Infected Freaks (Book 2): The Echo of Decay by Jason Borrego Page B

“Sam isn’t yours, is she?” Bob asked, crossing his eyes back to the bald mechanic.
    “No,” Abraham admitted.
    “I’m smaller,” said Emme. “I could glide through the vents.”
    “Yes, that would be most welcomed. All she would have to do is slide through the vent and unlock the door on the other side of the reinforced wall. But you’re his grandchild.”
    “I’ll go,” Sam said, stepping forward. Sam was a smart girl. She had been around criminals all her life and Abraham was thankful for her courage. But did the teenage girl really understand how men like Bob operated? If she didn’t go, bad shit was going to happen regardless. So Abraham wasn’t going to reason with her. Does this make me a bad man?
    “But I can take Jeffery with me,” Emme contended. “He will protect me.”
    Abraham wasn’t the least bit amused by her naming the wild boy with mental health issues. “I could,” she added, rolling her eyes.
    “Why did you name him?” Abraham asked.
    She smiled and pulled out a pair of dog tags nested around Jeffery’s neck. “It says Jeffery Miller.”
    Abraham blew out his cheeks.
    Bob closed his green eyes and must have imagined something pleasing. Was he plotting something for Sam? Abraham didn’t like the direction the journey was heading.
    “The small boy, is he some sort of retard?” Bob made a fist and pressed it against his jawline.
    “How dare you,” Emme snapped, ruffling Jeffery’s messy black hair. “I should go. Sam is too damn big.”
    Sam rolled her eyes.
    “You’re twelve years old,” Abraham replied. “You will not go.”
    “So, I shot the shit out of the infected freak in the lobby.” Emme crossed her arms and canted her head.
    Shit , Abraham thought wishing he hadn’t cussed around the girl so much. “Watch your mouth, little girl.” He turned his attention back to Bob. “How far is the school?”
    “It’s a nice walk. I would send more of my own men, but they’re all too big to fit through the vent.” He threw up his hands and smiled. “Besides most of them will spend the rest of the day killing the infected freaks you brought into our safe zone.” Bob glared at Abraham with his piercing green eyes. They were not the eyes of a man he could trust. The drumming of another infected freak at the considerable metal door was followed by another blast from a gun. “So what’s it going to be?”
    “Okay,” said Abraham, realizing he had no choice. He reached over and shook Bob’s icy hand. It was worth all the promise in the withered world. At least to Abraham it meant something. Bob smiled too much, and he wondered what the old mechanic was working behind the scenes.
    “When are we leaving? After the storm?” Sam asked.
    “Best to travel in the heart of the storm. It messes with their senses,” the bald man muttered, never taking his bold eyes off Bob. They were talking without words, but Abraham didn’t know what they were saying. “I’m Scott by the way.”
    “But I’m hungry,” she whispered. Everyone heard her stomach growl.
    “We can’t send you off to school without a meal,” Bob replied. He appeared to undress the girl with his eyes. “The storm usually doesn’t peak until after dark anyways.”
    “As long as I get to eat first,” Sam said like a true con artist. If Abraham could see through her, so could Bob.
    “See? That wasn’t too hard.” Bob stepped toward a backdoor and cracked it open. “Scotty, take them upstairs to the guest rooms and give the old man something to wash himself with.” He stepped through into the dim light and slammed the door closed. Abraham finally realized that maybe Bob wasn’t the right person to visit during the apocalypse. But what choice did he have?

V
     
     
     
    Samantha crouched next to the eroded shell of a truck. Scott Mahoney made her nervous, and it wasn’t all in a bad way. The proud mechanic wasn’t bald for lack of hair growth. He was the kind of man who shaved his head along