Time of Death Book 2: Asylum (A Zombie Novel) Read Online Free PDF

Farts."
     
    * * *
     
    The rest of the evening was a nice change in
pace. We joked around a lot, and it felt like old times. Our
circadian rhythms had adapted to life without distractions and we
were early to bed and early to rise. I woke up freezing. We were
only a few days away from the New Year, and the weather had caught
up with us. Knowing that it would warm up in a few hours provided
little solace as we layered on the lightweight clothes at our
disposal.
    Daphne was sitting at the door to the bedroom
waiting to go out. "Sorry pooch, you'll have to hold it a bit." I
sat on the corner of the bed and patted my lap for her to jump up.
When she joined me, I gave her a long squeeze and smothered her
with kisses. "Momma will be back soon. Stay safe, little
muffin."
    I closed the door as I left the bedroom and
heard her sniffling and whining at the bottom. My stomach clenched
at the thought of leaving her alone, but I knew it was our best
option.
    "Moment of truth," Jake said to us. "Let's
see what our little expedition yesterday brought out to play."
    I was last in line for the stairs and before
I was halfway up, I heard him utter a quizzical, "Huh." The dock
and surrounding area were empty, not a zombie in sight.
    My brain percolated with thoughts of what the
absence of undead could imply. I knew they weren't dying off,
because the one we killed yesterday was rancid. Were they migrating
to more heavily populated areas? Were there any populated
areas?
    "Well, let's not look a gift horse in the
mouth. Vinny, help me get that ramp up." Jake's face had turned
beet red from exertion and he took a minute to rest.
    The two of them struggled to lay the ramp
across to the dock while making as little noise as possible. Meg
and I scanned the vicinity for movement, and found none. Satisfied
that nothing was coming, we made our way to the dock and pulled the
ramp down just as quietly. Still, no foes showed themselves. With a
furtive look back at the boat, we set off down the dock and onto
land.
    Vinny and Jake were all business, transformed
instantly from husband and brother to soldiers, and they were
taking no chances. Jake took point, with Meg and I behind him, and
Vinny brought up the rear. Our weapons—The Brain-Biter, The
Penetrator, The Scrambler, and Spike—were raised and ready for
battle. My knees shook, and the palms of my hands were slick with
sweat. I had to keep switching the crowbar between hands to wipe
the perspiration onto my pants.
    A noise to our left caused Jake to stop short
and turn in the direction of the sound. Certain it was nothing, he
continued on in a crouch. The grass nearest the dock had been
trampled during our last stay, leaving a patchy-brown, dead area
that would likely never recover.
    Further back, though, the grass was overgrown
and came up to our knees, making it easy to hide a crawler. We
moved slowly across the first row of yards and paused with our
backs against a house while Jake poked his head around to survey
the street ahead. When he saw no movement, he beckoned us forward
and we crossed the street at a slow jog.
    I was proud of myself, considering the last
time I'd taken a trip like this I tripped and fell over my own
feet. We made it to the house across the street and crept along the
front wall. Jake repeated his check around the corner, but this
time he quickly drew his head back and his grip on the screwdriver
tightened. He took a few deep breaths, seeming to gather himself
for a fight and turned to us, holding one finger in the air. I
prepared myself for battle, and the four of us rushed the
corner.
    Lying in the grass was a naked zombie tangled
in a garden hose. There was no doubt it had been there for quite
some time, because the hose seemed to be fused into its flesh. The
once-green tubing was coated in skin that had sloughed off the
corpse, and the length—still constricting its legs—had been pulled
so tight that it actually tore the dead flesh from the knees and
pulled it down to