Read Particle Z (Book 1) for Free Online Page B

front of them. Worse yet were the panicked kids who, frozen with terror, could only stand and watch as their parents succumbed to the monsters. They sobbed, waiting for death. Mike had to turn away when he saw a woman rise again and tear her daughter apart as she ran into her mother’s arms, looking for protection. Mike had never known a darker day in his entire life.
    Like rows of bloody human dominos, people fell and rose again within moments, one after one after one. Whatever was happening was spreading like wildfire. The crazed were starting to outnumber the helpless, and it was starting to spiral outward from the Port into the city.

 
     
    CHAPTER 5
     
    New Acquaintances and Revelations
     
     
    “Eric, go downstairs with Reid and close the parking garage gates before any of those things make their way in here, and make sure that all the doors on the first level are secure,” Mike said as he watched the crowd start to fan out into the streets below. “Hurry back so we can figure out what the hell to do. It looks like we’re in a world of shit.”
    “Got it,” was all Eric said before the two of them took off.
    Mike looked around for Ashley. He needed her to perform a quick gut check and get her shit together. “Ash, need you out here, girl, you can toss your cookies another time.”
    Ashley walked out of the bathroom a few moments later still looking green, but at least she wasn’t puking any longer. Mike noticed she carefully avoided the window and the bloodbath transpiring below. She was usually tough as nails, but the day’s events must have unsettled her. 
    “Sorry, Mike, I’ve never seen such savagery, not even in a movie,” Ashley whispered.
    Mike asked her to watch the video feed and check for any activity from Terra Corp next door. Need to keep her busy for now , he thought.
    Eric and Reid returned as Ashley was sitting down at the monitor. “Everything’s locked tight, Mike,” Eric said in a ragged gasp.
    “The crowd is already outside the garage and some of those things came at us while I was closing the door. Eric had to clobber them with a pipe he found. Good thing too, or else we’d probably be scratching at the door ourselves right about now,” Reid said, still looking freaked out over the close call.
    “Damn things got right back up, and I heard ribs crack when I whacked ‘em,” Eric said in disbelief.
    “I need to get across the street and inside that building so I can find Marlee,” Mike said, his worry for his girlfriend evident in his voice. “I doubt they’ll let us in if we just walk over and knock on the door.”
    “Maybe they won’t let you guys in, but I’m sure they’ll let little ol’ me in,” Ashley gushed in her best damsel in distress voice. Mike was glad to see Ash was back to her old self.
    “We may have no choice, Mike,” Reid said. “She can charm the rattle off a rattle snake if she wanted to.”
    “Why thanks, Reid,” Ashley said, giving him a look that would have melted anyone that didn’t know her. Reid had built up an immunity to her considerable charms over the years, though, so he just grinned at her.
    Mike smiled at her brazen idea. Ashley in action was a force to be reckoned with. “No need, Ashley, and it’s way too dangerous anyway,” he said politely. The crowd was getting thicker around the parking garage, and from the sound of it the attacks were escalating as more and more people were turned.
    “Eric, let’s head downstairs and see if we can get to Marlee. The two of you stay here and be ready to let us back in,” Mike said while grabbing a couple of two-way radios off the shelf. He handed one to Reid and he slipped the other onto his belt loop.
    “Keep the radio on Channel 4 and don’t call us, we’ll call you,” Mike told Reid and Ashley, neither looking distressed in the least about staying upstairs within the security of the storage area.
    “Roger that, boss man,” Reid said, taking the radio and tuning it to the