Free Zombies! (Episode 5): Sinners and Saints by Ivan Turner Page A

something guy in a ratty track suit. How had he not smelled it? Then he realized. He hadn't smelled it because the smell was already everywhere. It was in the yard and they'd walked into it without even noticing it.
     
     
    Shawn screamed. He screamed the way a frightened child screams, but he did not give in. He whipped the bat around as he staggered back. The sharp point scraped against the zombie's cheek, sending it flying back. Gold chains tinkled out of the front of its shirt as it fell, but it didn't seem to notice. As Shawn retreated, something caught his arm. He tried to bolt but it held on fast. Turning, he saw the rotting teeth of another zombie coming right toward him. He pulled up the bat and used it to defend against the teeth. The zombie's head snapped forward, its throat wrapping around the meat of the bat. Another half an inch and Shawn would have been bitten.
     
     
    " Jackpot! " Lodi whooped as he came rushing out of the building, Everett on his tale. Everett had one of the aluminum bats and came right in, crashing it down on the arm the zombie was using to hold Shawn. It took two blows to sever the connection and Shawn fell backward, dropping his phone in the dirt.
     
     
    Lodi moved in to grapple with the guy in the gym suit. He didn’t even flinch as he shucked his bag and grabbed the guy in a full nelson. Despite his dangerous lack of experience with a handgun, Lodi was very adept at hand to hand combat with zombies. He kept the zombie’s fingernails and teeth well out of position for scratching and biting. Using his weight and his leverage, he pushed the hapless thing face first into the ground and called out for assistance. Now that Shawn was safe (safer?), Everett pulled off his own pack and pull out a pair of handcuffs. Lodi sat on poor gym suit and twisted his hands behind his back. As they struggled, the thing’s feet kicked and its moaning grew louder and louder. Everett moved in and slipped the cuffs on. Then, together, they rolled the thing over. Lodi was not squeamish about stuffing a rubber ball into its mouth (and saying, eat that, bitch) and then tying some rope tightly around its head to hold the gag in place.
     
     
    Meanwhile, Shawn was up and using the pointed bat to hold off the zombie that had assaulted him. He wasn’t fighting it per se, just sort of keeping it at a distance. Every time it came within reach, he shoved the pointy end of the bat directly at it. It didn’t even flinch as the point penetrated the flesh of its arm or its leg or its belly. Shawn had to literally push it back. He so desperately wanted to just lift the bat and cave in the thing’s skull. It took all of his willpower to continue this silly cat and mouse game. Then Lodi was on top of it, struggling it to the ground using the same method he’d used on gym suit.
     
     
    “We got more on the way,” Everett said.
     
     
    “Sweet!” Lodi cried as he got the second zombie onto the ground and began wrestling a pair of handcuffs onto its wrists all by himself.
     
     
    But Everett didn’t share in his optimism. It wasn’t just one or two. As Shawn followed Everett’s gaze, he could see four more clearly and other shadows in the distance.
     
     
    “Lodi, we need you,” Shawn said.
     
     
    Lodi was done with the cuffs and was working on the gag. Shawn moved closer to Everett, the cold of the night penetrating to his bones. He was shivering from that cold and shaking from the fear. He could hardly hold the bat.
     
     
    “Keep it together, man,” Everett whispered to him. “We fight back to back.”
     
     
    Two more had materialized out of the mist and another was struggling out of the door of the tall grey building. They could see seven now, but were sure there were more.
     
     
    “Lodi, now !” Shawn cried. One of the zombies was close to him and he didn’t even know it. Or at least, Shawn didn’t think so. At the last moment, Lodi turned and took it out at the knees. It wasn’t too