Transmission: Voodoo Plague Book 5 by Dirk Patton Read Free Book Online Page B

only watch for
infected, but also keep an eye out for razorbacks and aggressive scavengers.  It
was to the point that I was ready to shoot anything that moved.
    The truck stop was massive.  There was no other description
for it.  In front were 20, slightly elevated islands with four gas pumps per
island.  To the side, 10 islands with two diesel pumps each.  The building was
all glass, half of it shattered out and twinkling in the afternoon sun. 
Peering inside I could see what looked like an only slightly smaller version of
a shopping mall.  Aisle upon aisle of merchandise stretched farther into the
structure than I could see.
    Dozens of bodies littered the floor inside, several more
lying on the concrete apron between the pumps.  They all appeared to have died
a violent death and were in various stages of decomposition.  Some were bloated
with gasses, others already having ruptured, spilling their gelatinous contents
onto the ground.  A few hadn’t started bloating yet and I guessed they had only
been dead for a day at the most.  Definitely no longer than that in this heat and
humidity.
    Insects were everywhere.  Flies.  Ants.  Beetles.  More than
I had ever seen, all busily consuming or laying eggs in the rotting flesh. 
Checking closer, several of the fresher bodies showed injuries consistent with what
the hogs I’d just encountered could do.  Legs and torsos slashed open.  Throats
ripped out, ribs crushed under the weight of the heavy animal as they’d
probably stood on their victims to finish them off.
    Well, that answered one question.  The razorbacks hadn’t
been defending territory.  They were actively aggressive.  I could only hope
they’d be as aggressive with infected humans as non-infected.  I made another
slow scan of the area to check for any approaching danger.  All I saw were more
bodies in the motel parking lot.  Then the missing piece struck me.  No
scavengers other than insects.  There should be crows and vultures and other
birds.  Coyotes too, and possibly even domestic dogs that had gone feral.  None
of the bodies showed any sign of having been fed on.  Where the hell were the
scavengers?
    Deciding I’d seen enough, I started looking around for
transportation.  The first thing that caught my eye was a silver Shelby Cobra
Mustang with a fuel nozzle still sticking out of its filler neck.  I took one
step in that direction before stopping myself.  I wasn’t here to find a car
that would be fun to drive, and I didn’t need one that could go fast.  I needed
something tough and practical.
    I turned a slow circle, looking at vehicles, but also
checking my surroundings.  Nothing was moving and I spotted a ride that suited
my needs.  A brand new Lexus GX SUV sat at the farthest fueling island. 
Walking over I took a second look around, but it was the only four wheel drive
vehicle in sight.  Bending as I approached, I checked under to make sure
nothing was lying in wait, ready to grab my ankles and yank my feet out from
under me.
    Looking in the window I made sure there wasn’t a decomposing
body waiting for me.  Seeing nothing, I opened the driver’s side door,
gratified when the melodic tone of an alarm started up.  The keys were in the
ignition.  I took another look at the rest of the interior before reaching my
arm in and turning the key.  It started easily, engine noise barely audible
even standing outside.  The gas gauge read full.  Thankful the owner had
finished filling up before whatever had happened to him had happened, I hopped
behind the wheel and pulled the door shut behind me.
    The seats were leather, as were most of the surfaces inside,
other than the thick carpet that was immediately stained by my filthy boots. 
Air conditioning came on automatically.  A moment later soft jazz started
playing.  The luxury was almost surreal after weeks of running, fighting and
surviving.  Shaking my head I played with the touch screen in the middle of the
dash