Free Rise & Walk (Book 2): Pathogen by Gregory Solis

mimicked Tony’s actions when he jumped into the back of the truck.  Rather than sit in the bed, Tony stood behind the passenger’s side and kept a forward lookout with his hand holding tight to the open rear windowsill.  Nikki, not knowing what to do in her emotional state, copied Tony by standing in the same manner behind the driver’s side.  Something ahead caught Tony’s attention.  He bent down quickly, the speed of his action causing Nikki’s heart to race as he stuck his head into the window to speak to Jack.  The truck slowed and Nikki saw a distant figure moving with a crooked stride.  She heard Mason grunt from within the cab as a slight squeal sounded from the tires. 
    “What’s the matter?” Margaret whispered inside the cab.  Veronica found the old woman’s hand in the darkness and held it.
    “It’s alright, we’re just being careful.” Veronica reassured.
    “Nikki,” Mason said to Tony.  Tony stood back up and patted the blonde on her shoulder, signaling that Jack wanted a word.  She crouched down so that her head was level with the rear window.
    “Yeah?” she questioned.
    “Right at the end of this street?” Jack asked.
    “Yep, then one block up on the left is the school.” She confirmed.
    “Where’s that thing heading?” Jack asked while gesturing quickly towards the creature.  It shambled around the corner in the direction that Nikki had just described.
    “Uh-huh.” She mumbled.  Mason quickly looked through the windows around the truck.  He caught Veronica’s eye and paused.  She nodded her encouragement.
    “Okay, hold on back there.” Mason said.
    Nikki stood and saw Tony holding the shotgun, pointing up in the air, his left hand straining to keep a tight hold on the windowsill.  He smiled at her for a moment, and then focused on the road ahead.  The truck began moving slowly at first, then picked up speed.  The sound of the engine built up along with Nikki’s anticipation.  As the truck made the turn from Pershing Avenue onto Ridgeway, she felt her legs go weak.
    Twenty yards ahead a crowd of tattered living dead stood three or four deep, grasping towards the gated entrance to the high school.  Their huddled forms spilled into the street for lack of access surrounding the front of the school entrance.  Each infected body scraped and clawed to get closer to the fence but their numbers were too many.  The straggling ghouls turned, aroused by the sound of the approaching Chevy and growled a broken chorus of hellish hunger.
    “Oh shit” Veronica whispered.  Margaret froze in disbelief at her first glimpse of the living dead.  Her eighty-one year old heart paused for a moment causing her to lean forward as if a change in position would be less constricting.  She inhaled with a shutter as her pulse resumed.
    “Damn,” Mason whispered.  He reached down, flicked on his headlights, and gunned the engine.  Tony’s hand slipped free with the sudden increase of speed.  He went down hard in the bed of the truck; his shotgun slipping from his grasp.  Nikki, not as top-heavy as Tony, was able to maintain her balance.  Her hopes for a reunion with her parents evaporated upon seeing so many ghouls.
    The Chevy’s high-beams cut through the night revealing the state of the monsters.  Some were torn with wounds and hanging flesh, a couple had portions of their bodies charred black by flames, a few appeared only pale skinned with no visible injuries but they all shared a distant lifeless stare as the headlights panned across their mass.  They moved in stuttered jerks brandishing their cramped claws, longing towards the bright and noisy vehicle.  Margaret, horrified at the sight, brought her hands up and covered her mouth.  Veronica grimaced as she slipped her arm over Margaret’s shoulder, stretching her tender midsection. 
    “So many,” Margaret cried.
    Tony rolled over hard and leaned his back up against the wall of the bed, doing his best to fight the