In the Dead: Volume 1 Read Free

works.”
    “ So we’re now basing what we should or shouldn’t do on zombie games or movies?” Carrie asked as she rubbed her eyes. He hadn’t noticed before, but there were dark circles under them. That never happened in video games or movies.
    “ No,” he said. “But how long until you run out of food? I assume you already looted the other apartments on this floor?”
    Mrs. Floyd nodded slowly. “We did.”
    “ And I know you just looked over your supplies,” he continued. “So how many days do you have left?”
    Carrie pursed her lips like she was annoyed that he was being reasonable.
    “ It-two days,” Mrs.Floyd muttered. “Three if it’s just my daughter and me.”
    Zander blinked. “You were figuring you’d share your rations with me?”
    “ Of course,” Mrs. Floyd said with a shake of her head. “I may not like you, but I don’t want to kill you.”
    Zander drew back in surprise. That he had not expected.
    “ How much food do you have?” Carrie asked, her weak voice even weaker. “To add to the overall rations?”
    He swallowed. “I was trying to think of that, but… not a lot. Maybe a day or a little more. I stocked up before I bought my game, but used up most of what I had during my play time.”
    “ Shit,” Carrie said under her breath.
    Zander shrugged. “But that’s what I’m saying. We have to get out of here, to at least get supplies. And maybe there’s still a safe place out there. A military or a survivor camp where we can get protection.”
    “ Does that usually work in zombie movies?” Mrs. Floyd asked.
    When Zander glanced at her, he was surprised to see she was smiling at him. Weakly, yes, but a smile nonetheless.
    “ Well,” he began.
    “ Sometimes it works,” Carrie offered. “But you know as well as I do that at least one or two people die in those movies. Good guys.” Zander arched both eyebrows and Carrie shrugged. “I watch movies, too.”
    He paced across the room and peeked around the curtains a second time. The smoke in the air was twisting on the wind as it rose around and above the buildings.
    “ I guess I’d rather try to get out, though, then starve to death in an apartment.” He let the curtain fall. “But that’s just me. I’m going to try to figure out how to get out of here. But if you two don’t want to go, I understand. I can try to send someone back for you if I find any kind of organized survivors or military.”
    Carrie swallowed and looked at her Mom. “Can we talk about it for a minute?”
    He nodded. “Sure. While you’re doing that, maybe I’ll go back to my place and just check out the ration situation.”
    He moved toward the door, but Carrie stopped him by reaching out for his arm. “Hey,” she said. “Take my shotgun. You never know.”
    He stared at the weapon, then took it. “Thanks.”
    She nodded and then motioned her Mom toward the kitchen. When he stepped into the hall, he heard her lock the door behind him.
    He drew a deep breath and looked at the dark hallway. Now that he knew there was something so sinister and terrible going on, he noticed things he’d been oblivious to when he first entered the corridor. There was a smudge of blood on one of the other doors near the elevator. And the clear window that led into the stairwell had been blocked from the hallway side by cardboard. Probably thanks to Carrie.
    He shivered and moved toward his apartment. He hesitated as he put his hand out. He hadn’t locked the door behind him. Why would he? His only plan had been to run down, confront Roger about the internet problem and then run right back up. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but now he couldn’t help but imagine zombies filling his apartment, waiting for him.
    “ Calm the hell down,” he said out loud so he would hear the words. “Carrie locked the… zombies… or whatever out of the hall. They aren’t in there.”
    Still he double checked that the shotgun was loaded before he turned the knob and