Rotter Apocalypse Read Free Page A

steal enough food and supplies to accommodate more than thirty people, and sneak out, all while avoiding the horde of the living dead.
    He must be fucking insane.
    “You and Wayans have never actually been inside?” asked Robson.
    “No need to. We already had everything we needed. We considered this our emergency reserve. And what better way to protect it?”
    “Lucky for us no one overrode your security system.”
    DeWitt huffed. “Do you really think we’ll have any better luck getting past all those rotters?”
    “No,” said Robson. “We don’t have to get past them.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Watch and learn.” Robson turned back to Simmons. “I’m going to need you to create a diversion. Take the Hummer and drive through the west end of the parking lot. Once you get their attention, lead them away from the building. Take Dravko and Tibor with—”
    “No,” Dravko interrupted. “We’re going inside with you.”
    “You’re not vaccinated against the Zombie Virus. If one of them bites you, you have no protection.”
    “Our extinction is inevitable no matter how hard you try to protect us. Besides, we’re tired of being relegated to the sideline. Tibor and I are part of this team. If you go into that building, we’re going with you.”
    The determination in Dravko’s eyes told Robson it would be futile to argue.
    “Do you mind being on your own?” Robson asked Simmons.
    “Not as long as I don’t have to mix it up with the living dead. Don’t you need me to hang around in case you need help?”
    Robson shook his head. “If we get into more trouble than we can handle, there’s nothing you’ll be able to do. Lead the rotters away from us for as long as possible, and then head back to Gilmanton.”
    “Roger that.”
    Robson faced the rest of his team “Okay. Let’s do this.”
     
    *  *  *
     
    Simmons led the three-vehicle convoy along the county road leading to Super Walmart. Ahead of him he could see the southern entrance to the parking lot, and two hundred feet beyond that the northern entrance. He continued to the furthest one and entered. Robson swung the Ryder truck in behind Simmons, stopped before entering the lot, and shut down the engine and headlights. Dravko pulled his Humvee alongside the Ryder and did the same. Both vehicles sat silent, leaving the black Hummer H3 as the only noise in the parking lot.
    As anticipated, it attracted considerable attention.
    Every rotter in the vicinity shifted their gaze onto Simmons. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Instinct told him to gun it for the other entrance and get out of there. Instead, he coasted through the parking lot, careful to avoid concentrations of the living dead. The deeper in he drove, the harder that became as rotters swarmed him. Simmons ignored those closest to him and blared the horn to attract the ones on the perimeter. One by one, each of the living dead lumbered toward him. Some staggered around the sides of the building or emerged from around back. A small group that had clustered around the front doors, their attention directed inside the building, was the last to focus on him. Within a minute, several hundred rotters converged around his Hummer.
    Simmons’ heart raced and his body tensed. He warned himself to stay calm. If he panicked and allowed the rotters to overwhelm his vehicle, he’d never make it out alive. Concentrating on the parking lot rather than the oncoming horde, Simmons calculated the path of least resistance and maneuvered through it, making his way toward the southern entrance. Several times he had to swerve around rotters, and occasionally ran some down. Others clawed against the side of the Hummer, grasping at him until he could barely see out the side windows because of the decayed flesh and gore stains. Flies and wasps covered the windshield, blocking his view. The sound of bones and fingernails scraping against the glass, accompanied by the incessant moaning, threatened to