The Dead Hunger Series: Books 1 through 5 by Eric A. Shelman Page B
Authors: Eric A. Shelman
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the Tallahassee police station. I’d seen some of them farther along outside, which is why I went in for help. But inside the police station, everything was chaos. I went in for help, and ended up . . . well, you know.”
Max came on again. “Two of the cafeteria staff attacked Dr. Hanzek, and I sat there holding a sandwich in the back of the room, not sure what was happening. Then I saw they were trying to eat him, and he was screaming. But Dr. Chatsworth, they weren’t just trying. They were eating him.”
Max spoke rapidly, and I felt for him. He was the first uninfected we’d come across, and this is what we were all feeling. A sense of dread and confusion about what was happening to the world as we had known it.
“ I just got up and ran. That’s when I almost collided with Dr. Lang, who looked the same as the others. I didn’t notice at first, I was so in shock from what had just happened. I started to say something to him, but it was clear he was gone. He grabbed my shirt and I tried to pull his arm off me, and his skin . . . it was mushy or something. His eyes were vapid, nothing there, but I got the impression he could still see me. I was able to fight my way free of him, and I just ran in here and activated the lock.”
Hemp looked worried. “Max, how long has the generator been running?”
Click. “About sixteen hours now. But it feeds from multiple huge underground LP tanks, so it can literally run for a couple of weeks.”
“Good,” Hemp said. “If it shuts down, the door locks release. Max, when’s the last time you heard noise from outside the lab where you are?”
“Not since about six hours ago. There’s a small refrigerator in here, so I’ve got some food and water, but no weapons. I wasn’t willing to venture outside here and check the status.”
I spoke. “There’s evidence that some of the abnormals made it outside, but we don’t know where they came from. Hemp? Do you think you have everything you need for now?”
He nodded. “Yes, I believe so. Max, we’re going to come in now, so activate the lock release. Which lab are you in? We’ll try to get to you first.”
“Second level, lab 202. I don’t think I’d recommend taking the elevator. You won’t know what you’ll be facing when the doors open, but I’ll leave that to you. Top of the stairs, right hallway, 2 nd door on the left.”
“Okay, hit it. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
The solenoid hummed and the bolt retracted. We pulled the door open and went inside.
*****
We stepped inside and looked in both directions. I felt better with a death grip on one of the several Daewoo K7s we’d confiscated, and Hemp was trying out one of the three Heckler and Koch MP5s we’d nabbed.
The H&K was the most widely used submachine gun among law enforcement, and looked pretty badass besides. Nice and compact, with a 30-round clip and a 2-round burst setting, Hemp had a full clip installed and two jammed in his belt.
Gem brought up the rear with Trina in her arms. She looked exhausted, and I knew she’d never say anything. I knew from experience that Trina, despite weighing only about 40 pounds, could start to feel very heavy after hauling her around for just a short while.
“Baby, are you okay with carrying her?” I asked.
Gem nodded, but pulled back and looked at Trina. “Trini, baby, do you think you’d like to walk and hold Gemmy’s hand for a little while?”
“Uh huh,” she said. “I can walk. Where are we?”
“We’re in a big building, and we’re going to a laboratory to see friend of Hemp’s.” Gem put her down and she looked up at us and held out her hand. Gem took it.
“I’m not tired,” she said, yawning.
“I know you’re not, baby. You don’t get tired because you’re a big girl.”
I smiled at Gem. “S tay about eight to ten feet behind us. If anything’s up here,
Max came on again. “Two of the cafeteria staff attacked Dr. Hanzek, and I sat there holding a sandwich in the back of the room, not sure what was happening. Then I saw they were trying to eat him, and he was screaming. But Dr. Chatsworth, they weren’t just trying. They were eating him.”
Max spoke rapidly, and I felt for him. He was the first uninfected we’d come across, and this is what we were all feeling. A sense of dread and confusion about what was happening to the world as we had known it.
“ I just got up and ran. That’s when I almost collided with Dr. Lang, who looked the same as the others. I didn’t notice at first, I was so in shock from what had just happened. I started to say something to him, but it was clear he was gone. He grabbed my shirt and I tried to pull his arm off me, and his skin . . . it was mushy or something. His eyes were vapid, nothing there, but I got the impression he could still see me. I was able to fight my way free of him, and I just ran in here and activated the lock.”
Hemp looked worried. “Max, how long has the generator been running?”
Click. “About sixteen hours now. But it feeds from multiple huge underground LP tanks, so it can literally run for a couple of weeks.”
“Good,” Hemp said. “If it shuts down, the door locks release. Max, when’s the last time you heard noise from outside the lab where you are?”
“Not since about six hours ago. There’s a small refrigerator in here, so I’ve got some food and water, but no weapons. I wasn’t willing to venture outside here and check the status.”
I spoke. “There’s evidence that some of the abnormals made it outside, but we don’t know where they came from. Hemp? Do you think you have everything you need for now?”
He nodded. “Yes, I believe so. Max, we’re going to come in now, so activate the lock release. Which lab are you in? We’ll try to get to you first.”
“Second level, lab 202. I don’t think I’d recommend taking the elevator. You won’t know what you’ll be facing when the doors open, but I’ll leave that to you. Top of the stairs, right hallway, 2 nd door on the left.”
“Okay, hit it. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
The solenoid hummed and the bolt retracted. We pulled the door open and went inside.
*****
We stepped inside and looked in both directions. I felt better with a death grip on one of the several Daewoo K7s we’d confiscated, and Hemp was trying out one of the three Heckler and Koch MP5s we’d nabbed.
The H&K was the most widely used submachine gun among law enforcement, and looked pretty badass besides. Nice and compact, with a 30-round clip and a 2-round burst setting, Hemp had a full clip installed and two jammed in his belt.
Gem brought up the rear with Trina in her arms. She looked exhausted, and I knew she’d never say anything. I knew from experience that Trina, despite weighing only about 40 pounds, could start to feel very heavy after hauling her around for just a short while.
“Baby, are you okay with carrying her?” I asked.
Gem nodded, but pulled back and looked at Trina. “Trini, baby, do you think you’d like to walk and hold Gemmy’s hand for a little while?”
“Uh huh,” she said. “I can walk. Where are we?”
“We’re in a big building, and we’re going to a laboratory to see friend of Hemp’s.” Gem put her down and she looked up at us and held out her hand. Gem took it.
“I’m not tired,” she said, yawning.
“I know you’re not, baby. You don’t get tired because you’re a big girl.”
I smiled at Gem. “S tay about eight to ten feet behind us. If anything’s up here,
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