Surviving Earth: Makayla's Journey Continued

by Cora A. Murray

  I walk swiftly into the house, and grab my katana off the back of the couch.

  Blu’s hand lands on my arm. “Whoa, Mak, where are you going with that?”

  I stare blankly into his blue eyes. “To kill a bitch.”

  “I'm working on her, Makayla. I hope she'll prove useful one day.”

  “Nope, she'll never be anything other than an evil Doctor bent on the world’s destruction.”

  Blu releases my arm then runs a hand through his overgrown blond hair. “I guess whatever you needed to talk to her about, she didn't agree to help.”

  I shake my head as I turn to leave.

  “What do you want her help with? You never told us,” he asks.

  “I was bitten and nothing happened to me. I was clawed viciously by one and nothing happened to me. I…I think I can possibly be the cure.”

  Blu’s eyes widen and he grabs my arm, pulling me into a hug. “Come on. That witch is going to help us bring some order back into this world.” He urges, towing me out the door.

  As we walk through the lab door, Dr. Cilley looks up at us.

  With a deep sneer, she laughs. “You need help killing me, sweetie? Hell, I thought you were stronger than that.”

  Growling, I jerk out of Blu’s grip. “I don't need anyone to help me kill you. You're worse than the fucking zombies and freshies. You're evil without having a reason to be. Your filth and I'm going to end you now.” Anger so deep flows through my body and I can't control myself. I can't help Logan, I can't because of the bitch in front of me, the reason for him being the way he is. “Fuck you, bitch! You die today!” I scream.

  Blu unlocks her cell door and slides it open.

  “Wait! Wait, I'll help. I promise, just don't kill me.” She begs, her hands rise in front of her face, to try and protect herself from me.

  “I've concluded that you can't be trusted,” I say. “You are a waste of space. If I thought for one second you would actually try to help, I'd keep you alive, but you are nothing but a lying, cheating, no good for nothing, bitch.”

  Blu grabs my wrist before I can disconnect her head from her body. “Let's try, Mak.”

  “Fine, but if she double crosses us, I'm going to cut her head off slowly and so very painfully. She'll watch as I slice away little pieces of her body.” Turning, I run from the lab, before I actually start cutting little pieces off the evil Doctor Cilley.

  I catch my breath before I walk inside to find Tessa. I don't want her seeing me so upset. I find her and Ricky in the living room playing with Survivor.

  “Hey, Survivor, how ya doing boy?” I chuckle and run my fingers through his soft fur.

  “He's a good boy,” Tessa says, sliding her fingers through his coat of soft fur. “He protected us lots before Blu and Lainey put up the fence.”

  Ricky grabs her hand and pulls it into his lap.

  “What happened, honey?” I ask her.

  “These men, came. If, if, not for Survivor attacking them, they would have taken me, but Survivor jumped on ‘em.”

  “It's okay honey. I'm here now and no one will ever touch you again.” I pull her into my lap cuddling her against my chest.

  Later that day, the bell on the back gate starts to ring. Blu and Lainey told Gage and me about how they rigged up the fence to make noise if anyone ever touched it enough to move it in any way. I grab my dad’s Glock and rush to the gate.

  Gage and Blue are already there along with a few of the prison survivors.

  “What's going on?” I ask as I reach the gate.

  “Shhh, it's a horde of zombies. I guess with the added people here, they smell us,” Blu says, as he searches the area with a hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun.

  “Here, pick me up.” I slide the Glock back into its holster.

  “Are you freaking crazy?” Gage asks. “Anything can happen if you're up there. You could fall off the side and into the mass of them or a million other things. No, Mak, just no!”

  “I'm immune. They may eat me, but their bite won't kill me. Hell, they're zombies. I can outrun their slow asses.”

  I don't wait for them to make a decision. I climb the boards on the gate and soon reach the top. Hundreds of zombies surround the gate. They aren’t alone. There are smart freshies mixed in with the group. They each smile at me as I survey the area. The evilness of their smiles sends a chill down my spine. “Get your guns. There’s freshies mixed in with the mindless zombies. I'm sure they are the ones that found us.”

  “But I thought they were all gone with that frightening freshie we saw earlier,” Gage says.

  “Apparently not these.” We run in separate directions, going for any weapon we can find. As we near the gate again, it groans with the weight of zombies pressing against it.

  “Gage, Blu, go inside, you'll be safe there.” I demand.

  “I'm not leaving you out here to handle this. Are you freaking crazy?” Gage roars.

  “Gage, go inside. If this gate falls, you’ll need to help Blu look after the others.”

  “No, I'm not leaving you,” he screams.

  I run a hand down his cheek, then lean over and kiss it. “Please go watch Tessa for me.”

  “You're impossible, Mak,” he cries.

  “I know. Just please go.”

  Gage and Blu walk back in the direction of the house, looking over their shoulder to see what's going to happen.

  “Go!” I yell. “You, too.” I say directing the survivors to leave.

  “You can't fight them all on your own, Mak,” Deane says. “There are at least a hundred or so out there.”

  “I'm hoping the gate will hold,” I mumble. Climbing to the top of the gate, I see the mass of zombies below. They push against the gate, nearly sending me toppling over. I slip the Glock from the holster. Knowing that a shot between the eyes will kill each of them instantly, I start with the freshies and take two out before they get wise and duck down behind the mindless horde.

  Chapter Nineteen

  When I run out of bullets, I slide the sawed-off shotgun from the holster on my back. With each bullet, two fall knocking several zombies over with them and revealing a few of the freshies that are hiding within the group. I lift my gun, pull the trigger and all I hear is click, click. “Shit,” I mutter. When I look up, my heart stops in my chest. Clara and Cole are mixed in with them and are now freshies. Tears stream down my face, blinding me to the commotion that surrounds the gate. Before I can stumble and fall into the mad chaos, a strong set of arms enfolds me and pulls me from the top of the gate. “No, oh my God. Clara! Let me go dammit!” I scream, as I try to scramble back to the top of the gate.

  “Makayla, stop! You'll die if you go over that gate!”

  “But Clara is over there.”

  “That's not Clara any longer. Come on, let's go talk to that crazy doctor and get your cure.”

  Looking up, I see the man I love, the man my heart will always belong to. I reach up and slide a hand down his cheek. He cups my hand in his and holds it there for a few brief moments. “Oh Logan, I've missed you so much.”

  He pulls me against him as his lips lock on mine. His kiss is forceful and passionate, letting me know that he wants my touch as much as I crave his. All too soon, he releases my lips and runs his finger down my cheek. I want nothing more than to stay in this moment for the rest of my life, but I know I can't. I know there are freshies and zombies on the other side of the gate, trying their best to get in and I know my Clara is now one of them. It's time to make a bitch work on the cure.

  Turning around I notice the prison survivors are backing away from the gate, but Kira climbs to the top. “Oh, Cole, no it can't be,” she cries as the gate shakes almost knocking her over.

  “Get your ass down and everyone in the house. Tell Blu and Lainey to turn the switch on.”

  As they run off toward the house, Logan and I run toward the lab. Punching in the door’s code, we both slide inside, as we hear the crack of the gate.

  “
Damn!” I yell ducking inside the lab. “Wait, wait, I need to check to see that Tessa, Ricky, and Lainey made it back inside.” I urge, trying to push Logan and the door out of the way.

  “I'm sorry, Mak, it's too late.”

  “No, let me out. I need to get to Tessa!” I cry.

  Logan runs a hand through my hair and leans in and kisses my forehead. “I'm sorry, baby. You'll never make it there and back. That gate is going to come down.” Logan says.

  A few moments pass and we hear whimpers and cries coming from the door. “I have to know, Logan, I'm opening the damn door.”

  A bark sounds a moment later.

  Slipping my katana from the sheath, I go to the door. My plan is to open it, but Logan pushes me back out of the way.

  “If you insist, let me.” He opens the door slowly.

  Survivor runs inside with Ricky holding onto his collar follows quickly after. “Help, Mak, please. Mommy and Tessa are stuck in a tree, they are surrounded by those things,” Ricky says, trying to catch his breath.

  “Where, Ricky?” I ask, urgently.

  “The, the trees in the side yard. We were playing hide and go seek.”

  “Stay here with Survivor, I'll go get your mom and Tessa,” I murmur, patting Ricky on the back.

  “I'll go get them, y'all stay here,” Logan says, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

  “Let me help, I can draw them off and you get Lainey and Tessa.”

  “No, Mak. There's too damn many out there, but they recognize me as some kind of kinship to them.

  “Not the new smart freshies, they know the damn difference. You will need me.”

  “No.” He slips out the door and I see him running for the crop of trees by the house.

  Pacing the lab, I walk from the cells back to the door. With each second that passes, my heart drops. I need to be out there helping Logan. “Grrr.” I growl, making Ricky jump from the cot he's sitting on.

  A moment later, the door is thrown open and Logan walks in with my Tessa under one arm and Lainey thrown across his shoulders. He puts Tessa on the floor and she runs to me immediately.

  “Mak, I was so scared,” she cries. I hug her tightly to my chest.

  “Makayla, I need your help with Lainey,” Logan says. “She's been bitten.”

  Dread fills my heart as I move away from Tessa and walk to the foot of the cot Lainey is lying on. Ricky cries quietly on his cot and Tessa runs over to him and Survivor.

  “Shhhh, Mak will fix her, I promise.” Hope fills his eyes as he lifts them in my direction.

  Nodding my head yes, I move closer to Logan and Lainey's side. Lainey’s right leg is covered in blood. A deep bite wound goes all the way to the bone. I race around the lab gathering all the medical supplies I can find. Quickly, I clean and bandage her leg.

  Lainey groans in pain, opens her eyes and cries. “No, please tell me this isn't happening. I'm pregnant, oh my God, the baby.” Her hands cradle her slight baby bump lovingly, as tears leave stains down her dirty cheeks.

  I look up at Logan, slide my katana from its sheath and walk toward Dr. Cilley. The bitch will help or die.

  To Be Continued

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to first thank all the readers that are taking the time to read my books, believe me I feel honored when I hear of anyone loving my characters as much as I do.

  Secondly I’d like to thank my family, they inspire me in my every day life and help me to keep on trucking with my writing. My niece Brooklyn will still say, Aunt Nene tell me a scary story and she’s twenty-two.

  Thirdly I’d like to thank my Husband, sons, and grandchildren, who feel my heart with love and inspire me to do anything.

  Fourthly I’d like to thank my friends, without their love and support most days I’d give up.

  Christina Escue, talks me down on my bad days, she’s the best friend a girl can have. She’s involved in all of my books, helps with names and so so much more.. My sis, Connie Penn, makes me laugh on days I feel like crying, she’s one of my best friends and she makes me have better days. Nikki Pearce, one of my street team admin and one of my closest friends, her virtual hugs make me feel so much better. Kathy Cilley, my sis. I love her so much and she loves me in return, even though we’ve never met in person. Malinda, her sass and way of telling me what I need to do is so appreciated. Linda Carter, my beta and super good friend, just makes me feel so much better about my writing. Gretchen Minchew, is a great friend and an amazing sound board. She helps me on blurbs and when I need an opinion on something I’m not sure of for a book.

  I’d like to thank the amazingly talented, Amanda Walker, who does most of my covers. Without her I’d me lost. To my editor and good friend Crystal Wilkins, you seriously rock. I love you even though my whole manuscript is in red when you get through editing it.

  To my street team, there aren’t enough words to tell you how appreciated and loved you all are. Rory Lampley, one my street team admins, my sister from another mother, she totally rocks and I love her. Lainey, Serena, Robin, you all floor me with your generosity and love that you show me. Serena, the advise you give me is so much appreciated. You have no idea. The laughs me, you, and Lainey share makes my every day life better.

  To all the authors that inspire me to be a better author, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Erica Stevens, Brenda K. Davies, Teresa Gabelman, Casey Clipper, Marisa Oldham, Barbara Devlin, Angie Martin, Cheryl Davis, Melanie James, Carrigan Richards, Bree Pierce, Christina Escue and there’s so many more, but thank you one and all.

  About the Author

  Cora A Murray is a pen name I devised from the love of two great women, my mother and my oldest sister, who may no longer be with us, but will reside in my heart forever.

  I'm a mother of two adult sons and the grandmother of a handsome grandson and a beautiful granddaughter. I have been married for the past thirty-four years to the same wonderful man. I've always been an avid reader and with a push from my best friend I decided to start writing. First came shifters, then zombies, and now I'm on to many different topics . Who knows what's next, I have so many worlds left to conquer.

  Also by Cora A Murray

  The Dark Alpha

  The Dark Omega

  The Dark Delta

  Surviving Earth: Makayla’s Journey

  Charlotte’s Last Wish

  Beginning Again