Read Snatchers (Book 3): The Dead Don't Cry for Free Online Page A

was only a few months ago that Gary and Karen had stayed in Edinburgh for the weekend, at a place in Cockburn Street, just yards away from the Royal Mile. Karen managed a small smirk when she remembered that Gary had joked that 'Cockburn' sounded like an STD.
    She snapped out of her emotional daydream as the vehicle started to move and her body jolted forward, along with the rest of the group. The truck continued to move and the group could see down the road, in the distance, more vehicles leaving the town, but going straight along the Hednesford Road, rather than turning left onto Stile Cop Road where they were.
    The vehicles were probably heading to other towns like Hednesford and Cannock, Karen thought.
    As they passed the Stile Cop beauty spot for the second time, the truck went straight across the crossroads where Karen had met Pickle and KP during that terrible, early morning when they escaped the ghouls that appeared through the woods in their hundreds at the beauty spot.
    It appeared that the middle-aged couple were heading for Upper Longdon.
    It was a place that was very exclusive and had a few mansions in the area. Karen knew the couple would eventually be heading for the M6, and had no idea where Pickle was thinking about getting off, so she asked him. "Do you have any idea where to go?"
    "I haven't a Scooby," Pickle admitted. "But I want away from these woods. I'll be glad if I don't see another tree again."
    Karen chuckled and placed her arm around the ex-inmate, while Paul and Jade sat silently, staring at their shoes, exhausted.
    "There're a few mansions around here." Karen looked at Pickle for a reaction.
    "And?" Pickle stared at Karen. "A mansion is fine and dandy, but it also makes yer a target for bandits and looters. And what happens if yer break into the place and it's already inhabited? I don't wanna get shot, Karen. The emergency services are now defunct, and I don't want to be walking around for the rest o' ma days with a severe limp."
    "Like Jason Bonser?" she teased.
    "Yeah, well." Pickle shifted his bum to get comfortable. "That fucker deserved everything he got."
    Another two minutes had passed as they went through more country lanes. It appeared that they were coming to the end of Cannock Chase, which meant that the nearest place was a town. Pickle had been told by the male driver that once the group found a place or an area where they wanted dropping off, he should hit the roof a couple of times to let the driver know when to stop the truck.
    "Uh-huh." Paul Parker's announcement forced them to look at what he was looking at.
    Jade couldn't really see properly and asked Paul, "What is it?"
    Paul peeked at Karen and Pickle, then he turned to Jade. "Keep your head down. I think there may be trouble ahead."
    Jade placed her hands on her head and cursed under her breath, "Now what?"
    The pick-up truck that they were in, was beginning to slow down.

Chapter Eight
     
    Once the two things in the canteen had been killed, Jack Slade had returned to the factory floor with a shocked Johnny in tow, who walked behind him, dragging his feet. Jack placed the crowbar on top of a pallet, removed the safety goggles off of his head and asked Johnny, "Whose is that car outside?"
    Johnny, still trying to shake off the image of Jack pulverising the heads of those things, snapped out of his self-hypnosis and gawped at Jack, blankly. "Sorry, what?"
    Jack continued, "The canteen's window looks out onto the staff car park. There's a few cars outside, and I noticed that there's a black jeep."
    "The cars belonged to the guys I worked with. I can't drive myself; I came here with Terry."
    Jack turned to Johnny. "Who's Terry?"
    "The first guy you smashed up in the canteen."
    Jack looked confused. When he stormed into the canteen he swung the crowbar so much he pretty much put them both down almost at the same time. "Was that the one whose skull fell away."
    "No." Johnny gulped and shook his head at the surreal conversation that