Surviving The Evacuation (Book 2): Wasteland Read Online Free PDF Page A

shooting!” I replied, the words barrelling out in a rushed slur.
    “You think if I had a gun I'd be trying to break out of here?” That was a fair point. I was having difficulty processing all of this, though. People, conversation, they're not what I’m used to.
    “Would you mind?” There was an edge of impatience in her voice. “Let me expand on that. Would you mind levering off the board blocking this window?”
    “Right. Sorry. Yes.” I said, still off balance. I took out the chisel, raised it to the board covering the window frame and hesitated. I tried to work out whether or not she was a prisoner. If she was, should I let her out? The other windows were all boarded up from the inside, but if she was in league with the...
    “Whenever you're ready.” This time the impatience was coupled with sarcasm. That sealed it, I don't know why, but there's just something trustworthy about anyone who can be sarcastic in the face of adversity. I pushed the chisel into the gap between the wooden board and the window, hammering it into place with the hatchet.
    “I meant quietly!” she hissed. “I assumed you'd understand.”
    “No time,” I said. “Zombies.” I heaved at the chisel, levering the board back. I repeated the action on the other corner. In the distance another body thumped to the ground, somewhere far closer I heard the shuffling dragging step of a foot on gravel.
    I had both of the corners free, and began to pull and tug at the bottom of the board until there was a foot wide gap. I reached as high as I could and hammered the chisel in once more. There was another thump. I started counting.
    The nails gave and the board fell to the ground. Now all that was between us was the glass window.
    “Stand back,” I said. It was too dark to see, I just had to hope that she'd heard me. I swung the hatchet at the window. It broke. The tinkling of glass on the floor of the room seemed to echo all around the grounds.
    “Well,” I said. “Climb out.”
    “Can't. Chains. Wouldn't get far,” she replied, stepping closer to the window. Under the reflected moonlight, I glimpsed an unkempt, haggard face. “Here, give me that.” Her hand snaked out and snatched the hatchet.
    I stood there, uncertain. Then there was a shot and the sound of a bullet hitting stone, but there was no corresponding thump of a body falling. I peered out into the night, wishing she'd hurry up. It was fifteen seconds before the next shot, and again it was a miss. The snipers had switched. I didn't know what that meant. I didn't like it though.
    “Hurry,” I said, turning back to the room, but it was too dark, too filled with shadows to make out more than her outline.
    “Stand by the window,” she hissed back. “Get ready.”
    I couldn't see what she was doing, nor could I hear any sound of her breaking whatever chains were holding her. Unsure what I was getting ready for and because I had no better plan, I did what she said.
    Close by, I heard the tread of a foot on dry grass. I turned to stare out into the night just as the door to the room opened. The light of a torch shone out onto the back of my head and out around the window frame, into the night. Behind me, I heard a meaty thwock, and a man screamed, but I didn't turn to look. Before the light disappeared, as the torch was dropped, it had illuminated a zombie, less than three feet away from me.
    The torchlight had taken away my night vision. I was blind. I swung the chisel in a violent sweeping arc in front of me. Left to right. There was a second wet crunching sound from inside and the screaming stopped. Right to left, left to... It scored against something soft. I swiped again, slightly lower, and the chisel jarred against flesh. I pulled my hand back, ready to thrust it forward into where I thought the zombie's face was, but then it was on me.
    Its mouth clamped down on my wrist. The chisel fell from my grasp. I pounded my free hand down on its skull. I pushed and I shoved and I