Read Aftermath (Book 1): Only The Head Will Take Them Down for Free Online

other hand was also raised aloft, waving for attention. The pair walked like this for some time, from the moment the campsite came into view, till the moment the guards eventually became aware of their presence. John had perfected the procedure as a means to avoid alarming the guards, a method of reducing the chance he was shot the second he caught sight of the campsite, perhaps mistaken for some careless bandit or undead creature.
    “Stay where you are”, rang out a low but firm voice, “We’re coming out, do not reach for a weapon”.
The pair simply stood, silent and motionless, until the guard got close enough to see them.
“Just returning from a run, John… John Parker”, John announced, “And Andrew…”, he paused suddenly, abruptly realising he was unaware of his new companions surname.
“Ph…Ph…Phillips!”, stuttered Andrew, the level of fear in his voice clear to all who heard him.
“Alright, come on in. You fellas are just in time, gates are sealing in a couple’ minutes”, said the guard, as he signalled for the door sentries to open up, followed by the unmistakable sound of the bar being lifted, the chains being removed, and every head in the lobby inside turning to face the door.
“I’ll take your bags and have someone bring them back to you once your contributions have been removed”, instructed the sentry, “Welcome back to the Good Night Inn”, he smirked.
 

Chapter 4: Sharing the Wealth
    As John’s eyes opened, he was greeted with a sea of brightness, the dazzling sun outside intertwined with the white of the bright ceiling above, flooding the room with natural light. Slowly he lowered his gaze, the comfortable, warm embrace of a king-sized bed relaxing every muscle in his body, willing him to return to slumber. Instead though, he rolled onto his side, the straight, blonde hair of his wife coming into view, lying peacefully alongside him. He slowly stroked his hand along the arm of his bedroom companion, leaning over and gently kissing her head as he did, softly awakening her from her own deep sleep.
    Rolling over to come face to face with John, her sheer beauty was striking, from her perfectly coupled lips to her glorious blue eyes, and the most calming, relaxing of smiles he had ever seen. Suddenly John became filled with the sort of hope and excitement that could get a man through near any problem, no matter its nature, all from nothing more than that beautiful smile.
    Many minutes were passed in this way, the glorious sun lighting the room more and more as time went by, both of them simply laying there, staring into each other’s eyes, content and happy. Eventually however, it was interrupted, by the pitter-patter of a child’s feet on a hard-wood floor. As the footsteps slowed, and the door swung open, a little girl, no older than six, came bounding into the room, jumping up onto the bed and straight into the warmth of a family embrace. This was happiness, this was everything John had ever wanted, to be away for the weekend with his family, not a care in the world, nor a burdensome thought on his mind.
    The perfection of the moment was so great, that John had ignored the growing dryness of his eyes, suddenly realising he had yet to blink since awakening from his sleep, much the same as the rest of his family. Slowly he shifted his gaze back to his wife, attempting to lock back into the love filled staring match they had been enjoying so much. Instead though, she herself had given in, those beautiful blue eyes temporarily obscured by heavy eyelids. Upon opening however, any trace of blue had been replaced by a greyish green, and as John looked down in astonishment, he noticed that the vibrant red of her lips had been replaced by a cracked, blood splattered white, ajar only for long enough to release a deep groan, the sort of groan that he knew came from only one type of creature.
    Horrified, John pushed away, grabbing for his daughter as he did, intent on getting her away from