Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series by Hayley Lawson (pdf e book reader .TXT) 📗

Ryder heard the door behind her swing open and turned to see who’d come to help them. It was all of the Merry Men, and with their new weapons, they were more than ready for a fight.

“Time to test these babies out,” Carter yelled, swinging his axes as he ran toward the Mad. The rest of the Merry Men joined Carter with a whoop.

Tightwad swung his swords at a Mad. He chopped off one of the Mad’s ears, and it fell to the ground. The Mad went for him, but before he could swing his swords again, Vicky cracked the Mad over the head with her shovel. The Mad stumbled sideways and Tightwad finished him off with another swing, only this time he didn’t miss, and the Mad’s head rolled.

Koda spun his wooden spear around and clipped a Mad in the head with the butt. Koda wielded that spear as an awesome weapon, even without the blades.

Graham was annoyed that Koda hadn’t used the improvements to the spear. “Koda, press the button,” the blacksmith shouted. Koda looked at Graham, confused. “The button.” Graham pointed to the spear as he stabbed a Mad with his free hand.

Koda fiddled with the spear, then the blade flipped out of the butt and Koda’s face lit up. “Thank you, Graham.” Koda grinned and used the blade to jab the Mad he was fighting in the eye. The Mad collapsed with blood spurting from its eye socket. “Nice!” Koda enthused.

“Take this, motherfuckers!” Clint yelled around his cigarette as he attacked the Mad with his knives. He slashed them across the stomach and their guts spilled out, but that didn’t stop the Mad. They continued to snap at Clint until he sliced their throats when they were close enough.

The Merry Men fought well together, and soon there was a bloody mess of limbs and guts on the ground. The smell of death hung in the air.

“I’m starving,” Carter announced, and a few of the others agreed. The bloodbath hadn’t put them off food; if anything, the exertion had only made them hungrier. Everyone knew they’d need to keep their strength up if they were going to win their battle against the Mad.

Chapter Four

Afana had reached Level One at the top of the bunker. His anger was racing through his body like it had never done before. He was a raging bull, and the advisors were his china shop. He grabbed the nearest advisor and lifted him off his feet, then brought him toward his fangs.

Advisor Robert nervously hurried toward Afana. “Afana,” Robert yelled. “Please don’t! I’ve noted some of the blood was slow to change, so he might be infected.” Afana dropped the man at his feet. If there was a chance the blood was infected, he wasn’t going to take it. The advisor didn’t know what to do until Robert shooed him away.

Afana stomped over to Robert and scowled. “Level Six have locked themselves in, and now you’re telling me that my stock on Level One is potentially infected?” Afana growled.

Advisor Robert nodded. “I am.” His voice shook a little and he swallowed, knowing the penalty for showing weakness.

Afana’s eyes glowed in response to the fire inside him and his veins began to bulge. “All of these computers and not one of you can open the doors!” Afana’s voice echoed through Level One.

Advisor Jones spoke quietly. “We could try restarting the system. That should reset the codes, which would force Level Six open…along with all the other levels.”

“Do it,” Afana ordered. “But if you’re wrong I will drain you.”

Advisor Robert had to give Afana a word of caution, “Afana, if all the doors open, the infected could spread the disease to the other levels.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. I can fend off the cattle.” Afana looked almost fondly at Advisor Jones, making him gulp.

Advisor Robert’s eyes bulged, and he shook his head at Afana. Afana knew that meant that the disease had shown up in Advisor Jones’ blood already. Even if this works he will be dead, Afana thought.

Advisor Jones hands were shaking as he placed them over the keyboard and began to type. A short while later he finally stopped typing, his work done. Everyone looked down through the glass floor toward the doors, but it was hard to see them through all the blood.

Afana could see that the panel next to the door had zeros on it. It had gone back to the manufacturers setting. It worked. Shame he’s going to die anyway, Afana thought.

Advisor Jones turned to Afana and actually smiled. He thought he’d done a good job, dumb cattle. Afana picked up Advisor Jones and threw him down his drop hole. His body tumbled through the floors and crashed down on the locked door of Level Six.

“Who else is infected?” Afana asked Robert, who reeled off two names. Each man went whiter than his lab coat. Afana wasted no time in taking out the trash, just picked each of them up and threw them down his exit.

Now it was time to get the motherfucker on Level Six!

Excitement flooded Afana. All the doors were open, and he could get to Level Six. Afana knew that he’d have to go to each door and input the new codes to lock the doors manually since he didn’t trust anyone else to do it. That was just fine since he planned to kill Terrier and anyone else who had been helping him and feast on their blood. Afana paused that thought. He’d feast on the blood once it was given the all-clear.

This got Afana thinking. If the advisors’ blood had changed too slowly to show signs of the disease, could the same thing happen to him? Would he become infected? He’d been surrounded by the infected when fighting them. He looked down at his clothes. His black shirt was ripped and had blood all over it, and his hands were redder