Read Online Undead Much by Stacey Jay - Free Book Online Page B

helped it. “Our Protocol task force leader said he’d heard about SRU attacks in Europe in the fourteenth century that wiped out entire towns. Back then the Settlers’ Affairs people blamed the deaths on the plague to keep humans from freaking out about zombies.”
      “Geez. That’s… very bad.” And Megan wins the Understatement of the Year award. “But why-”
      “And no one ever found out where they came from, who had raised them, or why Settlers couldn’t control them. They just kind of disappeared in modern times. Until now, maybe?”
      “Which would explain why the Enforcers are freaking out, but wouldn’t explain why they think I did this.” Must keep thinking logically, must not start imagining zombies swarming over the entire town of Carol.
      “So we need to find out more about these SRUs, something that will help us start a list of real suspects.”
      “I don’t know much, but I did hear Smythe and Barker saying something about checking the hospitals in Little Rock. They shut up pretty fast when they realized I was standing close enough to hear, but still, it’s something.” He turned into Kroger and pulled around to the back of the store. “If we don’t find anything in the woods, we can start snooping around hospitals and see if we spot anything unusual,” he said, parking beside a Dumpster.
      I couldn’t think of any connection between the Undead and a hospital, but I hadn’t slept very well last night. Still, the whole situation seemed so overwhelming.
      As if sensing my angst, Ethan turned and grabbed my hand before I could open my door. “We’re going to figure this out, Megan. I promise. Everything is going to be fine.”
      After that I just had to kiss him for a minute or two. Even if he was just saying it to make me feel better, it was wonderful having a boyfriend who knew exactly what to say.

    CHAPTER 6

    T hree hours and a fruitless search through the woods for clues later, Ethan and I were sneaking down the stairs at the University Medical Center, bound for the morgue. That’s right, the morgue , where they cut dead people open and poke at their insides and then stick them in cold storage.
      It was freaking creepy, even for a zombie Settler who regularly kicked it with dead people. I swore I could smell the horrible mix of cold flesh and antiseptic and industrial cleaner wafting through the air, and we still had three more flights to go.
      “You’re sure this is a good idea?” I shivered even as I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. How was it possible to be both sweaty and freezing at the same time? “Don’t you think they’ll have security?”
      “Security for what? The people down here aren’t going anywhere.”
      “I don’t know, security to, like, protect the bodies,” I said, trying to discreetly breathe through my mouth. “To make sure murderers don’t come down here and destroy evidence or something.”
      “You’ve been watching too much Law & Order .”
      “I never watch Law & Order . I don’t have time for TV.” Which wasn’t entirely true, but when I did have time, I didn’t watch crime shows.
      I’m more of a really heinous reality-TV kind of person, though I would never admit that to Ethan. He likes to watch films. Not just movies, but films , and I knew he wouldn’t be impressed with my addiction to Engaged & Underage and Wife Swap .
      “And what about security cameras? Don’t you think-”
      “Megan, if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to, but we both agree that the morgue is the most logical place in the hospital to look for clues about weird zombies. It’s the only place we’re likely to find a concentration of corpses. Right?”
      “Right. You’re right.” I sighed and gave up trying to dry my hands as we descended the final flight of stairs. Obviously my sweat glands were as super-powered as the rest of me. “I don’t know why I’m being such a