Dead Air (Book One of The Dead Series) by Jon Schafer Read Free Book Online Page A

passed quickly. This was way worse than anyone was saying.
    "What about around here?" He asked.
    "Nothing in Tampa or St. Pete yet. They've got the airport locked down and they're watching the Port of Tampa closely."
    "Those are only a few of the ways into the city," Steve pointed out.
    "We know it's just a stop gap measure so that's why we're going around as a precaution and asking people to go home and stay there. They put out the request earlier on the local news along with the usual bullshit about locking your doors and windows, looking both ways before crossing the street and not talking to strangers with candy." Heather laughed grimly.
    "I missed the news tonight," Steve said. "I didn't know any of this was going on." Steve thought about it and asked, "Will staying indoors help?"
    "Not if we have an outbreak," she replied. Looking around to see if anyone was nearby before continuing in a voice so low that Steve had to strain to hear her, she said, "One of our deputies worked in Little Rock a few years back so she called a bud of hers who's still on the force up there. This guy told her that things are bad, really bad. Once you get infected then that's it, you're through. The sickness is passed through bites or contact with infected body fluid on an open wound."
    "Is there a cure?'' Steve asked.
    "The feds say they're working on one but the virus is moving too fast." Heather licked her lips nervously before continuing. "The Little Rock cop told our person about the cure that they're using. They say you have to destroy the brain or the nervous system. A bullet in the head or at the top of the spine will do it, or if you hit them with a taser it disrupts the central nervous system and puts them out for good."
    For a second , Steve felt a feeling of vertigo wash over him at the unreality of what Heather just told him. Then he thought that maybe she was putting him on and looked at her as if he didn't get the joke. Seeing the steely way she stared back at him told him everything he needed to know. This was no joke.
    "You okay?" She asked. "I thought I lost you there for a second."
    "I thought I lost me there for a second too, but I'm fine." Steve replied.
    Heather studied him for a moment and then asked, "Do you have a gun?"
    Steve felt his suspicions rise, as it was someone in law enforcement asking this question. Although it wasn't illegal for him to own a firearm, his paranoia stemmed from an incident in his past when he’d used one. Heather must have seen his discomfort at the question because she added, "If you don't, you should get one. I might be able to help you there too."
    "Yeah, I've got a pistol," Steve said, then asked, "Do you really think I'll need it?"
    "I’d rather you had one and didn't need it, then need one and not have it. The HWNW is spreading fast and from what we can see it's not stopping anytime soon. You'll have to make do with whatever ammunition you have on hand because we're locking down all the gun dealers and pawn shops starting tomorrow morning. Liquor stores will be closed too until further notice. The Sheriff doesn't want Pinellas County to turn into a drunken war zone. We'll have enough on our hands as it is. Another thing, if you can, stock up on supplies like you’re getting ready for a hurricane. A long-ass hurricane. You might have to look around for a grocery store that's open because they're all shutting down early tonight to get ready for the rush tomorrow when people start getting the word that Clearwater is next on the list of cities to be visited by the virus."
    Steve digested this as he mentally calculated how much ammunition he had back at his apartment. Enough , he decided. Not so much that he was ready for all out war but enough to protect himself and - Steve's train of thought was interrupted as an image of Ginny flashed in his head. Feeling an overwhelming urge to call her and make sure she was all right, he asked Heather, "Anything else I need to know?"
    Looking slightly