that strikes your fancy?” Dozens of parked cars lined the roadway. They were covered in dirt and grime, and none of them had been started in several months.
“Find one with gas that will start,” Steele said.
Delroy hopped out of the SUV and began scavenging the roadway.
“Parker, keep an eye on her,” Steele said, nodding to Chloe.
“Yes, sir,” Parker replied.
Steele stepped out of the SUV and scanned the area. It was empty for now. But that wouldn’t last long. The lurkers had a way of finding you. Mostly attracted to sound, but some swore they could smell living flesh. Like a shark sniffing a drop of blood in a square mile of water. People said a lot of things, didn’t make them true. But stand in one spot for long enough and the lurkers would come for you.
Delroy scampered from car to car, looking for something suitable. He finally settled on a 2036, Vexpa sedan. Black with leather hand stitched interior. It was a nice car, although it
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