Transformation: Zombie Crusade VI by J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs Read Free Book Online Page A

adventurous types will come with us. The more settled folks will know they can establish contact with Monroe or Vicksburg. Bottom line is that we bring them into the alliance opposing Barnes.”
    Zach nodded. “Where do you think Barnes will strike next?”
    “I think he’ll target Utah; it’s the center of what’s basically an organized confederation, and he knows they’re Jack’s strongest allies.  Plus, he’s going to have to bring in the west if he’s really planning on presiding over a united United States.” 
    “OK, but what about Jack and the others?” Maddy asked with concern.
    “Don’t worry, I’m not forgetting about them.” Luke was still getting used to the idea that Jack Smith was his father. “The best way to help Jack is to extend and solidify opposition to Barnes. We’ll be warming up down here before the northern states shake winter loose. If nothing else, the weather will decide when we need to return to Jack or Carlson. But, hey, something tells me we’ll know when it’s time to head for home.”
    “So we should act like a regular army and just keep our military ranks from the Vicksburg campaign?” Zach was making a suggestion and asking a question at the same time.
    Luke shrugged. “Heck, those guys would make me a general if I asked them to, at least the Utah divisions would. Let’s just stick with me being a captain, and you three are lieutenants.”
    “I think that makes sense. A lot of these people are craving some sort of government presence out here, or at least some organized authority,” Gracie pointed out. “They want somebody to give them a sense of security.”
    “I agree,” Luke replied. “I’m sure that’s something Barnes has been able to exploit wherever he goes.”
    “Yeah,” Maddy concurred, “who wouldn’t want the U.S. Army to come riding to the rescue after a zombie apocalypse?”
    “So what do we call ourselves, I mean, what do we call our army?” Zach asked earnestly. “Barnes says he’s the U.S. Army; even though it’s not true, the name still carries weight.”
    Luke furrowed his brow. “I don’t know what we should call ourselves; this is all pretty new to me too.” He looked to Gracie, but she just shrugged.
    “Everybody in Vicksburg called us the Allied Army, but Jack and Carter have always just called us the Resistance,” Maddy reminded them. “We’re still a part of that, no matter where we go. Maybe we should be the Allied Resistance.”
    “That works for now,” Luke said, yawning. “It’s late, and I’m actually tired for a change. We should all get some rest and talk more about the details tomorrow.”
    The teens retreated to their respective tents, but Maddy had too much on her mind to sleep. “Hey Zach, do you think Luke seems a little weird?”
    “Of course he seems a little weird—I think in his case weird is normal.” Zach didn’t feel like talking anymore. “You told him you’d follow him to hell and back, so don’t start worrying about stupid stuff and just stick to your plan.” He crawled in his sleeping bag and patted Maddy’s next to him. “Get in so I can shut off the lantern.”
    She sighed and climbed under the covers. As soon as Zach switched off the light, she rolled toward him and asked, “Do you believe in fate? I know Luke does, and I totally trust him, but if I believe in fate, doesn’t that mean that I have to believe that Barnes and the whole pandemic were meant to be? I just can’t accept that, can you?” He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was truly troubled, but he didn’t understand why she worried about such things.
    “I don’t think it’s like that. I mean, I don’t think that believing in Luke and his ‘feelings’ and trusting that he has some bigger purpose than us means that we have to also believe that everything that’s happened has happened for some giant cosmic reason.”
    Maddy was still frustrated. “Sometimes I wonder how you and I got to be here—I