Free Snatchers 2: The Dead Don't Sleep by Shaun Whittington

shushing him when he first arrived; she must have just got the baby down to sleep. If he knew the real situation, he would have left Jenny alone, but it was too late now.
    Jason felt a twinge of guilt, but he couldn't let this mess up his plans. He looked at the traumatised baby, and its brown eyes demanded to know what was going on and where was his mummy. Torn in two on what to do, Jason scratched his head and tried to conjure up an idea to make sure both parties were happy, but it was proving difficult. Maybe if the neighbours hear the kid crying for long enough, they'll come round to investigate, break the door down even .
    The future didn't look too bright for the little baby and Jason Bonser certainly didn't want to play daddy while he made his trip to his sister's. What if he had to camp for the night in the woods, and the brat was squawking its head off because there was no formula for him? It'd be like ringing the dinner bell for the dead walkers; he wouldn’t last five minutes out there with a baby in tow. He needed to be on his own. Of course, if Kyle had made it, things would be a lot safer, as at least then the pair of them could take turns in sleeping while one stood guard, because the dead don't sleep.
    Jason was sure that there might be incidents involving these ghouls while he travelled on foot, but was hoping that that situation was going to be rare. It was early in the morning and he was sure he could walk to his sister's by the time nightfall came around again.
    He sighed with genuine guilt eating away at him. "Sorry, kid, you're on your own."
    Jason shut the door and trotted downstairs towards the front entrance. With the hysterical screams of the baby still filtering in his ears despite the shutting of the door, Jason took a glass of water before finally leaving the house. It was early, it was daybreak, and it was time to stop hiding from the world. He took his tyre iron and shut the front door behind him, finally shutting out the noise coming from the hungry infant.
    He left the premises and took a quick glance to either side of him.
    He ran to the house next door and began to hammer at the front door with his fist so he could tell them that there had been an 'accident' with Jenny and they needed to take care of the baby. Nobody answered; in fact, Jason was sure that banging the door only enhanced the residents' consternation, if they were in.
    "Fuck it!" He decided it was time to leave.
    The street was abandoned and he smiled to himself as he headed towards Cannock Chase with hurried steps. Despite the hesitation of leaving the prison, he was now glad that he had done so—even though he was forced into the decision—and was enjoying the freedom thus far. It was good to be out in the countryside; for the last years, the only outside experience he had was in E wing's exercise yard. He took a deep breath in, and embraced the freedom, as he was aware that he didn't know how long this freedom was going to last, or if he was going to be alive the next week.
    As his steps led him further and further away from the street, and deeper along the main, bendy roads that had condensed woodland on either side, he thought of the baby. If he knew Jenny had a baby, he would never have 'enjoyed' his thrill with her the night before. But what's done is done, he thought.
    He wasn't going back now.

Chapter Fourteen
     
    The decision was made; although a few protests by Sean West and Lee Hayward were vocally thrown at Gary, Jack and Paul Parker, they had already come to the conclusion that if the village hall was going to be their home for a while, food supplies and medical supplies had to be stocked up, as although they weren't running short, they shouldn't be complacent.
    With fourteen people in the group, the food supply was going to go down rapidly, and raiding empty houses wasn't going to keep them alive in the long run. Bread was no more, and Jack had informed the group that if they did somehow manage to get hold of