Infected Freaks Volume One: Family First Read Online Free PDF Page A

the snapping of a twig alerted them of the presence of infected. They followed us in.
    Abraham shifted for a better view. All he could see was Sam squeezing Hunter’s forearm. He crouched down, and through the gap in the grate flooring, he saw something bloated and infected. His pulse quickened with each fearful breath. Abraham was moving again, this time across the second floor toward a warped ladder leading up to the third-level balcony.
    “Go first,” he said, trying to forget what he thought he saw.
    A clouded cone formed around his labored breath. The temperature had dropped in the late hour. He waited for both of them to climb to the top of the small balcony and then followed. The makeshift balcony was the highest point in the crumbling structure. A single dirty window was etched into the far side. He wiped a small spot clean and then leaned over the filthy window edge. What he saw almost brought him to his knees. Outside, under the now-familiar red glow of night, the entire west side of the mill was flooded with undead abominations. A sharp pain set fire to his weak heart. He took a seat on the floor and cupped his jaw.
    “How is this possible?” Never in his life had he seen this many in one place. His old eyes fluttered in distress. Abraham’s underclothing was saturated in sweat and zest, causing him to pull at his clothing. The breeze from the cracked tower brought the powerful smell to his nose.
    “What are we going to do?” Hunter pinched back the bolt on the rifle and then smashed it forward after checking the loaded chamber. “You led us here to die. They’ll reach the farm and kill everyone.”
    Sam placed an icy palm on Hunter’s tense shoulder and smiled. “We still have a chance,” she said, pointing at the drainage ditch. “I think it’s a straight shot out into deep woods.”
    Abraham thought about correcting Hunter’s attitude, but he didn’t have the strength. “It might work if we work together.” He brought a quaking hand to his constricted chest. Another rattle echoed across the blackness below. “Shit!” His white hair was slicked back in grime and his puffy eyes bulged at each sharp pain stabbing his heart. Not another heart attack.
    “Are you alright?” Hunter asked.
    Abraham knew the painful prompts were written all over his face. He knew if he died, everybody died. And still that wasn’t the reason for his mounting sorrow.
    “Take it easy,” Hunter said, helping Abraham to the ground.
    “I’ll live,” Abraham panted. “I need one of you to set a distraction on the south end of the mill.” Beads of sweat glistened on the slope of his nose. “Did you hear me?”
    Hunter looked at him with fear and compassion. “Fire—it will buy us time to get out and cover our scent.”
    Sam hesitated. “It will call every one of them in the area. Do you really want that?”
    Silence and stealth were the rules now, and Abraham was aware that violating those rules meant a swift death. “There’s no other way. Fire will draw them to the mill and clear us a path.” He knew from experience that the infected freaks never came out during the day. “Have you ever seen one of the infected during the daytime?”
    Sam shook her head.
    “I have a theory. I think these things don’t like the sun. It appears that the darkness of this place keeps them safe from the burn of daylight. Places like this must serve as nests or hives.”
    “And you just reunited the super horde with this small nest. Great job, Gramps,” Hunter said. “The farm is going to fall.”
    “I always wondered where they went during the day,” Sam said, rubbing her arms furiously.
    For the longest time, Abraham thought they might be nocturnal creatures, but now, he wondered if the sun burned them or cooked the fungus somehow. What type of monsters were these things that nested in the damp darkness of an old mill? His mind was running through various theories.
    “How far is the farm?” Sam chewed at her