After The Rising by T.D Jackson (free novel reading sites .txt) 📕

"You have been busy the last couple of years" Me and Kane sat down outside a hair dressers where some picnic tables had been set up, hethrew me a can of Irn Bru I nodded my thanks and opened it "According to the invoices you have got more salvage than any one else in the country" I gulped down more of my drink "What can I say were here to help" "Hmm yes you have also recieved more official rebukes for going into heavily infested areas than the rest of the scavanger teams at this outpost put together" "Hey I didnt here "any one complain when we got all that medicine from the hospital when the winter turned nasty people started to get sick and die if we didnt do it then half of this outpost would be dead" I slammed my drink down on the table, Kane raised a hand to stop my rant "Personally I would have let you go but it was the outpost cammanders decision not mine" "He didn't moan to much when his kids got sick he quite happily used them then and what about the survey we did on the petrol station's and that tanker full of diesel we got" "I know I know you have done a lot it's the only reason the commander didn't lock you up for a couple of months" "Are we here to discuss my scavenging tactics or is their something else?" Kane threw me another can obviously worried I might walk off before I heard him out, he pulled out a black folder and opened it he pulled out a thick file and took out a photograph and passed it to me. It showed a man lieing on the pavement blood pooled around him he had been brutally stabbed multiple times his head almost removed from his body "I heard about this some nut job running round ganking people for their rations how many haas their been 4 5 now?" " 6 and I'm afraid it's not as clear cut as that this man and these" He pulled out 5 more photos each as grisly as the 1st "They were all Ghost's Tom" "Glad I didn't sighn up then enough people want to kill me as it is" "Someone is targeting them" "Send the soldiers to deal with it then" "I cant trust them" "Yet you trust me?" "The identities of all Ghost's is a secret except to higher up military personal even the Ghost's don't know each other's identity" "Inside job? You think someone is killing our own guys?" Kane gathered up the photos "It could only be some one on the inside 1 random Ghost killed maybe but 5 means someone is targeting them" "Find someone else" "I'm sorry?" "I'm not doing it" "Don't you care?" "I care but I'm not doing it" Our conversation was interrupted when three men approached us one slammed his fist down on the table we looked up at him his nose was still busted  from where he had his chat with Jon yesterday "So their you are you little prick get up" I took a swig of my drink and set it down "Can I help you gentleman?" The man turned the table over me and Kane remained sitting "Something on your mind?" He grabbed me and hauled me to my feet "Look guy's you dont want to do this" He punched me in the mouth I fell to the floor and he kicked me in the stomach and picked me up again pulling me so close I could smell his oniony breath, big mistake I quickly punched him twice in his broken nose he raised his hands instinctavley I stepped behind him and put my arms round his neck in a choke hold his friends advanced "Ah ah ah back off or I will snap his neck" I increased the pressure on the hold I had no idea how to snap the guys neck but I could easily choke him out Kane was still sitting down watching an amused look on his face "Little help here boss?" "I think you are doing fine" Seeing that Kane had no intention of helping me the other 2 men moved forward obviousl having lost all concern for their friend. I released the hold and kicked the man into his 2 friends I pulled out my baton and dashed forward swinging at their legs sending 2 of them to the floor I grabbed the third kneed him in the stomach and headbutted him before following up with a forearm under the jaw he dropped. The guy who I had not choked out was hobbling to his feet he didnt seem to want to continue the fight "Take your friends and piss off" The man helped his comrades to their feet and they hobbled off down the road.

I collapsed the baton turned the table back over and sat back down with Kane "Thanks for the help" "You seemed to have everything in hand" "And if I didnt?" "You would have died alone on a street corner like my agents" I sighed he was right "Did I ever tell you I hate you?" He laughed "I will make a note of it" "What do you need me to do?"     

How do I get myself into these situations? I was in a bus shelter in a small infested town and it was pouring down with rain. This was part of my Ghost training 2 days surviving on my own the only goal be alive when they come back to pick me up. I had protested this idea if people were being taken out then I wanted to find this guy now not spend two weeks on some government ordered course. Me and Jon who had decided to join me got into a car with Kane and drove for I dont know how far I was then told to get out they threw a water bottle at me (empty) said see you in two days and drove off. After a few seconds of disbelief I realised thisarea was heavily infested with the dead. I was not to worried if I could find some where safe to sleep going with out food for a few days did not really bother me what was my most pressing concern at the moment? Only 10 fags to last me for that time.

I put my fag out and looked around at the small town I was in a few dead had taken notice of me and were starting to wander over through the down pour normally I liked rainy days but not this heavy. I took off at a jog towards a row of houses. After an hour or so of making my way through back gardens climbig over fences and falling in a fish pond that I had not notice after trying to get away from the dead and not seen on the other side. Eventually I found one to my likeing the fences were high and the only access to the back garden was a solid wooden door if something startedto pound on it I would hear it. The house was pebble dashed and my shoes squelched as I made my way to the back door I tried to open it. Locked. No big concern I checked the garden throughly I didnt want anything coming up behind me as I tried to pick the lock. There was a large dog flap in the door I pushed it open a little looked clear. As I had done with all the other houses I had tried I knocked on the door and waited not out of good old fashioned English politeness  but because any undead inside would hear the noise would come running well maybe not running stumbling is more accurate and I would know not to waste my time with this house and move on. I waited for 30 seconds no response. I pulled out my pickand set to work, it did not take long the lock was old and worn I probably could of opened it with a screw driver. The door opened. I was in a dated kitchen I shut the door behind me and extended my baton I walked down the corridor off the kitchen and knocked on the door no response I opened it. Clear. I repeated this process with the bathroom and the 3 bedrooms upstairs. All clear well that was one worry off my mind. I went back downstairs and tried the kettle no power. The outpost had power groups of engineers  had quickly secured power genarators and various stations to guarantee our power. I reached into my satchel and pulled out my survival stove it was small and light weight and poured some water from my bottle (I had filled it up whilst out in the rain) and turned the stove on and it started to boil. I searched the house for anything I could use I did not check the fridge that would be a big mistake. The kitchen cupboards yielded 3 pot noodles and some coffee just a week out of date nice I was set. I was not hungry just yet so I took the boiling water and had a coffee. I took it back to the front room  removed and wringed my soaked clothes placing them on the radiator I doubt they would dry much on a cold radiator but it was better than nothing I sat down and read a few magazines on the table. Their were no articles on the dead they had taken over so quickly none of the magazines or papers had time to respond before their staff were turned or trapped. It was still raining as I peeked out the curtains a few dead were milling around but were not actively moving towards me that was a good sighn. I had a small rechargable lanturn on me  I draped my coat over it so I could have some reading light for later but with out it alerting the dead to my