Infected Freaks (Book 2): The Echo of Decay by Jason Borrego Read Free Book Online Page A

apart the wooden boards protecting the door. The glass door didn’t stand a chance against his hammer. The sharp, shattering sound caused him to cringe as he looked back.
    “Hurry,” he said, waiting for the rest of his group to exit the verminous building. Nothing was coming as far as he could tell, but he wasn’t going to stay and find out.
    A steady drizzle fell from the sky as Abraham sprinted. A large hole was burning in the side of the building where he used the bomb. A slow stagger of wounded creatures poured out into the dark streets. The clouds in the sky blocked out all of the sun’s consecrated rays as if to punish him.
    “We have to find higher ground,” he ordered. Bob’s garage was near. He cut the corner at the edge of the block, fighting to keep his grandchildren in front of him. “Keep running,” he spat, holding the pistol in one hand and taking Emme’s tiny hand in the other. He sprinted by a bakery, antique shop, and barber, recalling the way.
    The rain turned heavy and blinded him as he smeared his hands across his face. He couldn’t believe his granddaughter was forced to kill. This put a stain on his wits.
    Anxious, Abraham didn’t see the large man spring out at him from inside the barber shop. The brute dove at his knees and tackled him hard. It was impossible to see any details in the hammering rain. He knew he had to fight his way back to his feet to escape the brute and coming horde of infected. He twisted and turned, throwing punches. A straight right to the jaw took his breath. Still, he spat out the blood, and resisted. Then, something sturdy like a bat or pipe bounced across the back of his head as he heard Emme cry out to him.
    It was hard to sort out all of the noises, and there was the buzzing screeches threaded with the heavy voices of men. “We are living,” he slurred, giving way to unconsciousness. On the contrary, he did manage to hear one last thing before he passed out.
    The troublesome wild child was howling the only words he seemed to know. “Dr. John.”

IV
     
     
     
    A fine, salty liquid dripped down the threads of Abraham’s hair. It felt like most of his blood had flowed to his pounding head. He managed to open his swollen eyes and the world appeared strange. Blinking, he realized he was suspended upside down in a warehouse. His blurry vision followed the concrete floor with cracks. The cracks stretched back to a wiry man with patchy pale skin. This blur of a man had shoulder-length hair clotted in dirt and grime, and a greasy smile curving his lips. Shit , he thought trying to settle back into reality. Everything in his body hurt. He felt like a summer pig hung in a meat locker.
    “Who the fuck are you?” asked the man.
    Abraham braced as the man shoved his suspended body without regard for his injuries. The sheer force of the sway caused Abraham to spew. It spattered down his aged face. He choked on the tiny pieces of vomit, spilling out of his arid mouth. The stains of puke burned as it bled into his eyes.
    “You tried to break into my home. That, my friend, is a crime deserving of death.” The man raised a fist and snorted a curious laugh.
    Abraham tried to focus, but all he saw was a peg board of tools that swayed with every wink. This was followed by a nasty grinding sound. He felt his legs lift higher toward the roof stacked with support beams. “That’s high enough,” the man said.
    “Are you bitten?”
    “No,” Abraham muttered.
    “Why then are you painted in blood?”
    “It’s not mine. Why don’t you let me down, asshole?”
    “Next time you speak out of turn, I’ll drop you against the cement,” the man promised. “Back to the first question, who are you?”
    He murmured through his swollen lips, “Abraham. Abraham Heinz.” Now his carnal fear came into focus. “Where are my grandchildren? I will do whatever you want, but leave my grandchildren alone.”
    The man’s eyes narrowed. “Oh shit! Get him down. And be gentle about