Free The Night Sweeper: A Zombie Conspiracy Novel (The Sweeper Chronicles Book 1) by J. Steven Butler Page A

causing a shock wave that slams us into the wall. I have an instant headache, but turn to see a gaping hole revealing the night beyond. Harbin starts to rise, but I hold him in place as another small burst comes from the girders across the street. In a second, a large grapple embeds itself in the steel cell door. The line attached to it will be our escape route as well as the means of holding the door in place against any would-be intruders from beyond.
    Grabbing him by the arm, I yank him to his feet, push him in front of me with his back to my chest, and quickly attach a harness under his arms before clipping it to my own. He seems to be regaining some semblance of sense and doesn’t fight me. At least he’s smart enough to remain still and let me do my job.
    As I clip onto the zip line he says, “Are you sure about this?”
    In answer, I push us out the opening and we race along the wire to where Mira waits on the other side. By now, alarms are shrieking behind us and soldiers are pouring into the street below. Bullets streak around us as they take fire in an attempt to end our escape. I squeeze the brake just as we hit a small platform in the girders, grinding us to a stop, and immediately begin detaching from the line.
    Mira is already there. She passes us, keeping well back from the edge as bullets zing and clang into the structure above and around us. In my peripheral vision, I see her toss several small round objects to the street below. I turn Harbin forcibly away from the street as several pops sound in quick succession and the street lights up like noon. Below I hear the soldiers screaming and cursing, blinded by the flash grenades and unable to get their bearings.
    There’s no time to waste and I push Harbin across the partially finished flooring, both of us stumbling awkwardly because we’re still harnessed together. Mira throws out a hand to steady us as she moves alongside us. It’s inefficient, but I need Harbin hooked in for a little bit longer. We come to the far side of the building that opens onto an alley below, and hook onto the lines Mira has in place there. In seconds we’re down in the alley and moving to the main street to our right, Harbin now cut free from my harness and stumbling along on his own, limping a good bit. Mira strides ahead of us and sweeps the street, gun outstretched.
    “Festers at three o’clock,” she says as we emerge behind her.
    At the end of the block I can see the small pack of three running towards the soldiers, drawn by the commotion. Good, a little extra distraction is just fine by me. Hopefully, that will keep our pursuers busy for a while. Suddenly, the whole street is rocked by a massive explosion from inside the detention area of the tower we just vacated. Flames and debris shoot into the night sky followed by the rapid staccato of gunfire.
    What the heck was that!?
    I look at Mira who’s smiling naughtily. “A little going away present to buy us some more time,” she says.
    “Okay then.”
    We make our way as quickly as possible down the street to an old parking garage, both of us supporting Harbin to help him move faster, and slip inside to the designated area where Johnson had his men stow a car for us. I see it and balk – a navy blue Ford LTD that’s older than I am.
    “Classy,” I say sarcastically as I reach under the wheel well feeling for the keys that are supposed to be taped there. Mira shoves Harbin into the back seat and climbs in beside him. For now, he’s gone back into his dazed stupor. Five minutes later we’re streaking down the interstate towards the rendezvous.
    As always, the roads are empty at this time of night. There doesn’t seem to be anyone following us. I wish I could breathe a sigh of relief, but we’re only halfway there and my skin is crawling from Harbin’s reaction to me. I’m starting to have a bad feeling about all of this.

Chapter 13
    We rocket down I-20 as fast as this bucket will take us, which is about 85