The Reckoning - 02 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Their already terrifying appearance was intensified by the ghoulish look given to them from being immersed in the water for who knows how long. They had clinging pieces of vegetation on their torsos and arms, and their flesh had a melted wax look that gave them a sinister visage.
                  As the first one emerged from the water and onto the shore, I stepped quickly forward and jammed the blade of my knife into its forehead. It fell back into the water with a heavy splash. The second one reached for me and I shoved its hands to the side with my left hand, then slammed the blade into its exposed ear with my right. With a twist, I yanked the blade free and stepped back to wait for the third one.
                  Stepping out of the water, the creature began to lurch towards me. Before I could react, Odin ran into its legs, bowling it over and onto the rocks. It fell in a heap and struck the large rocks with enough force to make a wet squishing sound. Before it could begin to rise, I stepped forward and drove the heal of my boot into the back of its head. I felt the skull give and crunch beneath my foot. A second kick finished the job. I wasn't sure if it Odin had done enough damage to take it out, but it was better safe than sorry.
                  I scanned the area around us and listened for any sound that might indicate more of the things were coming our way. After an long moment, nothing emerged from the trees and I didn't hear any telltale sounds of their approach. For the moment, we were clear. Once I was sure that it was relatively safe, it was time to continue on with the mission. We really needed those supplies.
                  “Time to go shopping, boy,” I said, gesturing towards the houses.
                  My sister-in-law’s yard was huge. It had to be at least three acres. I trotted along in a crouch, heading for the shed at the western edge of the yard. I mainly planned on using it as cover, to get a better look at the rest of the yard. I wouldn’t rule out getting to the tools inside of it, though. Some of them were actually mine that I left here to work on the boat.
                  Moving around the backside of the shed, I peered around to get a better look at the back of the house and the house next door. My sister-in-law’s house looked like it hadn’t been touched. It looked normal, despite the chaos all around us. But the house next door was a different story.
                  I could see that all of the ground floor windows had been boarded up. The lowest ground floor windows were eight or more feet off of the ground, but the basement windows were right at ground level. They were boarded up, as well. The man who lived next door was a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant named Myron Graves. He’d spent twenty years in the Corps and another twenty as a rural postal carrier.
                  Myron was one of the good guys. At sixty-two, he was still in better shape than I was. He liked to drink beer and tell stories. We’d shared plenty of each while working on the boat. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. If anyone would survive this mess, it would be Myron. He lived alone in a big two-story house that he’d bought with his G.I. Bill when he left the Corps. He’d lived there with his wife, until he’d lost her a few years ago to cancer. They’d never had any kids of their own, and had pretty well adopted my boys.
                  I should have told Karen to take Myron with her out on the boat when it all went to Hel. He probably wouldn’t have gone with her, though. He was like that. He always said he’d spent the last twenty years fixing up that old house, now he’d stay there until he died. I hoped the stubborn old bastard hadn’t gotten his wish. I could really use his help.
                  I could see several zombies in the distance, but they were too far away to be