Roadtrip Z (Season 2): In The Ruins by Lilith Saintcrow

Author:Lilith Saintcrow [Saintcrow, Lilith]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
Publisher: Lilith Saintcrow, LLC
Published: 2017-11-21T05:00:00+00:00

The kids had finished the loading; Juju hustled them into his black four-by-four, trying to close the doors quietly.

Lee hopped into the truck bed to make sure the load was tied down enough. His heart was in his throat, dry and nasty-tasting, throbbing like a bad infection. “Get on in the truck, Ginny.” Shit, goddammit, shitfuck. “Please.”

“Traveller!” She took off for the open glass door, her boots leaving dainty wet prints on dry concrete. Lee swallowed a cascade of colorful words, snapping a glance at the parking lot. Half a dozen shamble-weaving, head-cocked forms, in varying bits of soggy clothing, making a beeline for the front of the hotel. They were a good distance away at the edge of the lot, but they were moving purposefully, in a slow steady staggering. Looked like they’d been clocking Mr French the gymrat.

When they heard the engines, or the slamming doors, or the damn dog yapping, they would put on a burst of that scary speed, and maybe start that deep grind-growling. Then things were gonna get interesting.

“Lee?” With the kids safely stowed, Juju stepped to the side of the truck, taking cover instinctively as his rifle rose again, picking out a target. A faint sheen of sweat gleamed on his broad dark forehead, and Lee had seen that look on him before, trained calm edging out fear. “What’s the word?”

Responsibility, like killin’, followed a man. Lee ran down the rest of the list in his head, shuffling priorities. “Get in and start up. They start movin fast, you head for the freeway and we’ll catch up.”

“Don’t wanna leave ya.” Juju’s chin thrust out a little.

Come to think of it, Lee found out he was sweating, too. “Orders, Thurgood.” We ain’t in the Army no more, but dammit, I don’t wanna lose nobody here.

“Bite yo’ass, Lieutenant.” Juju’s drawl turned it into Loot-nent, and for a moment the past rose to strangle Lee. Dust and sweat instead of slush and cold, but the pulse pounding in his wrists and throat was just the same, the taste of metal and the clear copper-smelling certainty of danger, too. It was damn good to have backup, but he didn’t want to lose anyone.

Except maybe the new fellow.

Brandon, his pack’s high prow bobbing above his head, put his hands on the truck’s tailgate, hunching as if he thought the critters were gonna start shooting. He was sweating too, but not like Thurgood. No, this boy’s eyes were white-ringed and more than a little wild. “I can help you. Take me with you. Please.”

You can stay in the hotel, for Godsake. Lee almost twitched with the urge to put his boot in the man’s face. “Think we got it handled. Y’all can go in there and close the door, it locks inside. There’s food, water. Place still works.”

Ginny reappeared, shouldering the door a little wider. Traveller wriggled in her arms, licking at her face, and for once, the dog was too busy getting his tongue all over something to talk about what a wonderful day he was having.

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