The Hungry 5: All Hell Breaks Loose (The Sheriff Penny Miller Series) by Steven Booth, Harry Shannon Read Free Book Online Page B

Father Abraham was shot. He was a lawyer, if she remembered correctly, and it was he who Miller and the others stole the Winnebago from when they high-tailed it out of Nevada. “We got separated from one of ours in the attack. I appreciate your hospitality, sir, but we need to get busy and try to find our friend. Can you help us?”
    “Well, I’ll be damned.” Gary said nothing else for a long moment. He took the lantern from Brandon’s hand and held it up to Miller’s face. “Sheriff Penny Miller?” He turned and shouted, much too loudly in the quiet cave. “Vanessa, come over here. Look who’s back!”

CHAPTER FOUR

    Suddenly the faces clicked in Miller’s mind. Vanessa had been a waitress at the Silver Dollar Caf� back in Flat Rock, long before she’d become one of Father Abraham’s chief cannibals. They were no longer anonymous. Now it was time to find out whether being recognized was a good or a bad thing.
    “We’re not just happy to see you, Sheriff. This will be long marked as a holy day for our tribe. Do you have any idea what you and your companions did for us?” Vanessa held out a hand to shake. The other was on her swollen, pregnant belly. “They have set us free!”
    Sheppard leaned in close to Miller’s ear to whisper. His warm breath tickled. “Do you think she means that part about killing Abraham?”
    Rat whispered in the other ear. “Or maybe she forgot that we stole their only transportation just before a nuclear bomb was supposed to go off.”
    Miller shooed them both away like flies. “Look, Vanessa, it’s just swell that you all are happy to see us, but…”
    “Sheriff Miller. I just can’t believe it. Look, I’m expecting now.”
    “Vanessa, I need you to listen to me for a second,” Miller said. “One of my people just got shot at by a drone, and that damned missile could have turned him into your latest cave painting for all we know. Help me look for him, and I promise we’ll join the party when we know he’s safe.”
    But Vanessa wasn’t listening. “The Martyr Abraham has been called home to the Lord, and your companion Terrill Lee was the instrument of God. He must be praised to his face. We pray for him daily. Where is Terrill Lee? Is he with you?”
    “Terrill Lee is…” began Sheppard. He had evidently learned to keep his mouth shut. Miller didn’t say anything either. It just didn’t seem like the time to explain that Terrill Lee had been bitten by a zombie, and Miller had had to shoot him afterward. Somehow a truthful explanation didn’t seem like it would go over well right at the moment. It was better to let these people keep their illusions, so long as the craziness worked in their favor.
    Some others came out of the rocks to stand back respectfully, and watch and murmur among themselves. The group was clearly smaller than before. Most likely many of them had tried to run for it, or perhaps they were now eating each other instead of strangers. Miller didn’t know and wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.
    Vanessa was still politely patting her swollen abdomen and waiting for an answer about Terrill Lee. Brandon and Gary stood behind her, with their mouths open with admiration and shock. Someone had to say something.
    Miller tap-danced. “Well, actually, Terrill Lee is the one we’re looking for,” she said, surprising even herself with the depth and width of the bullshit. If this would make them work to find Scratch, then what the hell, why not? “So, if you folk want to see him again, you’ll come help us find his sorry ass.”
    Vanessa’s eyes became very wide. “Gary, Brandon, Shane, Allison, Jennifer, grab some tools and lanterns. We must help them save Terrill Lee!”
    “For Terrill Lee!” the people shouted, like a war cry. Sheppard, Miller and Rat exchanged looks. Things were getting weirder by the moment. In a flash the surviving cult members gathered for the search. They came with shovels, pry bars, and a couple of enormous