Excerpt from Surge of the Dead

Virginia tried as best as she could to keep her head lifted. Todd had thrown her over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes, and with him running, she was being bounced all over the place. A few times she had almost dropped the crossbow and arrow on the ground. Only luck had allowed her to keep a decent grip on it through all the jostling. Virginia resigned herself to the fact that her only easy view would be of Todd’s backside and the passing street below her, until a horrifying squeal came from behind them. Raising her head, she saw Zeus being surrounded by zombies, and for an instant, she thought she had seen him go down.

“TODD! STOP RIGHT NOW!” Virginia screamed as she raised the crossbow up and fired at one of the zombies. Todd slid to a stop, nearly falling as the arrow found its mark, felling the creature. The opening allowed her to see Zeus in the middle of them, fighting with everything he had to break free. “Perseus, help Zeus!” Virginia ordered as she saw the black flash of the other dog charge into the fight. “Todd, I need the arrows!”

Todd handed her three arrows from the quiver, and Virginia started picking off more zombies. For now they were in luck, as Zeus had taken on the vanguard of the herd. If she could pick enough off, he could get out of there and head to safety alongside her and Todd.

Once Perseus made it to Zeus’s side the battle seemed to be tilting in their favor. While one dog was worthwhile to take on, the remaining zombies started to back away from two. Virginia kept picking them off as fast as she could until Todd said, “There are no more arrows Missus.” Virginia let her head drop and then called the lads to come to her. Perseus ran as fast as ever, but Zeus was moving slow and labored. Not sure if he could make it or not in his condition, Virginia told Todd, “Why don’t you put me down over there by Zeus, and then you and Perseus get out of here?”

Todd stamped his large foot into the snow and replied, “Then Todd and the puppy would be alone again! I don’t want to be alone again out here!”

“Todd, Zeus doesn’t look like he can run, and I can’t leave him by himself. Please, just leave me by Zeus so I can be with him if this is the end for the two of us. I can’t leave him behind, do you understand?” Virginia was now crying in a way that she had not cried since the day the authorities came to take her mother to the quarantine center. Todd stomped his feet again and said no as Virginia began beating his back with the crossbow.

“Todd will carry the puppy and you!” He yelled as he ran forward to get Zeus.

“You can’t carry us both! Zeus weighs over one hundred and seventy pounds, Todd. All you will do is get us all eaten.”