Free Z-Burbia: A Zombie Novel by Jake Bible Page B

sit?”
    “No, no, I’m good.”
    “I found some clothes that should fit,” Stuart says when he returns. “But you won’t like them.”
    “I don’t care what they look like,” I say. “I just want to get dressed.”
    “Okay,” Stuart nods as he tosses me a bundle.
    I look at the shirt and pants and frown. Looking from the clothes to Stuart to the clothes to Jon to the clothes, I shake my head.
    “No way,” I say.
    “That’s all I could find that will fit you,” Stuart says. “Must have been a single mom and her kids that owned this place. No men’s clothes.”
    I hold in my hands a pair of bright pink yoga pants and a purple t-shirt with a glittery butterfly. I sigh and start to put them on.
    “Well, at least we’ll be able to find you in the dark there, My Little Pony,” Jon laughs.
    “ I’ve had a hard day and could do without the sarcasm,” I say, “it hurts my feelings.”
    “Time to go,” Stuart says. “We can’t stay here. Too much noise. The bikers are looking for us. Only a matter of time before they find this place.”
    “Where to?” I ask. “We can’t make it back to Whispering Pines before dark.”
    “It’s already dark,” Jon says.
    “Jesus, how long have I been missing?”
    “Hours,” Stuart says , “hours we couldn’t afford to lose.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry,” I snap. “Did I make you miss your flight or something? Did you have someplace better to be?”
    Stuart closes on me and I remember just how dangerous he is.
    “I think we all have someplace better to be, Jace,” he says , “but we aren’t going to get there by being a little bitch, now are we then?”
    I sigh and shake my head. “No, Stuart, we aren’t. My bad. Thanks for saving my ass.”
    “ Your life,” Stuart says, “I want nothing to do with your ass.”
    “A joke!” Jon laughs. “Miracle of miracles!”
    “Come on-”
    “We need to move,” Jon and I say at the same time.
    “I don’t know why I bother,” Stuart says. He looks around the basement. “Anything worth salvaging then?”
    “No clue,” I say. “I was busy being prepped for dinner.”
    “Fine, let’s go,” Stuart says as he puts a full magazine into his pistol. “You stay close to me, stay down, and don’t make a sound. Got it?”
    We both nod at him.
    “Good,” Stuart says as he heads for the basement door.
    He opens it and then closes it quickly, but quietly, his finger to his lips.
    Shit. Guess we didn’t move fast enough.
    We all look up at the basement ceiling and that’s when I hear the footsteps. They are careful, moving methodically through the house. There’s a creak over by the far corner telling us there’s two people in the house. Then another creak in the opposite corner. That makes three.
    “What now?” I mouth at Stuart.
    He cocks his pistol, aims it at the door, and waits. I give him a thumbs up.
    “Shit,” Jon hisses , “your leg.”
    I look at my leg and see the bandage is soaked with blood. There isn’t a speck of white.
    “His face isn’t looking so good either,” Stuart whispers.
    I reach up and feel my cheek and my hand comes away drenched in red.
    I’m a fucking mess.
    “He needs help,” Jon says, his voice barely louder than the crackle of the fire. “We have to get him home.”
    “We have to get us all home,” Stuart says. “But we can’t now. Get him settled and redress that leg. See if you can clean his cheek and dress that too.”
    “What are you going to do?” Jon asks.
    “I’m going to watch that door,” Stuart says.
    “We’ll do it in shifts.”
    “No, you watch him. If he goes into shock, he could die. You have to make sure he stays breathing and doesn’t bleed out. Watch the wounds, change the dressings, and keep him alive.”
    “How will you stay awake?” Jon asks.
    Stuart opens his bag and pulls out a blister pack of pink pills. He cracks open two pockets and takes out the pills. He dry swallows them, and then hands Jon the pack.
    “You’ll need some