Apocalypse Z (A Zombie Novel) Read Online Free

“Sick bastards.” He saw the body move and heard it hiss at him. Instinctively, he raised his rifle and fired a single shot into its head.
    Lisa jumped at the sound. “Keep it down! If the zombies or goon squad hears that, they’ll come this way.” She looked around and said, “There used to be a store just a couple blocks this way.” She pointed to the left. “Let’s get out of here.”
    They had made it another block when they heard movement and several groans in front of them. They quickly ducked down behind a car parked alongside the curb and watched as seven zombies came around a corner.
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
    In the apartment, everyone had moved to the kitchen and sat around the table talking. Jeff pointed to Dedee. “Okay, you’re Dedee, Lisa’s sister.”
    She nodded and pointed to everyone as she spoke. “Yes, I’m Dedee. This is my friend Janet from school, but everyone calls her Jet. This is Amy and her younger brother Todd; he’s only nine.” She pointed to a heavier-set boy with short hair.
    Todd asked, “Jeff, can I ask you a question?”
    “Sure, go ahead.”
    “Okay, if zombies eat people…”
    Amy cut him off. “Stop it, Todd. That question’s so gross!”
    Dedee wrinkled her nose and Jet said, “Ewwww!”
    Todd looked around. “But I really want to know. It’s a serious question.”
    Jeff said, “Okay, Todd, ask your question.”
    “Well, if zombies eat people, where do they poop?”
    Jeff realized he should have let that question go unasked. He looked around the table and saw everyone looking back at him, except for Amy. She had her face buried in her hands as she shook her head. He thought before he said, “Ummm… I don’t know.”
    “Do you think Mark would know?”
    “No, if he did, he would have told me and I could tell you.” Jeff quickly looked at Dedee and asked, “Why did you stay here? Don’t you have a car?”
    Jet spoke up, “Dedee and I have our license, but no cars.” She lowered her head. “But I guess that really doesn’t matter anymore.”
    Jeff smiled a half smile. “But at least you got them and that’s something this mess can’t take away.”
    Dedee and Jet thought about it and smiled at each other. Dedee leaned over and lightly bumped Jeff with her shoulder and said, “You’re right. We have our license.”
    Jet scooted away from the table and went over to the counter where she picked up Jeff’s rifle. “Where did you and your brother get such ass-kickin’ guns?”
    Dedee quietly said, “Jet!”
    As soon and the words left her lips she realized he probably wouldn’t remember. Jet closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry, Jeff; I don’t know why I asked you that.”
    Jeff turned in his chair. “That’s okay.” He got up and went over to her and Dedee followed. When he picked it up, it was like a light had come on in his mind. “This is a P90 rifle with a fifty round magazine of 5.7mm armor piercing rounds. This is the optical scope, this is the laser sight, and this is a rail light. Right here is the safety and here is semi-auto and here it is full auto.”
    Dedee and Jet just stood there with their mouths agape staring at him. Amy sat at the table and listened, then asked, “Jeff, how did you remember all that?”
    He stood there confused. “I don’t know. I really didn’t think about it. It just… was there when I picked it up.”
    Amy got up from the table and ran down the hall. A minute later, she returned with a deck of cards and a jar of pennies. Every one sat down at the table as she shuffled the deck. Todd opened the jar and counted out pennies. He made sure everyone had an equal amount in their stack to start.
    They played draw poker for a while; but no one seemed to be gaining any ground penny-wise. Jet thought Jeff was very nice and she kept watching him as they played. The few boys she knew from school all had a habit of looking at her chest when they talked to her. But Jeff was different. He didn’t do that. He looked