Infected Freaks (Book 2): The Echo of Decay Read Online Free PDF Page A

sitting in the front of one of the charred vehicles.
    “What happened here?” Emme asked.
    “Looks like these folks had some sort of notice to evacuate. The evacuation signs are the same ones posted up at the farm,” Abraham replied.
    “This is a good sign,” Hunter added.
    “How is this good?” questioned Abraham. “The town is destroyed.”
    “But the evacuation means people got out. We only need to find where they’re staying.”
    “You might be right,” Abraham agreed. “Some of these vehicles might have fuel. Let’s check.”
    Abraham was upset the check produced nothing. He gathered his party and kept the vehicle rolling deeper into town. He studied the several warnings painted in big, bold letters across the tops of some of the buildings. All of the warnings suggested outsiders should stay away. Chain-linked fences that must have been put in place to keep the infected out were now trampled down in several places. For obvious reasons, he believed the town must have tried to set up its own quarantine and failed.
    His face turned pallid as he watched hundreds of birds feast upon the festering body parts left to spoil in the daylight. There were dozens of brainless bodies blooming in an array of mold stung about.
    “It must have been a massacre,” Abraham said, rolling his tense shoulders. “But the fungus continues to thrive in the human tissue even after the true death.”
    “I don’t understand,” Hunter said, lowering his voice to a whisper.
    Abraham observed the misty cloud of spores orbiting the sick growths. “The fungus is still searching for carriers. The brain is dead, but the flesh is perfect for supporting the fungus.” He blew out hard as the Blazer crept farther down the damaged road. A few of the blood-eyed birds fluttered their wings and gave a harsh, grating sound. Abraham had to turn away to keep his composure after witnessing the awful sight.
    “Don’t look,” Abraham said to Emme, wiping the pouring sweat from his crumpled brow. He wanted to avert his gaze, but the picture of death called out to the old man.
    “Do you think Grandma is alive?” Emme asked. “What about my mom and dad?”
    Abraham didn’t expect his sweet little granddaughter to understand the trouble of not knowing. I have to believe my family is alive. “They’re safe. The people in the yellow chemical suits took them somewhere free from the infected. We only need to find them.” He didn’t know what to say about his missing son, Emme’s father, or her mother. So he remained tight-lipped.
    After a few more blocks, he tapped the brakes. Stacks of abandoned vehicles threaded with barbed wire blocked the road. “This is the work of Bob,” he said, unbuttoning his collar and letting his neck breathe. The forest green color of his flannel infused with the flakes of gore gave it a nasty mud color. The putrid shade did little to calm his nerves as he searched for a different route.
    “Let’s go back,” Emme pleaded.
    Abraham regarded the faces of the long-abandoned buildings in the distance supplemented by eerie alleyways. Numerous windows were broken and the furnishings meant for the inside were thrown about in the streets. Somebody had set up a series of blockades. “If only we didn’t need fuel.”
    “What if Bob killed all of those people?” she said, turning back to the flock of dining birds behind them.
    “Bob is bat-shit crazy, but this isn’t him. Those people died fighting the infected.” Abraham didn’t believe his own words. He knew Bob was a dark man with sinister beliefs. Things have changed, he thought taking in the daunting words of his granddaughter.
    “Whoever killed them did it to stop the infection,” Hunter said, sitting up straight. “Look! Over there is a narrow path big enough for the vehicle. I bet it leads to Bob’s garage.” The ruined sight didn’t seem to scare Hunter, at least not on the surface. The boy looked over to Sam, and then turned when she looked back at