DEAD: Darkness Before Dawn Read Online Free Page B

DEAD: Darkness Before Dawn
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it would be risky, but he also knew it was their only chance. He hoped to God that he flew far enough to get clear of the zombies gathered outside. He forced his mind to stop thinking about all the ways that this could go wrong. Taking a step back, Chad hunched over his daughter as he twisted at the last second to present his back to the only intact window on the lower floor.
     
    ***
     
    Jody stepped outside, his hand coming up reflexively to shade his eyes from the midday sun. It was promising to be almost warm today. All around, he saw signs of people working. The newest project was well underway: The Wall.
    A general consensus from everybody in their little comm unity was almost unanimous that they abandon any ideas of relocating and instead shore up what they currently had and start on a sturdy wall that would encircle enough area for them to be able to live comfortably, have ample farmland, but still be able to patrol the perimeter.
    Jody’s recovery had forced him to miss the first couple of weeks, but things had really only just gotten started. He knew that he would have plenty of time to do his share.
    “Hey, look who decided to finally haul his ass out of bed,” a familiar voice called. Jody turned to see George Rosamilia heading his way.
    “ Figured that if I didn’t, I had to listen to you whine about every splinter and blister for the rest of my life,” Jody replied with a smile.
    “ Seriously,” George climbed the steps to the infirmary and clasped the other man’s forearm, “glad to see you up. You feeling okay?”
    “ I wouldn’t go so far as to say I was feeling okay …but I am a bit better. Certainly well enough to get up and start doing something.”
    “ Holy crap!” a familiar voice crowed. “The dead walk!”
    “ Danny!” another voice snapped.
    Jody turned to see Danny, Selina, and Kat making their way to him as they dodged people carrying sacks of two-by-fours, pushing wheelbarrows, as well as other things associated with the massive construction undertaking that the community of survivors of Cash, Arkansas had commenced.
    The foursome embraced in one large group hug for a few moments. When they finally broke it up, George was still there and was now joined by a few other men. Jody sighed inwardly. And so it begins , he thought.
    “ I know there is a lot to discuss,” Jody spoke. He could see it on all their faces and he knew that none of them were anxious to bring it up so soon considering how close to death he had come, as well as the fact that he was not exactly a hundred percent yet, nor would he be for a while.
    “ So now that he is up, you think this one will finally spill the beans?” one of the older men, Joe Bennett, grumbled in a voice that would probably never recover from the decades of abuse his throat had endured from a lifetime of chain-smoking.
    Danny made eye contact with Jody. It was clear that he was in no way happy. The usual mischief was gone from his face in an instant.
    “Okay, here is what we know, and I think you will be disappointed.” Jody took a second to let his mind try to organize and make sense from all that he and Danny had discussed once he could remain conscious for longer than ten minutes.
    “ Back when we were still running with our Army unit, there was a sergeant by the name of Bill Pitts. He got hooked up with a local gal when we made our camp in a small town. Back then, the order was to isolate any who were bitten. The moment their eyes shut, we put a bullet in their heads. However, one day we get word that some folks are not…turning.” He let that word hang for a second before resuming his narration.
    “ A memo comes across that we were required to secure and deliver any individuals who show signs of being immune over to a medical team. Some were even supposed to be shipped to a few research facilities around the country. Of course, eventually the scales tipped too far and all of that went out the window, but before it did, this

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