Free RecruitZ (Afterworld Series) by Karice Bolton Page B

directly to the authorities who were in charge of picking up the rogue zombies. It was a great idea in theory, but there were loopholes. For one, cell phones weren’t part of the program, and the system would drop calls immediately if they came from cell towers.
    “What are you reporting?” a woman’s voice picked up after the second ring.
    “There’s a straggler in my backyard. He’s continually walking into the slider. I’m not sure how much longer the glass will hold.”
    “Can you move furniture in front of the opening to block the intruder in case he breaks through?” she asked, her voice monotone. She was obviously bored with these calls.
    I glanced at the family room furniture and realized I could move the sectional in front of the door as well as the coffee table. But I knew if I answered yes, they wouldn’t make me a priority. And I wanted to be a priority.
    “No. Not really. It’s just me in the house, and I don’t think I could manage,” I lied.
    “Okay, ma’am. Dispatch has been notified. Someone will be there shortly. Stay locked up until you hear their sirens and a knock at the front door.”
    “Thank you,” I replied and hung up.
    I walked over to the sectional and tugged and pulled on the arm until I was able to slide the large couch in front of the slider. As I positioned it, the curtain caught and pulled to the side slightly, revealing the zombie staring back at me.
    It was definitely a rotter. I couldn’t guess how long this one had been roaming, but it looked to be a very long time. Its flesh had darkened to a bluish-grey from the level of decay, and the clothing was mostly tattered and frayed to bits. I shivered as I saw the hollowness in its eyes. I recognized the emptiness. I felt the emptiness. Only I was supposed to be alive.
    I tugged on the curtains as if that would block out the dark thoughts that were invading my mind. I wanted to kill the straggler. I wanted to point my pistol directly at its head and pull the trigger. I didn’t want to be that person who enjoyed the thought of destroying these creatures or any creatures, for that matter, but I was that person. I often found myself hoping to come across one in a parking lot or some random place where I would be legally allowed to knock it off. But as long as there was no threat, discharging weapons in civilized areas was a crime and worthy of a trip to jail, and that wasn’t how I wanted to spend my Friday.
    I paced back and forth until I heard the sirens barreling down the street, stopping in front of my house. The zombie was still continually thumping into the slider, and I was just relieved that they’d arrived so soon to dispose of my problem.
    The stragglers were easily corralled. They were normal zombies. Normal zombies.
    From the living room window, I watched two officers wrangle the zombie into the back of the truck. I glanced at the clock. Nine o’clock. I could still take my little drive. I heard a light tap on the back slider and made my way there, shoving the couch away from the door. Opening the slider, I poked my head out and greeted a female officer.
    “The straggler’s been captured. For some reason, it got the idea to bust down a portion of your fence. I’d have someone fix it for you right away. Once there’s a trail from one straggler, others tend to pick up on it.” She pointed to the side of the house.
    I took a step onto the patio and saw the hole in the fence. Images of Gavin building the fence flooded through my mind, and I felt as if I was going to be swallowed by grief.
    “Ma’am, are you okay?” the female officer asked.
    I nodded and leaned up against the house as my eyes fell to the splintered wood along the ground. “Thank you for coming so fast.”
    “Anytime,” she said. “Anything else we can do for you?”
    I shook my head and watched her walk away as I slid my body down the wall. I needed to regain control of my emotions. I’d been doing so well at channeling my grief into