Wormwood Dawn (Episode VI) by Edward Crae Read Free Book Online Page A

of preservatives.”
    “Good,” Jake joked. “I’m a big fan of self-preservation.”
    Toni rolled her eyes, stepping deeper into the shadowy lobby. Jake followed, stuffing the entire Twinkie in his mouth. It was delicious. He could feel the anxiety of low blood sugar melting away quickly. Now, the fear of the unknown was the only anxiety he felt. He was getting used to that.
    “The kitchen is probably through here,” Toni said, peering through the window of a swinging door.
    “They should have bottled water,” Jake said. “I’m pretty damn thirsty.”
    “Maybe you shouldn’t have stuffed that whole Twinkie in your face hole.”
    Jake grinned crookedly. “I wasn’t sure where else to stuff it.”
    Toni pushed the door open gently, sticking her head inside and listening. She backed away, gave Jake a nod, then pushed through. The kitchen was dark, but there was the glow of dusk in the far corner, coming from a small window with frosted glass.
    “No peeksies for these cooks,” Jake said.
    There was a glass doored cooler in front of them filled with bottled drinks of all kinds. There was water, sodas, local beers, and even some opened bottles of white wine. Toni reached and grabbed a few bottles of water, pausing to check out the beers.
    “I’ve never even heard of half this shit,” she said. “But I wouldn’t mind having one.”
    “Go for it,” Jake said, cracking open his water and killing half of it. “Won’t bother me none.”
    She took a bottle with the label half torn off—or sweated off. She opened it and took a big guzzle, winking at Jake after she finished.
    “That’s good,” she said. “I should have bought this before the shit hit the fan.”
    A gurgling moan came from another corner. They turned, pointing their guns into the shadows. A rotted figure slowly stood on wobbling legs, turning its face toward them as it began walking their way.
    “I got it,” Toni said.
    She holstered her revolvers and pulled out her hunting knife, calmly approaching the thing as it bared its teeth and growled again. With one skilled thrust, she impaled it through the chin, and withdrew just as it collapsed to the floor.
    “Well,” Jake said. “That was easy.”
    “The dead ones are a lot easier, I’ve noticed. Just kill the brain. The other things are tougher. It takes a high-powered gun to bust through their skulls. Even then, sometimes they still keep coming.”
    “I just blow them up,” Jake said, remembering the nice grenade launcher he used to have. “Works.”
    “It’ll be dark by the time we get into Nashville,” Toni said. “Should we stop for the night, or keep going?”
    “I thought you said no room service, no deal.”
    “That I did,” Toni said. “Alright, we keep going.”
    “Can we skip the storage units?” Jake asked. “They’re probably looted all to shit anyway.”
    “Good point,” she said. “Let’s check the parking lot for a car. I’m tired of walking.”
     
    Thankfully, there was one car in the lot with the keys in it. Unfortunately, its driver was still in it, too. Jake dispatched it quickly by dragging it out and stomping its skull. He then wiped the brains off of his boot on the asphalt.
    “Nasty fuckers,” he said.
    Toni stepped in and sat in the driver’s seat, smiling widely when the car started right up.
    “Fuck yeah,” she said. “Get in.”
    “Shotgun,” Jake called.
    They tore out of the parking lot and headed toward Nashville. Evidently, Toni was an experienced racecar driver; or she drove like one, at least. Jake glanced at her occasionally, genuinely fearing for his life. She ignored him for the most part, but there was a slight smile on her face.
    “What’s up here?” Jake asked. “I’ve never been to Nashville. I didn’t even know there was a Nashville in Indiana.”
    “The first thing we’ll see is a pharmacy on the left,” she said. “It’s at the stop light.”
    “Good,” Jake said. “Maybe they’ll have some insulin. But