Zom-B Mission Read Online Free PDF Page A

when we’re awake all night. This could be one of your morepopular inventions, up there with the Groove Tubes.’
    ‘You think so?’ Dr Oystein looks surprised. ‘I had not realised it was that important. I know lack of sleep is a nuisance, but I had not thought it a serious handicap. Perhaps I should have turned my mind to the matter sooner. I will give it all of the attention that I can over the next few –’
    ‘ Demon! ’ someone screams and we both jumpwith alarm.
    I look up and spot Mr Burke in the corridor. He has a face like thunder and he’s holding a gun. As I stare at him, bewildered, he bellows ‘ Demon! ’ again. Then he raises the gun, aims at us and opens fire.

SIX
    Dr Oystein and I throw ourselves to opposite sides of the corridor. It’s what I was taught to do by Master Zhang in a situation like this. It means the gunman has to swivel and set his sights on just one person.
    Burke focuses on Dr Oystein. He keeps firing as he strides forward, screaming ‘ Demon! ’ over and over, as if it’s the only word he knows.
    ‘Stop!’ I roar, racing towardshim, waving my arms, trying to draw him away from Dr Oystein. The doc is dodging the bullets as best he can, moving with surprising speed for a guy his age.
    Burke ignores me and keeps on firing. His eyes are wild. Spit flies from his lips every time he roars. Even in the heat of the moment I feel a stab of envy. You can’t produce proper spit when you’re a zombie. My mouth has been a dry,stale hole ever since I came back to life.
    I close on Burke and he swings his arm round. He starts to fire, but pauses when he sees that it’s me. A desperate expression shoots across his face. He adjusts his aim slightly and shoots at the floor ahead of me, trying to scare me off.
    But I don’t scare easily. I keep on coming. Burke’s features harden and he whirls away, closer to the wall,searching for a clear shot at Dr Oystein. He fires again. There’s a cry of pain as one of the bullets strikes home. I don’t look back to check on the doc. There isn’t time.
    ‘Stop!’ I yell again as I come within striking distance of the man who was once my favourite teacher.
    ‘ Demon! ’ Burke retorts, steadying his arm, taking careful aim.
    I want to calm him down and talk this through,but there’s no time. If I don’t stop him, he’s going to kill Dr Oystein. In a panic, I swing at his gun hand and swat the weapon away. Burke cries out with pain and stumbles after his lost weapon. Then he comes to a halt and stares at the fingers which a second before had been holding the gun.

    I pulled my punch as much as I could. I knew the dangers of direct contact and tried to avoid it, so that I could subdue Burke and try to find out what’s wrong with him. But you can’t always strike accurately in a fight, not when your opponent has a gun and is about to kill one of your team.
    I knocked the gun from Burke’s hand. But a couple of the bones sticking out of my fingersscratched his palm.
    Burke stares at the wounds, his eyes bulging. They’re minor scrapes. A kitten could have done more damage. But Burke hasn’t been scratched by a cat. He’s been scratched by a zombie. And the infectious nick of a monster like me is death to a human like him.
    ‘I’m sorry!’ I scream, thrusting my hands behind my back, as if I can undo what I’ve done. ‘I didn’t mean to.I only wanted to knock away the gun. Why didn’t you stop firing when I told you?’
    Burke stares at me, his cheeks puffing in and out. There are tears in his eyes. He clutches the injured hand to his chest and falls to his knees. Shakes his head and moans pitifully.
    Master Zhang races into the corridor, followed by some Angels. His eyes dart from Burke to me to Dr Oystein, taking in everythingin an instant. ‘Are you in control of the situation?’ he barks.
    I can’t answer.
    ‘Becky Smith!’ he snaps. ‘Are you in control?’
    ‘Yes,’ I say hoarsely, my training kicking in as I take a