Safety Lost (Killing the Dead Book 3) by Richard Murray Read Free Book Online Page B

hand.
    “Enough” I told her sternly. “You can come if you must.” Before crouching down before Emma and saying “I won’t leave you, I promise.”
    Emma seemed reassured and I ignored the smug smile that Candice wore. With Emma taking a firm hold on my hand once again, I led the way from the road and across the field. I had left all but one hammer and the small supply of food in the car. I could only carry so much.
    Candice had irritated me and I knew from experience that it was a very short step from irritated to murder. As soon as I was able, I would rid myself of her one way or another.
    We trudged across the unkempt grass covered ground that rose and fell in little waves. Small hummocks of grass and the occasional stand of trees dotted the area and to our right were the outermost dwellings of the town of Colne.
    I wasn’t concerned about being seen or heard as we were far enough from the houses that we should go unnoticed. Zombies weren’t the most vigilant bunch and the few I could see on the roads beyond the houses were either just standing still or wandering around listlessly.
    The train tracks were at the bottom of a gentle incline and with Emma holding tight to my hand I made it down to the bottom without falling flat on my face. A faint twinge from my ankle reminded me that it wasn’t fully healed and that I should avoid walking at odd angles.
    When I came abreast of the train I pulled Emma to one side and covered her view with my body as much as possible. The last thing I needed was for her to get loudly upset. I stayed on alert as we passed. We were low enough that we would have to jump to see into the windows but from our angle I could see blood covered many of them.
    Movement came from within and a familiar moan could be heard as we passed by the door. Dark shapes inside the train were moving slowly and pushing against the – thankfully – electronically operated doors. The mindless creatures had no inkling of how to open them manually.
    Still we hurried along and out of their sight. I had no intention of fighting a train load of zombies and I was concerned that enough of them making noise would carry to others who were not stuck inside a passenger train.
    “Why don’t we just cross over the track and head that way” Candice asked and pointed towards the trees that lined the opposite side of the banking than the one we had descended.
    “You are certainly welcome to, but personally I saw enough houses behind those trees that I don’t really want to.” I said.
    “You think following the tracks into the centre of the town will be better.” She sneered.
    “I think following the tracks through town will certainly give us more options” I snapped back.
    She crossed her arms across the ever present bag that was hanging from her shoulder and dropped a few paces behind.
    We were soon at the edge of town and the first problem presented itself. The houses that backed onto the tracks were separated by an eight foot high fence made of metal railings, complete with spikes on the top to prevent climbing.
    I had no intention of climbing into the gardens so that wasn’t going to be a problem, though the wide gap between the railings was. I cautiously approached the first garden and peered through the gap. Nothing was moving in the garden but the patio doors were shattered and blood covered the ground.
    “Ok we need to keep low and move quietly” I said in a whisper. Candice nodded sulkily and Emma looked scared. I gave her what I hoped to be a reassuring smile. It didn’t seem to work.
    We set off past the gardens slowly. We kept close to the trees and overgrown weeds at the opposite side of the track, while keeping a wary eye on the gardens. It seemed most of them were well tended and had sheds or bushes and trees to obscure the fence anyway.
    While we saw the occasional zombie we seemed to pass unnoticed and we came upon a bridge that carried the tracks safely over the main road.
    “It seems safe