Surviving The Virus (Book 5): Extermination by Casey Ryan

Author:Casey, Ryan [Casey, Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic | Pandemic | Survival
Publisher: Higher Bank Books
Published: 2020-07-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Eddie felt the pistol press against his back, and slowly, surely, he felt his world collapsing all around him all over again.

It was the thick of day. He was hot. Sweaty. Felt like he’d felt back when he was useless, back before all this. Back in those days waiting for his child to be born, back with Kelly.

Out of control. Lost.

None of the assurance he felt when he was in Curtis’ place.

None of that sense that maybe, just maybe, he might be a survivor.

He looked at the long, empty road ahead. Saw a few crows swooping down, feasting on a dead dog somewhere up ahead. A different dog to the one he’d seen before. Not the collie. A Yorkshire terrier. Emaciated. Hounded by flies.

But just another sign of mortality in this world.

His shoulder ached like mad from the gunshot. He swore he could taste a mixture of blood and vomit right at the back of his throat. His legs were shaky and weak. Wasn’t sure he’d be able to walk much further.

But he had to.

Keep walking.

Keep on crawling.

Fat boy.

He looked down at this dog. The dog reminded him of Jane.

It reminded him of Marky. And of Sunil, now.

And the crippling pain across his shoulder, the hot blood creeping through his fingers… it reminded him of himself.

Because he was a dead man.

He was going to die.

And worse than that. Far, far worse than that.

Kelly was going to see the true him.

Zelda was going to expose him. Just when he thought he was free. Just when he thought he’d found a chance to start again.

He kept on walking. Heart racing. He felt ashamed. Ashamed of his actions. Why had he killed Sunil, really? He’d done it because he saw a chance. A chance of hope. A chance that if he could get back to Kelly, he could be the hero arriving over the hill. He could lie. He could pretend he’d been through hell. Through so much torture.

He could pretend he’d fought his way to get back to her and his child.

He wouldn’t ever have to think about the horrible things he’d done again because everyone linked to those actions was dead.

And then he had another thought.

He slowed a little as they approached the dog. The crows feasting on it flew off, and he saw something else.

Worms.

Maggots.

Feasting away.

Surviving.

He looked into that abyss of flesh, and he felt a recognition. Those maggots. Those worms. They disgusted him. They disgusted so many people.

But they were survivors.

They found their way.

They did what they had to do.

He did what he had to do.

“Keep moving,” Zelda said. “If you want to live.”

Eddie looked at those worms, those maggots, and he smiled.

He hated himself.

He felt ashamed of himself.

He’d live with guilt for the rest of his life.

But he wasn’t giving up on what he knew he had to do.

He liked Zelda.

He’d spared her life once already.

But if he had to kill her to make sure he started his new life with Kelly again—with his son again—then that’s what he would do.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.