Free Dead Air (Book One of The Dead Series) by Jon Schafer Page B

him, was a nightmare come-to-life.
    Oblivious to the cold, the thing approaching him wore only boxer shorts and a t-shirt, both covered with blood. More blood covered its bluish-gray face, except for a circular spot around its mouth where it had been licked clean. One arm dangled uselessly, the muscles on its shoulder having been ripped away and causing the appendage to flop forward in a boneless movement each time the thing took a step. It didn't inhale or exhale, as its respiration had ceased when it died, but it still managed to make a high pitched, keening whine as it reached forward with its good arm toward Tim.
    It had been dead for three hours, and while it had recently fed on its former girlfriend, it was hungry.
    Having been in more than one fight in his life, Tim reacted instinctively by pulling his switchblade and pressing the stud on its handle. Seven inches of carbon steel flicked out and glinted in the streetlight. He swung the knife in an arc,  gratified to see the blade sink to its hilt in the side of his attacker's neck. Black fluid oozed from the wound and a rotten smell filled the air as the dead man swung sideways, pulling the handle from Tim's grasp and leaving the knife stuck where it had been thrust. Stepping backward, Tim expected to see boxer shorts drop to the ground, telling himself that no one lived through a wound like that.
    Seeing that the stab wound had little effect on boxer shorts, Tim shouted out, "I cut you long, hard and deep, motherfucker," then turned to run. It suddenly dawned on him what the drivers had been fleeing. Time to haul ass, his mind screamed.
    In his hurry to get away, Tim's upper body moved before his legs did and his feet tangled, dumping him face first onto the ground. Recovering quickly, he pushed up onto his hands and knees as he tried to scramble away , but the delay caused by the fall proved fatal. He screamed when he felt himself pulled upright by the hood of his jacket. He twisted his body to try and get away but the grip holding him was like steel. Turning enough to confront his attacker, his shocked mind registered that his knife was still sticking out of boxer shorts’ neck.
    Not having any other weapon nearby, he reached for the handle.
    His hand fell on the hilt just as boxer shorts leaned forward and bit down on Tim's nose, ripping it off in a shower of blood and mucus. Tim howled in agony as he pulled his knife free and then plunged it over and over into the thing’s back as he blew blood and snot out of the hole in his face. Boxer shorts ignored the knife thrusts and swallowed the cartilage and flesh in its mouth, then clamped down on Tim's neck and ripped out a chunk of his flesh.
    The rest of the undead by-passed the one bent over its meal on the sidewalk. If food was scarce they would fight over it , but tonight that wouldn't be a problem. Ahead of them was an intersection filled with meat, and beyond that, looking like a giant serving bowl, was the stadium from which a roaring sound now came.
    It was kickoff time.
    ***
    Des Moines, Iowa:
    Jackie Dupree received orders to report immediately for extended duty with her National Guard unit at five in the afternoon. She arrived at the Armory just before six-thirty, and by seven o'clock found herself behind the wheel of a Humvee carrying her commanding officer south on Interstate 35.
    Jackie was surprised, and frightened, by how fast her unit deployed and the manner in which they deployed.
    When she reported in earlier that evening she had been met by a blank faced, regular army Sergeant who checked his clipboard and then pointed to the vehicle she now drove. He explained that she had fifteen minutes to stow her gear and use the facilities. He further specified that this was an order, not a request, and then explained the legal consequences of missing a troop movement.
    That was the surprising part. Jackie had served with the Iowa Guard for six years and found it usually took two hours or more just to decide