Free The Orphans (Book 2): Surviving the Turned by Mike Evans

windows and started their sprint for the van. A husband and wife, running side-by-side, snarling, and overcome with hunger from deep within, led the pack. Tina turned over the engine and pressed the gas down prematurely before the engine had a chance to come to life. She tried the key a few times and nothing happened.
    She slammed her hands on the steering wheel and looked back at Shaun and Ellie with fresh tears in her eyes. “I don’t know why it won’t fucking start. All I did was press the gas down and turn the key.”
    Shaun, who didn’t know much more about cars than she, did know that old cars weren’t able to have the gas pushed down until it was going. He watched as the couple made their way across the yards toward the van, their mouths wide open and ready. They reached the van, slamming into it headfirst. The impact caused them both to bounce off onto the ground while screaming their primal growl at the van. Shaun saw where they were on the passenger side of the van, and he screamed at Ellie, “Open the door now!”
    Ellie, always being herself, yelled at Shaun, “Are you trying to make it easier for them to eat us?”
    “Open the damn door! Tina, give the van a minute before you try that key; we are going to have to wait it out.”
    Ellie pulled the door open and jumped to the side to make sure she was out of the way of Shaun’s rifle. Shaun aimed true and fired twice at the woman, who was still on the ground. The man jumped to his feet, charging the van. He was able to get to within twelve inches of Shaun’s foot before having the back half of his head blown out. The man fell forward, smashing his face on the edge of the van’s entrance. Shaun winced as the man’s blood flew up, speckling his face and shirt. He screamed, “Ellie, get it off of me!”
    Shaun waited patiently while Ellie wiped the blood off of his face and away from his eyes and mouth. He took a deep breath and sat back for a second. The window to his left shattered inward, sending glass everywhere. One of the Turned gripped Tina by her hooded sweatshirt as her screams filled the van. It had a firm grip on her and started slamming its face into the window and glass, trying to get that first bite of flesh. It kept slamming its face on the glass, cutting its nose and forehead and slamming its free hand on the glass. Shaun wasted no time jumping into the front seat. Ellie, who was no fool didn’t need to be told to shut the door and slammed it shut.

 
    Chapter 7 : Help
     
                  Greg paced around in front of the window; he was ready for the three to be back already. He thought that separation was a horrible idea, even though he knew it wasn’t avoidable under the circumstances. There was no way Patrick would have made it down the hill. They had moved him onto the cot, where he sat up drinking water and trying to eat one of the ready-to-eat MRE meals.              
                  Greg found that his thoughts got sidetracked watching Kristy. It wasn’t that he was checking her out like that… well, not completely. She was making piles of MREs and drinks. He stopped pacing and watched her. “What are you doing with all of that food?”
                  She stopped arranging them for a minute, cursing that she’d lost count. “What did you say? It’s Greg, right?”
                  Greg nodded, more to himself than her realizing full circle that they were little more than strangers. He pointed at her neatly arranged piles. “The food, what are you doing with all of it?”
                  Kristy smiled, and before she could retract the words, she said, “Easy gas gauge.”
                  Greg laughed saying, “It’s not going to affect all of us the same, Kristy.”
                  She laughed, letting a snort out and immediately clasped both hands to her mouth as her cheeks grew red, wishing that she could retract it.