Precipice: V Plague Book 9 Read Online Free

patient gowns, and they were spread
across the width of the hall as they approached.
    Rachel’s
step faltered when Katie stopped, intending to join the fight.  Katie was
already firing and putting down targets and Rachel dropped the bag of medical
supplies and set the tank down so she could raise her rifle and help.
    “Go! 
Help John!”  Katie screamed at her, shifting her aim from heads to legs.
    Rachel
hesitated for a moment before deciding to ignore the command.  Dropping to
her knee she began firing, dropping the last female with only a few feet to
spare.
    A large
group of males was approaching at their much slower pace, still far enough away
to not present a threat.  Yet.  The two women leapt to their feet and
Rachel scooped up the supplies as they resumed their retreat to the exit.
    The hall
opened into a large lobby with a ceiling that soared over their heads. 
This was the main entrance to the hospital and chairs were scattered around the
space.  Three large openings were in the walls, other corridors that lead
to different areas.  A round reception desk dominated the space, situated
directly between them and the doors.  Two females popped up from behind it
as they approached at a dead run.
    Katie fired,
somehow managing to miss both of them.  The females leapt onto the surface
of the counter and Rachel once again dropped the supplies, the tank ringing
loudly when it struck the hard floor.  Each of them started firing, and
missing because they were so hyped on adrenaline.
    Both females
zeroed in on Katie and hurtled off the counter, charging to intercept. 
She skidded to a stop, trying to hold steady on target.  Before she could
pull the trigger again, one of the females’ head exploded and her body flopped
to the ground, tripping her companion.  Katie aimed and fired twice in
burst mode, destroying first the face then the skull of the remaining
infected.  She glanced behind to see Rachel with her rifle braced on the
side of a support column that held up the high ceiling.
    Forcing
their way through the set of sliding doors, they struggled through thigh deep
snow around the outside of the hospital.  The doors had a spring mechanism
and closed after they passed through, trapping the males that were still in
pursuit.  They bunched up against the sturdy glass and began pounding on
it in frustration.

4
     
    I woke up
thoroughly disoriented.  It was mostly dark and I was in a bed with a lot
of covers over me.  I could tell that much from the weight, but not much
more.  And something was on my face.  A weak, battery powered lantern
was on the top of a dresser on the far side of the room and it gave me enough
light to see my surroundings.  If I had the strength to lift my head and
look around.
    Feeling the bed
move slightly I turned to look next to me.  It took a moment for me to
recognize Dog, stretched out on top of the covers, his head on a pillow. 
Several white bandages were wrapped around three of his four legs, but other
than that I couldn’t see much else.
    The bandages
brought it all back.  The drive from Oklahoma to Idaho.  The fight
with the wolf to save Rachel.  But what the hell was wrong with me? 
I remembered starting the climb back to the Jeep with Dog on my shoulders, but
after that everything was a little fuzzy.  And what the hell was strapped
to my face?  Reaching up I felt thick, smooth plastic, finally recognizing
a large oxygen mask.  My first impulse was to pull it off, but enough
brain cells were working to warn me that if it was there it was probably
helping me.
    I turned my
head the other way to check over the room, and the first thing that caught my
attention was my rifle leaned up against a nightstand.  Beyond that,
someone was sleeping in a chair.  Female, I guessed since long hair had
fallen down and covered her face, but that was all I could tell.  Trying
to speak, I managed a weak croak and she jerked awake and reached up to shove
her thick mane on top of