Read Online Z-Minus (Book 4) by Perrin Briar - Free Book Online

tree limbs attempting to snag their feet. A fresh breeze stirred their damp fringes. Mark and Jacob took point, Daoud and John covered their rear.
    “How old are you, John?” Daoud said.
    “You want to ask me out on a date?” John said. “You’re not really my type.”
    Jacob snickered.
    “I’d say you were in your mid-thirties,” Daoud said.
    “Don’t you know it’s rude to gossip about someone’s age?” John said.
    “You should have made sergeant by now,” Daoud said. “What happened? Couldn’t pass the intelligence exam?”
    “I’m a fighter,” John said, his words clipped. “I belong in the field.”
    “You don’t want more responsibility?” Daoud said.
    “I can’t imagine any job with more responsibility,” John said. “They give me powerful weapons and tell me to kill people.”
    “But you only follow orders,” Daoud said. “You never make them.”
    “Here’s an order,” John said. “Why don’t you shut your trap?”
    Daoud had hit a nerve, and John made the mistake of letting Daoud know it.
    “Sh,” Jacob said. “Did you hear that?”
    The team froze, listening. They aimed their military-designed paintball guns at the foliage ahead of them.
    The foliage to their left rustled.
    John swung his gun around. Then the foliage to their right shook. None of the team said a word. Their breath froze in their throats.
    A figure lurched from a bush, running at them. Jacob turned to face it. Mark made out ragged torn clothes and a snarling face.
    John and Mark, taking point, fired at the figure. The paintballs made thumping noises as they thudded into the figure.
    But the figure kept coming. Before they knew it, he was on them.
    Mark and John dived aside. Daoud and Jacob kept firing, but the figure still didn’t stop. The figure reached up and drew his fingers across Jacob’s arm and face, making red marks.
    Jacob pushed the figure back. He tumbled over into the foliage. Jacob felt at his face, his fingertips coming away red.
    “What the fuck?” he said.
    “Haha!” the man who’d rushed them said as he got to his feet. “I got you!”
    He jumped in the air, pumping his fists in victory.
    “You see those?” he said, pointing to the marks on Jacob’s skin. “That’s fifty big ones right there!”
    “I’m sorry,” Mark said. “Can we help you?”
    “You already have,” the man said. “But no one can help him now!”
    He pointed at Jacob with a dirty finger. He wore ragged torn clothes and white powder on his face.
    “I repeat: what the fuck?” Jacob said. “Did you just paint me?”
    He squared off against the man, who backed away, eyes wide in fear.
    “It’s all just part of the game, man,” he said. “Didn’t you guys get briefed about the mission?”
    “Why didn’t you fall when we shot you?” Mark said.
    “Those aren’t the rules of the game,” the man said. “I can take as many shots as you can dish out, except to the head and spine. Though I didn’t much enjoy getting shot at. They sting.”
    “Why can you take shots anywhere else?” Mark said.
    The man shrugged.
    “Those are the rules,” he said. “If I scratch you, you’re done. We get a bonus if we infect one of you guys. Hurray for me.”
    “‘Infect’?” John said. “Is anyone else confused by all this?”
    “It appears this is one of the curve balls the major warned us about,” Mark said. “These guys are infected and wander around, trying to infect the rest of us who aren’t infected. Is that about right?”
    “Yessum,” the man said.
    “How are we supposed to kill one of you?” John said.
    “A bullet in the head or decapitation usually does the trick,” the man said.
    The man looked down at his body, at his fingertips covered with red paint.
    “In fact, technically, I’m still alive…” the man said. “So…”
    John put his gun point-blank range to the back of the man’s head.
    “Don’t even think about it, bub,” John said.
    “I can’t control myself,” the man