Winter Apocalypse: Zombie Crusade V by J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs Read Free Book Online

jaw. “I’m ok. Really. You know he’s been asking for you.”
    Jack walked over to Luke’s bedside and sat down. “Hey son, how you holding up?”
    “I hope that was a rhetorical question.” Luke’s voice was scratchy, and he smiled weakly, “I’m really glad you’re here. I need to tell you a few things.”
    “You need to save your strength—” Jack began automatically, then stopped himself. He knew that they were both thinking, for what?  
    “Come closer,” Luke directed, “I can’t talk very loud.” When Jack was sufficiently near, the teen whispered, “Don’t shoot me when I turn.”
    Jack pulled his head back and looked at Luke in alarm. “What are you talking about?”
    “Take me up north somewhere, away from people.” He was fading. “I don’t want to hunt people . . .”
    Then he was out again, Jack left wondering if he’d just heard the fevered utterance of a madman, or if Luke knew something he didn’t about the effects of the virus. After a conflicted moment he decided it didn’t matter: he wouldn’t let an enemy come back after the transformation, let alone a loved one. When Luke opened his eyes as an infected, Jack would shoot him.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 4
     
    Hundreds of miles to the north of the tragedy playing out in Vicksburg, members of the Fort Wayne settlement were raucously celebrating the news of the improbable victory that had arrived over the radio a few hours earlier. What was believed to be at least a few hundred hunters were still prowling the area across the river, the waterway being the main protection for the civilians who’d sent their soldiers to Mississippi. Still, they’d been living with that threat for months and weren’t about to miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a party in honor of the amazing outcome of the battle. A rare, early-November blizzard had rolled in from the northern Great Plains and was smothering the fledgling community with heavy snow driven by a howling wind. The weather was keeping the revelry inside for the night, and most of the inhabitants had gathered in the large meeting hall inside of the old water treatment plant where they were enjoying a feast, music, and even dancing. Members of a popular Indianapolis rap group called SkRiLLa and the Zoo Crew happened to be among the refugees in Fort Wayne, and with the generators powering their beats and microphones, hip hop was alive and well in the Hoosier state.
    Although it was past midnight, Carter’s wife, Deb, was staying close by the radio, hoping to hear from her husband. She was alone when a call came in from Lori Alberts in Vicksburg.
    “Hey Deb, do you sleep in the radio room? I think you’re always there.” Lori sounded uncomfortable, like someone making small talk before breaking unhappy news.
    Deb understood the tone instantly, “What’s wrong? You should be celebrating right now.”
    “It’s Luke,” Lori responded, obviously starting to cry. “He’s been bitten.”
    “You mean through his gear? Are you saying he’s been exposed to the virus?” Deb knew the answer, but didn’t want to believe it.
    “It was a freak accident after the battle; I guess he took his glove off. Gracie was there, with Jack, David, and Carter—“
    “Is Carter around? I want to talk to him.”
    Lori blew her nose. “I could probably find him for you. He’s with Jack right now. There’s more news, pretty unbelievable really. It turns out that Luke is Jack’s biological son.”
    “What? That’s crazy . . .” Deb began.
    “Not really. I guess David figured it out; Luke’s mom had been Jack’s high school sweetheart. They broke up, and she moved away without telling Jack she was pregnant.”
    Deb raised her voice in anger. “So Jack finds out that Luke is his son just in time to watch him die?” As she took a deliberate breath to calm herself, she noticed Andi standing in the doorway, open-mouthed. “Listen, Lori, just tell Carter to call me when he