Rise of the Undead Box Set | Books 1-3 | Apocalypse Z

a rifle, a hunting knife, and the hammer that nearly ended his dream of becoming a father one day. He stuck them all into his saddlebags before straddling the seat. “Here goes.”
He rode away from the site of the ambush, clinging to the handlebars like a monkey. The vibrations of the engine traveled through his injured middle and caused fiery pain to shoot up his side. His bruised shoulder throbbed in time to the beat of his heart. In no time at all, he had to stop to take a break.
After the third stop, Alex had to face the truth. He wasn’t getting home that day. He’d have to spend another night by the side of the road. Two hundred miles was just too far in his current condition, and he’d better start looking for shelter. Plus, he’d have to take the back roads to avoid Louisville. If it was anything like St. Louis, it was no place for him, hurt like he was. On the one hand, it meant a safer journey, but on the other, it would take longer too. “Damn it all to hell. I’m sorry, Amy, but I’ll be there soon. Just hold on.”

Chapter 10 - Dylan
Dylan navigated through the streets of Sharpsburg and headed South-East to Taylorville. It was past noon already, and banks of gray clouds had moved in on the horizon. The countryside flashed by her window, its colors muted and dull beneath the sunless sky. An occasional farmhouse showed in the distance surrounded by crops and fields, but she paid little attention to any of it.
Instead, she remembered how the undead had surrounded her at the house and pulled over to transfer her supplies from the trunk to the back seat. Her stomach rumbled, and she ate another energy bar and drank a soda.
After that, she hit the road once more, following the route mapped out by Frankie. It was a good one which avoided the most densely populated areas where possible. With the window open a crack, she lit another cigarette from her small stash and drove as fast as the old sedan allowed.
She made good progress in this manner, passing through both Taylorville and Owaneco without mishap. She slowed down and drove with care, keeping an eye on her surroundings and steering clear of anything that looked like trouble.
The road wasn’t empty. There was other traffic. People like her heading for safer climes, maybe looking for something or someone. Once, she spotted a wreck and slowed to investigate. There was blood smeared on the windows, and she wondered if the driver had become a zombie. Anything was possible now.
At one stage, she fiddled with the radio but failed to pick up any stations. Nor had Susan possessed anything in the way of music, so the time passed in absolute silence. She was starting to wish for company when she spotted a woman and child standing next to a stranded car. The woman waved her down, and Dylan pulled over but kept the doors and windows shut. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, please. We need help. Our car’s run out of gas,” the woman said with a friendly smile. “If you could give us a little, I’d be very grateful.”
“I don’t have any to spare. Sorry.”
“We don’t need much. Just enough to get us to the next town, Millersville. It’s not far, and we can get more there,” the woman replied, her smile becoming strained.
Dylan looked at her fuel gauge and shook her head. She couldn’t afford to part with any of her precious fuel. Not if she wanted to make it to Fort Knox. Who knew when she might get the chance to fill up again. “Where are you headed?”
“To Vandalia,” the woman replied. “My mother lives there in a gated community. She says it’s pretty safe, and I have to look after my son. He’s all I’ve got.”
“I can’t give you any fuel, but I can give you a lift. It’s on my way,” Dylan said, eyeing the boy who waved at her through the window.
The woman’s shoulders sagged with relief. “You’d take us all the way there? That’s so kind of you. Thank you so much.”
“It’s okay. Just load your stuff into the trunk, and we can get going,” Dylan said, popping the back open.
She watched while the boy and his mom transferred their luggage then unlocked the doors to let them in. As the woman slid into the seat next to her, she introduced herself. “My name’s Madeline, but everyone calls me Maddie. This is Kyle.”
Kyle ducked his head and waved, and Dylan guessed him to be about fourteen. “I’m Dylan. Nice to meet you,” she replied. “Buckle up; we’ve got a ways to go.”
As she steered onto the road once more, she couldn’t help but glance at her watch.
Sixty-seven hours and counting.
The first few minutes passed in awkward silence. Dylan had no idea what to say to the strange woman sitting next to her, or her son. After a while, she cleared her throat. “There’s food and water in the back seat. Help yourselves.”
The boy, Kyle, looked at his mom. “Can I, Mom? Please?”
Maddie glanced from Dylan to her son before nodding. “Okay, but don’t eat everything, sweetie. It doesn’t belong to us.”
Dylan suppressed a grin as Kyle tore into the energy bars and sodas, probably the closest he’d gotten to candy in days. His mother chose a bottle of water and a packet of dried fruit, chewing slowly as she stared ahead.
“Thank you for the food,” Maddie said after finishing her apricots. “We ran out a day ago, and I’ve been too scared to stop anywhere to get more.”
Dylan nodded. “Don’t mention it. Things are pretty crazy at the moment.”
“Where are you headed? Have you got a family?” Maddie asked.
“Not me. I’m a foster kid,” Dylan replied.
“I’m sorry,” Maddie said.
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Dylan longed for a smoke, but a quick look at Kyle munching away in the back seat deterred her.
“What happened