Rotting to the Core (Keep Your Crowbar Handy Book 2) by S.P. Durnin Page B

approximately 2,900 feet per
second and, had George not had a pair of Long-Arm sniper rifles, he
would've purchased a pair of them long ago. That likely meant the
dark-haired woman knew a thing or two about marksmanship, but
anyone who'd survived this long surrounded by the dead would have
to be a decent shot, anyway.
    She wasn't alone in the truck, as it turned
out. A pair of armed men; one with a brief ring of hair just over
his ears, approximately in his late forties, the other perhaps in
his mid-twenties with a ridiculous “mullet”, piled out of the
passenger door holding weapons of their own. Both wore long-sleeve
shirts, jeans, work boots, and were none too happy looking.
    “Dammit, Penny, where the hell did they go?”
Mullet demanded.
    “How the fuck should I know?” The woman
replied, looking at him in obvious disgust. Jake assumed she was
Penny. “You were the one who was supposed to be on watch,
remember? Why the hell didn't you call us when you first saw them,
Benjamin?”
    Mullet glared at her. “Because they were too
goddamn close. They were hiding behind the first trailer and turned
around just as I noticed them. I think the chick got nervous or
something, and convinced the dude to go out around the
neighborhood.”
    Penny looked about, bringing up her
Remington. “Did you do something stupid? Did they see you?”
    “They didn't see shit.” Mullet flipped her
the bird and pulled an oversized .357 from the back of his pants.
“Why ya think I didn't call sooner? I didn't want them to hear us
on the radio and take off.”
    Penny shook her head. “How'd that plan work
out? You were probably asleep in the van again, weren't you?”
    “Fuck you, ya stupid dyke.” Ben spat.
    “Fuck you. And I'm not a dyke,
asshole. I like penis just fine. I just don't wanna see yours. ” Penny laughed.
    “Think they're in the school?” The older one
asked, attempting to quell an argument and giving the building a
once-over. He carried a well-worn Ruger M77 and looked like he knew
how to use it.
    “Jerry's right, we need to check. If they're
in there, they probably didn't hear the truck and we could get the
drop on them.” Penny grabbed the truck keys and locked her
door.
    Ben made a rude noise. “Why'd you take the
keys? Not like zombies can drive or something.”
    “So if those two slip by us they can't use
the truck to get away, dumbass .” Penny pushed by him and
began striding towards the schools nearest door. “Besides, you feel
like walking all the way back and telling her why we lost
the truck?”
    “Uh. No.” Ben paled slightly.
    Penny snorted in disgust. “Didn't think so.
You and Jerry check the second floor. I'll head down to the
cafeteria.”
    The trio hurried inside the high school and
Jake turned to Kat.
    “Good call back there at the trailer
park.”
    “Thanks.” Kat beamed. “Penny and Co. sure
seem determined to find us, don't they? I wonder why?”
    Jake cocked an eyebrow. “Do we care? Are we
caring about this?”
    Kat shrugged. “I dunno. I guess not.”
    After thinking about it for a minute, Jake
sighed. “We have to find out. I doubt those three are part of the
group that took Allen, Maggie, and the girls, but I'm pretty sure
they don't have anyone's best interests at heart.”
    Cho became hesitant. “Umm. Laurel told me to
watch out for you, and doing something stupid, like going in there
after...”
    “She's my girlfriend, not my mother,” Jake
told her. “And did I complain about your crazy plan to zip-line
over a street full of zombies?”
    “Yes. Quite a bit, as I recall,” Kat reminded
him.
    Jake waved that off. “Besides, you think it's
the first time they've done this? You heard them. They had that Ben
guy hiding in a van, waiting for anyone that happened by. Pretty
dirty. Even before everything went to shit, that's not really a
practice normal people would engage in.”
    Kat frowned. “Okay... But how did this become our problem?”
    “Would you want someone