Anno Zombus Year 1 (Book 8): August Read Online Free PDF

forlornly.
     
    The plan had been to wait for Jester and his escort to return before we headed inside but a moment after the power came back on and the lights flickered to life a small army of Dead shuffled out from behind automatic doors that had been sealed shut for the last seven months.  The four of us were, consequently, having a hard time remaining in the same place.  Soon enough, however, the Dead lay still and quiet and we moved inside quietly, blades and skillet at the ready.
     
    noon
    We hadn't gone far, didn't really have any need to yet, just made a kind of barricade between the rows of shops on either side that Machete and I took turns defending until Jester and his escort returned.  Butler had a large red smear on his very white shirt, other than that there was no evidence that they had any troubles whatsoever in getting the electricity running.  Jester was even whistling when they strolled through the doors, picking their way past the dead Dead we had left.  Butler clucked irritatedly as he dragged the carcasses out into the carpark.  When he returned he was furiously attempting to wipe some red from his glasses with some limited success.
     
    “Shouldn't there be more Dead?”  Deathwish wondered aloud.  I realised that he had asked precisely the same question floating around in my own brain.  A few had tried to get past the barricade.  A dozen at most.  It was disconcerting, to say the least.  I had expected to be greeted by hundreds, perhaps even thousands of the things.  A couple of Dead shambled around a corner and past a shop that had once sold CDs and, after a moment to process the information in whatever passes for thought patterns in Dead brains, began heading more or less in our direction.  One had what looked like a fishing spear dangling from its jaw.
     
    Luring them in closer, it appeared as if the spear had been planted there only recently.  Slicing into their heads, I thought no more of it.  Jester was already suggesting that we head first to the security office.  That should have monitors showing us what was going on in the rest of the centre, he reasoned, which will give us a better overall picture of what had been happening.  Not to mention there was likely an up-to-date floor plan with details on every single shop and store in the place, as well as a set of keys that will make exploration a damn sight easier.
     
    Deathwish smiled when the decision had been reached.  “Hey, I know right where that is, too... got hauled in there more than a few times as a kid, you know.  Shoplifting, that sort of shit.”  Jester suggested that he had stolen the entire world supply of baked beans from them.  Deathwish grinned.  “Nah, I've never stolen food, just some jewellery and fancy stinky candles and shit to impress some girl or other.  Don't even really remember the details now.  Don't suppose it even matters anymore.  She's probably Dead by now.”  Clearly he was full of shit, it mattered to him and he wanted to know what had happened to her.  He had just resigned himself to the fact that he would likely never find out.  Not now.  He led the way to the security office in silence, slamming the heads of the few Dead in his way with a hammer that was soon covered in a blackish red muck.
     
    evening
    The security office was, in fact, on the top floor, so it took us a while to get there.  Still, there seemed far fewer Dead than we had anticipated.  It seemed far too easy.  There was a Dead guard inside, as well as the rotting corpse of the one who had bitten him.  The guard fell easily to Machete's blade and Butler rifled through his clothing with a grimace, finding a single, solitary key that happened to unlock a weapon locker containing a few pistols and some ammunition.  These, we took gladly.
     
    Machete found a small stove built so that the security guards on duty could cook for themselves and, excitedly, offered to cook for everybody.  Baked beans again.