The Living Dead Boy (The Living Dead Boy #1)(5)

Troy stood behind Savannah, shaking his head with disgust. Sam and Yessica kneeled on their seat, watching the commotion. Corina observed the argument, too, her fingers gently rubbing Drake’s back.

“You need to talk to your Army buddies and get us out of here!” a man shouted in Jamie’s face, his finger poking his shoulder with each word.

Whatever his dad said was covered by the honking of several car horns further down the line. There was urgency to the sound. Was it a warning?

“That doesn’t sound good,” Derrick muttered, then slid behind the big steering wheel.

“We can’t leave unless they say,” Josh said quickly.

“I know, kid. I just want to be ready.”

Troy jogged up the aisle to Josh. “We need to figure out what to do, Josh. The last time we were on a bus things didn’t go so well.”

“This time we have the Army. We’re okay.” Josh hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

“Josh, Josh, Josh!” Sam arrived at the front with Yessica at his side. “Those people back there are jerks. They told your dad to take us kids and get off the bus!”

“They can’t make us get off the bus!” Troy shot a furious look toward the cluster of adults at the rear of the bus.

“I don’t want to get eated like Mary.” Yessica took a hit off her inhaler.

“We’re not getting off the bus,” Josh replied. “My dad won’t let that happen.”

“I won’t let it happen either,” Derrick interjected. “This is my bus after all.”

“But the people back there are jerks,” Troy pointed out.

“Then those jerks can get off my bus,” Derrick replied. “I got your back.”

Not satisfied, Troy shot Josh a worried look. “Josh...”

“My dad is a former Marine. He can handle it, Troy. We’re okay.”

“I hate dealing with adults,” Troy groused.

“Adult sitting right here. Listening.” Derrick looked amused and annoyed all at the same time.

“I wish my dad was here,” Sam whispered, close to tears. “He’s a sheriff. He has a badge. Those people wouldn’t be yelling at him.”

Yessica took another drag on her inhaler. “I don’t want to get eated by zombies.”

Outside the steady pops continued. The noise reminded Josh of fireworks on the Fourth of July. The last Independence Day had been one of the best days of his life. Corina had come with his family to the county fairgrounds to see the fireworks. He’d sat with her on the bed of his grandfather’s pickup eating watermelon and watching the bright explosions. But he’d also been to the gun range with his dad enough to know that the staccato bursts were anything other than fireworks.

“That’s some heavy-duty gunfire,” Derrick breathed. “Sounds close.”

Josh nodded. “Yeah.”

If the shots were closer, so were the undead.

“Look! Look! Zombies!” Sam exclaimed.

“Those aren’t zombies! They have flashlights,” Troy retorted. “Stop scaring everyone, Sam!”

Several heavily-armored soldiers rushed along the side of the caravan. The beams from their flashlights cut through the night like lightsabers. One of them reached the bus and rapped hard on the side below the driver’s window.

“Start her up! We’re moving out!” the soldier shouted.

“Okay, kids, time to go.” Derrick turned on the engine and the big bus rumbled beneath their feet.

Josh gripped the metal pole next to him. The gunfire continued, growing louder. It sounded different somehow, and Josh looked toward the back of the bus. Swallowing at the hard lump in his throat, Josh’s blood turned to sludge in his veins. The gunfire was coming from the rear of the caravan now.

“Kids, get back to your seats. We’re moving out,” Derrick ordered.

No one moved until Josh motioned for them to obey. As Josh slid onto a seat, Corina sat next to him with Drake on her lap. Troy took the place in front of them while Sam and Yessica claimed a spot on the opposite side.

Jamie hurried up the aisle with several men and a woman behind him. The complainers, Josh thought. When his dad reached the front, Derrick told him about the order to get ready to move. Jamie glanced back at Josh, and gave him a quick thumbs up.

Josh nodded, returning it. He trusted his father with all his heart.

It was the other people he was worried about.

The dog, Bonnie, pushed past Josh’s knees to stare out through the window. Growling low in her throat, she backed toward Rachel.

“Look, she knows zombies are out there,” Sam said fearfully. “The dog knows.”

“Keep cool, Sam,” Josh instructed.

“With zombies out there?” Sam widened his eyes.

“Yeah, with zombies out there,” Troy answered. “You’re a Zombie Hunter now, Sam. You gotta be brave.”

Breathing heavily, Sam clenched his hands on his lap. “Okay. I can do that.”

“No you can’t,” Yessica said, patting his arm. “But it’s okay.”

The noise of a helicopter flying overhead drew everyone’s eyes upward. The whump!whump! of the blades sounded very close. A spotlight swept over the woods and filled the spaces between the tree trunks with shadows.