Determined To Live

Book
Four in the Zombie Overload Series

C.
M. Wright

Book One -
Dying To Live (eBook)

Book Two - Fighting To Live (eBook)

Book Three - Learning To Live (ebook &
paperback)

*
Dying
To Live and Fighting To Live

(Double
Edition - eBook/paperback)

This is a work of
fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead,
businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The author has
taken great liberties with locales including the creation of
fictional towns. Some large cities and their names, streets,
highways, and interstate names are true and as close to accurate, as
possible. Any mistakes are entirely the fault of the author.

Product names,
brands, and other trademarks referred to within this book are the
property of their respective trademark holders. Unless otherwise
specified, no association between the author and any trademark holder
is expressed or implied. Use of a term in this book should not be
regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark, registered
trademark, or service mark.

This script remains
the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced,
copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Dedicated to the members of Vicki's Box Of
Candi: Vicki Rose Stewart, Kris Pittman, Eric R. Asher, Nick Santa
Rosa, and Brianne Whitmire - my friends. I love you all so much.

Characters
from book one, two and three that are either
mentioned
often
or
are still
active
in whole or in part of book four.

* "( )"
indicates which book the character first actively appeared.

Canada
-Main
character-Wife of Will. Mom of Bo and Ash. Homeschool Mom. (Bk 1)

Will
-Maintenance
of elementary school. Husband to Canada. Father to Bo and Ash. (Bk 1)

Bo
-14-year-old
son of Will and Canada. (Bk 1)

Ash
-11-year-old
son of Will and Canada. (Bk 1)

Marie
-Nurse.
Mother to Canada, Ricky, Andy, Ryder, and Rose. Wife to Ben. (Bk 1)

Ben
-Truck
Driver. Husband to Marie. Dad to Canada and siblings. (Bk 1)

Grace
-Infant
baby in the care of Canada and family. Baby sister to Kaleb. (Bk 2)

Kaleb
-Two
year-old older brother to Grace. In the care of Marie and family. (Bk
2)

Jake
-Sergeant
Major in military. Older brother of Greg. (Bk 2)

Greg
-Cancer
patient. Younger brother to Jake. (Bk 2)

Sam
-Red-headed
Irish man, also very short. Group saved from zombies surrounding his
truck. (Bk 2)

Sara
-Backstabbing
bitch found in second armory. Should have left her there. (Bk 2)

Ma
-Mother
of Marie, Ma (grandma) of Canada. (Bk 2)

Rose
-Nurse.
Baby sister of Canada. Engage
d
and living with Kurt. (Bk 2)

Kurt
-Electrician.
Engaged to Rose. (Bk 2, although not formally introduced until Bk 3)

Ricky
-Canada's
oldest younger brother. Successful businessman/computer expert.
Married to Kally. Father to MaLayna and Alec. (Bk 2)

Kally
-Married
to Ricky. Farmer's daughter. Mother to MaLayna and Alec. (Bk 2)

MaLayna
and
Alec
-Children
of Ricky and Kally. (Bk 2)

Andy
-High-profile
cop. Married to Lindey. Father of Avery, Laney, and Lyndsey. (Bk 2)

Lindey
-DFS
Child Services Caseworker. Attending classes to be an ultrasound
technician. Wife of Andy. Mother of Avery, Laney, and Lyndsey. (Bk 2)

Avery
,
Laney
,
and
Lyndsey
-Children
of Andy and Lindey. (Bk 2)

Ryder
-Successful
business owner/computer expert. Married to Coco. Father of Joel and
Gage. (Bk 2)

Coco
-Nurse.
Wife of Ryder. Mother of Joel and Gage. (Bk 2)

Joel
-CDC
Doctor. Oldest son of Ryder and Coco. Brother to Gage. (Bk 2)

Gage
-Governmental
Bomb Squad Leader. Youngest son of Ryder and Coco. Brother to Joel.
(Bk 2)

Bianca
-Friend
of Canada and Will, coworker of Will's.

Vayda
-Bianca's
dog

Max
-young
boy found in the same house Bianca was rescued from.

Dustin
-Doctor
with a unique - but disgusting - method of being able to walk among
the dead. Refuses to use guns.

Helen
-Military
Private from Nebraska armory. In a relationship with Sam.

John
-Military
Private from Nebraska armory.

Toby
-Military
Private from Nebraska armory.

As I step outside
the barn door the sun blinds me for a few moments. When I can finally
see again, I notice the old water pump at the side of the house.
Relying mostly on my crutches, I make my way over to it and am
relieved when - after just a few pumps - water gushes out. I clean
the blood off my hands, face, and clothing the best that I can.

Having wet clothes
sucks - especially in the cold - but it's better than stiff, hard,
dried blood. The icy water doesn't take
all
the color or the metallic odor out but it helps, a little anyway.

Best I can do.
Now, time to go find my husband.

I go straight to my
truck and dig out the military jacket that matches my fatigues. After
zipping up, I head for the porch. I become aware of another truck
sitting in the drive and realize it's Jake's. Hope flairs inside me.

Did he find
Will?

As I'm standing at
the bottom of the porch steps trying to determine how best to get up
the damn things, my sister opens the front door and comes out onto
the porch.

Oh, thank God!

I
turn and lower myself onto one of the steps.
I'm
pretty sure it wouldn't have been a very easy - or very graceful -
attempt to get my ass up those stairs.

"Hey, Sis.
Where's Jake?" I ask Rose.

"I don't know.
I didn't even know he was back. But with all these people, I probably
could have talked to him and not known it."

"True. But do
you suppose you would have noticed Will if
he'd
been in there?"

"Oh,
I'm sure I would have remembered seeing
him
.
He's not in there, Canada. I'm sorry," Rose tells me.

I can't say
anything as disappointment and panic overwhelm me, but I do give her
a nod to let her know I heard her.

Just then, the
front door opens again and Jake walks out.

Rose turns toward
the door and says, "Oh, hey Jake. I didn't know you were inside.
Must have missed you."

Jake grins at her
and says, "Had to go to the bathroom. Wanted to wash up and all
that."

"Great. Can we
go now?" I ask impatiently.

"Yep. Waiting
on you," he tells me, with a grin aimed my way this time.

Funny how at one
time, that grin would have sent sparks shooting through me. Now, it
pretty much just irritates me.

I
struggle to stand and he rushes down the steps to help. I tell him
thanks once I'm upright again, then I give Rose instructions to call
me if there's any news of Will and she promises to do so,
immediately
.
Jake and I head for his truck where he helps me inside, then jogs to
the driver's side. At last, we're off on our own search for Will.

"I drove the
back roads around here but didn't see any sign of him. Figured we'd
go toward the interstate," Jake says.

I
nod my head, only half paying attention. My focus is on both sides of
the road, trying to x-ray vision through all the buildings, trees,
and bushes he could possibly hide behind. I know he's most likely
much further away than this, but he couldn't have gotten all
that
far on foot. And of course, there's always the possibility―
No!

I won't think
about that.

We
come to the turn-off for the highway and Jake stops the truck, asking
me which direction I want to start. If this had been anyone but Will,
I would have immediately said to go toward St. Thomas. But it
is
Will, and with his horrible sense of direction, he could have gone
anywhere. I start feeling frustrated, afraid of making the wrong
choice, a choice that ends up being the one that kills him.

Jake must realize
this because he takes the decision away from me, saying it's better
we go north first as he thinks the other guys who are also searching
for Will, most likely went south. I nod my head in agreement and we
turn to the right.

Halfway to the
Nebraska border, which is only about twenty miles from my sister's
exit, is a small group of cars. In the center of those cars, we can
see an undead bent over someone, tearing and ripping into his or her
flesh.

My heart lodges in
my throat making it hard to breathe. It definitely makes it
impossible to say anything - although I do let out a small, strangled
moan. I look at Jake in desperation, begging him with my eyes to tell
me it's not Will.