Free Zom-B Mission by Darren Shan

virus spread so swiftly in the firstplace. Many think it was a military experiment gone wrong, and there have been lots of rumours of places like the underground complex you were telling me about, where they’re conducting all sorts of horrible tests.’
    ‘On zombies?’ I ask.
    ‘I think so, yeah.’
    ‘Why does that bother you?’
    He shrugs. ‘They were normal people once. They’re the enemy now, obviously, and we have to eradicatethem if we’re to restore order to the world. But we should still treat them with respect. I mean, how would you like it if they were cutting up your mum?’
    ‘If it helped them find a cure . . .’ I mutter.
    ‘There’s no cure,’ Vinyl snorts. ‘They’re just looking for a virus which will wipe out the undead, save us the job of having to shoot them all. And I’m fine with that. But accordingto the rumour mill, some of the scientists are slicing up the dead for sport, toying with them, tormenting them.’
    I think back to my time on the Belfast , Dan-Dan and Lord Luca and the rest of those stinking-rich bastards. I recall the way they treated the living dead as vermin, as if we existed just to entertain them. They thought they could do anything to us, that we didn’t matter.
    ‘You know what, Vinyl?’ I sniff. ‘You’re not bad for a human.’
    He chuckles. ‘That’s the strangest compliment I’ve ever been paid.’
    As the rest of the living finish their sandwiches and tidy up – old habits die hard – a small bird flutters down out of nowhere and begins picking at the crumbs. Everyone stops and smiles at our unlikely visitor. While lots of birds are still at large, theytend to give people a wide berth, since zombies will catch them if possible to eat their bite-sized brains.
    ‘Any idea what sort of a bird it is?’ I ask Vinyl softly.
    ‘A finch, I think, but I’m not sure. Birds were never my thing.’
    The bird picks up a crust and flies up into the tree, settling on a branch well above Liz and Declan, who are still happily playing. It tears into the crust,pinning it against the branch with its feet, shaking its feathers as it wriggles about.
    Some specks of dirt fly from the bird’s feathers as it’s shaking them, and one of the specks hits Liz’s forehead. She brushes it away without blinking, thinking nothing of it. But the dirt leaves a stain behind that unsettles me. Removing my sunglasses, I stare until my eyes focus, and when I see thecolour of the stain, my teeth grind together with fear.
    It’s red.
    ‘Declan,’ I call, trying not to let my anxiety show, praying that I’m working myself up into a panic over nothing. The boy looks down at me. ‘Come here.’
    Declan frowns then ignores me.
    ‘Emma.’ She glances at me, still smiling about the bird. ‘Call him to you. Now.’
    Emma notes my tense expression. She doesn’tknow what I’m worried about, but she reacts immediately. ‘Declan. Come to me.’
    ‘Play,’ he says stubbornly. He was the most obedient boy I’ve ever seen up until this, but now that Liz has lured him out of his shell, he’s become more like other children his age.
    ‘What’s wrong?’ Vinyl asks, as others start to pay attention.
    ‘The bird,’ I explain. ‘There was blood on its feathers. Adrop hit Liz. It might be blood from an animal or a corpse, but it could also be from –’
    Liz screams before I can finish. It’s a very specific type of scream, one I’ve heard lots of times before, one I had hoped never to hear again.
    ‘Jump, Declan!’ I roar, turning to Vinyl and Emma. ‘Catch him,’ I bark as I run to the tree and climb the trunk.
    Vinyl and Emma realise what is happeningand they start shouting at Declan to jump, holding out their arms, promising to catch him. But the boy has frozen. He stares at the people on the ground – others are shouting at him too now – then at Liz, who is shuddering and frothing, shaking as she clings to the tree, eyes rolling madly in their sockets.

    Scared by all