Zombie Attack! Army of the Dead (Book 3) by Devan Sagliani Read Free Book Online Page A

bow and arrow gave us a second look, stopping to smile and wave as we passed him. Felicity smiled and waved back.
    “What is this place?”
    “This,” Apache spoke at last, spreading his arms out to indicate the village now swarming with life around us, “is Xanadu.”
      “Wow,” Sam exhaled, his eyes big with wonder.
    “You said it, Sam,” I added with a smile.
    “Come follow me,” Apache said. “We need to talk about what happens next, and I could use a poultice for my swollen eye.”
    “I still can't believe you let someone sneak up on you,” Moto teased. “You must be getting old or something.”
    Moto grinned as Apache shook his head, turned and walked to a big tree house, tying up his horse before making his way up a series of rope and wood stairs to the entrance above.  
    “It's like a dream,” Felicity sighed as she watched him go. “Isn't it?”
    “I couldn't have put it better,” I agreed.

CHAPTER FOUR

    Apache's tree house was actually just an entrance point to a sprawling network of platforms that ran through the small forest. We hurried to keep up with him, passing a pack of small, squealing children too caught up in a game of tag to give us a second look. Looking up I could see the fresh blue California sky, but it seemed like a dome floating over our heads a million worlds away. We were in a valley surrounded by tall cliffs with no visible entrance or exit in sight, completely insulated from attack by any other means except by air. There was even a waterfall that flowed into a small pool, draining off and returning into the mountain tunnels.
    “The trees give us more than enough coverage,” Apache said, not bothering to look back in our direction. “It's a smaller window than it looks over our heads. You have to know where you are supposed to be looking to catch a glimpse, and then the thick canopy usually obscures all traces of us. Outside of the tunnel there is no realistic way in or out.”
    “What are you protecting?” Sam asked.
    “For starters, there's our village,” Apache said in a happy tone. “This is an uninfected and uncontaminated place in the world with all the resources needed to indefinitely remain that way. As you can see we have a river that runs through the mountain bringing us fresh water to drink, our own crops including fruit trees, and a fair selection of livestock. We've even managed to make our own dairy. That's reason enough to need extra protection in the new world.”
    “Because you can make cheese?” Sam asked. Apache laughed lightheartedly.
    “I meant all of the rest of the stuff too,” Apache assured him. “Although now that you mention it, there probably are some people who would be willing to risk dying for a bite of nachos.”
    “You said the village was just the first thing you were protecting,” I said, feeling my stomach kick into high gear at the mention of delicious snacks. It was no great secret that I'd been missing junk food since Z Day hit. I complained about not being able to hit up 7-11 for Doritos and Funyuns and Snickers bars pretty much all of the time when I was back in Freedom Town. It got so bad I'd even caught my men doing impersonations of me. I actually thought most of them were pretty funny.
    “That's right,” Apache said cryptically.
    “So what else are you protecting?” I pushed.
    “This,” he said, stopping at another platform and spreading his hands. Down below us grew a patch of wild plants with small green leaves and pinkish flowers. Each had several glossy-looking orange bulbs shaped like elongated ovals or little, stretched footballs.
    “What are they?” Felicity asked.
    “Iboga plants. These plants grow year-round in the rainforests of Africa. We've had no trouble recreating suitable conditions for them to thrive here as well. This swatch of land falls in what was once called the Fertile Crescent before Z Day. We can grow anything here in Xanadu.”
    “So those things that look like peppers, you chew