Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse (Book 2): Conflict by Joshua Jared Scott Read Free Book Online Page B

the human inhabitants had fared little better. Only six
remained. Kenneth and Barbara were in fairly good shape. Tamara had a few
contusions but was otherwise okay. Julian was the worst, with severe burns over
most of his body. The remaining two, Chris and Morgan, had also been caught in
the fire, but their injuries appeared mostly superficial.
    Julian
had been outside on watch at the time, and as a result, he was the only one
with proper clothing. Unfortunately, the flames had gone through his coat
before torching the flesh beneath. No one had a jacket, and only Tamara wore
decent boots. Chris was in socks. They had no shelter, and the temperature was
well below freezing. The smoldering remains of their home were all that kept
them from freezing outright, and that wouldn’t last.
    “Will
any of the cars start?” asked Barbara.
    Morgan
went over to check but soon returned, looking dejected. “Even the ones that
aren’t completely wrecked have blown tires. We can’t drive anywhere with them.”
    “What
about calling the other houses?”
    He shook
his head. “No good. The radio was inside. That’s gone. The pickups with the
CB’s burned up. They were parked closest. Can’t let anyone know what happened.”
    “They
should check when they don’t hear from us,” remarked Chris. “We talk to one
another nearly every day, and trucks come and go too.”
    “The
trucks came and went when the weather was better,” corrected Morgan. “We have
snow on the ground now and who knows how much more may be coming. But, we can
sit inside one of the vehicles, be out of the wind.”
    “It’ll
still be freezing in them,” said Barbara. Her arms were wrapped tightly about
her torso. “Can we do anything to make them warmer?”
    “Pile
some debris up maybe. Hell, I don’t know.” Morgan looked around, but there was
nothing to see. “Keeping close to each other will help.”
    “Julian
can’t be moved,” said Tamara, “not again. I don’t think he’ll live long.” There
were tears in her eyes.
    “Minutes
after the last of the fires are out.” Chris turned away. “He’ll freeze to death
then.”
     
    *
* *
     
    No help
came that day, nor the next, and, as predicted, Julian didn’t last long,
mercifully dying a few hours later. With burns that extensive, there was no way
he could survive. Even if, by some twist of fate, he did manage to hang on, the
extreme pain and suffering he’d experience the remainder of his life would be
beyond description. Odds were that the man would have been driven to suicide or
begging another to kill him. There were still doctors but no trauma or burn
centers. Proper treatment was an impossibility.
    The five
were without food, sucking on snow or ice to keep hydrated, and constantly
cold. Chris and Morgan, each with burns on his hands and arms, had the worst of
it. They tried to hide the pain, but both were hurting. And hope was rapidly
diminishing.
    “Think
somebody will come tomorrow?” asked Tamara.
    “Should
have been here by now,” stammered Chris. He had his feet tucked up beneath him.
    “If they
don’t come, what are we going to do?”
    Kenneth
held Barbara close. “I don’t know. We could try to reach one of the other
houses.”
    “Those
are miles away,” pointed out Morgan, “and I don’t know where. Any of you?”
    “I was
at one,” replied Chris. “Dropped off some stuff a few weeks back. It was east
of us. I know that much for certain.”
    “Do we
want to go and try to find it on our own?” Tamara did not appear pleased with
the prospect.
    “I don’t
want to be walking that far in the snow without shoes.” Chris closed his eyes.
“I’m waiting here. I would never make it.”
    “But we
might,” said Morgan. “As cold as it’ll be, we can walk several miles, say till
lunch time, and then come back if we can’t find the place. If we do, we tell
them what happened and get help. ”
    Kenneth
looked at Barbara who nodded.
    “We’ll
come along,” he