Plague Town Read Online Free PDF

ginger ale. “Thanks for making this.”
    “No prob. Just stay in bed, okay?”
    “I promise.”
    I handed her a tube of apricot and olive oil exfoliant. “It was behind the tomatoes. Just don’t try and use it tonight.”
    Zara yawned.
    “You’re the best, Ash.”
    My cell phone beeped. Matt, texting he was waiting for me downstairs.
    “Gotta go. Call me on my cell if you need anything!”
    But Zara had already curled back up and dropped off, clutching the tube of face scrub like it was a teddy bear.
    I smiled as I headed out the door. She was definitely on the mend.

    Josh and Jason had suffered less mutilation than Maggie. They traveled with her, some atavistic bond keeping them near even though their corpses were capable of moving much more quickly.
    They were all hungry. Their last meal had been a week ago when they’d stumbled across one of the houses scattered through the mountains above Redwood Grove. There had only been one skinny teenager at home when they’d arrived, and by the time the three had eaten their fill, all the girl’s reanimated remains would be able to do was flop and wriggle about on the floor.
    Still their hunger persisted.
    The sound of motors turned the trio toward a break in the trees. Vehicles painted in forest camouflage rumbled by on the road below.
    Food.
    Two weeks stumbling through dense forests had taken its toll on Maggie, and she quickly fell behind as Josh and Jason moved with a swift, single-minded purpose down a steeply graded hill that ended in a sheer drop-off. Neither had the coordination needed to stop from tumbling over the edge.
    Landing on the rock-strewn canyon below, Josh shattered all of his limbs, while Jason got lucky and fell on what used tobe his father, rolling off without damage. Driven by mindless appetite, he slowly got to his feet and lurched off into the forest, leaving Josh to writhe hungrily on the ground.
    Meanwhile, Maggie veered off in a different direction as the sound of trucks moved off into the distance.
    Lights shone down below the tree line.
    Lights meant food.

CHAPTER FOUR
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    “Mmmm, baby, you smell so good.”
    I giggled as Matt nuzzled against me, sniffing up and down my neck and shoulders. It tickled, and he sounded like a Saint Bernard with asthma. Disgusting and cute at the same time.
    I thought I heard a rustling sound, and jumped. Pushing Matt away, I ignored his pout, pulled my sweater back down and jeans back up, scanning for any passers-by wandering the woods behind campus after dark. Not too likely, really, especially when the weather was chilly and overcast. Plus the grove of redwoods where we’d spread our blanket was pretty much private.
    So I turned and shot him my sweetest smile, hoping to salve his bruised male ego.
    “Pass the champagne, ‘kay?”
    Matt still pouted a little, but filled a little glass flute with some Italian bubbly.
    “It’s Prosecco, not champagne, Ash,” he said with a light air of condescension. “It’s not champagne—”
    “—Unless it comes from Champagne,” I finished for him. “I know, I know.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that my ex had exposed me to top quality wine back in the day. I didn’t complain about Matt’s enthusiasm, though. I got to taste some prime stuff without suffering through the cheap white zins of the world.
    Yeah, all in all, I’d rather be seduced with sparkling wine than Pabst Blue Ribbon.
    Right on cue, Matt decided he’d sulked long enough and shot me his winning grin.
    “Enjoying the picnic, Ash?”
    I nodded. How could I not? I mean, how many college guys took the time to pack full-on picnics? We’re not talking a bucket of KFC and a six-pack. Nope, roast chicken, bread, brie, and bubbly. Bread knife, cutting board, and cloth napkins. He’d even brought a small camp lantern, but had turned it down in order to be less conspicuous. My ex had never gone to this much trouble.
    I wonder what Gabriel serves his dates , I mused somewhat guiltily.