Read Zombies vs Polar Bears: Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse, Book 5 for Free Online Page A

grandson? Where did he go?”
    “The Marine checked on me this morning. I assume you came
because he told you about me and Liam?”
    There was a fraction of a second too-long a pause. “Of
course.” She spun around. Marty could hear her softly tapping
on a phone or tablet. She'd been listening to the sound for days.
    They reached a dumpy-looking hotel. It was a single level and
shaped like the letter U. There was an ancient pool with black water
and a roped-off slide in the center of the complex. Elsa's driver
pulled the truck right up to the end of the walkway.
    “This is it. I'm afraid it isn't home or very sweet, but
we've tried to make it as comfortable as possible for our elderly
guests.”
    The woman stayed in the front seat as one of her assistants helped
her out. The other grabbed her things and together they walked a few
doors down. She appreciated the two strong men holding her arms until
she was through the doorway and sitting in a wooden chair next to the
bed.
    “You good?” one of the men asked.
    She gave them a thumbs up, and they left after closing the door.
    The Humvee sped away and silence filled the room. After the
exertion of the move and the noisy interior of the truck, it took her
a couple minutes to calm down and appreciate a new noise carried by
the wind from points unknown.
    Gunfire.
    4
    The room was dank and dirty, but it did have one small air
conditioning unit on the front window. It was off when she arrived,
but she took a chance and clicked it on. It immediately blew air in
her face.
    “Oh, thank you for small miracles.”
    The sound of the blower fan masked the sounds coming from over the
nearby levee. She'd figured out the sound of guns came from what Liam
had called “the ditch” area north of the town. It was
supposedly a formidable defensive line put there by the military to
hold off the infected hordes forever. Liam was sure enough it would
do the task that he left her here behind it. Of course she saw he was
wracked with guilt about whether it was the right thing to do, but
what else was he going to do: let her come with him? No, her running
days were over, she was happy to admit. Cairo was as nice a place as
any to spend the end times.
    In her new home—or jail cell, as she accepted she hadn't
been given a key—an hour or two slipped by as she basked in the
cool air. The insufferable heat and humidity of the town almost made
her understand why it had been falling into ruin even before the
zombies came.
    She was still sitting in the exhaust of the air conditioner when
someone keyed the door—it was locked!—and stepped inside.
    Marty wasn't surprised.
    “Ms. Cantwell.”
    “I'm glad to see you're enjoying your new digs. It was hard
getting you a working air conditioner.” She laughed, though
Marty sensed it carried some additional context than innocent banter.
    “Oh yes, it's really wonderful. Thank you.”
    “I suppose you'd rather be at the other end of town, where
it's a bit quieter.” It was understood what noise she was
talking about. The cracks and snaps were loud enough they could be
heard over the air conditioner, once you knew they were there.
    “I don't mind. It's nice to know there are men and women
working over the hill to keep us safe.”
    “Yes, that's why I'm here.” She sat on the nearby
queen bed, though she stayed on the very edge as if it were too
filthy to sit on more than that tiny sliver. “To explain the
situation to town elders.”
    “Oh, dear. I'm not a town elder. I'm from St. Louis.”
    “I know.” She looked at her phone, and scrolled
through some screens while Marty watched.
    “It says here you arrived with two others. A Liam Peters and
Victoria Hennessey. This is the grandson you mentioned?”
    Marty nodded.
    “Is there anything you want to tell me about Liam and
Victoria? I want to corroborate some information from Lieutenant
Colonel Brandyweis. Where are they at this minute?”
    She had told the colonel all she knew. Why didn't he