Live (NOLA Zombie Book 3) by Gillian Zane Read Free Book Online

year ago.  

    I had been focused on so many things that in today’s world were inconsequential and frivolous. I had put so much stock into it, thinking it was important, thinking it made me a person of worth. Today none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was Alexis.  

    I didn’t know if I had a sick imagination or I had just seen too much evil shit in my lifetime, but all I could do was imagine what was being done to her o ver and over again. It was like a fucking freak slideshow in my head.   She was a tough girl.   She could handle herself, but there was only so much you could do when you were outmatched and outnumbered.  

    Every scenario I conjured up was nastier and more violent than the last. I couldn’t just sit here. I had to do something. I couldn’t stand to be in my own head.  

    I heard footsteps in the hall and pushed away from my desk as if I had been caught doing something wrong, like my terrible thoughts would be evident in the air around me.

    Blake walked into my office and sat on the sofa that was at the other end of my office, the sofa that only a few days ago I had taken Alexis on.   She had looked so beautiful bent over…

    Enough of that.

    “I couldn’t sleep,” he said in greeting. “The only thing we can do today is run patrols. We can take it up and down 90. They have to be somewhere around here. I say we push it all the way up to Pearl River and then head back down, just look for any activity or signs of life. We’ll come across them at some point.”  

    “I’m glad you’re so confident,” I replied wearily.

    “What else am I supposed to be? Should I be feeling sorry for myself, sitting in the dark with my pants around my ankles like you?”  

    “My pants are not around my ankles,” I scoffed.

    “C’mon, let’s get moving, it’s almost dawn. Just you and me, we’ll find her. The rest of the group can rest up and protect the compound while we search.”

    I didn’t believe him, but I followed him out of the office.  

Twelve | Choose to Live
    ALEXIS
    We were closer to New Orleans East than I expected. We must have been right outside of the urban area where the ‘burbs met the marsh.   I had assumed we were near Slidell, but we were still within Orleans Parish. If we didn’t run into any issues, we would be in Lakeview in about an hour.  

    They took Chef Menteur until it intersected with Michoud Boulevard, a sparsely populated area that boasted a NASA production facility. The two Uglies wound their way through a few neighborhoods, but nothing moved and only the occasional Z could be seen shuffling across a lawn or down a sidewalk.  

    Clara remained quiet except for a few sniffles and hiccups sporadically interspersed for effect. She was pushed up against the door as far away from me as possible and every bump they hit she would whimper and look at me all scared. I hope it hurt.  

    “A little more than you bargained for when you came up with your big scheme to dump me on the side of the road,” I whispered.   She just hiccupped a sob in response.   She was no fun . I didn’t want to think about what was about to happen to us. I thought it would be better to distract myself with a little Clara torture. If all she did was cry though, what good was that?

    “Quiet, you,” Ugly Number One turned around and glared at me. I wanted to flip him off so bad, but my survival instincts said don’t poke the dumb bear. And it didn’t help that my hands were cuffed behind my back. I only managed an eye roll, which he didn’t even notice because he had turned back around.  

    I chose to just turn and stare out the window instead of engaging the idiots. We were now pushing past the outskirts of my usual territory. Our group had never ventured this far from the compound and it was surreal the changes that had happened in only a few short months.  

    They made a left on Lake Forrest Boulevard pointing us toward the west. I barely recognized the area.