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

he was having. He swallowed hard, trying to keep down whatever was left in his stomach. "That was Martin. Terry was the one that collapsed into the wall."
    "Did he have a beard?"
    Johnny nodded.
    "Well," Jack exhaled hard, "if I was you, I would have stolen one of their car keys and driven out of the place ages ago."
    "Well, like I've told you before," Johnny sighed, exasperated that he wasn't being listened to. "I can't drive, and I wanted to stay in here anyway 'cos it's safer."
    "Anyway. The black jeep. Whose is it?" It was clear by his face that Jack had no interest in what Johnny had to say, and after witnessing Jack putting those things down, Johnny refrained from moaning about his rudeness.
    "The supervisor's car," Johnny finally answered.
    "And where's he?"
    "Boardroom. He's one of them. He locked himself in as soon as he was bit. It was almost as if he knew."
    Jack checked his clothes and inspected his old rags. He could see they had fresh blood on them, to add to the old, dried-in ones from the last couple of days. Most of the bloodstains were mainly from the episode when he was trying to escape the sports centre, swinging the kettle bell as if his life depended on it, which, of course, it did.
    He finally took his boots off and removed his clothes. Once he threw the rags into a pallet, the same pallet he had disposed his shoes, he put on the boiler suit and then put the steel toecaps back on.
    "We'll see what there is in these vending machines." Jack began to scratch at his hairy neck and groaned. He badly needed a shave, on his neck and his face. "I'm guessing that we'll be lucky if the food lasts us a week."
    "What about Martin and Terry?"
    "Who?"
    Johnny sighed. Are you not listening to me at all? "The men you killed in the canteen."
    "I don't think they'll be eating anything," Jack commented, without cracking his face.
    Johnny glared at this strange man and wondered if he was serious or not. Trying to ignore his early remark, he said, "Are we just gonna leave them in there? That's what I mean."
    Jack nodded. "Yes, we are."
    "What if you're right about the food that's left?"
    "I am right." Jack seemed confident in what he was saying. "Look, you're not gonna like this, but we need to be out of here, soon."
    Johnny nodded in agreement, reluctantly. He knew Jack was right. "And go where?"
    "Somewhere where there's food. Somewhere safe...ish."
    "I suppose it removes some problems now that you're here, someone that can drive. We can now get a set of wheels from the car park."
    Added Jack, "But it also opens up other problems, like being carjacked. Me and a few other guys went into a supermarket to get food and only two of us made it out. It's not just those things that are a danger; there's some bad, desperate people roaming around."
    Johnny's eyes widened and didn't want anymore details about the short story that Jack had just announced. "Look, my place is about eight miles away. I'm already stocked up."
    "Eight miles? That's too far. We'll never make eight miles without running into hordes, bandits—even getting a puncture puts us at risk."
    "When are you thinking about going?"
    "I think we should gather what food is left and then go in the morning."
    Johnny's eyes widened with surprise at Jack's announcement. "Seriously? That soon? I've managed alright so far."
    "True, but now the food's short. We can either stay in here and go until the food has gone, then go on the road while we're hungry. Or—"
    "Go on the road with food."
    Jack gave Johnny a mocking wink as if to say; You're catching on, buddy . "We're gonna have to do it sooner or later."
    Johnny smiled, but Jack could see the sadness in his face. Jack got to his feet, still with the safety goggles attached to his head, and walked away from Johnny and picked up the bloody crowbar lying on one of the pallets.
    "Where're you going now?" Johnny called out.
    "I'm off to get a set of car keys for later."
    "Try the trousers of one of the guys in the