DEAD: Reclamation: Book 10 of the DEAD series Read Online Free PDF Page B

smiling?” Chaaya asked.
    “Because.” Gemma closed her eyes and let out a sigh that came from the greatest relief that she could remember feeling since this nightmare had begun. “I will never have to endure a night like that again. It is over.”
    There was a moment of silence, and then Gemma’s eyes flew open as a prick of pain shot up her arm. Chaaya had grabbed her arm and brought it to her mouth. Gemma jerked away, but it was too late.
    “What are you doing?” Gemma hissed.
    “I will either die and become one of the unclean, or I will become like you and the next time those animals take me…they will pay the price,” Chaaya replied with a wicked smile that was made all the more sinister by the smear of blood at the corners of her mouth and the dark stains on her teeth.
    Two other women sitting nearby had obviously overheard. Both begged to be next. While it all seemed perfectly horrific, Gemma understood their desire and nodded. Within minutes all the other women in the cage had heard and asked to take some of her tainted blood as well.
    Sadly, not all of the women were immune. However, Gemma was amazed to discover that Chaaya and one other woman showed no signs of the zombie plague after several minutes had passed.
    Sure enough, it was not long before a dozen men came stalking to the cage. They were wielding those wicked batons. However, they had simply not prepared themselves for a handful of women who knew that they were about to die, along with a trio that had nothing to lose.
    The men were ambushed. Gemma and Chaaya both had the same idea; flee. They bolted past the chaotic melee that had erupted, made worse when the men saw the black tracers in the eyes of their victims-turned-attackers.
    Gemma, Chaaya, and the other woman ran as fast as they could. The fort was massive, and Gemma had been a little surprised to discover that there were less than fifty men total within it walls.
    She only knew of one possible escape route. A stone staircase kitty-corner across the immense open square from where their cage sat would lead up to the walls. From there, they would have to make a leap of faith into the Thames.
    She heard yelling and commands for them to stop, but the three women led by Gemma only ran that much faster; each one knowing that the slightest misstep would seal their fate.
    They reached the top of the rampart and actually had to follow it another twenty or so yards before they arrived at a spot where they could jump and have the best chance of landing in the water.
    Gemma landed with a splash.
     
    ***
     
    Chad yanked the axe free and glanced over at his daughter. Ronni was carrying an armload of branches over to add to the pile. He could hear the sound of a saw working back and forth in rhythmic fashion.
    It had been nearly a decade since he had packed up and left Dustin Miller and his compound. It had been bittersweet, but in the end, Dustin understood. Chad had simply lost faith in people. The only thing in his life that had any meaning was his daughter. And while he could not give her a “normal” life, he could give her a peaceful one.
    His experience ever since the nightmare of the dead coming back and feeding on the living had been that the zombies were the least of their problems. People were lousy when there was no deterrent to whatever whim struck their fancy.
    He and his daughter had headed north. After almost a year on the move, they came to an area in the foothills on the eastern side of Mount Shasta. The sign above the entrance to the empty parking lot read: Spinner Fall Lodge.
    They had ventured in and discovered the place empty. It had also been thoroughly cleaned out. To Chad, considering the remoteness of the location, he had to figure that somebody was either very nearby, or had been.
    His guess proved correct.
    He and Ronni had decided that the place was large and sturdy enough to act as a place to set up camp and at least catch their breath and rest their feet for a while.