Running Wild

by Kristen Middleton

  Zombie Games 2

  (Running Wild)

  By Kristen Middleton

  Zombie Games (Running Wild)

  By Kristen Middleton

  Copyright © 2012 by Kristen Middleton

  This book is purely fiction. Any resemblances to names, characters, and places are coincidental. The reproduction of this work is forbidden without written consent from the author.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

  I would like to dedicate this book to my loving family; Dave, Cassie, and Allie. Thank you for your support and patience with me while writing.

  I would also like to thank Kristie for allowing me to use her family as an inspiration to create such fun and humorous characters.

  Finally, I would like to thank everyone who’s read my first book and has inspired me to keep writing. Without you, the game would be over…

  Contents

  Chapter One 6

  Chapter Two 17

  Chapter Three 28

  Chapter Four 34

  Chapter Five 42

  Chapter Six 49

  Chapter Seven 59

  Chapter Eight 68

  Chapter Nine 77

  Chapter Ten 83

  Chapter Eleven 89

  Chapter Twelve 97

  Chapter Thirteen 104

  Chapter Fourteen 116

  Chapter Fifteen 125

  Chapter Sixteen 131

  Chapter Seventeen 144

  Chapter Eighteen 152

  Chapter Nineteen 160

  Chapter Twenty 165

  Chapter Twenty-One 170

  Chapter Twenty-Two 177

  Chapter Twenty-Three 188

  Chapter Twenty-Four 198

  Chapter Twenty-Five 205

  Chapter Twenty-Six 214

  Chapter Twenty-Seven 227

  Chapter Twenty-Eight 235

  Blur Excerpt 246

  Chapter One

  Like most children growing up, I was afraid of the dark. Or, rather, what was lurking inside of it. Every night, I’d insist on having a nightlight in my room and beg my mother to keep my bedroom door open. Most nights, she’d be tucking me into bed, reassuring me that there weren’t any boogiemen hiding under it, nor were there any monsters watching from outside of my window. When that wasn’t enough to satisfy me, she’d sigh wearily, look me straight in the eye and say, “Wild One, your daddy will shoot anyone or anything that tries to harm you, so please, just go back to sleep.”

  That statement made perfect sense to me; my daddy had lots of guns and he certainly knew how to use them. So, I’d finally relax and fall asleep, content with the fact that he wouldn’t let anything harm me or my sister. Little did I know that my mother’s promise would someday come back to haunt us; when we’d discover that there were indeed monsters and that daddy was only human; he couldn’t protect his daughters every second of the day. This rang especially true when the zombies arrived in Wolf Creek and all hell broke loose.

  ~~~

  It had been only four days since our lives were completely shattered. An untested flu vaccine had basically killed most of the population; leaving in its wake horrors that fed upon the rest of us who were struggling to survive. Now, many of my loved ones were missing, including my mother and younger sister, Allie. My dad and I were in the process of preparing to search for them; apparently my sister had been attacked by a zombie and mom had taken her to the only place she could think of for help; the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) in Atlanta, Georgia. Miraculously, some scientists were still alive, racing to fix the mayhem they’d helped to create. Now, ironically, they were our only hope.

  “Cassie!” called my father from the kitchen, which was just down the hall from my bedroom.

  I opened my eyes. “Hold on, I’m coming!”

  I was in my bed, lying down with Goldie, a young Golden Retriever puppy I’d helped to rescue a couple of days before. She’d worn herself out by getting into my closet and tearing up some of my old stuffed animals. Not that I cared much; she gave me something I needed right now, a reason to smile. Watching her play, made it happen every time.

  I crawled out of my bed and glanced back at her. “You coming with girl?”

  She stretched out her front paws, then jumped off the bed and followed me out to the kitchen.

  “Hey,” I said.

  My dad looked up. He was sitting at the kitchen table cleaning some of his guns. Bryce, who’s my karate instructor and the guy I’m hopelessly in lust with, sat across from him, helping.

  “So, this is the plan,” said my dad. There were dark shadows underneath his brown eyes and wisps of silvery gray hair near his temples that seemed to have sprouted overnight. “All three of us are going back to my dealership to pick up a suitable vehicle for the trip to Atlanta. I’m thinking a Suburban or an Escalade would be our best bet.”

  “Oh? Why can’t we just save time and take the truck you brought home yesterday? That thing would plow through zombies like nothing.”

  My dad had borrowed a Sierra from the Chevrolet dealership he works for. He’d been M.I.A. during the initial zombie attacks and I’d almost given up on him until he surprised us all by making it home yesterday.

  He smiled at my last comment. “Plow through zombies, huh? Well that may be so, but it’s not big enough to hold everyone. There are what…six of us going? And you can’t forget the two dogs. We certainly can’t leave them behind.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Six of us?”

  “Bobby and I are coming with,” replied Bryce, “and don’t forget your personal bodyguard, Austin.”

  Bryce was coming with? I tried not to squeal in pleasure, on account of my dad. He wasn’t aware of my feelings for Bryce and knowing him, wouldn’t be too fond of the idea. My dad was over-protective of both of his daughters and didn’t think any boy was good enough for them.

  Bryce was keeping his distance as well. He’d already expressed mixed feelings about starting a relationship with someone who was three years younger and one of his karate students. His mentors had been strictly against involving one’s self with a student, and Bryce had even received a tongue lashing about flirting with me from the Karate Master a few days before. It hadn’t stopped either of us in weak moments of passion however; we’d shared a few hot and steamy kisses; ones that had left my knees weak and my heart doing flip flops.

  “Oh, well, that’s nice,” I said simply.

  Just then Eva entered the kitchen, who I’d known from high school. We weren’t exactly friends and as far as I was concerned she was a selfish and arrogant nitwit who’d recently stolen my best-friend Paige’s boyfriend. Now her newest conquest seemed to be Bryce, who was so naïve about the whole thing. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy that we had to drag her along for the ride. Her mother had also been injured by a zombie, so for now Eva was our problem until we could drop her ass off in Atlanta.

  “When did Kristie and the others leave?” she asked yawning. I was happy to see she was wearing a long t-shirt and shorts, not one of her “rub it in your face” expensive designer outfits or short skimpy nighties that left little to the imagination.

  “They left a few hours ago. Sara, Megan, and Hannah tagged along,” I answered, pulling my long brown hair into a ponytail.

  Kristie had taken her daughters, Paige and Kylie, along with three other survivors to the safety of her mother’s cabin, in Wisc
onsin. Apparently, the zombies preferred the luxuries of city life a little more than the deep woods. Unlike our home, the cabin not only had a large generator, but also a good supply of food that could keep them comfortable for a few weeks. We were going to try and meet up with them later and Kristie had given my dad directions.

  Eva’s face lit up. “Great. Now I don’t have to put up with Paige’s snide comments. Just because her boyfriend dumped her, doesn’t mean she has to take it out on me.”

  I wanted to punch her. “Like you didn’t have a hand in that,” I muttered under my breath.

  She apparently heard me because she tried to look innocent but ended up failing miserably. “Well, maybe she doesn’t know how to treat a man. I’m sure Bryce would even agree with me when I say that a guy wants to feel appreciated and not like their girlfriend is always trying to show them up.”

  I glared at her, even though I was trying my best to remain calm. I knew exactly what she was referring to this time; Bryce and myself.

  “Well, if the guy has enough self-confidence then he wouldn’t feel threatened by his girlfriend’s independent nature,” I snapped.

  “How ‘bout those Vikings last season?” interrupted my dad. “Bryce, are you a football fan?”

  “Definitely, but I’ve always been more of a Packer’s fan myself,” he replied, loading my dad’s new Berretta. “The Vikings just can’t seem to get their stuff together.”

  I cringed. My dad was a huge Vikings fan, through and through. I knew that housing a “Packer Backer” would be a thorn in his side.

  My dad scowled. “Son, saying anything negative about the Vikings in this house is bad for your health. I’ll let it slide this time, because you’re holding a loaded gun.”

  “Oh dad,” I laughed nervously, “you’re such a kidder.”

  “Did someone say Vikings?” drawled Austin as he swaggered into the kitchen. “I may be from Texas, but I have to say I’ve always enjoyed watching those guys kick the ball around.”

  Austin was the ruggedly handsome military soldier my mother had saved the night the zombies started waking up all over the world. He’d been shot in the shoulder by some hysterical woman, thinking he was trying to attack her. My mother had risked her life by driving him to the hospital and now he felt he owed something to her. This included being my personal bodyguard. Needless to say, Bryce wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea.

  Bryce rolled his eyes. “When do you find time to watch the Vikings Tex? Between sweeping up hay and saving damsels in distress?”

  Austin smiled smugly. “What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”

  “Well I for one think that it’s wonderful that you are helping us, Austin,” gushed Eva. “I’m sure Cassie’s mom will be especially delighted to find out you have such a soft spot for her daughter.”

  My face turned beet red, I so wanted to hurt her. The truth was that Austin and I hardly knew each other, but she was acting like we had something special going on between us.

  “Well,” beamed Austin, “not only is she beautiful, but she has a lot of fire in her belly. This little philly isn’t afraid of anything,” he said staring at me. “If you ask me, it’s quite an honorable trait.”

  Everyone turned towards me, their eyes filled with amusement. I just shrugged.

  Bryce turned back to Austin and snorted. “Are you referring to Cassie or a horse?”

  “Listen up kids, let’s get serious here,” interrupted my dad, I could tell his patience was wearing thin. “There’s only a few hours of daylight left so we’d better get-a-move-on. Austin, you stay here and watch over Eva and the dogs. If everything goes the way that I’ve planned, we should be back in less than two hours with a new vehicle and a full tank of gas.”

  “I feel more comfortable coming with,” replied Austin. “I promised your wife I’d stay close to Cassie at all times. I’d hate to have anything happen to her. It’s just too dangerous out there.”

  My dad turned to Austin and if looks could kill he’d be deader than anything I’d shot in the last few days. He smiled coldly. “I think I can take care of my own daughter Tex,” he replied in a strained voice.

  “For the last time, I can take care of myself,” I stated. “I think I proved that in the last few days.”

  Bryce nodded. “She did a great job, too. Tex could probably take some lessons from her.”

  Austin shook his head. “I didn’t mean any insult, sir. I’m just a man of my word and I promised Kris I’d protect her daughter in any way that I could.”

  “That’s very honorable but I think you’d better stay with Eva and Bobby. They need protection too,” replied my dad.

  “Bryce could stay here,” interrupted Eva.

  Over my dead body, I thought as she twirled her long red hair around her finger nails and stared at him hungrily. Bryce, as usual, remained impassive.

  My dad shook his head. “No, I need Bryce to cover me at the dealership. Unlike Austin, his shoulder isn’t injured and things could get pretty nasty. Cassie needs to accompany us, so that she can drive the Sierra back. I might need that truck again.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’m going to change my clothes,” I said tightly, leaving the kitchen. I didn’t trust myself around Eva, especially with all of the loaded weapons on the table.

  Chapter Two

  When we stepped outside of the house, several zombies greeted us with open arms.

  “Stay back, honey,” ordered my dad, raising his gun.

  “Dad,” I pointed towards one of the zombies. “Look; it’s Schmitty.”

  My dad groaned at the sight of our neighbor, who was now among the undead. They’d been semi- friends and to see him walking around with half his torso ripped apart, was unsettling.

  “Sorry, man,” he told the zombie as it lumbered towards us with its mouth wide open. “I hate to be rub it in your face, now, err… what’s left of it, but I guess I won the gun debate.” Schmitty had always been dead set against fire arms.

  I turned away from the sound of my dad firing his rifle and watched as Bryce shot three zombies who couldn’t have been more than fourteen. They’d also lived in the neighborhood and my sister Allie had started crushing on one of them, a boy named Jason. Jason had always been a trouble-maker with a very smart mouth, which didn’t sit well with my dad. Earlier this spring he’d ridden his skateboard around the cul-de-sac, showing off, when my dad had come home from work. He’d been in my dad’s way and had taken his own sweet time moving. Then, later my dad found him trying to kiss Allie and had really blown his top. He yelled at Jason, who only smirked and took off on his skateboard.

  “Dad,” I said as we got into the truck.

  “What?”

  “Bryce killed the zombie who was trying to kiss Allie a couple months ago.”

  My dad chuckled. “Looks like that boy finally got a kiss, “the kiss of death.”

  I shook my head and groaned at his lame joke.

  Bryce jumped into the truck looking very pale. “I just can’t get used to killing these kids.”

  “Remember, they aren’t kids anymore,” said my dad.

  “Still, it doesn’t make it easier,” said Bryce.

  “Hey dad?” I asked, looking across the street.

  “Yeah?”

  “Why don’t we just use the Hendrickson’s van? They won’t need it anymore.”

  He sighed. “I’m not touching that thing, he bought it used and didn’t buy it from me. For all I know it could conk out any minute.”

  “Oh,” I said.

  “I also know for a fact that one of the Hendrickson’s wore adult diapers. Allie told me she saw them carry a big box in one day. From the urine smell in their house, they didn’t get changed enough.”

  Bryce and I cringed.

  “I much prefer that “new car smell” from that “old crotch smell”, you know what I’m saying?”

  I looked at him in horror. “Oh my God, dad! That’s gross!”

  He smiled innocentl
y. “What?”

  Bryce laughed and I reached over and smacked his shoulder. “Don’t encourage him.”

  My dad, who was still chuckling at his own gross humor, started the engine and we left for the dealership with Bryce riding shotgun and myself in the back. The Sierra’s club cab was a little tight for a full sized adult and I could see why we definitely needed something roomier, especially if everyone was going with us to Atlanta.

  As we began driving, I noticed most of the roads were deserted and there were only a handful of zombies in the vicinity of my neighborhood. We shot the few that were shuffling lifelessly to lessen the chance of them finding their way back towards our house.

  “Check that out,” said Bryce, pointing towards a small group of zombies near the local movie theater. They were about two hundred yards away and moving pretty quickly. As their gaunt white bodies lumbered closer to us, we slowed down to study them.

  My dad pulled out a pair of binoculars. “These guys are pretty emaciated. I’m surprised they’re moving this quickly.”

  “Dad, I heard they get more aggressive when they’re starving,” I answered.

  “These guys must be famished, because they’re coming in strong.”

  Bryce turned to me. “Wild, do you have any weapons on you?”

  “No, I wasn’t thinking.”

  I wanted to kick myself for being so careless. I’d set the war hammer down on our patio in the backyard while taking Goldie outside to pee and like a moron, left it there.

  “It’s okay sweetheart. I’m sure we’ll be fine with our guns. Get ready to fire Bryce,” ordered my dad.

  Bryce raised his rifle and as they moved closer, started firing rounds. When he hesitated for a moment, I noticed the young zombie girl in front, leading the pack. She was scampering towards us, her brown hair bouncing behind her. The zombie couldn’t have been more than four or five years old.

  Bryce’s lips curled in disgust. “Another kid; this is just sickening,” he mumbled.

  As the little girl got closer I could see the features of her face and it was a mask of terror.