Dead Sector: Miami: The James' Strain by Drake Romero Read Free Book Online

couch and props up his leg to examine it.
     
    Remington is frantic. “How is she dead? She had that gun and I heard her fire it.  Did you not help her?”
     
    “We did everything we could. She killed three of them, thought that was all, and got distracted. Either way, she is gone, and we will be out of food tomorrow,” says Katrina.
     
    He begins to argue, but the three of us all give him a look that makes him stop.  Tom has his pants leg rolled up and there is very clearly a slight bite wound just above his sock line. It broke the skin, but just barely.
     
    “Why I am not a zombie?” he asks.
     
    “Good question, but you need to get out of here before that changes,” says Remington.
     
    “I think I know,” I say, “when the zombie bit LeBron, it took him a full two days to change. But when LeBron became a zombie, his bite immediately created another zombie and so on. The things were so fast too. But now, they move much slower. Instead of turning Anne immediately, they ate her.  I think when a zombie is new, it’s biological imperative is to reproduce.  It is only interested in creating more zombies as quickly as possible. But these things still live by some of the same rules as we do, and they need to eat.  When they don’t eat, they slow down. The virus, or whatever, begins to consume the very flesh of the host. The biological imperative changes to eating. After the zombie eats, it is possible that the biological imperative will change back to breeding, but you likely have a form of the virus that needs to eat before it cannot reproduce quickly.”
     
    “So I am still going to turn into one of those things, and I have maybe a day, but could also change at any time?”
     
    “You have the right of it. I am sorry.”
     
    “Katrina, give me that gun so I can end it before that happens,” he says.
     
    “What, no,” she says.
     
    “Now wait a minute, do as the man says,” says Remington.
     
    “Hold on. Tom, I hate to ask, but we need you. We have to get to the building across the street and I think we will need your help to do it,” I say.
     
    We sit in silence until he responds.  “Okay, but when we get over there, you shoot me?”
     
    “Yes, if that is what you want.”
     
    “Wait, how are you getting anywhere? You said the stairwell is full of them and how would we even make it across the street,” says Remington.
     
    “There are maybe six left in the stairwell. We open the door, and let them in.  The floor plan of this place is a big square. We lead them around it, and by the time we get back to the stairwell, hopefully it is empty. The streets have way less of them now and they are slow. We sprint to the building and are inside before they even notice us,” I say.
     
    “I am not going anywhere,” says Remington, “and I won’t let you lure zombies throughout my office.”
     
    “You don’t really have a choice,” says Katrina, “you either come or we leave you here.” She is still holding the gun. It is hers now.
     
    “We have to do this why Tom is still healthy. We need him,” I say, “the other option is to go to the water and find a boat, but I feel we should at least try to get to the guy in the building before we do that.”
     
    “Okay, I see that I can’t stop you,” Remington says pointing at the gun, “but I am staying here.  Just bring me the rest of the food and I will barricade myself in here until someone shows up.”
     
    “Remington, that is …” I say.
     
    “We don’t have time for this Phillip. If he wants to stay, let him,” says Katrina.
     
    “She’s right. Our window is closing,” says Tom.
     
    We bring Remington the rest of the food and push the desk most of the way to the door. I want to ask him again to come, but his eyes show me that it is not that he does not want to leave-he cannot leave this office. He has barely left it since we arrived. His mind has assigned it as the only safe place, and if I force him to go, he