My Zombie Summer (Book 1): The Undead Road by David Powers King

about it.
    “If you have spare gas, we’ll trade,” Dad said.
    Sam and Mason shared a considering glance.
    Dad handled people well. Being the owner of a hunting goods store, he had to. It looked like he was measuring the situation, checking for anything he could use as a talking point. More people had gathered around then I’d realized. Each of them were staring at us like we were a newly arrived circus act—a bunch of skeptical adults and excited kids pointing fingers.
    “I hear you’re on your way to Colorado,” Sam said. “What’s out there?”
    Dad put his serious face on. “The mountains.”
    Jewel laughed through her nose while I did my best to hold back a snort. The woman had fallen for Dad’s secret weapon, the pinnacle of his super powers.
    Captain Obvious had stuck again!
    Sam’s cheeks flushed. “You think it’s safe there?”
    “Not yet, but we’re hoping to find out,” Dad said. “We have a place in the mountains, but let me put it this way—by taking the high ground, with winter later on, the elevation and cold will keep them away.”
    “I see,” Sam said. “Smart. Foolhardy, but smart.”
    “What do you mean foolhardy ?” Mom asked.
    “Let me put it this way . . .” Sam spat her wad of gum on the curb. “We have radios. We’ve been listening for weeks. And we’ve heard nothing from Colorado. We’ve met no one from Colorado. Truth is we’ve heard nothing from anyone.” Sam slowly stepped behind us. “You’re the first group of survivors we’ve seen out of Nebraska. If you’re to reach the Rockies, you’ll need an army to get through dozens of overrun cities.”
    The woman came back around and joined up with Mason again. I was fuming, my eyes locking with Sam. No one likes to have their plans mocked—case in point, mine—except I couldn’t ignore the sound reasoning behind her logic. If we were the first they’d seen out of Nebraska, the pandemic was far worse than we thought. Was David City the last refuge left in the world? I glanced at the hygiene-less people. It depressed me.
    “If you’re set on leaving, what do you have to trade before you go?” Mason asked.
    “Guns mostly,” Mom answered. “And services, if you need them—if you’re willing to let us stay.”
    Sam scowled at her. “We need food and fuel more than anything. What services can you offer?”
    Mom furrowed her brow. You don’t mess with my mom. That’s just a bad idea. “I’m a nurse.”
    “And I’m a National Guardsman,” Dad added. “And I know a thing or two about guns.”
    Sam tipped her head and smiled at him. “A little military training could do us a world of good.” Her eyes shifted back to Mom. “There’s little need for nurses, but I’m sure the elderly will appreciate a new face. They have no idea what’s going on. I’m keeping it that way.”
    “Do any of us know what’s going on?” Dad asked.
    “No,” Mason said. “Unless the Doc can figure—”
    Sam gave Mason a warning look, and he stopped cold turkey. “Doctor Sanders is using what medical resources we have to understand what these things are and why they’re so hard to kill—using blood samples and such. Think of it as our little Center for Decease Control, if you will. Hopefully he’ll find us some answers—maybe a cure.” Sam had a strange expression on her face now. She was holding something back. “Having you around might get us what he needs.”
    Sam held her hand out to Dad.
    He looked at it and shook it. “You still want my kids to give up their guns?” he asked.
    Sam gave him a brisk nod. “That’s the price of admission.” She then turned to the girls. Her blue-steel eyes lingered on Jewel. Despite the warm evening, a chill ran down my back. I wasn’t sure why, but Sam truly gave me the creeps. “What about you three? What can you do for this compound? This is no playground.”
    “I thought I saw one around the corner,” Jewel said. Some people laughed at that, including myself. My