My Zombie Summer (Book 1): The Undead Road by David Powers King Read Free Book Online Page B

unarmed , Jewel,” he said.
    “I didn’t want to leave without it,” she replied.
    The weight of the .45 in my pocket came as a reminder that I still had my weapon. I was almost compelled to pull it out, but I was never so happy to see so many survivors at once—and never so terrified to see so many survivors at once. Black Bandana man had a weird, unyielding scowl, and this one large lady with a big fedora had her pudgy finger on the trigger of a double-barreled shotgun. We weren’t in Illinois anymore, and this sure as hell wasn’t Munchkin Land.
    “You gave your kids guns?” Mr. Law Enforcement had a deep voice. I could barely see the name Mason above his Deputy badge. “That’s a mighty big risk.”
    All my dad could do was shrug. “Don’t blame a guy for wanting to save his family.”
    “A man with half a brain would’ve done the same. That’s how we’ve kept this city free from the Dead.” Sam paced in front of us, hands on her hips. “We have the county under control. It’s a matter of time before the military comes. Until then, we hold fast.”
    Most of the people within earshot of us gestured their agreement in one form or another. Some of them nodded. Some of them shrugged. Sam was their leader. Nobody had to point this out to me.
    Kaylynn had her arms crossed, cool as a cucumber. She also had a frown on her face that said are we done ?
    Sam’s blue-gray eyes stopped short at Chloe.
    The dog ruffed. Her cheeks puffed a little.
    “Keep that dog on a leash,” Sam said. “Barking mutts attract the Dead.”
    “No worries, ma’am,” Kaylynn said without skipping a beat. “She’ll do nothing unless I say.”
    “Good. Best keep it that way.” Sam turned to Dad. “It’ll be dark soon. The Dead tend to stay away if we turn the lights off at night and keep the noise down. We have no choice but to let you stay the night.”
    “You can expect no trouble from us,” Dad said.
    “Under one condition,” Sam added.
    Dad cocked his brow. “What condition?”
    The look in Sam’s eyes unsettled me. Her smiling at me didn’t help. “Your kids must hand in their guns.”

 
     
     
     

     
    “Hand in our guns?” Jewel cried. “Are you out of your mind, lady?”
    That was exactly what I was thinking. I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or call Sam a nut, so I flipped a coin in my mind. Guess which side it landed on?
    “A certifiable nut . . .” I added.
    Sam didn’t take that well. Her face went a shade of red that matched her hair. Even her freckles stood out like sunspots. I turned to my dad, hoping that he would have my back. That’s when his eyes told me to shut up. He hadn’t given me that look on this trip yet. Those who had guns raised them and aimed right at us. Jewel’s eyes doubled in size, her arms reaching for the sky.
    I did the same. But not Kaylynn. She didn’t move an inch. She wasn’t afraid or concerned at all. So cool.
    “Want to run that by me again?” Sam asked.
    I swallowed. And I think my sister did, too.
    Dad faced us. “I’ll handle this, capeesh?”
    Silently, Jewel and I agreed. You don’t mess with Dad when he does his Italian mafia bit. The sooner he talked us out of this place, the better. From our close encounter moments ago, it was clear to me that some Vectors were still lurking around town—no thanks to Cody. He smiled one of his cocky smirks while clinging to his bowstring. How come he had a weapon?
    “Will you stop pointing at my family?” Dad said.
    Sam nodded. “You heard him.”
    The others lowered their arms. Creepy. No dictatorship had ever run so smoothly. The others pulled back as Sam stepped in, both of her hands on her tight jean hips. I lowered my hands and breathed easy.
    “If you want to stay, collateral’s a good way to start,” Mason said.
    So that was their game. If they took possession of our weapons, we wouldn’t be a threat. They could order us around and do whatever they wanted to us, and we couldn’t do a damn thing