Read Dead Legends (Book 1): R.I.P. Van Winkle for Free Online

several. Most of them are harmless, but there are a few that are at each other’s throat all the time, and there is more than one religious cult.”
    “I’m listening.”
    “Well, first off, don’t mess with the Marshal or any of his people. They’re the closest thing to law enforcement around, and they do not like to be messed with. Marshal Crane has some weird tactics, and he’s a complete egomaniac, so steer clear if you can.”
    Yeah, that’ll happen. I need to talk to that fucker, maybe find out why Crayon visited me.
    “Then you have the Knights of New York,” Jake continued. “They’re always at odds with the Marshal; consider them more of the Robin Hood -type. They try and help when and where they can. Most of them are former military, like yourself, and they seem to be generally good people. You should probably talk to their leader, a guy named Patterson.”
    “I think we should talk to them first if we can. Anyone else?”
    “The Riders. They follow the Horseman. They think the zombies are some kind of mystical creatures. They round ’em up instead of killing them, supposedly to offer to the Horseman as some kind of sacrifice. They’re some weird-ass people. The Riders tend not to come into town, and, again, are at odds with Marshal Crane and his boys. Aside from them, I’ve heard of some random mercenaries that we just call Henchmen. Not much to tell about them; I’ve never seen them in town, but if you run into them out in the woods, I’d shoot first and ask questions later.”
    They cleared the wooded area and began their approach into town. From what Rip could tell, the town they were referring to was what remained of Fort Drum. There was a perimeter fence and solid walls around the base, making it an ideal spot to hole up, despite the fact that it wasn’t built like a prison. As they exited the woods, signs began to pop up for the base as well, confirming what he guessed. The road now seemed a little more familiar to him; he’d travelled it many times from his off-base housing on the way to Fort Drum. He’d never stopped on the way to work most mornings, most times driving straight through. It was amazing how much the landscape had changed over the last ten years.
    Rip noticed the outskirts of Fort Drum after a few more minutes. Even if he didn’t know anything about the area, the shops along the route would give it away. Advertisements for liquor stores, strip clubs, and all manner of fast food joints still stood on the side of the road. It was a typical military installation, always something for the troops to do off post and after hours.
    “Ah, shit. Speak of the devil…” Jake said.
    Rip looked up at him, then towards what had caught his attention. A group on horseback was swiftly approaching. They did not appear to be in pursuit, more like a group on patrol. When Rip looked back over to Jake, he was holding his right hand up, his left hand still on the reins.
    “What’re you doing?” Rip growled.
    “I told you to play nice, sergeant. This is your first chance.” Jake squinted at the group as they approached, now a little less than fifty yards away. “They look like some of Marshal Crane’s men. They all wear blaze-orange skullcaps or toboggans and black leather, even in the summer. Makes ’em easier to spot.”
    “Sounds like a bunch of gay guys trying to recreate the Village People.”
    “I had a gay brother-in-law.”
    Rip shrugged. “As long as it doesn’t scare the horses.”
    “What?”
    “Nothing.” Rip nodded towards the group of men. “Time to make the introductions.”
    Six men rode up on horseback. As Jake had pointed out, all six men wore black leather—either vests, biker jackets, or full-length dusters. Adorning their heads were the telltale blaze-orange knit caps. They looked a formidable force, despite their odd choice in clothing. Each man had an M4, with one exception; the odd man out carried what Rip recognized as an MK-14 Mod-0… a modernized