World of Ashes II (42 page)

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I feel I should give a special mention to another author, John. H. Holmes, creator and editor of the “Even Zombie Killers Get the Blues” anthology. What ended up being World of Ashes: II was originally supposed to be a short entry into one of his independent author compilations. That story would have ended at Crystal River, but I just couldn’t let it go. I feel kinda bad about commandeering my own entry, but in the end it will be for the best.

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Yes, the character of Nicole is largely based on my own ex-fiancé. No, I’m not going to tell you what happened. Mix ammonia and bleach and you’ll get the picture.

(p.s. Don’t actually mix ammonia and bleach. That makes chlorine gas and you might die before you can read the next book!)

Vocab

Field Expedient Happy Sack:
Slang; an improvised male-masturbation aid consisting of a sock, a latex glove, two blousing straps, and some lube. You figure it out from there.

IR Tab:
Patch of plastic material that reflects infrared light. Used by U.S. and allied nations to mark Friendly Combatants to prevent fratricide. Our heroes use them to mark zombies.

POG: Acronym;
Person Other than Grunt. Originally applied only to Infantry, but can be used to make fun of anyone who is a better office worker than a soldier.

Headshed:
Slang; Headquarters unit or building.