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

you know. They can think and feel, just like you and me,” Dylan said.
Maddie flashed her a pitying smile. “They only look human, but it doesn’t mean they are. Their souls are gone. The thing that remains behind is a monster that must be killed.”
“Even Kyle? What if he gets infected?”
Maddie hesitated, her lips quivering before she nodded. “Even Kyle. If he becomes infected, I’ll release him from his suffering.”
An angry retort rose to Dylan’s lips, but she shut them without saying a word. People like Maddie and those of Millersville were the most dangerous kind in the world. They were worse than serial killers and murderers, rapists and thieves, for they believed themselves to be right.
Instead, she kept quiet, all the time vowing to keep both eyes on her at all times. The sooner I get rid of her, the better. I feel sorry for Kyle, though. Imagine what she’d do to him if he got bitten. What she’d do to me if she knew I was infected.

Chapter 12 - Dylan
After Millersville, nobody felt much like talking. Kyle alternated between napping on the back seat or staring at his mother with a grim expression, while Maddie concentrated on the countryside. Now and then she’d flash Dylan a strange look, one that made the latter squirm in her seat.
Dylan was caught between two opposites, pity for Kyle and loathing for Maddie. She prayed the rest of the trip would be uneventful, and that she could get rid of the crazy Madeline without anything else going wrong, but her instincts told her that was highly unlikely.
At least, I have a gun, and she doesn’t. As long as I keep an eye on her, it should be okay, Dylan thought, shifting in her seat once more.
As the minutes passed, she became hyper-aware of the bite wound on her forearm. The edge of the bandage stuck out from her sleeve whenever she moved in a certain way, and it was the last thing she wanted Maddie to notice.
The wound itself itched and burned too, and a couple of times she caught herself scratching at the material of her jacket while Maddie watched. The fourth time it happened, she forced a bright smile onto her face and her hand back onto the wheel before saying, “So, you’re going to your mother’s house in Vandalia?”
“That’s right,” Maddie said. “She says it’s safe. They’ve set up a neighborhood watch and everything for the zombies.”
“It sounds nice,” Dylan said, trying to keep her voice light.
“What about you?” Maddie asked. “Where are you going?”
“To a friend in Kentucky. She lives on a farm, and I reckon it’ll be a good bet.”
“I see,” Maddie answered before resuming her vigil of the countryside.
Dylan suppressed a tense sigh, praying Maddie hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. She glanced at the fuel gauge and the odometer. They still had three-quarters left in the tank, and only about thirty minutes to go before they reached Vandalia. Thank, fuck. I just hope Vandalia hasn’t gone to the dogs yet.
“When was the last time you heard from your mother? What does Vandalia look like with the outbreak?” Dylan asked.
Maddie shrugged. “She called me before the networks crashed. The citizens have set up a kind of militia, and they’re patrolling the streets for infected. They’re trying to block off the town, build walls and roadblocks.”
“Will they let us through?” Dylan asked, worry setting in. She didn’t trust homegrown militias. Or mobs. Not after what she’d seen at Millersville.
“I’m sure of it. I’ve got a letter from my mom with her address and everything on it in my pocket. I grew up there, too. There’s nothing I don’t know about that place,” Maddie said without a hint of fear.
Dylan nodded, hoping she was right. If not, she’d shoot the first bugger who tried to touch her. “Okay. I’ll take your word for it.”
They’d been driving for another ten minutes when Dylan spotted a three-car pile-up blocking the road. She slowed and maneuvered to the side, hoping to bypass the accident when Kyle tapped the window and said, “Wait! Someone is moving inside that car.”
Dylan gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to slam her hands on the wheel. This was exactly the kind of situation she’d hoped to avoid. Another delay. Another few precious minutes lost. “Are you sure?”
“He’s right. There is someone inside that car. They might be hurt,” Maddie said.
Dylan looked at the light. The sun hung low, and dusk was almost upon them. “It’s getting late. We should keep going.”
“We can’t just leave them,” Kyle protested, ever the good Samaritan.
Dylan sighed. “Fine, let’s have a look, but we should hurry.”
She pulled the car off to the side and got out, one hand resting on her gun. Maddie followed after telling Kyle to stay put.
“But, Mom…” he protested.
“Your mom’s right, Kyle. We don’t know what’s waiting up ahead. Stay in the car,” Dylan said.
She glanced at Maddie. “Ready?”
Maddie scouted around before picking up a rock the size of her fist and nodded. “Let’s go.”
“We should take it slow. This could be a trap,” Dylan warned.
“I get it.”
They crossed the distance to the accident with slow steps, and Dylan quickly became aware of a few things. The car closest to them was empty. It had taken the brunt of the collision, and all the windows were smashed to bits.
Maddie’s shoes crunched across the broken glass before she squatted down and pointed at a splash of blood. A trail of the crimson liquid led to the driver’s side door which yawned open, but there was no sign of anyone. No corpse either.
“The blood is old,” Dylan said, noting its blackened and congealed state.
“Yeah, I think the driver got hurt but walked away,” Maddie said.
“He or she couldn’t have gotten far. Not injured like that.”
“Maybe, or maybe someone picked them up,” Maddie said. “What about the truck? It looks like there’s someone in there.”
Dylan moved closer to the vehicle in question and peered into the front.