Free Rotter Apocalypse by Scott M Baker Page A

are fewer living dead, I doubt we’d make it to Canada without getting overrun.”
    “So what are you suggesting?” asked Robson. “That we give up?”
    “That we survive,” Roberta stated. “Linda, how long will it be before your people are back on their feet?”
    “It’ll be weeks before they their full strength. If you’re talking about being well enough to travel, they’ll be able to do that in a few days,” Linda said hesitantly.
      “Thanks.” Roberta focused her attention on Robson. “We’re going to have a hard enough time surviving the next month, let alone trying to reach Omaha. We have plenty of food and medicine from last night’s raid, so we have enough to keep going for a month, more if we ration food once people feel better. Our best bet is to head north, find a location where we can settle down, and rebuild what we had at Fort McClary.”
    Robson contemplated this for a minute before asking DeWitt, “I assume you agree?”
    DeWitt nodded.
    Robson gestured to Dravko. “And you?”
    “It’s the best choice under the circumstances.”
    “Tibor?”
    The vampire grunted. “I’m with Dravko.”
    “What do you think?” Robson asked Caslow.
    “Me?” he asked, surprised.
    “For better or worse, you’re part of the team now.”
    Caslow was uncertain how to respond. “I agree with Roberta. It’s better to hunker down and ride this out.”
    “I knew he would,” Tibor whispered loud enough for the others to hear.
    “I know I don’t have a say in this,” said Simmons. “It’s your best option.”
    “Yeah,” Wayans said. “It’s the only friggin’ way you’re going to survive.”
    “What about you?” Robson asked Linda.
    She lowered her head. “I don’t have a say in this.”
    “Yes, you do. Do you think your people can handle traveling and setting up a new camp?”
    Linda raised her head to meet Robson’s gaze. “Honestly, no. One encounter with rotters and most of them will be killed. And they don’t have enough strength to build a compound. But what choice do we have?”
    “Then it’s settled. In two days, we’ll head out and find ourselves a new location to set up camp.”
     
     

CHAPTER NINE
     
    Snake rubbed his calloused hand across Doreen’s cheek. She tried not to focus on his face. She didn’t know what repulsed her more, the greasy dark hair, the three-day growth of stubble, or the tattoo of a rattler than ran from one cheek, over his forehead, and down the other. When he leaned forward, Doreen almost gagged. Between his diseased gums and the front teeth rotted away by habitual crack use, his breath smelled as bad as a rotter. Like Sandy and Sergeant Batchelder to her right, she rested on her knees, her ass sitting on her ankles and her wrists handcuffed behind her back, which allowed Snake to tower over her.
    “You’re the prettiest hostage we’ve ever had in here.” Snake slid his grimy fingers through her long red hair.
    “You say that to all of them,” said Snake’s partner, One Eye, from the doorway. He stood in the opening, his AR-15 slung over his shoulder, his patched-over left eye facing them as he kept watch down the hall.
    “This time I mean it.”
    One Eye chuckled. “You say that to them, too.”
    “Come on, baby,” said Snake. “How about giving me some before the transfer?”
    “Fuck you.”
    “That’s what I had in mind.” Snake clutched her hair and yanked, raising Doreen onto her knees, her face inches from his crotch.
    One Eye moved away from the door and unslung his AR-15. Coming up behind Snake, he slammed the stock between his shoulder blades. “Cut that fuckin’ shit out.”
    “Screw you. I’m just having some fun.”
    “You know the rules.” One Eye shoved his face into Snake’s, shifting his head slightly to one side so his good eye locked onto Snake’s. “None of the hostages are to be harmed in any way. That was the deal with the Rock. We send back damaged goods, and they stop paying ransom. You want to