The Reawakening (The Living Dead Trilogy, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

couple of days to bale hay or shovel cow shit, or whatever it is you do up here.”
    “I’ll forget I heard that,” he said, pouring more coffee. “What do you want me to do? You think I like what’s going on?”
    “Just tell me how I can get in touch with my wife?”
    “Look, I can lend you one of my rifles, and you can drive ten miles down the road to the general store. They have a pay phone there, and you can call your wife and tell her you’ll be a little late. Make something up if you have to, so she won’t be worried. Christ, you’re a writer, Thom. It’s not like you have to punch a clock first thing in the morning.”
    Rick went into the other room, returning with a rifle clutched in his hands. He checked it once to make sure it was loaded and then placed it down on the wooden table in front of me.
    “Here, this baby will take out anything that gets in your way. Stop an elephant in its tracks.”
    I took the rifle off the table and held it. “I’m just warning you, if Buster comes after me again, I’m going to blow his ass straight into Canada.”
    “If Buster’s as deranged as you say he is, then I suppose you’ll be doing the poor guy a favor.”
    “Do you need any supplies while I’m there?”
    “Got enough food and medical supplies to last a few years. But feel free to get yourself whatever you need.”
    “Keep an eye on Dar for me while I’m gone.”
    “Don’t worry, Thom, I’ll keep a good eye on both of those girls. They’re in good hands.”
    I turned and headed toward the door, fully prepared to blow away anything in my path.

Chapter 4
    A S SOON AS I OPENED THE door, I saw the pack of dogs milling around my car and waiting for me to exit. I pulled the handle open, and they sprang to life, sprinting over and barking maniacally. They ran up to the storm door and tried to paw it open, gnawing at the glass with their bared, bloody fangs. Rick ran over and slammed the main door shut, which caused the dogs to back away and stare at us with bloodlust in their eyes.
    “Jesus, what the hell is going on with those goddamn dogs?” He peered at them through the window, shaking his head. “You were right, Thom. That’s Buster all right. Poor guy must have caught rabies from one of those other mutts.”
    “I told you I wasn’t crazy.”
    “There’s a pack of them that runs around the area. Never attacked anyone, but they must be getting more aggressive now that they’ve gotten sick.”
    “They’re not going to leave us alone, Rick. Our only choice is to kill them or wait for them to leave.”
    “Hand me that rifle.”
    I passed him the weapon, happy to let him do the killing. I’d shot with him a number of times, but I’d never actually killed anything. I followed him to the back of the house. Once there, I gazed out the large bay window. The dogs milled around, following us, waiting for us to exit. I scanned the pasture and the hills and saw thousands of birds circling in the sky. They flew in strange formations, constantly switching directions and taking on new shapes. When the sunlight hit their feathers at a particular angle, it created a strange visual effect. It almost appeared as if they were trying to communicate something to us.
    Rick opened a side window and stuck the barrel out. As soon as the dogs heard the screen go up, they lifted their heads and charged. Just as they came forward, we heard a noise coming from the barn. It sounded like the cows were acting up again. But that was impossible. Rick had fired a single round into every one of their skulls.
    “What in the world is that?” he asked.
    “Watch out, Rick! Those dogs are coming for us.”
    I barely had enough time to finish my sentence when the mangy dog jumped up first. Rick waited a beat and then fired a single shot. The dog instantly fell back against the dirt, a bullet placed squarely above its left eye. Blood and gray pus oozed out of the wound. The black lab followed in the rear. Rick hesitated