Read Online Torn Apart (Book 1): Terror In Texas by C.A. Hoaks - Free Book Online Page B

too.”
    Liz continued her musing while they discussed beer. She imagined the trio was Viet Nam Vets so Harry and his friends had to be at least sixty years plus in age. All three wore jeans, heavy chambray shirts and leather vests with an emblem with a caricature of an angry rat holding a machine gun. The two-word moniker, River Rats, was embroidered in gold and black thread. The angry rodent was surrounded by a medallion edge of bamboo.
    Harry chuckled. “So you’ve been drinking a lot of cow piss so you’d know what it tastes like?”
    John coughed. “Fuck you. Harry, you’re a disgusting fuck.”
    Harry just grinned back and raised a hand with the middle finger extended.
    Liz felt the corner of her mouth raise at the good-humored ribbing and continued her assessment. John was a man of medium build with dark hair thinning at the top. His eyes sported a fan of lines at the side and she imagined the hazel color sparkling when he laughed. The laugh lines at the sides of his mouth were hidden by more than a five o’clock shadow hinting at the number of days spent away from home.
    Dave was the smallest of the trio. He was a nervous man that seemed to be more distressed by their confinement than the other two men. He would pace from side to side then suddenly stop in front of the door, open the peephole then peered through the opening at the streets beyond. After several minutes of watching, he would close the opening and begin pacing again.
    Dave’s dark blonde hair was thinning and looked as if it had not been washed in days. A strong jaw hinted at having been a good looking man at one time, but now his mouth seemed to be in a perpetual frown. When he reached up to smooth back his hair his hand trembled.
    Harry glanced over his shoulder. “Dave, come on over and have something to eat. We got a mission.”
    Dave glanced toward the peephole in the door then turned back to cross the room to the bar. “Mission?” He mumbled. “Right. Good to go.”
    Harry sighed. “When things calm down, we have to help Lizzy here find her kids.”
    “It’s almost full dark. Maybe we can get out tonight.” John commented.
    Laughing without humor Dave answered. “Haven’t you watched any of those Zombie movies? Those bastards don’t sleep.”
    “Enough.” Harry walked to the peephole and looked outside. “If we can’t make it any sooner, we’ll wait until morning. The crazies are chasing anything moving right now. Good chance they’ll wander off when there’s no one to chase.”
    Liz sighed. She closed her eyes and prayed softly. “Please God, send angels to watch over and protect my daughters.”
    “Amen,” Harry whispered behind her. “We’ll do what we can, Lizzy. I promise.”
    The evening was filled with terror. Screams continued to shatter the stillness as the night grew dark. Safe inside the bar, Harry, John and Dave took turns watching through the peephole in the heavy wood door. Liz took comfort in not hearing the scream of a child.
    The infected moved up and down the street until they would suddenly congregate in front of a window or door. They would pound and push until the barrier gave way or glass shattered then they would stumble inside. Those who ran for their vehicles were quickly surrounded. They would try to dodge and weave around the bloodied bodies only to be pulled to the ground and devoured. Their terrified screams echoed through the night until they fell silent, time and again.
    One such attack happened right in front of the bar door. They hid behind the door, but no one made a move to open it. They knew it would be a fatal mistake. The victim’s screams finally stopped. Liz stood by with tears sliding down her face.
    Harry took a deep breath then whispered. “Let’s go upstairs and get some rest. Dave, can we use your place to crash tonight?”
    Dave looked as if he would protest then shrugged and turned toward a side door. “Sure.”
    When Liz followed them up the side stairs she realized