False Idols: After The Apocalypse, #3

By Gen Griffin

With the threat of a second zombie apocalypse looming, Seth, the High Priest of the Church of Chaos, has elected himself Judge, Jury and Executioner. His mission is simple: infiltrate the Cube and kill everyone he believes to be infected with the newly modified zombie virus. 

Pilar wants nothing to do with the slaughter, but her conscience won't allow her to walk away from Church of Chaos or the people of the Cube. Standing by Seth's side, Pilar struggles to accept her own role in the nightmare that is unfolding around her. Pilar's only hope for saving the lives of the people she grew up with may lie the prophecies of the Church of Chaos, but can she really do everything Seth believes she can? 

Torn between survival and a fate far worse than death, the actions Pilar takes will determine the fate of everyone she loves. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gen Griffin
• Release date: Oct 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519997043

Book preview

If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher. In such case neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

––––––––

FALSE IDOLS

AFTER THE APOCALYPSE BOOK 3

Copyright © 2015 by Gen Griffin

All rights reserved.

ASIN: B01521F9NE

ISBN13: 978-1517248215

ISBN-10: 1517248213

EBOOK ISBN:

The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means — including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Permission is granted to copy or reprint portions for any noncommercial use except they may not be posted online without permission. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Also By Gen Griffin

The Possum Creek Series

Lord Have Mercy (Prequel Novella)

Hot Southern Mess

Hissy Fit

Hot Southern Nights

Pretty Is As Pretty Does

Give Me Some Sugar

After The Apocalypse

The Scavengers

Church of Chaos

False Idols

After The Apocalypse: The Complete Series Box Set

DEDICATION

To my fellow authors. All your hard work is worth it.

Keep sharing your stories with the world. We need them.

Prologue

I'd never meant to start a war and yet, as I sat at the edge of the small clearing that separated the Cube from the outside world, Seth had made it impossible for me to deny the nightmare I'd helped set into motion.

How does it feel to come home?

I don't have a home anymore. I glanced over my right shoulder to see Gauge standing a couple of steps behind me. He studied the massive concrete block structure in front of us with obvious curiosity. He didn't look scared. Good for him. I was terrified. Home died with my mom.

Gauge sighed and sank down in the soft grass beside me. You've got to forgive Seth eventually, Pilar. Killing her was the most merciful thing he could have done for either one of you.

I have forgiven Seth. I stared down at the laces of my heavy, steel-toed black leather boots. You asked about my home. The Cube isn't home without my parents. I don't have a home anymore.

I gotcha. Gauge looked like a sheepdog with his too long, floppy blonde hair and wide-set hazel eyes. The Underground was the closest thing I've ever had to a home. It's a pile of ash now, so I guess we're kind of in the same boat.

Seth's boat.

Seth's boat, Gauge confirmed. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd wind up throwing my lot in with the High Priest of the Church of Chaos.

Or pledging your loyalty to the Church?

Or that. Gauge held out his forearm and stared at it unhappily before reaching to the knife sheath at his ankle and pulling out a small blade. Seth wants me to mark myself before we go into the Cube.

Are you scared? I asked.

Terrified, he confirmed.

It's not too late for you to change your mind, I said.

Seth says I might already be Changed and not even know it. Gauge held the blade of the small, wickedly sharp knife just above the soft inner skin of his forearm.

Is that possible? It was a scary thought.

Gauge pressed the tip of the knife down into his skin. Blood welled up from the wound as he drew a long, deep line through his own flesh. He told me to make sure to cut deep. He says shallow wounds will still heal even if you are Changed. Evidently its the deep wounds that tell the truth.

I watched the blood continue to pour of the cut. It ran down his arm in streams.

Does it hurt?

Yes.

I don't think Seth feels pain, I said.

I don't think that particular quality is part of the Change itself. I'm more inclined to say it's part of Seth's act. Gauge nearly smiled as he used the knife to make a second cut on his arm. This one was perpendicular to the first cut. He'd turned the cuts into the symbol of a cross. The mark of the Church of Chaos.

Seth's act...yeah. That. I turned away so I didn't have to watch Gauge bleed. Do you really think he's a god?

Hell no. Gauge actually laughed. I used to think he was the boogeyman, but that was before it got personal between us. Seth's not a monster. He's just terrifyingly practical. Survival is his main goal. He doesn't really care much about how he survives.

His lack of respect for human life is pretty much my least favorite personality trait. It was hard not to think about how calm Seth had been when he'd decapitated my mother. I'd forgiven him, yes. Forgotten? Not so much, no. I highly doubted that I'd ever be able to forget the way the blade of Seth's sword had cut so neatly through my mother's neck at the base of her spine.

And yet, you're the one who we're all pretty sure he'd die to protect.

I left that one alone. I brushed my fingers tiredly through my hair and then glanced back up at Gauge's arm. The bleeding had slowed slightly. Explain to me why Seth wants you to cut yourself?

How much has he told you about becoming one of the Changed?

Nothing.

Nothing? Gauge looked skeptical.

He changes the topic every time I bring it up.

He probably thinks it will scare you.

Will it? I met his eyes and searched their warmth for answers. Gauge wasn't as cold as Seth was. I'd learned he had more patience and a whole lot less personal agenda than Seth during the two weeks it had taken us to travel from the city of Ra Shet to the home base of the Church of Chaos and then to the Cube.

Gauge hesitated and then sighed. Maybe.

Maybe?

The whole secret behind becoming Changed is both more and less complicated than I expected it to be. Truth is, there isn't much secret in Seth's big secret.

I hate secrets, I huffed. Can't you just tell me?

Fine. Gauge shrugged and a burst of fresh blood oozed out of the cross on his forearm. As you already know, the zombie virus doesn't just affect zombies. It has contaminated everything in our environment. Its in our water. Its in the plants. Its in the air we breathe and everything we eat.

Except canned goods, I pointed out.

Except canned goods. Canned food is the only uncontaminated food source we have and its rapidly running out. Gauge cast an unhappy glance at the Cube. Most people aren't willing to resort to cannibalism in order to avoid eating contaminated meat. Not to mention that the cost of human flesh is highly prohibitive.

And, with the canned food supply running out, it's unsustainable. I frowned at the Cube. It's probably why the Powers That Be are experimenting with turning people into super zombies.

All good scams must come to an end, eventually. Gauge yawned and stretched. Trust him to make himself comfortable anywhere. The gray block building loomed over us like a nightmare come to life. Have you ever been afraid of starving to death?

What? The question took me by surprise.

Have you ever been so hungry that you thought you would starve to death?

I considered the question and then shook my head no. We were hungry sometimes and canned food is gross, but no. The Powers That Be always kept us fed.

People starve to death in Ra Shet during the winter.

Okay. I didn't know where he was going with this, but I trusted Gauge to get to the point fairly quickly.

When you're close to starving to death, all you can think about is eating. There isn't much  you wouldn't do for a bite of food. The guard patrols the streets on the hill at night to keep poor kids from digging through the rich people's trash and eating it. Everyone steals. Everyone begs. Being hungry in the city is one of the most agonizing, humiliating experiences that you could ever imagine.

It sounds horrible.

It is. Gauge leaned back slightly so that his spine was resting against the trunk of the nearest tree. I can't even begin to explain the desperation that takes over the poor during the coldest months of the year. Growing up, I was one of the kids digging through the dumpsters and running away from the guard with a stolen loaf of stale bread. So was Seth and a lot of other people in the Burroughs.

Okay, but what does this have to do with becoming one of the Changed?

Do you know why people are so afraid of eating food contaminated by the zombie virus?

Because they're afraid of being turned into zombies by their food, I replied.

Correct. Gauge nodded. Would you rather starve to death now or eat today and worry about turning into a zombie later?

Um, probably eat today and worry about the zombie virus later. I didn't have to give it as much thought as I would have two months ago. I'd adopted Seth's 'live today, worry about tomorrow later' life philosophy. So far, it had gotten me into a hell of a lot of trouble. On the bright side, I was still alive.

Gauge smirked at me. Generally, yes. That is the choice most people make. They want to survive so, when given the choice to eat zombie meat or starve to death, they eat the zombie.

Eat zombie? My jaw nearly hit the ground. Like, eat an actual zombie?

They're not that hard to pull out of the west corridor of the city, Gauge explained. When things get really bad in the Burroughs a few of the men normally go down to the corridor. They catch a couple of zombies, butcher them and cook them. Everybody eats to survive another day.

I gagged at the thought. That's disgusting.

Its better than dying of starvation.

I can't believe you've eaten zombie.

A lot of people have. Gauge poked the edges of the cut on his arm. It makes sense that the high levels of contamination in zombie meat might be responsible for changing people into half-zombies.

Oh my god.

I don't know why it never occurred to me before Seth explained the process. Gauge pursed his lips thoughtfully. He looked like he genuinely meant what he was saying. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Ra Shet are probably walking around Changed without a clue.

If so many people are already Changed, then why does Seth act like its some great secret?

Because the Church of Chaos would be completely powerless if everyone knew how easily Seth's powers can be theirs, Gauge said flatly.

Chapter 1

You can't save people with a flamethrower. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the High Priest of the Church of Chaos.

You just don't like to see me having fun. Seth grinned rakishly as he adjusted the nozzle on the flamethrower he had strapped onto his back. A single lock of dark black hair had fallen across his forehead, obscuring the ruined white pupil of his blind right eye.

Your idea of fun doesn't leave a whole lot of room for survivors, I pointed out.

Seth pressed a button and sent a small whoosh of flame shooting into the air above our heads.

I shrieked and ducked instinctively towards the thick carpet of multicolored leaves at our feet. He laughed.

What can I say? He adjusted the hose of his new favorite toy. You always insist on learning all your life lessons the hard way, Pi. Why won't you just trust me?

You don't have much of a conscience when it comes to respecting the sanctity of human life. I struggled to regain my composure as I ran both of my hands through my frizzy reddish brown curls.

I've never intentionally hurt you. He had the nerve to look insulted, pursing his lips into a terrifyingly pretty pout.

I'm the exception. Not the rule. I put my hands on my hips and reminded myself that Seth, regardless of his bizarre and inexplicable loyalty to me, was an incredibly dangerous creature. You could light the Cube on fire and listen to the screams of everyone inside as they burned to death. It wouldn't even turn your stomach. You could kill seven thousand people in a day and still sleep tonight.

I do what has to be done,