Dead Tropics Read Online Free PDF Page A

eating them, chewing on their faces, their stomachs."
    Emma squeezed her eyes shut as the memories slid over her. "I ran back into the supply room and locked the door. They came after me and banged on the door for a while. I just prayed and prayed and then I heard them move away. They were making grunting sounds, like they'd gone back to ...eating. And then the screams from the other rooms started." She shuddered. " I hid in the cupboard until I heard Ken calling my name."
    Ken's mouth tightened. "I went to the men's room I was only gone a few minutes but when I came out of the room, the others were already dead or dying. That's how quickly it happened. As I passed by, I saw Jan and Allana dead on the floor and the supply room door shut; I thought maybe, just maybe, Emma was still alive."
    He looked at her with a half smile. "I had to know for sure."
    She returned his smile. "I've never been so happy to see anyone in my life."
    She glanced up. "I was giving him a big hug when I saw... "
    "What?" Biggs tried to urge gently.
    "Jan and Allana. They sat up." Tears filled her sapphire eyes. "No faces left, torn stomachs but they got up without any sign of pain."
    She bit her lip. "I knew that they were dead. Yet there they were...walking."
    Ken continued. "When I felt her body tense, I turned around, and they were coming at us." He shook his head at the memory. "Thank God their faces were so messed up that they couldn't see very well 'cos they tripped over some boxes. I just grabbed Emma's hand and ran right past them."
    Biggs frowned. "So your walking dead theory is all based on those nurses having more resistance to pain than you? Jesus."
    "No!" Ken exclaimed. "We saw others - hell, Brian was dragging himself along the floor - and he'd been torn in half." Ken choked and looked away.
    "Go look through the door window, Biggs, if you didn't get a good look earlier." I said steadily. "But I think you already know the truth in your gut."
    For a long moment, no one said anything.
    "Yeah." Biggs answered heavily. "Okay, then." He turned to leave.
    "Biggs." I said, unsure of what to say but knowing I had to say something. "One of the paramedics was bitten this morning. He began showing all the same symptoms as these things, shortly after. It's probably nothing to worry about." I hastened to say. "The majority of people who are exposed to an encephalitis virus never go on to develop any symptoms but we really need to get your men treated. Just in case."
    He absorbed this new information silently and then shook his head. I heard him mutter as he strode away, "I knew I shouldn't have got out of bed this morning."
    It seemed to take forever but it was probably only five minutes later when Mike returned. He entered the room at a trot, which immediately sent my alarm bells ringing. My heart started beating faster.
    "Time to relocate, folks." He said, deadpan. "We've got dead people heading our way. Most of the ER, if I am not mistaken."
     
    6
    "How long have we got?" Biggs barked, doing a quick count of his remaining bullets. I exchanged a long look with Emma. She had to be thinking of all the people we'd worked with every day, just as I was. Was it possible that they were all dead - or one of these creatures?
    Mike pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Five minutes if we're lucky. The stairs are proving a bit of an obstacle but I wouldn't count on that stopping them for long."
    "Right." Biggs turned to look at all of us. "Considering the loss of communication, we have to assume most of the hospital is lost. We need to concentrate on getting out of here alive now."
    "If we get to the roof, there's a ladder on the side we can use to get down." Emma spoke up eagerly. There were nods all around.
    "Okay, everyone head to the elevator." Biggs snapped.
    I snorted. "Oh I don't think so."
    Biggs turned to glare at me but I met his eyes coolly. "Think about it. We have no way of stopping the elevator from stopping at any of the above floors. If the upper