Jade: Earth's Last Hope Against the Undead Read Online Free

unidentifiable snack bar. He'd already removed the wrapper
on the second item and taken a bite. “And one of these.”
    Jade appreciated the snack bar and the
Snickers. She liked them both. But truth was she didn’t feel much
like eating.
    He saw this and asked. “Aren’t you
hungry?”
    Jade nodded. “Not just yet.” Feeling
somewhat woozy, she put on her best fake smile. “Can I save them
for later?”
    He bowed, his forearm deep in his stomach,
and laughed. “As you wish, m'lady.”
    “Can we go now?” Jade asked.
    Trent stared at her for a long moment,
perhaps hoping to gain some sudden insight. She offered nothing, as
she could recall nothing. Seeming to sense this, he agreed and
began picking up their belongings.
    “Yes, we should go,” he said.
    She followed him down the street. And even
after they were in the sunlight and heading toward their
destination, unease of her safety made the hairs on her neck
continue to prickle. Night approached fast, chasing them. If they
didn’t find shelter soon, she was sure the vampires would come for
them.
    As they arrived at Valley Forge a
single name echoed in her thoughts, although she couldn't quite
understand why. Hiru .

    As Valley Forge was long ago a place of war,
so was it now in an emotional sense for Jade. Perhaps it was the
rain or the light fog drifting among the structures. Whatever the
case she felt absolutely taken back by the landscape.
    Thus far their travels had been relatively
uneventful. They hadn’t seen a single zombie and Jade almost
thought they no longer had to worry about such things. They took a
respite in one of the old restored cottages. Then came the rains,
and with them a dreadful sense something bad was going to
happen.
    “What was that?” he said.
    Jade listened, trying very hard to remain
patient. She hadn’t heard anything and for a moment she thought
Trent was playing with her emotions. Then it came through very
clear.
    She heard the steady dragging march of the
undead, including some that shouldn’t be able to stagger around in
these conditions, but still did. Their bodies didn't feel the pain
of trying to walk on a broken leg or a stomach that had been torn
open and its guts spilled out. These creatures endured the most
horrid injuries and still continued, ever relentless and hungry for
flesh.
    “Zombies.” Jade looked around. “Where do we
go?”
    Trent scanned the horizon, as if daring them
to show themselves. They still couldn’t see them and she shook his
arm, trying to refocus his attention where it belonged. Still he
ignored her and Jade’s emotions got the best of her.
    “Trent. Wake up!”
    He turned, gazed into her bewildered eyes,
and then shook his head as if trying to clear the fog. He glanced
at the old cottage they'd just left, perhaps considering returning
to it and likely wishing it offered better protection. Surely the
zombies would mow it over should they stay put. His panicked eyes
sprang from building to building, finding none of them suitable
enough for survival.
    A single moan drew his attention back, and
even Jade took a second to glance. She saw the dirt-ridden mops of
tangled hair bobbing just over the slight incline ahead of them. It
wouldn’t be long before the undead saw them.
    As the first of them appeared, she felt her
wrist being pulled. She turned, expecting to find Trent, but even
he looked surprised. The small woman was but five or so feet tall
and thin, leading them away like a kite caught in a strong wind.
They followed willingly, glancing back often, glad the zombies
hadn’t yet seen them.
    “My name is Kat.” Her nose twitched as she
spoke. “Follow me if you want to live. And mind your step.”
    She let their arms go, allowing them the
choice of following or not. Surely she knew they would, given the
sizable horde of undead approaching their position steadfastly. She
led them into the woods, dodging limbs with haste and pushing
through those she could not.
    Some branches slapped