Dead World (Book 1): Dead Come Home by Nathan Brown, Fox Robert Page B

know?”
    “For fuck’s sake!! Would you, for once in your goddamn life, just shut the fuck up and do what I fuckin’ tell you?” Bennett yelled. “I just know. Get to your Ma and … ah, fuck … get your ass headed west. All the places east of you are gonna be death traps.”
    “Got it … west. Hanse is out that way, anyhow.”
    “Okay, good, uuurrrr.”
    “Bennett? What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
    “One got a chuck of me when I was out in Reno,” Bennett said. “Tried to head back to Langley, but I heard they’ve started shooting anyone who approaches on sight a few hours ago.”
    “Where are you now?”
    “Headin’ for a fixer I got out in Tahoe. Used to be a plastic surgeon. Now he just does patch jobs for bad men and guys like us.”
    “So just bad men, then, is what you’re telling me?” Mike joked. Bennett laughed hard, which turned to a choked and hacking cough.
    “Looks like you’re on your own this time, kimosabe.”
    “You’re gonna be fine,” Mike said, as much for his benefit as for Bennett’s.
    “Fuckin’ liar,” Bennett grunted.
    “If that fixer doesn’t work out … or once you get patched up … just head for Hanse’s and we’ll get you sorted out.”
    “FUCK! Did you listen to a thing I just told you? I’m bit, you dense prick. You stay the hell away from me and anyone else that’s been bitten. If you can’t get clear, use whatever you got and bash their heads in … even if it’s me.”
    “But what if there’s a cu …”
    Click …
    Bennett was gone. Mike tried redial only to find his number was now blocked. Two minutes later, his phone announced that he had a text message. It was Bennett.
     
    Last thing kimosabe … if ur Ma bit … don’t waste hope. just do right thing. U saw what happens to 1’s who R bit. Happy trails ya crazy fuckin cowboy.
     
    That was it. Though Mike didn’t want to acknowledge it, this would be the last thing his old friend would ever say to him.
     
    Goddamnit, Bennett you fuckin’ bayou-backwoods bastard. You didn’t even give me a chance to say goodbye.
     
    Mike made a sharp right turn off of Highway 79 just in time to see a car from one of the side roads pass in front of him and T-bone an SUV that was speeding at him from the other direction. Mike braked, yanked the steering wheel and fishtailed into a right turn. He nailed the gas and burned rubber down Donna Road until he came to the left turn onto Victoria Street at the end. He slowed down, not wanting to worry Ma. For all he knew, she was fine, and he didn’t want to alarm her any more than necessary. He kept it at 30 mph down Victoria and coasted into the gravel drive before coming to a stop under the aluminum carport.
     

Dead Come Home
    Chapter 4
    The Lead Singer of REM Was Right
     
     
    Lily rolled her emerald green eyes, annoyed at the noise that invaded her apartment … again. She wasn’t sure if the sound coming from the other side of the wall was a crap-tacular “shoot-’em-up” movie or if that was just what passed for rap music these days. Whatever it was, it was destroying her concentration. The muffled sound of rumbling bass assaulted her ears, even through the ear buds of her iPod. She rolled her eyes yet again and let out a sigh.
    Oh, well. Lily had been looking for an excuse to leave the apartment all day, anyway. She collected her stack of marbled composition notebooks and left. The sun was actually out for once … for a while, at least. In the Pacific Northwest, Lily had quickly learned, the sun never stuck around for long.
     
    Maybe I’ll try that new coffee place a few blocks down.
     
    Lily stepped into the coffee shop and immediately knew it wasn’t going to be a good place for her to try to write. This afternoon, they appeared to be hosting some kind of open mic event. She entered just in time to witness a crowd of “arty-fartsy” types clapping dutifully for a young man as he finished playing some mediocre guitar piece. To avoid