23 Hours Read Online Free PDF Page B

garage door, the guards were completely lost, unable to focus on one or the other. I used their momentary incompetence to my advantage, swinging the car out to the main aisle and jamming through its gears as quick as I could. I had actually managed to pick up a good amount of speed as I aimed straight for the guards. Thankfully the guys dove out of the way allowing me to crash through the door, sending metal panels and plenty of infected bodies flying.
    The gunfire erupted behind us as we tore away from there. Whether or not they were aiming at us didn’t seem to matter as the bullets clanked against the Ferret, but thankfully they bounced off as the ancient armor somehow held up.
    The feeling of the vehicle crushing several of the infected beneath its Run-flat wheels was actually quite satisfying. So much so that I did a couple doughnuts in the gravel lot, taking out several more. It wasn’t just about my pleasure though; I mean I did just leave a huge fuckin’ hole in the Town’s wall, so it was the least I could do even if they were trying to kill me at the time.
    With at least half of the infected dead, and the rest getting blown apart by the guards within the building, I decided we were done having fun and headed towards the main gate. Things were much calmer there, though it was still far from safe; even the guards had abandoned that post for a much more secure position.
    I thought about hopping out of the scout, retrieving the gate keys from the guard shack and opening the gate rather than running through it, but that was right when the giant hand reached through the window. Technically I think it’s called a port, and I have no idea why that thought ran through my head instead of anything useful, but it did. That simple hesitation was enough to allow the infected hand to grab hold of my face, squeezing the hell out of it to the point I thought my eyes would shoot from my skull.
    I couldn’t see anything but the bright lights from the shooting pain and I thought my brain was about to squeeze out my ears, but just when I thought I couldn’t possibly take any more the pressure suddenly stopped and I realized the hand had let go. The infected freak was holding onto the side of the vehicle with his right hand, but released my face to swat around in front of his face unable to figure out that it was a knife, my knife, jammed into his eye socket. He looked almost like King Kong holding on to the side of a skyscraper swinging at imaginary planes flying around him. None of it fully registered within my nearly pulverized head before I saw the kid pull out another one of my knives, ready to attack the beast again.
    “Hey,” I said, pulling the knife from his hand before he had a chance to lose one of our last weapons. Beside, even though he didn’t seem the slightest bit affected, the poor kid shouldn’t have to deal with killing anyone yet, even one of those things.
    As King Kong flailed about, I took a risk and grabbed the knife from his face right before twisting the wheel and running the Ferret through the fence. Thankfully the impact sent King Kong tumbling to the ground so I jerked the wheel, steering us back onto the paved road.
    I then gunned that thing, trying to put as much distance between us and them. The antiquated engine performed quite well and for a few minutes I felt alive and almost human again. It reminded me of the Friday nights when we’d go crusin’ looking for good times, hot chicks, a drag race or a fight. Sometimes we’d find all of the above.
    When I was sure no more of the infected were clinging to the car and we were far enough from the town, I slowed down to check on the kid. He looked up at me with a smile in his eyes and I just had to shake my head at him. My heart was still racing and I still hadn’t quite caught my breath from all the excitement, but he was calm as could be. Once again I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or concerned.
     
     

Chapter 6
     
    A couple miles later