Read Affliction Z: Abandoned Hope (Post Apocalyptic Thriller) for Free Online

this
time.
    When it came down to it, Marcus would do anything Turk
asked, even if it meant taking a life.
    “Get in the car,” Turk said, opening the driver’s door.
    “Ain’t like there’s anyone to bust us,” Marcus said.
    “Just shut up for a while.” He’d always said his little
brother would never grow up. And now, it didn’t matter.
    Turk fired up the big V-8 engine and pulled out of the gas
station parking lot. Traffic was lighter than he had expected. Charleston
wasn’t a small town. It wouldn’t be mistaken for a sprawling metropolis either.
Still, he’d thought that more people would be on the road, coming or going,
than he saw.
    He avoided the interstate, instead taking back roads toward
the airport. This was the only trip he planned on making. In all, he planned on
five people arriving, including Sean’s wife, Kathy. He’d never met the woman,
although Sean had told him plenty about her years ago. From what Turk recalled,
she was tough and resilient. She’d be an asset in his community, not a
liability. He’d have welcomed her either way. Anything for an old friend.
    Turk turned into an area designated as the cell phone
waiting lot. There, people could sit and wait for the person they were picking
up to call them and let them know they were standing outside the airport.
    Charleston’s airport was small, consisting of only a couple
gates. Large rocking chairs sat in the lobby in front of an expansive window
that overlooked the runway. Turk had come to appreciate the quaintness of the
airport during his travels. He’d often sit down in one of those rockers for
fifteen minutes after a return flight home.
    “Airport’s up there,” Marcus said.
    Turk nodded. “I know.”
    “Then what are we doing here?”
    “Waiting and watching.”
    “Why don’t we go to the airport?”
    “You are aware of what has happened today, right? You
remember the stuff I’ve been preparing you for? It’s occurring now. You want to
run up to the front doors, be my guest. I’m waiting right here.”
    “Why?” Marcus rolled down his window and spat. He pulled out
a cigarette.
    “Take that outside the car,” Turk said. “And the reason
we’re waiting is because we’ve got no idea what is going on inside that
building. We don’t know if that plane right there carried one hundred infected
people. We’ll get some confirmation soon, and then we’ll go down there. But not
until then.”
    Marcus disappeared around the back of the van and into the
woods. Turk wasn’t worried about him. Judging by the empty parking lot, he
wouldn’t find anyone to bother.
    Turk pulled a pair of field glasses from his coat pocket and
surveyed the airport. The sun had started its descent. They had two hours of
natural light left. He had no intentions of being out after it went down. The
lack of communications meant that he had no idea when people would arrive, if
they arrived at all. He couldn’t even call what he intended to do a plan. The
seed had already been planted in his mind that he’d have to return to the
airport in the morning. He cursed at himself then, realizing that they should
have brought a second vehicle and left it parked at the airport. Then anyone
who arrived after he and Marcus had left would have a means of transporting
themselves to his compound. After all, he doubted that there would be any cab
or bus service after today.
    Marcus emerged from the woods behind the lot and walked up
to Turk’s window.
    “There’s some dude passed out back there,” Marcus said.
    “Just leave him alone,” Turk said.
    Marcus held up a burlap sack and a bottle of Jack. “I did. I
just grabbed these things.”
    “Goddammit, Marcus.” Turk grabbed the latch and opened his
door.
    Marcus jumped back as Turk hopped out of the Suburban.
    Turk moved in quickly, shoving Marcus, who tripped as he
stepped backward.
    Turk said, “What if that guy’s sick? You think of that? That
shit you’re holding could be infected.”
    Marcus