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Authors: Kris Norris
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vehicle, the distinct ping of gunfire popping to life.
“I think they know we’re gone.” Hamilton’s voice sounded beside her as both men jumped into the vehicle.
She inhaled sharply as his hands slid under her thighs, sliding her on top of him. Hard muscle flexed beneath her legs the strength easing some of the tension bunching her shoulders. She resisted the urge to glance at him over her shoulder, trying to stay out of Gunner’s way as he barreled down the dusty road, when a body appeared in the headlights.
She screamed, shielding her face as the truck veered left, clipping the mirror on the zombie’s head. The creature bounced off the side of the truck, the sickening sound of its skull slamming into the ground following them.
Gunner glanced quickly over his shoulder, cursing when three more appeared in front of them. He swerved again, this time hitting two when they lunged at the truck. He compensated for the skid of the tires, somehow keeping the vehicle upright.
He rounded another bend, the headlights highlighting a small herd of infected. “Hold on.”
Gunner rammed them, avoiding as many as he could as he kept up the speed, blood and bone smearing across the windows. Morgan huddled into Hamilton, not caring what he thought of her and whether she’d regret her actions in the morning. Fear jacked up her heart rate, and she half wondered if she might pass out.
She cursed her involuntary reaction. Even after all this time, the damn things creeped her the hell out. And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t fought them off. She’d killed more than her fair share. But somehow being in the truck, vulnerable, unable to choose her own fate, made the fear threefold.
Hamilton held her tight when she turned to stare at his chest, whispering soothing words as the vehicle danced across the dirt road, spraying gravel and sand in every direction. He didn’t ask her to loosen her death grip on his shirt or to slow her suddenly erratic breathing, shifting her slightly so he pull her closer, her head now resting on his chest.
“Fuck!” Gunner’s voice sounded more than a bit angry. “Where the hell are they all coming from? There’re only small towns remotely close.” He huffed as the truck shimmied around another corner. “We won’t last long on this logging road. We need somewhere else to go, before we run out of gas still surrounded by these things. There’s not much fuel in the tank.”
Hamilton tensed beneath her. “Sorry, bro. Beggars and all that.”
Gunner chuckled. “You found a way out for us. Can’t ask for more than that. And the throws…” He whistled. “Nice. And you didn’t even kill them.”
“They could still die, but…”
Morgan sighed, knowing how the sentence ended. Hamilton hadn’t wanted to kill them outright. And that fact just made her heart race faster.
She spared a glance at the road. More infected lined the edges, their eyes glowing red in the headlights. She tried to judge which way they were heading, gasping when she saw a familiar marker. “Turn right at that rock up there. There’s a small two-track that leads higher into the mountains. There’s a ranger cabin near the peak. It’s surrounded by wildlife fencing. Should keep the majority of those things out. At least, it seemed to work that way the last time I was there.”
Gunner looked over at her. “A ranger cabin? Does Beau know about this place?”
“It was decommissioned years ago. I doubt he’s ever been up there. He preferred to stay in town. Had his fingers into everything. Always left the uncivilized duties to someone else.” She snorted in disgust. “Even if he does, he’ll never risk coming out at night. That’s if he even bothers to follow.”
Wolfe grunted this time. “Oh, he’ll follow. He doesn’t seem like the type to let others take what’s his.”
“I’m not his.”
Wolfe grinned. “Of course you’re not. But the guy’s too delusional to see that. He thinks he owns you. He’ll
“I think they know we’re gone.” Hamilton’s voice sounded beside her as both men jumped into the vehicle.
She inhaled sharply as his hands slid under her thighs, sliding her on top of him. Hard muscle flexed beneath her legs the strength easing some of the tension bunching her shoulders. She resisted the urge to glance at him over her shoulder, trying to stay out of Gunner’s way as he barreled down the dusty road, when a body appeared in the headlights.
She screamed, shielding her face as the truck veered left, clipping the mirror on the zombie’s head. The creature bounced off the side of the truck, the sickening sound of its skull slamming into the ground following them.
Gunner glanced quickly over his shoulder, cursing when three more appeared in front of them. He swerved again, this time hitting two when they lunged at the truck. He compensated for the skid of the tires, somehow keeping the vehicle upright.
He rounded another bend, the headlights highlighting a small herd of infected. “Hold on.”
Gunner rammed them, avoiding as many as he could as he kept up the speed, blood and bone smearing across the windows. Morgan huddled into Hamilton, not caring what he thought of her and whether she’d regret her actions in the morning. Fear jacked up her heart rate, and she half wondered if she might pass out.
She cursed her involuntary reaction. Even after all this time, the damn things creeped her the hell out. And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t fought them off. She’d killed more than her fair share. But somehow being in the truck, vulnerable, unable to choose her own fate, made the fear threefold.
Hamilton held her tight when she turned to stare at his chest, whispering soothing words as the vehicle danced across the dirt road, spraying gravel and sand in every direction. He didn’t ask her to loosen her death grip on his shirt or to slow her suddenly erratic breathing, shifting her slightly so he pull her closer, her head now resting on his chest.
“Fuck!” Gunner’s voice sounded more than a bit angry. “Where the hell are they all coming from? There’re only small towns remotely close.” He huffed as the truck shimmied around another corner. “We won’t last long on this logging road. We need somewhere else to go, before we run out of gas still surrounded by these things. There’s not much fuel in the tank.”
Hamilton tensed beneath her. “Sorry, bro. Beggars and all that.”
Gunner chuckled. “You found a way out for us. Can’t ask for more than that. And the throws…” He whistled. “Nice. And you didn’t even kill them.”
“They could still die, but…”
Morgan sighed, knowing how the sentence ended. Hamilton hadn’t wanted to kill them outright. And that fact just made her heart race faster.
She spared a glance at the road. More infected lined the edges, their eyes glowing red in the headlights. She tried to judge which way they were heading, gasping when she saw a familiar marker. “Turn right at that rock up there. There’s a small two-track that leads higher into the mountains. There’s a ranger cabin near the peak. It’s surrounded by wildlife fencing. Should keep the majority of those things out. At least, it seemed to work that way the last time I was there.”
Gunner looked over at her. “A ranger cabin? Does Beau know about this place?”
“It was decommissioned years ago. I doubt he’s ever been up there. He preferred to stay in town. Had his fingers into everything. Always left the uncivilized duties to someone else.” She snorted in disgust. “Even if he does, he’ll never risk coming out at night. That’s if he even bothers to follow.”
Wolfe grunted this time. “Oh, he’ll follow. He doesn’t seem like the type to let others take what’s his.”
“I’m not his.”
Wolfe grinned. “Of course you’re not. But the guy’s too delusional to see that. He thinks he owns you. He’ll
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