Read Online Zombie Dawn Exodus by Michael G. Thomas - Free Book Online Page B

living was
never something any of the survivors were used to, the protection
of society was provided for them. Now, each and every one of them
had to be determined to live.
    “Good trip?” asked Kailey.
    “As good as can be expected,” said Dave.
    “You ready to eat?” asked Kailey.
    “Fucking right,” said Tommy.
    The group assembled inside the house for a meal.
Roger had insisted from the moment the compound was secure, that
they always sit down for a meal each evening. He said it was
important to hold onto what little they had left of society and
normal living. He was right, every man and woman in the group
looked forward to the communal gatherings. Roger organised it so
that five people were always on watch at any one time, meaning
fourteen, at current population, could enjoy the meal together.
    Food wasn’t what it used to be. Fresh food had gone
off just days after the Zompoc started. Meals now consisted largely
of canned food. But junk food played a large part of their daily
intake of calories, as it at least stayed edible for years. They
could procure more supplies of decent canned food, but it would
mean much more risky operations into population centres.
    The one thing that was never in short supply was
alcohol, as it never really went off. Roger saw alcohol as an
important element of morale within the compound, but he always
restricted every individual’s intake per day. Having your diet
controlled was not always popular, but it insured everyone got what
they needed and had nothing to excess. There was no place for
obesity and drunkenness in this world anymore.
    After the meal, Dave and Tommy headed up to bed,
their missions to procure supplies counted as their watch time, so
they rarely carried out guard duty. Guarding anything was boring,
but most of the survivors were more than happy to stay within the
safe confines of their home than risk their necks in the
wilderness.
    Being so far from any population centre the compound
only ever saw the occasional zombie. Everglade had its own zombie
pest control squad, five men who acted as a clean up squad. With
the sparse population locally the squad could outnumber the
creatures in combat, allowing them to fight in relative safety.
    The two men lay down on the mattresses that were
laid out across the floor, a luxury in the world they now
lived.
    “You know what I wouldn’t give for a can of corned
beef, or tuna?” said Tommy.
    “I’m with you there,” said Dave.
    “Then why don’t we go get some?” asked Tommy.
    “You know why,” said Dave.
    “Fuck that, we could get in and out safely,” said
Tommy.
    “You don’t know that, we cannot risk the lives of a
single person,” said Dave.
    “But what about that supermarket, it’s what, fifty
miles from here, waiting to be plucked,” said Tommy.
    “Yes and it’s attached to a town that had, and
likely still has, a population of tens of thousands,” said
Dave.
    “We can’t go on eating nothing but shit,” said
Tommy.
    “And we won’t, you know Roger is already well into
setting up the farming here, next year we’ll have some good food of
our own,” said Dave.
    “But that’s a year, assuming he even knows what the
fuck he’s doing,” said Tommy.”
    “I’ve heard enough, we aren’t going anywhere near
that town!” shouted Dave.
    Tommy fell silent as both men finally began to
relax, neither happy with each other’s standpoint. Five men shared
the room that they now used. Despite the house having so many
bedrooms, many had to be used for storing supplies such as food,
weapons, protective gear and other essential equipment.
    Dave had been for the first time since the outbreak
beginning to feel that things were starting to go his way. He’d
managed to settle into a survivable location with decent people and
some resemblance of a future. He forgot all about Tommy’s
grumblings and turned his mind simply to all the good things. Dave
fell asleep, a welcome rest after the day’s driving and