Read Online Zombies! (Episode 6): Barriers Collapse by Ivan Turner - Free Book Online
Authors: Ivan Turner
Tags: Zombies
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flames. For now, the floors would be solid. The two firefighters split up. By himself now, Grant moved carefully down the hallway. He called out a couple of times. Is anyone there? I can help you out. There was no answer. He could hardly hear anything anyway but if someone had shouted he'd have known. A door up ahead and on the right led to what he believed was the apartment where he'd seen the shadow. He went up to it and pounded his fist against it.
There was no response.
"I'm coming in," he shouted first trying the knob and pushing on the door. It opened easily, the locks to this place having long since gone unused. As he stepped in, he was confronted by the unexpected.
There was not one but six zombies in the apartment. As a firefighter, Grant's job didn't bring him into contact with the undead. He fought fires, not ghouls. Having never seen one before, he was taken completely by surprise. Screaming for Lemmon, he fell back into the hallway as they descended upon him.
By the time Lemmon arrived, Grant was buried under the swarming mass of undead. They were clawing at each other to get to him. Lemmon was a big man, aggressive by nature. While he, too, had never seen a zombie, he wasn't the least bit put off by them. He'd heard of them and accepted them. He'd figured it was just a matter of time before he got to see one. With his gloved hands, he grabbed the most accessible zombie and lifted it cleanly off of the pile. Tossing it away, he grabbed another.
At the bottom of the pile, Grant was trying frantically to get clear. The zombies were scraping at his mask and biting and biting. But his heavy firefighter's gear protected him. With Lemmon's help, he was able to pull himself out and get to his feet.
"Are you hurt?" Lemmon asked.
Grant shook his head. "Pissed myself, though."
"It'll dry."
They turned back to the staircase and saw several more of the undead heading in their direction. Coming through the smoke like wraiths in the night, they varied in size and age and color. There was a small boy in long pants and a winter coat. There was a religious Jew with his skullcap and fringes. Grant and Lemmon looked at each other. They were pressed by the ones coming from the staircase and those recovering from Lemmon's attacks. With nowhere else to go, they backed down to the end of the corridor where there was another door. Even before they opened it, they knew what they were going to find.
***
HERON was at home when he got the call and at that time of night, he was only a few minutes from the scene of the fire. With a quick apology to Alicia, he put on his pants and his coat and got on his way. He called Henry as he went, ordering a squad to meet him at the scene.
"Lieutenant Heron?" the captain asked as he arrived. "Les McCallister. Take a look at this."
Heron accepted the crumpled piece of paper and smoothed it out. On it were the words ZOMBIE SAFE HOUSE! Looking up at the blaze, Heron assessed the situation. The building was old, probably condemned, although there could be homeless inside. Because of what had happened at Angus Construction he knew that someone was collecting zombies. Apparently someone was out to expose them. The paper in his hand had probably inspired someone to set the fire, which compromised the integrity of the entire neighborhood. And so the dominoes fell. It would be nice if just once these idiots would call the police instead of taking matters into their own hands. Frustrated, he shoved the paper into his pocket.
"Is anyone inside?"
"Two men," McCallister confirmed. "Are those things really in there with them?"
Heron looked around them. A crowd of onlookers had encircled them, the inner portion made up almost entirely of the other firefighters. He nodded.
McCallister looked at his men and nodded. Gathering up axes and battering rams, they moved inside the building.
***
GRANT and Lemmon fought like animals. The
There was no response.
"I'm coming in," he shouted first trying the knob and pushing on the door. It opened easily, the locks to this place having long since gone unused. As he stepped in, he was confronted by the unexpected.
There was not one but six zombies in the apartment. As a firefighter, Grant's job didn't bring him into contact with the undead. He fought fires, not ghouls. Having never seen one before, he was taken completely by surprise. Screaming for Lemmon, he fell back into the hallway as they descended upon him.
By the time Lemmon arrived, Grant was buried under the swarming mass of undead. They were clawing at each other to get to him. Lemmon was a big man, aggressive by nature. While he, too, had never seen a zombie, he wasn't the least bit put off by them. He'd heard of them and accepted them. He'd figured it was just a matter of time before he got to see one. With his gloved hands, he grabbed the most accessible zombie and lifted it cleanly off of the pile. Tossing it away, he grabbed another.
At the bottom of the pile, Grant was trying frantically to get clear. The zombies were scraping at his mask and biting and biting. But his heavy firefighter's gear protected him. With Lemmon's help, he was able to pull himself out and get to his feet.
"Are you hurt?" Lemmon asked.
Grant shook his head. "Pissed myself, though."
"It'll dry."
They turned back to the staircase and saw several more of the undead heading in their direction. Coming through the smoke like wraiths in the night, they varied in size and age and color. There was a small boy in long pants and a winter coat. There was a religious Jew with his skullcap and fringes. Grant and Lemmon looked at each other. They were pressed by the ones coming from the staircase and those recovering from Lemmon's attacks. With nowhere else to go, they backed down to the end of the corridor where there was another door. Even before they opened it, they knew what they were going to find.
***
HERON was at home when he got the call and at that time of night, he was only a few minutes from the scene of the fire. With a quick apology to Alicia, he put on his pants and his coat and got on his way. He called Henry as he went, ordering a squad to meet him at the scene.
"Lieutenant Heron?" the captain asked as he arrived. "Les McCallister. Take a look at this."
Heron accepted the crumpled piece of paper and smoothed it out. On it were the words ZOMBIE SAFE HOUSE! Looking up at the blaze, Heron assessed the situation. The building was old, probably condemned, although there could be homeless inside. Because of what had happened at Angus Construction he knew that someone was collecting zombies. Apparently someone was out to expose them. The paper in his hand had probably inspired someone to set the fire, which compromised the integrity of the entire neighborhood. And so the dominoes fell. It would be nice if just once these idiots would call the police instead of taking matters into their own hands. Frustrated, he shoved the paper into his pocket.
"Is anyone inside?"
"Two men," McCallister confirmed. "Are those things really in there with them?"
Heron looked around them. A crowd of onlookers had encircled them, the inner portion made up almost entirely of the other firefighters. He nodded.
McCallister looked at his men and nodded. Gathering up axes and battering rams, they moved inside the building.
***
GRANT and Lemmon fought like animals. The
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