Read Amongst the Dead for Free Online

yelling a plethora of commands on how to react, ultimately leaving her with none. Her breath was caught somewhere between her mouth and lungs making her unable to speak. Her rifle was against the bed at the far end of the room and the .38 was still outside under a rock in a plastic bag.  
    “Turn around, slowly,” the man said.  
    She did as she was told, her arms trembling, the groceries suddenly heavy.  
    “Going somewhere?” he asked, his voice soft, but smoky. Riley’s eyes widened in shock. Sitting before her and leaning back in one of the kitchen chairs was the same man she’d shot a few hours ago. He had a large gun pointed in her direction, his chest looking just fine.  

Chapter Four
    Departure  
    The man patted his chest. “Kevlar vest.” He grinned. “Hurt like a bitch, but I’m alive.”  
    Riley held still, feeling foolish and angry. She should’ve made sure he was dead. Who would’ve figured he had a bullet-proof vest on? She had made another blunder. Her mental notebook was becoming jammed with things to never do again. Maybe she was afraid that if the man she shot wasn’t dead she wouldn’t be able to finish him off. No, that was bullshit, she was assuming and careless.  
    “What do you want?” she asked.  
    “For starters… Why’d you shoot me?”  
    “I thought you were after me, wanted to hurt me.”  
    The man kicked out the chair opposite him and lowered his weapon. “Sit. Relax,” he told her.  
    Riley placed the items down before meandering over to the table where she took a seat. The man pulled an apple from his coat, tossing it to her. She caught it, looking upon it as if it held the answer to the apocalypse.  
    “Haven’t seen one of those in a while, eh?” he asked.  
    “No.” Her stomach was queasy, her mouth watering. Riley’s eyes, like two spherical sponges, absorbed the sight. Her tongue seemed to throb, begging for a taste, but her mind was wary. Was the fruit poisoned?—like in the fairy tale with the witch? Maybe he was going to drug her, make her less of a problem when he had his way with her?  
    “Don’t worry. It’s not poisoned,” he said as if reading her mind. He pulled out another apple and took a bite, the crunching vividness echoing throughout the small cabin. Riley’s mind went blank, her mouth winning over as she brought the fruit to her mouth and bit. Her mouth flooded with saliva, her taste buds thanking her over and over as the sweet sugary juices flowed down her throat. Once she began she couldn’t stop gnawing on the apple, devouring it all down to the core. It was the best thing she’d ever tasted. Riley plucked a seed from the core, admiring it.  
    “Plant that, along with the others, and hopefully in a few years you’ll have yourself a few fruit-bearing trees.” He was only half done with his apple as if it were a common item for him. “You don’t remember me, do you?”  
    “I shot you,” she said flatly.  
    “Before that.”  
    “No.”  
    “I found you at the diner during one of our sweeps.”  
    She remembered now. He’d asked if she was alone, infected. He’d seemed pleasant, his voice and manner genuine, but she wasn’t about to trust him.  
    “I need to go to the bathroom,” she said, placing the skeletal apple core on the table.  
    “Okay, go ahead then.” He gestured to the door.  
    Riley got up, hesitated. Was he tricking her? Once her back was to him would he attack her? Try to force himself on her like his fellow soldier?  
    “Problem?” he asked.  
    “No.” She kept walking, wincing with each step, expecting to be tackled. She reached the door, a sigh of relief falling over her.  
    “We’ve got a lot to discuss and little time so hurry back.”  
    She closed the door behind her. She hadn’t a clue what the man was referring to, but knew running wasn’t an answer. He’d catch her within minutes. The man, after getting shot in the chest, had followed her to the