Free Dead Hunger IV: Evolution by Eric A. Shelman Page B

her clawing fingers.
    But the dogs were down now, and their unequipped feet slid out from under them like a go-cart on a slick track.  Both went down, and the zombie pulled harder toward them as they attempted to get back to their feet and continue their charge .
    “No you don’t!” shouted Flex, pushing against her back as Dave and Hemp each grabbed an arm, forcing her hard to the garage door.  Charlie ran ahead and opened it.
    “Hurry!”
    The dogs were back on their feet and running full speed toward the creature, whose eyes would not tear away from them.  She howled with hunger and frustration, even as the three men threw her into the garage and slammed the door behind her .
    The dogs reached the men an d scratched at the closed door while Hemp, Flex and Dave leaned against the wall, breathing as though each had just finished a half marathon.
    “Well, Professor,” said Flex, in-between breaths.  “I sure as fuck hope she was worth the hassle.”
    “Flex?” asked Dave .
    “Yeah,” he panted.
    “What did you say to her out there ?  I couldn’t hear what it was. ”
    “Oh.  The girl?  The zombie girl?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I told her if she fuckin’ moved I’d blow her brains out.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know,” he laughed.  “But I’ll be damned if it didn’t seem to help.”
    “Enough joviality,” said Gem.  “They’re still out there, and they still need killing.”  She returned to peer out of the half-moon window in the door and fired single round after single round.
    “ I’m wasting ammo,” she said.  “Can’t fucking sight them from here very well.”
    “We can go outside, you know,” said Hemp.  “If you think it will help.  They won’t attack.”
    “Yes, let’s,” said Charlie, mimicking Hemp’s British accent.  “Let’s do.”
    “Very funny,” said Hemp, smiling.  “But that way we can at least see what kind of numbers remain out there.”
    “There’s not as many in the street,” said Trina.
    “They’re disgusting,” said Taylor .  “That stinky pile outside.”
    “We’ll bulldoze them into a hole, honey,” said Gem.  “Right, Flexy?”
    “As soon as we get a break.  And we’ve got to talk about this situation, too.  Let’s reload and go out and clear the area.”
    Dave and Gem rifled through the ammo bags the women had brought back from the range, and soon everyone had full magazines and spares again. 
    “Dave, man the spray bottle, would you?”
    “Got it.”
    “Girls, don’t shoot, because we’re out there.  But you’re staying inside.  It’s not that I don’t trust you, I don’t trust them, okay?”
    “Shit,” said Trina.
    “Double shit,” said Taylor .
    “Triple shit, shit, shit!” shouted Trina.
    “Enough of your shit, both of you,” said Charlie, nodding at Dave as she opened the door.
    The girls laughed.
    “And stay out of the garage.  If that thing gets inside, she’ll go after Bunsen and Slider, and you don’t want that, right?”
    The girls said nothing, as that reality hit home.  They shook their heads together.
    Charlie opened the door while Dave had the urushiol spray going full tilt.  They all made it through and slid their way through the rat muck on the front porch.
    Once down on the sidewalk and grass, they used their pistols.  One shot to the head of the nearest zombie, being sure one of the others weren’t behind them.  Their heads were, in many cases, almost skulls, and the bullets tended to pass clean through – even more so than on live humans.
    Hemp took out his dozen or so.  He looked up the street and saw they had almost dispatched this horde.
    “I’m going around the side of the house.”
    “Not without me, you’re not,” said Charlie.
    She went to his side and they walked together.
    “Radio on!” said Flex.
    “Got it,” Hemp called back.
    He and Charlie rounded the corner.  Fifty or so were headed in the opposite direction, away from the state house. 
    “Charlie,