Knights of the Apocalypse (A Duck & Cover Adventure Post-Apocalyptic Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

ends?”
    “Just a little
further. Just a little further and we’ll be able to disappear.”
    “I hope so,” she
whispered. “I can’t believe it’s this far out.”
    Jerry nodded and led
her away from the board. “At least it’s an old one. It doesn’t even have our
pictures on it.”
    A raspy voice from a
tortured throat came from behind them. Liquor in the wasteland could not be
called homemade even if one was being kind, and those that drank it too often
and too heavily were easily identified by the gravel in their voice. The drunk
spoke. “Excuse me, sir.”
    Jerry and Erica
turned to see a half-circle of ten men surrounding them beneath the wooden
platform.
    The one that spoke
held out a sheet of paper with their pictures on it. “Would you mind signing
this for us?”
    The group of ten
laughed. More than a few of them were victims of the hooch and their mocking
delight wheezed from their mouths.
    One man in the group
spoke clearly. He was the tiniest of them all and kept himself better groomed
than the rest put together. The majority was dressed in old tarps, rotted
sweaters and a general disregard for seeing to that thing on their face. The
small man was clean-shaven and wore a fine suit and topcoat. He smiled from
beneath a wool fedora and said, “We’re big fans, Librarian.”
    “Oh, honey, look,”
Jerry smiled. “It’s Mr. Christopher.”
    “So, it is. How nice.
I really didn’t think we’d ever see you again.”
    Mr. Christopher’s
fake smile faded. “I’m charmed you remember me. But, I must say I’m surprised
to see you so delighted.”
    “Of course.” Jerry
stepped into the gang of ten and put his arm around Mr. Christopher’s shoulder.
He turned the man so he could see around the courtyard. “You see. I’m sure you
were told the same thing we were when we stepped into the Kingdom of the Five
Peaks. Don’t start any trouble. Fighting will not be tolerated. And all of
these men in the fancy jackets?” Several knights had approached the info board.
“They’re here to see that we’re men of our word.”
    Mr. Christopher
nodded. “Oh, I get it now.”
    “So you see, Chris?
I’m actually delighted you tipped your lame ass hat now. Surprise was on your
side. Now that I know you’re here, you don’t stand a chance.” Jerry pointed to
the closest knight. “Oh, that one looks particularly nasty. What do you think
his name is? I’ll bet it’s something like Sir Punchesalot.”
    “Actually,” Mr.
Christopher said, “ his name is Sir Steven.”
    “Sir Steven?”
    “Yes. But he does
seem rather nasty. That’s why I had to pay him extra.” Mr. Christopher waved to
the particularly nasty-looking knight.
    Sir Steven nodded and
turned his back on the gathering at the board. With this cue, the rest of the
knights turned their backs as well. The ram skull glared at the couple from the
back of each jacket.
    Mr. Christopher
smiled again.
    Jerry smiled back.
“Well, shit, Chris,” he said and punched the smile off Mr. Christopher’s face.
Somehow the weaselly little man’s hat stayed on.
    Mr. Christopher
mumbled, “Get them,” through a mouth full of blood and stumbled out of the
circle of men as they began to converge on the couple.
    One man wearing a
distressed and hideous holiday sweater lunged up the platform towards Erica.
She placed a boot across the bridge of his nose and turned him back to the
crowd while a second man grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off her
feet.
    He reeked of booze
and poor decisions. “I’ve got you, baby,” he whispered and stuck his tongue in
her ear.
    Erica tucked her
knees and threw her weight forward. He held her tight as she dropped to the
ground and exploded back up, driving the top of her head into his chin. This move was usually followed by the cracking of teeth as
the attacker’s jaw was smashed shut. But the snake hadn’t put his tongue back
in his mouth and it got in the way.
    He let go and clasped
his hands over his mouth