Tales From the Swollen Corpse Read Online Free Page A

sight of her in the hot pants, popping zombies dirty Harry style was pretty hot. I hate to admit it but I got a little chub.”
    “Thanks Danny, I’ll take that as a compliment.” Heather said sarcastically from behind me. I turned as she wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back; surprisingly I felt a big relief knowing she was here and safe. I guess I was more worried than I wanted to think about.
    Barb walked over to us and quickly filled in the rest of the blanks. She wasn’t as colorful a story teller as Dan. She said when the guys had Nicole pinned, she nipped Hec . Larry saw it on his hand when he and Hec were blocking the door after they let Heather in. Larry and Hec were about to kill each other when Barb put ‘ em in check just as me and Ryan got here. She didn’t answer all my questions though; what the fuck was Heather doing with a gun?
    Looking down into deceivingly innocent eyes, I asked, “Babe where’d you get a gun?”
    “Off a dead cop at the gas station.” She said.
    “What?” I ask.
    “I was out of gas; there was no way I would have made it here from work. I was lucky the pay at the pump was working.”
    When no more elaboration came I gave up and just asked where the gun was.
    Pointing, she said, “It’s on the counter.”
    We all look over to where she’s pointing and see an empty counter.
    “Bang!” Everyone ducked and Heather grabbed me again.
    Running over we saw Hector sitting completely still against the wall. The gun was in his lap and a red mural was painted in blood and brains on the wall behind him. His head was down and he was dripping from where his face used to be was.
    “Fuck, I think that was the last bullet.” Heather said just loud enough for me to hear.
    Letting go of Heather, I got an apron off the counter and laid it over Hector’s bloody face and torso. Barb bent over and grabbed one of his arms and a leg. Her eyes were watery and she was on the verge of tears. She asked me to help her carry him to the break room, I obliged without a word.
    Inside the break room, tables and chairs were overturned with blood, body parts and bodies strewn about. If it wasn’t for the smell you would have thought it was a movie set. We laid Hector on the floor next to the couch with Nicole.
    “I hope Larry’s happy.” Barb said as she closed the door behind us. Her face was sad and remorseful but there was a rage building behind her voice.
    Up front, Heather was sitting on one of the counters, rambling on about a movie with a “zombie-causing comet” that she saw when she was a kid. Both Ryan and Dan are standing looking enthralled, they’re acting like this is the first they ever heard of the movie. Everyone’s seen that movie; they used to play it on channel thirteen a couple times a year.
    “Dan could you get Larry, he should be in the office.” Barb’s voice broke Heather’s spell on the guys.
    Dan said, “Sure thing,” and headed off.
    Barb stood there quietly for a few seconds; she seemed to be getting herself back together.
    “Well so far, sitting tight and waiting for help hasn’t been going so well. I am open to suggestions.”
    With arms folded and looking away from us, Barb waited for a response. Heather, Ryan, and I looked at each other then Ryan spoke up.
    “One or all of us could go to the roof and keep an eye out for help.”
    “That’s not a bad idea, I have… where’s Larry?” Barb looked at Dan who had just showed up looking concerned.
    “He wasn’t there, don’t know.” Dan shrugged.
    Barb picked up one of the phones to page him when we all heard the familiar hum of the forklift out front.
    “What the hell!” Barb slammed the phone down.
    We rushed to the door to see, but were greeted by faces. A crowd of ugly was outside. The dead in the front were being smashed up against the glass unable to move. One, with the side of its face pinned to the glass, was watching Dan with one eye. Dan was having fun with it by playing peek-a-boo,