Free Nano Z by Brad Knight Page B

worry about keeping Amber safe, or keeping himself alive. Quick and only painful for a few seconds, it would be the easy way out.
    Neither the camo clad man, nor his fellow scumbag moved. They thought they were getting front row seats to that evening’s entertainment. It wasn’t until Mack jumped to the side at the last moment that they realized their safety might’ve been in jeopardy.
    Armed with assault rifles packing armor piercing bullets, the two men behind the gate opened fire on the bull. It didn’t immediately stop the beast. When it reached the metal bars, its horns slipped through and impaled one of the men. The camo clad man fell back and kept shooting.
    Black blood flew everywhere as 7.62mm rounds tore the meat puppet bull apart. Metal bones or not, the monster wasn’t bulletproof. Not when the bullets in question were designed to rip through Kevlar and armored vehicles.
    Mack watched his little plan work out perfectly. The bull was down with the added bonus of taking one of their captors out. That satisfaction would be short lived.
    “Face down in the dirt!” yelled another assault rifle wielding man. He had three more behind him. They came out of the same gate the bull did.
    Amber looked over at Mack for direction. He nodded his head. Both of them followed the orders of the heavily armed men.
    During his time in captivity, Mack got so used to the zip ties he couldn’t even feel them around his wrist. But he felt them in the pit. Maybe it was the knee pressed squarely in his back that punctuated it. But he felt them.
    After binding Amber and Mack, the heavily armed men forced them up to their feet. One of them nearly pulled the teenage girl’s arm out of its socket when they lifted her by her plastic shackles. Her protector tried to intervene but got the stock of an AK-47 for his trouble across his forehead.
    They’re cheering for us? Even through the fog of recent blunt trauma to the head, Mack could see the sick fucks cheering his and Amber’s victory. He could hear them, rabid with blood lust applauding their efforts to stay alive. And he prayed to himself that they would all get their comeuppance.
    Amber and Mack were led towards the gate their downed foe originated from. The latter one again found himself with a bleeding head wound. That was three times since the outbreak that he took hard blows to his cranium. Potential concussions were the least of his worries though. Sure they survived one night in the pit. Chances were they wouldn’t be so lucky again.
    “You all right?” asked Amber as she looked over to Mack.
    “Don’t worry about me. I’ll… we’ll be fine.” Mack couldn’t wipe the blood off his face. It dripped down onto his shirt and into the dirt.
    “Where do you think they’re taking us?”
    “I don’t know. But whatever happens, if they split us up again, stay strong. We’re getting out of here, together, I promise.” And how the fuck are you going to promise that? They’re going to throw you back into that basement and there isn’t shit you can do about it.
    It was much darker in the hallway behind the opposite gate. And it smelt like pure death. Mack and Amber didn’t have to walk that far before seeing why it was dark and stinky.
    Cages and pens were built into the hallway, flanking both sides. Inside the cages were meat puppets of a stunning variety. Most of them were once human. It was hard to tell considering their metallic teeth and state of decomposition.
    The pens held meat puppet dogs, bears and even horses. Whoever ran the pit had a virtual zoo of the undead. All Mack saw were his potential killers with only wood or iron to separate Amber and him from them.
    These sick bastards must’ve been at this for a while. How many poor souls got killed by these monstrosities for nothing but entertainment? What I wouldn’t give to turn these loose on the crowd. See how much they cheer then.
    Amber and Mack were led through some other double doors into another room.