Contamination: Dead Instinct (Contamination Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Series) Read Free

trying to pinpoint the men's position. He thought he saw Willy's reflection on the left-hand side of the store, but he couldn't be certain. A moment later, he heard the pop of a can, then the fizz of carbonation.
    "We're just looking for a drink," Willy called out. "Who you got back there? Is that David?"
    "Yes!" David screamed.
    Ken lashed out with his foot, connecting with the man's leg, and David howled in pain.
    "Look, we're just passing through," Ken said. "We don't want any trouble. Throw down your weapons and lie on the ground. Then we'll be on our way."
    "Why don't you come on out and we'll talk?"
    "I don't think so."
    "How about this? We'll head outside, and when you're ready, you come on out and join us."
    Ken stared over the counter. He heard the scrape of boots on glass, then the sound of the men getting up. Two figures had emerged from behind the shelves, heading for the doorway. He kept his grip on the pistol. Despite the man's words, he was far from convinced. He watched the men tread over the debris and slip through the door, certain they'd turn around and open fire.
    But neither of them did.
    He glanced back at Roberta. Her hands trembled as she held the gun on David. Her eyes contained the same doubt and uncertainty that he had. David was rocking back and forth on his haunches, clutching his leg.
    "Tony! Willy! Wait!" he screamed.  
    Before Ken or Roberta could stop him, David lunged for freedom, heaving over the counter. David kicked behind him, knocking over several displays.  
    "There're only two of them!" he shouted. "An old man and a woman! These pieces of shit have been holding me back here. Come get th—"
    A gunshot rang out from the front of the store, and David's forehead exploded with red. He rolled off the counter in a heap, landing on top of Ken and Roberta, and they scrambled to push him off. He came to rest on the floor, his eyes staring at the ceiling.  
    "You moron!" Willy yelled, as if the man could still hear him. "Why'd you have to go and get caught?"
    Roberta screamed.
    Her voice was shrill and piercing, and fear shot up Ken's spine like a slithering snake. He pushed the dead man aside and clung to his wife, aiming the pistol wildly. He heard laughter from all around him, as if the men had somehow multiplied and surrounded them. He grabbed for his wife, struggling to keep her calm.
    "It's going to be OK," he whispered. "Stay put."
    He attempted to stand, but Roberta clung to him with shaky hands, as if he were the last vestige of her sanity. He pried her fingers from his shirt, whispering reassurances he didn't believe, and then crept back to the counter. The men had disappeared again, but he could sense their presence.
    They were still in the building. He was sure of it.
    Outside in the parking lot, he could see the tail end of the Subaru Outback he and Roberta had been driving, which they'd tucked behind a dumpster.
    They'd stopped at the liquor store in search of supplies—it was the closest building off the highway, and they'd been hoping to find a first aid kit. Both Roberta and Ken's feet had blisters from constant travel, and they needed bandages. Earlier, they'd been with another man they'd encountered on the road, but that man had fallen victim to the infected. Now it was just him and Roberta.  
    Ken had known stopping would be dangerous, but he hadn't expected this .
    He glanced at the dead body next to them. In spite of David's violent demeanor, Ken had been willing to release him. All he'd wanted was to be able to leave. And now the man was dead.
    Ken swallowed and surveyed the store, his eyes roving over broken beverage bottles and overturned racks. Although he was outnumbered, he'd sworn a silent oath to himself: that no one would harm his wife, and that they'd escape this madness together.
    Spotting nothing over the counter, he ducked back down and made his way to the far edge. His hope was to get a better view of the store, a different angle that would allow him to