Free Dead Soil: A Zombie Series by Alex Apostol

that lived in the building and Zack was always by his side.
    Luke heard a few distinct words travel though the hallways, but most were lost in the distorting echo— something about the building, every apartment, blow to the head, the brain. The last words “don’t get bit” were clear as day.
    Luke’s burgeoning curiosity pulled him from Carolyn’s door. He couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like the two men were going to take out the infected people in the building. If that was true then he wouldn’t have to go into Carolyn’s apartment alone. It was possible he wouldn’t have to go in at all. The two of them could do it for him.
    He walked down the stairs to the second floor and stopped on the last step. He felt sick at the thought of where his mind had just leapt to. They were talking about killing people down there. That wasn’t something to take lightly, and yet Luke went straight there with relief.
     
     
    Zack Kran and Liam Scott were standing in the middle of the hallway on the second floor, an equal distance from each of the four doors. Zack was bouncing up and down, a black paintball mask covering his face and a shiny replica sword clenched firmly in both his hands, ready to strike. His elbows and knees had bulky pads strapped to them and his chest was covered with a bullet proof vest. He looked like he was ready for battle.
    The sword was made of flawless steel with a wooden hilt and antique brass handle parts. Luke recognized it from when he attended one of Zack’s infamous game nights at the comic book store. It was a Games of Thrones replica, or was it Lord of the Rings ? He couldn’t remember exactly, but he knew it was the same one that had been on display behind the cash register, its own set of spotlights shone down proudly upon it.
    Liam Scott, on the other hand, appeared his normal self—khakis, a beige and orange striped t-shirt, messy ginger hair, and dark red-rimmed, rectangular glasses. The only thing that seemed out of place was the quiver of arrows on his back and the handcrafted wooden longbow clutched in one of his hands.
    Luke shook his head as he looked on at the two men. Those nerds were going to get themselves killed and it made him chuckle to himself. Then, the overpowering urge to watch them open each door and slay the hungry creatures inside, if they could, overcame him. He cleared his throat and the heads of the two men snapped to attention. Their eyes inspected every inch of Luke as he stood awkwardly on the last step, one of his house slippered feet continually kicked at the edge.
    “What are you two doing?” he said as another chuckle escaped.
    “We’re clearing this place out.” Zack pounded a fist into the wood siding of the exposed hallway wall. He shook his hand to disperse the pain.
    “You’re…getting rid of the sick people?” Luke thrust his hands into the pockets of his gray sweatpants, his dark chest muscles flexed tight.
    “That’s right,” Liam said, though his face failed to mirror Zack’s enthusiasm. “This infection, or flu, or whatever it is, is taking over the country. There have been reports of it as far as Idaho and Connecticut. We need a safe place to live, to survive in. I don’t know about you, but I’d like that to be our home.”
    Luke nodded. “Mind if I tag along?”
    Zack and Liam looked at each other, unprepared for anyone else to volunteer to join them. They spoke silently with a quick exchange of a few loaded glances. It was Liam, with his wide hazel eyes and brows turned upward in the center, who spoke first. “Do you have any sort of weapon? Something that will damage the brain like a bat or a long knife?”
    Luke fought the urge to let his jaw drop open. Instead, his brown eyes bulged and his stomach gave a revolting lurch upward. Sweat dripped down the side of his round face. “I have a nine iron in my golf bag.”
    “That’ll do it!” Zack said with a smile. “Go get it. We’ll wait here for you.” He couldn’t