Resurrection: A Zombie Novel by Michael J. Totten Read Free Book Online

and wouldn’t let go of it.
    “You’d better let us in,” said the tall man, “before some of those things see us.” He was the one who had spoken through the door. The leader.
    “I thought you said you were attacked by people,” Parker said.
    “I did,” said the tall man.
    “Which of you is injured?” Kyle said.
    The tall man sighed. “None of us. But you will be if you don’t back up and get out of our way. We’re coming in.”
    Kyle stepped aside but kept hold of his hammer. The men stepped inside, but Parker stayed right where he was, barely a dozen feet away, and kept his handgun pointed at the intruders.
    “Bobby,” the tall man said. “Lock the door.”
    The one who answered to Bobby reached behind himself and closed the door. Half the light in the room vanished. Bobby fiddled with the lock.
    “Were you followed?” Kyle said.
    “We’re all clear. There’s nothing else out there. We’ve been searching the area for more than an hour. We could all pull our triggers right now and nothing would hear us.”
    “We pull, you die,” Parker said. He held his gun level.
    “You die too,” said the man. “And you die first. You can shoot one of us, but we will shoot all of you. So I strongly suggest you lower your weapons and that you do it now.”
    Kyle set down his hammer. Hughes held a crowbar, but he set it down a little more slowly and a lot more reluctantly. Parker wouldn’t budge. Kyle wasn’t sure he even blinked.
    “I am not setting my gun down,” Parker said.
    Kyle wasn’t sure if he should be glad Parker kept his weapon trained on the man or if Parker was being reckless. He was probably being reckless.
    “You’ll all die,” the man said.
    Definitely reckless.
    “The hell do you care?” Parker said. “You’ll be dead. It won’t make a rat’s-ass bit of difference to you if the rest of us die. So I know as a fact you aren’t pulling that trigger. You may as well stick that gun in your mouth and shoot your own brains out the back of your head.”
    The two men stared at each other. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
    “Guys—” Annie said, but Parker shushed her.
    “So we’re at an impasse,” the man said.
    “You’re goddamned right we are,” Parker said and took a step forward. All three straightened their arms and inched their guns closer. “And we’re at an impasse in my house. Step outside, and you’re free to go wherever you like. We won’t chase you. But if you don’t go, at least one of you dies. Maybe all three of you.”
    “Everybody relax,” Kyle said. “No one’s going to shoot anybody. We have plenty of food here and lots of space to spread out in.”
    “Kyle,” Parker said. “Pick up your hammer.”
    Kyle didn’t move. Was Parker nuts? This was no time to escalate.
    “Everybody just chill,” Kyle said. “We have plenty of food, plenty of water, plenty of space, and we obviously have plenty of weapons. We’re better off sticking together. We have no reason to fight, and if we work together we’ll be safer next time we’re attacked.”
    “He’s right,” said the tall man to Parker. “So why don’t you just drop the gun.”
    “Our house,” Parker said. “You drop ’em.”
    Kyle glanced at the faces of his companions. Hughes looked ready to rip heads from torsos and could probably do it if he wouldn’t get himself shot first. Frank looked too nervous to do anything. Annie seemed to be afraid of everyone in the room. Carol was nowhere to be seen, hiding in the walk-in cooler most likely.
    Somebody had to drop their gun first. And it was far more likely to be Parker since it was three against one. But he wasn’t going to drop it. He was going to get himself and possibly everybody else killed. So Kyle walked up to Parker and snatched the pistol out of his hands.
    Parker gasped. Bobby just chuckled.
    Kyle was surprised at how easy it was. And he was just as surprised that he did it. He didn’t plan on grabbing the gun. Didn’t think about it