Free Running Wild by Kristen Middleton Page B

face.
    “Stand back Mary,” demanded Henry as he raised his shotgun again. She let go of the sword and the skewered zombie took a bullet between the eyes.
    “Are you ladies alright?” asked Henry as he shuffled towards us.
    “I’m fine,” I said.
    “Oh, I’m okay too,” said Mary. “Just a little disappointed with the service.”
    Henry laughed and then hugged her tightly.
    “You rocked with that sword Mary,” I said and she smiled.
    Henry shuffled over to me and touched my shoulder. “Well, I have to admit…you handled yourself pretty good there too, Cassie.”
    I smiled. “Thanks.”
    With a gleam in his watery blue eyes he said, “What you did with your leg…that was impressive! Could you teach Mary to get her leg up that high?”
    Mary and I looked at each other and started laughing.
     

Chapter Fourteen
     
    Fortunately we didn’t run into anymore zombies, probably because food was slim pickings, for everyone, living or dead.
    “You find anything?” asked Henry, who was resting in one of the old vinyl booths. He was an old geezer with a lot of fire but even he wasn’t immune to arthritis, which I guess was now flaring up in both of his knobby knees.
    “Unfortunately, everything is spoiled in the cooler. Good news, however, there is plenty of canned food,” said Mary.
    “I found several bags of chips and pretzels too,” I called out from behind the counter. “Oh, and some bottled water.”
    He nodded, looking weary. “Let’s stock up on that stuff and get rolling. Mary, you might have to drive; it’s going to be dark soon and my eyes don’t particularly work their best at night.”
    Mary raised her eyebrows and looked at me. “He never wants me to drive,” she mumbled. "He’s very narrow-minded when it comes to women and controlling things that move.”
    “Oh, you mean he’s chauvinistic?” I said.
    “I heard that, kid,” said Henry as he shuffled towards the bathroom. “I’m old, not deaf.”
    “Do you want one of us to come in there with you Henry?” asked Mary.
    “Not unless you want to watch me drop some kids off at the pool.”
    “Oh, for goodness sake,” said Mary. “Just be careful in there.”
    “Woman, I’ve taken a dump alone for more years than I can count. When I can no longer do it all by myself, do me a favor? Take me out back and shoot me once in the head and a second time in the ass.”
    “You heard the man,” I said. “Leave him poop in peace.”
    “Don’t have to ask me twice,” she said.
    “I love old diners,” I said, looking at the display case still filled pies and cookies. Unfortunately, they were all spoiled and rotten, adding to the ripe fragrance of the diner.
    Mary smiled sadly. “My son used to manage a diner, much like this one.”
    “Oh?” I answered. I was afraid to ask her what happened to him.
    She nodded. “Well, actually it was a nightclub and there were dancers there that used to take off their clothes,” she said. “But other than that, this reminds me a lot of that place.”
    I raised my eyebrows and scanned the room. This place looked as wholesome and clean as any diner could possibly get. I had a hard time believing it could be compared to a seedy strip joint. Of course, I’d never actually been in one of those either.
    “Really?”
    “Yeah,” said Mary. “Ben was a good businessman. He was in the process of starting a dating service when he disappeared.”
    “He disappeared? I’m sorry Mary. That must have been horrible for you.”
    She nodded. “Well, he actually left the country for a bit. He told me that the cops were trying to frame him for being part of some type of prostitution ring. But I know Ben and he’d never get involved in something like that.”
    “When was the last time you spoke to him?” I asked.
    “Oh…about a year ago. He was in Amsterdam and needed to borrow some money to send some girls to America.”
    “Wow, well I hope he survived in this zombie mess.”
    She nodded. “Yes, I say a