Undead 02 The Undead Haze Read Online Free Page B

squeeze through the lower half.
    Swallowing an incoming slime ball back down my throat, I unlocked the double doors, yanked the crowbar out, and crouched to open one and slide through. If I walked across the bridge, I would be visible.
    I was convinced death was around the corner, but I could make some effort to prevent it.
    My legs were rubbery as I stayed low and moved across the bridge. The cool air felt like it was freezing my mucus. There was no hope of breathing through my nose. And was it just me, or was it cold enough to freeze my eyeballs, too?
    Clutching my bat, I came up to the overhang of the Parks’ roof. In front of me were the doors, to the left was a wall, and to the right was a slanted walkway to the parking lots. As the coast was still clear, I moved forward. I was right when I said the door was the same as Rainier. There was a primary key lock and peg locks on the top and bottom.
    I took the bat, gathered as much strength as I could, and swung at the lower half of the door. The sound of it cracking was so startling I had to fight back a reactive shout. To the undead out there, this noise was a dinner bell. But I had to keep going. Bringing the bat back once again, I gave it another hit and it gave way. I chipped away as much of the remaining glass as I could with the heel of my boot.
    You don’t need to hear a moan to know one’s coming. I was well aware when I broke that glass I’d be surrounded in no time. Even though I hadn’t seen any Zs, it didn’t mean they weren’t there. Whether it was minutes or hours, I had to hurry.
    I set Barbara in and squeezed through the tiny opening. My gloves made getting through the broken glass a hell of a lot easier.
    Down the hall was a skylight, barely lighting up the linoleum floor. Posters and bulletin boards promoting nonexistent clubs and programs lined the walls. To the right were glass displays with mannequins sporting school apparel and backpacks. Behind the display paper would be the student store.
    I started forward. Once at the end of the hall, I glanced to either side. Left was fine, but the right made my heart stop.
    The store security gate was closed. The metal grid barred me from everything I wanted.
    Why hadn’t I thought of that? The school was clearly closed down when the apocalypse came, so why wouldn’t the gate be closed? Being sick put me in a foul, spacey mood. But look at where I was? In a disappointing situation with Zs coming from at least a mile radius to eat me up.
    I’m not giving up . Get your fucking act together, Cyrus. You’re getting in there.
    I walked past the gate and headed farther right. There was a book buyback window, like a drive through window, but nothing else.
    At least I had an option. Gritting my teeth, I struck the pane of glass at the buyback window, which broke faster as it was thinner than the entrance doors. I threw the bat in and tried hauling myself through. The first attempt didn’t work, and I fell back onto the ground while releasing a loud sneeze. My throat throbbed in pain and my vision blurred.
    Wiping the dribbles of snot off my nose, I got back up and put everything I had into lifting myself over the counter. Glass clinked on the ground. A series of tearing sounds was enough to let me know jagged pieces were snagging on my clothes. Then I was through, both feet on the ground, inside the store.
    Minimal light filtered through the front gate, casting most of the store in darkness. It smelled dusty and unused. Heart pounding, I remained in a crouch and listened, though my ears were ringing from the silence. If something was in the store, it wasn’t voicing it.
    I grabbed the flashlight from my jacket pocket and clicked it on. A subdued yellow beam hit the floor and I raised it up. Binders, notebooks, backpacks, and all manners of school supplies were pristine on shelves and walls. My spirits soared when I saw school sweaters and jackets. On the back wall, beside the backpacks, I saw two large drink