Tainted Reality (The Rememdium Series Book 2) by Ashley Fontainne

nobody to do anythin’. You want to go out there alone and fight off the walkin’ dead on your own? Fine. Have at it. None of us are gonna stop you. Unlike those camo-wearin’ grunts, we’re here to help you. Let me give y’all a bit of information before y’all make up your minds—things ain’t the way they was before y’all walked inside this here school. What’s happenin’ to our community is happenin’ across the entire world. I mean everywhere, not just the good ol’ United States. Whatever has turned our friends and neighbors into hungry shells of their former selves is spreadin’ like a stinky fart on a windy day,” Walt said.
    Curt Campbell came up from behind Turner and addressed the frazzled crowd. A collective gasp rolled through the group of citizens when they saw the fresh blood on his clothes. “Mr. Addison is right, y’all. The phone lines are down, the Internet ain’t functionin’, and I overheard one of those guards talkin’ on his radio earlier. They weren’t gonna help us! They planned on—”
    “Now’s not the time for that discussion, Curt,” Walt interjected.
    “Wrong. We have a right to know what’s really going on before we make any decisions!” a female yelled from the crowd. Her defiant voice acted like a release valve on the others. In seconds, the cafeteria filled with the rumble of panicked residents, each yelling louder than the one standing next to them to be heard.
    Turner couldn’t take anymore. “Shut up! All of you! My family, these people,” he motioned to the others, “risked their lives to help you! Guess what your precious fuckin’ government was gonna do for you? Shoot you like rabid dogs. That’s what Curt overheard. We did, too. Those bastards already proved their loyalty by bargin’ into our town, yankin’ people from their homes, hell, even killed a few who didn’t want to come! I saw one grunt take down a blind teenager in his own front yard!”
    The crowd let out a collective gasp then fell silent.
    Clarence Montgomery added, “They killed my son in my livin’ room. A fellow soldier, one who’d served his country and still bore the mental scars of his service overseas. Treated him like he was an enemy combatant and put three bullets into his head. I’ve known the Addison family my whole life. Lots of you have. Turner’s right—the government ain’t out to protect anythin’ except the war-mongerin’ suits in D.C.!”
    “And ain’t none of them left to give orders now, so we’re on our own! Those men and women in green are trained killers with no leaders. How long do you think y’all would last with them? Here’s the answer: less than two hours. By noon, all of you woulda been dead had we not shown up!” Curt added.
    Spurred on by Curt’s words, Turner said, “Chief Parker and the rest of us agreed to step in and save you, offer a chance to escape and live, because it’s the right thing to do. Like my dad always says, the world’s gone to shit. If you want to survive the comin’ storm, then let us help you. We need to leave before the remainin’ troops arrive and find out we threw a monkey wrench into their plans.”
    Another man pushed his way through the throng of residents to the front. Turner recognized him immediately. The man's head full of curly, gray hair, vibrant brown eyes, and the demeanor and patience of a saint, gave his identity away. He was clothed in jeans and a sweatshirt rather than his Sunday best.
    Pastor Trent!
    “Listen up folks, we need to calm down. We’ve been prayin’ hard for the last hour, askin’ God to release us from our captors and keep us safe. I, too, have known the Addison family for years. Walter, Martha, and Turner are wonderful, God-lovin’ souls. When the Lord opens a door to freedom, should we stop to question why, or step through it in faith? My choice is faith. What’s yours?”
    A handful of people who raised their hands earlier, indicating they had vehicles, turned and fled