Free The Demented Z (Book 1):The Demented by Derek J Thomas Page B

watched as they came to a stop near the
other pumps. Nobody moved as the pair inside the cab of the closest truck sat
talking to each other, with occasional hand gestures.
    Tom
started their way, not wanting them to discuss for too long. The gestures
stopped and the nearest one in the cab spun his head around, watching Tom
approach. Before getting halfway there, both the two in the cab hopped out.
    “Hey
guys.” Tom said.
    The
driver came around the front of the truck, hand resting on a holstered pistol.
His too tight, grey t-shirt was stretched to the max, gut hanging over his
belt. He looked absolutely exhausted. “How’d you fair?”
    “I
made it…barely. City’s a disaster.”
    “Yeah,
we were gonna wait it out, but…but it just keeps gettin worse.” He looked back
toward the city. “You seen the risen ones? Not the fast ones, but the
others?”
    Tom
nodded. “There’s one in the women’s restroom in there.” He gestured toward
the station. “I left her. Shots really draw them.”
    The
guy that was riding shotgun, started opening the fuel tank on their truck.
    “You’ll
need to turn the pumps on manually. Right behind the register. Like I said,
don’t use the ladies room.” Tom said.
    The
man reached back in the cab and pulled out a beat up AK-47 before heading for
the station. His dirty jeans looked like they hadn’t been washed in days, but
Tom would not be surprised if they were brand new yesterday. His rifle hung
limply in his left hand, unready.
    “Hey!
Watch yourself in there!” Grey shirt yelled.
    These
guys were loud and disorganized. Tom knew he needed to get away from them as
soon as possible.
    As
if on cue, a couple of the guys from the other truck came walking over and stood
next to Grey Shirt. One of them, wearing a white shirt with arm pit stains,
stood eyeing the M4. The other guy stood for a bit and then turned back toward
his truck.
    “You
like your AR-15?” Pit Stains asked, still staring at the weapon.
    Rather
than bring up that it was actually a M4, Tom nodded and said, “It’s solid.”
    Everyone
turned toward the station when they heard several rapid shots from within.
    Grey
shirt started to say, “What the f…,” but stopped short when the man with the AK
came out the entrance.
    “Blam…girls
room doesn’t need no sign anymore.”
    The
shots were muffled by the cinder block construction, but Tom still wondered how
far away they could be heard. As if in answer, several screams of rage could be
heard in various directions. None came from the immediate vicinity, but they
would be coming fast. He spun around and started for the Unimog.
    “Hey!
Why don’t you join us?” Someone from behind him said.
    “Yeah,
we could use some extra firepower and your sweet ride.” Another chimed in.
    Not
liking the way this was going, Tom continued on toward the Unimog. “I think
you guys have enough of both.”
    The
click of a hammer being pulled back could be heard.
    “Maybe
we’ll take it.” One of them said.
    Tom
stopped and raised his arms out to his sides. “You sure you want to go this
route.”
    More
screams and growls could be heard, much closer now. There was a sudden boom
from in front of Tom. Anticipating something like this, he immediately dove on
the ground and rolled underneath the Unimog. From the other side he could see
the legs of the truck guys. Far to the right of them, near the corner of the
station, lay a body, too far away to be one of the thugs. The legs from the
guys were moving rapidly, but not really getting anywhere, panic setting in.
    Tom
stood up on the far side of the Unimog and quickly scanned his periphery. Hank
was using the chaos to make a sprint for the mog. Seeing several demented
coming through the back alley, Tom raised his M4 and began firing rounds.
    With
this, absolute chaos erupted. More howls of rage, very close now, even inside
the parking lot. Between the booms of the M4, Tom could hear shouting, and pops
from gunfire on the other