The Living Dead Boy (The Living Dead Boy #1)(41)

“Oh.” Sam seemed impressed by this information.

“We can’t drag that with us. It won’t fit in a car,” Josh said.

With a wide grin, Dulce rested her hand on the truck and lifted the other from behind her back. A set of keys dangled from her fingers. She said something in Spanish.

“Those were on the work station,” Danny explained.

“The cooler will fit in the back of the truck,” Corina decided. “That’ll hold a lot of water, too.”

Danny said with a grin, “And Dulce can drive a truck.”

“Do you have a license?” Sam asked Dulce worriedly. “Driving without a license is dangerous.”

“She’s sixteen. She has a learner’s permit,” Danny answered.

“You have to drive with an adult with that,” Sam pointed out.

“Not in the apocalypse,” Josh said with a grin.

“But does the truck work?” Troy lifted his eyebrows. “That’s the important question.”

Dulce tapped the button to unlock the pickup, then climbed inside. After about a minute of adjusting the chair to her height, she turned on the engine. It roared to life, and then died when she turned it off.

The kids cheered.

Josh was actually a little surprised that Chad hadn’t come out to see what they were doing. But then again, he had acted like a coward and embarrassed himself.

“So we have transportation and water. That leaves food.” Corina glanced over at the house. “Let me talk to him. I have a plan to get us supplies.”

By the look on her face, Josh knew that Corina was determined. “What do you need us to do?”

“First, I need my bag. I dropped it over there. Second, I need you and Troy to do what I tell you. Danny, you and Dulce can fill up the cooler, right?”

Danny nodded. “No problemo.”

“Okay, so here’s my plan.”

As Josh listened, his stomach tied into a tight knot, but he nodded along as Corina spoke. When she finished, he looked toward Troy for his thoughts.

“It sounds solid, Josh.”

“We’ll handle the water. You get the grub,” Danny said.

After reclaiming her bag, Corina approached the back porch with Josh and Troy. There was a window in the back door with a curtain over it. Someone inside pulled it back, peeked out, then it dropped into place.

Stepping onto the porch, Corina squared her shoulders and took a deep breath to gather her resolve. Josh gave her an encouraging smile, and she returned it before lightly rapping on the door.

Minutes ticked by.

She knocked again. “Chad, we know you’re in there. We just want to talk to you.”

“I did what I did to survive, you know,” his voice said from the other side. “I knew you guys would be okay.”

“I know,” Corina lied in a soothing voice.

“Did the Fatty get it? Did they eat him?”

Corina’s eyes narrowed. “No. He’s fine. He killed a zombie.”

There was a long silence, then Chad said, “So did I.”

“Are you okay?” Corina asked with fake concern.

The door slowly swung open to reveal Chad. His shirt was flapping around his thin chest and there were spots of blood on him. Tucked into his belt was a pistol, which was a very worrying sight. “I’m good. Perfect, in fact. I got myself a safe haven.”

A long hallway stretched from the rear of the house to the front. A dead old man was lying a few feet up the hall, his head smashed in. Next to him was an iron doorstop shaped like a boot. Toward the front of the house were more dead people.

Chad noticed them staring at the old man. “He was a zombie. He attacked me, and I killed him.”

Josh exchanged worried looks with Troy. The old man didn’t look like a zombie, unless he’d been freshly changed.

“And the other people?”

Corina’s voice was so calm when Josh’s guts were twisted up with worry. He was afraid of what Chad might do to them if he found out what they were up to especially now that he had a gun.

“Zombies, I guess. They were already dead when I got in here. I think the old man wasted all his bullets on them.”

Corina tilted her head to gaze up at Chad. “So the gun’s empty?”

Chad nodded. “I’ve been looking for more bullets.”

Relief flooded Josh. One less thing to worry about now.

Shuffling her feet, Corina avoided looking at the old man. She swallowed then said, “Can we get some supplies?”

With a shake of his head, Chad prompted the kids to shift to implementing their second plan. “Nope. I don’t share with losers.”

“I see.” Corina dangled her bag from her fingers. “So, what are you planning to do now?”

“Ditch the bodies. Clean the place up. Stay here. I got food and stuff. Since the zombies are dead, I’m totally safe.”

“Oh. By yourself?” Corina discreetly dropped the bag to the side of the doorway.

Peering at her through his one swollen eye and one good eye, Chad ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe.” He cast a dismissive look toward the two boys behind her. “Ditch the losers, and you can stay.”

Rubbing her lips together, Corina dropped her chin and gazed up at Chad through her eyelashes. “Uh...I don’t know, Chad. They’re little kids.”