Hamsikker: A Zombie Apocalypse Novel Read Online Free Page A

down, and simply went with the flow. His mother had left him as soon as she could. One day, he came home to find a scribbled note stuck to the fridge. She had taken off with her latest boyfriend, a truck driver from Ohio, leaving him a cold slice of ham, her discoloured wedding ring, and twenty dollars to get by. The bitch had probably whored herself all the way to Canada by now, and he let out a small laugh.
    “What’s up?” asked Rose as she sat down beside him. It was warm, but early, and she zipped up the black leather jacket they had found discarded in the back of an SUV the previous night. You had to take what you could now. There were no more stores, no more hand-outs, and the law of the jungle ruled the streets now.
    “I was just thinking. Where do we go from here? I mean, Jeffersontown did us fine, but I’m ready to move on, you know? Why stay here?” asked Javier.
    “Can’t we stay, just for a few more days? That place we crashed in last night was comfy. It’s nice to sleep in a bed instead of the back of a truck for a change, and I know you enjoyed it too, right?”
    Javier felt her run a hand over his thigh to his groin and she started squeezing him. He arched his eyebrows and looked at her. “You’re a good fuck, Rose, but there’s more to life than your tight ass.”
    She brought her hand back to her lap and smiled, but he could see he had annoyed her. Her eyes were distant, her smile forced. Inwardly, he wanted to smile too, but right then, there were more pressing matters than playing games with her.
    “So what then, we keep going?” Rose asked. “Just going and going and going, right?”
    Javier nodded. “Stick to the plan. Keep heading north. It’s still our best shot.”
    Rose mumbled something, but he didn’t hear her. It didn’t really matter what she said, so he stopped listening. He knew full well that she would go along with him, no matter how much she complained. She could be a bad-ass when she needed to be, and they got on well most of the time, but he wasn’t beholden to anyone, and he wasn’t about to let Rose tell him what to do. Last night had been good, that was true. They had found a deserted house, and taken full opportunity to use the luxury at their disposal. The occupants were long gone, probably joining the ranks of the undead months back. The house was locked up tight, but he had easily broken in via a back window. There was no alarm, and they had swiftly checked all the rooms. Evidently, a fairly well off couple had lived there given the size of the place and the expensive looking décor. There were no children’s toys, or clothes, and the pantry still had a few tins of food which they’d guzzled down greedily in the darkness. The boxes of oats, cereals and pasta had either gone off, or been eaten by rats and mice. The fresh food in the fridge had turned into small piles of mould, and the fetid smell was revolting. Nothing worked anymore: fridges, streetlights, televisions, computers, phones, nothing. Along with the power that had gone off months back, all those gadgets and devices supposed to make everyone’s life easier had been turned off. They were as useful now as yesterday’s newspaper.
    “You’ve not given up on me, have you?” he asked Rose.
    She shook her head. “Javier, you’re my hero, you know that. I’m never leaving you.”
    He rolled his hand across her back, and brought it up to the nape of her neck. The sun behind them was slowly warming their backs, but still, he felt her shiver when he touched her.
    “And Canada? You remember the plan?”
    Javier gripped her neck tighter, just increasing the pressure of his fingers a fraction. She flinched, but not once did she take her eyes off his.
    “Of course I do. Your brother is there, I get it. I’m with you, Javier, I promise. Straight up.”
    Javier brought his arm back around, and cupped her face. He leant in and kissed her. Those kisses made him feel alive, more alive than he had since before