Read America the Dead for Free Online

world and isolated by geography. Hills surrounded the town, providing a natural defense, and Thorton had enough men to provide reasonable security should the odd zombie make its way to the town.
    But security was an illusory thing for the hapless population of Bodie. If the zombies ever discovered the place in force and attacked en masse, the standing plan was to cut and run, not stand and fight. To hell with the helpless citizens. Major Thorton figured when the zombies were busy killing the townsfolk, he and his men could escape.
    “Rights.” Ken said the word aloud, startling the small form huddled on his bed. A tousled head peeked out from under the covers as Ken continued his reverie. “Rights. How dare they assume they have rights? When the world ended so did any notion of rights .” Thorton spat the word. “These morons live because it amuses me. They die because they serve no use.” End them, end their rights , he thought.
    End their rights. A seed of thought planted itself in his mind, growing quickly. End their rights, destroy the source. Ken considered this as he stared at his thralls trudging from the work fields or to and from the saw mill and wells. Destroy the source , he thought, then he started to chuckle, an ugly sound deep in his chest. Thorton’s twisted mind burned with the logic of his reasoning. The logistics of his idea be dammed, Ken realized what he wanted to do. It didn’t matter that his thoughts required moving a large number of men across three thousand miles of hostile territory inhabited by rogue bands such as his own, carnivorous zombies, and who knew what else. Ken mulled the thought over again in his head and came to the twisted logic that once he had destroyed the source, he would be in a position to grab ultimate power for himself. Any rational person would think him deluded, but Ken didn’t care about that. Like a petulant child, he was striking out at that which annoyed him and to hell with the consequences.
    “So has it been considered, so shall it be done.” Ken said to himself as he returned to his bed. He smiled as he flipped back the covers, revealing the small naked girl huddled on the bed. She knew better than to resist or cry. She had seen what had happened to her predecessor and wanted no part of it.
    Ken had a small group of victims held in a cage near the main mine shaft. If he was particularly displeased with a girl, he would just throw her in, listening to her screams as she fell the quarter mile to her death. If a girl fought him, he would lower her slowly down the mine shaft head first, to be devoured slowly by the zombies waiting at the bottom. No one had a clue as to how they got there, but when one of Ken’s men dropped a flare to see how deep the shaft was, they flocked to the light.
    He grinned again as he lowered himself on top of the girl, his mind thinking about his task ahead and the glory that was to be his, ignoring her cries as he thrust himself against her battered, eleven year old body.

4
     
     
    Later in the day, Major Thorton called a meeting of his officers to discuss what it was he wanted. Captain Tamikara was there, seated in the chair on the other side of the long conference table. On one side of the table was Lt. Lon Hansen, a former police officer who had been fired for misconduct right before the Upheaval. Hansen figured his firing had probably saved his life, keeping him home while his colleagues responded to emergencies and died. Sergeant Nick Harris, a former convict whose crimes included rape and assault sat across from Lt. Hansen. Next to him was the other NCO, Sergeant Rod Milovich, a former petty thief rehabilitated into a truck driver.
    Major Thorton looked at his subordinates. His eyes rested on Captain Ted’s small frame for a second. Tamikara stared back without blinking. Ken gave a small grin at the little man, then spoke to the group.
    “Thank you all for coming at such short notice,” the Major began, “I have been