Age of Decay (Book 1): Contagion by Brian Lamacraft

intersection, but be prepared for a bit of a fight. We can use the supplies that ERT team had, maybe pick up a few decent weapons, too.”
    “I’m help ya,” said Ian.
    “Hon,” said Trevor. “Stay close to Samantha. This could get ugly, so I don’t want the two of you to take unnecessary risks.”
    “Can’t we just go around?” Lauren adjusted her Hockey helmet. “Damn thing doesn’t fit right.”
    “Look, we need these weapons, and the ERT teams have vests, too, they might come in handy.”
    “Oh, by all means, my fearless leader,” quipped Lauren, as she motioned forward. “Lead on.”
    Trevor grabbed her by the arm and took her to the side away from everyone. “Hey, that was uncalled for. You think this is easy? I’m only doing what is right. I don’t know about you, but intend to survive this mess. You could be more supportive, we have to pull through together!”
    “Sorry… I just—”
    “Don’t want to lose me or Jason, I know. We’ll make it together, I promise.” He put his arm around her. “Stay tight with Samantha, it’s going to be alright.” He went back to Jason, and the two of them checked their rifles. They would need any supplies they could carry as the rounds for the AR-15s were running lower with each encounter.
    The group moved forward with Trevor and Jason at the front. Jason brought up the shotgun. Ian stood at the side with his axe ready to go, while Samantha and Lauren brought up the rear. They weaved through the abandoned cars and trucks and reached the main intersection. Bodies were everywhere on the blood-soaked streets. An ERT vehicle sat in the middle of the street with one door open. Trevor could see several ERT team members dead on the ground. One of the dead pulled sinews of flesh off one of the team members and sat there chewing. Jason moved closer and fired the shotgun into the ghoul’s head, which spattered its brains everywhere. As he fired, the group of dead turned towards their position and began to walk in the now familiar slow gait they were all accustomed to.
    Trevor popped two with several well-placed shots, and Jason dropped another one that got too close to the group. Ian moved ahead and got close to a woman with dark hair, her dress ripped and torn. She reached out for him with a blood-soaked mouth, but his axe came down and severed her head from her shoulders in one fluid stroke. The corpse toppled over, and Ian swung again. He cut the arm of off another, and then another swing removed the man’s head. On the ground, one of the dead crawled along with half its body missing near Lauren. Its jaws opened for her as it hissed. Stands of saliva poured from the thing’s mouth and pooled on the ground. She winced at the grisly creature before she buried her hatchet in the thing’s skull, ending its misery. Trevor reloaded his AR-15 and shot two more of the dead before they could threaten the group. It was all over in a few minutes, the small group of dead no match for them. Trevor examined the scene in front of them. There must have been fifty to one hundred bodies all over the intersection. They were literally walking all over the corpses. The stench of shit, blood, vomit, brains, and guts was everywhere. It took a supreme effort to not retch then and there.
    Trevor went over to his son. “Good work. I want you to check the ERT members and pick up any weapons, ammo, and vests that you can. We can use whatever you can find. I’m gonna go check the truck, see what’s inside.”
    “Okay.”
    Trevor went over to the truck, but heard a low moan from the other side. He pulled his Glock from the holster and went around to the other side of the truck. Several dead lay against the side in a heap. The moan came from underneath them. He moved the bodies out of the way and found an ERT member underneath the pile, his pistol still in his hand. The man coughed heavily, his legs covered in bite marks, a huge gash was present on his right thigh. He was changing into