Apocalypse Z (A Zombie Novel) by G.E. Swanson Page B

already been put into an old ambulance, sitting in a bay. Mark got in and looked around. “Hey, where are the keys?”
    Lisa, Amy, and Dedee started to look around, but couldn’t find them. Lisa asked, “Did you check the visor?”
    Mark flipped it down and they fell into his lap. He started it up and yelled, “Okay, everybody in. Jeff, you push the door up and let’s go.”
    Jeff unlatched the door and pushed, but it didn’t open. He pushed harder, but still no luck. “I think it’s locked from the outside.”
    Mark turned the engine off and went over to where Jeff was at. They both pushed and could tell there was another latch outside. They looked out through the window in the shop door and saw close to a hundred zombies outside.
    Mark went over and sat down in a chair by a desk. Disgusted, he said, “Perfect! This is abso-fuckin-lutely perfect!”
    Lisa asked, “How are we going to get out of here?”
    Mark threw his hands in the air. “I don’t know. Someone has to go outside and throw the latch, but they will probably have to cut a lock first. Only thing is they have to sneak past the hundred zombies out in front of the shop.” Mark looked around and asked, “Any volunteers?”
    Everyone was silent and looked at each other for some kind of hope. Sheryl stepped out of the ambulance and got a set of bolt cutters from the wall. She asked Mark, “Who’s faster? You or your brother?”
    “Both of us are about the same, I guess.”
    “I’m going to call over to the hospital and see if I can get them to yell out the door, from the roof, or bang on the windows. Anything they can do to draw the zombie’s attention their way. One of you run out, do what you need to do, and get your ass back in here.”
    Mark sat up. “You know, that’s not a bad idea. It just might work.”
    Sheryl went over to a phone on the desk. She called several extensions before she got an answer. Within three minutes, people were on the roof yelling at the zombies. One man held the door open and yelled until they started coming to close, then he retreated back in. Others banged on the second floor windows. Some were open and people yelled out through them. One person must have gotten into the blood bank, because a bag of blood was poured down the outside wall.
    The blood worked fine and they swarmed around that area of the building. Mark ran out, and while he was busy cutting the lock, two zombies came back. When he threw the latch and turned around, one was practically on top of him. He swung the bolt cutters and connected with the zombie’s jaw, sending it flying off into some bushes and the zombie fell. He stood beside it and swung them like a golf club. Its head caved in like a raw egg sending dark, thick blood across the grass.
    He stepped toward the second one and jabbed at it. The cutters went in the zombie’s chest and came out through its back. He stepped to the side and jerked the handle. There was a gushy, wet, tearing sound as he almost ripped the zombie in half.
    Mark quickly ran back into the shop and Jet slammed the door behind him. Mark got in and started the engine while Jeff pushed the door up. He ran to the back and got in with Jet, who was waiting for him. Mark pulled out and started to leave. Just before he hit the parking lot, he stopped. He sat and looked in the side view mirror.
    Lisa yelled, “Mark! What are you doing? Let’s go!”
    He thought, I really should return the favor, as he watched the zombies start walking toward them.
    Lisa slapped his arm and screamed at him. “Mark, I know what you’re thinking! Don’t do it!”
    Mark smiled and glanced at Lisa. She slapped his arm again, “Shit! You’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?”
    Mark put the ambulance in reverse and accelerated backward into the horde of zombies. Lisa grabbed onto the dash and screamed, “Maarrrrk! Noooooo!”
    The ambulance bounced and swayed as it plowed through them. Everyone in the back screamed as they were bounced