Zombie Ascension (Book 1): Necropolis Now Read Online Free PDF Page B

and he attempted to sound playful once again. "Come on now, United Nations, we don't have health insurance, so we can't see a combat therapist!" He sang his words. "All we have is each other!"
    He was referring to her nickname, which she hated. Her father was a half-black, half-Spanish Catholic who married an Arabic diplomat. Vega's mother converted to Catholicism from Islam.
    Whenever she thought about her parents, her father's majestic presence came to mind. His wife had been so madly in love with him that she renounced her faith and converted to his. He was a man who inspired revolutions.
    Amparo Vega was four years old when her father spoke to her about her future.
    Her father, Javier Vega, was going to an important meeting, as he often did. Dressed impeccably in his white suit with a black silk shirt beneath the jacket, he called to Amparo, who was in the living room combing her plastic doll's hair.
    His thick fists were decorated with gold rings, and gold hoop earrings dangled from his ears. His shoes were neatly polished, and his coal-black forehead shone in the bedroom's light. When he sat down on the edge of the bed, it sank beneath his weight. At nearly 250 pounds, Javier kept himself in excellent shape, because he loathed seeing fat on his body, referring to it as a sign of weakness and gluttony.
    "Come, Amparo," he said in Spanish. His forearms rested on his knees, and he folded his jeweled hands into one fist.
    She hesitated. He never invited her to sit with him in a private setting. She spent more time with her mother because he was always so busy. Though as the man of the house, he always inquired about Amparo when they ate dinner as a family—which was every night, a ritual he considered to be of the utmost importance.
    "I won't bite you," he smiled and motioned to a space on the bed beside him. When she finally walked to him, he lifted her up onto the bed.
    He smelled like cologne and sweat. "You're a big girl, Amparo. God is very proud of you. Big girls take on more responsibility around the house. Would you be willing to do that for God?"
    She nodded quickly. She knew better than to question His desires.
    "You must always remember to keep the Sabbath day holy," he cleared his throat. "The Commandments must be obeyed." He stopped for a moment and looked at her, estimating her ability to understand anything complex he might say.
    Finally, he said, "God's plan for each of us is a mystery." He cleared his throat again while she nervously played with her fingers on her lap.
    "I will always love you," he said with newfound confidence. "Our time on this Earth is short compared to what we'll have in Heaven. Eternity awaits us, but here we must choose one of the paths before us. I chose to be a soldier for God. I fight the infidels and the Jews who corrupt the word of God and make a mockery of His will. If we aren't fighting for something, we're dying. Millions of people in this world are soulless puppets, consumer-parasites, television addicts, fried-food consumers. You must choose your own fight when the time comes."
    He gently patted the top of her head and kissed her forehead. "Tell your mother I must speak with her."
    The little girl didn't understand her father's words, but her chest felt tight. In the living room, she played with her favorite plastic doll, combing its hair obsessively. The doll's wide eyes seemed to be mocking her with an unmentionable certainty, as if the plastic toy knew Amparo's future and hid it from her.
    She said her prayers with her mother beside her bed. Mom tucked her in with the doll, and for several hours, Amparo stared at the ceiling, thinking about her father's words. Why did he seem so strange? Was he going to take her to L'Aquarium de Barcelona? Daddy always held her hand while he pointed at all the different fish and named them for her. He always kept her safe and happy.
    She liked to think she was just like the doll: a perfect little girl who would always do her best to