INFECTED (Click Your Poison) (25 page)

Cooper says nothing, but she doesn’t have to. The shock on her face says it all.

•
 
“Let’s just go find the others.”

MAKE YOUR CHOICE

B
randishing your axe, you charge down the hill after Lucas. The two of you huff in silence; only the browned forest floor crunching beneath your feet announces your presence. It’s odd; you feel like you should be whooping out a war cry, but you know better. Your army of two must move like a pair of wisps through the woods.

The zombies turn as you approach. You can see their faces change from blank, sodden expressions like those of a corpse on a gurney, to lewd joy, like a grifter about to make the big score.

In movements as elegant as a ballroom dancer, Lucas’ body flows behind the power of his sword. Its edge moves cleanly through the necks of the two standing ghouls, leaving just the one crawling on the ground. The blows are so succinctly perfect, the zombies take two more steps toward Lucas before the muscles realize that their connection to the brain has been severed. They fall to the earth in heaps.

Your zombie’s lower jaw has been stripped of skin from the days he’s spent crawling on the ground. You can see the tendons and muscle fibers moving as he snaps his jaws at you. Like a hooded executioner before the king, you bring your axe down upon the fiend.

You tried to make a show of it, like Lucas, by beheading the man. Your axe, however, is far blunter than his katana. You have to hack at the poor soul’s neck six times before you finally sever the connection. Eventually, the gruesome deed is done.

Lucas tips his face mask back as he approaches. He squeezes your arm and says, “I never thought I would find friendship again in this life, but here you are!” Then the moment is broken as he ushers you away. You both look down and see that the severed head snaps its jaws at you still.

“Be on the lookout for those,” Lucas says. You bring down your axe down on the head, opening it up like a watermelon and stilling it for good.

“After you,” and you open your hand to Lucas to indicate that you’re ready to continue.

Lucas nods. “The shelter should not be too much further from here, but I do not want to go through the marshes at night. Let us stake an early camp up ahead and by lunch tomorrow we will be in the company of other survivors. I cannot wait for you to meet my sister; you will like her!”

•
 
“Sounds good. I’ll take first watch.”

•
 
“I bet I will! Do you mind taking first watch? I’m a little tired.”

MAKE YOUR CHOICE

W
hatever Phoenix gave you to drink sure was strong. Your head’s spinning. He makes himself a line of coke on the coffee table and snorts it with labored grunts of delight. He rises from the couch and stumbles over toward the balcony. He slides the glass door open with a pull and staggers onto the balcony with such uncoordinated steps, you think he might fall over the railing.

But he catches himself, throws up his arms, and yells, “Thank you, Lewis Deleon! I’m gonna live forever,
motherfuckers
!”

Either the Doctor slipped you some Rohypnol, or the expensive stuff is far more potent. Either way, you’re feeling like a lightweight. Nothing is steady in your vision. He definitely spiked your drink.

Coming back into the skyrise apartment, Phoenix extends a hand to the girl without panties, the bottomless hooker, and helps her to her feet. He turns around to you. “I’m going upstairs with this one. You can stay down here with that one… or come on up with us. It’s up to you.”

•
 
There is no bottom to your need to party. So why not head upstairs with that handsome Doctor and the girl with no bottom layers?

•
 
“I’ll stay down here, thanks.”

MAKE YOUR CHOICE