Free Live (NOLA Zombie Book 3) by Gillian Zane

grass to move and give away my position.  

    When I finally pushed my way out of the grass to the paved area underneath the fishing camp, Zach revealed himself; he had taken cover near the stairs. There were three flights that soared up to the raised structure above us.  

    “I’m going to clear the structure, stay down and keep an eye out,” he said.

    “There’s nothing going on down here, if there are dead up there, you’ll need my help,” I argued.

    “Negative. I need you to keep watch out here. If we’re both upstairs, they could leave, or surprise us, and we wouldn’t have a clue.”  

    “Aye aye.” I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see it with my dark glasses covering half my face.  

    “Just do it, Blake.” He obviously sensed the eye roll.  

    “I’ll always outrank you, Sarge,” I drawled. For some reason I just had to fuck with Zach. He had transitioned out with the rank of Sergeant First Class, his enlisted status to my officer status always rankled him and the fact that I always reminded him.

    “Shit like that don’t count anymore, just keep an eye out, Blake,” he said stoically. He didn’t let me get a word out in response, he just turned and took the stairs two at a time without making a sound. Zach had always been a born leader and top of his game in whatever he did. When I had met him, he had been a member of the newly commissioned Marine Raiders Regiment, pulled kicking and screaming out of Recon. He was an egotistical bastard and didn’t want some First Lieutenant telling him what to do. It had pissed me off. He knew what he was doing, though, that was evident in everything he did. He saved my life that first week, then I saved his a few weeks later. We had been brothers ever since. The good old days.  

    I just had to remind myself that he knew what he was doing and not let my ego get in the way. He was right. I had to keep watch on our neighbors, even though I wanted to do more than surveillance.

    I hunkered down, taking cover behind a barbecue pit. There was no movement from the “enemy camp.” From what I could tell, there weren’t that many inside of the structure, maybe two or three at the most. Every now and again a shadow would pass in front of a window.  

    Something caught my eye from the north. There was movement from the lake, barely noticeable, but it was enough to alert me to the team’s arrival. Two minutes later, Baby and Martinez emerged from the weeds without a sound. They were dressed similar to Zach and myself and Martinez was humping a duffle that was probably stuffed full of weapons.  

    A tapping from above had me looking up and Zach signaled an all clear and to come on up. You didn’t have to tell me twice.  

    The upstairs area was Fancy, with a capital F. Granite and glass was everywhere and a huge ass fireplace took center stage in the front room. The fishing camp we used to go to as kids barely had a functioning toilet, much fewer granite countertops. But, then again, we always came back sunburned and covered in weird bug bites, these people had the right idea.  

    “There’s a crow’s nest with some kind of day room up there that has three hundred and sixty degrees of unobstructed views. I need someone up there, now,” Zach said the moment we crossed the threshold.  

    Baby pursed her lips and mock saluted Zach, heading for the stairs. He didn’t even register her sarcastic response he was so focused on his task. The man was at the breaking point, Baby was only trying to lighten the mood, but it wouldn’t work on Zach. I wanted Alexis back, for me, for what she meant to me, but seeing Zach so frazzled I also wanted her back for him. I hadn’t ever seen him this zoned in.  

    “What’s the story, boss?” Martinez dropped the duffle on the floor and I winced at the loud sound. He grinned, chagrined over his mistake and I could have fucking punched him. Zach couldn’t get out of the zone and Martinez couldn’t fucking