OUTNUMBERED (Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page A

whole group needs to be made aware of it." 
     
    When everyone was gathered, Doc and I explained the issue, and our resulting dilemma, to Joe and the Masters. Doc reiterated the test results and his observations since their arrival.
    Ronnie and Joe were visibly shattered and defensive. Their reaction was normal and one we all expected. Who on earth could calmly accept they were slowly evolving into a monster that had to be executed. They each muttered variants of, "No that can't be true, I'm fine, there's got to be a mistake." Both were clearly confused and depressed.
    Tim was more defiant and abusive. At the same time Ronnie and Joe spoke, he yelled, "Who the hell do you people think you are, accusing my son and Joe of being infected and telling us you're going to murder them? I'm telling you right now you'll do no such thing based on the word of a horse doctor. It's not going to happen. If they get shot, so will all of you."
    Everyone was talking until I banged on the table. "Everyone calm down. No one is going to be taken out and shot. But Ronnie and Joe will be put in holding cells and monitored to see if Doc's prognosis is correct.  I'm sorry this has occurred, but the safety of the other sixty-three people here has to be the priority concern."
    Tim spoke loudly, "Just because some blasted tests are higher and their eyes are redder doesn't meant they're turning into the undead monsters you're accusing them of being—"
    Finally, I overrode his rant. "Tim, stop it now. Joe and Ronnie, we don't understand how this infection or whatever it's called works. We all know that when humans are directly bitten or even scratched to draw blood the transformation to the undead occurs almost instantly. The symptoms you've exhibited are very slow to materialize. Have the two of you had any intimate contact with zombies in the last year?"
    They looked at each other and both shook their heads. Joe said, "No, of course not. If we had, we would have turned then."
    Doc laid his hand on Joe's arm. "Not that type of contact, Joe. Did you and Ronnie together handle zombie carcasses without gloves or other protective clothing? You could have done it individually or when acting together."
    They looked at each other for a long minute. "Me and Ronnie carried a zombie out to a brush pile and threw it up on top. That was the morning Tom and his missus visited." Ronnie nodded slightly. "Then a few days later, two more zombies were shot near the house, and we took them out to the same brush pile and burned all three. That's the only time I've touched them. A day or so later, we came here, and I haven't been near any since then." Ronnie nodded.
    Doc was interested. "Did you wear gloves and change your clothes after handling the zombies?" Joe and Ronnie nodded. "When you burned the brush pile did you leave right away or did you hang around to watch it burn."
    Joe slumped back in his chair and frowned. Ronnie meekly said, "We stayed a bit and watched the monsters burn."
    Doc hesitated then slowly asked, "How was the wind that day? Was it at your back?"
    Joe straightened and spoke softly. "It was windy. The direction kept changing and we had to move a couple times because the wood smoke was dense and burned our eyes. We finally left and went back later after the fire died down. The bodies were incinerated, nothing was left of them." He looked to Doc pleadingly. "You really believe we're infected, don't you?"
    A tear rolled down Doc's cheek. He couldn't speak, so he nodded slightly. He coughed, removed his glasses, and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. The room was silent as we waited. "I don't know for certain, but I strongly suspect you breathed the ash of the zombie's bodies as they burned and were contaminated that way. But there's no way I can pinpoint that as the cause. It's possible, and I believe it's the most probable cause of your infection. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but I just don't know."
    Georgia was devastated and slumped in