Zombie Rush 2 Read Free Page A

that’s not his job. He would find a way to get rid of her boyfriend without having to do that. He hadn’t fallen that far yet.
    He moved to the broken-out window as the last of the stragglers passed by, leaving the two with him locked within the stench of their own fear. They wanted him to stay, he could feel it, but they just weren’t worth his time. He took refuge, not out of fear, but out of necessity to avoid a horde too large for him to eliminate. He had one goal and when he was done, he was done. End of story. And he would welcome that end with open arms.
    He crept out to the street, but when he heard the others follow him, he stopped and pushed them back.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” he said.
    “We’re coming with you.” The young male who spoke was dirty… dirtier than just a day’s worth of buildup, which was as long as it had been since the zombies first arrived.
    Sixteen hours ago, he showed up for another shift at the grind, unaware that his wife was being partially eaten by his party-hopping son at that same moment.
    “You don’t want to come with me; trust me on that.”
    The woman spoke up. “Well, you’re a cop and you got a gun. You’re supposed to protect us, and we all need to get to the compound.”
    Looking closer, he noticed that her clothing didn’t mesh with her companion’s ensemble, other than they were both dirty. Her face looked as if it had a fresh layer of makeup that morning, which had become streaked with tears and sweat. Her coat was fashionable, though ragged from the events of the day, and her shoes were by no means suitable for the situation.
    The man, on the other hand, screamed wannabe rocker, complete with a Hot Licks t-shirt, grubby jeans enveloping dated Converse high tops, and a three-day growth on his lip and chin. Krupp felt some compassion for the woman, who appeared to be close to his own age, and he softened his attitude just a little.
    “Look, I only have one round left and I’m saving it. Where I am going is not a place you want to be, okay?”
    “How many bullets are in a round?” the guy asked, and the woman rolled her eyes. She shook her head and leaned in.
    “Look, Officer Krupp is it? You can’t leave me with him, okay? We won’t make it two blocks, let alone to the compound.”
    “Compound? What compound are you talking about?” he asked, having heard her mention it before.
    “A lady cop with the Army, or something, has set up a compound in the Sam’s Club. It’s true. It was on the radio, on that AM jazz station.”
    “A lady cop, huh?”
    “Yeah, you probably know her.”
    “I doubt it,” he lied. “There are lots of lady cops in the world, and the ones I know are dead. I guess you can tag along for a bit, although I have some stops to make first.”
    He knew her; who else could it be? Who else would still be stealing his thunder? Lieutenant Reynolds should be dead by now … but no. Not yet, anyway.
    “Stops? What kind of stops can you have during a zombie invasion?” This came from the scruffy punk.
    “One bullet is a round … what is your name?” Krupp said to the guy, ignoring his question.
    “Ludwig.”
    “Ludwig, huh? Now what’s your real name, and you’d better be straight with me or you stay here.”
    “Stanley.”
    “Well, Stanley, you can run a couple of errands with me, or you can cross the river yourself. It’s up to you.”
    Stanley looked around nervously. They all knew they had to cross the river in order to get to the compound. Stanley’s eyes landed on the female.
    “Don’t look at me. I’m going to run errands with Officer Krupp here. My name is Lu.” She perked up and held her hand out in greeting.
    ***
    His storage locker was easy to get to. The zombies all seemed to be moving toward the lake and bridges into Hot Springs proper, leaving Rockwell virtually empty. The zombies moved slowly, mainly in herds, and could be heard—and smelled—from a distance. Krupp found them easy to