Tainted Grace Read Online Free PDF Page A

from his gun. She had left behind a mini pharmacy of sorts, and several broken hearts. Even Susan, the Ice Queen, had taken her loss hard. Gus, being our resident nurse, was in charge of the pills we had stockpiled since the day the dead rose.
    “We’ll set you up with a five day course,” continued Boggs. If it’s looking ok on the fifth day we’ll risk stopping.”
    “Sounds fair enough to me,” said Boggs with a slight sigh.
    “We’ll need to think about a scavenging trip once the roads start to clear,” added Gus. “Restock on supplies, food, meds. If there’s much left out there, that is.”
    “Will we try for the Explorer?” asked Emilie. We had a Ford Explorer that had taken us on our last scavenging trip. We had abandoned it on the other side of Lake Arrow to avoid an ambush by the living dead.
    “I imagine so,” answered Boggs. “Between that and the step van we should be set to gather quite a bit.”
    “What about the people you saw watching us?” asked Susan, who until now had been rather quiet. “Do you think they’ll attack?”
    “It’s hard to say, Sue,” said Boggs. “We’ll need to stay prepared. Impossible to say how many there were, or what they wanted. I imagine they’re human since we haven’t seen the dead using tools. I have a hard time thinking the zombies were watching with binoculars, eh Gus?”
    “I agree,” was all he said in reply.
    “You all ok with me dropping the ladder?” I asked.
    Everyone looked at me. I felt my face flush.
    “ Yeah, sure. Let’s go down and start the fireplace, have some supper,” said Gus.
    “Thank God,” mumbled Susan. “It’s so cold up here.” Her teeth were actually chattering.
    “Leave the supplies up here,” ordered Gus. “We’ll use the blankets from the front closet and sleep in the living room tonight. Best we stay in one room together.”
    I dropped the hatch. The ladder unfolded with the faintest of squeaks. It used to be much louder, but the guys had oiled it well. We all scuttled out of the attic and into the dark cabin below. Emilie was the last down and gathered around us with a single lit candle. Gus took it from her hands and led the way downstairs. The cabin felt eerily quiet, and was uncannily still. I thought about the horrible end the old woman out front had met, and my stomach threatened to rise into my throat.
    Once on the main floor of the cabin Boggs worked quickly to ignite the propane fireplace. Emilie and Susan unpacked five thick blankets that we kept in the front closet as spares. Gus disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a small amber colored pill bottle that he handed to Boggs. He also held a glass of water in his hand.
    “ Boggsie-boy. Listen up, brother. Take one of these pills three times a day. Five days, then let me look at the bite again.”
    “Gotcha. Thanks, man.” Boggs opened the little bottle, took out one of the pills, and tossed it into his mouth. He washed it down with a large guzzle of the water. I could tell it was painful for him to swallow.
    The knock on the door in the next moments took us all by surprise. Susan stopped cold, her arms still full of blankets. My eyes locked with Emilie’s. Gus and Boggs looked at each other, and nodded in a silent exchange. They instantly had their guns drawn and at the ready.
    Another knock followed, this time louder and almost urgent sounding.
    “Hello!” yelled a male voice followed by another knock.
    “Hello in there! Please, we’re only looking for temporary shelter!”
    Fear enveloped me. Were these the people Gus saw watching us? Were these the people who baited our property with human flesh?
    I heard the familiar ‘click’ of a gun being cocked. I knew by the sound it was Gus’ weapon.
    “How many of you are there?” called Gus.
    “Just two,” answered the same male voice.
    “Gus,” whispered Boggs. “They might draw more of the dead our way.”
    Gus nodded at Boggs and then called out to the man on the porch.