Read The Zombie Saga (Book 2): Burn The Dead (Purge) for Free Online

centre of the room. “Come with me.”
    I follow him.
    We stop at the white line,
facing the six lifelike dummies. They’re about fifteen metres away, with
muscular, skin-coloured rubber torsos attached to thick rounded bases. Each one
has no arms or legs, just a lot of tiny holes across every inch of its body.
    “See this white line?”
Andrew asks, pointing down to the floor by our feet. “Never cross it. And I
mean never . Always stay behind. The government’s already on our backs
about health and safety. None of us wants another inspection. So always stay
safe—and stay behind the white line. Understand?”
    I nod, like a schoolgirl
listening to their teacher. “Yeah, of course. Stay behind the line. Got it.”
    “Good. So, Cath, you ever
shot a gun before?”
    “Yeah. I have. Back in the
Territorial Army.”
    “Okay, well these
shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you then. They’re a little heavier than
a handgun, but much lighter than a rifle. They could be a little lighter, but,
you know, budget cuts and all that bullshit.” He puts his left foot forward,
lifts the gun up to shoulder height. “Okay, so you wanna hold this thing like
you would a rifle, keep it close to your shoulder, look down the sight at the
top. And then squeeeeeeze the trigger gently. There’s virtually no
kickback, so don’t worry about bruising your collarbone.” He puts the gun into
position, aims it towards the dummy, and pulls the trigger. I hear a faint thud
as the tranq hits the rubber man, just above its nose.
    “Nice shot,” I say,
excitement in my tone. “Right in the head.”
    “Always aim for the brain,
Cath. Otherwise the tranq will have no effect.”
    “Of course,” I give him a
cheeky, excited grin. “So, can I have a shot then?”
    Andrew looks down at me,
his eyes suggesting that I’m probably the last person he should give a loaded
weapon. “ You’re keen,” he says.
    “Just eager to learn,
that’s all.”
    He hands me the gun,
points at the dummy, and then stands to one side. “Okay, Cath. Let’s see what
you’ve got.”
    One foot in front of the
other, I put the gun up to my shoulder.
    “Just line up the sight,”
Andrew says, “and then squeeeeeeze the trigger.”
    Closing one eye, I pull
the trigger softly and feel a slight jolt when the tranq leaves the weapon. I
lift up the visor to see where it hit.
    “Not bad, Cath. Not bad at
all.”
    “Where did it hit?
Couldn’t see.”
    “You hit his nose. That’s
amazing. Well done. You’ve got a bloody good aim, Cath. And it’s hard first
time, even with a little experience under your belt. Most people struggle with
the helmet on. So hats off to you, Cath. Good job.”
    Beaming, I pull down the
visor again. “Let’s go again.”

5
     
    After
lunch, I meet Andrew back at the training room. This time Roger’s with him,
plus another Cleaner, all three in full-gear. Don’t know if I’ve seen this
other guy before. Can’t tell with the helmet obscuring his features. Probably
have, though. One of the guys from yesterday, sniggering from the side lines.
    “Andrew tells me you have
a great aim,” Roger says, his tone brimming with cynicism. “Well done. You keep
surprising me, Catherine.”
    “Thanks. I had a good
teacher.”
    “I bet you did.”
    I scan the room, trying to
guess what’s next on the agenda. Can’t see anything obvious, but the fact that
Roger’s here at least indicates that it’s something important. Or dangerous .
    “This is Darren,” Roger
says, pointing his hand in the Cleaner’s direction. “He’s just here to help
keep you safe this afternoon.”
    “Hi, Darren,” I say,
offering my hand for him to shake, “pleased to meet you. Cath.”
    He shakes my hand. “Nice
to meet you, Cath. You ready for this now?”
    “I don’t know yet. No
one’s told me what we’re doing.”
    “Well, Cath,” Darren says,
“this is where the real training begins. This is what separates the men
from the boys—so to