Outbreak (Book 1): Emerald City by Jay K. Anthony Page A

cigarette, lit up and navigated the tricky roads around the hotel. In general the streets in the area were clear of cars and other junk, but Luke had to work his way around a couple staggering zombies. Seeing them, Ted started a game with Pete to find out which zombie could run the fastest. Ted started pounding on the side of the van to get the zombies attention and Pete got to giggling as one zombie started chasing them. When the zombie ran itself into a telephone pole, the two in the back erupted in so much laughter that Luke wondered, not for the first time, how much negative influence Ted was having on the boy. Luke thought about saying something to Matt but then decided against it again. What difference does it make to me anyway? he thought.
    Luke drove on and other than the occasional zombie on the road and a broken down car to get around, the first few miles were easy going. They had scavenged this area enough that Luke knew his way around. It changed once they were past the East-West expressway. He was not familiar with the new streets and he knew there could be anything from military outposts to nests of zombies to marauder blockades around each corner. Luke lit another cigarette from the previous to try to steady himself and drove along with the cigarette hanging on his lip and his hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. He tried to ignore Ted and Pete, who were still screwing around in the back, and glanced at Matt beside him. Matt looked like he was out for a Sunday drive in the city. Damn, Luke thought, he looks like he’s ready to just fall asleep. Luke had no idea how Matt could be so calm when at any second they could be attacked. “We on the right track?” Luke asked, trying to get Matt to at least pay attention. Matt shrugged.
    “Yeah. Another few miles. I tell you what, go ahead and take a left here. We can cut through on the city streets,” Matt said. Luke made the turn and suddenly the road became further congested as two lanes each way became two lanes total. Luke’s palms began to sweat. Trash, overturned cars, dumpsters, and decomposing dead bodies littered the road.
    “Christ, what a mess,” Luke complained. He cut their speed as he navigated the bulky, unresponsive van around and over what he could.
    “Relax,” Matt said. “We’re almost there.” Luke did not relax. He saw a lazy blind curve ahead and he did not like the looks of it. Anything could be around it. Driving even slower, he made the turn and then suddenly sat up straight in the driver’s seat and slapped the steering wheel. “Oh, shit!” he said and unconsciously threw out his half smoked cigarette. In the road ahead of them was a horde of zombies that appeared to be interested in something in the road.
    Matt leaned forward and looked through the windshield. Ted and Pete were wrestling in the back and shouting at each other. “Hey!” Matt yelled at the two of them. “Shut the hell up!”
    “What’s going on?” Ted asked from the back. Luke stopped the van and ignored him.
    “Are we lost?” Pete asked.
    “No,” Matt replied. “What the hell are all those bastards looking at?”
    Luke looked closer and then realized what he was seeing. His stomach clenched. “There’s a car under that pile of zombies,” he said. “And I think there are people in it.” Luke stared at the car. Those people are still alive, he thought as he watched the zombies climb all over the vehicle, scratching and clawing at the windows. There were at least two people inside and it looked like the car had high centered going over some debris. There was no way it was driving away now. Luke knew they could help. I could honk the horn, maybe drive through the mob and run down a few of the zombies . His group had guns, a whole stockpile of ammunition.
    “What are we going to do?” Pete asked.
    “Not our problem,” Matt said.
    Luke grit his teeth. He knew Matt was right but he still did not like it. It would be