Read Online Wake the Dead by Gary F. Vanucci - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gary F. Vanucci
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he had seen on the first few encounters months ago with the damnable creatures. “The others are starving…it’s gotta be,” he said, reinforcing his earlier theories on the subject.
He only had a few arrows left and would need to climb down and either shoot them, or retrieve his arrows. He downed three more, leaving only a pair left that he could see.
He ran to the opposite side of the cabin, hung down from the roof and lowered himself down and onto the ladder.
His heart thundered in his chest as he heard the sound of something approaching from around the corner, footsteps landing heavily on fallen branches and leaves.
And it was coming fast.
He leaped down, falling backward and rolling on his side, coming to a stop. His shotgun had come free of his grasp on the way down, too, landing many paces away. He could not retrieve the bow or quiver from his back in time before the thing was on top of him. As he began to get his feet under him, he caught sight of those dead eyes coming around the corner—wide, crazed and full of hate.
As it rushed at him, he decided to allow it to close the distance, knowing at the very least that he could outthink it. He dropped his weight, extended a leg and tripped it up, sending it sprawling away headfirst. He ran to and grabbed the shotgun before it got to its feet again; he drove the butt of the rifle into the zombie’s head over and over. Its skull crumbled under the fury of those repeated blows.
Another zombie closed on him and was upon him before he could spin to face it. The zombie extended a filthy hand, grasping the shotgun from him and he let it go, stumbling backward. But, before it could close on him, a black form appeared from out of nowhere to knock his attacker to the ground.
Shadow!
Alex removed his bow quickly, grabbed an arrow protruding from the eye of a nearby zombie, yanked it free, set it, and loosed it into this one’s skull. Shadow was tearing at the fleshy parts of its legs when it finally stopped twitching. Alex placed a boot on its head and yanked the arrow free as Shadow continued to tear at the flesh.
Again, he was not certain, but Shadow seemed bigger than he last remembered…and stronger, too, he believed. Had to be the size of a full-grown wolf at this point, but again, he had no frame of reference. Perhaps Shadow was simply the descendant of wolves with superior DNA.
Something to pursue another time , he lamented as he realized his day of work was just beginning.
He went about retrieving all the arrows he could, along with his previously removed boot, and set to the task of finishing off any zombies that showed signs of movement.
As he passed by on his way to inspect the deer, still retrieving arrows, a hand reached out and grabbed his leg and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
“Shit!” he yelled in exasperation. He stood on the thing’s hand and drove his knife through its skull. He looked skyward and uttered a few more curses under his breath before his heartbeat slowed to a normal rhythm again several moments later.
“Now…what to do with all of these bodies….” He quickly lamented the fact that he was going to have to bury them.
It was then that Alex noticed that Shadow was bleeding from his side. Alex immediately ran into the cabin, which was in very bad shape, noting that several windows were broken and his door was open, slightly off its hinge, wildly looking for medical supplies.
Later , he thought, as he found and retrieved the first aid kit in one of his packs, and ran back outside with it.
He tried to dress the wound, but Shadow would not allow him near the injured area.
Suddenly, he heard the sound again of footsteps and the sound of his cabin door creaking open. Is it Liv?
He removed his attention from the wounded wolf in time to glimpse sight of the outline of a figure deep within the shadows cast by the cabin. He swallowed and peered within, trying to penetrate the darkness.
His heart sank however as he
He only had a few arrows left and would need to climb down and either shoot them, or retrieve his arrows. He downed three more, leaving only a pair left that he could see.
He ran to the opposite side of the cabin, hung down from the roof and lowered himself down and onto the ladder.
His heart thundered in his chest as he heard the sound of something approaching from around the corner, footsteps landing heavily on fallen branches and leaves.
And it was coming fast.
He leaped down, falling backward and rolling on his side, coming to a stop. His shotgun had come free of his grasp on the way down, too, landing many paces away. He could not retrieve the bow or quiver from his back in time before the thing was on top of him. As he began to get his feet under him, he caught sight of those dead eyes coming around the corner—wide, crazed and full of hate.
As it rushed at him, he decided to allow it to close the distance, knowing at the very least that he could outthink it. He dropped his weight, extended a leg and tripped it up, sending it sprawling away headfirst. He ran to and grabbed the shotgun before it got to its feet again; he drove the butt of the rifle into the zombie’s head over and over. Its skull crumbled under the fury of those repeated blows.
Another zombie closed on him and was upon him before he could spin to face it. The zombie extended a filthy hand, grasping the shotgun from him and he let it go, stumbling backward. But, before it could close on him, a black form appeared from out of nowhere to knock his attacker to the ground.
Shadow!
Alex removed his bow quickly, grabbed an arrow protruding from the eye of a nearby zombie, yanked it free, set it, and loosed it into this one’s skull. Shadow was tearing at the fleshy parts of its legs when it finally stopped twitching. Alex placed a boot on its head and yanked the arrow free as Shadow continued to tear at the flesh.
Again, he was not certain, but Shadow seemed bigger than he last remembered…and stronger, too, he believed. Had to be the size of a full-grown wolf at this point, but again, he had no frame of reference. Perhaps Shadow was simply the descendant of wolves with superior DNA.
Something to pursue another time , he lamented as he realized his day of work was just beginning.
He went about retrieving all the arrows he could, along with his previously removed boot, and set to the task of finishing off any zombies that showed signs of movement.
As he passed by on his way to inspect the deer, still retrieving arrows, a hand reached out and grabbed his leg and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
“Shit!” he yelled in exasperation. He stood on the thing’s hand and drove his knife through its skull. He looked skyward and uttered a few more curses under his breath before his heartbeat slowed to a normal rhythm again several moments later.
“Now…what to do with all of these bodies….” He quickly lamented the fact that he was going to have to bury them.
It was then that Alex noticed that Shadow was bleeding from his side. Alex immediately ran into the cabin, which was in very bad shape, noting that several windows were broken and his door was open, slightly off its hinge, wildly looking for medical supplies.
Later , he thought, as he found and retrieved the first aid kit in one of his packs, and ran back outside with it.
He tried to dress the wound, but Shadow would not allow him near the injured area.
Suddenly, he heard the sound again of footsteps and the sound of his cabin door creaking open. Is it Liv?
He removed his attention from the wounded wolf in time to glimpse sight of the outline of a figure deep within the shadows cast by the cabin. He swallowed and peered within, trying to penetrate the darkness.
His heart sank however as he