The Living Dead Boy (The Living Dead Boy #1)(44)

Dulce said something to Danny, and he laughed.

“What she say?” Troy asked.

“She said that the cows aren’t hamburger.” Danny pointed to where the herd was lounging under the battered trees.

Staring at the cows, Josh was happy they’d survived the terrible storm. It was fading into the horizon, replaced by sunlight and fluffy clouds. For some reason it gave him hope that his group would survive, too.

“Look,” Dulce said, pointing.

Cars were clogging the road a few feet from where the drive intersected it. Doors were open and blood stained the ground. There wasn’t a sign of life around the accident.

“That’s where the zombies came from,” Josh decided. “I bet someone had a bite, turned, attacked the driver, the car swerved, and hit the other cars in their convoy.”

“And the old man must have come out to see what was going on and the zombies chased him into the house,” Corina continued.

“He killed the ones who got in, locked himself inside, and then we showed up.” Josh could see it all so clearly.

“Then Chad was a dumb turd and got all the zombies to chase us,” Troy added.

“And I killed a zombie! With a shovel!”

“And the hail killed the rest,” Danny said with satisfaction.

“Josh, did the old man turn, or did Chad kill him to take his stuff?” Troy asked.

Corina and Josh glanced at each other, and it was clear neither one knew how to answer.

“I think Chad is evil,” Troy decided.

“And stupid,” Danny added.

“A big jerk,” Sam agreed.

Dulce pulled the big truck onto the gravel road and turned away from the accident. As the pickup sped down the road, the bits of gravel kicked up by the tires pelted the underside of the carriage, reminding Josh of the hail. They’d been lucky, but now they had to be smart.

He glanced into the review mirror, and saw a lone figure running out to the road from the house. A part of him felt bad for Chad, and for a split second he thought maybe they should go back for him. But then he saw the ugly bruises forming on Corina’s wrists and knew they were doing the right thing.

Chad was dangerous.

His fingers gently covered the ugly marks on her skin. Corina lifted her gaze to meet his and with a sigh, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“So what do we do now?” Troy asked.

“First: figure out where were are, then how to get to San Angelo,” Josh answered. “Then we’ll drive there and get airlifted to the FEMA camp.”

“Are we going to look for help?” Sam sounded tired, but not whiny.

“No. Not this time.” Josh stared up the long road leading toward the hills. He wondered how long it would be before they hit a paved road.

“Yeah, we got this,” Troy said with confidence.

“Totally,” Danny agreed.

“Because we’re the Zombie Hunters?” Sam asked with hope in his voice.

Corina tilted her head to view Josh’s face. “Yeah, cause we’re the Zombie Hunters, and Josh is our leader. He got us this far, safe and alive. Not bad for a Living Dead Boy, huh?”

Realizing she had remembered his screen name he’d told her days before when he thought he was moving to Austin, Josh blushed deeply.

Twisting around in his seat, Josh looked over the kids in the truck with him. Danny had his head leaning back on his seat and was starting to doze. Sam was picking his nose while watching Dulce drive with admiration in his blue eyes. Troy stared out the window, the tag on his cap bouncing with the shuddering of the pickup. Behind the wheel, Dulce was driving with a satisfied look on her face. And Corina, the girl he loved with all his heart, was smiling at him.

Now he just had to get them to San Angelo. He could do it. He knew it. And remembering the look on his dad’s face when Josh had made the decision to lead his friends away from the bus, Jamie had known it, too. Josh would get his friends to San Angelo and see his brother, father, Yessica, Savannah, Derrick, Rachel, and Bonnie the dog again.

As scary as it as to live, he thought, it’s worth it.

Corina’s hand settled on his and squeezed it gently.

Totally worth it.