Zom-B Mission Read Online Free PDF

firmer stance, ready to stop Burke if he makes another grab for the gun.
    ‘Oystein,’ Zhang shouts, racing past me. ‘Are you injured?’
    ‘Only winged,’ Dr Oystein says. ‘One of the bullets struckmy shoulder. I will be all right.’
    I don’t look back. I stay focused on Burke. He’s crying openly now. He holds out his injured hand to me and whispers something.
    ‘What was that?’ I moan, expecting him to say ‘ Demon! ’ again. But this time it’s different.
    ‘ Dowling ,’ Burke croaks through his tears, and I go cold inside as I start to piece together what has happened.
    I sit besidethe damned Billy Burke, the man who saved me in the underground complex, who has helped take care of me since I came to County Hall, who was always a good friend and trusted teacher, the man I would have chosen for a father if I could. I wrap my arms round him and pull him close, like a mother nursing her baby.
    ‘It’s OK,’ I tell him as he starts to quiver uncontrollably. ‘I’m with you. I’lllook out for you. It won’t be long now. The pain will pass.’
    ‘Dowling,’ Burke says again, sobbing into the fabric of my T-shirt.
    ‘I know,’ I shush him. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll track him down. I’ll make that bastard pay.’
    Burke starts shaking his head and tries to say something else. But before he can, his body rattles. His head flies back and his eyelids snap open and shut, time and timeagain. There’s a creaking noise as the bones in his fingers and toes start to push out, tearing through the flesh. His lips peel back as his teeth lengthen and thicken into fangs.
    Master Zhang returns and stands over the pair of us. He looks furious but sad at the same time. I don’t know if he was friends with Burke – I’m not sure that Zhang has any real friends – but he respected theex-teacher.
    I clutch Burke tight and whisper in his ear, trying to make this as comfortable for him as I can, even though I know his brain has already shut down, that he can’t understand anything I’m saying.
    ‘B,’ Zhang says quietly. I glance up at him. He extends his right hand, the fingers hooked, and raises a questioning eyebrow, asking if I want him to put the transforming human outof his misery.
    I start to nod, then recall something and shake my head, angry at myself for almost forgetting such a crucial factor. ‘No! He got Dr Oystein to vaccinate him. He wanted the chance of revitalising if he was ever infected.’
    ‘There is little hope of that,’ Zhang says icily. ‘Adults almost never revitalise. And after what he did today, I am not sure he deserves such consideration.’
    I think about defending Burke, but I know that won’t wash with my stern mentor. So I take a sly approach instead. ‘As unlikely as it is, if he recovers consciousness, we can find out why he did this, punish whoever put him up to it.’
    Zhang purses his lips, thinks about that, then nods curtly. ‘I will prepare a room and we will keep him captive. Guard him until it is ready—I do not wanthim to target Ciara or Reilly.’
    As Zhang turns to check on Dr Oystein, Burke falls impossibly still. Impossible if you’re a human, that is. Perfectly possible if you’re a zombie.
    Burke tries to rise but I pull him down. He doesn’t resist. While Master Zhang and the other Angels tend to Dr Oystein, I gently rock the undead teacher and go on speaking to him, mourning his loss while atthe same time begging his forgiveness for having been the one who killed him.

SEVEN
    Dr Oystein waves away Master Zhang’s help and rushes down the corridor, calling his Angels to arms, demanding all entrances be secured and the building searched for intruders. I remain with Burke’s revived corpse as everyone else races round in a panic. Nobody’s sure if there’s an army outside, ready to break down the doors, or if Burke acted by himself.
    Finally the doctorand Master Zhang return. Dr Oystein hasn’t changed clothes or bandaged his wound. There’s a