This is the End (Book 2): Not Dead Yet Read Online Free PDF Page A

why aren’t we shooting her?”  I looked at Jack as I nodded my head in agreement with Chloe.  Wait, why was Chloe so damn anxious to shoot me?
    Jack turned and motioned for the kids to come closer.  I closed the eye I’d been using all my strength to hold open and listened to footsteps shuffling towards me.  “This wound looks days old, how long do you think it takes someone to turn?” Jack asked, tracing the ragged edges of teeth marks on my shoulder.
    Ty made a noise in the back of his throat before responding.  “Well, it only took about 15 minutes or so every time I’ve seen someone bit…” 
    20 minutes, it takes 20 minutes, I wanted to tell him, but just didn’t have the strength.
    “Exactly.  Look at this, it’s not fresh, so it didn’t happen here, and it’s starting to scab, which means it’s healing,” Jack continued.  “If she were going to turn, she’d have done so already.”  He ran his hand across my forehead and down my cheek.  “What happened to you in there?” His voice was barely more than a whisper, but might as well have been a scream as it echoed around in my head and settled into my chest.
    My mouth felt dry and I didn’t have the energy to explain. “Can’t,” I managed, while fighting back tears.
    “Goddamnit, Angie!  I’m sick of you playing stoic and keeping shit from us, if you had just dealt with your fucking feelings in the first place, admit that you need us and actually include us in your plans for once, maybe we wouldn’t be here right now!”  My eyes snapped open in shock as I watched the anger play out over Ty’s face which had turned red as he turned and punched the wall for emphasis.  Watching as his ribs heaved beneath his black t-shirt from exertion and frustration, I couldn’t help my surprise; I would have expected that kind of outburst from his sister, but not him.
    Jack leaned me forward and yanked the zipper down on my pack, pulling something out.  The light I could feel from the lanterns became closer to the ground and I could hear the kids sitting down.
    Twisting the cap off what I realized was a bottle; Jack pushed it into my hands.  Grateful, I lifted the bottle to my lips and downed most of it in one go.  Panting, I set it back down and leaned back against the door, closing my eyes.
    “Ian was working on a serum that he claimed was supposed to be a cure, but I have my suspicions.”
    I opened my eyes and was met with 4 patient faces staring back at me, if I counted Roscoe.
    Closing my eyes, I continued the story.  “He injected me with something that made me trip balls for a while and made me sick as fuck, but when I recovered, I noticed a few things had changed.  I don’t need glasses anymore, my hearing, sight and smell are mildy better, I’m a better shot, and I’m faster and stronger than I’ve ever been in my life.”
    “You also heal at an accelerated rate, don’t you?” Chloe asked, and I touched the tip of my nose in answer, still not opening my eyes.
    “The bite on my shoulder is hours old; I was bit while we were trying to escape.”
    “You could’ve killed us, why didn’t you say anything?!” Ty yelled at me and I could feel him start to stand in menace.
    “I didn’t even realize I was bit until a few minutes before we got here.  Maybe it was adrenaline or whatever, but I didn’t even know it was there until it started itching.  When I figured it out and saw it, I planned to find a safe place for you guys to hole up and leave.”  The last words came out as a whisper and tears started to well up behind my lids.  My lip started to tremble, so I bit down until I tasted blood.
    “Fuck, Angie.” I felt Jack reach over and brush a stray lock of hair that had come loose away from my forehead and I could hear a world of sorrow in his words.  I knew how he felt; after everything we’d been through, it was going to end like this.
    The tears started to slip past my eyelids and I opened them to see the