The Demented Z (Book 3): Contagion Read Online Free Page A

quickly stood and raced for the ladder.
    ******
    Tom and Hannah emerged from the forest.
  Ahead of them was what Hannah had referred to
as “The Compound.” Tom was impressed by
the structure they had built out in the middle of nowhere.
  It looked like something out of the frontier
days – tall lookout towers surrounded by log walls.
  The forest had been cleared in a 200 yard
swath all the way around, offering an excellent view of anything that
approached.
    Tom looked over at Hannah and said, “Lot more work to build
than take something over.”
    Hannah began to slow the truck as they neared the front
gate. “The council deemed it
necessary…mostly to get away from populated areas.”
    “Makes sense.
  Who built it?”
    “Everyone earned a spot by building.
  The council has—“She started to say, but was cut short when
she hit the brakes to stop before a giant metal gate that looked to be made
from a couple green farm gates and a mile of barbed wire.
    The truck sat idling.  
Hannah didn’t say anything, which made Tom think this must be normal, so
he just waited it out as well. A couple
minutes later a small, man sized door to the side of the gate swung open and
several men poured out of the opening.  
They all shouldered black assault rifles, aiming them at the truck’s
windshield as they spread out, circling the truck.
    Hannah rolled her window down.
  “Hi Charlie.”
    The man lowered his rifle.  
“How did it go?”
    Ignoring the man’s question, she said, “We need to see the
council.”
    “Any contact?”
    “No.”
    The man leaned in toward the open window, looking past
Hannah. “What about him…quarantine?”
    Tom sat still, not wanting to say the wrong thing.
    “No, I can vouch for him.”
    “Not up to me, but we can clear you through the gate.”
  With that he stepped back and signaled to the
man directly in front of the truck.  
“Alpha charlie.”
  He shouted.
    Once the “all clear” was given the man in front disappeared
through the man door, presumably to open the gate.
  Two of the men that had stood pointing their
rifles at the truck, now moved to the back of the truck, training their rifles
at the distant woods. Their vigilance
gave Tom some sense of safety.
    The gate swung inwards allowing the truck through.
  Unlike the frontier style outside, the inside
was something out of a third world country.  
Buildings were hobbled together from sheet metal and plywood.
  The most extravagant homes were single wide
trailer houses pulled into place. An
occasional tent dotted the area with some color.
    They came to a stop in front of an old two story
farmhouse. A pair of men with rifles
resting across their laps sat in rickety wooden chairs on the covered,
wrap-around porch. Both of them slowly
stood as the truck doors were opening.  
When they saw Tom, an outsider, both of them raised their rifles,
pointing the barrels directly at his head.
    “Whoa.” Tom said
while raising both of his hands.
    Hannah came running around the front of the truck.
  “Come on guys, he’s with me.”
    “Don’t matter. Needs
quarantined.”
    “He hasn’t been around any infected.
  He lives up— “Hannah started to say, but stopped
short when a man stepped out of the front door.
    “Well hi Hannah, I am so glad to see you return safely.”
  The nicely dressed man said.
    A huge smile broke across Hannah’s face.
  “Miles!  
Glad you came out.” She said
while moving up the steps. “I was just
telling Logan that Tom is clean.”
    Miles looked over at Logan and said, “Why don’t you two go
patrol around. I’ll take care of this.”
    They both hesitated for a bit.
  Miles gave them a shooing motion with his
hands, causing both of them to share a look with each other, shrug their
shoulders, and move off down the porch.
    “I’m sorry about that dear.”  
Miles said while stepping over to Hannah.
  “Guards are just doing their