Run: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller Read Online Free PDF Page A

thought to himself. Rick picked up the shotgun and went to the front door. He waited for a few seconds, and was turning around to go continue packing when the knock sounded again. Rick raised the shotgun to the door and said quietly: “Who is it?” 
    “Mr. Barnes? Mr. Barnes, it’s Chris Rawding from 3A, can I talk to you please?”
    Rick knew there was a young guy living upstairs, but he didn’t know his name. Quiet and shy, he was a computer kid or something. Rick looked through the peephole in the apartment door to make sure it was the neighbor he knew. The cop saw a tall, thin kid about 22 or 23. He removed the safety bar, and unlocked the door to let him in. Chris came through the door and stopped quickly when he saw the shotgun. He looked warily at Rick. “Come in, please,” Rick said, pointing the shotgun at the floor, “I’m a cop.” Those three words always either calmed, incensed, or scared people, and a good cop could always tell what emotion would be elicited prior to uttering them. Rick was hoping for calm and he was right on the money. 
    “I know you’re a cop, that’s why I’m here.” The kid drew his forearm across his forehead, and Rick noticed it came away sweaty.
    “What’s the problem, is everything ok?” 
    “Yeah, um, the problem is that I’ve seen some weird stuff lately, and I’m a little freaked. I’ve been online for the past few hours, and some of my online buddies have told me that this infection is all over. I need somebody to tell me what’s happening, and you’re the first person I thought of. I heard gunshots earlier, and saw you and some EMTs out the window. You shot that guy, was he infected?  
    “I hope so.” Rick sighed. “He wouldn’t respond to any verbal commands, and he attacked one of the paramedics. Bit him.” 
    “Bit him?” Chris looked really scared. “Two of my friends said it’s the bites that infect you, and if you get infected, in a very short time, you lose your mind and attack anybody near you.” 
    “Shit.” Rick said, and looked at his hand. Thank God for false teeth. “Alright, it’s Chris, right?” Chris looked almost sad when Rick wasn’t sure of his name. Chris nodded. “What is it I can do for you exactly?” 
    “Uhh…well, you have a gun…”
    Rick raised his eyebrows. 
    “It’s just that… I don’t have a gun, and I’m getting a little nervous, so I was wondering if I could hang with you for a little while.” 
    The kid looked like a scared school girl, complete with wide eyes and nervous lip biting. 
    “Well then there’s good news and bad news, kid,” Rick said. “Good news is that I’m somewhat of a gun enthusiast, bad news is that I’m leaving in two hours.” He handed Chris a small hand gun. It was a .32 caliber pistol that he had purchased for his wife when he had lived in Boston. His wife had outright refused to carry it, even after she had gotten certified to carry a firearm. Rick had brought the weapon with him when he had moved back to San Francisco, and the gun had sat in his weapons locker, unused, since his return.
    “Normally, I wouldn’t give you a firearm,” he said to Chris, “but these circumstances are anything but normal.” He looked at the young man as Chris accepted the weapon. “Have you used a firearm before?”
    Chris looked at the nickle-plated weapon and nodded in the affirmative.
    “Good. I hope you won’t need to use it.”

 
    4
     
    Living on the outskirts of San Francisco, Paul was used to nightly sirens. But last night they were going apeshit. Paul had gone to bed at about 9:30, he was getting along in years, and he liked getting up early, so he went to bed early. Sometime during the night he woke up needing to pee. He got out of bed, and realized that his digital clock wasn’t on. He pressed a button on his watch, was momentarily blinded by the bright blue backlight. Paul blinked a few times and then focused on the numbers. 3:26 AM. He stumbled sleepily to the