The Restless Dead: A Zombie Novel by Jenny Thomson Read Free Book Online Page A

geeks on the airwaves.”
    Scott and I exchange a wee smile. Some people would call Kenny a geek.
    Scott’s listening intently. “Sounds sensible. But, there might not be any authorities left. We need to consider that possibility.”
    I figure Scott’s been doing a checklist in his head. He’s always been analytical; our weekly shop is planned with military precision.
    Mustafa chooses that moment to slam his mobile phone against the wall. “Nae signal. Bastard. It’s still no fucking working. I can’t reach my folks.” He sinks to the floor, grumbling to himself like an old woman. He mentions Mohamed a few times. 
    I don’t think the prophet can help him now, but I don’t say so. His Muslim faith might be the only thing that gets him through whatever’s coming.
    After rummaging about, Kenny’s produces his CB radio with a flourish and is fiddling about with it. “CB radios are great, and you can even use this one to listen to police chatter.” He beams. When his head drops and I see he’s frowning, I know that the radio isn’t working. “The battery’s dead,” he says. “Haven’t used it in so long there’s no juice left.”
    “Even if you got it working, Kenny, I don’t think we’ll hear anything that will help us," said Mustafa. "The whole world’s gone to hell. Nobody’s in charge. If they were, the first thing they’d have done is gone into the power stations and got the electricity back on.”
    As much as I hated to agree with Mustafa, he was probably right.
    Kenny’s disappointment doesn’t last long, and he starts outlining the rules of dealing with a zombie apocalypse, as if they’re written in some book somewhere and he’s the person with sole access.
    Sitting here listening to what he’s saying, something obvious has been niggling away at me because no one has mentioned it. They’ve been talking as though everyone else in the world is already dead.
    “Aren’t you overlooking something more important?” I say.
    “What’s that?” someone says. I don’t know who because I’ve been thinking about Fiona and how scared she must be. She’s in that house alone, and she won’t leave. I’m hoping her agoraphobia will save her. If you don't go out and don't let anyone in surely they can't get you?
    My eyes sweep the room. “I don’t know about you, but I’m on my way to check if my sister’s okay. She needs me to survive. Don’t you guys have any family who might need you?”
    Kenny removes his glasses and wipes his eyes with a sleeve, then does the same thing with the specs before putting them back on. When he speaks, his voice is clear and free of emotion. He could be reciting a walkthrough for a video game. “I don’t think we should look for our families. It’s always how they get killed in the movies. We’ve got to assume that if they live in a heavily populated area they’ve already been killed or turned into zombies.”
    Scott eyes Kenny as though he’s an imbecile. “I’m not ready to give up on my family, write them off as already dead. How can you say we should? Don’t you care about your family, whether they are dead or alive? Or are you as soulless as those dead things out there?”
    I jump in. “Fiona’s worth the risk.” And I meant it. Since our parents moved to Spain, it’s been just her and me. Five years ago, her handbag was snatched in Glasgow city centre. She’d held on to the strap and was dragged along the pavement and kicked and beaten. The thug broke her jaw in two places. She lost her faith in humanity. So there was nothing in this world that could stop me from trying to help her.
    Mustafa eyes me wearily and nods. “I agree with Emma. I’m gonna go to my house to see if my parents and sister are okay.”
    Kenny waves his hands like he’s trying to stop a train. “It’s suicide to split up because we’re weaker without having each other watching our backs.” 
    Mustafa’s eyes drift towards Kenny and linger on him as though a