Read Z-Burbia 3: Estate Of The Dead for Free Online Page A
Authors: Jake Bible
like family’ words that came out of my mouth. Can I finish?”
“I don’t think so,” Elsbeth says. “You’re always talking, talking, talking. It’s what everyone says.”
This is not going well.
“Right. I get that,” I sigh. “But what ar e yo u talking about? What big house?”
Her brow furrows and she puts a hand to my forehead. “Heat must be stroking your brain, Long Pork. Because you already guessed which house.”
“Nope, no heat stroking going on,” I smile. “Wait…the Biltmore? Is that the house?”
“Yeah, stupid. You said that. You sure you aren’t stroking heat?”
“I’m sure,” I say.
“Stuart knows that,” Elsbeth says. “Why didn’t you ask him?”
James “Don’t Call me Jimmy” S tuart is Whispering Pines’ Head of Defensive Ass Kicking. I gave him that name. It fits. Fifty-something, ex-Marine gunnery sergeant, he has a team of ass kickers that keep Whispering Pines safe from the crazies out there in the post Z-Day world. Not that there are a ton left. We’ve either cleared them out or they’ve come and joined us here or at the Grove Park Inn.
Or Reynolds Mountain. Fucking Reynolds Mountain…
“Stuart knew where you were going?” I ask.
“Yeah, of course,” Elsbeth says. “I thought you sent him after me. He’s been following me for a week. He’s good, but not that good.” She leans in close, looks around to make sure we aren’t being listened to, which we aren’t since everyone else is busy working and putting the finishing touches on the dozens of houses we’ve spent months rebuilding. “Sometimes ,” she giggles. Actuall y giggle s . It’s a little creepy. “Sometimes, I go in crazy directions just to make him hike everywhere. He’s old, he gets tired, it’s funny.”
“Sounds hilarious.”
“It is!” she guffaws and slaps me on the shoulder. Ow.
“O kay, we have established location. Now how about the why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you following the girls?”
“Because they are watching us, stupid,” Elsbeth says and stands up. “I’m getting Stella. There’s something wrong with you. You’re supposed to be the smart guy and you’re not being smart. I’m worried.”
I get up quickly. “No, I’m fine. Seriously. It’s just we’re talking in circles. It’s making me dizzy.” I hold up my hands before she can respond. “Not physically dizzy, just mentally dizzy. I’m not actually dizzy, okay?”
“O kay,” she says, “I get that. I’m not stupid.”
“No, no you are not,” I say. “The girls…who are they?”
Elsbeth’s face goes dark. She twists her lips about. “I don’t know. But I do. But I don’t. I see them in my dreams.”
In her dreams. Shit.
“Like Ms. Foster? Like how you see her in your dreams sometimes? Singing?” I ask.
“Yeah, like that,” Elsbeth nods. “So I follow them when they are done watching and they go home.”
“You think the Biltmore is their home?”
“Yeah,” she nods , “I’ve watched them go in there.”
“Whoa, hold the fuck on…you go onto the estate?” I ask. “How? The place is covered in like a thousand Zs.”
She shrugs. “Yeah. Not that hard.”
She’s holding something back. There is key information just waiting to be told. I hate it when someone keeps shit from me. Drives me nuts.
“Listen, El, if you know...”
Our phones chime. Incoming texts.
Landon Chase is Head of IT and he made sure our Wi-Fi network was one of the first things reestablished in Whispering Pines. It’s made the rebuild way easier.
“Need you, please. Can’t make C ounsel meeting. I have the shits.”
Stella. My wife. Board Chairperson for the Whispering Pines Homeowners’ association. As leader of the HOA she is supposed to go to the Grove Park and meet with Lourdes Torres (commander of the private military contractors), Ed Lassiter (leader of the Labor Force), Big Daddy Fitzpatrick (head of the Farm), and Critter (Big Daddy’s brother and leader of
“I don’t think so,” Elsbeth says. “You’re always talking, talking, talking. It’s what everyone says.”
This is not going well.
“Right. I get that,” I sigh. “But what ar e yo u talking about? What big house?”
Her brow furrows and she puts a hand to my forehead. “Heat must be stroking your brain, Long Pork. Because you already guessed which house.”
“Nope, no heat stroking going on,” I smile. “Wait…the Biltmore? Is that the house?”
“Yeah, stupid. You said that. You sure you aren’t stroking heat?”
“I’m sure,” I say.
“Stuart knows that,” Elsbeth says. “Why didn’t you ask him?”
James “Don’t Call me Jimmy” S tuart is Whispering Pines’ Head of Defensive Ass Kicking. I gave him that name. It fits. Fifty-something, ex-Marine gunnery sergeant, he has a team of ass kickers that keep Whispering Pines safe from the crazies out there in the post Z-Day world. Not that there are a ton left. We’ve either cleared them out or they’ve come and joined us here or at the Grove Park Inn.
Or Reynolds Mountain. Fucking Reynolds Mountain…
“Stuart knew where you were going?” I ask.
“Yeah, of course,” Elsbeth says. “I thought you sent him after me. He’s been following me for a week. He’s good, but not that good.” She leans in close, looks around to make sure we aren’t being listened to, which we aren’t since everyone else is busy working and putting the finishing touches on the dozens of houses we’ve spent months rebuilding. “Sometimes ,” she giggles. Actuall y giggle s . It’s a little creepy. “Sometimes, I go in crazy directions just to make him hike everywhere. He’s old, he gets tired, it’s funny.”
“Sounds hilarious.”
“It is!” she guffaws and slaps me on the shoulder. Ow.
“O kay, we have established location. Now how about the why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you following the girls?”
“Because they are watching us, stupid,” Elsbeth says and stands up. “I’m getting Stella. There’s something wrong with you. You’re supposed to be the smart guy and you’re not being smart. I’m worried.”
I get up quickly. “No, I’m fine. Seriously. It’s just we’re talking in circles. It’s making me dizzy.” I hold up my hands before she can respond. “Not physically dizzy, just mentally dizzy. I’m not actually dizzy, okay?”
“O kay,” she says, “I get that. I’m not stupid.”
“No, no you are not,” I say. “The girls…who are they?”
Elsbeth’s face goes dark. She twists her lips about. “I don’t know. But I do. But I don’t. I see them in my dreams.”
In her dreams. Shit.
“Like Ms. Foster? Like how you see her in your dreams sometimes? Singing?” I ask.
“Yeah, like that,” Elsbeth nods. “So I follow them when they are done watching and they go home.”
“You think the Biltmore is their home?”
“Yeah,” she nods , “I’ve watched them go in there.”
“Whoa, hold the fuck on…you go onto the estate?” I ask. “How? The place is covered in like a thousand Zs.”
She shrugs. “Yeah. Not that hard.”
She’s holding something back. There is key information just waiting to be told. I hate it when someone keeps shit from me. Drives me nuts.
“Listen, El, if you know...”
Our phones chime. Incoming texts.
Landon Chase is Head of IT and he made sure our Wi-Fi network was one of the first things reestablished in Whispering Pines. It’s made the rebuild way easier.
“Need you, please. Can’t make C ounsel meeting. I have the shits.”
Stella. My wife. Board Chairperson for the Whispering Pines Homeowners’ association. As leader of the HOA she is supposed to go to the Grove Park and meet with Lourdes Torres (commander of the private military contractors), Ed Lassiter (leader of the Labor Force), Big Daddy Fitzpatrick (head of the Farm), and Critter (Big Daddy’s brother and leader of