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

things. You stay right there.”
Alex snorted. “As if I’ve got anywhere to go, but can’t I take a shower, at least? I stink.”
“You do,” Amy agreed. “But you’d better hurry up. The sooner we get your medicine, the happier I’ll be.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Alex replied, amused by this bossy side of her. She’d certainly grown into a feisty young woman while he was gone.
He dragged his aching body up the stairs for a quick shower and fresh clothes. It was worth the pain to be clean again and dressed in something that didn’t reek of sweat. In the meantime, Amy packed a basket of food and water, pulled their mom’s old car out of the garage, and carried his saddlebags inside.
“You’ve got a lot of guns here,” she remarked.
“Yup, and we’ll need every single one in the days to come,” he remarked. “Is there any ammo in the safe?”
“I think so,” Amy replied, bustling off to check. She returned with a couple of boxes, and they reloaded all the weapons.
Amy wore her mom’s pistol on her belt, and carried the shotgun, while Alex stuck to his carbine, sidearm, and knife. The hammer and other pistol they tucked into the glove compartment in the car, while Amy got the extra knife.
She stared at it with distaste. “This is the same knife that guy stuck into you.”
“Maybe, but it’s a good quality blade,” Alex replied, watching as she added the sheath to her belt. “It’ll come in handy, trust me.”
“If you say so,” she replied. “Now let’s get going. It’s after six in the morning already.”
“What about the chickens?” he asked.
“I let them out and scattered some feed,” Amy said. “Even if we don’t come back they’ll be fine. They can live off worms and insects.”
“Good to know,” he replied, walking to the driver’s side with a decided limp. He felt better after eating and washing, but he was still a far way from anything resembling his old self.
Amy shook her head. “You can’t drive. Not like that.”
“I can, and I will, Missy. I’ll be damned if I let my kid sister chauffeur me around like an invalid,” Alex said. “Besides, it’s not that far.”
Amy sighed. “Fine, but if you crash mom’s car, she’s coming back to haunt you.”
Alex laughed for the first time in days, the permanent knot of ice in his belly fading away. Even under the circumstances, it felt good to be home.

Chapter 16 - Dylan
Dylan drove for about ten minutes before she pulled over to check the suitcase she’d loaded into the back. A glance at the mirror convinced her of the necessity. Vandalia was only a few minutes away, and from what Maddie had told her, there could be roadblocks and militia roaming about.
There was no chance in hell that any sane person would allow her into their town looking the way she did. Blood had dried in runnels across her face, and her hair and clothes were matted with the stuff. The flannel sleeve bandage had done its job but looked ridiculous. She had to make an effort to clean up before she went ahead. Much as she hated the idea of braving the town and its possibly hostile inhabitants, she had no choice. There was no way around it that she knew off, and she couldn’t risk getting lost.
She unzipped the bag on the back seat and rummaged through the contents. It contained a change of clothes, a bag of toiletries, a book of poetry, a dead cellphone, and a towel. “Is that it? No food, no weapons, nothing?”
Dylan slammed the bag down as a fit of rage overtook her. Everything that had happened to her since she’d first left her apartment the day before came rushing back. The mad rush at the store, the zombies, getting bitten, Ben abandoning her, Frankie, the map, everything.
“Why me, huh? Why is it always me?” she screamed in frustration at no one and everyone. “Haven’t I been through enough?”
Maddie’s face flashed before her eyes. Cold and self-righteous. The words she’d uttered rang through Dylan’s ears. Full of hatred and spite. “The fact remains, you’re a monster, and you deserve to die.”
“Oh, yeah? Wait until I catch you, you smug little bitch. Even Kyle won’t save you then. I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands and feast on your beating heart.” A red tint washed the world in blood, and Dylan lost herself in a sea of anger. Her body moved of its own volition as she raged at her surroundings, not caring who or what might hear her.
At the back of her mind, she was aware of the loss of control but couldn’t stop herself. When she finally came to, her throat was raw from all the screaming, and she’d beaten her fists black and blue against the roof of the car.
Exhausted, she sagged backward and closed her eyes until the dizziness passed. Her hands ached, and so did her head. Even worse, she couldn’t understand why she’d lost it like that. Sure, she hated Maddie, and if she ran into the woman, it wouldn’t be pretty, but… “This isn’t me. Why am I acting like this?”
Dylan had no answers to any of her questions and dragged her attention back to the present. “Let’s get cleaned up and get through Vandalia. After that…well…we’ll see.”
She pulled the suitcase over again and rummaged through the clothes, removing a fresh button-down shirt and sleeveless vest. The owner had been a man, but a slender one luckily. With her bloodied top and jacket changed, she felt better already. It still didn’t solve her other problems, though.
With a copious amount of spit, she cleaned the worst of the blood from her face with the towel. The matted hairdo was a complete loss, however. Even touching the injured area was a no-go. In the end, she settled for a bandana fashioned from a t-shirt she found in the bag, folding and tying it back in the nape of her neck. “Ah, crap. I