Broken World (Book 3): Mad World Read Online Free PDF Page B

linebackers.
    Suit Man flips through the pictures on the camera with an evil little smile on his lips. More than anything, I want to grab it out of his hand and smash it on the floor. If I had a knife right now, I’d happily cut off his balls and shove them down his throat.
    The linebackers don’t have to be told twice. Once again, they grip our arms and drag us down the hall. Back into the elevator. They still haven’t said a single word to us. Maybe they aren’t human. They could be cyborgs. It’s possible. A few weeks ago, I would have laughed my ass off at the suggestion that zombies existed, but now it’s just a part of everyday life. Cyborgs could be real too for all I know. Along with vampires and fairies, maybe even werewolves.
    My mind is wandering—off the edge of a cliff, if I’m lucky—but when the elevator door slides open, it snaps me back to reality. The hall reeks of death, and the air is thick and stale even under the stench. Hadley gags, and I cover my nose while Linebacker One jerks me forward. I stumble out of the elevator, trying hard not to breathe out of my nose.
    We’re in a short hallway with only a handful doors. I see the source of the stench at the end of the hall. Three zombies chained to the wall, blocking the door that leads to the stairwell. They moan and thrash as the men drag Hadley and me toward them, frantically pulling against their chains as they try to get free. My heart pounds and my feet stop moving. I struggle against the tight grip on my arm, trying to get away from the zombies just dying to rip me apart. But the linebacker grips me tighter, digging his fingers roughly into my skin as he jerks me forward.
    The linebacker holding Hadley stops in front of a door. The zombies moan, and I jerk back while Linebacker One pulls me forward. Linebacker Two slides a keycard into the lock. A zombie screams, and Hadley whimpers. The light on the lock changes from red to green. Linebacker Two opens the door and shoves Hadley inside and I’m pushed in right behind her.
    I stumble forward and spin around. “What the hell?” I say just as the door slams in my face.
    “What’s going on?” Hadley says as I turn around to survey our surroundings.
    We’re in a suite. A huge suite. The kind that was probably reserved for celebrities and high-rollers. But it isn’t luxurious anymore. The air is stuffy and the scent of decay has seeped its way in from the hall, filling the room with the pungent odor. The place hasn’t been cleaned since probably before this whole mess started, and the room is crowded with women. Close to a dozen are gathered in the living room, and more come out of the bedrooms as Hadley and I walk forward. Blankets and pillows lay all over the floor like little makeshift beds. The women range from age fifteen to fifty, and they’re every shape, size, and color imaginable. None of them look particularly well. Physically or mentally.
    They all stare at us, but no one says a word. A woman in her late thirties stands in front of me, and our eyes meet. She’s average-looking and slightly overweight, with greasy, chin-length brown hair. She’s dressed like Hadley and me: T-shirt that’s way too big and nothing else. She has dark circles under eyes, and there are bruises on her forearms exactly where mine will be after a few more walks with the linebackers.
    “What’s happening?” I ask.
    She bites her bottom lip. Her eyes go over me, then move to Hadley. They widen. She recognizes Hadley, it’s obvious. The woman takes a small step back, like she’s afraid to be associated with a former celebrity or something, then glances around the room. Most of the other women don’t even look our way.
    The brunette shakes her head and stares at the carpet. “Do you really have to ask?” she finally says. “Use your imagination and you’ll be able to figure out why you’re here.”
    “But none of this makes sense!” Hadley says. “The men who grabbed us were talking in