Free Empty Bodies (Book 2): Adaptation by Zach Bohannon Page A

and rubbed the area where it hurt the most. When he looked at his hand moments later, there was blood on it.
    Again, he tried to get up, but the weight on top of him made it difficult. He simultaneously lifted his legs and slid to the left, and felt the weight slowly let off of him. He looked down and noticed that Holly had been on top of him. Her eyes were closed, and she had a large blood stain on her own head.
    “Oh, shit, Holly!”
    He grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her, but she wouldn’t come to. Will grabbed her arm and checked her wrist for a pulse. Though faint, it did exist.
    In an instant, Will’s hearing became clear and he heard the Empties banging on the truck from all sides, and the frantic yelling from within the SUV.
    He fell down and covered his ears once he heard the first gunshot. He stayed there for a moment, curled up with his ears covered. The gunshots continued from within the truck, with frantic yelling surrounding them.
    Will sat up again and saw Marcus firing out of the broken back seat window on the driver’s side. He looked toward the front of the truck and saw that they had hit a tree. Gabriel was still in the driver’s seat, his head buried into an air bag, and Will wasn’t sure if he was alive. Dylan was in the front seat, covering his ears and screaming. Marcus was in front of Will, and Miranda was…
    Where is Miranda?
    When he looked out the driver’s side of the SUV, he noticed a small group of Empties gathered around something. For a brief second, he saw one of the things pull its head up and spit something pink into the air while chomping its jaws.
    “I need you, man!” Marcus yelled. “We’re fuckin’ surrounded. Miranda’s dead, man. They fuckin’ got her. And I’m not sure if Gabriel is alive or not. But, I need you!” The weapons were stored behind the front seats in the floor, giving Marcus easy access to them. He reached down and grabbed a rifle and a Glock, then handed them to Will.
    Will felt a pit in his stomach as he came to realize that the horde was ripping Miranda apart. He wanted to throw up, but stopped himself.
    “Will! Focus!”
    Will rapidly blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head, then started to assess their situation. Most of the Empties on the driver’s side of the vehicle were distracted by the feasting on Miranda’s body. The group on the passenger side and the back of the truck—right on the other side of the glass from where Will sat—were banging on the truck and rocking it back and forth, making it even more difficult for Will to focus.
    “I need you to give me some cover!” Marcus said.
    Will slanted his eyes. “Cover? For what?”
    “We can’t stay here. I’ve got to go and get us another vehicle.”
    Will shook his head. “Nah, man. You’re still beat to shit. I’ll go.”
    “Look who’s talkin’. You should see your face, brotha.”
    “Seriously, Marcus. Let me go.”
    One of the creatures reached through the open window where Miranda once sat, and Marcus put a bullet between its eyes immediately. The beast hung motionless over the window, halfway inside the vehicle.
    Marcus sighed in relief and shook his head at Will. “Alright. What are you going to do?”
    Will looked out and saw several vehicles near the fire engine they’d almost collided with. From what he could see, it appeared that the only Empties on that side of the SUV were the ones banging on it, trying to get inside.
    “I’ve gotta make a run for one of those cars,” Will said.
    “You know how to hot-wire it?” Marcus asked.
    Will nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
    “I hope so.”
    “I’m gonna have to go out that door you’re leaning against,” Will told Marcus. “It’s the only way. Here.” Will handed the rifle back to Marcus. “I need to travel light. I’ll just take the .45. Leave that dead Empty in the window. It should fill up enough space to keep any others from reaching in.” Will looked up to the front seat.