Even Zombie Killers Can Die by John Holmes, Alexandra Grey Read Free Book Online Page A

bite!” and I rolled up my pants leg to show him the carbon fiber leg.
    We both turned and waved our teams in, and they eyed each other warily in the dim light, pointedly not aiming at each other. I wondered which one of them had killed Svenson and Toshi, but I had to put that aside if we were to have a chance in hell of pulling this off.
    Danny pulled up a log to sit on while we talked, and he gave us the down low on what was happening on this end of the lake.
    “Well, first off, let me tell you, I wasn’t in charge of the patrol that ambushed your guys. Not that I would have done anything differently, I just don’t want you to hold that against me.” I nodded. “Your two guys are in the lockup on Grand Isle. That’s all I’m going to say until you understand the situation there.”
    “Go ahead. We all have a story to tell.”
    “It’s like this. You guys are the first ones we’ve seen in what, three years from the federal government?”
    “So far as I know, but th ere is satellite news and the Internet is still up in some places. You HAD to know there was still a functioning government in Seattle. ”
    “ Yeah, well, Seattle is a long way from here, and us Green Mountain Boys have always been an independent lot. The Regular Army cut and ran once things fell apart in New York, and we had to deal with a horde that came up from Quebec and Montreal. The Vermont Guard, well, we blew the bridges to Grand Isle and hunkered down.”
    I told him how we had done something similar in New York, with the creation of the giant base at Seneca Army Depot in the Finger Lakes. It only made sense.
    “Well, that first winter was an ever-loving bitch. We had maybe ten thousand refugees crammed onto that island. The Adjutant General, Major General Allen, he declared martial law on the Island. That went over like yelling fire in a theater. We killed a LOT of civilians, Nick. Ain’t something I’m proud of. We ran out of food around March the following year.”
    “So then what happened? Did you…” I left the question about cannibalism unspoken.
    “No, none of us military guys did. The General made sure we, the military, got fed first. The civilians, well, we told them they could like it or leave. Most of them did, left. We’re down to about nine hundred civilians and about a hundred military all told.”
    “Why are you telling me all this? Giving me all your numbers?”
    “Because I don’t like the way things are run there. The General, well, a decent guy at the start, but all this power stuff has gone to his head. You know me, I don’t have much patience for being bossed around. Never did. That’s why I was still an E-6 when I got blown out of the service. That and he’s got some real nasty people backing him up.”
    I thought about it for a minute. “Still, I don’t see what business it is of ours. I have to tell you, Danny, we just came back this way to get our people. The US Cavalry isn’t going to come galloping in here to save anyone anytime soon. We have enough problems with NYC.”
    “I know that, Nick. Listen, you and I both know the zombie threat is way down, and the time for martial law is done. Last month, though, some civilians got together a delegation, asking General Allen to step down and hand civilian control of things back to civilians, and concentrate on military matters.”
    “Sounds like a plan.”
    “Yeah, well, thing is, I guess the General, and some of the people around him, disagree. He hung four of them for sedition, as he called it.”
    “So?”
    “What do you mean, so?”
    “I mean, what does this have to do with us?”
    “Listen, Nick. We swore an oath. You did. I did. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
    “Seems like I’ve been keeping my oath. What about you?”
    “Well, this hanging the civilians was the last straw for me. Yes, we killed civies when they tried to storm the food warehouse. Times were tough. It was either that or everyone went under. Now, though? Some