"Girls, when I tell you, I want you to run out into view, pause, then run back here."
Jen ejected the pistol's magazine and checked the load. Five rounds. With one in the chamber, that's not much. She slapped the magazine back in. "Got to make them count."
She moved as close to the corner as she could without being seen and turned to face the wall so when she stepped out into the hall she would face them. Squatting, she held the pistol in two hands and took a deep breath. Don't rush.
"Now, girls. Go."
The zombies ran past her and Jen leaned to the left and stretched out, landing on her side.
Bullets flew by and some hit solid wood and some smacked into undead flesh.
Take your time.
Lining up the sights on one of the three guards, she took a deep breath, then let half of it out. She squeezed the trigger.
The bullet hit the guard in the throat. He clutched his neck and fell over.
Jen was already aiming at the guard at the end of the corridor.
A bullet chipped the tile next to her, shrapnel cutting her cheek. She ignored the sting. Girls, do the same thing again.
The guns that were aimed at her swung toward the zombies as they exposed themselves to gunfire again. Jen concentrated on her target. With only half his body in the open, her aim had to be true.
Just as she squeezed the trigger, the first guard she shot rose, snarling, his yellow eyes gleaming. He attacked his two companions from the rear.
The pistol recoiled and Jen's target at the end of the corridor dropped his gun and grabbed his shoulder. She sent a follow-up shot, but missed as he rolled out of sight.
"Attack, girls."
The two guards had turned to face the threat from behind and realized too late they were surrounded. One of them wrestled with the zombie guard while the other shot wildly at Red and Cindy. Red pounced on him and tore open his shoulder with her teeth. Cindy tackled the other guard and chewed on his arm while the zombie guard went for his throat.
"Everyone to me."
The three zombies shuffled to Jen's side. I wonder how many I can control at once? Butler can do millions, but he goes through his leaders.
As she crept down the corridor to the open doorway, the other two guards rose. "Fall in with the others," Jen said.
She paused at the doorway and peeked inside. It was a large stock room with cabinets, a sink, and cleaning equipment. A trail of blood ran from the doorway to thick metal stairs that led to an upper level.
Can't see the whole thing. Someone could be up there.
Keeping her pistol pointed upward, she dashed to the stairs and pointed at one of the guards. "You first. Go quickly."
The zombie raced up the stairs and Jen followed.
The upper level was bare except for another stairway with a sign next to it that read "Roof Access."
"Could be a nice place for an ambush." Jen chewed her lip. "Got to be careful. I don't know how many guns she has up there."
A distant muffled sound caught her ear. Sounds familiar.
The sound came closer. Thup thup thup.
Time's up.
30
Jen sprinted up the stairs. "Let's go."
A guard stood in front of the roof door, his pistol aimed at her. Jen swung her barrel toward him and stopped.
"Mark?"
"Stop there, Jen," Mark said.
Red stepped next to Jen as the other zombies crowded her from behind on the stairs. Mark's eyebrows rose.
"Cartwright was right," he said.
"Right about what?" Jen said. "What'd she tell you?"
"That you're not the Jen I know and love. That you're...different."
Jen sighed. "Some things are different, but I'm still the same person who fought all those battles at your side."
Mark shook his head. "That Jen never had her own zombie army."
"OK, smart-ass. That part's different, but it's still me."
Mark looked from Jen to the zombies and back. "Why would she tell me that if it isn't true?"
Jen tilted her head and listened. The helicopter had to be just overhead. "Because she's been lying to us since the beginning. She's the cause of this shit. She and her co-conspirators have been working on a way to control people."
"Put the gun down," Mark said. "I don't want to shoot you."
Jen jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "You do and I won't be able to save you from them."
Mark remained silent. He's processing what tactical advantages and disadvantages he has.
Jen took a step toward him he pointed the gun from her chest to her head. "Stop."
"Shoot me in the head?"
"Least I can do for who you were."
Jen gritted her teeth. "Look, asshole, I'm still me, and you're wasting time. Cartwright's going to get away."
Mark's eyes narrowed.
"Just step aside and get out of here," Jen said. "Get your family out and far away."
Another sound outside. Something hitting the roof? The helicopter has landed. Out of time.
"How can I prove to you I'm still me?"
Mark shrugged.
"How about that I haven't sicced these guys on you?" she asked.
Mark paused, then said, "You know I'll shoot you first, so you won't take the chance."
Dammit, you stubborn ass.
Precious seconds ticked away. Faces and events with Mark flashed through her mind. When they first met in her room. Talking on the roof and finding out his pain. Her saving his ass. Him saving hers. Zeke. Doc. Doc.
That's it.
Jen straightened. "Mark, if I'm not telling you the truth, I'll eat a bug."
Mark's expression remained unchanged, then his shoulders relaxed a little. He gazed into her eyes. "Jen?"
"It's me. A little fucked up, but you know me well enough to know that's a normal state for me."
Mark licked his lips, then straightened and lowered his gun.
Jen pointed at him. "Not only are you not to harm him or his family, but you will protect him from others. Human and zombie."
"Will that really work?" Mark asked.
"Who the hell knows? Move aside."
Mark stepped to the side.
Jen gave him a quick hug. "Promise me you'll get your family and get out of here."
"I promise. But I should help you get Cartwright first."
"I've got all the troops I need, and your mother and sister need you right now."
She turned to the zombies. "Follow me and attack anyone on the roof. Except Red and Cindy. You two stay with me."
Bulling the door open, she rushed onto the roof. Gunfire came from the Blackhawk that had landed on the far end of the roof. Cartwright was just boarding. Three guards next to the helicopter opened fire on the charging zombies.
No time for tactics. Jen broke into a full run toward the helicopter. If I can get close enough to at least take a good shot at Cartwright...
The helicopter lifted a couple of inches. One of the guards looked back at it and yelled. He and the others made a run for it, but were brought down by their fellow guards from behind.
The helicopter moved a few feet up and away from the roof. Jen's gaze locked on Cartwright's. For the first time, the bitch smiled.
Heat flared in Jen's face. "Cindy. Jump on the helicopter."
Cindy sprinted past Jen, making a beeline for the helicopter. Cartwright pointed at her and said something. The helicopter started ascending just as Cindy leapt. She missed the door and wrapped her arms on a landing skid.
Guards, follow Cindy. Get your weight on that helicopter.
The guards left their meal and streaked toward the helicopter. Cartwright gestured frantically and looked like she was screaming into her headset. The pilot gritted his teeth and the helicopter began to rise again.
The guards leapt. The first one missed and dropped out of sight, but the next three hit with two of them managing to hang on.
The helicopter descended. The pilot screamed
into his mic and flipped several switches.
Jen slowed. "Red, I need you to take out the tail rotor."
Red shot past Jen and leapt at the rotor. She hit it and turned into a pink mist.
"Shit. That did nothing?"
The helicopter pulled away, the zombies still clinging to the skids. It barely made it over nearby buildings and it moved slow, but it was moving.
"Son of a bitch. She's going to get away."
The thup thup thup of the rotors changed rhythm and Jen shaded her eyes to get a better look. The tail rotor seemed to be slowing. As she watched, it stopped altogether.
"You did it, Red."
The helicopter started spinning, black smoke trailing from the rear. One by one, the zombies clinging to the skids were thrown off.
Losing altitude, the helicopter dropped out of sight somewhere near Emory University. Seconds later a thick plume of black smoke rose into the air.
31
Jen adjusted her sunglasses as she walked toward the helicopter wreckage. Two students stood next to the blackened skeleton and looked up as she approached.
"Hell of a thing," one student, a beefy jock-looking kid said. "Everyone thought all the aircraft went west, but they say the CDC kept one for emergencies." He kicked a burned piece of metal. "Shame they wrecked the damn thing."
The skinny long-haired girl next to him pushed one brown lock behind her ear. "I heard the military is pissed about it."
"Anyone survive?" Jen asked.
The boy shrugged, but the girl nodded. "I heard four died and one survived. At least long enough to go to the hospital. Good thing it's close by, the bodies were supposedly pretty burned up."
I heard. I think. Can't get a straight answer anymore. "Could you point me to Clifton Road?"
The boy pointed at a large building looming over the trees. "Just the other side of the hospital."
Jen hiked up her backpack. "Thanks."
Walking up to the brick-faced house on Ridgeway Drive, Jen had an uneasy feeling in her gut. Looks more like a typical suburban family lives here, not some bikers.
She took the walk to the front door and rang the doorbell, fully prepared to tell the homeowner she had the wrong house. When no one answered, she shaded her eyes and peered through the window.
Inside looked just as nice as the outside. It had the kind of furniture she wouldn't dare sit on in case it broke.
An engine roared to life from somewhere behind the house. She crossed the perfectly manicured grass to the driveway that wound around to the back. A standalone garage came into view with its two overhead doors open. Three men and a woman worked on three motorcycles. Even among his own people, D-Day stood out, bent over and working on the sidecar.
Jen approached, and as soon as the woman shut off the engine she was gunning, Jen waved and said, "D-Day."
D-Day straightened as the others reached for weapons.
He put a hand out to the others. "She's cool."
Wiping his hands on a greasy rag, he loped to Jen. "Needing some help?"
She nodded. "A lot has happened. I'll tell you all about it on the road."
White teeth appeared under D-Day's mustache. "On the road. I like that. Where are we going?"
"West."
32
Jen wiped up egg yolk with her last piece of toast and placed it in her mouth.
"What did Wayne and Zeke say?" D-Day asked.
Washing down the food with some orange juice, Jen put up a finger. "They're in Pennsylvania. Told them we're heading for Colorado so they have a general direction."
"Did you say Colorado, young lady?" An older man in faded jeans, a cotton shirt, boots, and a cowboy hat stood next to their table.
D-Day nodded. "What's it to you?"
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," the cowboy said, "but you're heading right into the front lines. News this morning said the undead have overrun Salt Lake City and are heading east. They expect Colorado to be the next major battleground."
Jen downed the rest of her orange juice and looked from the cowboy to D-Day. "Then Colorado it is."
Author’s Notes
In many ways The Hybrid is a lynchpin in the series. It answers some questions going all the way back to Book One, The Awakening, and sets the table for the rest of the series.
This was the first book of the series that was written after the The Awakening was released to the public, and reader reactions to the series gave me plenty of motivation and inspiration to keep the series moving along.
We’re now heading into the fall and winter where my writing pace usually picks up. Other than a trip to Pittsburgh for Night of the Living Dead 50th anniversary events, and a follow-on to New England to see family, I’ll be holed up in front of the computer, pounding away at the keyboard. Like you, I can’t wait to see what happens next.
If you’d like to keep up with what I’ve got coming out, sign up for my email list at uprising.marobbins.com. You’ll get a free eBook, new release announcements, updates, and even some drawings to win prizes like signed paperbacks and other unique items.
Thank you so much for reading the Hybrid. Know that I take no reader for granted and I’m truly humbled that you spent your time reading my book.
Till next time.
M.A. Robbins
Acknowledgments
Thanks go to my wife, Debbie, for her steadfast support. Tamara Blain, editor extraordinaire at A Closer Look Editing, was a godsend for this book as events gave her a shorter turnaround time and she aced it with a smile. Domi at Inspired Cover Designs just keeps adding to her legend. To the beta readers, I really appreciate your input and honesty. You made the book better.
To all the readers, I’ve received such positive feedback since the series launched in May 2018. Rest assured that I’m putting my heart and soul into the books to provide you with top-notch zombie action. Thank you for reading!
The Reckoning
Book Five in the Zombie Uprising Series
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Keep Up to Date
Thank You
Author’s Notes
Acknowledgments
Also by M.A. Robbins
Copyright © 2019 by M.A. Robbins
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is dedicated to you, the reader of the Zombie Uprising. Thanks for joining me for the journey.
1
Jen grimaced as she swallowed a cold forkful of scrambled eggs. How do you screw up something so simple?
The attendant at the motel dining room stuck his head in the door and flashed a smile. “How’s everything?” he asked in a chirpy voice. He looked at her as if he could see through her mirror sunglasses. If that were true, it’d wipe that smile off his face.
She nodded to his question. “Fine. Got any hot sauce?”
Smile still pasted on his la
te-teen face, the attendant hustled to her table and pulled a small bottle of Tabasco sauce from his apron. Without another word, he disappeared through the door.
Jen sighed and splashed the sauce over her eggs. A commercial ended on the TV and the news came back on. Jen shifted her attention to the large screen on the wall.
“The war against the undead suffered a severe setback overnight,” the grim-faced, perfectly coiffed news anchor said into the camera. A map of the United States was displayed behind him, a red line bisecting the country through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
“This was the front line yesterday,” the talking head said. The image changed with the red line moved out to eastern Colorado. “With Denver’s fall in a massive zombie assault last night, our troops are in retreat to Kansas.”
“Shit,” Jen said.
A chair next to her squealed and she jumped. D-Day plopped onto the seat and placed a tray on the table. He gazed over the empty room. “Not their busy season, is it?” He nodded at the TV. “Does that say what I think it does?”
Jen watched as D-Day shoveled a whole sausage into his mouth. His eyes closed as he chewed and he made a satisfied rumble in his throat.
Jen rolled her eyes. Guy can eat anything.
“We need to get a damn disposable phone,” she said. “I left Zeke and Wayne hanging. They don’t know what’s going on.”
The Zombie Uprising Series: Books One Through Five Page 58