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

looked at the sack in his lap and the bottle he still
clutched in his hand. He spun the cap around the top of the bottle, grinning.
    “Don’t do it,” Turk said.
    Marcus lifted the bottle to his lips and tilted it upward.
He drank half the whiskey in the bottle.
    Turk pulled his Sig Sauer P226 from its holster and aimed it
at his brother. Marcus smiled, holding the bottle out to the side. Turk
adjusted his aim and fired, shattering the whiskey bottle into a thousand
pieces.
    Marcus scooted back like a sand crab, eventually getting to
his feet. He reached behind him and pulled out his pistol.
    “What the fuck, Turk?”
    Turk kept his Sig steady, aiming in the general direction of
his brother. “I told you to quit screwing around. Now, either you start taking
this seriously, or I’m gonna send the next shot—”
    The familiar whooping sound of a cop car cut him off. Turk
glanced over and saw flashing blue and red lights. A voice came over the
speaker. “Put your weapons on the ground.”
    Turk turned toward the cop car and took a step away from his
vehicle. In his peripheral vision he saw his brother shuffle back a few feet
and then start toward him. Turk lowered his weapon to the ground while
maintaining a tight grip.
    “Put your weapons on the ground now,” the cop instructed.
    “Move along,” Turk shouted. “This has nothing to do with
you.”
    The police car darted forward and into the lot, stopping
twenty feet away from Turk and his brother, who now stood next to him. The door
flung open and the cop got out, using the door as a shield. He had his piece
drawn and aimed in their direction.
    “Get the fuck outta here, man,” Marcus said.
    Turk held up his free hand. “Marcus, quiet. Let me handle
this.” He took a few steps forward.
    The cop swiveled his gun in Turk’s direction. “Don’t move.”
    “Okay, look, I’m stopping right here. Listen to me. We’re
only here to get a few family members who are coming in. Surely, you know that
the world is going crazy today. There’s more important things for you to be
doing than policing the streets.”
    “Drop your weapon,” the cop said.
    Turk didn’t. “I’m not putting this gun down.”
    The cop straightened and adjusted his aim. “Drop your damn—”
    A shot rang out. Turk flinched to his right, dropped to one
knee and brought his Sig up, ready to fire at the cop. But the uniformed man
had collapsed on the ground. Turk looked over at his brother. Marcus stood
there, smiling and tucking his pistol back in his waistband.
    “Wasted that asshole,” Marcus said proudly.
    “Shit,” Turk yelled, rising to his feet. He lunged at Marcus
and caught him in the stomach with a right hook. His brother bent over, gasping
for air. “Pick yourself up and get in the car. We gotta get out of here now.”
    Turk waited while Marcus staggered around the front of the
Suburban. He flipped on the headlights and caught a disgusted look from his
brother. Marcus stopped and looked back at the cop. A smile crossed his face.
He continued around and opened the door.
    “Dude’s still alive,” Marcus said.
    Turk dropped his chin to his chest and shook his head. He
exhaled heavily and said nothing.
    “Well?”
    “Get in.”
    “You just gonna leave him out here to die? You know ain’t no
ambulance gonna come for him. He’s gonna suffer all night long.”
    Turk lifted his head and turned toward his brother. He
couldn’t help but to finally give in to the notion that his little brother was a psychopath. All the years he’d defended Marcus meant nothing now. For a
moment, he was tempted to end his brother’s life right then and there. He’d
wondered with no law left to rule, how would Marcus react? Turk had just found
out.
    “C’mon, Turk,” Marcus said. “Let me finish him.”
    “One shot to the head.” Turk brought his hand up to his
face. He squeezed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Closing
his eyes, he waited for the fatal shot.
    The cop