The Reaper: No Mercy Read Free

never knew where one could be hiding, and they were very good at hiding. Finally his eyes adjusted well enough to see, and as he made his way to the ladder leading to an upper loft, he sidestepped the two decomposing bodies of former zombies lying directly in his path. Those two he had taken out days ago when he first entered the barn in order to spy on the others’ compound.
    Andy made almost no sound despite his bulk, and once in the loft, he gently laid his rifle down, then his machete, as he neared the slanted metal roof. He only needed to lift the corrugated metal sheeting a few inches, just enough to peer out with his binoculars and gaze into the interior of the cemetery. This he now did, slowly and carefully, after propping the slanted sheet up with a board he'd left there for this purpose. Then the binoculars came out, and Andy started scanning the interior of the cemetery.
    First, he focused on the mausoleum because it was the closest, and yes, there were several of the others carrying boxes of supplies into its marble interior. A huge pile of caskets lay in haphazard fashion to its sides. Evidently, the others were using the crypts to store their supplies, which made a kind of sick sense. The smallish chapel further down was next, and like the last time he had checked, there were only a few men loitering around its stone exterior.
    Then he shifted his gaze to the combined seminary and administrative complex on the grounds. It was three stories tall, and had originally been used to house visiting Catholic priests, along with a small school for the children of local well-to-do Catholic congregation members. The administrative end had probably been used for coordinating all the Catholic churches and activities in this region of Missouri, but right now it was being used as the sleeping quarters for the others . At least he assumed that is what it was for as it was too large for such a small church by itself.
    Yes, as usual, there were almost two dozen out there, gathered around a large bonfire and obviously drinking even though it was still early morning. He often wondered if they had even slept the night before because of their wild antics, then dismissed the thought from his mind. It did not matter. What did matter was that most of those within appeared to be occupied with their 'fun' here within the confines of the cemetery and its structures. He shifted sideways to view the mausoleum-like structure near the back of the cemetery. He could barely make it out from his vantage point, but he had seen these small structures before. Catholics, by and large, were creatures of history and tradition. Though an outdated concept, many branches of the Catholic Church had the beginnings of catacombs on or near their cemeteries, prepared for eventual body internment of high-ranking church members. A casket in the ground was not adequate for those who had been powerful for most of their lives.
    The entrance was easily recognizable, and Andy could only assume this was where the captives were being kept, for no other place seemed reasonable. Occasionally, he had witnessed what looked like large quantities of food being delivered there, which convinced him that his suspicions were correct. Only four men stood outside, warming their hands over a flaming steel barrel, and Andy nodded to himself at their predictability.
    He then let his gaze shift to the front gate. There were usually a few guards there, sometimes as many as a half-dozen, but he wanted to be sure. As he twisted the focusing knob on the binoculars to bring the bus that was blocking the front entrance into sharp focus, he saw ... Oh shit ... another pair of binoculars staring right back at him. Busted ! He needed to get the hell out of there and now!
    The time for stealth was over, and he snatched his weapons up on the run, then slid down the wooden ladder, ignoring the splinters gouging into his palms through the leather gloves he wore. Out the back, through the loosened