Learning To Live (Zombie Overload Series)
Read Learning To Live (Zombie Overload Series) Online
Authors: C. M. Wright
To Live
Third
Book In The Zombie Overload Series
C.
M. Wright
© 2012 C.M. Wright
All
Rights Reserved
Cover copyright © 2012 by
Trisha Wilko
Cover Model Trisha Wilko
Edited By Roxane Przygoda
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.
Reproduction in whole
or part of this publication without express written consent is
strictly prohibited. The author greatly appreciates you for taking
the time to read their work.
Please consider leaving a
review wherever you bought the book, or tell your friends or blog
readers about the Zombie Overload Series, to help spread the word.
Thank you for your support.
This book is for Stasha-my
little zombie expert.
And for all my fans-thanks for
making my dream come true.
Table Of Contents
Chapters
Thirty-Seven-
Will's
Point of View
Special
Thanks and Acknowledgments
Characters
from Book One and Book Two that are either
mentioned
often
or
are still
active
in whole or in part of Book Three.
*
"( )" 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. Also was 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)
WARNING!
Reading books one and two in the Zombie Overload Series is
highly
recommended.
This book is
not
a stand-alone.
One
Jake
and I walk back to my sister's house together, saying nothing. When
the house comes into view, I slow my steps, hesitating.
"Hey,
what's wrong?" Jake asks me softly.
"I'm
just remembering the last time I was here. We had Christmas in July
with my family." I duck my head and fight back the tears. "Do
you really think he's dead, Jake?" Even
I
can hear the
desperate hope in my voice.
"He
could still be alive," Jake offers, unconvincingly.
I
stare hard at him for a few moments. "Come on, Jake. I trust
you, of all people, to be honest
with me. He's dead. Possibly-hell!-
probably
undead.
Sure, he had his gun. But how long will the bullets last? He gets
lost easily, so there is a very slim chance he could make it here on
his own, even if he did live. Hell! He even got lost a couple times
trying to come home from the store! So, if he actually is still
alive-and I know he's
not
-he'll
be in more and more danger every second he spends being lost. He's
smart and strong enough, but he's only one man. We've had a bitch of
a time trying to stay alive with the
entire
group
fighting, so what are his odds? As
I've said before, not everyone is going to live, no matter how much
we love them. That was true even
before
all
hell broke loose, but even more so now."
Jake
studies me, no doubt searching for the right words to say. I just
shake my head. There
are
no
right words he can say to me to make me feel better. I walk around
him, squeezing his arm
to
show I'm not upset with him, and enter the house-straight into an
insane world of chaos.
Noise,
movement, voices...
laughter
!
My family has no idea how much I need this, especially right now. The
fact that my family
can
laugh
and enjoy each others company is something that makes my family
special to me. We always have a good time together, even when we
argue and fight. It's
family-
the
largest group of people who love you
in spite of all your faults, yet aren't afraid to tell you exactly
what your faults are.
Ricky
is talking to my other brothers, Ryder and Andy. All three are in a
debate over what started this "zombie bullshit". I chuckle
as it turns heated within seconds. Typical.
Familiar.
Rose,
Mom, and Kally are making food for everyone, while Coco is helping
Lindey with all the babies. Dad and Rose's fiancé, Kurt, are
sitting at the table writing up plans to make the home and property
more secure. Ma is sitting across the table from them, eating. Jake
is helping a very pale and weak Greg up the stairs, most likely to
find a bedroom for Greg to rest in. Sara and Sam are sitting on a
sofa in the living room, seeming to be dazed and uncomfortable at all
the commotion, and they both look more than a little terrified, as
well.
I'm
very
happy to see Sara tied and restrained again. I notice the
kids give her a wide berth, so I have to assume they were warned to
stay away from her. Or it could be the nasty looks she keeps throwing
at them if they even look in her direction.
I
hope that cloth tied over her mouth is tight enough not only to keep
her from biting, but to also keep her from saying any-damn-thing.
Maybe I should make sure it's as tight as possible and, hmm, duct
tape anyone? Needle and thread? Staples!
I
notice Mom has clean clothes on, so I bet the first thing she did was
jump in the tub. Maybe I should, too.
I
let Mom know that I'm going to shower and she promises to put a plate
back for me. I go back outside to the Hummer and open the back
storage compartment. Taking out bag after bag, I finally find my
suitcase. Automatically, I grab a set of fatigues, but after holding
them for a minute, I stuff them back in my bag and pull out a pair of
jeans, underwear, sweatshirt, and the bag of toiletries.