Anything but Dead and Gone

Before Benny and the others finally left to fend for themselves in the Rot and Ruin, there were bad things happening that didn't even involve zombies. Unbeknownst to them, bad, bad people had survived and even thrived in a world where the dead rose to eat the living. In Dead and Gone, a story Jonathan Maberry wrote to precede Flesh and Bone, the third book in the series, we get to see just how our new character, Riot, came to find the group. 

The Night Church is the epitome of terror, established by a serial killer who anoints his followers as Reapers, meant to quiet the living and bring them back as the walking dead. But the daughter of his second in command doesn't want to live the life of a Reaper anymore.  She manages to get away, but Sister Margaret is too valuable for the Night Church to let her go. Now she is on the run, fighting through the gray people to escape the Reapers, but they forgot one thing. She isn't Sister Margaret anymore. She is Riot, and Riot is in control of her own life. 

First of all, if you have read anything by Jonathan Maberry, you know what a fabulous writer he is. Whether his adult or young adult stories, they are equally as enthralling and exciting, so it is no surprise this simple, short little story would be jut as fabulous. Riot is a butt-kicken girl and the people she encounters out in the Rot and Ruin are just as awesome. If you have read the Rot and Ruin series, pick this up, but even if you haven't, maybe reading this short story will convince you to read more!