passed, the crowd leaning forward. He twitched, rolled over, and got to his knees. Falling a few times, the now-undead man stood and lurched toward the general and the young girl.
“Tie him with the others.”
Her breath caught and her heartbeat raced. He would take her rough tonight. Do all the things she liked but didn’t know how to ask for. The welts and bruises would let everyone know who she belonged to, even Antonio. Especially Antonio.
The girl screamed as she tried to pull away from Peters. “You promised. I did everything you asked. You promised.”
He pushed her to the ground. “I make no promises, little girl.” A young man came forward and tied her hands behind her back. She started to run. Peters grabbed her by her long hair and his fist connected to her temple. The girl crumpled to the ground.
“Let’s get started,” he yelled to Antonio.
She laughed as her husband glanced at the young woman on the ground and rushed to the platform with the stereo equipment. Her fingers dug into her thighs. Maybe he would fuck up again and she could finally be through with him after Martin killed him for her.
Her nipples pebbled under her shirt at the thought of being with the general out in the open for all to see. She’d be the first lady of their enclave. Hell, she could aim for Queen of California.
A hum came from the speakers, and then turned into silence except for the barking of every dog on the compound. The creatures in the arena turned in circles, tangling themselves with the ropes around the poles. Black liquid oozed down their arms and legs as they strained against the ropes.
Antonio’s fingers flew across the synthesizer. There appeared to be no change in the silence, except for the hum on the edge of her hearing. Enough to make her believe she could almost capture the sound. The zombies pulled on their leashes, fighting to attack each other. Martin walked up to Antonio and shoved him to his knees, pulling his gun out of the holster.
Her husband put his hands up. She just caught his words. “... just some adjustments.”
Martin put the gun away. “Better get it right. My patience is wearing thin.”
Antonio jumped up and his fingers trembled on the controls. Her teeth ached as he made another adjustment. The zombies stopped moving. They stood and swayed in place, looking at the sky.
Antonio pointed to the girl. Martin spat orders and several men gathered the girl and put her within reach of the monsters, then ran away. The crowd swayed forward in their seats as the sound continued and the undead ignored the fresh meat in their midst.
“Okay, this is what I wanted to show you.” Antonio spoke to the general as he spun a dial on the control board.
Her mouth fell open as the creatures all stretched their tethers as far as they could reach—away from the girl. They ignored her completely. All were attracted to the speakers in the trees, like dogs with a treed raccoon. Some fool thought Antonio had made them harmless. The man touched one and lost his hand in the process, blood squirting across the man’s face and the dirt of the arena.
Martin pulled his gun and shot the man dead on the spot. A head shot.
He smiled as he put the gun away. Clapping Antonio on the back, Martin grinned. “Amazing. We need to pick a target for practice.”
Antonio spun the dial to make the zombies again look to the sky and ignore all the rest. Martin snapped his fingers and directed the men to get the girl out of the center. They snatched her up and looked to him.
“Take her to the guards. It’s been a while since they’ve had some fun.”
Tanya rushed to her husband’s side. For the crowd’s benefit, she gave him a big kiss. “Antonio, you are so brilliant.”
Martin moved to the other side. “So, Antonio, my friend, what do you need for a practice run at a real target?”
Chapter Eight
Seth managed to keep Emily in the Streets of Brentwood compound the first day, but by the second
“Tie him with the others.”
Her breath caught and her heartbeat raced. He would take her rough tonight. Do all the things she liked but didn’t know how to ask for. The welts and bruises would let everyone know who she belonged to, even Antonio. Especially Antonio.
The girl screamed as she tried to pull away from Peters. “You promised. I did everything you asked. You promised.”
He pushed her to the ground. “I make no promises, little girl.” A young man came forward and tied her hands behind her back. She started to run. Peters grabbed her by her long hair and his fist connected to her temple. The girl crumpled to the ground.
“Let’s get started,” he yelled to Antonio.
She laughed as her husband glanced at the young woman on the ground and rushed to the platform with the stereo equipment. Her fingers dug into her thighs. Maybe he would fuck up again and she could finally be through with him after Martin killed him for her.
Her nipples pebbled under her shirt at the thought of being with the general out in the open for all to see. She’d be the first lady of their enclave. Hell, she could aim for Queen of California.
A hum came from the speakers, and then turned into silence except for the barking of every dog on the compound. The creatures in the arena turned in circles, tangling themselves with the ropes around the poles. Black liquid oozed down their arms and legs as they strained against the ropes.
Antonio’s fingers flew across the synthesizer. There appeared to be no change in the silence, except for the hum on the edge of her hearing. Enough to make her believe she could almost capture the sound. The zombies pulled on their leashes, fighting to attack each other. Martin walked up to Antonio and shoved him to his knees, pulling his gun out of the holster.
Her husband put his hands up. She just caught his words. “... just some adjustments.”
Martin put the gun away. “Better get it right. My patience is wearing thin.”
Antonio jumped up and his fingers trembled on the controls. Her teeth ached as he made another adjustment. The zombies stopped moving. They stood and swayed in place, looking at the sky.
Antonio pointed to the girl. Martin spat orders and several men gathered the girl and put her within reach of the monsters, then ran away. The crowd swayed forward in their seats as the sound continued and the undead ignored the fresh meat in their midst.
“Okay, this is what I wanted to show you.” Antonio spoke to the general as he spun a dial on the control board.
Her mouth fell open as the creatures all stretched their tethers as far as they could reach—away from the girl. They ignored her completely. All were attracted to the speakers in the trees, like dogs with a treed raccoon. Some fool thought Antonio had made them harmless. The man touched one and lost his hand in the process, blood squirting across the man’s face and the dirt of the arena.
Martin pulled his gun and shot the man dead on the spot. A head shot.
He smiled as he put the gun away. Clapping Antonio on the back, Martin grinned. “Amazing. We need to pick a target for practice.”
Antonio spun the dial to make the zombies again look to the sky and ignore all the rest. Martin snapped his fingers and directed the men to get the girl out of the center. They snatched her up and looked to him.
“Take her to the guards. It’s been a while since they’ve had some fun.”
Tanya rushed to her husband’s side. For the crowd’s benefit, she gave him a big kiss. “Antonio, you are so brilliant.”
Martin moved to the other side. “So, Antonio, my friend, what do you need for a practice run at a real target?”
Chapter Eight
Seth managed to keep Emily in the Streets of Brentwood compound the first day, but by the second
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