The final book in the celebrated Dying Days series
Chapter One
Tosha had lost her weapon, Mitch, and was losing her sanity.
She heard the next shot but didn’t feel pain so knew she hadn’t been hit.
It was only a matter of time before she was struck by a stray bullet.
There was nowhere to hide. Too many enemies around every corner and down every street ahead. At this rate she’d get across the river by daybreak, even though it was inches from her feet.
Tosha hoped Mitch had made it to safety or a hiding place.
She hoped everyone she held dear to her had found a safe hiding spot because this was utter chaos.
Not only had these assholes been chasing her up and down the streets for hours, but the horde of zombies had picked this fight to shamble east and kill everything in its way.
Tosha had climbed onto the roof of a crumbling building, balanced on the only corner that was still standing, as the mass of rotting bodies marched, sweeping everything in front of them.
She’d watched in horror as they kept going once they got to the river, walking across, heads going underwater.
Tosha was sure most would be swept away, but not all of them. And with thousands on the move there would still be plenty to wreak havoc on The Promised Land.
The Promised Land is no more, she thought.
She could see the fires as she moved, trying to keep low and not step into the water. With any luck she could get to where the far north bridge was and hope one of the boats she’d stashed was still intact.
Going across the river was a suicide mission. The fuckers who’d started this shit were laying siege to Main Street.
She was sure other groups had snuck in through the back door and were fighting everyone as well. She’d seen a large group of armed men and women coming from the south. They looked like they hadn’t been touched by this mess yet. They were taking advantage of the distraction.
None of it mattered. Everyone would need to be killed if Tosha hoped to survive to see the sun again.
Getting across the river was going to be hard, especially since she had no idea how many zombies had been snagged in the water. There’d been plenty of sunken boats and bodies tossed into the water. All it would take was a fallen tree stopping a zombie from being pushed downriver and his rotting hand to grab her ankle in the dark.
I need a fucking boat, Tosha thought.
At least whoever was shooting at her had either gone the wrong way or found someone else to fuck with.
She heard footsteps approaching and stopped, ducking as far down into the muck as she could. There wasn’t much cover and anyone looking right at her wouldn’t be fooled.
Four men walked by, rifles aimed left and right as they moved.
By sheer luck, the closest one to her sneezed before looking her way and his friends hissed at him to be quiet.
Tosha waited until she was sure they’d gone further down the road and weren’t doubling back.
The four were going the same direction she needed to go. Should she turn back and try another plan?
Tosha didn’t have one.
Get a boat and cross the river and hope no one saw her before it got too light out. That was the only plan and it sucked.
She heard something take a step behind her but when she whirled around, holding her hands close to her body to look like a weapon, there wasn’t anyone there.
Or was there?
It was too dark. Too many shadows. The trees above were rustling in the slight breeze, making the darkness shimmer and noise muffled.
Tosha was beginning to see things. Every black shape separated itself from the darkness around it and aimed a weapon at her or had sharp claws.
It wasn’t lack of sleep that had her on edge. She’d taken a nice, long power nap before Mitch shook her awake. They’d been surrounded by the bad guys but Mitch had taken one for the team, sliding out from under the pickup truck, throwing a few punches and then running.
Tosha had taken down two of the three men confronting her but she’d lost her weapons. When she’d run she thought she could find Mitch.
She was alone and felt her sense of sanity slipping away.
There was a gunshot but it was blocks away. Tosha wondered who they’d caught. Who was even left at this point.
Gunshots across the river had stopped a few minutes ago as well. She’d just realized it, so deep into her own thoughts.
The silence was unsettling.
Only the wind and the palm fronds and the lapping water now.
The world had died around Tosha and she hadn’t known it hd all ended until it was over. Life had ended with a whimper instead of a bang.
Tosha had never felt more alone.
“Hey, Red. You wanna party?”
Tosha turned with a grin.
Her faith in shitty humanity as well as the reaching darkness of this world had returned, bringing with it a new purpose for her this moment.
Life was about moments. Fuck the big picture.
Tosha needed to get through this next shitstorm before she could take another breath.
It had always been her life and she reveled in it.
The four men had doubled back like she knew they would.
They smiled, as if they controlled the situation and the odds were in their favor.
“Let’s see if you got the balls to party with me,” she said and charged the four heavily-armed men, knowing she was going to die.
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