Free Midnight Outbreak by Brandy Jeffus Corona

women had lifted her spirits and the ladies doted on her, switching her from one lap to another. It was a sweet sight and everyone felt a tug on their hearts watching them. The loss of her mother was hard; girls needed their mothers.
    “I have a feeling we will make a great team, once the newness wears off and we are all settled with one another,” Miguel offered, his accent and tone soothing.
    “Yeah, once the newness wears off,” Brendan offered, still looking at Mari with a small smile. Lexi and Sienna smiled at each other and at Brendan.
    “Okay, here’s to a new team!” Lexi said, squeezing her arms around Mari a little tighter.
    “Yay!” Mari exclaimed happily.
    Will gave Josh a weary look, and Josh nodded at him.
    “A new team. And to killing all those dead head bastards.”
    ***
    A month later they had all moved to the country. Brendan’s uncle had gotten in touch with them through the radio. His place was up and still running. It was in East Texas, several hundred miles west of them. The vampire group had packed their belongings, securing their place down like a fort. Things were easier with the group, but there were still problems. Will spoke with an air of superiority and animosity, but the vampires ignored his antics. He got along best with Lukas.
    The trek west was harder than expected. Harder not because of the journey, but because of the sights. It devastated Josh to see what had gone on. It sickened him to drive past dead bodies on the street, abandoned cars, and the dead heads roaming around like they owned the place.
    A couple of times they stopped, at Will’s insistence, to scavenge the lonely cars strewn across the highway. The smell was putrid with rotten food and rotten bodies all over. Josh pulled his shirt up over his nose. The heat bore down on them, still hot for the upcoming autumn. The sun had baked everything at a rapid speed.
    Mari would stay inside the SUV, her small face pressed against the window, watching the men move slowly around.
    Sometimes they were lucky. They found clothes that were around the right size for Mari and also blankets and pillows. Things they could trade if it came down to it. Other times they weren’t lucky and horrified at their findings. One car held a family; mom, dad, sister and brother. All of them with gun shots to the temple. They chose death rather than the uncertainty of their lives.
    When it was daylight, the vampires climbed into makeshift coffins covered with tarp in the back of the construction trucks Will and Josh drove. Brendan drove his SUV, Mari with him. At night the vampires took the wheels, allowing every human to sleep.
    Finally, after a rough few days of moving at a much slower pace than they wanted, they reached the deep wooded parts of East Texas. Brendan hadn’t been out to his uncle’s place in a while, not since Mari was born. But he had grown up here. He knew exactly where it was, and it was a sight to behold when they finally did pull up after passing through a manned security gate. 
    It was an old farmhouse with buildings constructed all around. The house was a big and strong Victorian two-story. Much bigger than what Josh was expecting. He let out a low whistle through his teeth. They parked in front of the house, a makeshift parking lot with rows of other trucks and cars.
    They all got out, stretching their legs and taking deep breaths of the fresh air. It was still daylight, so the vampires were sleeping in the back. It was a shame they couldn’t see this house in the daylight, Josh thought.
    The front door opened and a burly man came out. He was as round as he was tall, his skin shades darker than Brendan’s. His beard was unruly and spotted with white hair.
    “Brendan! It’s good to see you, my boy! Where’s my Miss Mari?”
    She came around Josh’s legs shyly and smiled at him with a small wave of her hand.
    After the uncle greeted her, he came up to Josh and Will and shook each of their hands. “Good to meet you