Survival Read Online Free PDF Page B

needed
the h-heat. Th-thanks though."
    "Your sister's stubborn." Meredith chimed
in; her total focus still on the road in front of her.
    Dana laughed. "Don't I know it? Thank
goodness though. I wouldn't have made it without her today."
    Meredith nodded. "Me neither."
    The women sat not speaking. The only sounds
came from outside, where the dead attacked the living. Car horns
blared and screams filled the night. Try as they might, they
couldn't help but stare at the horror surrounding them. People fled
cars stalled in traffic, trying to get in others, or into nearby
buildings. Some outdistancing the zombies. Some not. A woman's body
hit the side of their truck. Blood and gore spattered against
Dana's window and the Expedition rocked. Two of the dead had her
held there while their teeth chewed their way into her flesh.
    "Oh God. We have to do something." Dana
moved to open her door but found herself shoved back against the
seat.
    Sarah held her there. "No . . . we can't.
There's nothing we can do. It's too late."
    They watched helplessly as the woman slid to
the ground and other zombies came to feed upon her.
    "Screw this." Meredith backed up the
vehicle, getting just enough room to go up and over a trio of
zombies on the ground next to the front tire and across the median
to the other side where traffic was less dense. Dodging what she
could, she made better progress.
    Meredith's reflection in the rearview mirror
showed she was fading fast. "Mere, if you'll stop when you can,
I'll drive the r—"
    A shrill scream eclipsed all the other
noise. Sarah's head jerked around to her window.
    Dana gasped. "That sounded like a kid."
    All three searched the surrounding area.
"There! Next to that building." Meredith pointed to her left.
    "Stop the car." Sarah moved to the other
side of the vehicle, and grabbed the door handle.
    Dana looked over her shoulder. "I thought
you said—"
    "I know what I said. Just stop the car,
Mere! It's a kid for Christ's sake." Sarah opened the door before
the Expedition came to a full stop and ran toward the girl.
    When she saw Sarah coming at her with the
machete, she screamed again, but froze in terror.
    Sarah dropped the knife next to her as she
knelt beside the child. She looked her over and figured her to be
about four or five. Blood covered her pink shirt and pants, but she
didn't see any injuries. "Are you okay? Where's your mom?" She had
to repeat the question twice before the girl pointed. Sarah saw a
man crouched over a woman, hugging her to him half a block
away.
    "Is that your dad?"
    The girl nodded as she whispered, "She tried
to bite me." Tears flowed down her face and she gulped for air.
"She bit daddy and he . . ." The child sobbed unable to finish.
    Sarah rose, picked up her machete, and
pulled the girl into her arms. The child's face nestled against her
shoulder, her sobs quieter, but they still racked her small body.
Sarah motioned for Meredith to follow as she moved cautiously
toward the man and obviously dead woman. She kept the girl's face
pressed against her chest, so she wouldn't see the bashed in face
which used to belong to her mother.
    A flap of skin hung from what was left of
the woman's mouth, her teeth and face covered in gore. A brick lay
near her head stained with her blood and brain matter. The man
clutched her to him, whispering over and over how sorry he was. He
had a huge chunk of flesh missing from his arm and another from his
chest. His head turned and his eyes met Sarah's.
    "Maggie? Oh, my God, Maggie. Are you okay?"
He reached for her, noted how her head pressed against Sarah, and
then looked down at his wife. He laid his wife down and tried to
stand, but could not. He had lost too much blood. Instead, he
scooted backwards a few feet and held out his hands.
    Sarah leaned down to place the girl in his
arms just as a blast came beside her. She whipped around to find
Dana standing there, gun in hand. A zombie staggered toward them,
unaffected by the large bullet hole in