Beyond Death (Book 2): Apocalypse Read Online Free PDF Page A

open this up,” the man said as he waved to the metal circle on the ground by the pump. “I’ll get us some.”
    Chase just watched as the man filled the first bucket. He proceeded to fill his container with it. Then, he moved to fill the bucket again. He started to fill the second container. Then, he moved the bucket down in again. Chase furrowed his brow, but then heard the bucket drop. Moving to get a look down into the hole, he stopped at the sound of feet hitting the pavement hard.
    The man had grabbed both gas containers and took off on a run while Chase was distracted looking into the hole. He figured Jayda had been doing the same as a few seconds later he heard her gasp.
    He pulled his gun as he marveled at the speed that the old man had already gained. He yelled for him to stop or he’d shoot, but his finger remained frozen on the trigger.

Chapter Eight
    As the man continued to run away, Jayda yelled for Chase to shoot him. He adjusted his hand on his gun, but rather than pull the trigger, he clutched the handle tighter. He adjusted his position again. Again, Jayda demanded he shoot. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm, and then let his arms fall to his side.
    “I can’t do it,” Chase exclaimed.
    “If you don’t we won’t make the checkpoint,” Jayda hissed.
    Chase tried again. He aimed. He touched his finder on the trigger. He slowed his breathing and lowered his chin. Yet, his arms fell to his sides again.
    “I just can’t. He’s alive. How can I shot him?”
    Jayda sighed and walked back to the open chamber. Dropping to her knees, she looked down in the hole. She even stretched her arm down inside.
    “If there is anything left, we can’t get to it,” she huffed.
    * * * * *
    Lucas did as Richard asked and walked into the trees with Sherri. With Richard behind him with the gun and talking crazy, he did as instructed, as his mind searched for a full-proof plan. Richard hit Dax with the gun a few times. Hard enough to daze him for a few seconds, but he kept walking.
    As Dax stumbled, so did Richard. The sight behind them as Dax’s face got red and swollen with small trickles of blood made his stomach clench. Richard had to be an easy target now, it was just a matter of the right execution. They had a crazy sick guy with a gun.
    “I’m leaderCha,” Richard choked.
    Lucas dared a look at Dax. He could practically see the wheels turning in his head as well.
    “Chase—” Richard got out.
    Sherri coughed.
    “Funny?” Richard yelled.
    The sheer volume of it startled Lucas, as he looked at a stricken Sherri with her hand still over her mouth.
    “Laughing….at me?” Richard screeched.
    “No,” she stumbled over the one word. “I had a tickle in my throat.”
    “I’ll infect you,” Richard managed to get out the threat coherently.
    Then, without warning, he moved a step forward around Dax. With ease he hadn’t had in hours, Richard hit Sherri in the face with the edge of his gun. She cried out, and Lucas stepped forward. Richard moved to pull back up his hand with the gun. Without thinking it through, he lunged at Richard and pushed him.
    Richard crumbled to the ground. Without hesitation, Lucas tackled Richard as he struggled to get up. Richard swiped at Lucas, but got only the material of his shirt as Lucas rolled away and toward Richard’s gun. He came to standing fast, aiming the gun at Richard’s head.
    “Ha!” Richard scoffed. “What are you going to do? You can’t shoot that thing. You serious?”
    Lucas tightened his muscles. Richard hadn’t gotten out that many words in one go all day. He seemed lucid suddenly. As the man rolled to his side to get up, Lucas swallowed hard and pulled the trigger.
    The sound of the gun made him jump just as the kickback moved him slightly. Blood began to flow from where the bullet had hit Richard in the arm. He fell back onto the ground. Sherri just looked at him with an expression he couldn’t read. Dax, on the other hand, seemed