The Living Dead Boy (Book 2): Lost in Texas

by Rhiannon Frater

  Lost in Texas

  The Living Dead Boy 2

  By

  Rhiannon Frater

  Lost in Texas

  Living Dead Boy 2

  By Rhiannon Frater

  Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.

  Kindle Edition

  Cover art by Corey Hollins

  Formatted and edited by Kody Boye

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronically, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the proper written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

  Dedicated with much love to my nieces and nephews, the original zombie hunters

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 1

  Shivering under a stranger’s suit jacket, Josh Rondell stared through the dirty window of the Austin Metro bus. He blocked out the snores of the passengers by scrunching his shoulders to cover his ears and concentrated on the stars occasionally peeking out from behind thick clouds. Pretending he was back in his treehouse staring at the night sky, he imagined his mom and dad washing the dinner dishes in the kitchen of his old house while his little brother, Drake, watched his current favorite movie in the living room. He tried for as long as he could to hold onto that fantasy, but then the sound of gunfire echoed in the distance and demolished the illusion.

  A few people stirred around him, but most slept on. Josh tilted his head to peer down at the side of the road through the dirty window. Several men and women in various uniforms – police, highway patrol, fire department, Army – were on patrol, and they didn’t appear concerned. One of the Army soldiers spotted him looking through the dirty glass. With a weary smile, she gave Josh a thumbs up.

  Though the tight knot of tension didn’t leave his gut, Josh returned the gesture.

  Settling back in his seat, he wished his dad would return to the bus. Jamie Rondell had slept fitfully next to Josh for about an hour after sunset before getting up and leaving the bus. His dad wouldn’t have disembarked if he believed the location where the evacuation convoy was parked for the night was unsafe, so Josh tried not to worry.

  The only light in the bus was from outside. Military jeeps were parked along the edges of the convoy, consisting of city and school buses, SUVs, family cars, a few RVs, and pickups. Other military vehicles were at the front and the back of the long line parked on a country road in the Texas Hill Country. A valley spread out to the right and tree-covered hills rose to the left. The spot provided a clear view of the area, which was why they’d probably decided to make camp for the night.

  Josh lifted his gaze again, attempting to recapture the illusion of his family being safely at home.

  The beauty of the star-studded sky reminded him of his mom.

  He missed her so much.

  The tightness in his chest and the tears that burned his eyes at the thought of her made him feel like a crybaby. The importance of his twelve years on Earth weighed on his shoulders. He was a big brother and the leader of the Zombie Hunters. It was his responsibility to be strong and brave, yet a part of him wished he was a little kid like Drake. Then he could throw himself down on the floor and scream and kick his feet and no one would think badly of him. Instead, he screamed inside his head, and imagined killing all the zombies in the world to get revenge for his mother’s death.

  But it didn’t really help alleviate the hurt inside.

  So Josh swallowed the hard lump in his throat, reminded himself he had to be strong for his family and friends. He supposed they were all one and the same now. His surviving friends had lost their parents and siblings while Josh still had his dad and younger brother. In a very sad way, he was the lucky one.

  Shimmying around on his seat to get comfortable, Josh’s eyes drifted to the seat across the aisle. Corina, the love of Josh’s young life, slept propped against the window with Drake nestled into her side. Her long chestnut brown hair was in a messy braid looped over her shoulder, and her glasses were crooked on her nose. His fourteen-year-old former babysitter was the most beautiful girl in the world. As always, his heart beat a little faster when he looked at her. He’d used to have a crush on her, but now he was pretty sure he was completely in love with her.

  Angelic and adorable, Drake slept in Corina’s arms, clutching his stuffed dinosaur, Rex. It was hard to believe the three-year-old had been a red-faced demon screaming for his mother just a few hours earlier. Not even their dad could calm Drake. It was Corina who had finally managed to soothe the toddler. Afterward, he’d clung to her like a monkey and had refused to talk to anyone, including Josh and their dad.

  It had been super-embarrassing, and a few passengers had been mad enough to move to another bus during a bathroom stop.

  “We don’t need a toddler bringing the zombies down on us,” one of the men had muttered when he’d gotten off with his friend.

  “Babies, kids, blind girls, and a dog... they’ll be the first to go,” the other man had answered, smirking.

  The anger Josh felt in that moment still burned hot in his chest. Rubbing his nose, he fought the need to cry. Those men in their fancy suits didn’t even know what Josh and his friends had gone through. They didn’t have a clue that Josh had watched his mom turn into a zombie and had barely saved himself and his brother. Would they have set their own house on fire to kill zombies and risk their lives to save others? Josh doubted it.

  Sitting up, he shoved the jacket aside. It smelled like tobacco and sweat, and maybe it had belonged to one of those two jerks. Of course, he didn’t smell much better, since he hadn’t bathed in two days. Plus, his hair and clothes reeked of smoke. He wondered if he’d ever take a bath or shower again.

  If he could have his mom back, he’d never complain about her telling him to get off the computer and take a bath before bed.

  Done with trying to sleep, and even more done with all the nightmares he had every time he dozed off, Josh slid off the seat. Tiptoeing down the aisle, he checked on his friends. Troy was asleep, his hand curled under his afro. He was the last remaining member of his family, since his adoptive parents and brother, Roger, had died. He and Troy were the last of the original Zombie Hunters Club, and now they were brothers. Josh’s dad had made sure that Troy understood that he was now a part of their family.

  In the seat across from Troy were Sam and Yessica. Sam had been the bane of Josh’s Zombie Hunter Club at school. Fat, pushy, and awkward with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very red face, Sam had been both bullied and a bully, yet Josh had seen Sam step up and be a hero. Yessica, a little girl Josh had rescued when their school bus had crashed, had tried
to run to her zombified father, but Sam had stopped her. Her pink outfit was slathered in dry blood and her very curly dark hair was tangled around her heart-shaped face.

  Josh felt a little guilty for not giving Sam a chance before the world ended. Arturo, Josh’s best friend, had hated the pudgy boy, and Josh had felt obligated to side with his friend. Now Arturo was gone, and Sam wheezed in his sleep, one meaty arm slung around the little girl who trusted him with her life.

  Toward the front of the bus Derrick, the driver, was standing near his chair, and staring out at the valley. Sleeping on the bench behind him were the blind young woman and her guide dog, Bonnie. Again, Josh experienced the heat of raw anger at the things the two men had said earlier.

  The young black man spotted Josh and nodded to him. “Your dad’s just outside.”

  “Can you let me out? I want to be with him.”

  Rubbing the stubble on his chin, Derrick scrutinized the activity around the vehicles. “Well, it looks okay, but if they tell you to get back in here–”

  “I’ll hurry my butt up,” Josh assured him.

  Derrick gave him an amused smile. “You’re a tough kid. I don’t know if I’d be doing as well as you at your age.”

  “I’m a Zombie Hunter,” Josh replied proudly. The name of his club had come to have real meaning in the last two days. Josh had killed zombies, and saved people.

  “That you are.” Derrick opened the door. “Be careful, Zombie Hunter.”

  Chapter 2

  Josh hopped out, landed, and looked for his dad. He spotted his father near the guardrail talking with a police officer and several Army soldiers. They were speaking in very serious, lowered voices. Josh wondered if maybe he should head back inside, but then his father spotted him and waved him over.

  The small group split apart, and Jamie enveloped Josh in a tight hug. Wrapping his arms around his dad’s waist, Josh didn’t care who saw him. It was hard, but he managed to keep his tears from falling.

  “You okay?” His father ruffled his hair and stepped back to peer down at him.

  “Couldn’t sleep, Dad,” Josh admitted.

  “Yeah, me neither. It’s been tough. All of this. Especially your mom...” Jamie cleared his throat and brushed a hand over his reddened eyes. “She was so brave, and she saved my boys. I’m going to miss her so much.”

  Lowering his gaze, Josh tried not to remember how his mom had looked after she’d turned. He wanted to remember her as pretty, funny, and happy, but the zombie version of her kept wiping out his good memory.

  Resting his hand on Josh’s shoulder, his dad gave him a kind, but serious look. “Your friends told me some of what you did, and they all know – and I know – you did your best. I don’t think many adults could have dealt with things as well as you did. I’m proud of everything you’ve done.”

  “I had to save people,” Josh replied, his voice hoarse. It felt like he had a permanent lump in his throat. No matter how many times he swallowed, it was like all his pain and tears were choking him. “You taught me to be responsible.”

  “And you did your job. But now it’s time for the adults to step in. You won’t have to deal with this alone again. It’s my turn to take care of you.”

  Though Josh knew his dad meant to make him feel better, his words only made him feel more helpless. He stared down at the toes of his sneakers and sighed.

  “What is it, Josh?”

  “I’m not just a little kid, Dad. I know stuff. I can fight the zombies, you know. I can kill them.”

  “But you don’t have to.”

  “But I did, Dad.” The pain in his chest was so bad Josh wondered if he was having a heart attack. “Dad, I killed zombies.”

  Jamie’s face became very serious. It was what his mother had called “military mode.” It was when the soldier in his father’s soul took control of a situation. Yet, the compassion in his father’s eyes let Josh know he wasn’t angry. “I’m very sorry to hear that. Your friends didn’t tell me that.”

  “I had to kill Mr. Inmon and Arturo.”

  “Arturo...” Jamie sighed, and wiped at his eyes. “Josh, I’m so sorry.”

  “He got bit by a zombie kid. He lied. He said he wasn’t, but Corina saw the bite. I...” Josh again tried to swallow the hard lump in his throat. It hurt to think about Arturo turning into a zombie while crying for his mother. The pain was even deeper when he remembered how he and Corina had killed the monster Arturo had become. “I hit him with the big flashlight you gave me after he turned. I broke it. I’m sorry.”

  “Josh, I’m not upset with you.” Jamie rubbed Josh’s shoulder gently.

  “Mr. Inmon was chasing us. I tripped him with my backpack and his skull cracked open on the street. I got lucky, because I’m not sure I could have stopped him with the stick I had.” The confession flew out of his mouth like buzzing flies. “I was so scared.”

  “Josh, you did a very hard and brave thing.” His father had often struggled with father/son talks since he’d come back from the war. He’d missed a lot of the early part of Josh’s life, and had a tendency to talk to him like a fellow soldier. Josh could see the struggle in Jamie’s facial expression as he searched for the right thing to say. “I am proud of you.”

  “It still hurts though. In my chest. Right here.” Josh pressed his palm over his heart. “I know they were zombies, but...”

  “You loved Arturo. You respected Mr. Inmon. You made the right call to save your friends. I also know you did the right thing, burning down the house and giving your mom peace.”

  “But it hurts.”

  “Josh, sometimes doing the right thing does hurt. That’s one of the hard lessons of life.”

  “It’s my fault Roger is a zombie,” Josh blurted out. Guilt ate at Josh when he thought of Roger sneaking out of their treehouse to go find his mother while Josh and the others slept. When Josh had escaped his hometown, he’d seen Roger and his mom shambling with the rest of the undead. “I didn’t hear him leave the treehouse.”

  “Troy told me it’s his fault because he fell asleep on watch. But you know what the truth is? It’s no one’s fault. You’re kids, Josh, and you dealt with a truly awful situation on your own. But if we’re lucky, you won’t have to in the future. Hopefully we adults can get this under control.”

  Josh seriously doubted that would happen. He’d read the books, watched the television shows and mockumentries, and seen all the films about zombies. Something always went wrong. Usually because those in power didn’t listen to the people who actually knew what was going on. Though he knew the adults were doing their best to protect everyone, Josh wasn’t sure he trusted them to do the right thing. Since the zombies shambled onto his school yard, Josh had mostly been on his own when it came to protecting his little brother and friends. His knowledge of zombie lore had helped most of them survive, but he’d still lost his mother, and two of his best friends.

  When Josh didn’t answer him, Jamie leaned forward and tried to look into his eyes. “Josh, look at me.”

  It was difficult to obey, and Josh wasn’t sure why. Maybe he was afraid his father would see his doubts and his guilt.

  “Josh, I can’t even imagine what this has been like for you. I chose to enlist and serve my country. I went to war because it was my duty. But you–”

  “It was my duty, Dad,” Josh said. “I had to take care of Drake, and lead the Zombie Hunters.”

  “You always did take the zombie stuff very seriously.” His dad gave him a sad smile.

  “Yeah, but it didn’t help save mom. Or Arturo and Roger.”

  “Josh,” Jamie said, concern in his words, “you need to forgive yourself for doing the right thing. Understand?”

  Josh wasn’t sure he could. “Does it get better?”

  Though his father never talked about his time in the war, Josh was pretty certain that his father had killed the enemy. He sometimes heard his father shouting in his sleep late at night.

  With a sad sigh, Jamie said, �
��Eventually.”

  Several sharp barks of a weapon sounded in the distance.

  “More gunfire,” Josh said, his stomach in knots.

  “They’ve got bulldozers clearing the highway of some wrecks up ahead and they’re killing any zombies they find. Soon it’ll be clear, so we won’t just be sitting here.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Not sure yet. There’s conflicting information coming in, but we’ll figure it out.”

  “Are you going to be a Marine again?”

  His dad laughed. “Josh, I don’t think I ever stopped. It’s in my blood.”

  “Like Paw Paw.”

  Jamie nodded. “Like Paw Paw. I’m one of them and I need to step up. All these people wearing a uniform, whether it’s a police officer, fireman, or Army, are all here to help protect you and all the other survivors.” Jamie jerked his head toward the convoy. “This is the best way to survive. All these people working together increase everyone’s odds of making it through this alive.”

  “There are people here that only care about themselves, you know. They don’t care about the kids, or Rachel and Bonnie.”

  “I know who you’re talking about, and they’ll learn. Hopefully not the hard way.”

  “But what if they do something stupid and the zombies get through the guards?”

  “Trust the guards, Josh. That’s their job. To protect everyone. Listen to them. Obey them. Everyone’s got their job.”

  “What’s mine?” Josh asked.

  “Taking care of Drake, son.”

  Josh couldn’t help himself. He rolled his eyes with annoyance. Getting babysitting duty after all he’d done felt like an insult. “I’m not a Marine, but I’m a Zombie Hunter. I know how to fight zombies.”

  “Josh, I wasn’t putting you down. I know you’re a Zombie Hunter. I know what you’re capable of. That’s why if anything happens to me, I know you’ll take care of your little brother. I believe and trust in you. Do you believe me?”