Free Contamination: Dead Instinct (Contamination Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Series) by T.W. Piperbrook Page B

I'll help you!"
    Isaac boosted himself up onto the railing, then reached for her hands. The girl took hold of him and then leapt down, falling into a crouch as she hit the pavement.
    "Thank you," she whispered. Her eyes darted in all directions. "I'm—"  
    "Not now! Let's get the fuck out of here!" Isaac interrupted.  
    He grabbed hold of the girl's arm and they took off at a jog. A few of the infected they'd shot were still moving. As they passed, one of the things reached out for the girl's leg, taking hold of her ankle, and she kicked it off with a scream.
    "What's your name?" Isaac huffed as they ran.  
    "Kate," she said.  
    "I'm Isaac."
    They forewent additional conversation, concentrating on keeping a safe distance from the infected. Whether the bullet-ridden things were dead or not, Isaac wasn't sure, but it was best not to take any chances. The groans had increased in volume from around them.  
    He focused on following the two men in front of him. Jimmy and Spencer were already a hundred yards away, rounding a distant corner. Isaac called out to them, but they showed no signs of slowing down, and they didn't look back.
    "Hurry, Kate!"
    "Where are we going?"
    "Someplace safe!"
    They cleared the block and rounded the corner, following the path Isaac had taken earlier. They ran for the parking lot. Isaac bounded up a curb, barreling through a pile of fresh mulch and carrying some of it with him onto the asphalt. He tripped over his own feet as he struggled to keep up with the two men in front of him. Although he and Kate were running at a good clip, they were still way behind.
    The patter of feet broke his attention, and Isaac glanced over his shoulder. A group of creatures had spilled from the mouth of an alley and were fanning out across the parking lot.
    "Shit!" he yelled.
    They darted around the side of the shopping center, approaching the back alley. As they cleared the building, Isaac studied the row of doors, trying to recall the one he'd gone through a few hours earlier. All the doors were now closed. Jimmy and Spencer were nowhere in sight.  
    He ran from one door to the next in a panic, trying all the handles. None of them would open. The girl was breathing frantically beside him. He finally recognized the door he'd gone through earlier, and he stopped in front of it.
    "This one!" he yelled.
    Isaac tugged the handle, ignoring the groans of the horde behind them. They'd made it just in time. If they'd been a few seconds later...
    But there was a problem. The door wouldn't budge. He rammed it with his fist, screaming for his companions.  
    "Jimmy! Spencer!"
    He tugged the handle again, but the door held firm. From inside, he heard a scraping noise. Were they unlocking the door? Getting ready to let them in? It took him a second to realize what was happening. The men inside weren't letting them in, but reapplying the barricade.
    Isaac and Kate had been locked outside.

Chapter Fourteen

    By the time Ken had finished changing the tire, his shirt was soaked in sweat and his body was sore.   He wiped his face with his shirt and stood.  
    For the past few days, Ken had only slept a few hours, and the sheer exhaustion was catching up to him. But he was so close to Phoenix. He couldn't stop now.
    He looked down at his arm. It was still throbbing. Thankfully, the wound had stopped bleeding.
    The interstate shimmered from the desert heat, creating a twisted mirage of downed cars and debris. He stared into the horizon, hoping to discern what lay ahead. The interstate was still and calm.
    And then it wasn't.
    Ken squinted, thinking he was imagining things, but his vision was clear. A car was heading in his direction, maneuvering between the wreckage, weaving in and out of view. At its rate of speed, it would be upon him in a minute or less.
    There was no time to drive off—at least not without being seen.  
    His only choice was to hide.
    Ken caught a glimpse of the dead infected, and it sparked an idea. Ducking