Baileigh Higgins
Apocalypse Z - Book 6
Copyright © 2020 by Baileigh Higgins
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise withoutwritten permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distributeit by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it arethe work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localitiesis entirely coincidental.
Baileigh Higgins asserts the moral right to be identified asthe author of this work.
Baileigh Higgins has no responsibility for the persistenceor accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does notguarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks.All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarksand registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with anyproduct or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed thebook.
First edition
This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy
Find out more at reedsy.com
Contents
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Prologue - The Migration
Chapter 1 - Alex
Chapter 2 - Dylan
Chapter 3 - Amanda
Chapter 4 - Tara
Chapter 5 - Saul
Chapter 6 - Dylan
Chapter 7 - Big Joe
Chapter 8 - Wanda
Chapter 9 - Nick
Chapter 10 - Saul
Chapter 11 - Dylan
Chapter 12 - Tamara
Chapter 13 - Rikke
Chapter 14 - Alex
Chapter 15 - Nick
Chapter 16 - Mike
Chapter 17 - Dylan
Chapter 18 - Saul
Chapter 19 - Missy
Chapter 20 - Nick
Chapter 21 - Alex
Chapter 22 - Dylan
Chapter 23 - Tara
Chapter 24 - Jenny
Epilogue I - Dylan
Epilogue II - Tara
Do you want more?
Your Free Ebook is waiting!
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Thank you to May Dawney for the lovely book cover design. You can check out her portfolio at https://covers.maydawney.com. She’s a truly talented artist. Plus, a huge thank you to Graham Rintoul for his tireless dedication to my books, his research, and his input. And a big shoutout to Mike Hansen for his support and help. I truly appreciate you all!
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Richard Ladner, a staunch supporter of my work. Thank you for being so encouraging and making me smile with your witty comments, Richard. May the undead never get their grubby fingers on you!
Prologue - The Migration
Tyler, Texas; 12:48 pm
Big Joe straightened up to ease the ache in his lower back and glanced at the sky. It was past noon already and time to take a break. With careful steps, he picked through the rows of freshly planted vegetables and leaned his shovel against the wall. A chair on the porch beckoned, and he sank onto its wicker frame with a sigh of relief. It was hot with no sign of the habitual morning chill. Sweat ran down the back of his smooth head, and he wiped it away with a hand the size of a dinner plate. “I reckon spring is here to stay.”
“What’s that?” Sandy asked, pushing her way through the screen door that led to the kitchen. She carried a tray loaded with glasses and a pitcher of water, which she placed on a side table.
“Nothing much. Just commenting on the weather,” Joe replied. “I think winter is gone for good.”
“It’s been quite warm the last couple of days,” Sandy agreed with a nod of her head. She poured a glass of water and offered it to him. “Here. You look like you need this.”
He accepted the glass and sipped the lukewarm liquid with a grunt. Not for the first time, he wished for the luxury of electricity and plumbing. Instead, their food had to be dried, salted, or canned, and an outhouse took care of their ablutions. “Thanks, Sandy.”
Sandy walked to the edge of the porch and cupped her mouth. “Xavier, Candy, come on down for a second. It’s time for lunch.”
“Coming!” two young voices replied from a tower perched next to the concrete fence that surrounded the property.
Seconds later, two teens jogged across the dusty yard, their broad smiles flashing in the sun. Xavier dropped down onto the top step of the porch. “What’s for lunch?”
“You’ll have to wait and see,” Sandy admonished as she dished out two more glasses of water.
“Aw, really?” he replied with a teasing grin. His blue eyes twinkled, offset by a deep tan and dark hair that gleamed in the sun.
“Yes, really,” Sandy replied with a mock huff. “I’ll be right back.”
She went back into the kitchen, and Candy sat down on a nearby chair. Her light-blonde hair hung down her back in a thick braid, and a silver stud gleamed in her bottom lip. Her lashes were coated with black mascara, which made her green eyes look cat-like, and she chewed on a thumbnail covered in chipped purple nail polish.
“How does it look outside?” Joe asked.
Candy shrugged. “It’s quiet. Nothing for miles around.”
“Yeah, but it looks like a storm is on its way,” Xavier added.
Joe frowned. “A storm?”
Xavier nodded. “There’s a dark cloud hanging on the horizon, and it’s moving this way.”
“I see,” Joe replied. “Are you sure it’s a storm?”
“What else could it be?” Xavier asked.
“Maybe I should take a look for myself,” Joe said.
“Not before you eat first,” Sandy said, emerging from the kitchen with a tray of freshly baked oatmeal biscuits and a jar of apricot jam.
