The Living Dead Boy (The Living Dead Boy #1)(35)

Chad scurried along a well-beaten path toward the back gate to the property. Huge signs, battered by time, read KEEP OUT and TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT.

“Crap!” Josh ran after Chad with Troy close on his heels. “He’s going to get us in trouble!”

Josh didn’t want to shout at Chad so close to where people or zombies might be lurking. Chad reached the back gate, and attempted to open it. It rattled loudly against its hinges. Either rust, or the vines woven through the links, prevented it from opening.

“Hey! We need help!” Chad called out.

Letting go of Sam, Corina ran to Chad and clutched his arm. Josh couldn’t hear what she said, but she was vehement in the delivery. Chad shrugged off her hand and gave her a mocking smirk. Shaking the gate, Chad laughed at Corina’s distraught expression.

It was clear that the situation was already spiraling out of control. Josh sprinted along the path to confront Chad. The heavy air was moist against his skin and sweat ran down his face in rivulets. He was so tired he just wanted to sit and rest in a safe spot. The farmhouse promised a possible safe haven for a little while, but already Chad was inviting trouble. With him around, they’d never catch a quiet moment to recharge.

“Hey,” Josh huffed when he arrived at the gate. “Stop making so much noise.”

“Look, no one is here. Obviously.” Chad spread his arms. “See anyone?”

“Then if you think no one is here, stop yelling,” Josh retorted. “We can’t take chances.”

“Look, little dude, I understand that you think you’re the big boss in charge of some stupid kiddie club, but this is the real world. I already survived more stuff than you can imagine. Plus, I saved you guys over and over again.”

“More like nearly got us killed,” Troy interjected.

With an all too familiar sneer, Chad shoved Troy. “Shut up. No one wants your lip.”

“Leave him alone!” Corina stepped in front of Sam and Troy. “I’m so tired of you bullying them.”

“I’m not bullying. I’m just being honest.”

“You’re not in charge here, Chad. I am. And I say we go in quiet and see what the situation is. We need to make sure the area is clear before that storm gets here,” Josh said in his most commanding voice. “We need shelter.”

“You afraid of a little rain?” Chad snorted. “So lame.”

“I’m afraid of the lightning,” Sam piped up. “It can fry you.”

“Of course you’re afraid, fatty baby,” Chad scoffed.

“It’s getting colder, and if we end up wet, we might get sick. Which will make all of this worse.” Corina turned her back on Chad and said to Josh, “What do we do?”

Chad snatched her glasses off her face and danced away before she could reclaim them. Holding them up to his face, he said mockingly, “Look at me. I’m a hot girl with glasses and I act like I’m everyone’s mother.”

“Give me back my glasses. I can’t see!”

Corina stumbled forward, and Josh caught her before she could fall.

“I’ll get them, Corina” Josh said.

There was a loud whack, and Chad howled.

Josh spun about to see Chad on his hands and knees in the tall grass with Dulce standing behind him. She reclaimed the glasses, and walked over to Corina to return them.

“What did she do?” Troy asked.

“Yeah, I totally missed it.” Sam was grinning ear-to-ear.

“Hit the back of his knees with her stick,” Danny replied with a satisfied look on his face.

“Thank you,” Corina said with relief and slid the glasses back onto her nose.

“You stupid... I’m gonna...” Chad struggled to stand, clearly hurting.

Dulce took a sharp step toward Chad, and he cowered.

“Oh, shut your trap,” Troy ordered. “So sick of hearing you.”

Dulce muttered something in Spanish and pulled the vines free from the latch. She yanked the gate open and glanced back at Josh, waiting for him to give the go ahead.

“Everyone, spears at the ready. Keep together. We’re going to head to the back door and see if we can find a way into the house.” Josh moved in front of everyone and held his spear in a defensive position. “If you see movement, say something.”

The group, except for Chad, gathered into a tight cluster and squeezed through the gate. The thick, overgrown grass crunched beneath their feet as they inched forward, straining to see behind the rusted hulks of old cars. The newer cars that were in better condition were near the house.

“Is this a junkyard?” Sam whispered. “There’s a lot of cars.”

“Nah. But it is junk,” Troy replied.

Thunder rumbled and lightning streaked across the tops of the nearby hilltops. The need for shelter increased with every passing moment. Weaving between the old cars was nerve–wracking. Josh found it hard not to imagine zombies lurking behind every sun-bleached vehicle. Though he was concentrating on his surroundings, he kept one eye on the garage. The darkness beyond the doorway made him very nervous. He’d seen way too many horror movies to not be wary of the structure that creaked in the rising wind gusts.

They were halfway through the jumble of cars when the sound of buckling metal made them all flinch at once. Leapfrogging from car to car, Chad whooped as he bypassed them. He made a long jump from the hood of one car to the trunk of another, then scrambled over the top and landed on an oil-stained cement slab in front of the garage.