Resurrection: A Zombie Novel by - (ready player one ebook .TXT) 📕

“What do you mean, not yet?” Kyle said. “We need the filters. Along with everything else. The night vision sure would be nice.”

“We save the night vision for when we’re attacked,” Hughes said.

“When we’re attacked?” Kyle said.

Hughes just looked at him. Looked at him like he was the stupidest person on earth.

Kyle let out his breath. Okay, yes, they would likely get in a fight again at some point. They’d eventually need to raid the mainland for supplies like solar panels. Perhaps a hostile group like Lane and his crew would show up in a boat of their own. And, sure, it was possible that some of those things were on the island somewhere, but what were the odds? Everybody had left.

“Hughes,” Parker said. “Remember yesterday when you told me to chill? That I was being paranoid?”

Hughes said nothing.

“Has something changed since then?” Parker said. “Did you all see or hear something when I was out there by myself?”

Parker, Kyle thought, was finally making some sense. What was up with Hughes, anyway?

“Didn’t see or hear anything,” Hughes said. “Doesn’t mean the island is clear. We’ve only seen this one little piece of it. We need to search the whole thing.”

Kyle resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “It’s bigger than you think.”

“I know how big it is,” Hughes said. “We sailed all the way up it yesterday and I’ve looked at your maps.”

“We can’t search the whole forest,” Annie said. “It goes on forever.”

“Didn’t say we had to search the forest,” Hughes said. “But Kyle himself said there are two other towns. We have no idea what happened in either of them.”

“Man has a point,” Frank said.

Kyle pursed his lips. “All right. Let’s check out the grocery store and see if there’s something for breakfast. We’ll round up a few more supplies, either from there or from some other houses, then check out the other two towns. Y’all want to walk or take the boat?”

“Boat,” Hughes said.

“I’m not getting back in that water,” Parker said.

“Then your ass can stay put,” Hughes said, “We don’t need you.”

Damn, Kyle thought. That was cold. Kyle had more of a reason to be angry at Parker than Hughes did. Parker had punched him two days ago, after all, and his jaw still throbbed. But Parker had behaved better since then. Reducing the amount of stress in his life was doing him good.

“I’d like to find some more clothes and blankets,” Annie said.

“And we need some water,” Frank said. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m super freaking dehydrated. My piss looks like tea.”

“There might be some water left in the store,” Hughes said. “Or in bottles in people’s refrigerators. We also need to check for gun racks and ammo. We used up most of the ammo back at that grocery store. Let’s hold off on splitting up.”

Kyle nodded and opened the front door.

“Forgetting something?” Hughes said.

Was he?

“What?” Kyle said.

“Your crowbar,” Hughes said.

Kyle felt his face flush. He retrieved his crowbar from the kitchen counter.

They headed out as a group. The house next door, a Victorian with delicately painted wedding-cake trim, didn’t look at all like the kind of place where they would find guns and ammo, but Hughes didn’t complain when Kyle stepped onto the porch.

He knocked. He felt silly doing it, but he’d feel worse barging in. His civilized habits were coming back in full force now that he was in a place that hadn’t been trashed. That was a good thing, but at the same time it disturbed him. How many places like this were left in the world? How long before the entire human race forgot how to behave? Dead bodies, broken glass, burnt walls, trash on the streets, and scarce resources brought out everyone’s inner barbarian. Most of the planet must look that way now.

After waiting a few moments for the greeting and welcome he knew wouldn’t come, he tried the handle and the door opened. Whoever lived there hadn’t locked up—what was the point?—but they did take out the trash. Kyle didn’t notice even the faintest of odors. Nor did he sense life or movement or presence inside. The house was empty just like the other one. Surely like all the others.

But this house was nicer than the first. Whoever lived there had enough money to collect heavy wooden furniture from the Victorian era. The curtains were heavy and expensive, as was the marble-top coffee table. The fancy sofa looked a little uptight and uncomfortable—Kyle was a leather-couch guy himself—but the beauty and grace of the whole ensemble was something he never thought he’d see again in his life. The legs on the dining-room table were as thick as Hughes’ arms, and the slab of the tabletop itself could stop bullets.

Hughes stayed on the porch with his rifle and kept watch on the street.

Frank and Annie stepped into the kitchen. Kyle heard the cabinets and refrigerator open.

“Score,” Frank said. “We’ve got soup, rice, and pasta in here. A jar of peanut butter and a can of tuna.”

“Big bottle of mineral water in the fridge,” Annie said, “and some expired orange juice.”

Kyle may not have broken into the house, but he had entered the house, and standing there in the living room like a burglar with a crowbar in his hand while Frank raided the cabinets made him feel like the intruder he was. The law had gone silent, but it was still there in his mind.

He forced those thoughts down, though, and focused instead on the positive. He would love sharing this house with Annie. The place next door was nice enough, but this Victorian was like a miniature grand ballroom in a five-star hotel. Whoever lived there had been good solid people. He could tell. That tradition would continue when he and Annie moved in.

He could hardly wait to chop wood for fires, fish for their dinner, and plant a garden in back. No more wasted time. Everything he did from here on out would be of monumental importance. Never again would he be distracted by email, vacuous filler programs on television, phone calls, errands, or making and stressing out about money. None of that crap even existed anymore. Life was now about basics: food, shelter, relaxation, and love. He’d learn about farming and fixing things and generating off-the-grid power. He’d get his hands dirty and keep his nose clean.

Life was better than ever, and it was about to get better still.

But then Hughes came inside and said, “Everybody down on the floor.”