Zombies! (Episode 9): The Changing of the Guard by Ivan Turner Read Free Book Online Page A

backwards.
     
    It didn't let go, but its grip loosened and Heron was able to free his gun arm. He fired first at the far zombie. It had recovered from his kick and was closing in. His shot hit it in the neck and it staggered. His second shot hit the mark though, passing into the open mouth and through its upper jaw. It teetered once and then fell. The gunshot would bring more zombies so he needed to clear this up quickly and get the hell out of there. Reaching behind him, he poked the barrel of his pistol into his captor's face and fired once. The head exploded and the zombie let go. Heron went momentarily deaf and might very well have caused himself a chronic case of tinnitus but his freedom was worth the price.
     
    He was of two minds as he recovered his footing. He desperately wanted to pursue the stranger, sure now that he was related to the ambush. But he was concerned that two zombies would be the least of his problems if he went further into the building. As it was, he needed to clear four floors and then exit through the parking garage. He wondered if Rollins had met with any trouble. He hadn't heard any shots but that wasn't necessarily a good sign.
     
    Ultimately, Heron decided that he'd better live to fight another day. All thoughts of his illness had gone for the moment, leaving his survival instinct in charge. He headed back into the stairwell and saw a zombie approaching from above. He didn't bother to shoot it. It was slow and would probably trip itself up coming down the stairs. Instead he turned and headed down. On the next landing, three zombies were waiting for him, making their best attempts to mount the stairs. He halted just long enough to take aim and fire at them, dropping all three. As he rushed past, he didn't notice that his shots had not all been kill shots. One of the zombies swiped at his ankle and he went tumbling. He'd have gone down the next flight and probably broken his neck if the zombie hadn't kept its grip on his leg. As it was, he ended up off balance and had to twist to get a good view of it.
     
    As he took aim, he heard more footsteps behind him. The teeth were closing in on his leg and he knew that killing it had to take priority over whatever was at his back. Then he hesitated. Somewhere in the back of his mind was the nagging idea that he was already a dead man. Six months was what he had left if he was lucky. Cancer was eating away at him from too many places to count and nothing beats cancer.
     
    Except maybe the zombie infection.
     
    So instead of allowing himself to waste away as a victim of the disease that had taken the lives of so many people in his family, he allowed the zombie to bite him. It sank its teeth into his calf, just as Zoe Koplowitz had done to Johan Stemmy all those months before. He felt the pain and the revulsion at allowing this reprehensible thing to put its mouth on him. Then there were two shots and it jerked as the bullets entered its head. Its mouth came away from his leg and someone was behind him, helping him up.
     
    "You got bitten," Rollins cried in disbelief.
     
    "Help me up," Heron said. The zombie from two floors above was actually coming down successfully. It would catch them up if they didn't hurry.
     
    "I heard the gunshots," Rollins continued. "Jesus, Lieutenant. I'm so sorry."
     
    Heron refused to respond or even acknowledge what had happened. It was done and there was no turning back. It was all he could do to fight down the panic at the realization of his decision. The pain in his leg wasn't so bad. The zombie hadn't been able to take a piece out of him. Heron was able to walk without a problem. They made their way down the stairs, having to take out two more zombies as they went. When they were on the street and at the car, Heron called in to headquarters and ordered a unit to come in and secure the building. They couldn't demolish it. There might be more evidence inside, more clues as to what plans were being laid. Someone with a