by A. P. Fuchs
"Weird."
"You're telling me."
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"I'm going to take a quick look around,” Billie said.
"The door,” August rasped and weakly pointed to the roof's entrance. The door was ajar and looked pretty much like how Joe remembered it.
"I'll get it,” Joe said.
As he neared it, he stopped when he heard footfalls within. He pulled out the X-09 and got it ready.
The footsteps drew closer. Faster.
He took a step back and called to the others, “Guys, we got company!"
August slowly turned his head toward him and looked at him with weak eyes. Billie just stood at the roof's edge, a hand covering her mouth.
The footsteps faded.
"Billie? Did you hear me?” he yelled across the roof.
She turned and faced him. Even from this distance, the look across her face was unmistakable. Something was wrong.
The footsteps didn't return.
Keeping his gun trained on the door, Joe quickly jogged over to her. “What's going on? Why didn't you—"
Her big blue eyes pleaded with his.
"What?” he said.
She pointed down to the street below.
Joe looked over the edge. The muscles in his legs lost their strength and he teetered back a step then fell onto his haunches. He inched forward and looked again. “No way."
The dead were enormous.
Below, they walked the streets. Ten of them, all giants, each at least fifteen stories tall, with wide shoulders, well-muscled jaws and razor sharp yellow teeth.
"We're dead,” Billie said.
Joe couldn't help himself but nod.
From across the roof: “Joe, the door! Something's coming!"
Joe stood and, with weak legs, spun in the direction of the door and ran toward it. His thumb moved to cock the X-09's hammer, ready to blast the head off anything that came through. There was no hammer. He forgot.
What do I do? he thought. He hoped the thing was ready to roll just like before.
Closer now. The footfalls were back, growing louder.
Take it out, fast and swift. No time for games. Not with those ... giants ... moving around down there.
He stopped several paces from the door. He took one quick look over his shoulder to make sure Billie and August were far enough behind him and out of harm's way. Billie was at August's side, her arms around him, helping him to his feet, seemingly getting ready to run if need be.
The footfalls stopped and a humanoid shape filled the frame of the door.
Joe's heart jumped into his throat when the person emerged.
It was Des. Alive.
"What?” Joe said.
"Guys!” Des shouted and ran out to meet them, all smiles.
"Des!” Billie screamed, let go of August and ran to embrace him. The two collided in a big hug.
August teetered on his feet as he slowly came toward them.
Joe moved to help him.
They made their way over. Billie still had Des in her arms.
"I can't believe this! How—” she said with a voice sopped with tears.
"What? I'm fine. You guys left without me,” Des said.
"Huh?” She let go and gave him a playful shove. “Those things came after you—after us—and they ... they..."
"They got you, Des,” Joe finished.
Billie nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Silence hung on the air.
Joe didn't know what to say. Des was alive, somehow. And there was no way he would have been able to stand against so many of the creatures alone.
A low drumbeat filled the air. Then another. And another.
Joe, August and Billie froze.
The creatures below were getting closer. Joe wasn't sure if he should do it now or wait a few more minutes to tell August about the change in the zombies’ appearance.
Then again, in a few more minutes they could all be dead.
August eyed Des up and down.
"What?” Des said.
The old man arched an eyebrow, as if he knew something the others didn't. “What's going on, Des? I'm thankful you're alive, that you survived somehow, but you haven't asked about the crash or even why I'm cut up."
Joe felt himself straighten. The old man had a point. No matter who you were, you asked how someone was if you saw them bleeding. You asked if anyone was hurt if there was a crash. Joe quickly drew the X-09. “You got three seconds to answer, Des."
"Joe?” Billie said, eyeing the gun.
"One."
Des opened his hands. “Guys, come on. Everything's fine. I don't know what—"
"Two."
"Joe!” Billie snapped.
The drumbeats grew louder.
"Answer the question,” August said.
Des squinted his eyes, as if at a loss for words.
Then he snarled and his peachy-white skin faded, revealing a sickening gray epidermis with chunks of flesh missing. His green eyes lit up an awful white.
He lunged for them.
"Three."
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About the Author
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A.P. Fuchs is the author of many novels and short stories, most of which have been published. He is also known for his superhero series, The Axiom-man Saga. The most recent installment, Axiom-man Episode No. 1: The Dead Land, pits Axiom-man against the undead. Fuchs lives and writes in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with his wife, Roxanne, and two sons, Gabriel and Lewis.
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Visit A.P. Fuchs on the Web at:
www.apfuchs.com and www.undeadworldtrilogy.com
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Table of Contents
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Praise for Blood of the Dead
Joe Bailey: Zombie Hunter
Billie Friday: Punk Girl
Des Nottingham: Zombie Wrangler
August Norton: Recluse Christian Dude
1: April
2: Midnight Meeting
3: Off to the Promised Land
4: Back into the Gray
5: The Rat
6: Mr. Shank
7: In a Swarm of Death
8: More
9: Ghost Town
10: At Joe's Place
11: If Just for a Good Night's Sleep
12: Peaches
13: Gotta Go
14: And the Dead Keep on Coming
15: Empty Building
16: Along the River
17: Empty Square
18: Good Doggies
19: On the Way Up
20: At the Top of the Stairs
21: The Cemetery
22: The Bridge
23: Just Leave Me Alone
24: It Ain't What it Used to Be
25: Sniper
26: They Never Stop
27: Some Kind of Rescue
28: Introductions
29: Upstairs
30: When Bad Things Happen to Good People
31: Out of Options
32: Lock and Load
33: Zombies!
34: The Roof
35: Grief
36: The Storm
37: Intangible
38: The Man in the White Coat
39: In the Bowels of the Earth
40: The Escape
41: The Return
About the Author
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