The Scavengers Read Online Free PDF

look at the top of the bus. “That the only one?” he asked.
    “As far as I can see,” Cya replied. I could hear her feet hitting the roof as she turned to scan the horizon in all directions.
    “It’s probably a loner.” Conner sneered nastily at the zombie. There was a dark hunger in his cruel eyes. “Look at the leg. They've already started to cannibalize it.”
    “Will one of y'all just kill the damn thing already?” Kennedy asked with an annoyed humph. “We have real problems to worry about and that thing is distracting me with its smell.”
    “Whatever your pleasure.” Drake grinned handsomely as he took three quick steps towards the zombie and swung his ax without any further posturing. The blade hit the zombie's neck cleanly and a moment later her ancient head was laying in the dirt next to her crumpled, completely rigid torso. Drake kicked the head with the toe of his boot so that it rolled up against the side of his body. He reached into his pocket and deftly pulled out a matchbook. He struck the fire and dropped the tiny stick on the corpse. A moment later the smell of burning, decomposing flesh hit my nose and I saw Julie again, screaming with agony as the burns that refused to heal rotted her alive. I felt her skin flake off against my arm as she clung to me with the nubs of her charred hands. Her chest had rattled with the effort of her last breath. Her blind eyes had staring into mine as she rose from the bed, free of pain and hungry.
    “You've never seen a zombie before, have you?” Jeb's concern jarred me from my hideous memories.
    I flinched as he took my arm and gently eased me back into my seat. “It's okay,” he said. “I promise it gets easier. You get used to it.”
    I swallowed the charred lump in my throat. “It’s not that,” I croaked out the words. Jeb stared at me doubtfully. He clearly thought I was trying to save face. I ducked my head back into the seat of the bus and rested my forehead against the hot seat.
    “Really. It's not the zombie. I've seen enough zombies.” I was afraid he'd think I was weak and tell the other Scavengers that I didn't have what it took to be a member of the team.
    He raised one eyebrow at me skeptically. “It's okay.”
    “It’s the fire,” I whispered. “I worked in the hospital ward when the brickyard caught fire. I've seen plenty of zombies. I just can't stand the smell of burned skin.”
    “Oh. Shit. I'm sorry.” Jeb blinked in surprise and sympathy. He opened his mouth to say something else but a loud, angry shout from outside took us both by surprise. A horrified scream echoed through the woods and blood spurted against the side of the bus, coating the glass windows with bright red ichor.
    Jeb and I rushed for the back of the bus in time to see that a huge male zombie had gotten within biting distance of the three men working on the engine without Cya noticing his approach. Shayla was screaming obscenities as she jerked on the lever to open the bus door.
    Someone cursed and a loud thump sounded as a weapon connected with the side of the bus. An angry shout echoed through the metal wall.
    “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” Cya kept repeating the same words over and over again from above our heads.
    Drake rolled out of the way as the doors opened and Shayla rushed the zombie with her long bladed knife clutched in her left hand.
    “Die, you bastard!” She howled as she jabbed the knife straight through the zombie's right eye. The massive man twitched once and dropped to the ground. Shayla stood tall above the body, shaking with rage as she spun to face Drake. “Are there any more?”
    “No,” Drake was shaking his head furiously as he stood next to the front of the bus. “Just that one.” He gestured to the man Shayla had just dispatched.
    “How bad did he get bit?” she demanded as she turned her attentions to Kennedy. Her green eyes were focusing on everything around us except for the dying man directly in front of