ã€ŠThe First Days (As the World Dies #1)ã€‹


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    Chapter 1 - Somewhere In Texas

    1. Tiny Fingers

    So small.

    So very, very small.

    The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small. She could not stop staring at those baby fingers straining desperately to reach her as she stood trembling on the porch. The cool, morning air lightly puffed out her pink nightgown. Her pale fingers clutched the thin bathrobe tightly closed at her throat as she continued to stare at the child''s hand grasping in her direction.

    I knew we needed weather stripping, she thought vaguely. Texas weather could change so fast and this early March morning was crisp.

    The gap under the front door was far too large. These new modern homes looked so fancy, but were actually not very well built. If they had bought the nice Victorian she had wanted there wouldn''t be a gap under the front door. A gap large enough for that little hand to slide underneath.

    The tiny fingers clawed desperately under the edge of the door.

    The banging from inside the house had reached a steady staccato. It had a rhythm now, as did the grunts and groans. The sound terrified her. But what was truly horrible were those tiny, desperate fingers pressed under the front door of her home.

    Straining fingers.

    Straining to reach her.

    Her voice caught in her throat as blood began to trickle out from beneath the door. Of course the blood would eventually flow out. There was so much. It had been everywhere when she had stood in the doorway of Benjamin''s bedroom. The walls had been splashed red.

    She covered her mouth with her hand. Another wave of chills flowed over her as her knees literally knocked together.

    The rhythm changed with a new beat. A second set of fists banged against the door.

    Through the thick, lead glass of the door she could see the dim outline of her husband''s body. It was distorted by the thick smears of blood on the other side. She stared at it long enough to make out Lloyd''s misshapen hands battering against the glass, then her gaze was drawn down to those tiny fingers scrabbling so desperately toward her.

    She really should have insisted on Lloyd putting down weather stripping.

    An angry howl from the other side of the door made her jump and her thick raven hair fell into her face. With trembling hands she pushed back her tresses. Her gaze did not move from those tiny fingers.

    The pool of blood was slowly spreading toward her bare feet.

    She should move.

    But where?

    The tiny fingers were now raw, tips of bone showing and yet they still sought her out.

    There was a loud thunk! to her left and her gaze shot over to the window beside her. Mikey stood in the window hissing at her as he beat on the window with his fists. His torn lips were drawn back in a grimace as his dead eyes latched onto her hungrily.

    "Why, Mikey, why?" Her voice was a plaintive whisper.

    Why had her twelve-year-old son rushed back to try to fight his father?

    Why hadn''t he run when she had screamed at him to follow her?

    Why wouldn''t the pounding end?

    Clutching her head, she swayed slightly. She felt something cold touch her toe and looked down to see thick blood welling around it. Stepping back, her gaze slid back to the fingers pressed under the front door. The tips of the tiny fingers were raw and skinless.

    "Benjamin, please stop," she whispered.

    He always did this. Every time she went to the bathroom, the persistent three-year-old would be on her heels. She could never relax and just go. She would have to talk to him as he lay outside the bathroom, one eye pressed against the crack, his tiny chubby fingers pressed under the door.

    Was one eye pressed against the crack under the front door now?

    How had he managed to get downstairs? There was so little left of him.

    Lloyd always was a big eater¡­

    She almost threw up and both hands flew up to cover her mouth.

    Gagging, she stepped back from the door. Her body was trembling violently.

    There was a loud clattering noise now, loud and painful to her hearing.

    Covering her ears with her hands, she took another step back.

    Why wouldn''t it just all stop?

    The clattering was louder now and her jaw hurt.

    Oh, her teeth were chattering.

    She closed her eyes, swaying.

    Those tiny fingers¡­those tiny fingers¡­

    Glass shattered and growls filled the cool morning air. Her eyes snapped open to see Mikey trying to push his way through the broken window.

    "No, no, no¡­" She stumbled backward down the front steps and fell as her bare foot slipped on the slick dew-drenched grass.

    Mikey continued to shove his way through the window and the glass ripping away his flesh. But he didn''t seem to notice as growling and snarling he pushed his way through the shattered glass.

    It was then she screamed. Screamed louder than she ever thought possible. Screamed like she should have when she had found Lloyd hunched over Benjamin, eating away her baby''s tender flesh. Screamed like she should have as Lloyd had pursued her and Mikey down the stairs. Screamed like she should have when Mikey had turned back to try to defend her. Screamed like she should have when the front door slammed behind her and she realized she was alone.

    She screamed until her voice died in her throat.

    And still Mikey grunted and hissed as he slowly dragged his torn body through the window. Lloyd, blood-drenched and crazed, came up behind Mikey and fastened his vicious gaze on her. Determined, he began to crawl over his son, cracking and breaking the remaining glass out of the window frame.

    Slowly, she stood. Her gaze strayed to the door.

    Tiny fingers still searched for her.

    Raising her hands, she pressed them against her face and watched as Lloyd and Mikey wiggled and jerked their way through the narrow window.

    "Get in the truck now!"

    She blinked.

    "Get in the truck now!"

    She turned slowly. An old, white battered truck sat on her perfectly manicured lawn just behind her. The engine was hot and grumbling.

    Where had it come from?

    "In! Now!"

    She raised her gaze to see a tall, slim blond woman in a business suit and hunters jacket standing next to the truck with a shot gun in one hand. "Get in now!"

    Looking back, she saw Mikey slip from the window, wet, bloody and battered. For a moment she remembered how he had looked when he had just been born. Her shriveled up little monkey boy.

    After struggling to his feet, Mikey leaped forward.

    It was then that she knew it was time to leave her family. Time to go. The money she had carefully squirreled away to provide her and the kids a new life would have to stay hidden in the closet. The suitcase she had packed for her and the kids for when she finally ran away to the women''s shelter would have to remain in its hiding place in the attic.

    Lloyd had destroyed what remained of their life together.

    It was time to go.

    Wrenching the passenger door open, she looked back to see Mikey hurtling toward her. She jumped in and slammed the door shut just as he impacted with the side of the truck. His battered, chewed face pressed against the glass as he bared his teeth and his growls ripped at her ears.

    "Mikey," she whispered. She pressed her hand against the glass, blocking his gruesome face from her view.

    She looked away.

    The blond woman slammed her door shut and shifted gears. The truck roared into reverse as Lloyd rushed toward them, hissing loudly.

    The blond shifted again and the truck lurched forward and accelerated down the quiet suburban street just as the sun rose over the tops of the houses.

    She dared to look back, dared to see what followed. Falling behind quickly was Lloyd and Mikey: her husband and her son. And they were not alone. Others, bloodied and crazed, were racing out from houses, screaming either in terror or in hunger.

    She tore her gaze away from the things running behind her.

    And the tiny fingers she knew were still pressed under the door.

    2. Together

    The old battered truck sped around a corner and nearly sideswiped an SUV that was stopped dead in the middle of the road. Forced to slow down, the blond driver of the truck slammed the flat of her hand against the steering wheel and cursed under her breath.

    As the truck glided past the SUV, the blond woman¡¯s green eyes glanced into the parked vehicle and wished immediately she hadn''t. A man sat in the driver seat, staring straight ahead. His eyes were wide, unblinking, his mouth moving in words that were too easy to make out.

    "Stop, please, stop" she was sure he was saying.

    But the woman hunched over him, covered in blood and gore continued to pull ropes of intestine up to her greedy mouth. As the truck passed by, the woman looked up, hissed and slammed her hand against the SUV''s windshield.

    She slammed her foot down on the accelerator and the truck lurched ahead. She stole a glance at the pale, fragile creature beside her. The woman she had rescued sat silently with one hand pressed against the bloody smear on the passenger side window.

    "Hey," the driver said reaching over and tapping the stranger''s knee.

    "Hey."

    The woman slowly turned her head and the driver saw that her eyes were glassy and distant.

    Great, she was in shock.

    "Hey, my name is Katie. I need your help, okay?"

    "The man," the woman said in response.

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    Katie turned her gaze back to the road just in time to see a man trying to wave them down. He was drenched in blood and was sobbing violently. She started to slow the truck, but two small children suddenly leapt onto the man, their baby teeth ripping into his throat.

    "Just go," the stranger next to her said in a dead voice. "Just go."

    Katie drew in a shivering breath and nodded. "Yeah. You''re right."

    She drove on, leaving the man wailing as blood spurted into the air and the children rode him down to the ground. Katie swallowed hard and forced her gaze from the review mirror and concentrated on maneuvering through the suburbia hell she was caught in.

    The woman next to her drew her pale pink bathrobe tighter around her trembling body and stared straight ahead. Her eyes were as dark as her black hair.

    Katie slowed down just a tad to a quick, but more reasonable pace. The street they were on seemed peaceful and she needed to get her thoughts together. She forced herself to take several deep breaths. She had to keep calm. She knew that much.

    "Listen, I need you to take my cell phone and call the first number in the speed-dial. 911 is not working right now, but hopefully we can get through to the police department. I can''t pay attention to driving and call."

    Just then she had to swerve again. This time it was to avoid a pack of rabid humans racing toward the truck from a side street. The chaos was spreading quickly throughout the neighborhood. It was getting worse by the second. The pack tried to pursue the truck for a few seconds, but was drawn off by another car tearing out of a garage in an attempt to escape.

    The dark-haired woman nodded and took the phone from Katie. She flipped it open and stared at the tiny screen. On it was a picture of a lovely woman with short-cropped brown hair and amber eyes.

    "She''s pretty," the woman whispered.

    Katie choked back a sob and fought the hot tears suddenly stinging her eyes. "Yes, she is." She brushed her mouth with her hand and tried her best not to cry. She couldn''t think of Lydia right now. She just couldn''t. She had to find her way out of this hellish neighborhood and to safety.

    The woman worked her way easily through the menu and pressed dial.

    Even Katie could hear the busy signal.

    "Keep trying, okay?"

    "Okay."

    Katie drove on past a school bus. It was empty and the open door was smeared with blood. The rest of the block looked peaceful, but she knew it was not. Whatever was happening in the rest of the city was happening here.

    They had to be very careful. Katie had seen too many horrors this morning to think they could be safe.

    "I''m Jenni. With an "i", not a "y". I like it spelled that way," the woman said softly beside her.

    Katie smiled despite everything. "Hi, Jenni with an "i". I''d say I''m happy to meet you, but under the circum-"

    "The little boy, that was my son, Mikey. His Dad¡­he¡­my husband¡­Lloyd¡­did something to him. To him and Benji¡­"

    Katie shuddered slightly as the harsh, brutal memory of seeing Jenni pursued to the truck by a ravaged little boy and his blood splattered father passed through her mind''s eye.

    "I''m sorry." It was all Katie could think of to say.

    "It''s still busy," Jenni answered changing the subject. She stared at the phone.

    "Please, keep trying."

    Jenni nodded and pushed the button again.

    Katie spun the steering wheel and headed around a corner, barely avoiding two cars racing past her. She saw frightened families inside and whispered a silent prayer for them. She was hopelessly lost in suburbia and not sure where to go. She and Lydia lived ten miles from this new, modern cookie-cutter suburb. Their home was a custom built home Lydia had designed. It was tucked into a hillside overlooking the lake and the city. It should have been safe there. It should have been, but the terror of this morning had even reached there.

    Her feet were aching in her high heels and she wished she had found better shoes in the truck. The old man''s hunting coat was comforting and warm. It reminded her of her grandfather and smelled of fresh tobacco.

    How had this happened? What did it mean? One minute she had been sitting in her brand new convertible, top down despite the cool morning, enjoying a cup of coffee and readying herself for a long day at her job as a prosecutor. The next she had been fighting off a man who had reached across the passenger seat, grabbed the jacket of her brand new Ann Taylor suit and tried to drag her out of the car. She had slipped out of her jacket, grabbed her briefcase and battered him with it. She struck him so hard she had heard his skull crack.

    She had leapt from the car ready to fight when she saw that his throat was torn out and he trailed a long train of intestines behind him. But that did not stop him from trying to climb over the car to get to her.

    To her growing horror, she had seen more mutilated people rushing straight for her through the early morning rush hour traffic that always snarled up the narrow road leading down into the city. She had turned and started to run blindly, past honking cars, vehicles with music so loud her teeth throbbed, and SUVs packed with children going to school. All of them seemed oblivious of the danger quickly running toward them.

    "Hey, missy!"

    An old man had stood outside his white truck, waving at her, a shotgun clutched in his hand. "Get in my truck! We''ll off road it! Hurry!"

    She hadn''t needed to look behind her to know she was pursued. She had heard the slap of their feet against the pavement.

    Katie had almost been to the truck when suddenly the old man was grabbed from behind. A woman bit into his throat and viciously dragged him down to the ground. Katie had almost stopped, but the old man had waved to her.

    "Get in the truck! Take the gun! Get out of here! Go! Go!" He had continued to fight with the woman that had assaulted him, but he had faded fast. His blood had been a fountain against the pavement.

    Pausing for the barest of moments, she had grabbed the shotgun from his quivering hand and had dove into the open driver''s door. Slamming it shut, her hand had reached for the ignition only to realize the truck was already on.

    The old man''s gurgling voice had shouted, "Go! Go! Go!"

    She had obeyed: shifted gears and went. In the rear view mirror, she had seen the small pack of mutilated humans reach the old man and dive onto him. As she had driven down the shoulder and past the stopped cars that honked at her, she had seen the old man one more time. His mutilated form had been running with the rest of the pack.

    "Don''t turn here!"

    Kate shook herself out of her memories and slammed on the brakes.

    "Shit!" It was a cul-de-sac. She quickly started to turn around when she saw a nightmarish vision. Around fifteen of those things erupted out into the street and began to race toward the truck cutting off their escape route.

    Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she quickly pulled the truck around.

    "Just do it," Jenni said softly beside her. "They''re not real anymore."

    Katie aimed right for the center of the throng, floored the truck and braced herself. The deer guard caught the first few and flung them away from the vehicle. One skinny teenager bounced onto the hood and he clung to hood, beating at the windshield with one hand.

    Katie slammed on the brake and the momentum carried him off the hood and his hand, already barely fastened to his arm by strands of tendon and skin, snapped off.

    "Oh, God," she whispered.

    "It''s okay," Jenni said softly. "Really."

    Katie hit the accelerator and they both were jostled when they drove over the youth''s body. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn she heard a mushy popping sound.

    "What is happening? What the hell is this?" Katie shook her head, her blond hair falling softly across her brow.

    "The end," Jenni sighed. "The end."

    3. As The City Falls

    The white truck hurtled down the streets of suburbia that were quickly falling into bloody bedlam. It was obvious that whatever was happening was spreading at an accelerated pace. Gunshots rang through the morning air.

    People''s screams rose in a cacophony. Cars careened crazily through the streets. At times it was only Katie''s quick reflexes that saved them from an accident.

    Beside her Jenni hit the Redial button once more. Katie couldn''t bear to look at the phone and see Lydia''s beautiful face smiling out at her.

    If this wasn''t the end, it sure did look like it. It had to be terrorists. Some sort of weapon that made people crazed. PCP, something. Katie rubbed her mouth with her fingers. That had to be it.

    Since Jenni''s proclamation of the end, they had both been silent. It was too much to absorb.

    Too much to comprehend.

    They just had to keep moving.

    They had to keep going.

    But where?

    If only her Dad would answer his cell phone. Of course, he was probably going nuts trying to reach her. She could see him now in the center of the hub being the strong police chief of legend. Big Bruce was certainly doing his best to get this insanity under control. Tears threatened to fall as she thought of his strong craggy face under his military buzz cut. It was a soothing thought in this moment.

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    And then his voice filled the truck cab.

    "Hello? Katie?"

    And Katie started to cry as Jenni said, "No, but she''s here with me."

    Katie grabbed the phone away from Jenni. "Daddy!"

    "Katie, are you and Lydia okay?"

    Katie shook her head and whispered, "No, no. I''m fine, but Lydia, she didn''t make it. She¡­Daddy¡­she¡­"

    "I''m sorry, Katie-baby. I''m sorry."

    She could tell by his voice that he truly was. Despite his misgivings with her lifestyle, he had come to accept and be quite close to Lydia. Though her mother had remained blissfully in denial until her death, her father had tried hard to understand. His painful, sometimes embarrassing questions had only showed her how much he was trying. And when he had shown up at her wedding, dressed in his military uniform, beaming and near tears, to walk her down the aisle, she knew that he loved her even if he didn''t understand her completely.

    Now they shared a moment of silence over the woman Katie had loved so much.

    "I''m sorry, honey," he said again. "But you can''t let it affect you right now, understand?"

    "Yes, I know. I''m trying to keep a cool head."

    "Good girl." A tinge of pride crept into his tone, though it remained dominated by fear. "Listen, Katie, whatever the hell this is, it''s all over the city. You need to get down to the police department. We''re barricaded in and you''ll be safe here. We got the National Guard on its way."

    "Okay, Daddy. Okay. We''ll be there as soon as we can."

    "Katie, be careful." His voice was rich with emotion and she wiped a tear away.

    "I''m armed, Daddy. I have a good vehicle."

    "Not that little-"

    "No, no. A truck. I''m in a truck."

    "How¡­nevermind¡­this day¡­too many weird things."

    Katie nodded and pressed the cell phone tighter to her ear, ignoring the little stab of her earring against her skin. "Daddy, what are they?"

    "I don''t know. I don''t know. The damn Ruskies are behind it. I know it.

    We never could trust them. Everyone else is saying terrorists, but I''m telling you, Katie, the Soviet Union never really died."

    She couldn''t help but laugh a little. He was such a Cold War warrior. She could hear many voices behind him, demanding, questioning. Without a doubt her dear old dad was at the center of the storm.

    "Katie, I gotta go. I love you. Get here as soon as you can. Be careful."

    "Okay, Daddy. Okay. Love you."

    Katie snapped the phone shut and pressed it tightly against her lips. She couldn''t think of Lydia right now. She couldn''t think of how she had pulled up to their beautiful home to see Lydia tearing at the mailman with their neighbors at her side. She couldn''t think of how Lydia had rushed toward her, not to kiss her and hold her and make the world better, but to kill.

    "I know what they are," Jenni said softly beside her. She was intently staring at her feet, especially her one bloodstained toe.

    "Yeah? Well, what are they then?"

    "Zombies.¡±

    Katie laughed bitterly, then her voice died away as the crested a hill.

    Before them lay the city. It was smoldering. Down in the city, chaos ruled.

    Even from their high position, they could see clearly that it was overrun. The things were every where.

    The phone rang.

    "Katie?"

    "Daddy?"

    "Katie, don''t come here! Don''t come here! I just got word in. It''s not safe to come in. The National Guard was overrun. Don''t come, Katie! Run! Get the hell out of the city! Keep safe, baby, keep safe."

    Katie rested her forehead against the steering wheel. "Daddy¡­"

    "Just do it, baby. Just do it."

    Either he hung up or the lines finally went dead for suddenly there was nothing but a pulsing tone.

    Katie looked up through the windshield as she clutched the steering wheel. A car sped past her and down the hill toward downtown. She watched it for several blocks and then it was overrun by a horde of those things.

    "We need to go now," Jenni''s faint, singsong voice said. She turned her glassy gaze to Katie. "We really do."

    Katie turned the wheel and they headed back up the road.

    "Turn here," Jenni said.

    Katie obeyed automatically. Tears streamed down her face.

    Jenni pointed again. "Turn here."

    Katie turned the truck and sped down a back road that sliced behind the suburbs nestled into the hill.

    "It will take us far away from the city," Jenni sighed and reached down and cleaned her toe with the edge of her bathrobe. "Away from the zombies."

    Katie whispered, "There is no such thing."

    "Then what are they?" Jenni''s voice held a hint of emotion. "Some bum bit Lloyd last night when he was coming home from work. This morning he ate my baby!" Abruptly, her voice was on the edge of hysteria.

    Lydia racing toward her, bloody hands stretched out, her chest torn open¡­

    Katie drew in a sharp breath.

    "If they are not zombies, what are they?" Jenni''s voice was shrill.

    Katie looked at her and reached out and grabbed Jenni''s cold, clammy hand with her own.

    "Zombies, okay, Jenni. They are zombies. And you''re right. This is the end."

    Jenni sighed and nodded and laid her head against the back of the passenger seat. "I know. I know¡­" And she closed her eyes and slept

    4. Into the Hills

    Jenni woke to the steady hum of the road. She opened her eyes slowly.

    Her nightmares released her and she sighed with relief. Her dreams were even worse than this new, horrible reality. In her sleep she had curled up, resting against the passenger door. Now raising her head, she saw the dry and caked blood her son had smeared on the window when he had tried in vain to reach her.

    Not for hugs and kisses, but for far worse.

    Beyond the swath of gore the world was speeding by. Hills, large and small, covered in trees decked out in colorful spring flowers greeted her gaze.

    Time for Easter and Easter baskets. She would fill them with candies and toys and the kids were scramble around the backyard looking for colorful eggs. But that wouldn''t happen now. It was all over.

    Lloyd had taken away her kids. Stolen them away. Just like she had known he would. Maybe he was something else when he had attacked them, but he had only finished out the cycle he had started when he had decided to marry his blushing eighteen year old bride. His looks, his money, and his success had blinded her. He was older and wiser. In her heart, she hadn''t truly loved him, but she had believed she would one day. When he spoke of his first failed marriage, she had vowed that she would never let him down.

    She would be his perfect wife, his perfect companion, and that he would never have to say a negative word about her.

    Somehow, she had failed him. No matter how hard she had tried, she had failed him. At first his lashings were verbal and fierce, then it was the back of his hand, and, eventually, it was his fists. But she had continued to try. She had struggled with her inadequacies, done everything he asked of her.

    Toward the end, she had known in her heart it would come to this. She would either die at his hand or he would kill the children as he had threatened to do so many times before.

    "But he was a zombie in the end," she said softly.

    "What?"

    Jenni blinked, not realizing she had spoken aloud. She turned slowly to gaze at the woman beside her.

    The driver of the truck was a very pretty lady with golden blond hair that fell just to her shoulders in tousled curls. She had a strong, pretty feminine face with cat-eyes and a sensuous mouth. Jenni was sure that the driver was the sort of girl who was the homecoming queen and head cheerleader and student council president all rolled into one. The smart, pretty girl who was actually nice. Jenni felt comforted by this. She had always been on the fringe of the popular girls. She understood this type. They lead, you followed. It was simple.

    Her name was Katie. That was right. Katie.

    "I was dreaming," Jenni answered.

    Katie nodded. "You didn''t miss anything. After the last traffic light on the edge of the neighborhood it was smooth sailing."

    "No one comes this way anymore. Not since the highway was built. I like it out here. It''s peaceful." Jenni didn''t feel so cold anymore. She still felt awfully numb, but it was a pleasant sort of numb.

    "I''m not sure where we are going," Katie said after a beat. "I''m just driving."

    Jenni looked at the phone resting on Katie''s lap. "Did you talk to your Dad again?"

    Katie shook her head, pressing her lips tightly together for a moment.

    "No, no. There''s no signal." She motioned to the radio. "And that doesn''t work."

    Jenni nodded, understanding. They were alone, detached from the rest of the world. Strangely, this was how she often felt. It was almost comforting.

    Besides, she was sure Katie would figure things out. She looked strong and very capable.

    "We''ll need gas soon," Katie said. "Know if there are any stations out this way?"

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    "Yeah. There are. One is coming up soon. About two hills over." Jenni slid her fingers through her hair and sat up a little. "Maybe those things aren''t out here?"

    "That''s what I''m hoping for."

    Jenni laughed a little, her voice sounding odd to her ears. "You know, this isn''t supposed to happen."

    Katie glanced over at her and nodded just a little. "I know, but it is happening, whatever this is." Then she added quickly, "Zombies, or whatever they are, just shouldn''t exist. Maybe it''s some sort of terrorist weapon.

    Something like that."

    "They aren''t supposed to be so fast. They''re supposed to be slow. Very slow." Jenni sighed and pouted a little.

    Running down the stairs, trying to evade Lloyd, that had been terrifying.

    There had been no time to think, just run. It was sheer luck that he didn''t seem to know how to open the door and had just banged against it.

    "How do you know that?"

    "Movies. Lloyd always watched those movies. I was afraid but he made me watch." Jenni chewed on her bottom lip. "If the movie is right, we can''t let them bite us." She looked over at Katie warily. "You''re not bitten, are you?"

    Katie looked at her for a long, frightening moment.

    "No, no. Are you?"

    Jenni sighed, relieved. "No. I''m not."

    But she almost had been. Lloyd had almost grabbed hold of her when Mikey had turned back and yelled, "Leave Mom alone!"

    She covered her face with one hand. She tried hard not remember the horrible fear she had felt "Run, Mikey," she had screamed and run out the front door.

    How it slammed behind her, she didn''t know. Maybe she closed it.

    Maybe Mikey did. Maybe when Lloyd had grabbed her son he had shoved it shut. But the front door had slammed and she had been alone.

    "How did you find me?"

    Katie briefly glanced over at her and sighed. "I got lost in your neighborhood trying to get off the highway. I heard you screaming. I pulled up behind you just as-You didn''t seem to notice me so I yelled."

    That easy. That simple. Why hadn''t she heard the truck pull up behind her on the lawn? Well, she had been screaming and MikeyJenni leaned toward the window and studied her reflection in the tiny side mirror. Her eyes looked too big, too wide. Her face was very pale.

    "I think I''m in shock," she said to Katie.

    "Aren''t we all," Katie responded in a somewhat harsh voice. Thinking better of her comment, she said in a much softer tone, "Yeah, I think you are, too. It was hard to see my wife like that. But your husband, your children¡­"

    She reached out and gripped Jenni''s hand tightly. "I can''t imagine."

    Jenni clung to her hand desperately, grateful for the kindness. She really didn''t care about Lloyd being dead¡­undead¡­whatever. The children. That was harder. Much harder. She didn''t want to think about it.

    She wanted to ask Katie about her wife, the beautiful woman in the photo on the phone, but she was afraid to ask. Afraid that Katie might think she was being judgmental and withdraw her comforting hand.

    "Shit!" Katie jerked her hand away from Jenni and yanked the steering wheel hard to the left. Slamming on the brakes, they both were jerked forward and caught firmly, painfully by their seat belts.

    A car was idling on the right hand side of the road. A man stood near it, covered in blood, looking at their truck in a daze. It was as if something snapped inside of him and he flung out his hands and rushed toward the truck.

    Katie quickly reversed off the shoulder of the road, then shifted gears and the truck leaped forward. The man''s hand slapped hard against the side of the truck and they could hear his nails scrapping the metal as they escaped him.

    Jenni whirled around in her seat and looked out the back window. The man was running hard, pumping his arms, screeching.

    "How fast are we going?"

    "Thirty," Katie responded. "He''s keeping up."

    Suddenly the man howled and his legs seemed to pop out of alignment and he tumbled hard to the pavement.

    Katie slammed on the brakes and looked back. "He blew his joints!"

    The man staggered to his feet, looked around, saw the truck and began to slowly hobble toward them.

    "Now that is the way they are supposed to be!" Jenni grinned at Katie triumphantly.

    "He blew out his knees!" Katie laughed.

    They both screamed as a mouth filled with sharp teeth suddenly appeared in the back window.

    "Shit!" Katie blinked.

    A German Shepherd stared at them looking a little dazed. He was smiling at them, but looked worried.

    Katie flung open the door and looked into the bed of the truck. A veterinarian''s temporary cardboard carrier was chewed open and the young German Shepherd stood on wobbly legs before her.

    Jenni leaned out of the driver''s side. "Uh, zombie-"

    Katie looked up to see the man still shambling toward them. He was a distance away, but would soon be a problem.

    Jenni picked up the shotgun from the floor of the truck and handed it to Katie. "Just shoot him in the head. That''s how it works."

    Katie blinked at her, then looked back at the man. "I can''t." She handed the gun back and reached out to the dog. "Come here, puppy, come here."

    The dog padded slowly over to her and she lifted his heavy body out.

    Holding him tightly, she slid him into the cab. As a second thought, she snagged the vet paperwork taped to the carrier.

    Jenni, meanwhile, solemnly got out of the cab, released the safety, pumped the shotgun and waited. The zombified man was almost to the truck, moaning, reaching out to her. For a moment, he looked remarkably like Lloyd.

    She fired.

    The headless corpse hit the pavement.

    "What the hell did you just do?" Katie looked utterly shocked.

    Jenni looked at her plaintively. "We have to kill them."

    Katie opened her mouth, then shut it. She looked shocked at Jenni''s actions, but was more concerned at the moment with the groggy, half-grown German Shepherd. She climbed into the cab and shut the door.

    Jenni sighed and climbed in as well, slipping the safety back on the shotgun.

    "We don''t kill."

    "You ran over the runners back in town."

    "I panicked. I¡­" Katie faltered.

    Jenni sighed sadly. She needed Katie to be strong. She needed her to be the strong one. She hadn''t minded shooting the zombie as an example and she would kill them in the future, but Katie needed to lead. Jenni couldn''t bear the thought of having to figure all of this out.

    Katie stroked the dog''s fur as she looked at Jenni for a long moment.

    "We''ll talk about this later. We need gas now. And Jack here, well, we need to keep him up here. Poor baby just had surgery. Good thing he was knocked out during most of our escape." She nuzzled the dog and kissed him.

    "Jack?" Jenni smiled. "I like that name." She wrapped her arms around the dog and pulled him onto her lap.

    "That''s what his vet papers say."

    "It''s a good name."

    Katie smiled slightly and nodded to herself. "Okay, gas station next.

    Gas, food, supplies, and we keep going until we figure out where the hell we are going? Sound good?"

    "Yeah," Jenni answered. Snuggling the dog tight, she sighed with relief.

    Katie was back in control.

    It would be okay.

    Chapter 2

    1. In The Shadow of the Dying World

    Katie sighed with relief when she saw the gas station sign up ahead.

    The needle on the gas gauge was dipping dangerously under empty.

    Despite the lack of any "zombies" out on the road, she did not want to get stuck walking anywhere.

    Beside her Jenni was busy lavishing attention on the German Shepherd.

    Katie was having a tough time understanding Jenni. The first time she had seen her, Jenni had seemed to be in a daze. The first spark of life she had shown was when she had blown the zombie''s head off. Now she seemed more alive. Yes, that was it. A little more animated. It almost seemed weirder than her trance-like state when Katie had first saved her.

    But who was she to judge? What was normal when the world was dissolving around you and reality suddenly looked like a Dali painting.

    Pulling into the gas station slowly, Katie leaned forward over the steering wheel to stare across the expanse of the parking lot. There were no cars parked in the lot or tucked under the metal canopy over the gas pumps.

    It looked utterly deserted.

    "If we''re lucky, the pumps are still on. I''ll use my credit card, "she said.

    Jenni looked up, rubbing her lips against the dog''s ear. "You should fill up the gas can, too."

    "Good idea. And if we can get into the store, we should load up on food."

    Katie slowly released the brake and let the truck glide up to a pump.

    Once more looking all around her, she turned off the truck. Reaching down, she picked up the shotgun.

    "Here is the plan. I''m going to pump the gas. You are going to keep a watch out and hold the shotgun. Obviously, you can use it. You see any of those things, you tell me immediately." Katie handed Jenni the shotgun, studying her intently. Now that Jenni wasn''t looking like a zombie herself, Katie could see she was quite pretty with deep, alert eyes.

 Page 5

    "Okay. I can do that. But we should leave Jack in the truck. He''s really groggy," Jenni answered. She looked frail in her pink nightgown and robe and bare feet.

    "Agreed. Now listen, again, carefully, we don''t take any risks. We don''t shoot anything unless we have to. That box at your feet-those are the only shotgun shells we have."

    "Oh," Jenni answered and frowned. "We need more."

    "I know, but a convenience store is not really the place to find them. So no fancy shooting, okay?"

    "Gotcha, "Jenni answered and slid out of the truck.

    Leaping out of the truck, Katie quickly slid her small wallet out of her trouser pocket. In this moment, she was so glad she despised purses, otherwise the wallet would have been far away in her old car. Swiping the card, she watched the digital display anxiously.

    It flashed "Authorizing" over and over again.

    "You have to come in and swipe it. The scanner isn''t working out there," a disembodied voice said.

    Both Katie and Jenni started at the sound of a young man''s voice.

    "What?"

    Jenni whirled around, shotgun ready.

    "You have to come in and swipe the card," the voice persisted.

    Katie realized the speaker on a column next to her was hissing. For a moment, she could not believe what she was hearing. The world was falling apart, Lydia was dead, and some teenager was still working his shift at the gas station?

    "I''ll be right in," Katie answered and looked at Jenni. "He mustn''t know."

    Jenni just blinked at her.

    Mystified, Katie strode swiftly across the parking lot and into the convenience store. The dimly lit interior threw off her vision for a moment, then she saw a very tall, scraggly teenager standing behind the counter beside a very short Hispanic girl.

    "The reader outside broke and we have to swipe inside," the boy explained again.

    "You don''t know, do you?" Katie arched an eyebrow and the boy looked at her warily.

    Suddenly the Hispanic girl gasped and backed away from the counter.

    Katie ducked from the door, then realized it was Jenni holding the shotgun.

    "Look, please don''t hold us up! We don''t have that much money!" The boy held up his hands, his eyes huge.

    "We''re not holding you up. You really don''t know what is going on, do you?" Katie walked swiftly to the counter, still clutching her credit card.

    "Uh, no." The boy was trying to look calm and brave, but he was sweating profusely.

    The girl behind him was holding onto his arm so tight that Katie could see blood pooling under nails.

    "The city has gone insane. It''s burning! People are dead and¡­and¡­"

    Should she tell him that the dead apparently were getting up and eating everyone?

    "Zombies. It''s zombies, "Jenni said.

    Katie sighed, rolled her eyes and exhaled slowly. "What she said."

    "Yeah, right," the boy said sarcastically.

    "I don''t know if they are really zombies, but there is something going on that has people attacking other people like maniacs," Katie explained.

    "Kinda like you two?"

    "No. With their bare hands." Katie watched the look of disbelief on the boy''s face grow deeper. "Look, swipe my card. We need gas to get the fuck out of here."

    The boy frowned. "You''re really not good with this holding up stuff, are you? You''re not supposed to pay."

    "Just swipe the gawddamn card already!" Katie waved it in his face.

    "We really should get lots of food. And some more gas canisters," Jenni said behind her.

    The boy swiped the card and looked at them with growing unease. "You guys are on the run, aren''t you?"

    "Yes, like I told you. The city has gone insane-"

    "With zombies," Jenni added helpfully.

    Katie really didn''t think the Hispanic girl could get any paler.

    Suddenly there was a screech of tires outside and they all turned to see two cars pull up. Both were fully loaded with people, all Hispanic. Men with guns leaped out and ran into the store.

    "Papa!" The Latina girl looked relieved and ran toward one of the men.

    A flurry of Spanish followed and suddenly the girl looked like a ghost.

    "I''m leaving! My grandma ate my aunt!"

    And she was gone, running with her family out to their cars.

    Katie turned back to look at the boy whose mouth was hanging open.

    From behind her, Jenni said, "Told you."

    "I don''t believe you."

    "Then you are going to die," Katie said firmly and grabbed her card from him.

    The day was growing warmer as the sun rose steadily over the hills. The breeze brushing back her blond hair was almost hot and not very soothing. It felt grainy and harsh.

    Katie sighed and kept watch as the pump slowly clunked away behind her filling up the old truck''s tank. Jack, groggy from his early morning surgery, sat behind the steering wheel inside the cab watching her. Every few seconds he would look around nervously. She wondered how much the dog had seen as he lay in his crate secured in the back of the truck this morning.

    The dog glanced toward her and their eyes met. He let out a light woof and she got the impression he was telling her so far so good.

    The pump clicked off and she quickly set about screwing the cap back onto the gas tank.

    She was struggling to feel real. This world felt real. Seemed real. A teenage boy manned the register of a country road gas station while she pumped gas on fresh spring day. That fact seemed real.

    But it wasn''t the true reality.

    Inside, her new companion was rushing around filling plastic bags while the boy dutifully swiped each and every item, charging them on her credit card. Meanwhile, Katie held the shotgun in one hand and kept a keen eye on the terrain around her. Save for a small red hatchback tucked into the hedges next to the gas station, the white truck was the only vehicle around.

    This was not an ordinary day.

    Lydia was dead. And Jenni''s son and husband were somewhere far behind them running amok trying to¡­trying to¡­

    Katie moved across the parking lot and swept her gaze back and forth, at times walking backwards, the shotgun at the ready, the shells jiggling in her pocket. Shoving the door open with her elbow, she entered the convenience store.

    Jenni rushed past her and Katie saw she had found some flip-flops on a shelf somewhere to wear.

    Jenni whirled about. "Do you want coffee? I didn''t get my coffee this morning."

    Katie blinked and nodded. "Yeah. Black."

    Jenni nodded and ran to the dispenser.

    "Look, if you are not holding me up, you better put that way because my manager will be here soon to relieve me."

    Katie considered punching the boy.

    There were at least ten bags piled near the door. One of them had dog food.

    Jenni rushed up. "Give me the keys. I''m going to back the truck up."

    "Okay. Take the shotgun." Katie handed it over and whispered, "I need to go to the ladies room."

    "I already went. Stuff some toilet paper in your jacket pocket. I could only grab one half-roll. It''s really way too expensive to buy here." Jenni was out the door. She rushed across the parking lot with her bathrobe flowing behind her with the shotgun held firmly in her hands.

    Katie looked over at the teenager. "Don''t you have a radio or a TV somewhere around here to listen to? To check and see if what we are saying is true?"

    "It''s against the regulations. Our owner is a man of principles and he believes that we should not inflict our modern music and bad news on our customers, but greet them with a smile and a friendly conversation."

    "You had to memorize that, huh?"

    The boy blinked blankly. "Yeah. Look, lady, zombies don''t exist. I think you''re criminals on the run. And Lucy is always flaking and running away from work. I''m not going to leave my shift and get fired."

    Katie laughed, her hands resting on her hips, then shook her head.

    "You''re going to end up dead if you keep acting like a good little drone. The world is over. Finished. It''s all different now. You better stop following and start acting." With that, she escaped into the bathroom.

    After a few minutes, she washed her hands in lukewarm water and gazed at her face in the spotted and scuffed mirror. The lighting did her no favors.

    She looked washed out and drawn. She looked older and tired. Just about how she felt, now that she thought about it. Reaching for the door, she heard raised voices and felt her body quiver anxiously. Her stomach fluttered and she hesitated.

    What if those things were outside and all she had were two pockets full of toilet paper and damp hands to defend herself?

    She realized the voices were arguing and not screaming and she heaved the door open and walked briskly toward the front of the store.

    A man in an expensive silk suit, minus the coat, was standing in the front of the store shouting at Jenni. She stood quietly, head down. Katie took notice that the shotgun was hidden in the folds of Jenni''s bathrobe.

    "¡­and I don''t need a mental case ruining my morning. I have a very important meeting at eleven AM in the city and I don''t need to deal with retarded country hicks."

 Page 6

    "Is there a problem here?" Katie strode up to the man, hands on her hips, head tilted to one side and gave him her most direct look.

    The man was in his early to mid-thirties, dark hair, blue eyes, cleanshaven in that almost too clean look. He was holding his phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

    "Yes, I can barely get into the store because of some hick truck pulled up to the door. I get inside and this retard spills coffee on my shirt and trousers, and now I have a blond bitch giving me lip."

    Katie motioned to his phone. "Does that work?"

    He blinked, not expecting that response. "No, because we are in hicksville and there is no signal."

    Katie slightly nodded. "Or the world has gone to hell and the city is in ruins. Doesn''t anyone listen to their radio anymore?"

    "Look, bitch, I make a six figure salary. I don''t have time for radio or TV.

    I dictate letters that will bring in millions of dollars a year when I''m on the road. I work constantly. I am a busy man. My time is money. I am money. I have a meeting in one hour in the city and I''m running late thanks to your stupid friend here and that damn truck."

    Katie laughed in his face. "Well, buddy, hate to tell you this, but the world is over. The city is in ruins and you aren''t going to make that meeting and you''re not going to get a signal. Your six figures means nothing now."

    The businessman moved toward her and towered over her obviously trying to intimidate her.

    Katie looked up at him, her eyes cool, her jaw set.

    "I don''t deal with crazy people. And no one talks to me like that," he hissed.

    "She does." There was an audible cha-chung! as Jenni raised the shotgun and cocked it. Her eyes were dangerous.

    The businessman stumbled backwards. "You people are crazy."

    "If you go into the city, you''re the crazy one. You''ll die. Something has gone wrong. People have gone insane and are killing each other. We barely escaped."

    The man shook his head at Katie''s words and backed up to the door. His eyes were wide and unbelieving.

    "You''re crazy psycho redneck bitches!"

    Katie looked at Jenni and they both started laughing.

    That was enough. The businessman ran out, narrowly avoided the back end of the truck pulled up to the doors, and ran to his Mercedes. Katie noticed he held onto his coffee and that made her laugh all the more.

    "You really need to put that gun away or I will call the police!" The teenager finished bagging the latest batch of food and supplies and slid it across the counter.

    "Will you really?" Katie arched an eyebrow.

    The boy ducked his head and mumbled.

    "Thought so."

    She grabbed up several bags and headed out the door. They needed to load up the truck and head out as soon as possible. She felt too exposed and too vulnerable. Jack gazed at her solemnly through the back window and let out a tiny woof.

    "We''re hurrying," she assured him.

    Jenni slung some bags in and ran back into the store. Katie followed and grabbed more bags. A few more trips and their stockpile looked pretty healthy in the back of the truck bed. Jenni huffed past her lugging several gallons of water and Katie walked back into the store as her gaze flicked briefly toward the road.

    Still empty.

    "You need to sign your receipt."

    Would he never stop being annoying? Katie sighed and walked over and signed the receipt. It had to be at least three feet long.

    "I will never pay this. The bill will never arrive. You need to understand this," she said to him.

    "Look, I just want you to leave before my manager gets here, okay?"

    There was a loud squealing noise outside and Jack began to bark fiercely. Katie whirled around to see a car nearly clip the truck and slam into the side of the building. The walls shuddered and the glass windows cracked.

    From the steaming wreckage, a young woman, in the same color smock as the irritating cashier, stumbled out gripping an older man about the waist.

    He was barely on his feet and it took all her strength to carry him. He was covered in blood.

    "Mr. Carver! Rachel," the boy ran past Katie and out the door to meet them.

    Jenni looked at Katie and their eyes met.

    Jack''s barking was frantic now.

    "We''re out of here!"

    Katie ran after Jenni and they both swung open the doors to the truck cab.

    There was a scream of agonizing pain, then the boy''s voice said, "Mr.

    Carver! Mr. Carver! Get off of her!"

    Katie slammed her door shut and started the truck. Jenni was still standing outside the truck, watching, transfixed as Mr. Carver took another large bite out of Rachel''s spurting throat.

    "Just run!" Katie shouted at the boy as loud as she could to be heard over the dog''s barking.

    The boy finally listened to her and ran for his car. He fumbled with his pocket to get out his keys.

    Mr. Carver now had Rachel down on the ground and was biting at her savagely as her body convulsed.

    Jenni slid into the cab and shut the door, locked it, and looked at Katie.

    Katie shifted gears and drove. She glanced into the rear view mirror to see a bloodied, resurrected-Rachel and Mr. Carver now in pursuit of the boy whose name tag she never noticed. He ran as fast as he could away from the gas station down into the valley behind the building.

    "You did tell him," Jenni said finally.

    Katie turned onto the highway.

    "Yeah, I did."

    "Coffee?" Jenni motioned to the cup holder fastened to the dashboard.

    Two cups of steaming coffee sat there.

    "Yeah, sounds good."

    They drove on.

    2. A Taste of the Dead World

    Sometimes the world changes and you don''t even notice. One day slips into the next and subtly the world around you transforms. A new building goes up. A tree is cut down. Your neighbors move out. The potholes in your street are repaired. A new elected official takes office. You gain five pounds.

    Your friend loses ten.

    And then there are the stark changes that upturn your world and leave you in shock, breathless, and lost.

    Like hearing your baby scream out and chewing noises.

    Or leaving your home after kissing your pretty wife and wondering if you should be wearing your new high heels today and then finding yourself fifteen minutes later running for your life in shoes that pinch your feet and almost make you stumble.

    Or how at eight-thirty this morning you didn''t even know your traveling companion and now, at nearly eleven in the morning, you''re both eating beef jerky and donuts with a stiff chaser of cold coffee.

    "I think if we keep to back roads, we''ll be safer. We can keep avoiding the bigger towns if we keep turning off on these roads," Katie said to Jenni.

    Jenni peered down at the map she had found in the glove compartment.

    "Okay, I think I can figure it out." It felt good for Katie to be making choices.

    It felt good to have a role to play again. Mother and wife were gone, but she could be Katie''s helper.

    Katie sat in the driver''s seat, arm propped on the edge of the door, her head resting on her hand, driving along as the dog they had discovered in the back of a truck slept halfway on her lap. Jenni could tell that Katie was struggling not to let her emotions get the best of her. A few times Katie had touched the cell phone beside her and Jenni could see the internal struggle not to flip the phone open to look at the photo.

    Jenni sighed. She didn''t even have photos. She had nothing. Nothing at all.

    Except for Katie, the dog, the truck and the winding road.

    Along the way they had seen other vehicles, driving fast down the road, usually toward the city, the panicked people inside barely glancing at them as they flashed by. In one small town they had seen no signs of life at all. At one point, a farmhouse on a hill was being boarded up in the distance by tiny moving figures as they passed.

    But yet, they felt very alone.

    "We can''t drive forever. We''ll have to stop eventually and get more gas.

    More supplies." Katie sighed. "But heading into a highly populated area will do us no favors. Back roads are the way to go."

    Jenni pursed her lips and carefully ran her finger along the lines on the map. Slowly, her eyes strayed up to the national park. She shivered slightly, her head swimming¡­

    How could she be such a bad mother?

    Jason, her stepson, was still up there camping out with the freshmen high school class of his private school. Far away from the city, his dead father and half-brothers¡­

    How could she have forgotten him?

    Tiny fingers straining under the front door rose menacingly in her mind and she felt herself shudder. Her stomach coiled and she reached out a hand to brace herself against the dashboard.

    "Hey, are you okay?" Katie''s gentle hand stroked her hair. "Hey, Jenni?"

    Jenni looked up at her, shaken. "I¡­uh¡­forgot my son."

    Katie flicked her gaze toward Jenni, then back at the road. "No, hon, we couldn''t bring him¡­he¡­" Her voice faltered.

    Jenni shook her head. "No, not Mikey¡­not him. Jason. My stepson¡­I forgot about him until just now¡­I¡­how could I¡­I''m¡­"

 Page 7

    Her zombified husband was right. She was a bad mother. Incompetent.

    Stupid.

    Katie continued to stroke her hair while trying to keep her eyes on the winding road. "It''s okay. It''s okay. This whole day is fucked up. It''s confusing.

    It''s okay."

    Jenni felt tears rolling down her cheeks. "I just¡­forgot him. He just came to live with us last year. But I shouldn''t have forgotten him, should I?"

    Katie slowly pulled the truck over and drew Jenni tight into her arms and gave her a firm hug. "It''s okay. Calm down¡­shhh¡­shhh¡­"

    Jenni clung to her desperately and whispered, "I try so hard."

    "It''s okay. It''s okay. Maybe he got out of the house," Katie said softly.

    "He wasn''t in the house! He''s here! Here!" Jenni drew back and grabbed up the map and pointed at the national park. "He''s here! Safe. With his science class! The zombies can''t be out there! He''s safe and he needs me and I forgot about him!"

    "Okay, okay. Jenni, listen to me. Listen to me," Katie said firmly.

    The dog whined a little and licked Jenni''s face trying to soothe her.

    Jenni tried to concentrate on Katie''s face and voice. It was so hard. All she could hear was her husband''s voice berating her for being such a stupid whore and a terrible mother.

    "This day and everything about it is awful. We''re both in shock. We''re both scared out of our minds. We''re not thinking straight and that''s okay. We just need to survive right now. We just need to make it through today and be safe. If we can do that, we can get our heads together and start to figure out exactly what we are going to do. But for now, we live in this moment and make our way to the next."

    Jenni sniffled and nodded. "What about Jason? I just can''t leave him there."

    She just couldn''t. It would be her last great failure. He was all that remained. Maybe he wasn''t her son by blood, but she was obligated to take care of him and love him.

    Katie looked at the map for a long moment. "I think we can go get him.

    Maybe even stay there if it''s clear of the infestation. Honestly, we need to stay away from any area with too many people. A lot of people will not know what is going on." Katie faltered for a moment. "Hell, I don''t know what is going on."

    "Zombies," Jenni reminded her helpfully.

    Katie ran a hand over her blond hair. "Okay, zombies, but why? How?

    This shouldn''t be possible, but I''m seeing it. And if your movies are right and the bite is how it spreads, then keeping away from major populated areas is our best bet. Less chance of infection. So going and finding your stepson and seeing what the situation is out at the park may be our best option for now."

    Jenni threw her arms around Katie and hugged her tight. "Thank you, thank you. I have to make it up to him!"

    And she did. She had to let Jason know that she loved him and that she would be a good mother to him. She would learn to do better and be better.

    That was all there was to it.

    Katie drew back, squeezed her hand tightly and gave her a soft smile.

    "We''ll be okay. It will be okay. We just need to keep it together. Okay?"

    Jenni nodded, relieved. Katie was right. They had to keep it together.

    And survive. And go get Jason. She wrapped her arms around the dog and he nestled against her body. And they had to take care of Jack and each other.

    Satisfied that Jenni was calm now, Katie shifted gears and the white truck started down the road once more.

    "Jenni, I know you''re scared. I am, too, but right now, we can''t fall apart, okay? When we find a safe place, we can both mourn. Where we can both¡­deal." Katie looked at her and smiled softly.

    Jenni nodded firmly. "Okay, I can deal. I can be strong."

    "Good," Katie relaxed a little and returned her gaze to the road.

    Jenni shuffled the dog and the map and settled down once more. She had a job to do and she had to do it well. It was obvious to her now that Katie was sent to her. Katie was strong and she was going to get them through this.

    It would be okay.

    "What the hell," Katie murmured.

    The truck slowed down and Jenni looked up to see a convoy of army vehicles heading their way. The first few passed them, but then a jeep pulled off the side and they were flagged down by a solider in the passenger seat.

    Jenni felt a flutter of excitement. Maybe this is how they would find safety. The army would save them and take them to a place free of the zombies. The men looked strong and capable with their large weapons and thick armor.

    A tall black man walked toward the truck and motioned both of them to get out.

    Katie didn''t look very happy and turned to Jack. "Stay down, boy. Don''t bark. Be calm. Lay down on the floor."

    The dog tilted his head and his gaze followed her motions to the floor of the cab. Obediently he got down.

    "If they work anything like cops, they''ll shoot him if they feel threatened," Katie told Jenni.

    "They wouldn''t!"

    "Just answer them truthfully and calmly. This is a different world, Jenni.

    We don''t know how it works yet."

    Jenni felt her first pang of fear, then nodded and got out of the truck.

    Katie stood next to the truck, as relaxed as possible as the black soldier approached her. He motioned for Jenni to join Katie and they stood side by side, the former prosecutor in her suit, high heels and a hunting jacket and a housewife in flip-flops, her nightgown and bathrobe. Looking back and forth between them, his green eyes were eerily intense.

    "Are you two together?"

    Jenni nodded and Katie answered, "Yes."

    "Did you come from the city?"

    "Yes," they chorused.

    "Are either one of you bit?"

    "No, no," Katie answered.

    Jenni whispered, "No."

    Without warning, he began to run his hands gruffly over their limbs, squeezing to see if there was a response.

    Jennie started to protest, but Katie gave her a look that silenced her.

    Jenni became all too aware of the soldiers standing nearby, guns ready.

    They''ll shoot us if we are bitten, she thought.

    She endured the rough, large hands on her body.

    "No signs of wounds!"

    Jenni knew for sure that they would have been shot if they had shown any signs of having been bitten. The soldiers visibly relaxed.

    "Head to the town of Madison. There¡¯s a FEMA rescue center there. It''ll be secure." He looked into the cab to see Jack staring at him intently. With a small smile, he reached in and patted the dog''s head. "Remember Madison.

    Make sure you go there."

    Katie made a show of looking at his name badge, then said, "Yes, Lieutenant Reynolds."

    He nodded to them briefly and walked back to his vehicle.

    As the jeep sped past them to rejoin the convoy, Katie shook her head.

    "They''re heading into the city," she murmured.

    "Are we going to Madison?"

    Katie shook her head. "No. I think we''re better off on our own.

    Something about it doesn''t seem right."

    Jenni nodded, her black hair whipping around her face. The wind was blowing hot and fierce.

    Katie stood with her hands on her hips and shook her head. "No, definitely not going to Madison. We''re heading out to get your stepson. Then we''ll see what we can figure out. I don''t like the idea of us being all herded into one spot with only FEMA to protect us. We need to find more ammo and another gun."

    Jenni nodded. "I agree."

    Once back in the truck, they started down the road again. They had a plan now and Jenni was relieved. The world seemed a little more bearable now.

    A few miles down the road they saw two vehicles pulled over onto the shoulder. Bodies surrounded both of the cars. Young and old were strewn about, bullet holes torn through them. A few had obviously run for it, but hadn''t made it to safety. As the white truck passed the tragic scene, Jenni recognized the girl from the convenience store still in her gas station smock.

    Half her head had been blown away.

    Katie didn''t say a word as she turned onto an even narrower back road.

    "I guess," Jenni said after a moment, "one of them was bitten."

    Chapter 3

    1. The Truth of Things Yet to Come

    Katie was tired of the sun blazing through the windshield and the steady hum of the road. It was nearly one o''clock in the afternoon and they had been slowly winding deeper into the Texas wilds.

    Some of the roads were so narrow that two cars passing would have to hug the shoulder and slow down considerably. Herds of cows, peach groves, and empty fields were all they saw for miles. Occasionally there was a house in the distance, but they didn''t even consider trying to pull off the road. Out in the country, people were barricading themselves in as the cities went to hell.

    "What do you think is going on?" Jenni''s voice sounded raw.

    To preserve their gas the best they could, they had finally turned off the air conditioner. The wind blowing through the cab was warm, not hot, but the dust caught in their noses and throats.

 Page 8

    "Where?"

    "Out there? Austin, Houston, Fort Worth¡­" Jenni asked.

    Katie thought about the morning and all that had happened to them. "It was spreading so fast, I don''t think it¡¯s going too well. Maybe the army can get a handle on it. I don''t know. I know yesterday there was that commuter plane crash in Chicago they were blaming on someone going crazy and attacking everyone and a race riot in Philadelphia. But now I have to wonder."

    "I didn''t see the news. The kids were watching Disney movies when Lloyd got back. Some bum bit him on the hand when Lloyd had rolled down the window to hand him some coins." Jenni laughed. "He was such an asshole to his family, but always generous to everyone else."

    "He used to hurt you, didn''t he?"

    Katie''s voice was gentle, but she knew her words stung.

    "Better me than the boys," Jenni admitted.

    "I got into the habit of not listening to the news until I got to work.

    Lydia and I had a strict policy of making our mornings as peaceful as possible. It made the rest of the day just easier if we could relax, drink coffee, have breakfast, watch the sun come up¡­¡± Katie faltered as the tranquil memories of the morning came back to her.

    Lydia had been wearing a long, dark dress with stylish ethnic jewelry around her neck and wrists. Her short, spunky hairdo had looked rather retro and cute. They had spoken about their weekend plans and Lydia''s plans for the summer garden. It had been a lovely morning. She could still remember how cool and soft Lydia''s hand had been in hers when they had kissed one last time before the world had fallen into chaos.

    Jenni''s hand on her wrist brought her out of her reverie and she could feel tears on her cheeks.

    "Maybe if we had paid attention to the news," Katie said with a slight sob in her voice.

    "There is a lot of bad stuff in the world. Sometimes it was just better to shut it out."

    Katie nodded briskly and tried to pull herself together. She had to concentrate on the here and now and get them to a safe place. Where that was, she wasn''t sure, but they had to keep moving.

    As the truck sped around a curve in the road an old station wagon came into view. A middle-aged man, wiry and sunburned, stood next to it waving desperately. Katie automatically began to slow down and Jenni gripped her arm hard.

    "Maybe we shouldn''t stop," Jenni said fearfully.

    Katie considered her words, then shook her head. "If we can save someone, we should." She slowed the truck down to a stop and listened to the hot engine tick and rumble.

    The man walked briskly over to them and gripped the edge of the window frame with trembling hands. "Good thing you gals came along. My wife isn''t doing so hot. We broke down about two hours ago."

    "What''s wrong with your wife?" Katie asked though she knew the answer.

    "Got some crazy shit going down on the highway. People grabbing other people out of cars and doing all sorts of just-¡± He shook his head. "I can''t even explain it. It was just insane. Wife had her window down and some little kid bit her arm. I didn''t think it was that bad, but she''s not doing too good right now. I was heading back home, avoiding the highway, when we broke down. Now I think she needs a doctor."

    Katie sighed softly. The man had a very earnest face and kind eyes. His skin was weathered from the Texan sun and beads of sweet trailed down his long nose. For a moment, she just wanted to hug him and comfort him, but he wouldn''t understand. He didn''t understand. Not yet.

    The passenger door creaked open and Jenni slipped out. Jack started to follow, but she shut the door on him and he woofed at her.

    "Lady, we need your help bad," the man said, obviously unnerved by Katie''s silence.

    "There isn''t any help for her," Katie said finally. "Anyone bit is¡­doomed."

    "What the hell are you talking about?"

    "You know how people were attacking each other on the highway? It''s that way in the city too. Everywhere. People get bit they get sick and attack other people." She wasn''t sure how he would take to the zombie theory.

    A flutter of pink caught her eye and she looked toward where Jenni was staring into the car. Jenni took a step back and glanced back toward Katie.

    Sadly, she shook her head. The warm Texas wind blew hard against the truck, rocking it, and sent bits of dry grass and leaves spinning across the road.

    The man was silent for a long time. He was obviously thinking hard.

    "Then we gotta get her to the hospital before it¡¯s too late."

    "She''s almost gone," Jenni said as she stepped up next to the man.

    "She''s real bad, Katie. I think maybe we should¡­¡± She motioned toward the shotgun.

    "Mister, I know you love your wife. Trust me I know how you feel, but you need to come with us and leave her. She''s not going to be the woman you love in just a short while," Katie said to him. Impulsively, she laid her hand over his. "Please, come with us."

    Jack let out a sharp bark followed by a growl.

    All three of the humans turned back toward the station wagon. A woman with long blond hair was struggling out of the open passenger window. Her greenish skin and opaque eyes said it all. She was dead and hungry.

    "Shit!"

    "Honey?"

    "Get in the truck!" Katie flung her door open and Jenni crawled in over her faster than she would have thought possible.

    The man hesitated as his wife hit the road hard, landing on her face.

    "Please, get in the truck!" Katie screamed at the man.

    He looked at her in confusion, then back at his wife who was struggling to get to her feet. "Lady, you''re both fucking nuts," he decided and headed toward his wife.

    Katie slammed the door shut. "Shit!"

    "Run her over," Jenni ordered. "Just flatten her ass and save him."

    The man was moving toward his newly zombified wife. She was obviously disoriented by her fall to the ground and was staring off in the opposite direction. He called out her name and she whirled around and snarled.

    "He''s stupid," Jenni hissed.

    Katie reversed slightly, shifted gears and floored the truck. "He loves her," she answered.

    The zombie was running at her husband with her hands outstretched and her face an ugly, twisted version of its former self. Katie swerved in front of the man and the truck rammed into the female zombie and sent her flying.

    The creature tumbled wildly, limbs flailing. Katie slammed on the brakes and both women stared at the fallen dead woman through the windshield.

    Jack gave a sharp little bark.

    The woman lay on the road.

    "You fucking bitches!" The man slammed his fist into the side of the truck bed and scrambled toward the door.

    Katie ducked away from him as he tried to grab her through the open window. Jack jumped on top of Katie and barked fiercely at the man.

    "You killed her! You killed her!" The man screamed shrilly.

    Katie tried to get out from under the dog, but then Jenni climbed over her, shrieking back at the man.

    "She''s already dead! She''s dead and you need to get in the truck before she eats your ass!"

    "You''re crazy!" The man sobbed and attempted to hit Katie. "You killed her! You killed her!"

    Katie tried to get up, but Jenni was still over her. Jenni shoved the man to back him out the window as Jack continued to hop up and down on Katie barking.

    "Get off me!"

    The man and Jenni screamed at each other and Katie let her foot up off the gas. The truck lurched forward, knocking the man away and Jenni fell back into her seat. Slamming her foot onto the brake, Katie grabbed the steering wheel and pulled herself up. Jack scooted back, but kept barking out the window.

    "She''s up," Jenni said.

    Shoving her blond curls out of her face, Katie looked down the road at the undead creature crawling slowly toward them. Its torn body struggled to move and the expression on its battered face was inhuman.

    "Honey, honey!" The man ran past the truck toward the zombie.

    "Fuck," Katie sighed in resignation.

    "Run the bitch over and let him live," Jenni said.

    "He won''t come with us after I do that," Katie answered.

    "Save his damn life and let him find his own way," Jenni answered. "We can keep him from being one of those things."

    The man was getting closer to the dead woman.

    "Katie, do it."

    With a weary sigh, Katie shifted gears and the truck growled as it surged forward. As they passed the heart-broken husband, he realized what they were doing and threw himself at the truck. They heard him hit the side of the truck bed. Jack growled at the crawling creature in the road right before the truck''s front left wheel rolled over it. Katie slammed on the brakes and without looking back, reversed over the zombie. They were jostled slightly around in the cab as the horrified howl of the man they were trying to save filled the air.

    Jenni leaned out of her window and screamed at him, "She would have eaten you!"

    Katie let out another sigh and the truck roared on.

    Jenni fell back into the cab and sat staring out of the windshield. Jack twisted around to stare out the back window at the man screaming in agony over the decimated body of his former wife. Katie tried hard not to look into the mirrors.

 Page 9

    "We were just trying to help," Jenni pouted.

    "I know," Katie answered and ran her fingers through her hair slowly.

    She massaged the tender, knots on the top of her head with her fingertips and tried to relax. Her whole body was tense and painful. She had just run over a woman and reduced her to road kill. And yet, she had no regrets. In this new world, violence was the way to redemption.

    If only she could have released Lydia¡­

    Jenni looked grumpy as she propped her feet up on the dashboard. "He could have listened to us. We could have helped him."

    "Not everyone understands what is going on," Katie said after a beat.

    "I''m still adapting."

    Sighing, Jenni pulled the dog close to her.

    They lapsed into silence and continued down the road.

    2. Keep Moving Until You Stop

    Keep moving, Katie. Keep moving, her father''s voice whispered in her mind.

    Had he really said those words?

    She sighed and shifted in her seat. The air conditioning was blowing full blast making it nice and cool in the cab despite the hot sun blazing through the windshield. It was a pull on the tank of gas, but it was too hot to go without running it anymore. It was near four o''clock in the afternoon and the hottest part of the day.

    Jack and Jenni had dozed off beside her. Jenni''s head slightly rested on Katie''s thigh and her black hair fell around her pale face. Her body was curled up under the hunting jacket. Jack the German Shepherd, no more than an overgrown puppy really, lay against her.

    They were both snoring.

    It soothed Katie''s nerves for some strange reason.

    Damn erratic weather had it cold in the mornings, roasting by noon, and cool in the evenings. Right now it was at full broil.

    She had finally kicked off her shoes. Her sleeveless silk tank and navy blue trousers seemed brutally out of place in her new existence. She would need to find some better clothes soon. But where, was a good question. For miles there had been nothing more than farmland and forest and occasionally a house set back from the road.

    On one small farm road, they had passed a farm that had its workers patrolling the grounds with guns. One of them had motioned for them to slow down, but Katie''s gut had clenched at the sight of one of those workers heavily bandaged arm and they had sped by.

    They couldn''t take chances anymore.

    But they weren''t the only paranoid ones. They had to go around a very small town that had its roads blocked with armed men standing at the ready.

    A huge makeshift sign had read "No out of towners allowed." It made sense, actually, if the people from the big cities, like them, were trying to seek refuge in the countryside. There was no assurance that the city folk weren''t bringing the infection with them.

    Looming ahead of the truck were more hills and more trees. It felt peaceful and surreal. Usually at this time of the day she was either in court or buried under stacks of paperwork. Her tummy would be full of takeout food and she''d be text-messaging Lydia back and forth as the day went on.

    Instead¡­

    She looked down at Jenni and sighed.

    Jenni unnerved her. She was a very lovely young woman with her dark hair and eyes and luminous skin. Jenni was a battered wife and the faint bruising on her legs and one arm only confirmed her abuse. And, as Lydia had often pointed out, Katie wanted to save the world and everyone in it.

    Already Katie felt very protective toward Jenni. She would do everything she could to take care of both of them and give them both a chance to live.

    That thought gave her purpose, gave her the will to move on and not stare at the picture of Lydia captured on her cell phone.

    Above the trees, an enormous billboard suddenly rose up.

    Toombs Hunting Store-Stop now before you shoot!

    She laughed at the sign and shook her head. Country people were one of a kind. She reached down and gently stroked Jenni''s hair.

    "We''re gonna be okay," she promised the sleeping woman.

    The truck crested a hill and down below was a town, if it could be called a town. Six buildings, four on the left, two on the right, lined the road. Behind the buildings were fields and trees and Katie could see a smattering of houses and trailers making up the town''s "burbs".

    A huge sign stood on top of the two story building on the right.

    Toombs Hunting Store-Guns, Supplies, Licenses and More! Stop now before you shoot!

    "Wonder if they have a zombie hunting license," Katie murmured as she slowly drove into the town.

    The store was very old, at least 150 years old, with thick stone walls and heavy iron bars over the windows. A big iron door had Toombs with deer antlers on either side of the name painted in yellow letters. It looked like an old-time jail.

    Letting the truck idle, Katie looked around at the buildings before returning her gaze to the hunting store. It was eerily quiet and devoid of any visible people.

    Suddenly, a shot rang out and Katie jumped. Jenni screamed as she woke and instantly Jack started barking.

    Katie was so startled she wasn''t sure what was going on. Then she saw a small child laying right beside the truck, a neat hole blown through its head.

    Its torso and right arm were a mangled mess, as if its flesh had been ripped from its bones.

    "Shit," she said.

    "Are you bit?" A female voice rang out through what sounded like a bullhorn.

    Jenni held tightly to Jack, both of them shaken. Jack was growling.

    Leaning over them, Katie rolled down the window low enough to yell,

    "No! We''re not bit! We''re looking for some help! Some guns! Supplies!"

    "Get out of the car slowly and show us," the voice answered.

    "Don''t!" Jenni grabbed Katie''s arm. "They might hurt you."

    "They shot the zombie. I think they''re okay."

    Jenni''s hand trembled as she withdrew it and looked desperate.

    "It''s okay," Katie said again and whispered to Jack, "Stay," and slid out.

    Holding out her bare arms, shotgun in one hand, she slowly turned around. She caught a flash of color and looked up to see two elderly people on top of the gun shop. The woman was holding the bullhorn and the old man the gun.

    Jenni looked out at Katie fearfully, unsure of what was going on.

    "And the other one."

    "Jenni, get out. Leave the dog inside," Katie said firmly.

    Jenni slowly slid out of the truck and slid off her bathrobe. Her arms were bruised, but it was clear she had no blood on her.

    The elderly couple consulted each other and suddenly the old man disappeared from view.

    "You better get back in the truck until he unlocks the door. Got more running around here," the old woman said through the bullhorn, then set it down and picked up a rifle.

    Both women climbed back into the truck and Katie pulled the truck over as close as she could to the shop.

    "They could hurt us," Jenni said softly.

    "They would have already if they wanted to," Katie answered truthfully.

    Two more shots rang out and Katie looked over to see two people laying dead near the doorway of an old fashioned grocery store. It was then that she became aware that there were more zombies trapped inside the grocery. The two dead zombies had stumbled out of a rotating door as they jostled about, trying to get to the tasty morsels on the street. Most of the undead were pressed up against the windows clawing at the glass.

    The big metal door to the hunting store opened and an old man with thinning silver hair dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt motioned to them.

    Turning off the truck, grabbing the keys, and snagging Jack''s collar all in one deft movement, Katie slid out of the truck and hurried into the shop.

    Jenni slid out of the truck behind her, looking flushed and anxious, and followed her through the doorway.

    "Name is Ralph. Wife is up top. Her name is Nerit," he said as he bolted the door behind them.

    "I''m Katie, this is Jenni, the dog is Jack," Katie said.

    "Nice to meet ya," Ralph said and immediately pet Jack, who gave him a big goofy doggy grin.

    "Thanks for letting us in. We''re pretty desperate for more weapons. We didn''t have much ammunition to begin with," Katie explained.

    "Got plenty here," Ralph said and motioned about the shop. "This is a hunting store."

    "I can pay," Katie offered.

    "Money means nothing now, missy. We can do business later. Come meet the missus. Relax. We''re safe in here."

    The old man wandered past them and started up the stairs.

    All around them were racks and racks of rifles and cases full of guns. In the back of the store were all sorts of camping gear.

    Realizing they were staying awhile, Katie followed him. Her hand gripped her weapon a little less tightly as she felt the tension in her body drain out a little. Jenni followed and slipped her hand into Katie''s other hand as they climbed.

    "Are you sure this is okay," Jenni whispered softly.

    Katie cast her a reassuring smile over her shoulder. "About as okay as anything is going to be today."

    When they came out onto the roof, the absolute beauty of the hills around them struck Katie. Endless, rolling green hills, lush and beautiful spread out around them.

 Page 10

    A thin woman with long yellowish white hair stood near the edge of the roof, rifle in hand. A large tent was set up as well as some chairs and a small table. The old woman leaned over the table crossed out three names written on a notepad.

    "That''s the rest of the Greens," she informed her husband.

    Katie slowly realized that the scenery was dotted with dead bodies: halffallen into bushes, next to cars, in the doorways of nearby houses and of course, the little boy in the street.

    "Out of towner came here bitten. Went into the store. Now they''re all dead. Some got out and ran home. Infected their families. Got seventy in the town. We''ve shot twenty dead. No accounting for tourists," the old man informed them, hands tucked into his pants.

    "You''re both okay though," Katie said.

    "Yeah. Store closed today. It''s my birthday.¡± Ralph shrugged.

    Nerit smiled at her spouse for a moment, then narrowed her eyes at something down the road and raised her rifle. Another shot rang out. She turned and crossed off another name.

    "Last of the Millers," she said in a rich accent.

    "Nerit is from Israel. She was a sniper in the Israeli army. Married her two years ago. Glad I did. Dead on shot."

    Katie laughed and looked at Jenni. She was glad to see the other woman was actually smiling. Jack sauntered over to an old hunting dog lying nearby.

    "That''s Tucker. He won''t mind the pup. He''s too old." Ralph shook his head sadly. "Damn shame to happen on my birthday. Damn zombies."

    "Car coming, Ralph," Nerit said.

    They all drew close to the edge and saw a very fine silver car pull up. A man climbed out and looked around frantically. He was completely oblivious of the hungry zombies in the store behind him.

    "Hello!" He spotted the people on the roof and started waving.

    "Shit, it''s the guy from the store," Katie said to Jenni.

    Jenni narrowed her eyes. It was obvious she remembered the man who had been such an ass earlier in the day.

    "Six-figure guy," Jenni murmured.

    "Yeah," Katie said. "Wonder how he made it out here."

    "Hello! I''m looking for Madison! The radio says that there is a rescue center there!" Six-Figure Guy kept waving at them, stirring up the zombies even more in the store behind him. He remained oblivious to their presence.

    Ralph raised the bullhorn slowly. "Are you bit?"

    Katie noticed the man''s forearm was heavily bandaged. She looked at Jenni. The dark haired woman was staring at the man with a blank expression.

    The guy looked at his arm. "I have lots of money! I can pay you for your help! I need to get to Madison and get medical attention." He took out his wallet and waved it around with his injured arm.

    "Are you bit, son? If you are, my wife here can help you out," Ralph said.

    "Well¡­" the man hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, but it is slight. I''m sure-"

    The crack of the rifle made Katie flinch.

    The man stood with a shocked look on his face for just a moment, then fell forward, revealing the exit wound of a nicely placed shot on the back of his head.

    "He wasn''t turned. We just can''t do that," Katie protested.

    Nerit looked at her. "Yes, we can."

    "And you''re going to have to," Ralph said softly. "If you''re going to survive."

    Katie stood, eyes blinking rapidly, and shook her head. "Oh, God." It was one thing to kill the ones who had already turned, but innocents who were infected? Could she do that?

    "His head just kinda popped," Jenni said in awe.

    "Anyone who is bit is going to be one of those things. Gotta shoot them and put them down. Only way." Ralph stood with his hands tucked into his jean pockets looking somber. "Only way to keep safe and keep their numbers down."

    Katie thought of Lydia once more and shivered.

    "Now come on downstairs for a bit to eat. Sun is about to start down and we don''t wanna have empty stomachs," Nerit said and walked past them with her rifle.

    "She cooks good food. First we eat, then look at guns, maybe shoot a little, then sleep."

    Jenni sighed contentedly, obviously relaxing. "I''m so happy we are here.

    It feels good to be around real people, not dead ones. Or stupid ones. We saw a few of those on the road."

    "I''m sure you did," Nerit said sadly.

    Ralph smiled at Jenni and put a gentle arm around her shoulders. "Glad to have company. Glad to help you two out."

    The three of them walked back down the stairs leaving Katie standing in quiet contemplation. She looked down at Jack and returned her gaze. If she had a choice, to die quickly or turn into one of those things, which would she prefer?

    Letting out a soft sigh, she rubbed her forehead.

    "Jack, has the world gone crazy and everyone in it?"

    Jack slightly whined She nodded. "Thought so."

    Together they followed the others down the stairs.

    3. The World Ends

    Katie followed the others down the stairs, Jack faithfully following her.

    Nerit and Jenni veered off into an old fashioned kitchen while Ralph continued down the hall to a comfortable living room. If not for the enormous flat screen TV it would have looked like the Norman Rockwell version of the perfect grandparent''s home.

    On the screen scenes of violence were playing while in the corner in big green lettering it read "MUTE".

    "Got tired of watching. Too much talk, too little information," Ralph told her.

    Katie stood mesmerized as the scenes of mayhem played out. Dutifully recorded by the media, visions of destruction and violence played. A reporter came into view, motioning at the city, obviously standing high above street level and out of the range of the violence. It looked like New York City.

    Throngs of bloodied, crazed people were running down the street, attacking cars, buildings and the people within. The army was firing at will into the crowd.

    "This morning they called it race riots. When it hit more cities, they called it mob violence. Early this afternoon they started calling them "the infected"." Ralph sat down in a comfortable, over-stuffed chair.

    Katie sat slowly on a flowered sofa with big crocheted doilies decorating the back and armrests. Jack sat at her feet and yawned.

    "I never saw or heard the news," she said softly. "I was attacked during early morning rush hour. A man¡­he tried to rescue me but they got him.

    Jack belongs-belonged to him. On Jack''s vet papers it says the owner was the Reverend William Hampton. He saved my life."

    Ralph nodded. "And you saved the girl with you."

    "Yes," Katie''s gaze remained fixated on the screen. It was now showing a map of the United States highlighting where all the violence was occurring. "I had driven home to check on my¡­spouse." She hesitated, not really sure if she wanted to come out of the closet to this old-timer. "It was too late."

    "They got him," the old man said softly.

    Lydia rushing toward her, screaming, her chest torn open¡­

    Katie nodded mutely and wiped away a tear. "Yes."

    Ralph shook his head. "It''s gone crazy. The whole world."

    "Can I hear?" Katie motioned to the TV.

    Ralph hesitated, then reached out, snagged the remote, and unmuted the TV.

    "¡­and for anyone to suggest that this is something more than a viral infection that is causing psychotic behavior is ludicrous. We are not living in the dark ages," the man on the screen said firmly.

    "Because of the severe wounds on the attackers, people are claiming the attackers are actually the reanimated dead," the reporter pointed out.

    "Preposterous! We live in a modern era of medicine and science, not superstition. If we do not treat this as a medical crisis immediately we are doomed. Those who have been bitten and are infected must immediately report to the nearest hospital for treatment," the man identified as Philip Tritch was saying tersely.

    "Most of the hospitals are now overrun with the¡­the CDC called them reanimated corpses."

    "The CDC has fallen prey to the hysteria of a population overwhelmed by the mass infection of an Ebola-like virus¡­"

    Ralph muted the TV. "''Bout one o''clock they said not to go to the hospitals anymore. Then CDC came on air and said it was a bunch of dead people getting up. Called them reanimated dead. Found it funny. Nobody wants to say zombie."

    Katie smiled slightly, remembering her own reluctance to embrace that word. When had that changed? She wasn''t sure. But it was clear to her now that the dead had returned.

    And so she sat, watching the screen, watching reporters trying to report live from around the world only to be run down and torn apart. She watched anchormen and women break down crying as more and more reports flowed in. Maps were flashed on the screen showing where blackouts were already occurring. TV helicopters hovered over masses of the reanimated dead as they ran through the streets howling, chasing anyone still alive. Scenes of fires burning, the army firing, bombs exploding¡­

    "It''s the end," the old man said.

 Page 11

    Katie rubbed her face and looked at him. "You think so."

    "Too many of them now," Ralph answered.

    Katie wiped a tear away and looked back at the screen. A reporter was sobbing as he read off the overrun shelters that people should not report to.

    Ralph flipped a channel to show Chicago on fire. More maps showing the infection. Their area, she noted, was free of any of the major markers. It figured since they were out in a sparsely populated area. The cities and larger towns were deathtraps. She was relieved that she had made the right choice to run into the hills.

    A hand tenderly took hers and she turned to see Jenni sitting next to her. She smiled slightly and squeezed the trembling hand. Together, they sat and watched.

    "The President is being evacuated from the White House to go to Camp David and will soon release a statement to the nation," the local Texan anchorwoman said, her lips trembling. "We are soon abandoning our station to go to a shelter. Anyone who is still watching this, stay where you are, be happy if you are with your family, don''t go into the cities. Don''t risk it. Don''t listen to what anyone says on these shows anymore. We don''t know anything.

    No one does. Just fight to live until you don''t want to go on anymore. My family is dead. I just got the word. Do you understand?" She was crying openly now and her co-anchor reached out to calm her. "I don''t want to die like that. I don''t want to be one of those things! It''s all over!"

    The camera started to swing away from her, but anyone still watching saw her lift the gun she had been keeping on her lap to her chin. The sharp retort and blood splatter hitting the co-anchor was vivid evidence of her suicide.

    Jenni sobbed beside her and Ralph switched off the TV.

    "She had some good advice. They don''t know nothing. I got more information watching zombie movies on the late night picture show," he said.

    Katie nodded and stood up shakily. Nerit came to hold Jenni and whisper to her soothingly. Jenni continued to sob loudly and Jack whined as he tried to soothe her with little doggie kisses. Katie moved on stiff and numb legs across the living room and pushed back a heavy brocade curtain.

    The sun was setting slowly behind the hills. Below her stood a man, bloody and mutilated, looking left then right over and over again. She knew if he looked up and saw her that he would start that horrible shriek.

    She left the curtain fall back into place. Standing before the window, she felt herself let go of the old world and embrace the new. She would survive this. She would go on. There was all there was to it. She couldn''t give up without a fight. She would do whatever it took to survive.

    Turning to Ralph, she said softly, "When''s dinner?"

    Chapter 4

    1. Purgatory

    Jenni was bored.

    Her finger clenched.

    The head with the long blond hair burst and the body tumbled forward.

    "That was Dwayne Emory," Ralph said behind her.

    Nerit crossed another name off the list.

    They all stood on the roof of the hunting store once more. The evening sky spread out above them a lush panorama of cold stars and velvet darkness.

    The zombies of the small town spread out on the dirty street below in a shambling mess of dead flesh and lost hopes.

    "See if you can get the one over the corner," Ralph said and pointed.

    Jenni aimed again, her finger squeezed, and another head popped like an overripe tomato.

    The evening had started off well enough. A delicious dinner with good conversation followed by cheesecake had made her feel better than she had all day.

    Afterwards, they had trudged downstairs into the shop at Katie''s insistence.

    Jenni glanced over at Katie who stood next to her. Nerit was instructing Katie on the finer points of the rifle she was holding. She had tucked her blond curls up into a ponytail making her Germanic features stand out strongly. Katie radiated strength and it made Jenni feel safe. Ralph and Nerit were capable, but Katie was the one to follow.

    Nerit had found a skirt and T-shirt for Jenni to wear and she felt more comfortable now. She had thrown the bathrobe and nightgown away with disgust, never wanting to see them again. The color pink would forever haunt her. She wanted to forget about this morning and those tiny fingers¡­those tiny fingers¡­

    She squeezed the trigger again.

    Chunks of brain matter splattered the lamppost.

    "Reload", Ralph said.

    Jenni quickly complied.

    Ralph had shown them around his spacious store, explaining the history of the well-fortified building. Originally it had been the town jail, before the great fire that had wiped out most of Main Street (the entire town Jenni took it) and then it had been the town bank. Finally, when the town died out except for a few hangers-on, it became a hunting store, which was the only real commerce in the area.

    "Hunters come here for all seasons. Make a good living off of them. And the Internet," Ralph said as he had opened up a door to reveal a state of the art computer. "Store is on-line and I sell hunting and camping gear. Works well. Makes money."

    Ralph had shown them a small set of offices in the back that doubled as the city hall and post office. Evidently, Ralph was the Mayor and Nerit the postmaster.

    The building was bigger than she had originally thought and jammed with everything a small town could need in one nice little package.

    Jenni found it all very boring.

    Katie, though, had been absolutely riveted by everything Ralph explained to her. They had talked about all sorts of things that Jenni didn''t understand or really didn''t care about. Small town politics, law enforcement, gun laws¡­

    Jenni had wandered to the front door and watched two women slowly eat away at Six Figures Guy. One of them looked up at her, snarled, and ran for the window. Jenni didn''t flinch when the woman ran straight into the heavy metal bars and busted her face open. The zombie tried to wedge a hand through the bars and Jenni watched the woman''s torn fingers scratch futilely at the window.

    So much like the little fingers¡­those tiny fingers¡­

    "More are getting out of that store. Gonna have to put them down tonight or we''ll have issues in the morning", Ralph had decided from behind her.

    Then the most tedious part of the night started. Two hours of Ralph going over the variety of guns they had to chose from. They went through a slew of guns until they found at least two they were comfortable with. Finally, they had trudged back upstairs and got another lesson on loading and reloading the guns.

    And finally, they had started shooting zombies.

    Jenni had enjoyed shooting that one woman who had rushed the window. She had reminded her too much of Benji and his tiny fingers.

    Now Jenni stood next to Katie, the night wind buffeting her dark hair, aiming at yet another zombie staggering out of the darkness into the light pooling below the street lamps. Tilting her head slightly, she studied him, his labored swagger, and his profuse beer belly. His wife-beater shirt was stained with blood and gore.

    She shot him in the knee.

    He went down, growling, clawing at the ground. Over and over again he tried to get up, only to have his leg give way beneath him. Finally, he looked up and saw her. Shrieking, he reached up, desperately.

    Jenni narrowed her eyes and fired.

    The bullet punched neatly through his head.

    "Nerit and I have been talking and we know you said you just want supplies, but we want you to consider staying here. Once we clean out the town, it will be safer than the world out there."

    Jenni turned swiftly. "We can''t!"

    Katie flicked the safety on her rifle and reached out to calm Jenni with a gentle touch on her arm. "We need to move on and get her stepson. He''s stranded out at a camp in the national park."

    Ralph considered this. "I can understand that. But when you get him, then what?"

    Katie looked at Jenni, then back at Ralph. "Honestly, we haven''t talked about it."

    Jenni hung back a little behind Katie. She really liked the old people, but she wasn''t sure this was the place for them. She liked Katie being in charge and she wasn''t sure of this whole new dynamic. Yes, they had only spent maybe ten hours together in the car, but in that time she had grown to trust Katie. She suddenly just wanted to be in the truck, with Katie and Jack, and far away from here.

    "Well, you are welcome here. You two gals talk about it and maybe once you get that boy safe and sound, you can come back here. Nerit and I could use the company. The town is gone," Ralph said. He took steady aim and fired. "Gun shots are bringing them out. Might as well clean up as many as we can," he said.

    Nerit nodded and took her position at the back of the building.

    After an hour of firing, it was clear whatever could walk their way had and whatever remained of the town was still locked away in houses or cars.

    The street was littered with bodies: young, old, male and female. A few of the town dogs wandered out to sniff at the bodies. Whatever had turned their former masters into zombies must not have smelled particularly good. The dogs darted away, whimpering.

    Jenni''s ears hurt despite the earplugs and she felt rather moody as they were shown into the guest bedroom.

    "Only have one room. Hope you don''t mind," Ralph said.

    "It''s fine," Katie assured him.

 Page 12

    "Bathroom is through that door. Laid out big T-shirts for you gals to wear. See you in the morning," he said, and shut the door.

    Jenni sat on the bed and sighed. She watched as Katie tossed off the hunting jacket she had worn on and off since she had rescued Jenni. Katie sat on the bed beside her and kicked off her high heels and sighed.

    "You want to shower first?"

    "Katie, are we coming back here?"

    Katie sighed again, her hands resting on her knees, and looked toward Jenni. "Maybe. It seems about safe as it¡¯s going to get."

    Jenni nodded, letting her hair fall into her face. "I just¡­" Jack nosed her hand and she started to pet him slowly. "I just¡­just¡­"

    "It''s too much right now. I know. To many changes." Katie put a gentle arm around Jenni''s shoulders and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Too much to deal with¡­"

    "I felt safe in the truck," Jenni whispered. "I know that sounds stupid, but I felt safe with you driving and Jack on my lap. We felt safe. But here¡­we have to shoot things and be behind bars and it feels¡­"

    "Like a prison?"

    "Like I''m back home not able to go out when Lloyd isn''t with me. Having to¡­" Jenni faltered. It was hard to explain that today had been the most "free" day of her life in more than a decade. She clung to Katie and wept.

    Wept out of guilt because she did feel free and wept because she was free only because Lloyd was gone and so were her babies.

    Katie held her tightly, her fingers lightly stroking her hair. It took Jenni a moment to realize Katie was crying, too.

    "It''s okay. We''re safe and we need to remember that," Katie said softly.

    "Tomorrow, we''ll do what we have to do. And the day after that. And the day after that."

    Jenni nodded and held tightly to Katie. "Okay¡­okay¡­I trust you." And she did. With all her heart.

    When she finally came out of the shower, pink and clean, hair glistening with water, Katie was the one who combed her hair and dried it gently with a towel, then helped her into bed. For a moment, Jenni felt utterly safe and content. Tears still flowed and her sobs came in soft hiccups, but she felt comforted by Katie''s presence.

    "It''s okay to cry now," Katie whispered.

    Jenni nodded and covered her face with her hands and wept.

    Wept for her dead children, the dead world, and for her new found freedom¡­

    2. The Moment

    The water sluiced off Katie''s body as she sat at the bottom of the old fashioned tub complete with clawed feet. Her forehead resting on her knees and her hands flat on the tops of her feet, she sat sobbing softly. How long she had sat there, she wasn''t sure, but the water was growing cold. Soon after climbing into the shower, she had been overcome with grief and had slid down to her knees and cried. Sobs had wracked her body with such viciousness that her body now ached.

    She missed Lydia so much it was a palatable, physical pain in her stomach.

    All it had taken to start the torrent of tears was the mere thought of "I missed my jog." And the deluge had started. Every night, she and Lydia would jog through their neighborhood and up into the hills before coming home to a nice bath, a simple dinner, and maybe a few hours of TV.

    Afterwards, they would curl up together and fall asleep to the gentle sound of each other breathing.

    It had been bliss.

    But now¡­

    All she heard was the damn moaning outside. It was growing in volume so most likely more of those things were showing up outside the building.

    The water was growing colder.

    She reached out and turned off the flow and struggled to her feet. Her body hurt more than she realized and she stumbled getting out of the shower.

    Landing hard on the mat, she threw up her hands and started to cry all over again.

    Rage filled her and she kicked the door to the cabinet under the sink again for good measure. Wiping her tears away angrily with her cold fingers, she snorted and sniffled, her nose running wildly.

    Why¡­why¡­why¡­gawddammit¡­why¡­

    She buried her face in her hands and curled her knees up to her chest and sobbed.

    A gentle hand on her damp hair made her raise her head. Jenni''s face swam before her, pale and concerned. Jack sat at her side, yawning, and looking bleary-eyed.

    "I just can''t," Katie whispered.

    Jenni stroked her face and her mouth pursed in thought. "Can''t what?"

    "Let her be dead in my heart, in my mind," she answered.

    Katie refused to look at the image in her mind of Lydia shrieking and charging her, her chest torn open, and her heart gone. Instead, she made herself see Lydia, as she had been just thirty minutes before that, smiling, happy, kissing her softly goodbye, a cup of coffee clutched in one hand.

    Jenni wrapped her arms around Katie and held her gently. Her black hair was soft and soothing on her cold skin and Katie leaned into her. They sat that way for a long time, until Katie''s sobs subsided.

    Awkwardness set in and Jenni sat back, her brow furrowed, looking anxious, and maybe even confused. Her T-shirt and shorts, which both read "Hunters do it better", were now damp.

    Katie rubbed her face and felt flushed and tired. Nothing in this new world felt right. Nothing.

    It was then Jenni tried to kiss her, very awkwardly and unsure of herself.

    Katie caught her immediately and held her back. "Don''t."

    "I just want to make you feel-" Jenni mumbled, her face reddening.

    "Don''t. I''m not your husband. I don''t need sex to comfort me. Or make me feel better." Katie held Jenni firmly back. She realized in that moment she had been waiting for this. Subconsciously, she had understood that Jenni was looking for security in this new world. And that would mean Katie fitting into a role Jenni understood. Jenni was used to a strong male figure that she could calm with sex, follow obediently and maybe fear a little.

    Jenni lowered her eyes and tears fell. "I don''t know¡­I just wanted¡­"

    Katie smiled and forced her to look at her. "It''s okay. I understand. But this is not who you are. Right?"

    Jenni nodded slowly. "I thought I could learn-"

    "This is not who we are," Katie said firmly and stroked Jenni''s hair.

    Jenni looked at her, eyes wide, trying to understand. "I just want to be useful. For you to need me."

    "But I do, Jenni. We are bonded by all that happened today. For better or for worse, we have a bond. You and me." Katie took Jenni''s hands firmly in her own and held them tightly. "My Dad always told me about his war buddies. They loved each other and they shared a bond no one really understood because they are not a part of it. I think I understand that now."

    Jenni sat down all the way next to her Indian-style, her hair falling over one shoulder. Jack immediately plunked down and set his head on Jenni''s knee. "I don''t know how to¡­I don''t have female friends or know any¡­lesbians¡­or¡­" Jenni rubbed her nose with the palm of her hand rather rigorously. "I don''t know how to act."

    Katie smiled at her and kissed one of Jenni''s hands. "That''s okay. Hell, for both of us to be utterly insane right now is okay. But just know I just need you as my friend. I just need you to be whoever you are, Jenni. Okay?"

    Jenni nodded thoughtfully and smiled. "Okay." And she seemed relieved.

    Katie forced herself to stand up and pulled on the T-shirt and shorts Jenni had left in the bathroom for her. Her business clothes were wadded up in the trash bin along with her high heels. She knew she would never wear them again and in a way, that was a relief.

    "I wish it would stop," Jenni whispered.

    Katie raised her head, realizing she had been mentally blocking the sound of the moans.

    "Yeah, me, too."

    "Well," Jenni said at last, with a smile. "At least we live in Texas where people actually own guns and hunt."

    "Well," Katie said with a grin. "At least we''re in a hunting shop and not a mall."

    Jenni giggled as she stood, stretching her long legs. "Yeah. Or a farmhouse."

    "Do you know how to fly a helicopter?"

    "Uh, no."

    "Me neither," Katie grinned.

    "You have watched Dawn of the Dead!"

    "Romero series all the way." Katie walked out into the bedroom and crawled onto the bed.

    "How about Fulci?" Jenni climbed in after her, looking much more relaxed now.

    "No, can''t say I have," Katie said with the shake of her head.

    "I had hoped if this ever happened they would at least wouldn''t run like in the new movies." Jenni pouted.

    Outside, the moaning continued, almost a lulling sound, the same sound over and over again. Jack crawled into the bed between them and nestled down.

    Snuggling down on either side of the dog, the women laid there listening, both lost in thought. The tension that had been brewing between them had dissipated without either one of them ever realizing it had been there. They now knew where they both stood and it was good.

    Without fear, without reservation, without being afraid of being misunderstood, Katie reached across the dog and took Jenni''s hand. Jenni squeezed it tenderly.

 Page 13

    "Tomorrow we''ll get your stepson," Katie assured her.

    "And kill more zombies," Jenni added.

    Katie somewhat laughed, her eyes still feeling horribly large and swollen. "Yeah, kill zombies."

    "But avoid malls and farmhouses and helicopters."

    "And find ourselves a handsome black man for the main lead in our story," Katie added.

    They both began to laugh and it felt amazingly good.

    And outside, the zombies gathered and moaned.

    3. The Midnight Hour

    Jenni''s heart pounded almost as fiercely as her footfalls as she rushed down the stairs with Mikey beside her. Her fingers slid down the banister as she struggled to not fall headlong down the stairs. Mikey''s hand was slippery in hers and she tugged him hard as she reached the bottom of the staircase and headed toward the front door.

    She felt Lloyd grab her long hair and yank her backwards.

    "Don''t touch my Mom!" Mike''s hand slipped from hers and her little boy launched himself at his father.

    "No," Jenni whispered and her eyes snapped open. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest it hurt. Slowly, she sat up and struggled to catch her breath.

    Katie was sleeping beside her with her arms wrapped around the German Shepherd. The dog eyed Jenni drowsily and she rubbed his brow lightly.

    "I''m okay," she lied.

    He licked her arm lightly before laying his head back down.

    She was sure he was tired, too, after their long day. Plus he had started the day with surgery and had endured their crazed escape from the city in a drugged stupor.

    Feeling shaken, she slid from the bed and stood in the darkened room listening to the moans of the dead outside. Lloyd always used to make her watch zombie movies because he knew they scared her. Scaring her had been something he enjoyed doing. Every time they watched a zombie film, he''d do things to upset her. Pretending to be a zombie while moaning always made her scurry away from him. She hated it. The entire concept of zombies was terrifying to her.

    And then this morning¡­

    No, don''t think about it, she told herself.

    She ran her fingers through her hair to comb it back from her face and walked to the door. Careful not to make too much noise, she turned the handle and slipped out into the hallway. Down the hall she saw a dim light and followed it into the living room. The TV was still on, but muted. An ashen looking anchorman from one of the major networks was talking to several people including a minister. Ralph was asleep in his lounge chair with a quilt laid gently over him. A rifle lay on the floor next to him.

    "He couldn''t sleep," Nerit''s voice said quietly from behind her.

    Jenni turned around and saw the older woman was dressed in a nightgown and holding a cup of tea. "I had nightmares."

    "Me, too," Nerit said with a weary smile. "Would you like some tea and some cheesecake?"

    Jenni sighed. "That would be awesome."

    They settled into the kitchen, Jenni tucked into a stiff-backed chair as Nerit put on a fresh pot of tea.

    "You know, zombies always scared me," Jenni said after a quiet moment.

    "I never thought much about them or any movie monsters," Nerit answered. "I always thought the monsters of the real world were much more terrifying."

    "Serial killers and all that."

    "Terrorists, too." Nerit shrugged and cut two slices of the Italian-style cheesecake. "Ralph likes the monster movies. He says they''re a safe kind of scary."

    "Not anymore," Jenni sighed.

    "No, not anymore," Nerit agreed and set down the dessert in front of her before taking a seat as well.

    "I¡­had kids." Jenni raised her eyes and gazed at Nerit. "They died this morning."

    Maybe she was expecting an accusation of her being incompetent or something like that, but Nerit only answered with, "I''m sorry."

    "My husband got bit last night. A bum, he said." Jenni stabbed at the pierce of cheesecake with her fork. A little bit of it crumbled off and she scooped it up and ate it.

    "Ralph discovered what was going on at the grocery store. We had stayed in bed late to celebrate his birthday. He was just going across the road to grab the paper when he saw the attacks inside." Nerit cut her piece into small sections and played with one tiny slice with her fork. "I didn''t believe him at first when he called me. People eating each other. It sounds so ludicrous. Not real."

    Jenni set her fork down and stared at the plate for a long moment.

    "Lloyd liked to sleep on the sofa. He said I move around too much when I sleep and that he couldn''t get a decent night''s rest. He wouldn''t sleep with me often. I would hear the TV on all night. If he had been in our room¡­Benji''s room is the first one off the stairs. I think he just went there first because¡­" She covered her face with her hands and tried so hard not to think of what she had seen. It was a blur, actually. Just a swift image of Lloyd stuffing something thick and fleshy into his mouth and Benji''s little body looking wrong under all that blood staining the floor. Her mind fought between adding in details and wiping the image out altogether.

    Nerit''s fingers were soft and dry as she drew Jenni''s hand down from her face. Gently, she held Jenni''s hand in her own and said, "There was nothing you could do."

    Jenni forced back a sob and wiped away her tears. She wasn''t sure if that was the truth and she didn''t want to think about it anymore. Already, yesterday morning felt so far away and the world already felt very different.

    Mikey, Benji and even Lloyd felt like shadows to her.

    "When you saw them inside the store, what did you do?"

    Nerit sighed. "At first, we were going to go in and try to rescue people.

    But the¡­zombies," she slightly laughed at the word "the zombies rushed toward the door and we realized very quickly we couldn''t go inside. We ran back here and locked ourselves in. At first we thought the people were infected with some strange virus, like the news said, but one of them came up behind the hunting store and was chewed down to the bone. There was hardly anything left of him. There was no way in heaven he could be that badly damaged and walking. He saw us through the window and began to beat on it. That is when we decided to head back upstairs and figure out exactly what was going on around us. That is when we saw our own neighbors forcing themselves into people''s homes and attacking them. We took some out from a distance, but¡­" Nerit shook her head. "We''ve been killing our neighbors all day. And had no choice."

    Jenni took another bite of the cheesecake and the rich flavor distracted her thoughts for a few precious moments. "Does it bother you to kill them?"

    Nerit stood up, stretched and headed toward the teakettle. It was beginning to whistle. "The real question is do we have a choice?"

    "It doesn''t bother me to kill them," Jenni confessed. "Not at all."

    The older woman poured the hot water into a cup and moved to set it down in front of Jenni. "It doesn''t bother me either."

    The hot water was letting off a small plume of steam and Jenni waved her hand through it. It felt good against her skin. The cold spring night was pressing against the windows and she could feel a chill in her bones. The warmth from the hot water was a soothing sensation. Dumping too much sugar into the tea, Jenni tried hard not to think too deeply about anything other than rescuing Jason in the morning.

    Nerit sipped some tea and eyed Jenni thoughtfully. "It''s a good thing, you know."

    "What is?" Katie padded into the room looking bleary eyed. Jack was at her heels yawning and looking for the nearest food bowl.

    "Being able to kill them," Nerit answered.

    Spotting the teakettle, Katie headed over to it.

    "Couldn''t sleep?" Jenni dumped in more sugar for good measure.

    "Nightmares," Katie confessed. "But I guess we better get used to them."

    "Get used to all of it," Jenni agreed. Her friend looked pale and tired.

    They both needed to rest, but the sound of the zombies was dragging on all of them.

    "You don''t think it will be stopped, do you?" Katie slid into a chair, a mug in her hand.

    Nerit shook her head and reached out for a pack of cigarettes sitting on the table. "No. It''s too late. They didn''t do what they needed to do in the beginning."

    "Which was?" Katie shoved her blond curls out of her face.

    "Kill everyone bitten," Jenni answered. She leaned her head on Katie''s shoulder and sighed softly. "Everyone bitten should have been killed right away. Lloyd was bitten. The emergency room gave him some shots and told him to make a follow up appointment with his doctor."

    Nerit lit a cigarette and exhaled slowly. She leaned over and flipped on an air filter next to the table to suck up the second hand smoke. "The authorities told all the wounded to go to the hospitals and rescue centers.

    They accelerated the infection rate."

    "They still don''t get it." Ralph walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes.

    Clad in pajamas and an old robe, he looked frail. "Anyone saying zombies or end of the world is getting mocked. Got CDC taking back some of what they said and still telling people to go to rescue centers. Got major cities burning all over the States and they still can''t figure it out."

 Page 14

    "Where is the President? What does he say?" Katie drank her tea without any sugar and that made Jenni wince.

    "In East Texas on a hunting trip," Ralph answered and slid into a chair.

    "News is all confusing now. They''re telling half-truths. Lots of bull shit. Got one guy on last night saying it¡¯s a strain of Ebola."

    Jenni rolled her eyes and sat back up. Katie snagged her plate and dragged the uneaten cheesecake over to her. Jenni didn''t mind. She couldn''t eat now that she was thinking of all they had endured. All they would endure.

    Nerit shook her head and took another drag off her cigarette. "So that''s it."

    "Yep. Lost the local feed already," Ralph said with a nod of his head.

    Jenni laid her head down on her folded arms on the table and stared at the old man thoughtfully. He reached out and patted her head lightly and it comforted her.

    "It really is the end," Katie said.

    They all knew it, but hearing the words again helped it sink in that much more. To accept it was to be empowered. Jenni understood that and she knew the people at the table understood it, too. To survive meant to kill and to fight.

    Chapter 5

    1. Into the Breach

    The hammering on the back windows was annoying, but Katie tried to block out the sound. The number of undead outside the building had grown during the night and they were insistently banging on the windows. The sound wore on the survivor''s nerves, but they tried to ignore the undead as they gathered to brainstorm for a good plan to save Jenni''s stepson.

    Ralph spread out a map on a table in the back room downstairs along with a calculator and a notepad covered in equations. Nerit leaned against the wall nearby with her hands tucked into her jean pockets. Her yellowish white hair was pinned up on top of her head today and her green eyes looked sharp and intense.

    Jenni slid onto a folding chair at the table. She was clad head to toe in hunting gear: camouflage pants and jacket, a T-shirt that read "I aim to shoot" and heavy Doc Martens. Her black hair tucked up into a ponytail; she looked very young and delicate. Katie noted that today there was a difference in the way she held herself. It was subtle, but there. After they had returned to the bed they were sharing after their midnight snack, Katie had trouble falling asleep, but Jenni had seemed to have found some peace within herself and had slept soundly.

    Katie drew near to Ralph and crossed her arms over her breasts. She, too, wore an outfit consisting of hunting clothes. The only difference in her and Jenni''s outfits was that she wore a black tank top under the Reverend''s hunting jacket. The warm smell of tobacco and the faint smell of her savior''s aftershave gave her a sense of peace. It was as though the old man who saved her life was still watching over her. In her hand she held a cup of coffee and she tucked a blond curl back from her face as she studied the map.

    "Truck you came in is not going to cut it. This ain''t the old world where a low tank means a trip to the gas station. Electricity is still up here. Grid hasn''t gone down. Depends on many factors if it keeps going. We might get lucky. TV is static except for the emergency broadcasting network. Bunch of horse shit regurgitation like yesterday. Not worth much. But we can''t take it on face value that any of the gas stations between here and the camp are up and working. Gotta plan for the opposite."

    "Gotcha. So we''re limited to what we can carry in canisters and what is in the tank," Katie said.

    "Right. Now, the truck yer in, well, it got you here, but probably not much further without a refuel."

    "We''re dangerously low on fuel," Katie admitted.

    "My truck, has a half tank of gas. I noticed at least five gallons of extra gas loaded up in those red canisters in the back of your pickup. We''ll put those in mine. Also, my truck has a bigger cab. You can fit your young one and any other survivor back there along with Jack. Gun rack is perfect for your rifle. Also got a CB in there that can keep you in touch with us back here.

    Keep to channel 23." Ralph pointed at their location. "Here''s Hillsboro. Here is the national park. Mapped out the most fuel efficient way for you to get there. Did calculations. You can do a round trip sticking to the route, but no more. Any detour might stick you out there with just the reserve fuel."

    Katie nodded and looked at Jenni. Jenni''s eyes were huge and desperate.

    Katie knew instantly what she was thinking. "We''re still going," she assured her and Jenni relaxed.

    "Keep to the route. Don''t veer off. I mean it. We have a major highway near that park. If any infected people made it out that far you could have zombies on the roads out there." Ralph stood staring at the map, rubbing his chin, and looking deadly serious.

    "I understand," Katie assured him. "We''ll grab Jason and head back here."

    "And don''t hesitate to run those things over," Nerit said from her corner.

    "Don''t hesitate to shoot them."

    Jenni giggled a little.

    Katie smirked. "I don''t think that will be a problem."

    "Okay, then take the map, gear up. Take what you can in three backpacks. If you get caught out there you''ll need supplies," Ralph said. His eyes were so sharp and thoughtful Katie couldn''t look at him. His expression reminded her too much of her father.

    "MREs, ammo," Katie ticked off.

    "Flashlight, knives¡­" Ralph trailed off. "I should go with you."

    "No, no. You belong here with Nerit."

    A loud crash made everyone jump. Jenni ran across the room and whipped back the curtains. An enormous zombie stood slamming his body into the bars. Despite looking like his entire family had gorged themselves on his flesh, there were still lots of him to hurl against the barred window. The empty cavity of his torso beyond the sheets of shredded flesh made Katie turn away.

    "You fucking stop that," Jenni shouted at him and slammed her hand against the glass.

    The zombie growled and slammed into the bars again.

    Something about him seemed to drive Jenni over the edge. She was running up the stairs before anyone could even react. Katie followed, her boots thudding against the wood steps.

    "Jenni!"

    Jack charged past her, barking, excited.

    When Katie hit the second floor, she saw no sign of Jenni. She saw the door to the back patio was open. Running to the doorway, she saw Jenni standing near the rail, gun raised, Jack poised at her heels, barking away.

    "Hey, fuckface!" Jenni''s voice was full of hatred.

    The zombie turned slowly, saw her up on the balcony, opened his mouth to shriek, and rushed forward. As soon as he was clear of the window, Jenni put a nice little hole through his right eye. The enormous zombie pitched forward, onto two female zombies who had turned to see Jenni and effectively trapped both of them under his enormous girth.

    Katie stood next to Jenni, a little shocked.

    Jenni turned and looked at her, then shrugged. "He looked like my Dad," she explained. She walked past her into the building.

    Katie stood for a moment, registering this. Jenni''s sanity had been in question since yesterday; but then again, they were all slightly insane now, weren''t they? She watched the two female zombies trying to wiggle out from under the huge dead man and slightly smiled. Turning on her heel, she followed Jenni back down the stairs.

    Jenni stood near the top of the stairs waiting. From her expression, Katie knew she was struggling internally.

    "We should have gone last night," Jenni whispered.

    "In the dark? With those things?" Katie lifted an eyebrow. "Would you really want to do that?"

    Jenni sighed and shook her head. "I''m just worried about Jason."

    "I know, but we have to take care of ourselves, too, you know."

    "I know, Katie." Jenni sighed softly. "I know."

    Packing was quick. Ralph being an old pro, he knew what they needed.

    Nerit gave them a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks. She seemed especially pensive, but she smiled reassuringly whenever her gaze rested on them.

    Katie was busy double-checking the small bag holding their ammo when Nerit came up and laid Katie''s phone next to her on the table.

    "I found this up on the roof. I thought you may want it," she said in her warm, rich accented voice.

    Katie glanced at it and hesitated. "There isn''t any service anymore."

    Nerit nodded, but flipped the phone open to show Lydia''s lovely face smiling up at them. "For her, not the service."

    Katie looked at her sharply, her hand closing the phone, but her gaze anxious, waiting.

    "She was beautiful. And she loved you. I can see it in her face," Nerit said softly.

    Katie''s eyes filled with tears for a moment. "She was my life."

    Nerit looked past her to Jenni. The other woman was rearranging one of the backpacks with a very dire expression on her face. "But now you are going to take care of her. And her son. I can see it in your eyes. It''s what you do."

    "Well, I can''t say you''re wrong. I was a prosecutor. I tried to find justice in the world," Katie admitted.

    Nerit took Katie''s hand in her old, leather one, and pressed it between her palms. "You are a good person, Katie. Come back safe. I think I want to know you better and make you family."

 Page 15

    Katie smiled widely and flung her arms around Nerit in a tight hug.

    "Thank you. Thank you for everything you''ve done for us."

    "Nuff of that. Sun is climbing. If you are going to round trip it today, gotta start now," Ralph said from behind them.

    Nerit let go of Katie and nodded. "I''ll be in position." She headed toward the stairs, snagging her sniper rifle off the counter on her way.

    Katie stuffed the bag of ammo in her backpack, grabbed the cooler, and followed Ralph.

    "Nerit will toss the decoy in five minutes. You head out the back door.

    She''ll cover from up top. I''ll cover from the door. Both of you, keep your eyes sharp and head for the truck."

    Katie and Jenni looked at each other and that gaze steadied each other.

    They were ready. Backpacks adorned both their backs. Katie slung the cooler by its long strap over her shoulder. Each had a gun in their hand. In Jenni''s extra hand she carried another backpack, that she would drop if she had to.

    Katie held the truck keys.

    A few minutes later a lot of noise erupted in the front of the building. A man''s voice talking loudly about the zombie infestation quickly drew the attention of any of the undead milling behind the store. Through a slit in the curtains, Ralph saw most of them head around the side of the building.

    "Now!"

    Katie flung open the door and ran. The truck was parked under a small carport about 15 feet from the back door, but it seemed an eternity away. She could hear Jenni right behind her, Jack bringing up the rear.

    Shots erupted almost immediately. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something drop.

    A man came running around the truck, screeching with his hands flung out. Katie raised her gun and fired. It seemed like an almost point blank shot.

    His head exploded in a volcano of gore, and he was down. Another shot to her side told her Ralph and Nerit were covering them.

    Her finger kept pressing the button to unlock the truck as she ran and finally she heard the singsong sound of the alarm flicking off and the click of the doors unlocking. Jenni reached the truck first and opened the passenger side.

    "Jack, in," Jenni ordered and turned to see a woman coming around the side of the building. It was a very old woman, still clutching a cane in one hand, but still running at a surprising speed. The retort of Jenni''s gun stabbed her eardrums, but the woman went down. Flinging the extra backpack in, then shedding her own swiftly, Jenni was momentarily clear of any zombies.

    Katie reached the truck and started to open the door when someone grabbed her. A baby, on the ground, had her foot.

    "Shit!" She flung the cooler into the truck, trying to shake the baby off her foot. There was no way it could ever bite through her boot with its baby teeth, but it was hissing and trying hard to crawl up her leg.

    "They''re coming around, Katie! Just go," Ralph''s voice ordered and she heard the door slam shut to the store.

    Katie shook free of the mutilated baby that was maybe eleven months old and slammed her foot down on its head. Using it as a step, she slid in backward, backpack first.

    Three zombies were closing fast on her side and she raised her gun and fired. The first one went down, the second spun around as the shot took it in the shoulder, but the third was on her.

    At the last second, she managed to raise her gore-splattered foot and slam it into its chest before it reached her. Its hands scrabbled at her pant leg, but it didn''t seem smart enough to bend down and bite it. Its eyes were strictly on her face, its hands straining for her. Its face was so mangled she wasn''t sure if it was a man or a woman.

    The truck door on the other side slammed shut. Over her shoulder Jenni''s hand appeared holding her gun. Katie twisted her torso to the side as Jenni rammed the gun into the thing''s face and fired.

    Katie felt her ears go numb.

    Blood splattered both of them and Jenni reached out and slammed the door shut just as Katie drew her legs all the way in.

    Hitting the button on the side panel, Jenni locked them safely inside the cab.

    Katie shrugged off the backpack and tossed it into the backseat where Jack already sat, growling and barking out the back window at the swiftly approaching zombies.

    More shots rang out and Jenni looked anxiously over one shoulder. "I think the radio in the dummy ruse is over."

    "There are more than we expected," Katie said.

    Katie''s fingers were trembling so hard she could barely get the key into the ignition, but she finally managed to slide it in and twist. The engine roared to life and she quickly reversed.

    She could feel the thunk of several bodies hitting the back end of the truck. She shifted and aimed for two runners trying to head her off as her foot pushed down on the accelerator. They bounced off the deer guard in a graceful arch.

    "Nailed ''em!" Jenni laughed and clapped her hands.

    Moving swiftly down the gravel drive that cut behind the hunting store, the truck sent several zombies hurtling either into the building or into the grass and down a steep embankment behind the store.

    Katie turned the truck onto the main road and floored it.

    "You girls safe," a voice cackled.

    Jenni grabbed the hand held CB transceiver off its holder and pushed the button. "Roger that! We are safe and en route to rescue point!"

    Katie smothered a laugh that was born of both amusement and a little hysteria.

    "We''re a little more infested than we thought. I think some of the bed and breakfast folks had a large crowd in town. We''ll try to clean them up as much as we can before you get back tonight," Ralph answered. There was a long pause. "Katie, you didn''t get bit did ya? That guy was right on ya."

    Jenni''s eyes widened and she looked at Katie anxiously.

    "I''m fine. Tell him I''m fine." Except for the ringing in her ears, that was.

    Jenni sighed with relief. "She''s okay. We''re both okay."

    "Good. Now you girls take care out there. Come back safe."

    "Roger that. Over and out." Jenni carefully put the CB transceiver back on its hook and strapped herself into her seat with the seatbelt.

    Katie once more marveled at how well Jenni was doing. From dazed survivor to gun-toting mama, but then again, she had a feeling that this may have been the most living Jenni had ever done.

    "We''re gonna do this and come back, "Jenni said firmly.

    Katie nodded. "Yes, we are," she agreed with determination.

    But deep down inside, she had a horrible feeling that things were not going to go quite as they hoped.

    2. Hell Has Highways

    The drone of the road was steady and unwavering as the truck roared over the slowly warming asphalt. The sun was climbing and would soon be an unmerciful tormentor of heat and light. Jack lay snoozing in the back seat with his nose tucked beneath his front paws all doggy contentedness and cuteness.

    Jenni smiled at him and looked back toward the road. Ralph''s truck was much more luxurious than the truck they had escaped from the city with. It was a much bigger truck that sat higher off the ground and the seats were leather and very comfortable. The CB had been quiet for awhile after their last check-in. They had listened to the emergency broadcasting radio network for a short time, but as Ralph said, it was just bullshit. Jenni found it amusing that she understood more of what was going on than officials in high places because of her steady diet of zombie flicks thanks to her asshole of a husband.

    Glancing at Katie, she was relieved to see her companion looking cool and in control. Katie was wearing very sporty men''s sunglasses that made her look like a cop and that thought sent Jenni into a fit of giggles. Katie just peered over the tops of the sunglasses and slowly stuck out her tongue.

    It was a huge relief to know exactly how things were supposed to be now. Yesterday-oh, God! It was just yesterday! - Jenni had spent the morning swinging between sheer panic and a trance-like state. By afternoon, she had felt safe in Katie''s presence and confident her new friend would see them through all of this. A heroine was filling the usual hero role and Jenni accepted that. Where she had made the mistake was thinking that just because Katie was a lesbian, she was merely a man in a woman''s skin.

    But last night, seeing Katie naked, sobbing, overwhelmed with grief, Jenni had seen that Katie was all woman, with a woman''s reaction to things, a woman''s emotions, a woman''s way of dealing with it. Then she had gone and been a damn fool trying to comfort her like she was a man.

    Even now, in the truck, Jenni blushed at the thought of her awkward attempt to kiss Katie. No, she hadn''t felt any attraction to her or even particularly wanted to even try to be with a woman. But Jenni was used to putting aside her needs and her desires for the men in her life. First her father, then her brother, then her husband. She had shut up, put up, and dealt with whatever they wanted from her.

    But Katie¡­

    Jenni smiled at her affectionately.

    Katie caught her look out of the corner of her eye and gave her a quick glance. "What?"

    Jenni kept smiling goofy.

    Katie just kind of laughed and turned her gaze back to the road. "You try kissing me again¡­"

    Jenni laughed. "Noooooooooo!" She snuggled down in the seat and pulled the map onto her lap. "We''re looking for the handsome black leading man. I''ll kiss him."

 Page 16

    Katie grinned, but then it faded as she saw a sign for a town.

    "Checkersville. What do Ralph''s notes say?"

    Jenni immediately grew serious and studied the map. "Ralph made a note that it¡¯s got a small population. It''s Emorton we need to worry about. It''s a lot bigger."

    Katie sighed, noting that according to the road sign they were ten miles out of Emorton. "Okay, get ready."

    Jenni dutifully drew her gun and snapped off the safety.

    They hit the small town at seventy miles per hour. It was two blocks long in both directions and appeared completely deserted. The truck cleared the first block and Katie expertly swung it around a car stalled in the middle of the intersection.

    "So far so good," Jenni said with relief.

    "Don''t curse it," Katie chided her and the truck started down the second block.

    A man broke free of a building ahead of them, running fast, and screaming. It was not a zombie scream, but "Stop! Stop!"

    The truck sailed past him in a flash and Katie slammed on the brakes and shifted into reverse.

    "Get ready to open the door, Jenni."

    Jenni whipped around in her seat as Jack raised his head blearily, curious as to the drama.

    The man ran toward the stopped truck, sobbing, and clutching one of his arms. It was a mangled mess.

    "Go." Jenni said softly.

    "What?"

    "He''s infected."

    Katie looked into the review mirror, saw the man''s arm and slammed her fists hard against the steering wheel. "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck."

    The man drew near the truck, waving his good arm, looking relieved.

    Behind him three battered, torn, and running figures appeared.

    "Just go," Jenni sighed.

    Katie glanced into the rear view mirror as Jack began to bark at the approaching zombies. "Sorry," she whispered and shifted gears and truck lurched forward as more zombies, slower ones, shuffled into view.

    "No," the man shouted. His voice was full of disbelief, despair and terror. "No! Don''t leave me here!"

    Jenni considered shooting him. But leaning out the window and actually hitting him in the head or anywhere vital enough to kill him instantly seemed just impossible. She tried not to look behind her, but her eyes strayed to the side mirror. She winced as she watched him be caught by the faster zombies and dragged down. Her hand lashed out and grabbed Katie''s. Katie held it tightly and they both sat in silence as the town vanished behind them.

    After a few miles, Katie withdrew her hand and put it back on the wheel as they drew near Emorton.

    "Ralph advised that we go down this side road. It will help us avoid the main part of town. FM 1342."

    Katie nodded. "Okay. Got it."

    Jenni looked at Katie again and thought of Katie''s words last night. They did share a bond. She felt it. Yes, she had been a little confused about it last night, but not anymore. She understood now. And she felt comfortable now with the warmth in her heart when she looked at Katie. She had a new friend, a sister, a comrade and she could love her and not be afraid of being used or hurt.

    Katie turned onto the farm road and they both sat tensely in the moving truck, both aware that the larger towns were deathtraps. Jack softly woofed from the back seat and Jenni turned to see he was staring straight ahead with a very serious look on his face.

    Three large buildings loomed ahead. Emorton Elementary, Junior High and High school all in one row. The parking lot was crammed with cars and high gates surrounded the building. But the gates were down in one section.

    Two cars evidently had rammed into it and the car doors were open. No one was inside, but the doors were smeared with blood.

    "Not good," Katie said softly.

    Jenni flicked off the safety on her gun. "They must have made the school the rescue center." She twisted around in her seat and studied the buildings as they passed. Blood and bits of bodies were littered across the courtyard in front of one of the buildings. The doors to what appeared to be the gym were wide open.

    "Katie, floor it!"

    Two zombies raced out of the gym toward the truck and it was if a dam had broken. A torrent of moaning, screeching zombies poured out of the building, a mixture of adults and children, racing toward them. The slower, more mangled corpses lurched out behind them, intent to join in the feast.

    "There is a fuckload of zombies coming our way!"

    Jack began to bark anxiously at the approaching mob and looked at Katie worriedly, as if wondering why she wasn''t hurrying it up.

    Katie was following the road around the school and the truck swiftly approached a knot of cars crashed into each other. They had to do a half loop to get around the school and this kept them in range of the chasing mob. To the other side of the road there was farmland and no easy escape.

    "They''re gonna cut us off!" Jenni was horrified at how shrill and terrified she sounded. But then again, she was terrified.

    The first of the zombies scrambled past the crashed cars and onto the road a head of them. They immediately began to charge the truck.

    "We''re meals on wheels," Jenni said with a bitter laugh.

    "Chewy center is what it''s all about," Katie said gloomily.

    The truck plowed through the first zombies, but more were spilling out of the fence. It was starting to get hairy. The truck barreled through them and Katie saw another turn in the road. And more zombies coming from that direction. Another part of the fence was down due to someone ramming into it.

    "Damn stupid people!" Katie slammed on the brakes.

    A series of cars were clogging the road. People had obviously abandoned them in haste and had probably run for the school. Now they were probably running for the truck. To their right was the fence, to their left a slight shoulder and an embankment.

    "Just go," Jenni shouted.

    The zombies reached the truck and began to slam their fists against the metal and the glass.

    Katie reversed, shoving her foot hard down the accelerator, looking very satisfied as the truck bounced over a few zombie bodies. She aimed the truck for the narrow path to the side of the blockade of cars.

    "We might tip," Katie said.

    "Go down it! Off road through the field," Jenni said urgently. She glanced at the zombies banging on her window. "Before they break in!"

    Katie didn''t say a word, but expertly dodged one crashed car and started the truck down the embankment. The vehicle tilted scarily to one side and Jenni found herself clinging to the door to keep from falling into Katie. Some of the zombies were still with them and banging on the windows.

    The truck hit the field and the wheels plowed through the sun-hardened earth. Luckily, it was just a field of wild flowers and the truck was a 4X4. The zombies still followed. Some even clung to the edges of the truck bed. In the mirror, Jenni could see the zombies from the school flowing into the field.

    Katie aimed the truck for the road on the other side of the field. "How are we doing?"

    "We got stowaways and lots more trying to catch up.

    There was a tremendous jolt as the truck struggled up the embankment and back onto the road. Jenni looked back to see two zombies go flying off the back of the truck and onto the road as they lost their grip. The last one had managed to get into the truck bed and was staggering toward the back window. Jack was barking wildly at this point.

    "Slam on the brakes!"

    Katie obeyed immediately.

    The zombie was flung forward and hit the back of the cab. It fell back into the bed out of sight.

    Jenni flung the door open, slipped out, and held her gun up.

    The zombie grabbed hold of the side of the truck and hauled itself up. It found itself looking straight into Jenni''s determined gaze.

    "Pop," Jenni said, fired, and the zombie''s head did pop like an enormous blister.

    "Get back in!" Katie was struggling to keep Jack from jumping out.

    Jenni could see the two zombies who had fallen off closing fast. Not far behind them an enormous crowd of the undead students, parents and teachers from the schools.

    Jumping into the cab, she slammed the door shut and Jack licked her face with relief.

    Katie drove on at top speed, her gaze flicking toward the gas gauge.

    "How far?"

    "An hour, but just back roads from this point out," Jenni answered, trying to get the map turned the right way.

    "But we have the interstate to worry about¡­"

    "He''s alive, Katie. Jason is alive. I know it. And if there are zombies on the interstate, they may not go near the camping ground."

    Katie nodded. "I know, hon. I know. We''re close. We''re going to get him."

    Jenni nodded back. "We have to," Jenni said softly. She did not add that she needed to save him to make up for her failures as a mother. Katie wouldn''t understand.

    "We will save him," Katie assured her. "We will."

    Jenni believed her.

    Chapter 6

    1. Frayed Edges

    Katie was still trembling from the episode at the schools. Leaving that poor man behind was bad enough, but seeing that torrent of zombified families coming out of the school buildings had left her feeling sick to the very pit of her stomach.

 Page 17

    Maybe they were being foolish for thinking Jason was still alive. Hell, it was sheer luck that she and Jenni were both alive. Right place at the right time. She didn''t want to dwell on it too much but what if she hadn''t slipped free of her coat and ended up in the maw of that horrible undead thing that had tried to drag her from her car? Or what if Jenni''s zombified son had made it out the window just a little faster?

    Up to this point luck had a lot to do with the fact they were still alive.

    Now it would be more about them keeping their wits in situations like they had just experienced that would dictate if they survived or not.

    So far, so good.

    Katie glanced at Jenni, who was staring straight ahead. Her lips were pressed firmly together and her brow was knotted. Jenni wasn''t exactly expressing how much this rescue meant to her, but Katie knew. She understood. Jason, even if he wasn''t Jenni''s flesh and blood, was all she had left. Yes, technically she now had Katie and Jack, but Jason was a connection to her past. To her previous life.

    Katie was envious of that fact. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, left of her former life but a picture of her wife in a phone that''s battery was slowly running out and she did not have a charger for.

    Again, Katie looked at the gas gauge. It was dropping faster than she liked. And, she sighed, she hadn''t told Jenni yet, but they had blown one valuable point of their plan when they had escaped from the hunting store.

    The extra jugs of gas for "just in case" scenarios were still sitting in the back of that old beat up white truck. In their panic to get safely on the road, they had forgotten that part of their overall plan.

    Now they could not deviate one iota.

    What was in the tank was all there was. Pure and simple. Simple and terrifying. The needle was dropping far faster than she thought it would.

    "We''re close," Jenni said softly. She was downright pale as a ghost now.

    Katie nodded. The trees were growing taller and more numerous. They had turned onto a logging trail and they had seen large patches of freshly hewed stumps. But so far, no undead.

    So far, so good.

    They were a mere five miles from the interstate and they had to consider this entire area a danger zone.

    "Katie," Jenni said in a hushed tone. "I''m scared."

    Katie took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Just keep breathing."

    Finally, a sign appeared directing them toward the back entrance to the camp. Jenni drew out the shotgun and laid it next to her.

    Katie could feel her chest tightening and her stomach fluttering.

    Please, God, please, let him be alive.

    The dirt road was very winding. Dry red dirt flew up in a cloud. It hadn''t rained in a month and the earth was cracked. Finally, they could see the cabins used for youth camps through the trees as they continued down the dirt trail. There was no sign of anyone.

    Jenni was close to hyperventilating and her hands fluttered around her face.

    "Jenni, calm down. Calm down. He needs you to be calm," Katie said firmly.

    Jenni nodded, gulped air, nodded again. "Yes..yes¡­yes¡­"

    The whitewashed mess hall came into view and Katie slowed the truck to a stop. It was the main meeting hall for campers and, from where the truck sat idling, they could see the long road to the front entrance to the camp. One lone van sat in the gravel parking lot.

    The scream of the zombie girl as she hit Jenni''s window made them both jump. The girl, her face a mask of blood, guts, and a gaping mouth with no tongue, slammed her hands continuously against the window.

    "They''re here," Jenni whimpered.

    Jack barked angrily at the zombie.

    Katie reversed sharply, making sure not to end up in a tree, temporarily losing the girl. The zombie girl ended up right in front of them confused at their sudden disappearance. She realized where they were and charged.

    Katie slammed her foot down and the truck roared forward. When they hit the girl, her head hit the deer guard and blood, bits of brain, and grayish fluid spewed across the hood.

    Katie felt sickened yet satisfied at the same time.

    Jenni sobbed next to her and wrung her hands.

    "Jenni, calm down!" Katie ordered. But inside of her, she feared that Jason was gone. Gone like the rest of the world.

    She realized the mess hall shutters were all down and that there were smears of blood on them. The door cracked open for a moment and someone stepped out onto the front step, shading their eyes to see who was in the truck.

    "Jason!"

    Jenni was out of the truck and running before Katie could even try to grab her. Jack bounded out of the truck and ran at her heels. Her gun lay on the seat.

    Katie cursed, reached over and slammed Jenni''s door shut, grabbed the shotgun, grabbed the keys, shoved her door open, and was on her feet and running in an amazingly short period of time.

    Jenni was just ahead of her, running, crying, calling out to the form on the step. She was almost to the figure when she cried out in anguish.

    "You''re not Jason!"

    Katie was right behind Jenni, shotgun cocked and ready in her hands.

    And a good thing. A zombie came screeching around the corner, his hands held out, and Katie didn''t hesitate to blast him in the face.

    The boy on the doorstep grabbed Jenni and pulled her inside.

    2. Unraveled

    "Jenni!" Katie screamed, terrified, the shotgun raising to shoot the shadowy person in the face.

    Jack ran in, growling.

    "Get in," the figure called out.

    Human! She barely kept from pressing the trigger. Katie jumped through the doorway and the door slammed shut behind her. Instantly, there was banging on the door behind her.

    Oh, God! There had been a zombie or zombies right behind her and she hadn''t seen them she had been so panicked.

    Jenni stood nearby crying with her hands over her face. Katie grabbed her arm.

    "Don''t do that again! We can''t afford to screw up!"

    Jenni looked at her stricken and Katie suddenly grabbed her close and held her tight. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I thought¡­I thought¡­"

    Katie became aware that they were standing in a hallway into the kitchen. Beyond the door at the end of the hall stood a tall, good-looking boy with masses of straight brown hair falling into his eyes.

    "Jenni?"

    "Jason?" Jenni''s voice rose in a scary pitch. She ran down the hall into the arms of a boy almost as tall as she was. "Jason! Oh, Jason."

    "Jenni, where''s Dad? And the kids?"

    Katie glanced at the door and the other boy standing there. He was staring at her with such sorrow it made her wince.

    "The door will hold. The others won''t," he said simply. He pointed at another set of doors. They probably opened into the mess hall. They were trembling under the onslaught of someone or maybe quite a few people, throwing themselves against it. Heavy kitchen equipment had been piled in front of the door, but Katie knew the boy was right. It wouldn''t hold.

    Jenni was sobbing to the point she couldn''t answer the handsome boy who was cuddling her close.

    "Jenni? Jenni? Where are Dad and the boys?"

    Finally, all she could do was shake her head "no" and the boy''s face crumpled and he fell against her and began to sob.

    Katie collected herself, forced her fear down and looked at the other boy.

    "What is the situation here?"

    He sighed. "My family drove out here to get my sister last night. They got here this morning. All day yesterday people were showing up and picking up kids. Me and Jason and a few other kids ended up here all night. The counselors bailed and left us here, saying our families would get us. Around midnight one of the families showed up, but one of them was bitten. We didn''t know that. We thought the mother was just asleep. We were all asleep in the mess hall¡­you know¡­to stay together and safe. We woke up and she was eating one of the girls. The one you creamed outside. Jason hit the Mom over the head with a chair and kept hitting her until she was really dead. We ditched the girl out the door before she could¡­come back."

    Katie nodded, but motioned to him to hurry up. Behind her, Jenni and Jason were crying together, holding each other, mourning.

    But they didn''t have time for that and Katie knew it.

    "What we didn''t know is that others had gotten bit by her in the scuffle.

    Jason and I had come in here to get some food when the screams started. We looked in and saw another attack. But this one was bad. He was a football player before. We¡­just slammed the doors shut and bolted them. But¡­" He showed Katie his hand. "I got bit. "

    Katie looked sharply at Jason.

    "He''s fine. We were going to try to escape, but that was when my family got here. But¡­the girl outside¡­she bit my Dad. He''s over there with my Mom. Dad lost the keys out there in the scuffle. I¡­didn''t¡­We couldn''t leave¡­" The boy''s sad eyes looked at Katie again. "I know we''re dead. I watched zombie flicks with Jason. But take my Mom, okay?"

    Katie looked back at the door behind her that was being systematically tackled over and over again. Jack sat in front of the door growling low in his throat. She looked at the door to the outside behind the boy.

 Page 18

    "I think there are more out there now. From the interstate or maybe from families that didn''t make it to safety."

    Katie nodded. "We need to leave now."

    "Kill me and my Dad first"

    Katie looked sharply at the boy.

    "Please, I don''t want to be¡­that." The boy looked at the doors to the mess hall, his lips trembling.

    Unable to look into his face anymore, Katie walked into the kitchen and found a man and a woman locked in a tight embrace in one corner. Already, he was not looking very well. He was sweating hard and his face looked grayish-green. He had multiple bites on his neck and shoulder. Blood was streaming down his chest. He was fading faster than his son who just had one little bite.

    The woman looked up at Katie with glassy eyes and said, "You need to help us."

    Katie walked over and looked at the man. He looked at Katie''s gun, then at his wife.

    "Take my wife with you. Do me and the boy a favor," he said softly. "You better go soon."

    Katie hesitated, her brain feeling numb and overwhelmed, then nodded.

    "I will."

    "I''m not leaving them! I''m not leaving them," the woman shrieked. She was the classic soccer Mom of this area. Blond, short bob haircut, slightly pudgy, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

    Katie ignored her and walked over to the big stainless steel sinks. If she was correct, she could see the outside door from the high window over sinks.

    Hoisting herself up, she peered out. To her relief, just one zombie was banging on the door. But that didn''t mean there weren''t more out there.

    Jumping down she moved over to Jason and Jenni.

    "Listen. Now." Her voice was so authoritative she sounded like her father for a moment. "We''re leaving. I need both of you to stop crying right fucking now!"

    They both blinked rapidly at her words and she could see that Jason immediately understood and wiped his tears away. Jenni reluctantly let go of her stepson and stood trembling.

    "Okay. Now. Jason''s friend is bit. So is the Dad. The mother is fine.

    Those who are not bitten, we''re leaving now. Before more arrive and the zombie football player busts through those doors." Katie pulled her revolver out of her holster and turned around to look at the man who was looking more and more dead with every second. "I''ll take your wife."

    He nodded, his fingers pressed tight to his bleeding throat. "Finish me.

    And my son. Don''t let us¡­don''t let us¡­Take my wife with you, please."

    Katie nodded.

    The man kissed his wife and his son threw his arms around his neck.

    They all three clung together as Katie approached.

    She felt sick. She felt shaken. She felt anger. She felt sadness. But she didn''t want this self-sacrificing man to die like the man back in that town.

    Like Lydia had.

    The wife''s head was buried in the man''s shoulder, her body heaving.

    The man closed his eyes and Katie fired a single shot.

    Blood spray didn''t affect her anymore, she realized dully.

    The son looked up at her, crying, covered in fresh blood, but nodding¡­ready.

    The mother, though, launched herself at Katie, screaming,

    "MURDERER!" and almost sank a knife she had been holding the whole time into Katie''s chest. It was only her son tackling her and driving her to the ground that stopped her.

    "Shit!" Katie said, her eyes wide, watching the struggle on the floor.

    The boy rolled off his Mom, the knife buried in his side. The mother rose screaming and charged at Katie again.

    Jenni stepped forward and slammed her upside the head with a pan and sent the crazed woman sprawling.

    Wordlessly, Katie handed off the revolver to Jenni and headed to the door to the outside, snatching the shotgun up and cocking it. Not even hesitating, she whipped the door open and shot the zombie in the head before he could register that the door was open. Then she was running while reloading the shotgun with Jack at her heels and Jenni and Jason taking up the rear.

    The woman came out of the building behind them, still screaming her incoherent words of rage at them. Howls rose in the forest. It was obvious they heard the woman and were now alerted of their escape.

    "Fucking bitch," Jenni shouted in anger.

    "Just run!" As Katie ran she could see figures emerging from the woods, moving fast. It would be close. Down to seconds.

    She automatically hit the UNLOCK button on the keyless remote and the truck whistled at them. Ripping the driver side door open, she turned to cover those behind her with the shotgun. Knowing the drill, Jack hurtled into the truck. Jenni raced past her, Jason in tow, to the passenger side.

    Two sharp cracks of Jenni''s revolver let Katie know it was getting closer.

    The woman was almost on top of her now, screaming wordlessly. Not a zombie, but not human anymore. She wasn''t infected, but her mind was gone. Behind her, still stabbed through, her son followed.

    "Mom! Mom," he cried out.

    And behind him, appearing in the doorway, a large, looming zombie followed by others.

    Football Zombie guy had arrived.

    The first blast of Katie''s shotgun took out the mother.

    The boy recoiled, stopped, stared at Katie, then leaned forward, his hands on his knees, and nodded.

    Feeling numb, tired, but determined to do as the boy had asked, Katie fired and the boy fell back just as the football zombie hit him.

    Then she was in the truck, slamming the door shut. She turned to look at Jenni and found herself looking at Jason. Jenni was crammed between him and the door. A zombie was already banging on the passenger side door.

    "That went well," Katie finally said as she turned on the truck and shifted gears.

    The truck did a sharp U-turn and sped down the dirt road away from the camp.

    3. Return to Hell¡¯s Highways

    The next hour was rough. Jason slid between the front seats into the back seat and ended up with a lap full of doggy. Jenni leaned around the side of her seat, held his hands, and spoke in a tremulous voice as she recounted her story.

    It hurt Katie just to hear Jenni''s words. Jason''s sobs from behind her told her how much those words devastated him.

    Jenni broke down more than once as she told the story.

    "¡­I woke up to the Benji screaming out "Mama" and there were¡­noises¡­"

    "¡­I thought Mikey was still with me, but I was alone on the front steps¡­"

    "¡­Tiny fingers¡­under the door¡­your father would never get the front door weather-stripping¡­"

    At times, Jenni''s voice vanished into anguished sobs of despair and Katie would reach out, eyes still on the road, to touch her shoulder.

    Jason whispered, "No, no, no", but really did accept and understand what was being said. His family was gone and he had probably known it all along. But to hear how it happened was cutting deep. He seemed so young, no older than fifteen, and he would have to grow old quickly to survive.

    When Jenni told of Katie''s rescue of her, Jason''s hand- a boy''s hand still, not quite a man''s- touched Katie''s shoulder and he whispered, "Thank you.

    Thank you!"

    It took all of Katie''s willpower not to cry.

    Finally, Jenni told about the store. About Ralph and his Israeli wife who used to be a sniper and their newfound safe haven.

    "And the hunting store is safe?"

    "As safe as this world gets now," Katie answered. "Which reminds me, I need to check in."

    Soon, Ralph''s voice filled the cab.

    "Yeah, we cleared out most of the town. No one in sight now. Awful mess though. All those bodies. I''ll have to figure a way to get them away from the store so the stench won''t be so bad. We''re ready and clear for ya. Found Bill, our deputy sheriff was holed up down the road at the Parker place. He managed to get here on foot. Mighty brave of him. He wasn''t bit. So he''s safe.

    We''ll put him and yer boy up in the living room on cots."

    "That''s good news. You don''t know how badly we want to get home."

    Katie couldn''t help but smile at the thought of reaching the store.

    "How''s the gas?"

    "Honestly, we''re coming in on fumes. We..ah¡­forgot the back up canisters."

    "Noticed. Well, stay yer course. Stay steady. You should make it back okay if you do. We''ll be on the lookout for you."

    "Thanks, Ralph. We''ll see you soon," Katie said and handed the CB transceiver to Jenni, who promptly secured it back to the dashboard.

    Glancing into her rear view mirror, Katie saw Jason rubbing his eyes and nose. Jack was pressed up against him, whimpering softly, licking at his face. That brought a small smile to the boy''s face and he hugged the dog tightly.

    "Listen, both of you. We need to keep our heads together the rest of this trip. We can''t lose it now."

    Jenni looked at Katie plaintively and sighed. "I know. I know. I blew it."

    "We just got lucky. But it could have gone down so much worse. You even left your gun behind."

    Jenni took a breath and let it out slowly. She ran her hands over her bedraggled ponytail. "I¡­I just wanted him to be alive."

 Page 19

    "And I am," Jason said. "But I don''t want to lose my only family member. My only Mom."

    Jenni looked at him and gripped his hand over the back of her seat tightly. "I''ll not lose it again. I''ll be strong."

    Katie pushed her sunglasses up on her nose and sighed with relief. "We just can''t let our emotions rule us. We just can''t. We have to keep calm."

    She could see out of her peripheral vision that both of them were nodding. A little of the tightness in her belly lessened, but her hands still felt shaky inside.

    Glancing at the fuel gauge she exhaled slowly. It was going to be tight.

    No deviations.

    No detours.

    Straight on.

    To safety.

    To their new home.

    And then¡­

    The truck crested a hill and for a moment Katie couldn''t draw a breath.

    "Fuck," Jason blurted out.

    "No," Jenni whispered in horror.

    "Gawddammit!"

    Katie slammed on the brakes.

    Running full speed was the enormous crowd of zombies from Emorton flowing down the next hill, rushing toward them. It had to be the same crowd that had pursued them just hours before. Children, old people, young people, adults, all bloodied, all chewed up, all screaming, moaning, screeching as they raced down in an enormous crowd that filled the narrow farm road and spilled out into the trees.

    Jenni began to sob. "No, no, no."

    Katie pounded her fist on the steering wheel. "They fucking followed us.

    They fucking followed us!"

    "What are we going to do?" Jason asked, his voice edged with panic.

    Jack began to bark.

    Katie grabbed the CB. "Ralph, Nerit¡­we have a situation."

    "What''s wrong?" Nerit''s voice said calmly, but tinged with worry.

    "There was a shitload of zombies in Emorton. They pursued us when we went through the town. Evidently, they kept running after us in the direction we had gone. Right now, they are about a mile away and closing fast. They are filling the fucking road all the way into the trees."

    "Can you gun it and get through them?" Ralph''s voice asked.

    Katie looked at Jenni and Jason. They both looked afraid, they both looked desperate, but they all knew the truth.

    "No. We can''t. Too many. They might flip us." Katie rubbed the back of her hand over her mouth and tried to swallow. Her mouth was so dry. "We have to¡­we have to turn around."

    "Katie¡­" Ralph''s voice was soft.

    "Sorry, Ralph," her voice caught, "we wanted to make it back."

    "Turn around. Go to FM 1226. Keep out of their sight. They''ll keep going straight on hopefully. Take FM 1226 to CR 1113. That''ll bring you back here," another voice said.

    Probably the cop.

    There was some discussion over on the other end.

    "¡­not enough gas¡­"

    "¡­drive out to them¡­"

    "¡­risky in Ashley Oaks¡­"

    "We''re doing it," Katie finally said, then handed off the mouthpiece to Jenni.

    The zombies were closing fast. She could see they were desperate to get to the truck, roll it, break it apart, and eat what was within. A few in the front stumbled, fell, and were crushed beneath the onslaught of those behind.

    Katie reversed, swung the truck around, and aimed back in the direction they had come, and floored it.

    "Pray for us," Jenni said into the mouthpiece.

    "Just keep moving¡­until you can''t no more. We''ll come get you," Ralph said.

    Katie''s eyes flicked to the rear view mirror and the enormous wave of zombies cresting the hill behind them. She pushed the gas pedal to the floor.

    They had to keep calm. They had to keep strong. They had to survive.

    It was as easy as that.

    Chapter 7

    1. By the Pricking Of Their Thumbs¡­

    Jenni furrowed her brow and traced the farm road they were on with her finger. They were speeding away from the road that led to Emorton at top speed. Jason leaned over and pointed to a little dot on the map marked Ashley Oaks. Jenni frowned a little, then glanced over at the boy. She could see his eyes narrowing as he concentrated.

    "That adds approximately ten miles to our trip." He glanced at the gas gauge. "Possibly doable."

    Jenni nodded. Jason was good with figures and she trusted him. "Ralph will come get us."

    "We need to not be too far out when we do hit empty," Katie said. "We really don''t know what the situation is out here. We''re hoping for a low number of zombies but Emorton taught us a fairly bitter lesson."

    Jenni could feel the heat of the sun pressing down on her and she glanced toward it. It was lower in the sky. They were running out of time. She felt it.

    "What does it look like?" Katie asked.

    Jason took the map and studied it. "No towns except the one Ralph talked about. At least not in the direction we''re going."

    Jenni barely glanced at the occasional house or trailer along the road.

    Most of them looked boarded up anyway. No cars anywhere. The world was as good as dead now it seemed. At least here in rural Texas.

    She was trying hard not to panic. Trying hard not to feel overwhelmed.

    She reached out and gripped Jason''s hand tightly in her own. Yes, they had left the relative safety of the hunting store, but they had saved Jason. She had done her duty and that gave her a strange sense of calm. But now they had to stay alive. They had to figure this all out. Otherwise, their rescue of Jason would be fruitless and they would die out here. Yesterday, on that doorstep, Jenni had almost given up. Almost given in, but not now. No, not now.

    The truck roared down the narrow country road. The scenery flashed by the windows. Katie''s knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel.

    They all felt it, Jenni knew. They were running out of time.

    The tearing of cellophane sounded behind her and Jason wordlessly handed her a Danish. She took it and began to eat ravenously. The day was slipping by faster than she liked and they had forgotten to eat. Jason then handed one to Katie and they all ate in eerie silence.

    If they catch us and tear us open, will they enjoy the sugary goodness inside, Jenni thought grimly.

    The vision of all those zombies running toward them was too horrible to think about, yet she couldn''t help but think about just that. What if something inside of them let them know that the truck had pulled off the road onto the one they now traveled?

    "I gotta pee," Jenni said abruptly. It had hit her suddenly. She had the urgent need to go and felt annoyed by Katie''s sharp look in her direction. She was a little surprised when Jason and Katie both said, "Me, too."

    "Looks clear," Katie continued.

    The road was so narrow that the truck almost took up the whole width.

    Katie stopped in the middle of the road, lifted the shotgun off the console and looked at Jenni. "You first. Take your gun. I''ll cover."

    Jenni frowned and shook her head. "This is fucking annoying. Not being able to go without an armed guard."

    Jason cleared his throat and said, "What about me?"

    "I''ll cover for you. Jenni can cover for me." Katie gave him a reassuring smile. "I''m a lesbian. It''s okay."

    "Really?" Jason''s eyes somewhat lit up.

    Katie just shook her head and flung her door open. She slid out muttering something about all men being alike.

    Jenni found it uncomfortable going, squatting in the tall grass and summer wildflowers, while Katie hovered over her, safety off on the shotgun.

    She tried hard to concentrate on the far horizon, staring across the wide valley of farmland. It was then that she realized she could see across to the country road they had been on previously. And the crowd of zombies was still racing in the direction they had last seen the truck. If one of them should look over and see the bright red truck perched high on the hill across the valley¡­

    She yanked up her pants. "Katie," she whispered and pointed.

    Katie looked, studied, and realized what the dark swarm of ant-like creatures on the far road was. "Fuck." She motioned to Jason. "Empty your bladder now. We''re outta here."

    Jason realized what they were looking at and hopped out and took care of business without a single complaint about the two women hovering at his sides. Jack bound out as well, looked at Jason, and decorated all four tires with a nice little stream and left a tidy little brown package behind the truck in the middle of the road. He immediately followed Jason back into the truck, giving Jenni a doggy grin that told her he had found satisfaction.

    "Hoping a zombie steps in it, huh," Jenni said with a little smile.

    She could have sworn Jack''s smile got bigger.

    Casting a wary glance at the distant running throng that was steadily working its way across the road in the far distance, she whispered a silent prayer. Katie shifted into gear and they continued down the road, a thin line of trees and the valley of farmland separating them from certain death.

    "What if one of them looks this way?" Jason''s voice sounded a little on the high end of the scale.

    He''s terrified, Jenni thought. And she had to admit she was, too.

 Page 20

    "Pray that they don''t," Katie answered.

    Then, much to their relief, the road swerved around a corner and put the view of the zombie throng behind them.

    She couldn''t help but turn around in her seat and stare out the back window. Jack and Jason were doing the same thing. The dog looked at her and gave a light woof and Jenni wasn''t sure what that meant or if it was comforting.

    "This cannot get any worse!"

    All three J''s immediately turned their attention back to the road in front of them. The truck was slowing down.

    A narrow bridge lay before them deftly blocked by a large overturned farm truck and the large haul of hay bales it had been dragging behind it.

    Inside the overturned truck cab, two zombies where flailing against the glass, going wild as they spotted potential meals. The driver was badly mauled and was not much a threat due to the severe lack of one arm and half of its other arm. The female zombie lying virtually on top of him with only a throat wound visible was a bit feistier.

    "Bet he was trying to save her and she ate him," Jason said.

    Jenni just kept blinking. There was no way across the bridge.

    Next to her Katie was rhythmically banging her head against the pale white knuckles of her hands.

    "fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," she was muttering.

    "We have to go back," Jenni said softly.

    "fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," Katie kept on.

    "Maybe we could wait until the zombie army passes by the intersection back there, then hightail it back to the gun store," Jason suggested.

    "fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck"

    Jenni looked behind the truck, then up ahead. There was no choice.

    "fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckaduck," Katie finally finished and looked up. "Okay, do we sit here and wait for-"

    The female zombie finally managed to locate an opening in the bashed up cab and was squirming out.

    "That answers that," Katie decided.

    "Woof," Jack said. He was staring at the back window.

    "Uh¡­we have zombies," Jason said looking out the rear window.

    Jenni whipped around to see three old women, well, what had used to be old women, still in their flowered summer dresses, running toward them.

    Behind them was what looked like two field workers.

    "I think we picked up¡­um¡­a zombie parade," Jason said mildly.

    "Probably from some of the farmhouses back there."

    "fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," Katie said as she began to turn the truck around on the narrow road. It took some maneuvering and long enough that they ended up with really scary old women zombies banging on their windows.

    Jenni flipped off the safety on her gun and tried to internally steady her nerves as the female zombie from the wreck finally wormed her way out and started for the truck.

    "Go," Jenni shouted.

    The truck finally was turned all the way around and it roared down the road, effectively taking out two of the farm workers.

    "Tell Ralph," Katie said.

    So Jenni did.

    Ralph''s voice was somber when he answered after hearing the situation.

    "Take FM 195. You''ll end up in a town named Ashley Oaks. They''re doing a lot of construction there. Fixing up the town. Renovations of the downtown.

    Get there and see if you can hole up with a group of survivors there. I''ve found some chatter on channel 9 few minutes ago. Tune into that channel.

    Trucker made it to Ashley Oaks and he put out the word there is survivors there. I was hoping you were going to make it home, but you better try for them. They''re closer."

    Jenni looked at Katie hopefully and Katie nodded. "Ralph, we''re gonna try for it. That''s a big ol'' ten-four, big buddy!"

    Jason winced at his stepmother''s words and Jenni wrinkled her nose at him.

    "Get the map. Check it out."

    Jason immediately grabbed it at Katie''s command. He studied it, measuring with his fingers, looking at the gas gauge and calculating in his head. "It''ll be really tight."

    "As usual," Katie sighed.

    Jenni looked at Katie worriedly for a second, then grabbed the CB. "Uh, Ralph? Please tell me¡­the survivors in Ashley Oaks¡­they''re not in a mall¡­right?"

    Katie''s laugher rang out and Jenni pouted at her.

    "Why don''t you just ask if their leader is a black man?" Katie grinned at her.

    "Nope and nope," Ralph''s voice came through, bemused but worried.

    "Keep us informed. I''m worried sick."

    "Ten-Four. Can and will do. Over and out," Jenni said trying to sound like she wasn''t scared out of her mind. But every time she looked at the gas gauge¡­

    She looked across the valley at the distant dark cloud of dead flesh moving across the road in the distance.

    "I have a feeling we can''t sit still. I''m gonna just go for it and turn onto FM 195," Katie said as the sign announcing the junction with their new destination flashed by.

    Considering the scarceness of the tree cover, Jenni had to agree. They were some distance away. Hopefully, they could just turn up onto the new road and disappear over the hilltop.

    The truck turned and sped up the hill. It was a long, steady climb and Jenni couldn''t help but turn and stare out the back window. The shaggy brown hair of her stepson and the back of the German Shepherd''s head were the frame for her view. The dark ant-like zombies were quite scarce now.

    Probably the stragglers of the bigger group.

    The red truck crested the tall hill and Jenni could clearly see the entire valley and the hills beyond, painfully beautiful, serene, and majestic. And then they were descending the other side.

    Jason turned around white-faced.

    "What?" Jenni asked.

    "Didn''t you see?"

    "Uh¡­no."

    "The tail end, maybe ten or twenty, turned onto this road."

    Jenni rested her forehead on the back of her seat and sighed.

    From beside her came a steady string of¡­"fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck"

    2. Salvation This Way Comes

    Katie couldn''t stop cursing, nor did she want to. This was getting ridiculous. She just couldn''t believe how downhill their plan had gone. But every time she started to curse herself for leaving the safety of Ralph''s hunting store, she would catch a glimpse of the kid with the shaggy brown hair in the backseat of the truck and knew it was worth it.

    Jason''s rescue hadn''t just been important to Jenni, but to Katie as well.

    She had felt helpless after saving Jenni. Yeah, they had survived, but she had failed too many. Lydia, the kid at the convenience store¡­how many others had she bypassed without notice?

    And now they were speeding at top speeds toward a possible camp of survivors while a throng of zombie kids with their parents and teachers jogged along behind them in an unrelenting pursuit of flesh. Her flesh. And Jason''s. And Jenni''s.

    She glanced back at the dog that looked back at her questioningly. If they wanted Jack or not that had yet to be seen, but they wouldn''t get him if she had her way. Jack went back to chewing on some jerky Jason had given him, eyeing Katie suspiciously.

    She looked away from the rear view mirror and at the straight shot of road they were on. The terrain was flattening out a bit. They were heading westward and the hills were fading into the background. Slowly, their destination shimmered out of the horizon.

    Tall red buildings hovered over a modest expanse of town. Katie could clearly see the downtown area partially ringed by tall red-bricked buildings that seemed out of place with the flatness of the rest of the town. The farm road they were traveling would lead them straight into the center of town.

    But where were the survivors?

    Time to find out.

    Katie grabbed the CB and flipped it to channel 9. "Survivors in Ashley Oaksl, this is Bright Red Truck heading your way. We''re a party of three with a dog companion."

    "Bright Red Truck, what direction are you heading in from? FM 195 or Route 6?" It was a woman''s voice. Calm. Reassuring.

    "Ashley Oaks, we''re coming in from the east on FM 1905. We''re running low on fuel and have company taking up the rear. They are probably a few miles back but they don''t seem to get tired."

    "We understand. Keep on your course and when you reach the wall, get out of your truck and we''ll lift you over."

    "Wall?" Jenni and Jason said at the same time.

    "I don''t think we understand," Katie said with some confusion.

    "You will. Just be ready." The woman''s voice cut out.

    The truck continued to barrel down the road and Katie felt the truck give a little shudder. The needle on the gas gauge now sat below the line.

    "This is going to be close," Jenni whispered.

    "As usual," Katie answered.

    The tall red buildings, very retro, very 1930s began to loom larger. The rest of the town began to filter by. A smattering of rundown houses, buildings from the 1970s boarded up and closed, empty car lots, and abandoned gas stations. Katie estimated that the center of town was maybe four blocks away now. It loomed large and a little intimidating. They could now see that three of the tall buildings hovered over what looked like a construction site. Several large trucks appeared to ring it and an enormous yellow machine with a long mechanical arm with a large scoop at the end was perched on an enormous truck loaded up with dirt.

 Page 21

    "Where are the zombies?" Jason asked worriedly. "This town has to have some."

    The truck sputtered once and died.

    They were a block from their destination.

    Katie immediately grabbed the CB transceiver, but before she could speak, it cackled and a voice said, "We have a distraction going. Run for the corner where we are signaling."

    "Corner? Corner?" Jenni looked scattered and afraid.

    "Calm! Stay calm, Jenni!" Katie grabbed her shotgun, her backpack, and the bag of ammo and leaped out of the truck at the ready. She spotted a man standing next to the big yellow machine waving a Texas flag at her. "There!

    Follow me!"

    Jenni followed, struggling to get her backpack on. Jason hopped out, backpack on, and the dog leaped out behind him.

    "Run," Katie said ordered.

    They ran.

    Katie was in good shape, but not used to running with so much weight.

    She felt slow and vulnerable, but the shotgun in her hand was a comfort.

    They raced past empty stores, long boarded up, "for lease" signs faded on their ruined doors. They raced past blood splatters on the sidewalk. They ran past empty cars, frightening with their open doors and windows. They ran across an old, red brick street and aimed for the large yellow arm of the construction beast extending down toward them.

    Katie wondered what the hell it was called.

    "Get in, get in," a man''s voice was yelling.

    Katie was finding it harder to run. Her legs felt rubbery from all the time in the truck. Jenni and Jason were huffing behind her.

    "Hurry!"

    Her lungs hurt, her back hurt, her body hurt, but she ran.

    The large scoop of the machine reached the road, encrusted with dirt, its jagged teeth somehow welcoming. They ran for it and heard the screeches of the undead.

    "Run!" A man''s voice boomed out. "Get into it!"

    Katie reached it and whirled around in the direction of the moans and screams of the undead. The zombies were heading around the far corner.

    Jenni lost her footing and tumbled forward, but managed to fall into the clawed scoop. Jason jumped in after her. Katie heaved the dog in and Jason and Jenni grabbed him.

    The large scoop was pretty much filled and already lifting.

    The zombies were close and Katie considered firing, but realized it would waste time. The mechanical arm was lifting with a steady whine of its machinery and she half fell, half jumped into it. She was barely in it, lying on top of everyone else.

    Their view was shifted as they were lifted and Katie felt sickeningly vulnerable. She was trembling so violently she was sure she was going to vomit. The moans of the dead surrounded them and a hand, grisly and bloodied, grabbed onto one of the dirt encrusted teeth of the yellow construction beast. The arm was being swept up over the crowd, barely a few feet over the heads of the crazed zombies The hand of the zombie who had grabbed on was trying to get a better hold. Another hand, its other hand, fumbled at her foot. Katie was terrified to move for fear of rolling off Jason, Jenni and poor Jack and into the crowd below. She could only stare at the scrabbling hand in fear.

    Jack solved the problem. He grabbed the hand of the zombie, shook his head violently, and it lost its grip and fell. The machinery''s arm lifted faster, higher and swung about. Katie felt herself slipping and Jason and Jenni grabbed onto her tighter. And the world tilted and they were being lowered.

    Katie lost her balance, slid, and painfully went over the teeth of the contraption. Instead of a plunge into the undead, she landed on soft soil. A man''s hand came down and took hers gently and heaved her to her feet.

    She stood on the edges of a large construction site. Two enormous buildings flanked its backside and one side. A small, elegant town hall fit into another corner. Only two edges of the site were open to the rest of the town and those were cut off with a hurricane fence. Beyond the fence was a ring of construction trucks that had dirt and bags of cement tucked underneath them and between the cabs and loads, making a secondary wall. But there was a third wall already being constructed within the hurricane fence.

    Already it was connecting one building to the city hall. A high wrought iron fence surrounded the city hall and its windows were covered in fancy ironwork.

    Katie was staggered by what she saw. The portable office buildings for the site were now residences, that was plain to see, and a lunch wagon was parked in a corner. Construction workers were moving fast to create a small fort the size of a city block for those taking refuge in the site. There were people clustered about to see the newcomers.

    "It''s not a mall," Jenni sighed with relief as she staggered out of the crane''s scoop. She was a bit dirty and rumpled but alive. Jason and Jack followed her, both looking very relieved.

    The man holding Katie''s hand finally came into view as she stopped looking around. He was taller than she was, sturdy in his build, with curly brown hair and the warmest hazel eyes she''d ever seen. He radiated warmth, power, and kindness and his height and build spoke of a man used to hard work.

    "You, okay?" he finally asked.

    "Yeah," she nodded and looked at his hand. It was dirty, caked with dirt and bits of cement. "That was scary."

    "Only way to get people in right now," he answered in a voice that would lead men into battle, not because they feared him, but loved him. "I''m Travis."

    "Katie," she answered and slowly drew her hand away. He was like her father. One of those quietly strong men who inspired people to great things.

    Instinctively, she knew Travis was behind the rapid building of this fortress.

    Jenni stood next to her staring at the handsome man. "Hi, I''m Jenni and this is my son, Jason."

    Travis greeted them both with a gentle hello and a warm handshake. He kneeled down to greet Jack. "I saw what you did. You''re a good pup defending your Mama."

    Jack grinned in response and licked his hand.

    Travis stood up again, tall and imposing, yet his presence was amazingly comforting.

    Kate realized, much to her surprise, that she felt safe.

    Travis smiled at them and said, "Give me a moment and I''ll show you around." He turned to talk to the man who had manned the machine that had brought them over and a few other men who ran over to check in.

    "He''s not black," Katie joked under her breath to Jenni.

    "But I''ll kiss him anyway," Jenni said dreamily.

    Katie lifted an eyebrow at her.

    "Well, you won''t!"

    Kate just gave her a sly smile and shook her head slightly.

    Travis glanced over at them and Kate had to look away. She felt unnerved by his gaze and she had trouble understanding why. Something had happened when she had first looked at him. A knowledge had sprung strong and sure into her mind. This was now home. And Travis, somehow, was going to play a very important role in her life. That knowledge was almost too much to comprehend or sift through. She didn''t even want to pick it apart and examine it.

    She looked back toward him and again she saw him looking at her.

    He knows, too, she thought.

    The wheels of destiny had turned and a new reality was already being spun into existence.

    She looked at Jenni to see that she was in crush city.

    Katie smiled at that.

    Jason, meanwhile, was playing with Jack, looking relieved, looking like he, too, felt safe.

    "We''re secure," someone said through a bullhorn and those in the "fort" cheered.

    Travis smiled at Kate and she smiled back.

    War buddies, her father''s voice whispered through her mind.

    We''re going to fight this war together, Kate thought. You and me, Travis.

    We''re important and now that we''re both here things are going to happen. Do you feel it?

    It didn''t surprise her when Travis looked her way again and something strong and invisible passed between them. Not a jolt of sexual attraction between sexes, but the knowledge that someone profound had entered their life.

    And in his gaze, she knew, he felt it, too.

    Chapter 8

    1. The New World

    Travis motioned to an older man standing on the back steps of the quaint little city hall. The older, balding man with the rotund belly nodded and headed back into the building.

    Jenni let her backpack fall to the ground with a thunk and shook out her hair to get all the caked mud out of it. But there was a flare to the movement, a bit of feminine guile tingeing her movement.

    Katie smiled even bigger. Jenni was trying to get Travis'' attention.

    He walked toward them, dirty, tired, but smiling.

    "Okay, sorry, things are a little crazy right now. Your arrival really surprised us. We had a truck driver arrive a few hours ago. Honestly, at this point, we weren''t sure anyone was left out there that was alive." Travis set his hands on his hips and shook his head. "We were listening to the Emergency Broadcast but nothing made sense. They don''t'' seem to have a clue in hell what is going on."

    "Zombies," Jenni said with a smile.

    He looked at her, grinned, and nodded. "Yeah, zombies."

    "When did you figure out what was going on? This had to have gone up immediately," Katie said motioning all around her.

    "Well, yesterday we were supposed to break ground. We were going to rebuild a historical building that burned down a few years ago. This whole area is about to undergo a serious-or was going to undergo- a serious reconstruction. A developer was keen on turning it into a tourist attraction complete with the rebuilt vaudeville theater and the hotel," he pointed to one of the tall redbrick buildings "being the focal points. Anyway, I was on my way here to work when the reports started coming in."

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    "The race riot story," Katie said.

    Travis nodded. "Sounded weird to me. I couldn''t figure out why there would be race riots breaking out all over the country. Anyway, got here and already we were hearing horror stories out of the cities on the CB. Truckers were reporting all sorts of crazy stuff. We were all on edge, not sure what to think. It sounded like an April Fool''s joke, but of course, this is March, not April. Juan over there kept saying over and over again it was zombies, but we all just blew it off." Travis shook his head and looked at Katie in the eyes. "I mean, it sounds crazy."

    Katie sighed and ran a hand over her blond hair. "Yeah, it does.

    Completely."

    "Anyway, the Mayor decided that the best thing to do until we were sure of the threat was get everyone in town out to the new high school. He told us we could go ahead and start to break ground, but he wanted the civvies safe."

    Travis leaned toward Katie. "The Mayor is in the back pocket of the developer, you see."

    "Ohhhhhh," Katie said.

    "So we went to work, but kept getting distracted by all the stories pouring in on the CB and on the radio. So, anyway, Curtis over there, that cop, comes by and tells me that there was an attack at a service station down the road and the officer on the scene had to put down the attacker he was so violent. They took the lady this freak attacked down to the clinic. He was real jittery and I didn''t blame him. It all felt wrong, you know?"

    Jenni''s head was bobbing up and down furiously.

    Travis shook his head and looked past the wall into the distance. "Just fucked up. Anyway, we start to finally get down to moving the equipment into position to start digging when we hear a big commotion down the block.

    Those cars out there just crash. Out of towner cars. And all hell is breaking loose in those cars. And we can see them rocking and hear screaming and what sounds like growling, then suddenly there are these¡­things¡­crawling out of the cars and they start running down the street toward us. Now, it''s not normal for a man to have his intestines tripping his feet and he still keeps running."

    Katie winced at the thought and vividly remembered the first zombie to attack her. The grievous wounds on the man who had nearly dragged her out of her car had been a clear indicator that things weren''t right.

    "Four of them ran straight for us and Juan, he''s a crazy son of a bitch, just sweeps them right off the road into that building over there with the arm on the excavator. The whole time he''s yelling about zombies and honestly, at that point, we believed him. Two of those things didn''t get up. Their heads were bashed in. But the other two, despite having arms and legs that were clearly broken, were staggering toward us. So we grabbed up some shovels and dented their heads in. About that time Curtis is back and tells me that some shit was going down at the clinic and that the dead were walking again.

    The Mayor was out in front of city hall freaking out because he saw us take out the four zombies from the cars. Now, we know the town is up at the high school, so we go over and tell the Mayor that anyone bit needs to be tossed out on their ass." Travis shook his head. "Because in zombie movies¡­"

    "The bite is what makes them zombies," Jenni said helpfully.

    "Yeah. And so far¡­well..damn¡­so far it was clear to me and I think everyone else that ever watched those movies that they got a lot right." Travis fastened his gaze steadily on Katie. "But despite seeing it, I found it hard to believe it. But I couldn''t afford not to believe."

    Katie agreed silently, her gaze steadily matching his. "Yes, because you have to survive."

    "Exactly. So we convince the Mayor to call the school and tell them to toss out anyone that has been bitten. Curtis can''t get any of the other officers from the town on the horn. Well, there are only four cops for the whole town, but none of them answer his calls. Anyway, things are looking bad. The former Mayor of the town is now the principal over at the high school and tells the present Mayor to go fuck himself four different ways and upside down. Finally, he admits that they have bitten people in the high school and that the school nurse is taking care of them."

    Katie winced and shook her head. "We went through Emorton. The school was completely filled with zombies."

    "In fact, some of them are following us here. They''ll probably be here in a little while," Jenni added.

    Travis blinked. "Shit."

    "We didn''t mean for them to follow," Jenni said quickly.

    "Yeah, it kinda just happened," Jason said helpfully from where he sat on the ground holding the dog.

    Trying to look as calm and pleasant as possible while delivering bad news, Katie said, "Probably around twenty."

    Travis just ran his hand slowly through his hair and nodded. "Okay.

    We''ll deal. The wall should keep them out. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Within 15 minutes we lost all communication with the school. That is when we knew we were in for a shitload of trouble. So we quickly drove all the trucks around to block off any vulnerable areas and packed sandbags and cement bags around them. This hurricane fence here could probably hold back a good number, but if the whole town decided to come visit¡­"

    "It wouldn''t be pleasant," Katie agreed. She looked at the newly constructed cement and brick wall. "So you did start right away."

    "About one o''clock yesterday," Travis said. "Been building ever since. We should have the rest up soon."

    Katie''s gaze swept over the three buildings, her back to the road they had driven in on. Directly in front of her was an old building with advertising painted on its wall barely visible due to time and the elements. To her right was an immense building that reached skyward and looked like it was topped by maybe a penthouse, ballroom and some sort of gazebo. Looking over her shoulder to her right was the city hall with its heavy fence. Two portable buildings that were originally offices were now dorms it looked like.

    Construction workers, city workers, and a few children and women were busy helping build the new wall. There were maybe thirty people in all in the complex.

    "I lost a lot of my crew due to them taking off for home. Can''t blame them really. With all the badness going down people want to get to their families," Travis said softly.

    Katie shivered as she remembered Lydia.

    Travis took hold of her arm gently and rubbed it lightly. "You okay?"

    She knew her eyes were glistening. "Just¡­"

    "Yeah, me, too. I''m divorced so¡­but my parents¡­"

    "Jenni lost everyone but her stepson. I lost¡­" she faltered.

    Travis'' eyes were so warm, so compassionate. "You lost your husband."

    Katie hesitated, but felt that something was fast developing between her and Travis. A bond¡­an understanding¡­something different. It was best to be honest.

    "My wife."

    Travis'' gaze dropped for a moment, but his hand did not. He rubbed her arm tenderly, then said, "I''m sorry. She had to be real special to be with you."

    His words unleashed something deep within her and she covered her mouth, tears springing from her eyes. She felt tears on her face. Their gaze met, strong, understanding and he put his other hand on her other arm.

    "But she''d want you to survive," he added.

    Jenni wrapped one arm around Katie''s waist and leaned against her, trying to comfort and maybe also trying to edge in on what she saw developing before her eyes. She looked confused and Katie understood why.

    Things between men and women were black and white with Jenni. Travis and Katie just clicking on some subliminal level had to be throwing her.

    Katie nodded and looked down at her feet to regain her composure.

    Finally, she looked up at him once more. "So you''re the leader¡­"

    Travis withdrew his hands slowly. "Nah. The Mayor is. I just advise him."

    Katie slightly laughed and wiped a tear away. "Uh huh."

    Travis leaned toward her and put one finger to his lips. "Shhhh¡­"

    "That maid is at it again," a tall Hispanic man said from behind them.

    He pointed upwards and drew their attention to a window high above them.

    "That''s the old hotel. They were going to open it in a few days," Travis explained.

    Katie noted that the first three floors had no windows that opened up onto the construction site. But further up, windows caught the rays of the setting sun lighting them up with a purple and pink glare. Near the top floor the outline of a woman continuously battered herself against the window.

    "She busts out the window, she''s coming straight down," the Hispanic man decided in a thick West Texas accent.

    "Maybe she''ll land on her damn head, Juan" Travis said.

    Katie narrowed her eyes and looked back at Travis. "The window is cracked."

    "She''s been working on it for awhile. Since sometime last night. Bet she went to hide up there after being bit and¡­ Well¡­" He shrugged.

    Jenni stepped closer to Travis. "What if there are more up there?"

    Katie glanced at the back of the building with the faded advertising for Coca Cola on the back of it. No windows at all on its back end. Just what looked like a back entrance and that was heavily barricaded.

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    "It''ll be raining zombies," Juan said with a laugh.

    Then it was raining one zombie. The maid finally broke the tempered glass and shoved her hand through. She worked and worked at it until she pushed herself all the way through and fell. It was a long, graceful sort of fall.

    Her blond hair streaming behind her. Her pink and blood colored dress hitching up over her head and shoulders. She landed feet first on the hard packed soil. Every bone in her legs shattered and she crumpled to the ground.

    Unable to get up, she began to systematically crawl toward the nearest person.

    By now a group of people were standing and watching, mesmerized.

    Juan sighed and started to walk toward her with a shovel in one hand.

    Katie cocked her shotgun.

    "No. No guns. The sound will bring them here if they are out of the school," Travis said.

    "Good point."

    Katie tried to look away, but couldn''t. Juan casually drove the shovel through the head of the zombified maid and the drama was over.

    "We need to build a catapult and just toss them over," Juan muttered as he motioned to another man to help him dispose of the body.

    Travis laughed. "We just may."

    Katie turned and looked at him and slightly smiled. "So¡­"

    "So?"

    Jenni hovered near Katie''s side, Jason right behind her. Jack looked at Katie curiously.

    "Got anything to eat around here?"

    "As a matter of fact, there was supposed to be a fund raiser for the local volunteer fire department. There is so much food up in the community dining hall on the second floor of city hall, you''re gonna feel like you''re in heaven."

    Thank God," Jenni said with relief.

    "So we''re staying," Jason said.

    Katie looked at him and then at Jenni. Jenni smiled at her, her gaze flicking to Travis then back to Katie.

    "Yeah, we''re staying."

    "Good. Because we need you here. I feel it," Travis said and he put his arms around both Jenni and Jason. "Now, let''s get you food, introduce you to the Mayor and hear your stories."

    Katie didn''t think Jenni could get any redder or anymore giddy. She followed the little group as they moved toward the city hall not even glancing back once to see Juan and another guy loading the dead zombie onto the arm of the excavator to dump her back among her own kind.

    "Besides," Katie mused. "How the hell would we get out of here?"

    2. Through a Door Softly

    Jenni felt rather special walking with Travis'' arm around her shoulders.

    His voice was like fine leather against her skin and she felt herself blushing.

    Behind her, Katie walked briskly holding her shotgun in one hand and her backpack in the other.

    As they neared the back entrance of city hall, Travis said, "Hold a sec" and released his hold on Jenni and Jason. He turned and motioned to Juan.

    The Hispanic man, his long, curly hair flowing under his baseball cap, quickly ran over. He was tall, deeply tanned and had the lean muscled build of someone who worked at hard physical labor. His dark hair had glints of red in it and his eyes were a dark green. Tucking his thumbs into his work belt, he looked at Travis expectantly. He looked weary and a little shorttempered.

    "We have more zombies on the way. Get the harnesses ready," Travis said.

    "Great. It''s not like we don''t have enough of them out there as it is."

    Juan said in his very thick West Texas accent. "Are you sure?"

    "They followed the ladies here to Ashley Oaks," Travis assured him.

    "They''re on their way."

    "Well, shit." Juan took a deep breath. His keen eyes flicked to Katie.

    "Where''d you pick ''em up?"

    "Emorton was overrun. It looked like the whole town was turned. They weren''t too messed up so they were fast," Katie answered. "I''m Katie, by the way. This is Jenni and Jason."

    "I''m Juan," he answered and shook his head. "We lost a man keeping them off the perimeter before."

    "We learned from our mistakes. We need to keep them thinned out or we''ll get overrun," Travis said.

    "What are you going to do?" Katie glanced toward the barriers then back at Travis.

    "We''re going to secure some men with safety lines and give them shovels and some homemade spears. When the zombies come up against the outer perimeter, we stand above them on the trucks and stab down through their skulls, jumble up their brains. We took out around a dozen that way before we lost a man the last time. But we didn''t have the safety lines the first time out," Travis said, his voice tinged with sorrow.

    Juan shook his head and looked up at the darkening sky. "Good thing we got the lights set up. And if the grid goes down, we''re on backup power¡­" He shook his head again. "This is a fucked up situation."

    "Just get some men ready and hooked up. First sign of trouble, we yank them back."

    "It''s like we''re dangling bait in front of the zombies, Travis," Juan protested gruffly.

    "They''re gonna come anyway," Travis answered.

    "Yeah. Yeah. Shit." Juan sighed heavily. "Okay. I''m on it."

    Jenni waited on the stairs with Jason. She felt anxious at the conversation and Jason looked unnerved. Katie looked the opposite. She seemed comforted by the words of the two men. Jenni slowly realized it was because Katie felt that at last there was a working plan of action.

    Travis clapped Juan on the shoulder. "Keep me informed."

    "You got it, Travis" Juan said in a resigned tone and walked off.

    Travis turned and instead of resuming his comforting embrace of Jenni and Jason, he lightly touched Katie''s arm. "I want to hear about what''s up with you. How you ended up here."

    "Sure, but let¡¯s eat." Katie gave him a slight smile. "We''re seriously hungry."

    With a nod of his head, Travis took hold of her arm and led her inside.

    Jenni hung back for a second to watch Juan order several men off the construction of the wall, then she followed Katie and Travis inside. She felt moody all at once and couldn''t help it.

    As he had promised, there was more than enough food up in the community-dining hall. Jenni and Jason almost ran to the table and started loading up plates. Katie took her time, talking animatedly to Travis, her shotgun still in her hand. Feeling even more disgruntled, Jenni filled her plate as she tried to adjust to their new situation and environment. She sat down at a long table, one of those folding ones that they always use at social functions in churches and other organizations, to eat a plate full of all sorts of "down home" cooking. Katie and Travis sat down across from her all the while talking about the construction of the wall. Next to her Jason was already eating a plate full of fried chicken. Of course, Jack was under the table, eating all sorts of good scraps.

    But Jenni was confused.

    Katie and Travis were talking swiftly, voices melding seamlessly. She had been convinced that they knew each other from before all of this. There had been a look of recognition in Travis'' eyes when he had stood there holding Katie''s hand. But they never said "Oh, hey it¡¯s you!" or anything remotely like that. It was as if some sort of invisible box had sprung up around them locking everyone out.

    And Jenni did not like that.

    Well, yeah, she definitely liked Travis. He had such a strong presence and had such sweet eyes. And she had already caught him looking at her with that special look men have for women they find attractive. She didn''t find Katie a threat in that regard though she was well aware that Katie had the kind of looks men gravitated to. Katie was gay. Pure and simple. That was not even an issue.

    But Katie was her war buddy. Her new best friend. Her sister. They had spent a lot of time together. They had wept together. And Travis just appearing and just clicking with Katie-damn it all-it was making her a little nuts. She felt unbalanced by it and kept trying to get Katie to at least look at her. She felt needy and selfish and embarrassed by her feelings. It was foolish to feel this way when Katie had risked her life to help Jenni save Jason. And Jason was alive and well, sitting next to her, feeding bits of chicken skin to the dog because Katie had kept it together and got them out of the campgrounds.

    Jenni stabbed at her congealing mashed potatoes and looked up again at Katie. For a wild, irrational moment, she thought that maybe she should make herself gay to keep Katie''s affections, but realized that was just stupid.

    She wasn''t gay and that wasn''t what this was about. Katie made her feel safe.

    She needed to feel safe.

    "¡­so that is the first and utmost priority at this time. The wall," Katie was saying.

    "Exactly. Then we will start to lay out plans on how to secure the two buildings that border us so we can actually inhabit them as well."

    "Walling off all the ground floor windows would be a start," Katie suggested.

    "And we have the bricks for it. Since the service entrance is on the side and there is no entrance off the backside, which faces our area, we''ll have to bust through a wall." Travis was drawing on a piece of paper, more doodling than anything, but was clearly enthralled by Katie''s input.

 Page 24

    "You''ll have to clear the building," Katie said. "But you don''t have guns."

    "No, we were using our tools to off any zombies that attacked during the first phase of constructing the outer perimeter. A solid blow to the head and they go down."

    "We could go get more guns," Jenni said softly.

    They both looked at her and she blushed.

    "You mean Ralph," Katie said.

    "Well, yeah. I mean, I know you said that thing about the guns drawing the zombies, but one day, they are just gonna show up. And they''re gonna make it real hard on us to do anything," Jenni said.

    "Yeah, Jenni''s right. Those zombies are just gonna come here anyway because we''re here," Jason agreed. He chewed away on a chicken bone as Jack nudged his elbow.

    Travis frowned a little and slowly nodded. "My family originally came from England when I was a boy. They were very anti-gun. We''ve done all right so far with our shovels. But¡­"

    Katie laid her revolver on the table in front of him. "Discretion was in order for you to get this place secure as fast as you did, but soon this will be the answer. It''s fast and more efficient if you got good aim."

    "Your friend, Ralph, he has weapons? He just told us he was the Mayor of a small town."

    "He is, but he also owns a pretty big hunting and camping store," Jenni said.

    Travis rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    "It wouldn''t hurt to talk to him about this. Besides, I just realized we need to let him know we''re okay." Katie looked at Jenni and winced.

    "Ralph must be worried sick," Jenni answered. She felt a little better now that she was part of the conversation.

    Katie turned to Travis. "I know you''re in charge here-"

    "The Mayor-"

    "I know you''re in charge here," Katie repeated "and I''d like to suggest that maybe you should arrange with Ralph to go pick up some weapons. If you really can clear out a lot of the zombies that are out there right now, maybe we can head over to Ralph''s."

    Travis looked at Katie for a long moment, his gaze steady and thoughtful. "Yeah, you got a good idea there. We got about twenty of those things out there now. More on the way. They may break out of the school soon."

    "Then we can''t waste time," Katie suggested.

    Travis thought for a long moment. "Yeah. I think it¡¯s time to go talk to the Mayor and get hold of your friend."

    Katie had barely eaten, but she stood up as Travis did.

    Jenni pushed her plate away quickly and followed suit. "I''ll come with you."

    "I''m going to keep eating," Jason said firmly and Jack seemed to agree with this decision as he licked his chops.

    Jenni hurried around the table to follow Katie and Travis, desperate to be included.

    Downstairs they entered a large room that was sectioned off into cubicles. The city secretary and her little boy were fixing up a bed for themselves behind her desk while the Mayor sat in a nearby chair listening to the emergency broadcasting channel.

    "¡­as communication with Europe has ceased there is no word on how far the plague as spread. The CDC, operating in a slowly burning Atlanta, continue to issue guidelines for destroying the reanimates¡­"

    The Mayor looked up to see them and turned off the radio. "They are beginning to repeat the broadcast. Not a good sign is it?"

    Travis shook his head and sat in a folding chair across from the desk.

    "What about the CB?"

    "Lots of truckers still out there trying to find safe places, but some are running out of gas. There are not as many out there as there were." The Mayor folded his hands on the desk and sighed. "How is the wall coming along?"

    "We still think we''ll have the area fully enclosed by morning if we keep working all night. Another batch of zombies are headed our way."

    "The school?"

    "Not yet. Other zombies following Katie and Jenni here. Maybe twenty. I have Juan organizing some men to kill as many as they can. We''ll use safety lines this time."

    The Mayor let out a long breath as he ran a hand over his balding head.

    "If the school¡­"

    "Yeah. Which brings me to something. That man, Ralph, the Mayor who told us the girls were in route. He owns a hunting store. He has guns." Travis spoke softly with respect, but Jenni could tell he was subtly trying to steer the Mayor in the direction he wanted him to go.

    The Mayor took in this information, then said, "I have an idea. We could send someone out to get some guns once we thin out the zombies around the wall."

    Travis hesitated and said, "That sounds like a good idea. I can try to get ahold of Ralph tonight and maybe send out someone in the morning."

    "See what you can figure out and let me know," the Mayor said softly.

    Travis nodded. "I''ll get right on it."

    The Mayor slowly turned and once more checked on his computer. The CNN homepage was up on the screen. "Still the same page as yesterday. No updates."

    Travis motioned to the women and they followed him into a side room.

    Curtis, the cop, sat beside a ramshackle set up of communication equipment.

    He looked pale beneath his tan and his thin blond hair was matted with sweat.

    "Hey, Curtis!"

    The cop looked up and said, "It''s getting quieter out there."

    Travis nodded, walked over and laid a hand on the cop''s shoulder. He squeezed it lightly. "What about that man, Ralph?"

    "He asked about the women. I told him they arrived safely."

    "Good. Think you could get him back on the line?"

    "Yeah. Give me a sec."

    Jenni stood close to Katie, watching, taking it all in. It felt good to be here. Safer somehow. But she still felt thrown off balance. Katie looked at her, smiled, and tenderly swept some loose locks of Jenni''s black hair back from her face.

    "You okay?"

    Jenni smiled immediately under the attention. "Yeah. Just nervous."

    Katie kissed her cheek lightly and slid her arm around Jenni''s waist.

    "Yeah. Me, too."

    And then, outside, the moans and screeches of the dead rose to mingle with shouts of alarm.

    The zombies had arrived at the perimeter.

    Chapter 9

    1. The Night of the Dead

    Travis rushed over to a window, pulled back the curtains and swore under his breath.

    "You two stay here," he said, and rushed out the door.

    Curtis looked at the two women, then lowered his head solemnly. He seemed worn down, tired, and overwhelmed. Katie remembered that Travis said that the police force had been wiped out. She had a feeling Travis had asked him to oversee the communications center they had set up to keep him from the action. Curtis looked no older than twenty-one and Katie bet he hadn''t been on the job long.

    Jenni grabbed her hand. "If we go upstairs we could probably see out the window."

    Katie nodded. "Let''s go see."

    Together, they ran out of the room and up the stairs.

    A small crowd of people clustered around the windows to watch.

    Managing to worm their way into a good position to watch out of one of the windows, Katie and Jenni looked down at the men taking position to fight the zombies. Ladders had been used to scale the wall and get up onto the trucks.

    The harness lines glinted in the light from the huge lights set up around the perimeter. The men had only shovels and strange spears with what looked like trowels attached to the ends. Since the windows were looking out at the street over the top of the wrought iron fence, it was easy to see the zombies desperate to reach the men. Moaning loudly, some of them screeching, thirty or so zombies clustered under the men, beating the sides of the trucks, demanding the flesh of those above them.

    Katie''s heart jumped a little, as she caught sight of Travis running up one of the ladders, still fastening his harness, his spear under his arm. Of course he would be part of this. He was not the sort of man to send others to do something he wouldn''t do himself.

    It was as if his presence on top of the truck was a sign, all the men began to squat down and ram their weapons down as hard as they could on the heads of the dead below. Katie could see the shovels busting open heads as the trowel-ended spears were driven through the eye sockets in upturned faces. Some of the zombies managed to grab the weapons and those wielding them immediately let go and were handed a new one. She wondered if the man that had been lost in the earlier battle had tried to fight with a zombie for his weapon. In this new world you had to learn fast to survive.

    In the first few minutes, the construction workers took out at least ten zombies. The crush of the other zombies against their now truly dead comrades became greater, holding up dead. This made the men reach out further to actually hit one of the living undead. One man lost his footing altogether and swung out over the crowd. Juan shouted and immediately his towline was drawn up and back. Zombies tried to grab his feet, but the man was swung to safety.

    "Shit," someone said nearby and Katie couldn''t agree more.

    Her eyes continuously strayed to Travis. He had a greater reach and seemed to be driving his shovel down with a strange, staccato rhythm.

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    "He is kicking so much ass," Jason said from behind her.

    Even Jack had managed to wedge himself between people to get a view out the window. He let out a series of low growls.

    Travis yelled something and all the men backed away. Then that great mechanical arm came swinging over their heads, loaded up with what looked like bags filled with dirt or maybe cement. Travis made several motions with his hand, guiding the driver of the machine to just the perfect spot, then made a downward stroke with his arm. The driver released the load of heavy bags right into the center of the remaining throng. Most of the zombies were effectively crushed.

    Out of the original throng of thirty zombies, maybe five staggered about, falling over their dead comrades.

    Travis made another motion and the men retreated down their ladders, picked up the ladders, walked to the wall, rested the ladders against the wall, and scrambled up and over into the construction site. Once the ladders were back over the walls and everyone was safe, cheers erupted throughout the complex.

    Katie turned to Jenni and saw her face was very flushed and excited.

    "He''s amazing!" Jenni giggled and hugged Katie.

    Katie hugged Jenni to her and said, "Yep, he is."

    And Travis, at that very moment, looked up at the window they were in, his gaze meeting Katie''s, and smiled.

    2. Another Moment

    Exhaustion hit Katie like a sledgehammer. She almost felt drunk as she finally lay down on the cot set up for her in a small empty storage room on the fourth floor of city hall. The old building''s sloped roof made standing up straight a little difficult unless you were in the center of the room. She had a feeling Travis had pulled some strings to get them a place inside the building and not camping out in portable buildings that were now dorms. Evidently the basement of city hall had long ago been set up as a bomb shelter during the Commie scare and loads of cots and musty blankets were brought up for those taking refuge in "the fort".

    Jenni had seemed wired and very awake after the zombie attack. After they had talked to Ralph on the CB and he agreed to provide weapons to the fort if they could figure out how to pick them up, Jenni had slipped out with Travis to follow him around on the complex. He had asked Katie, but she was far too tired and had begged off. Now she sat on her cot watching Jason fix a bed on the floor for Jack using a blanket he had pinched when no one was watching the supplies.

    She had managed to take off her boots and socks and now sat in her olive green hunting pants and her black tank top. She desperately wanted a shower, but there was a sign in sheet to use the only shower located in the city hall janitor''s office. She had a slot for the early morning.

    Jason looked up at her and slid onto the bed under the small narrow window. Jenni''s cot was against the slant in the roof, forming an L with Katie''s.

    Jack, the zombie hating dog, examined his bed, circled three times, fussed at it with his paws, circled again, and lay down with a yawn.

    "Uh, Katie?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Um¡­are you and Jenni gonna hook up?"

    Katie double-blinked and said, "Huh?"

    "My Mom, after my Dad divorced her for Jenni, hooked up with this girl for about two weeks. Mom was always going from guy to guy and that was the only girl, but I was just wondering¡­" Jason trailed off seeing Katie''s expression. "Sorry."

    "No, it¡¯s cool." Katie sighed and ran her hands over her hair, which fell free to her shoulders in soft curls. "Okay, just because I like girls does not mean I''m going to hook up with the nearest girl. In fact, it is my own personal rule not to get involved with straight women. I value myself too much to be someone''s experiment."

    Jason considered this and said, "Yeah. I guess that is what my Mom was doing since my Dad was such a jerk to her. She made a big deal out of having a girlfriend then it was over in weeks. Then she just went from boyfriend to boyfriend until she died in a car accident a few years ago."

    "Is that when you came to live with Jenni?"

    "Yeah. I didn''t really want to like her. Mom always called her "that bitch", but she''s really sweet. Kinda goofy. She''s kinda like an older sister. I''m really glad you saved her," Jason sighed and lay on the cot. "I just thought maybe because you''re a lesbian you two would end up together."

    Katie laughed and shook her head. "I''m not a lesbian."

    Jason looked at her shocked. "Huh? But you said-"

    "I''m bisexual. Always have been. I dated both guys and girls all through high school and college. It just happened that the person," Katie''s voice caught in her throat and she couldn''t talk for a moment. "I fell in love with and wanted to spend my life with was a woman. I always figured it could have gone either way, but it was her: Lydia." She pulled out the camera and dared to waste a little bit of the battery flashing the picture to Jason.

    "She''s hot," Jason decided. "Where is she?"

    Waving her hand distractedly, Katie stared at Lydia''s beautiful smile, then snapped the phone shut with her other hand. "Somewhere out there.

    One of them."

    Jason winced. "Sorry, Katie."

    "Me, too¡­me, too."

    "So¡­uh¡­you like guys?"

    Katie laughed and lay back on the bed. "I''ve had some boyfriends. I was even engaged to a guy."

    "What happened?"

    "To my engagement?"

    "Yeah."

    "I met Lydia. And that was that. Six years of heaven with someone that is-she was just everything I needed."

    "I bet your boyfriend was mad."

    "Um¡­yeah. But we were together for all the wrong reasons. We worked together and shared ambitions. I think we took that to be more than it was."

    "Oh. So why did you say you were a lesbian?"

    "So you''d pee!"

    Jason frowned at her. "Yeah. Well¡­" He blushed.

    "I often tell people I''m a lesbian just so they''re comfortable."

    "I don''t get it."

    "Well, people like absolutes. And it blows most of their minds to try to think that I could find men and women equally attractive and possible mates.

    It just freaks them out. They want me to be one or the other. So, since I was with Lydia, it was just easier to say I was a lesbian." Katie held the cell phone against her chest and tried not to cry.

    "So you could end up with a guy or a girl?"

    "Honestly, Jason, right now, I can''t imagine being with anyone. I just¡­"

    She rolled onto her side and faced the wall. "I just miss her."

    Jason was very quiet behind her. The minutes ticked by and hot tears flowed, a few dripping off the tip of her nose. How could she even imagine being with anyone ever again?

    Lydia¡­oh..Lydia¡­

    "I just thought if you and Jenni hooked up you would take good care of her," Jason finally said softly.

    Katie rolled over and gave him a soft smile. "That was a very sweet thing for you to say."

    "Well, you know, if you change your mind¡­" Jason faltered. "I mean¡­"

    "I know." Katie tucked the phone under the pillow and reached up and flicked off the light. Faintly, she could hear the few zombies moaning out beyond the perimeter. "But, Jason, honestly, right now I just¡­I loved her.

    The mere thought of being with anyone else just feels wrong."

    Jason turned his head to look across the small, darkened room. "I know, Katie. You make me feel safe. I feel like I''ve known you forever and it''s just been hours."

    Katie smiled at him fondly. "I know. We''ll be okay."

    "Promise?"

    "I promise."

    3. Dead Stars In Her Eyes

    Jenni wandered along behind Travis, her hands tucked into her jacket pockets. It was cold now that the sun had settled beyond the horizon to slumber. She had finally let her long hair down to flow in the wind. It was a little bit of a ploy to get Travis to admire her and it seemed to be working. She really liked this tall, handsome rather shy man. He greeted everyone they came across warmly and finally they climbed up on top of a truck and took up watching the zombies who had survived the slaughter. The undead kept trying to maneuver their way closer, but they kept falling over their dead comrades. It was almost comical.

    "I could shoot them," she offered to Travis.

    He shook his head. "No, they''re not much of a threat down there. We need to wait to use guns. We don''t need to be drawing more of them to us until we are more secure." Stretching, he held his trowel-spear over his head and that stirred up a zombie woman, who tried to run, fell over the dead bodies and slammed headfirst into the asphalt.

    "That had to hurt," Jenni decided.

    "I don''t think they feel pain," Travis said sadly.

    The woman tried to get up, but could not find stable purchase on the bodies around her and kept sliding around in the gore and muck.

    "Seriously, I could shoot her," Jenni said again, somewhat hopefully.

    Travis just laughed. He rubbed his eyes and sat down in a chair someone had put up on the back of the truck. The bed was full of earth and the chair sank down a little, but it was better than standing. Jenni sat down next to him, Indian-style, recognizing he needed the better view for his job.

 Page 26

    "So. All the zombies are holed up in the school?"

    "Yeah and we considered having someone drive out there to doublecheck, but decided that could end up giving them the incentive they need to break out. Juan noticed that when they can''t see humans directly, they tend to just mill around. It''s when they spot living flesh that they go ape shit."

    Travis watched the zombie woman languishing in the guts of her dead comrades, at one point trying to eat a bit of intestine only to spit it out. She continued to swim through the congealed blood and decaying flesh.

    Jenni watched the woman with a small smile on her face. Her fingers were itching to draw her gun and blast a hole through the woman''s skull.

    Something about her desperation to get to them and eat them, coupled with her bright, candy-pink jogging suit and bouffant hairdo just annoyed the ever-loving fuck out of her.

    "Most of the ones I have seen are always running to eat me. I never see them just standing around."

    "Because we''re back behind the barricades we''ve had a chance to see them just stand there swaying or milling around until they spotted someone alive. But once they figure out we''re back here, they attack and just keep attacking until we kill them." He sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    "Sound sets them off, too. We used a radio to distract some of them once.

    When you and Katie arrived, we set off a car alarm from the roof of the city hall."

    Jenni drew pictures in the earth with her fingers. "I was wondering how you did that. It seems that each time Katie and I encounter zombies, they are on us in a second. We just run."

    "You and Katie had a rough time out there, didn''t you?"

    Jenni made a face and nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much from yesterday morning on."

    "We didn''t have it so bad here. With the townspeople being herded early into the school we really have had limited interaction with the zombies.

    Honestly, we had secured the perimeter before we had a pack of them show up. I almost feels guilty that I didn''t have to run for my life like other people have."

    "Well, it¡¯s no fun, that''s for damn sure. Just consider yourself lucky and don''t feel guilty." Jenni looked down at what she had written in the earth next to some stick figures. It read "Benji". She quickly rubbed it out. She just couldn''t think of those little fingers straining¡­straining¡­

    "You okay?" Travis leaned forward and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

    Jenni looked up into his face and said simply, "No."

    He pressed his lips tightly together and nodded. "Of course you''re not.

    Sorry."

    She just looked down and shook her head. "Is anyone okay? Really? I don''t think I was okay before all this went down. I think I''m actually somehow better now." Her brow furrowed "That doesn''t make sense, I know.

    My children are¡­but¡­something inside of me is maybe stronger."

    Travis sighed and ran a hand over his hair. "Adversity brings out the best or the worst in people. Perhaps you are just finding some strength inside you didn''t know you had."

    Jenni tilted her head, her dark hair falling softly around her pale face.

    She considered this, then shrugged. "I don''t know. I''m not sure. I just know that when¡­" She faltered for a moment. "¡­that when I saw what had happened to my children, who I was just stopped existing. I''m weirdly happy in this world. Just having Katie and Jason makes me feel solid. Safe. Being here makes me feel that way."

    Travis gave her that smile that warmed her to the very depths of her soul. "I''m glad you are dealing with all of this. I''m glad you and Katie and Jason made it here. I''m not sure what will happen next, but I know we''re going to fight. And that at least is something."

    "I just want to kill them all. Kill them for killing¡­" She stopped and looked down at her dirty fingers.

    The zombie woman finally reached the truck and began to bang on the side, moaning, screeching, desperate.

    "I want to kill her."

    "Then do it," Travis said.

    Jenni stood up slowly and Travis wordlessly handed her the makeshift spear.

    Walking to the edge, Jenni looked down at the bloodied, upturned face and all that damned hair-sprayed blond hair. She felt Travis¡¯ fingers slip under her coat and grab her belt to hold her steady. She cast a grateful look over her shoulder at Travis and lifted the spear. Her gaze narrowed on the woman''s face and her glassy, blank eyes. So much like Lloyd''s when he had looked up at her as he had stuffed more of Benji''s tender baby flesh into his mouth.

    Jenni let out a hiss between her teeth and slammed the tip of the spear, which was the trowel, down hard into the woman''s eye socket. She felt the flesh giving way, the eye slicing apart like a boiled egg and shoved it down as hard as she could. She felt things giving way, scraping, mushing, and tearing.

    She lifted and slammed it down again. Almost growling, she slammed it down over and over again until the female zombie slid down the side of the truck and lay still.

    Jenni took great breaths of the rank, cool air and slowly handed over the spear. Travis took it and reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

    "Better?"

    "No. Not really. But it felt good." Jenni gave him an awkward smile.

    "You''re a strange, strange girl in a strange, strange world," Travis decided and gave her a gentle hug.

    Jenni nestled into his arms and smiled to herself. She then slipped away from him and sat back down on the dirt watching another surviving zombie try to walk over his dead comrades to them.

    "Sure you don''t want me to shoot him?"

    Travis laughed and it was a wonderful sound to her ears.

    4. Breathing Space

    Katie stirred only once during the night. It was when Jenni had finally come into the small room to go to bed and had leaned over and kissed her forehead tenderly. Katie had sleepily opened her eyes to see Jenni lying down on her own cot and had reached out to take her hand. She had fallen back to sleep, Jenni''s fingers intertwined with hers.

    In the morning, she awakened to Jenni peacefully snoring and Jason sneaking out the door with Jack on his heels. She could smell hot, fresh coffee wafting through the building and pulled on her socks and boots immediately.

    Almost stumbling down the narrow staircase, she found her way to the community dining room where people were gathered for coffee and a breakfast of what had been left over from the fundraiser dinner.

    Snagging a Danish, half of a club sandwich, and a hot cup of coffee, Katie found a corner and sat down to enjoy her meal. The townies weren''t as open to her as the construction crew. The townspeople looked at her curiously, but seem locked in their own worlds. Of course, this was their town and it was now dead. They were probably in shock, in mourning, and not sure what to think of any of this, including the blond in the camouflage pants and black tank top.

    Jason joined her at the table, Jack hot on his heals with his ears perked and looking at the boy anxiously for any scraps. The teenager seemed a bit moody this morning and Katie didn''t blame him. Being here, being safe, made her feel raw and more vulnerable emotionally. Being on the run, living on the edge of death, was numbing and comforting compared to a quiet moment to actually reflect on all they had endured and lost.

    "Mom''s still asleep?" he asked.

    Katie looked at him, noting his use of the word "mom.¡± "Yeah, she seemed really tired."

    "She was out late with that guy," Jason said moodily.

    Katie opened her mouth to say something and faltered. Of course he was upset. Jason''s dad was dead and already his step mom seemed to have her eyes on another man. She took a bite of the Danish, noting it was close to being stale.

    Jason sighed and gave the dog a few bits of cold chicken, which were immediately gulped down. "Dad was a shithead, but¡­" He shrugged.

    "Yeah," Katie said. Not sure really what she was agreeing to, but Jason nodded back at her and set about eating.

    "It would be different if it was you," he said softly, so no one else could hear. "At least you wouldn''t be replacing Dad."

    Katie reached across the table and touched his cheek. "Jason, I think Jenni is just dealing with things the best way she can. I don''t think you have to worry about anyone replacing your father right now."

    Turning his face away, he shrugged. "Whatever."

    She sighed softly and returned to eating. Jason didn''t seem to want to talk, so she finished up, gave him a brief hug, patted Jack on the head, and headed downstairs.

    When she stepped out into the fresh, cool air, she saw that the construction of the wall was complete. Made of concrete and at least two feet thick, the wall stood sturdy and defiant about five feet from the perimeter of the hurricane fence. It was, at the very least, ten feet high. She stared over the top of it at the buildings surrounding their little fort. There was no way to be sure, but it looked like most of them had been abandoned long before all of this went down, except for the Dollar Store across the street.

    Hands on hips, she surveyed the interior of the little fort and noted a fairly clear path along the edges, except for where some of the bigger machinery was clustered in a corner. She had noticed the day before that the bulldozers and heavy equipment was parked outside the wall. She flicked her gaze up to the enormous crane attached to the building with the faded Coca Cola advertisement. How it all worked was beyond her.

 Page 27

    Stretching out, she felt the coffee giving her a nice little rush, and she felt almost normal for a second. She started to jog at a nice even clip over the packed earth of the site, darting around port-a-potties, the lunch wagon, and behind the portable office buildings. After a few minutes, she felt her energy increase and her endorphins kick in and soon she was jogging at a fair clip despite her heavy Doc Martens.

    She was on her third circuit around the fort when Travis dropped in beside her. He matched her pace easily and said, "Hey."

    "Hey," she answered with a smile.

    He looked a little groggy.

    "Late night?"

    "Sentry duty until midnight kinda took it out of me. I really need coffee, but they were fresh out and making a new pot when I went to grab a cup," he answered.

    "You jog?"

    "Every morning," he answered, and she noted the natural ease in which he carried himself.

    "I used to run every morning with Lydia," she said, and was instantly tormented by the vision of Lydia running at her. She shook her head and looked away from him, tears abruptly in her eyes.

    Travis jogged next to her, silent, yet watchful. He waited until she had control of herself, then said, "Ralph called in this morning before we were up.

    He wanted to know if we''ll be heading his way today."

    Katie glanced toward Travis. "Are we?"

    "I''m seriously worried about the school. It is an older building. They will eventually get out and when they do, they''ll come here."

    Katie expertly dodged around a few people who were standing and talking. All three were construction workers, looking dirty, tired, and nervous.

    "How far away is the school?"

    "Three blocks North of here."

    "Three blocks!" She was so startled, Katie nearly ran into the wall.

    Travis grabbed her arm and guided her back on her now worn jogging path.

    "Yeah. That''s why I''m so nervous. They''ll come straight here and we''ll be swamped. We will have to better defend ourselves. They have numbers on their side."

    "Plus they don''t sleep¡­" Katie shook her head. "Yeah, we need to get the guns here soon. What about food?"

    "We''re okay for now thanks to the fund raiser and all the canned food from the food drive. The truck driver that arrived yesterday was in a WalMart truck, and we managed to unload a lot of that into the city hall before a throng of zombies arrived. A lot of canned and boxed food and other supplies.

    We''re not running out of toilet paper any time soon." Travis grinned and they started on their next circuit around the complex.

    "Oh, gawd! What a relief! I thought we were doomed" Katie said with mock seriousness.

    Travis laughed and she joined him. They sprinted around the lunch wagon and some people sitting in chairs enjoying the morning.

    "But seriously, we have the wall up, food for awhile at least, but we need a solid way to defend ourselves. I was looking around the area today and I think our best shot is the truck you and Jenni came in."

    "We''re out of gas though," Katie pointed out.

    "But we have some gasoline on reserve here in the fort," he said, using the term that the inhabitants were already using. "We just have to get it out to the truck and fill it up."

    "How many zombies are out there now?"

    Travis sighed a bit as he ran. "Six more showed up in the early morning.

    We''re trying to lure them closer to kill them, but the dead ones keep tripping them up. We''ll have to distract them. Probably with a car alarm like yesterday."

    Katie lifted an eyebrow. "So that''s how you did it?"

    "We''re clever that way," Travis grinned.

    "So. Someone runs over to the truck with the gas canisters, pours them into the tank, and hauls ass to get the guns?" Katie''s voice sounded doubtful.

    "Yeah. You and me. We''re running right now. Hardly winded. The guys trick the zombies to the other side of the fort and we run for it. There is a gas station ten miles down the road. We fill up there."

    Katie laughed. "Sounds easy."

    Travis'' eyes cast a shy glance at her. "Yeah, I''m easy."

    That made Katie laugh even more. "Okay, so you and I run out there, I assume you with a spear, me with my gun, get the truck, ride to the nearest gas station, fill up the truck, haul ass over to Ralph''s hunting shop, grab a bunch of guns and make it back here by nightfall."

    "Gee, ma''am, when you say it that way it sounds kinda romantic," Travis teased her.

    Katie rolled her eyes. "Okay, I''m in. But Jenni will insist on coming with us. I know it."

    "Yeah, she really does like to kill zombies, doesn''t she?"

    Katie remembered Jenni running out onto Ralph''s balcony and shooting a zombie just because it looked like her father. "Um¡­yeah."

    "Think she''s okay upstairs?" Travis asked softly.

    Katie pondered this, recalling Jenni''s near catatonia, then her quick rebound into Linda Hamilton in Terminator. "No. No, I don''t think so. But I think she is probably dealing with this better than us. I think Jenni had a lot of bad things happen to her in the old world."

    "So the new world is maybe a relief," Travis said sadly.

    "Yeah."

    They stopped outside of the back steps to city hall and Katie took the time to stretch out her muscles. "I''m due for the shower."

    "Okay. I''ll talk to Juan and Jenni next. I figure they can go with us."

    "Juan?"

    "Yeah, he''s read the Zombie Survival Handbook a million times. I think he''ll be a great backup."

    "Okay. And Jenni and I can carry our guns and take you to Ralph''s."

    Travis nodded his head, his gaze intense. He shifted on his feet and crossed his arms over his chest slowly. "If you don''t want to go back out there-"

    "I''m in. No worries," Katie said quickly. "I''d rather be proactive than not."

    "So we got a plan?"

    "We got a plan," Katie assured him.

    His gaze met hers in that way that made her avert her eyes. She suddenly felt a little flushed and she shifted nervously on her feet.

    "Okay, five minutes until my turn in the shower," she said with a glance at her watch.

    Travis nodded and looked a little flushed, too. "Okay, rendezvous back here in twenty minutes."

    Katie laughed. "I''m a girl. Make it forty." She turned and ran into the building.

    Travis gazed after her with his expression showing all too clearly he knew she was a girl.

    "She''s gay, dude," Juan said in his thick West Texas accent from behind him.

    "Shut up," Travis said gruffly, then swung his arm around Juan''s bronzed shoulders to lead him away. "So, this zombie handbook you were telling me about¡­¡±

    Chapter 10

    1. Rush of the Dead

    Katie stood next to the ladder leading over the wall, hugging Jason before leaning over to give Jack a kiss. Jenni stood nearby, her dark hair tied up in a high ponytail, a backpack slung over her shoulders. The sun was higher now and Jenni looked pale, but confident.

    After hugging Katie, Jason moved back to Jenni and hugged her again.

    "We''ll take good care of each other. I promise," Katie assured him.

    Jack whined at her, lifting a paw to scrabble at her knee.

    "Jack, stay here and take care of Jason, okay?"

    The dog looked from Katie to Jason, then walked sullenly to the boy''s side.

    It felt strange to leave the dog behind after he had been such a constant part of their life the last two days, but Katie and Jenni both agreed it was time to let him stay behind and let Jason have the comfort of his company.

    A car alarm was going off over and over again on the other side of the complex. Standing on the roof of city hall were two men, one with binoculars, watching the zombies in the street below. It was agreed they would not give the all clear signal until the road leading to the truck was devoid of the undead.

    Katie stood quietly, hands on her hips, sunglasses covering her eyes to keep the sun''s morning glare from blinding her. She wore the same old tank top and pants (and made a mental note to pick up more clothes at Ralph''s) and Travis wore a T-shirt, jeans, and heavy boots.

    Juan shifted his spear. "I cannot wait to have a decent gun."

    Travis grinned. "You''ll have one soon enough. Let''s get moving."

    Travis climbed the ladder first. Katie followed, gripping the rungs tightly with sweaty palms before slipping over the top of the wall and scooting down the ladder on the other side. The hurricane fence was their next obstacle.

    Once Jenni and Juan joined them, they moved the ladder over to the chain-link fence, climbed it, and dropped down on the other side of the fence.

    Katie took a deep breath as she looked back over the fence and new wall.

    It seemed so much safer on the other side. Knowing how close they were now to the undead, she felt her heartbeat speed up.

    Jenni dropped down as Juan waited on the other side. Noticing her expression, Jenni gave Katie''s hand a reassuring squeeze.

 Page 28

    "We''ll kick their asses," Jenni said firmly.

    "Of course." Katie forced a smile and looked toward Travis.

    Their companion lifted a ladder that laying on the ground nearby and leaned it against the truck barrier. He took a few moments to make sure it was steady. He looked back and gave them the thumbs up.

    Juan handed the gasoline canisters over the fence to Travis and followed them over the fence.

    "Remember, as soon as we pull up, drop down and get in the truck.

    Nothing fancy. Just get in. We''ll cover you," Travis said firmly.

    Jenni nodded. "I got it."

    "No worries," Juan assured him.

    Travis wiped his brow with his hand and looked toward Katie. "You ready?"

    "Oh, yeah. A little scared, but ready."

    The men on top of city hall gave the all clear signal.

    "Time to go," Travis muttered.

    "Good luck," Juan said and shook their hands.

    Jenni gave them both hard hugs. "Run like the wind."

    "Trust me. I''ll set a new world''s record today," Katie said with a wry grin.

    "Let''s hurry." Travis turned and headed up the ladder.

    Katie followed, trying hard not to panic. She felt a little dizzy and sweat was trickling down between her shoulder blades. Maybe it was the sun, or the stress, or even both, but she felt lightheaded and slightly unreal.

    Reaching the top, she heaved herself onto the packed earth in the bed of the construction truck and looked around. The road looked clear. Juan passed the gasoline up to them and Travis set them near the edge.

    No one spoke for the tension lining their faces said it all. Travis motioned to Katie what he was going to do, then dropped over the side. Katie handed down the gasoline canisters to him. He secured them over his shoulders with long straps, wearing them like a pack on his back. When he was ready, she handed down his spear.

    Looking around one more time, she took a deep breath and swung herself over the side. As she dropped, she caught her forearm on the edge of the truck and ended up with a nasty scrape. Wincing, she took a brief look at it, but there was really no time to worry about it. Travis uttered one word "Run" and they ran.

    They were halfway down the block, sprinting for the truck,] when Katie started to hear footsteps pounding on the brick road behind her.

    Jenni-oh so sweet but not always thinking straight Jenni-screamed,

    "Katie, there is one behind you!"

    Travis uttered, "Shit!"

    Katie ran with the gun tucked into her holster and her arms pumping.

    Travis ran a few feet in front of her. She was panicking as the stench of decay and death grew stronger and the footsteps got closer. The keening was louder, more hungry, more crazed.

    "Duck," Travis exclaimed, stopping and whirling about.

    Katie ducked down, slipping around him as he lifted the spear up. She heard a meaty THWUANK and turned to see the spear jammed into the zombie¡¯s mouth. It fell back, twisting on the ground, trying to get up. Katie drew her gun as Travis reached for the spear.

    "No time," she said, grabbing his arm. "More might come."

    Travis nodded and they both ran.

    The truck loomed large and red before them. Katie noted the gore and blood now dried to its heavy deer guard. Despite her frantic thoughts, she noted that there was nothing undead lurking under the heavy truck. Scanning the street beyond their destination, she saw nothing stirring. The zombies were behind them.

    She reached the truck first. She turned, her gun drawn, and aimed back down the street to cover Travis. She could see Juan and Jenni on the back of a truck, watching them.

    Katie heard a metallic pop as Travis opened the gas tank. She dropped one hand and her fingers closed over the keys in her pocket. Her eyes scanned the far corner as her hand reached out and opened the driver''s side door. Even in their haste, both Jenni and Katie had shut the truck doors when they had fled the evening before.

    "More are coming," Jenni suddenly shouted.

    Both Juan and Jenni began to motion frantically to hurry.

    "Travis," Katie said in a strained voice.

    "I heard them," Travis answered tersely.

    The glug glug glug of the gas being poured into the tank was a welcome sound, but the howls and screeches of the approaching zombies were not.

    They rounded the corner, a torrent of battered, bloodied, ripe dead bodies. Katie lifted her gun a little higher as she edged into the cab and put the keys in the ignition.

    "Travis," she said softly.

    "On the second one," he responded.

    The zombies were closing fast. There were at least a dozen. They were running so fast their limbs were popping, arms suddenly going limp, legs suddenly dragging. But there were enough of them that a good portion kept a steady sprint.

    "Travis," she said again.

    "Fuck it!" He threw away the second gas container, an arc of clear fluid splashing the brick road. He shoved the gas cap in place and darted around to the passenger side.

    Katie yanked her door shut and gunned the engine. It didn''t start.

    Travis slammed the passenger door. "Go! Go! Go!"

    "It won''t!"

    "Keep trying! It was bone dry. It will take a few tries!"

    Katie kept turning it on, pumping the gas, her eyes on the zombies just a few yards from the truck. The engine caught suddenly and roared to life. She shifted gears and floored it, the truck barreling through the zombies and toward the truck barrier where Jenni and Juan were jumping up and down on top of a dirt truck.

    "Drive fast so the zombies won''t have a chance to catch up, then we get Juan and Jenni, and go," Travis said breathlessly.

    Katie nodded.

    The truck was now a block away from the fort.

    It seemed impossible for there to be that many zombies at once, but the road ahead of them was filling like water fills a basin. All sizes, all ages, all rushing toward the truck, all howling. The battered, torn bodies of men, women, and children stumbled, staggered, ran and even sprinted toward them.

    Katie slammed on the brakes. "Oh, God."

    Travis sat silently, watching the flood. "They''re out."

    Katie licked her lips and glanced toward him. "Yeah."

    At least a hundred zombies were flooding the street between the truck and Jenni. Katie could see Juan pulling Jenni back off the top of the dirt truck.

    "Turn and go," Travis said softly.

    Katie spun the wheel around as she pushed down on the accelerator and the truck plowed through the zombies that had originally been giving them chase.

    They were jostled around in the cab as the huge wheels churned over the dead. The truck broke free and raced up the long stretch of road out of town.

    Katie''s gaze flicked to the rear view mirror. She saw some zombies still in pursuit, but most of the others were now beating their fists against the truck barricade.

    Travis was very quiet behind her, breathing hard, reeking of gasoline.

    Her shower was a moot point and she felt hot and sweaty. She glanced toward him to see he was running a hand slowly through his hair. Lifting his head, he said, "We just do what we planned."

    Katie licked her very dry lips and nodded. "Yeah. Okay." Her throat felt tight and scratchy and she forced herself to take a calming breath.

    How they were going to get back into the fort would be dealt with later.

    For now they had a job to do and they were determined to do it.

    2. Left Behind

    Jenni was dimly aware of Juan pulling her back as she strained forward, reaching her hand toward the red truck. She screamed loud and hard as it spun around and retreated as the throng of the dead filled the street between her perch on top of the enormous truck and Ralph''s red truck that Katie was driving. Juan stumbled back with her in his arms as the dead began to bang on the side of the construction truck, moaning and screeching. The heavy sandbags held the truck sturdy and it was too high for the undead to scramble over.

    "They''re not climbers as far as we know, but let¡¯s not give them the idea to try it," Juan said in her ear and half carried, half dragged her down the ladder.

    She struggled in his arms. "Katie, no! She can''t leave without me!" Jenni felt like her head was going to explode as she thrashed about. Juan dropped her and they both fell behind the barricade. Safe but bruised, they were hidden from the zombies.

    Katie couldn''t leave her. Katie was safety. Katie was her friend. Her war buddy. Her comrade.

    Jenni scrambled to her feet, drawing her gun, grabbing ahold of the ladder.

    Juan gripped her wrist tightly. "No. They are gone already! They''re safe.

    Let them go!"

    Jason was at the wall, waving at her from over the top. "Mom, come back!"

    She felt the world spinning around her and she covered her face for a moment. Mom¡­? Was she still a Mom?

    Those tiny fingers¡­

    "Mom! Come back in!"

    Benji¡­gone¡­Mikey¡­gone¡­Jason¡­Jason calling to her.

    She stumbled forward and Juan helped her up onto the next ladder to scale the hurricane fence. She shoved her gun into her waistband and dropped to the other side.

    She turned back, the morning sun blinding her for a moment.

 Page 29

    Katie¡­

    Juan pushed her up onto the next ladder. "Come on, Loca. Get up there."

    Jason reached down to her and she crawled up to him. His arms went around her for a moment in a tight hug, then he was pulling her down the steps someone had made and pushed up to the wall for easy access. Jack was at her feet whining.

    "Katie left¡­"

    "She''ll be fine, Mom. She''ll be fine." Jason held her tightly to him and helped her walk.

    "But we''re a team. If I''m not with her, they''ll get her. That''s how it works. That''s how it works."

    "Travis is with her, Mom. She''ll be okay. C''mon, Mom." Jason pulled her along and she went with him.

    Jenni felt numb, disoriented, and overwhelmed. Katie needed to be here or she needed to be with Katie. That was how it worked. They had to be together, as a team, or else the zombies would get them.

    The world started spinning again¡­

    She fainted.

    3. And Further Still

    Katie looked at the gas gauge and frowned. As the truck tore over the bumpy country road, she was jostled about. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly to steady herself and her nerves. She let out a slow sigh.

    "It''s up ahead. Soon," Travis assured her. He was peering at a map, much like Jenni used to.

    Jenni¡­

    Katie wondered how she was doing. She had a feeling Jenni was not taking their separation well. Actually, she wasn''t either. They had bonded so quickly, so tightly, to be separated felt odd and disorienting. Travis¡¯ presence was different than Jenni''s. It had her a little off balance. She wanted to reach out and take Jenni''s hand and feel that it was all going to be okay. Instead, she gripped the steering wheel tighter.

    "I''m sorry," Travis said softly.

    "Why sorry?"

    "It was my stupid idea to have us leave and now¡­" He shook his head.

    "I''m sorry, Katie. I''ve never been a real leader before. I''m sure I''m fucking things up."

    "No, no, you''re doing your best. Hell, none of us have any idea what we are really doing."

    "Except Juan with his zombie handbook. He assured me that the guns were important though he mumbled something about blades," Travis said grimly.

    "Guns are effective. They just draw a lot of attention fast," Katie reminded him. "But I''d rather have a gun than a blade with some of the faster ones."

    "Yeah, Juan is still bitching about that. He keeps complaining that they''re supposed to be slow. But some of the ones that aren''t as screwed up are really damn fast."

    Katie let out a little laugh. "Actually, Jenni spent a good deal of time bitching about the same thing."

    "Gas station should be just around that bend." Travis looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I''m really sorry."

    "It''s okay. It''s not like I haven''t done this before." She smiled at him and pulled into the Mom and Pop gasoline station Travis pointed to. "After two days of this, I''m an old pro."

    The station was a very old building with peeling white paint and heavy bars over the windows, but the pumps were new. A beat up, very old trailer was nestled behind the weathered gas station. Travis looked out his window.

    He turned to her. "It looks clear. I''ll see if I can get into the building and turn on the pumps. The readouts on the pumps are still working, so the electricity isn''t out here."

    Katie pulled her credit card out of her pants pocket. "We could just try this."

    Travis looked at the card, then at her, and finally smiled. "I knew there was a reason I had you with me."

    Katie slid out of the truck, her gun drawn, her gaze sweeping over the terrain. She was feeling a little too hot and mushy headed. Wiping her brow, she glanced toward Travis to see that the credit card had worked. He grabbed the nozzle and gave her a wink.

    "We''re in business," he said.

    "Just make it fast."

    Her stomach gave a low growl and a twinge ran through her intestines.

    Dammit, great time to have an upset stomach. Sliding around the front of the truck, she looked all around, studying the shadows under the trees and the buildings in the distance.

    "Do you have food and water, Travis!" It was a woman''s voice. Young, perky.

    Travis whirled around, as did Katie.

    A young woman with red hair had slid open what looked like a window for after hour payments.

    "A bottle or two of water would do us fine, Rachel," Travis answered.

    "Glad to see you''re okay."

    "We got the family holed up in here. But nothing has come by since yesterday. Luthor shot it and we drug it out back."

    Travis nodded and motioned to Katie to go get the stuff.

    Katie kept her gaze on her surroundings as she moved toward the building. She felt her stomach flutter and she hated being so exposed in the openness of the parking lot. She walked sideways and took a long look down the side of the building to make sure nothing lurked there, then moved toward the window.

    The girl waited for her, the window half open, talking to someone hidden from view.

    Rachel was handed a bag and she pushed the window all the way open to hand it to Katie. She took it gratefully and peeked inside. It had water and Danish in it. She was getting tired of Danish.

    Rachel looked at her for a long moment, sizing her up. "You and Travis heading out of town together? Going to hide somewhere?"

    "We have a mission for city hall, actually. That''s where we''re located and hoping to get back there."

    "I heard that a lot of people were down there on the CB. We decided to wait it out here until the army comes," Rachel answered. "We got food in here to last us, but I''m sure the army will get here soon."

    "What makes you think they will come?"

    "Because that''s their job," Rachel answered and looked toward Travis.

    "So, you and Travis are doing a mission? What kinda mission?"

    Katie smiled slightly, realizing the woman was jealous.

    "Getting guns to blow the zombies to hell," Katie answered.

    "Yeah? Hell, just go into any house around here and you''ll find guns."

    "And maybe zombies," Katie reminded her.

    "Yeah, that''s not good."

    "Let''s go, Katie!" Travis slammed the lid to the tank closed and waved to her.

    "Thanks, Rachel," Katie said and quickly ran toward him.

    She felt her intestines twisting again. Her head was throbbing now.

    What the hell was wrong with her?

    "You okay?" Travis looked at her with concern.

    "Yeah," she said firmly. She slid back into the driver''s seat and put on her seatbelt. Her hands felt clammy when she gripped the steering wheel and, for a moment, her eyesight swam.

    Travis reached out and ran his hand over her hair gently. "Katie, you''re burning up."

    She leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. "I just don''t feel good all at once."

    "Nothing got you?" Travis asked, his voice edged with fear.

    "No, no. Nothing touched me even." She stared at him through a blond curl falling over her eyes. "I just don''t feel good."

    "Let me drive," Travis said.

    "Okay," Katie answered. Her strength was leaving her fast. She slid over into the passenger seat. The wound she had received when sliding down onto the road sent a sharp pain through her limb and she grimaced.

    Travis came around and got into the driver''s seat. He touched her forehead again gently. "You feel feverish. You better rest. Here, drink some water."

    Katie smiled at how sweet he was as he buckled her in and handed her the bottle of water. "Thanks."

    His hands were rough, but very cool on her face and neck. "Katie, are you sure¡­"

    "Yes, yes. I wouldn''t lie about that."

    He nodded and ran his hand lightly down her cheek to her neck. "Rest."

    Katie took long sips of water and watched the road begin its neverending scrawl beneath the tires of the truck. The tank now full, the truck sped down the road that would lead them to Ralph''s tiny little town and his hunting store.

    She was feeling worse and worse and closed her eyes. She must have dozed because she woke with a start. "Pull over!"

    Travis slammed on the brakes and Katie flung open the door and threw up her breakfast. Heaving, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

    "It may not be safe, Katie," Travis said, his hand on her back, a comforting gesture, yet she knew he was ready to yank her back inside.

    "Okay, ¡° she said, and threw up all that remained in her stomach. She slammed the door shut and wiped her mouth off with a kerchief Travis handed her.

    Travis drew near her, his hand on her face, then her neck. He saw her wounded forearm. "Katie, what is this?"

    "Scrape. I caught it on the truck when we jumped down."

    He looked at it and nodded. He poured water over it and found a napkin in the cup holder to cover it. "Just a scrape?"

    "I would tell you. I don''t want to be one of those things," she answered softly.

 Page 30

    Travis smiled at her so sadly and said, "I know. But you''re scaring me."

    Weakly, she took hold of his wrist and forced a smile onto her lips. "I''m sure it¡¯s nothing. Just something I ate."

    Then she passed out onto his lap.

    Dimly, she was aware of being carried. She heard Nerit and Ralph''s voices. Another voice- the policeman, she thought-was also talking.

    "I''m afraid," Travis said at some point.

    They put her into a very cold bath, someone''s hands keeping her head above water. She tried to talk, but felt too weak.

    "She wasn''t bit. That''s not a bite," Ralph''s voice said firmly.

    "But there was zombie blood and guts all over that truck," Travis said and she heard a catch in his voice. "What if¡­"

    Katie''s head swam and her body felt so hot.

    "Katie," a voice insisted.

    She opened her eyes to see Lydia kneeling next to the tub, her gaze very concerned.

    "Lydia," she whispered.

    "It''ll be okay. I''m here. I''ll be with you," Lydia said softly, reassuring her, kissing her brow and holding her up in the cold bath.

    Katie smiled at her feverishly. "Then it''s all going to be okay." She sank back down into unconsciousness.

    Travis knelt beside the tub, holding her up, tears in his eyes.

    Chapter 11

    1. Other Voices

    Juan sat in a chair in the Mayor''s office, slumped down, hands folded on his flat stomach, twiddling his thumbs, and seriously considering going and smacking Jenni a few times. Yeah, she was hot. Way hotter than the blond chick, but she had been a fucking annoyance ever since Travis and the blond had rode into the sunset together.

    It had only gotten worse when Jenni heard that Katie was very sick and Travis was worried the zombie blood and guts on the trucks lining the perimeter had contaminated her. Jenni had become downright hysterical at that news.

    "I have to go to her! I have to! I''m her best friend, don''t you see! We''re sisters now!"

    Juan had to pry Jenni''s fingers off the Mayor''s shirt and had helped Jason carry her out of the communication center so that they could actually hear what Travis was saying over the CB. Jenni had fallen apart completely as soon as they laid her down on her cot. As far as he knew, she was still there with her son watching over her.

    He studied his thumb for a moment. He had accidentally chopped the tip off on another construction site years ago. Every once and awhile it would start throbbing. He often looked at its mutilated nail and gnarled skin when he was nervous. He was a nail biter by nature, and that deformed, bizarre half nail called to him.

    Just as he stuck the tip of his finger in his mouth, he was delivered a deft smack across the back of his head.

    "Don''t do that. You look like a baby." His mother, Rosario, Rosie for short, stood in the doorway next to him. She was a very tiny woman with dark gray hair and very pale amber eyes. They were very sad eyes, the eyes of a woman who had lost her husband just recently to cancer.

    "Sorry, Mom."

    "Where''s the Mayor? I have that list for him."

    "Not sure. He told me to wait here."

    Rosie sighed and held the clipboard tightly to her chest. Juan had lived in the small town all his life. Well, except for the two years he had lived in Houston with his "big, black, beautiful" wife, Candace. But that marriage had failed when he had moved back home to be with his dad in his final years of life. Candace couldn''t take the small town living and he couldn''t blame her.

    They parted friends and he still talked to her every other day.

    Candace¡­where was she? Was she okay?

    He took off his cowboy hat and ran a hand over his hair to smooth it. It was long and curly and the heat had it frizzing terribly. He shoved the hat back on and frowned.

    "I have the list of all the people in the fort just like the Mayor asked,"

    Rosie said and sat down next to him.

    "Let me see." He took the clipboard and read over the names. Since he both worked on the site and was from the town, he knew just about everyone on the list. Forty-two names, including Travis and Katie, who technically weren''t in the fort anymore. Fifteen construction workers, five city workers, That left twenty civilians, mostly family members of local construction workers or the city workers. Well, excluding Chuck the truck driver and Jenni and Jason. And the dog.

    He liked the dog.

    "It''s sad we don''t have more people here," he sighed and handed it back.

    "Well, the way I see it, people went to where they thought it was safe and where they could stay with their families. My family was here, so I came here."

    Juan smiled at his mom and leaned over and kissed her cheek. She gave him a pat on the back of his hand.

    "We''re a diverse group," Rosie said after a moment. "Statistically, it came out just like the town population. Sixty percent under the age of sixtytwo, forty percent over sixty-two. Forty percent white, forty percent Hispanic, twenty-five percent black and five percent other."

    "What the hell is other anyway?" Juan snorted with a smirk.

    "Raymond Gutierrez is actually Navajo Indian." Rosie gave him a wide smile. "Now, where do we put the dog? Do we add him as other, because he is another species or as white, since he''s German." She sighed slightly.

    "Though the demographic between men and women is really off. Women only make up thirty percent of those here."

    "Guess I won''t be dating any time soon," he said with a grin.

    "It''s just sad that we were so ill prepared. The city can only plan for things that seem plausible." She waved a hand. "Zombies have never been a part of city planning."

    "You were city secretary way too long, Mom," Juan decided. Her head was always full of facts and figures on the town population. "This isn''t your fault. No one could have planned for this."

    The present city secretary strolled in just then. Peggy was her name and Juan liked her. She was a late in life mother and her small six-year-old pressed against one leg as she moved. He couldn''t blame the kid for clinging to his mom. Lord knows he had wanted to cling to Rosie a few times.

    Behind Peggy came Tobias, the city manager, and a tall black man in his late fifties. The Mayor, real name Manny Reyes, filed in last. He looked tired and worn around the edges. He moved over to his desk and sat down. All his Spanish blood made him fair and very "gringo", but he loved Tequila as much as Juan did. But whereas Juan knew what the hell was up, the Mayor did not.

    Manny was way too centered on being logical and finding exact answers.

    Juan knew that what was going on was not that easy to fit into a neat little box Manny could understand.

    Tobias sat down in a chair, his brow furrowed, his gaze distant. His wife was in the fort. Juan had seen her name on the list, but Tobias¡¯ children and grandchildren lived in the town. They were not on the list.

    Curtis, looking pale and very tired, walked in and took a seat near the door. Juan felt bad for him. The rookie on the force was the last man standing. It couldn''t be easy on him.

    The Mayor leaned back in his chair and his fingers picked up a pen from his desktop. He studied it and looked up. "Well, I called all of you in here to talk about the present situation. Peggy, are you sure you want Cody in here for this?¡±

    Peggy gently tried to pry her child off her and he only grabbed on tighter. "He won''t budge."

    The Mayor nodded. "Okay. Anyway, Travis says Katie still has a fierce fever. He told me in no uncertain terms he plans to stay until she''s better or if she is infected to make sure she is at peace."

    "He has it bad for her. Too bad she''s gay," Juan said grumpily. Travis was his best friend, but had this bad tendency to fall for unattainable women.

    His mother smacked him upside the head and he knew he deserved it.

    The Mayor blinked. "Oh, then Jenni¡­" He sat still for a moment, his fingers twisting the pen. "Oh, that makes sense now. How''s she acting? " He shrugged. "Anyway, we need to prepare for their return."

    Tobias slapped the palms of his hands against his knees and leaned forward. "How do we do that? The infected are filling that street. Most of our townspeople are out there. What we need to do is get ahold of the army and get them out here to treat those people!"

    "They''re dead. You can''t treat them," Juan said. He couldn''t believe they were still having this conversation after all this time. Some people took denial way too far.

    "That is a ridiculous statement. The dead do not just get up, become rabid and attack people. It has to be a virus like the CDC said in the beginning of all of this," Tobias said firmly.

    "They can''t be alive," Curtis said softly from near the door.

    "And why do you say that?" Tobias settled a fierce look on him.

    Curtis shrank under it, but answered, "Because some of them are dragging their innards on the road."

    "Adrenaline does strange things to people. If they have large amounts coursing their system like the CDC said in the-"

    "CDC took it back and called them reanimated dead," the Mayor pointed out.

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    "Which is a fancy term for zombies. We are dealing with zombies. You know the living dead. They want to eat us. I thought we all knew that by now." Juan shook his head and folded his arms over his chest. People were so stupid.

    "I do not believe we should give into hysteria and superstition," Tobias responded.

    The city secretary''s kid started to cry, loud and desperate and she tried to shush him.

    "Daddy tried to eat us! He kept banging on the window!" The boy was near hysteria. "His guts were hanging out!"

    Tobias flinched and said, "Now, son, maybe you shouldn''t be in here."

    "He''s in this, too, Toby," Rosie said softly. "You can''t shield a child from this."

    Peggy snuggled her son up to her and kissed him on the forehead. He continued to cry softly, his tiny body shivering.

    Curtis sat in the corner, hunched in on himself with his arms folded high on his chest. "Let''s get back on topic. We need the guns. We can''t keep killing them with spears."

    "Yeah, blades aren''t much help with these kinds of zombies," Juan said grimly. "The handbook did not have these running zombies in it. This is a whole other ballgame, but the basics are the same. We need to make this place as safe as possible and think before we act. We missed out on the whole being prepared thing, so we gotta do the best we can now."

    "How do we figure out how to get Travis back in, that is the question," the Mayor said softly.

    "Travis suggested we find out what everyone''s skills are and figure out how to use them," Rosie said. "Maybe someone on this list has the experience we need to figure that out."

    "Like someone has experience with zombies," Curtis muttered.

    "The infected people out there deserve better than to be murdered and run down. I do not think murder should be an option to any plan we implement," Tobias declared. "We have been murderers for days now."

    "They are not infected!" Curtis voice almost sounded shrill. "They are eating people, Tobias!"

    Tobias'' eyes were swimming with tears, but he fought to keep his voice steady. "My family needs help. Not to be butchered!"

    "They were already butchered! They are dead!" Curtis'' face seemed younger now that he seemed close to cracking.

    Juan stood up and tried to break some of the tension. "Look. We got construction equipment. We got that much. Now we need to get creative."

    "Build a corral," the little one said.

    Juan looked at him for a second. "Huh, kid?"

    "His name is Cody," Peggy said softly.

    "Build a corral. Like I do with my Lego''s. When Daddy and I¡­" He started to blubber, but pushed on, "played with my cowboys and my Lego''s, we built corrals for the cows."

    The Mayor looked at Juan. "A corral?"

    "Fuck me," Juan said and took a step back.

    "Juan!"

    "Sorry, Mom. I think we can actually do that¡­yeah¡­from the mouth of babes¡­from the mouth of babes!"

    Juan didn''t even wait to talk this out. He just headed out the door.

    Loca was standing near the door, spying of course.

    "I want to help," Jenni said, her big dark eyes so beautiful and so nuts.

    "No."

    "I can help!" She rushed after him.

    "You''re loca."

    "Maybe, but I can still help. I have to help!"

    She grabbed his arm and they stared at each other for a long moment.

    She was nuts, yeah, but she looked determined.

    "How?"

    "I used to play with my kids with Lego''s all the time and build all sorts of-"

    "We''re not using Lego''s," Juan pointed out.

    Now the Mayor, Curtis, his Mom, Tobias and Peggy and her kid were pooling around them.

    "Yeah, I know that!" Jenni stomped her foot. "I''m saying that I know how to make plans to make things work a certain way. My kids and I built entire cities with Lego''s"

    "Me, too," Cody said.

    Juan looked at both of them.

    The Mayor was still twisting his pen in his hands. "Listen to what they have to say. It won''t hurt."

    Juan hesitated. Well, he actually wasn''t sure how he would build a corral, was he?

    "Okay, fine."

    "I have some Lego''s!" Cody ran down the hall.

    "It won''t hurt," Peggy said to Juan.

    Juan looked at everyone gathered around him. They were all loco, he decided. Hell, the world was loco. And for some reason, this made him smile.

    "Fine, fine, the kid has a good idea."

    An hour later, on a conference table, Jenni and Cody had constructed the fort with its wall and its buildings and the surrounding streets. The older kid with the hair hanging in his face had come in with the dog and started to help out. Juan just sat there, flipping through a magazine, not really paying attention.

    "So the zombies are all here," Jenni said and put tiny little Lego men in front of the wall and into the street the truck had run out of gas on.

    Curtis wandered in and looked it over. "They are all in the front, spread across from here to here."

    "It''s like they feel that is our weakest point," the older kid said and the dog whined.

    Cody, looking more like a little kid than a scared rabbit now, picked up several blocks of Lego''s that he had attached together and made a big noise as he dropped it down between two buildings. He made very effective sound effects of the zombies being crushed. Now that he was playing, he was having as much fun as a little boy can with his toys.

    Juan leaned forward watching the kid, then glanced up at Curtis. Curtis lifted his eyebrows.

    Cody picked up another stack of Lego''s and dropped it down between two other buildings. Now all the fake little zombies were trapped between the first line of defense and two large barriers hemming them into a t-shaped area.

    Jenni clapped her hands and high-fived the little boy as Juan and Curtis leaned over to look at the configuration a little more closely.

    Cody now commenced to have a plastic Godzilla from his bag of toys stomp the zombies into the ground, but an idea was already in Juan''s mind.

    Jenni looked up at the men. "We can do this, can''t we?"

    "Travis can come in from another direction. We can have the zombies all hemmed in here," Curtis decided. "They can come in from over here where there won''t be any."

    "But how do we get them in?" Jenni frowned at the tiny colored town.

    Cody laughed and picked up one of his matchbox trucks. "Like this." He swung his arm like it was a crane and set the truck down in the fort.

    Juan grabbed the kid and hugged him. "You''ve been watching us set up the site. It''s the crane he''s talking about. Maybe we can''t lift the truck in, but if they load everything onto a pallet, we can lift the load and them over the wall to safety with the crane."

    Jenni leaned over and snuggled the kid and kissed him. "You''re a genius!"

    "I just like big trucks," Cody answered and plowed the zombies down with one of his toy trucks.

    Juan grabbed a piece of paper and started drawing. He felt Jenni lean toward him and looked up.

    "We''re all in this together, you know," she said.

    "You''re still loca," he told her.

    She grinned at him and, much to his disgust, he smiled back.

    2. Threshold

    Jenni slid off her cot and sat at the edge of it, frowning. Jason was asleep, snoring slightly. Jack sat on the floor near her stepson''s cot, staring at her quizzically.

    Glancing over at Katie''s empty cot, Jenni shivered in her nightgown. It was several sizes too big, but it was all she could find in the donation box for the needy. Pushing her dark hair out of her face, she rose and walked to the door.

    Jack immediately got up and followed her. She rested her hand on his head and smiled down at the dog. He was a good and loyal friend.

    Slipping quietly out, she moved down the narrow stairwell, her bare feet not making a sound. Distantly, she could hear the zombies moaning. The living had kept well out of view of the dead, and now the zombies were just standing around moaning. Juan had been right about that. Staying out of sight kept the zombies calmer, but they certainly weren''t going away. A few kept pounding away on the trucks until their hands were a bloody pulp, but most were just standing out there.

    Jenni shivered as she thought of Katie. She couldn''t bear to see her like that. Empty, lifeless, a mere husk of whom she had been with her spark gone from her eyes. Jenni had been all over the place emotionally all day. Juan had pissed her off by calling her loca, but she had put on her best "I''m just a pretty girl" persona to get him to lay off of her and let her hear what was going on. She knew her initial reaction to the word that Katie was very sick and possibly infected had set her back in the eyes of some of the people, but she didn''t really care.

    Even now, the thought of Katie not being here was too much to bear.

    Katie had been the first good thing in her new life and she wanted to keep that. Katie made her feel safe. Katie made her feel like she was okay. Normal, not a dysfunctional battered housewife blundering through life. Katie was everything she had ever wanted to be, but had failed to be when she had married Lloyd at eighteen.

 Page 32

    Katie had given her a second chance though. A second chance at life. A new life in a world that had changed all the rules, but that she found she could actually function in. Maybe that did make her loca, but she didn''t care.

    She brushed a tear away and found her way to the communication center. Curtis sat there, still in his uniform, looking worn out and shellshocked. He had taken a shower and washed out his clothes and they clung damply to his skin, but he didn''t seem to care.

    "Avoid Houston at all costs," a voice was saying over one of the speakers.

    "Stay on the minor roads. I''ll meet up with you near Texarkana."

    "Come back again, good buddy," another voice said.

    Curtis noticed her presence and looked up at her slowly.

    "Who are they?"

    "Truckers. Looking for a place."

    "Did you tell them about us?"

    "Too far out. Too little gas. A few may make it here in a day or two, but those things¡­" He shook his head. "We have to figure out how to make it safe for more people to come here."

    Jenni stepped into the room, Jack pressing past her to go greet Curtis.

    The doggy love actually brought a smile to Curtis¡¯ face and he leaned down to rub the German Shepherd''s ears.

    "Anything on with Katie?"

    Curtis sighed. "Still real sick. Real sick."

    Jenni sat down on a cold, metal folding chair and clasped her hands tightly together. "What do they think it is?"

    "Travis is afraid it¡¯s the zombie sickness," Curtis answered her, averting his gaze from her.

    Jenni sighed. "But he''s not sure."

    Curtis nodded. "Not sure."

    Jenni looked at the little communications center, then said, "Can I sit here? And wait? Maybe they''ll call?"

    Curtis returned his gaze to her and she gave him her best "little girl lost" look. He nodded. "Sure. You can stay."

    Jenni smiled at him and pulled her knees up to her chin, her feet resting on the cold metal seat. "Turn up the CB. Maybe someone is out there that we can talk to."

    Curtis gave her a shy smile and nodded. "Okay." He leaned over and turned it up and Jenni watched him, memorizing his actions.

    The first chance she got, she would find out what was really happening to Katie.

    3. Beyond

    Travis sat in darkness. The only light came from a small night light on the far side of the room. Katie lay curled on the bed, her blond curls in disarray around her face. She looked waxen, pale, and frightfully drawn. On the dresser next to him was a revolver. Ralph had instructed him very precisely how to handle it. And Nerit had very intently insisted that he could not falter, he could not flinch. If Katie rose from that bed as anything other than a living breathing human being, he had to put her out of her misery.

    Rubbing his hands together, he let out a low sigh. This was hard. Very hard. Harder than it should be. To sit here and wait for this woman to fade from the world into the world of the dead just to put a bullet between her eyes seemed a cruel fate considering the absolute joy he had felt in meeting her just two days ago.

    It had been one of the oddest moments of his life. He had just looked at her and knew her. He felt he should know her name and that they shared a past. It was as though they had been friends who had endured much together and then were separated by life. He had felt strongly he should open his mouth and say her name, but he didn''t know her. But somehow he did. Even when she had mentioned her wife, and yeah, that had kinda threw him just a bit, in a way he had known.

    It was odd considering that Jenni, with her long flowing raven hair, pale skin, and luminous eyes was everything he had ever found desirable physically about a woman. In fact, she looked startling similar to his exfiancee Darlene. But it was the tall blond with the long, lean body, intense features, and wickedly sharp gaze that had instantly grabbed his attention.

    He had even noted how her eyes turned up slightly at the ends, speaking of Nordic blood in her genes.

    I know you, he wanted to say. And she had seemed to want to say it back to him.

    Raised a good Protestant, he didn''t believe much in miracles or the mystical. But he did now. Zombies had pretty much settled that argument.

    They weren''t natural, he knew that much. But seeing Katie and knowing she was important to not only him, but also all those in the fort, that had surpassed anything his logical mind had ever grasped before. But now he sat in this dark room, listening to her breathe, waiting for the end. He was convinced of it now.

    At times she called out softly for Lydia. At other times her father. Once or twice for Jenni.

    "Please," she had begged Travis once during a lucid moment. "Take care of Jenni."

    He knew he would take care of Jenni. And Jason. And all the others. For Katie and her memory. She had endured more than he had. Seen things he could not imagine. His loss had been a Dear John letter left on his pillow.

    Hers had been seeing Lydia as one of those things.

    There was a sharp intake of breath from the bed¡­then nothing.

    Tears, hot and angry, filled his eyes and he picked up the gun.

    It was time.

    Travis stood in the darkened bedroom gazing down at the gun. His tears were fierce in his eyes and his anger burned even hotter in his throat.

    He heard the bed creak and through his lashes saw her rise.

    "I''m sorry," he said, and lifted the gun.

    "Why?"

    He blinked and tears fell down his cheeks. "Katie?"

    "Yeah?"

    Travis flipped on the overhead light and she sat blinking in the sudden brightness. She still looked pale and frail, but her eyes were bright again.

    Clear. Alive.

    "Oh, God, Katie! I thoughtShe kept blinking in the bright light, shielding her face with her hand. "I told you nothing bit me."

    "Katie, you''ve been so sick," Travis looked down at the gun and set it upon the dresser. As the heavy weight of it left his hand, a heavier weight lifted from his spirit. With great relief, he walked toward her.

    For a crazed split second, he saw her with empty eyes, mouth opened in a scream, rushing toward him, then it was gone and Katie was giving him a look that said pretty much what she was thinking.

    She thought he was nuts.

    "Sorry, about the gun, but you were burning up and we couldn''t get the fever down for the longest time¡­"

    "That''s what I get for not getting the flu shot," Katie pushed a hand through her hair, wincing at the grubbiness of it. "Gawd, I must be a sight."

    Travis laughed suddenly and impulsively leaned down and hugged her.

    In just two days, she felt so tiny and frail. Already slim, the drain on her body resources had been powerful. She awkwardly hugged him back. She tried to stand up. Her body was determined to keep her seated.

    "Okay, I guess I was really sick." She fell back onto the bed and looked a little woozy.

    "Scary sick." Travis responded and sat next to her on the bed. He took hold of her hand and looked at her arm. "We couldn''t figure out if it was the zombie infection or not. Your scrape happened on one of the trucks. I didn''t know if the blood and guts from the zombies may have infected you." Peeling back the bandage, he revealed a nicely healing wound. "But we saw no signs of infection but you were burning up and we couldn''t keep anything in you."

    Katie grimaced and shook her head. She touched her hair again and made a face. "Gawd, I''m so gross right now. None of you could have known this, but when I get the flu I go down like an elephant. I always have and that is why I usually get the flu shot. I skipped this year due to a big case and just never finding the time. Who knows what diseases all those dead bodies have unleashed into the air?" She shivered at the thought. Looking down she saw she was dressed in a nightgown that was probably Nerit''s.

    "The flu," Travis said with relief. "Thank God, just the fucking everyday flu." He leaned forward and ran his hands over his face.

    Katie draped her arm over his broad shoulders and gave him a little hug.

    "I''m a tough bitch. A little bug like that can''t keep me down for long. I always bounce back."

    He looked up at her and said, "You''re something else, you know that."

    She gave him an impish smile. "I was called the Bitch Queen of the Prosecution. That has to say something about me."

    "Tough as nails, eh?"

    "Eat them for breakfast," Katie said.

    She looked frail, but her voice was strong. She had ridden out the worst of it and was on the mend. He could tell that by the brightness in her eyes.

    Now that she was sitting next to him, smiling at him, he couldn''t imagine why he had thought she would go out of the world so easily.

    "I was really worried about you." He took hold of her hand. It felt a little cold, fragile, the bones under her skin so very delicate. "I thought you were gone. And we need you. You''re smart, resourceful, and¡­and¡­"

    "Bitchy."

    "No, very real. I feel like what I see is what you are. I like that about you.

    That is why I wanted to know you better the second I met you. I knew in my heart that you were the type of person that could help all of us survive and keep us human. Not just keeping us from being zombies, but keeping us compassionate."

 Page 33

    "You give me way too much credit," Katie said swiftly.

    "You rode into town with a kid, a dog, and a woman who doesn''t have all her marbles and you were all alive and not bitten. That is an amazing feat all unto itself. When Jenni told me all you''ve done¡­" He shook his head. "To have lost you would have cost all of us."

    Katie frowned at him and said, "Stop it. I''m going to cry. And I don''t cry!"

    Travis laughed and his eyes sparkled with tears. "Well, I''m much more butch than you and I cry."

    Katie rolled her eyes, than laughed and ran a hand over her hair. "Ugh, my hair!" She staggered to her feet and went to the mirror on the wall. "I need a bath. Fast."

    "I would insist on you laying back down, but I don''t think that will work."

    "Absolutely not." Katie fussed with her greasy, matted hair and threw up her hands. "Ugh!"

    "Okay, you can take a shower, but I''m staying right here and you''re leaving that door open. If you fall I need to be able to go in immediately."

    "Fine¡­fine¡­"

    She stumbled about a bit and he considered helping her, but figured she wouldn''t appreciate it. Grabbing up a fresh pair of jeans and a white tank top, she managed to get herself into the bathroom.

    There was a gentle knock on the door and Travis opened it. Nerit stood there with her yellowish hair falling over one shoulder and one hand holding her flannel robe shut.

    "How is she?" Her voice was anxious, then she saw the empty bed and heard the shower. "She''s up?"

    "And lucid. And feisty. Weak as hell, but she''s okay."

    Nerit clasped her hands together and smiled. "Oh, thank goodness! I woke up fearing the worst!"

    "Honestly, I almost put one between her eyes. But, luckily, she spoke. I was so convinced she was gone."

    Nerit hugged Travis and looked toward the open bathroom door. "I must tell Ralph!"

    She scurried off and Travis hesitantly walked toward the door.

    Maybe I''m dreaming and she died and I shot her and I''m dreaming, he thought for a moment.

    And then he saw her outline behind the shower curtain and the tension between his shoulders lessened.

    Again, for a moment, he saw a flash of Katie sitting up, eyes dead, screaming, and trushing toward him¡­

    But that hadn''t happened.

    He stood with his back to the bathroom and hands in his pockets as he waited. He was still afraid. Afraid of what had nearly happened and he was shaken.

    Katie finally emerged with her wet hair up on top of her head. Damp little curls spilled over her brow and her shoulders poking out of the tank top were a little bonier than before. The men''s jeans she was wearing slung a little low on her hips and showed that she had lost a little weight. But despite her delicate appearance, Travis knew she was going to be okay.

    "I need to talk to Jenni," she said, ignoring his obvious examination of her appearance.

    Feeling a little embarrassed and awkward, he nodded.

    Taking her arm, he helped her down the hall. He knew she was feeling weak because she did not protest. They entered a small room where the CB radio was set up and a man in his forties with a wide, pleasant face looked up.

    "Hey, you made it!" He gave her an enormous grin that lit up his rather plain face.

    Katie nodded and said, "You''re Bill, right?"

    "Yep, that''s me. I take it you want to call your friends?"

    "Please," Katie sat down heavily in a chair and Travis steadied her with one hand. "Then I want to eat something really bad."

    "Sure thing, give me a moment." Bill messed with the dials and started talking.

    Katie looked up at Travis and laid her hand over his. "Thank you. For watching over me. For making sure I was okay."

    Travis felt a little flushed and nodded. "No problem. Really?"

    "¡­she''s up and talking," Bill said into the microphone.

    It sounded like there was a brief struggle of some kind on the other end then a voice said, "Katie! Katie! It''s me!"

    Bill laughed and handed the Mic over to Katie. Travis couldn''t help but laugh a little, imagining Jenni virtually climbing over Curtis to get to the microphone.

    "And it''s me, Jenni. I''m okay. It was just the flu."

    "Oh, thank God!" And Jenni broke down crying and her sobs were loud over the speakers. "I was so scared! So scared! But we''re going to find a way to get you back in and you''ll be safe here!"

    Katie smiled and winked at Travis. "I know, Jenni. I know. And I know you were looking after me in your own way. I felt it. We''ll come home. I promise. Soon."

    Travis could see tears in Katie''s eyes and turned away. He felt emotional and unsteady on his feet. Nerit and Ralph were in the doorway now and Katie reached out to them and they both grabbed her hand.

    The most radiant smile he had ever seen on any woman''s face lit up Katie''s features and he felt almost as if he was basking in it.

    For the first time since the world had slid sideways into hell, he felt a moment of happiness, and it felt delicious.

    Chapter 12

    1. Dancing for the Dead

    Two days later, the excitement in the fort was a tangible, electric force sweeping through all the survivors. It seemed as if everyone was drawn outside, into the morning sunlight, to watch what had been dubbed "Operation Little Doggy".

    Even Old Man Watson came out and sat in a plastic chair in the sun to watch. He was their oldest survivor at ninety-three and he had ended up at city hall only because he had come in to pay his water bill when the zombies had arrived. His arms were covered in tattoos from his Navy days and he mostly sat around and just smiled at everyone. It took Jenni a while to realize he couldn''t hear hardly at all. She went out of her way to talk very loudly to him and explain the plan to him.

    He had patted her on the head and said, "You give em hell, kid."

    Jenni had been the first person to sign up on the volunteer sheet for Operation Little Doggy. Jason was second. They were both determined to help in the project that would bring Katie and Travis home safely with their load of guns and supplies. Everyone else in the Fort was more concerned about Travis returning with the guns than they were about Katie. It annoyed Jenni, but she understood these people didn''t know Katie like she did. Also, the more she listened to the townsfolk talk about Travis, the more evident it was that when he had moved to the town to help with the reconstruction of the downtown area, he had caused an immediate stir.

    "Movie star looks, nice as can be, volunteering down at the senior center," Peggy had said to Jenni as they had washed dishes the night before.

    Everyone had to do his or her part and Jenni didn''t mind. "Caused an immediate stir. All the ladies, old and young, had mad crushes on him. And honestly, I don''t think he noticed. He''s nursing a broken heart. He told me his fiancee left him when he gave up his high paying job as a architect and went back to construction."

    Jenni had absorbed that, considered it, and tucked it away for later. She had seen Travis'' subtle charisma in action and she had been very much affected by it. Weirdly, she thought Katie was, too. But she had seen something in his eyes when he gazed at her and she felt pretty confident in it.

    Time would tell all things, of course.

    Now she stood next to Jason, clad in the same outfit she had left Ralph''s in. It had been washed numerous times and now had a softness to it that she found comforting. Jason had told Jack to stay with Old Man Watson so he could help with his volunteer crew and now the German Shepherd sat faithfully next to the old man getting his ears scratched.

    "Okay, the cement is mixed on the other side," Juan said, approaching the groups of volunteers. "Just do what we told you and make it quick. We don''t want to give these zombies any ideas. Try to keep low and out of view."

    Jenni and Jason quickly scaled the ladder over the cement wall and down the other side. The Hurricane fence was easy to scale and she dropped over the other side easily. Jason dropped down second. The other members of their team, six in all, started the process of handing over long wicked spikes over the wall and fence using a conveyor belt system. Another man, Mike, a tall black man, also dropped over the fence.

    The day before a crew of the construction workers had worked long and hard with sledgehammers creating deep gouges in the sidewalk that divided the fence from the line of trucks. Now, Mike helped lower a large spike into the ground and Jenni and Jason held it into position. Freshly made cement was then poured into the deep hole around the bottom of the spike.

    It seemed easy enough at first, but as the morning wore on, Jenni grew tired. The spikes were bits of the old wrought iron fence the construction crew had torn down. They were heavy and, after awhile, her muscles began to ache. But the spikes had been something Juan had insisted upon. If the zombies became "climbing" zombies, Juan wanted something waiting for them they tried to drop down. The spikes were staggered in such a way that you had duck low and around them to get safely through. Anyone jumping down from on top the trucks would be impaled. Her little team moved quickly, but it was still exhausting and she was covered with sweat. What made it harder was the sheer, nasty stench of the dead just on the other side of the ring of trucks. Their moans and screeches indicated they were stirred up, sensing warm flesh nearby.

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    Jason''s hair hung in wet, long strands in his eyes and he looked at her and blew them up out of his eyes. "Eh, maybe I do need a haircut."

    She giggled and they helped maneuver another spike into place.

    Soon the forest of spikes was ready; all of them angled at a deadly slant to capture anyone attempting to jump down. It would likely not kill the zombies, but it would slow them down.

    Finally, they clambered back into the fortress and got a round of applause. The storage containers that had lined the back of the old building with the faded advertisement on it were now rigged with chains as a harness.

    Juan walked toward Jenni and the rest of the crews and said, "Okay, so far so good."

    Jenni giggled and pulled off her heavy gloves. ''Piece of cake."

    "So far, Loca, but we have more to do." He walked past her and up onto to the stairs that led up to a sentry post in the corner of their makeshift fortress. He looked out over the crowd of zombies and turned around to motion to the crane operator high above them.

    With a whine, the huge crane snagged the first of the storage units and lifted it high into the air. The forty foot long container that stood almost ten feet tall was used for storing a lot of the materials that were to be used in the construction of the building. But now it would serve another purpose. The crane arm slowly swung the unit over the construction site and Juan continued to motion and direct the operator.

    Jenni joined some other people standing on a pile of cement bags to try to watch.

    Slowly, the arm swung into position and the container was carefully aligned to fit into the road below. Juan motioned again and the container lowered slowly over the heads of the zombies reaching for it. Finally, it descended, smashing them beneath its weight. It was almost a perfect fit.

    The crane arm swung back into position as Jenni ran across the site to where Juan was. She just had to see what was going on. Running up the steps, the sea of zombies came into view and she gasped.

    Some were beating on the storage container that almost completely cut off the street to the right of the fortress. Most were reaching toward the people that were visible on the platform, screeching, howling, and pushing hard against the large trucks in front of them.

    The crane arm swung overhead again, but this time dropped large bags full of earth between the end of the storage container and the storefront it had settled in front off.

    Now the road was cut off.

    Juan turned to Jenni. "Not bad, huh?"

    She grinned and looked over the crowd again.

    Tobias stood nearby, shaking his head. "We slaughter them instead of helping them."

    "What do you suggest we do, huh? Give them some vitamin C and some aspirin and tell them to get some rest?" Juan shook his head with disgust.

    That was when Jenni noticed that the crowd was shifting slightly. It was almost as if they knew they were about to get trapped in a narrow space with nowhere to go unless they backtracked up the road.

    "Shit!" She watched some moving toward the zone that Juan said they needed to keep clear. Frowning, she watched some of them looking up at the container now being hefted into the air.

    Jenni took off running, down the stairs, across the site, toward city hall.

    Rushing up the back stairs, she wasn''t sure what she was doing until she saw the staircase to the second floor. She ran up the stairs, taking two at a time, then turned down another hallway. The third floor had a small narrow balcony that was forbidden to everyone since it overlooked the street. She ripped down the "do not enter" sign and pushed open the door and stumbled out onto the balcony.

    It gave a warning creak, but held her weight.

    "Hey, dead fuckers! Up here!"

    The ones that were moving toward the forbidden area turned their heads upwards and looked straight up at her. Immediately, they began to screech and reach for her. They pushed up against the truck barrier.

    Jenni noticed a few that were not paying attention so she danced along the balcony screaming, "Over here, stupid fuckers! Hey, dead ass! Up here!

    Fine quality human flesh up here!"

    Jenni waved her hands over her head and flipped off the zombies as they looked up. Seeing she had an audience, she showed them her ass, wiggled it, and did the most annoying faces she could think of. The zombies howled in response as she whipped them up into a frenzy.

    She noticed the container was on its way down so she got to the end of the balcony and nearly hung over it, getting as many zombies as she could to move directly under her.

    "Hey, freaks, hey, guess what? I''m not for dinner!"

    The container came down. There was a mighty thank as it settled down onto the road and a gush of blood and gore came out from beneath it as Jenni managed to get almost ten taken out with one blow.

    Laughing almost maniacally, she grabbed hold of the rail and taunted the nearly completely trapped zombies to follow her away from the slight gap between the storage container and the wall of the store. She kept taunting them until the crane arm delivered the bags of dirt that completely cut off the left-hand side of the street. The zombies were now trapped in a t-shaped corral.

    Dancing across the balcony, Jenni laughed her ass off. The balcony gave a loud moan and Jenni realized the show was over.

    "Oh, shit!" She dove back in the door and the balcony shuddered, but stayed in place.

    Juan stood in the hallway just inside the doorway. He looked past her into the corral, seem satisfied with what he saw, then looked back at her.

    "You''re loca," he said simply and walked away.

    Jenni grinned, turned and held her hands over her head like Nixon flashing the victory sign and retreated into the city hall.

    Behind her, the zombies moaned and groaned.

    2. Family Ties that Bind

    Jason trudged across the construction site, Jack at his heels, his hand wiping the sweat off his brow. He was exhausted. He had been helping with defenses all day and his body hurt with every movement he made. His long bangs were soaked with sweat and he had finally borrowed a rubber band and managed to get most of his hair into a stubby ponytail. Now a few wisps fell around his face and he flicked his hand at them with annoyance.

    Jenni was sitting at a table with several of the townspeople. He was proud of her. He knew how hard it was for her to socialize with more than one or two people at a time. But she seemed to be changing, getting bolder.

    Hell, that dance on the balcony had proven that.

    His dad had been a shithead. Pure and simple. Jason hadn''t realized that for years. His Mom had told him horror stories of her marriage to his Dad, but he hadn''t believed her. Even when numerous family members told him that the reason his Mom had custody of him was because his Dad had sent her to the hospital too many times for the Judge to ignore, he hadn''t believed it. When his Dad had come for his supervised visits, he was always charming and kind and brought Jason the coolest new things for a kid his age. There was no way his Dad was an abuser.

    It wasn''t until his Mother died that he had finally been able to meet his half-brothers, Benji and Mikey. For a long time he had refused to meet them or his stepmother out of loyalty to his Mom. He was all his Mom had after all.

    But when she had died, he had been packed up and shipped off to his Dad''s house a state away. Jenni had sent him a very sweet email asking him about his likes and dislikes and he had hated her for it. When he arrived at the house, he had been shocked to see how much Jenni looked like his Mom.

    More shocked when he had been shown his new bedroom and everything he had told Jenni (some of it bullshit) was in the room. She had decorated it in his favorite colors with his favorite band posters on the walls. He had hated her more for that. He had gone down to dinner to find his favorite dish on the table. He had fiercely hated her then.

    And then that fateful day came. His perfect father had suddenly become irate at something Jason had done and his face had contorted with a rage that terrified Jason. He had lifted his hand to strike Jason, but Jenni had thrown herself in front of him and had taken the blow. Jason had watched in horror as his Dad beat her without mercy for interrupting his "discipline of my son.¡±

    Mikey, who everyone said was growing up to be a football player, had launched himself across the room and onto his father. And then all hell had broken loose upon their household.

    When Jenni had come into his room several hours later to put a glass of water on his bed stand, her lips puffy and cracked, her one eye swollen shut, limping slightly, Jason had flung his arms around her bruised body and wept uncontrollably. It was then that he had realized that all those years his Mother had been telling the truth. And he had wept tears of guilt over his doubt.

    After that, he didn''t hate Jenni at all. He, in fact, loved her very much.

    And he had loved his siblings. In some weird way, he had loved his dad still.

    But their home had been violent. He and Jenni had worn bruises. Sometimes, even Mikey. There were times all of them, even Benji, were in the brawl. That their home had ended in violence was not surprising. In fact, Jason was sure Mikey had turned back to launch himself at their zombified Dad screaming,

    "Don''t touch my mom!"

    He winced at the thought and walked into city hall. Several people, older people, were carefully cataloging all the food that had been moved into one room for storage. Taking inventory had been something Travis had told them to do during one of the long conversations with him over the CB.

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    Up the stairs, down a hall, he moved toward the dining room. Tobias stood near the windows overlooking the street. Curtains covered the windows to keep the zombies from seeing the humans. But they still knew that living flesh was just out of their reach.

    "He looks up at me and I know he knows who I am," Tobias said softly.

    "What?" Jason stopped.

    "My son." Tobias drew back the curtain and pointed.

    It was hard for Jason to determine the zombie he was pointing to. The hot Texas sun was slow cooking the zombies and their skin was crisped to a dark color and splitting. It was hard to tell the race of anyone.

    "He looks up at me and I know, I know, he wants me to help him and the children," Tobias said softly. His voice was very unreal, disconnected.

    "Look, dude, I think maybe we should go find your wife."

    "I don''t want to speak to her. She''s given up on them. But I won''t. I can''t." Tobias looked at Jason. "How can I?"

    Jack whined a little and Jason moved to close the window. "You shouldn''t let them see us."

    "How can I give up?" Tobias persisted.

    "You can because they''re dead," Jason answered. As he closed the curtain, he said, "My brothers, my dad, my friends, are all dead. They''re just like that. Undead. And you have to let them go or else they will kill you and make you what they are."

    "But this isn''t reality. This isn''t how the world works. They have to be sick. In need of medical care, but we slaughter them." Tears slipped from Tobias¡¯ eyes.

    Jason shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "Look, dude, I think we should find someone to talk to you."

    Tobias shook his head. "There is no talking. They need us and we deny them. We need to go out there and tend their wounds. I don''t believe these lies about those poor people eating people. It''s a lie."

    Jason shook his head. "No, I swear, it is not."

    Tobias just stared at him, turned and started down the hall.

    Jack whined after him, then looked up at Jason. Jason took a breath, ran a hand over his hair before following after Tobias. There were construction workers coming into the building to get something to drink and maybe a snack. Jason had to push through a bit of a crowd to get down the stairs and out of the building.

    When he got outside, he looked around for the older man. The site was a bit of mess considering all the work they were doing and he wandered around. Threading his way past living areas set up under tarps and past large piles of equipment, he finally saw Tobias standing on the platform that Juan had told everyone to stay off of. The plan was to put up a screen to shield the sentries from the zombie''s view. Tobias stood on the platform waving at the crowd beyond the truck perimeter.

    "Hey, dude, get down from there!" Jason started to jog toward the older man.

    Tobias hesitated at the sound of his voice then began to push one of the longer ladders from the platform, over the wall, over the fence and toward the top of the trucks. The wall and fence held up its weight and it''s length barely reached the trucks. The older man didn''t even test its sturdiness, but began to crawl over it.

    Jason reached the platform and fell to his knees to grip the end of the ladder to hold it in place. The crowd of zombies began to go nuts. Though he was far away from the zombies, the sight made Jason feel sick.

    "Come back, dude! Come back!"

    When the ladder see-sawed,Tobias stopped for a moment, and then continued on.

    "Mom!" Jason shouted. "Mom!"

    Jenni looked up from her far corner, saw him holding the ladder, and came running.

    Tobias reached the fence and began to crawl over the spikes.

    Nearby, a woman gave out a cry and Jason was sure it was Tobias'' wife.

    Jenni reached the steps just as Juan did. They jostled each other as the moved up the stairs and reached the platform at the same time. Jason noticed Jenni''s gun was already in her hand.

    "What the hell is he doing?" Juan took off his cowboy hat and ran a hand over his hair.

    "He was talking about his family. About how they needed help. He said he didn''t believe the stories about them eating people."

    Jack started barking crazily at the zombies and Jenni gave him a stern look and ordered him back down the stairs. Jack gave her a plaintive look, but obeyed.

    Tobias reached the top of the trucks and started to walk over them, maneuvering over the dirt trucks, the cargo trucks, the heavy sandbags, his arms held out to keep his balance.

    "Tobias, come back!" A woman had joined them and her expression was desperate.

    Tobias hesitated and looked back at them. "I will not abandon our family. I will not give in to superstition." He walked on until he reached the edge of the truck perimeter. Kneeling, he held out his hand toward the throng below. He started calling out names and Jason could see the crowd getting more and more riled.

    "Come back," the woman kept screaming.

    Jenni looked at Juan and showed him the gun. Juan nodded and Jason looked back toward Tobias sadly.

    The older man had now slid down onto his stomach and reached down over the crowd to one particular zombie most likely, but it was too hard to tell. And then it happened. One of the taller zombies managed to snag his arm and began to pull him down into the crowd. Since his back was to them, Jason did not know if Tobias had finally realized the error of his ways or not.

    But there was no more time to Tobias to consider if his idea to go to his family was faulty. Jenni''s gun let out a sharp bark and Tobias head split open.

    Limp, he was dragged down into the crowd.

    Jenni turned away and looked at Jason. He couldn''t help but watch as gouts of blood exploded over the heads of the zombies and a battle for flesh began among them.

    "Don''t look," she said softly.

    "You killed him."

    "I saved him," Jenni said firmly.

    Jason looked at her finally, horrified at what she had done. "But you killed him." She was so sweet, so kind, so nice, he couldn''t fathom it.

    "I saved him. He won''t have to know what it feels like to be torn apart.

    He won''t have to know what it is to be living dead. I saved him."

    Jason looked down the stairs toward Jack who was waiting for him.

    Pressing his lips together, he nodded. "I get it. But, Jenni, you''re a Mom.

    You''re sweet. You shouldn''t kill."

    Jenni put her arm around him and they descended the stairs, Juan at their backs, guiding Tobias¡¯ sobbing widow.

    "In this world, Jason, we all have to kill."

    He sighed softly and put an arm around her.

    They reached the bottom and Jenni turned to the widow. "I''m sorry."

    "No, no, thank you," the woman said softly. "You did the right thing. He just couldn''t accept what is happening."

    Peggy came and led the widow away.

    Jason looked at Jenni for a long moment, studying her, then said, "I''m glad you''re my Mom."

    She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. She then made a face and stuck out her tongue. "Ewwww¡­go take a shower!"

    Jason gave her his best sullen look. "Fine. You''re so bossy." He trudged away, glancing back at her a few times. She stared down at the gun, running her other hand over it gently, her expression distant.

    "This is one fucked up world," Jason told Jack.

    The dog woofed in agreement and they walked on.

    Chapter 13

    1. A Taste of Hell

    Katie sat at the kitchen table taking a long sip of her very hot, slightly bitter coffee. It almost scalded her tongue, but it felt deliciously good going down. Nearby, Nerit was finishing up the breakfast dishes. Katie had offered to help her, but Nerit had gently rebuffed her. The last few days, it was fairly obvious that Nerit had enjoyed nursing Katie back to health, fussing and fretting after her, and making sure she rested.

    Despite her abrupt return to the realm of consciousness, she had still remained weakened. Dizziness, nausea and the occasional fever had haunted her up to thirty-six hours ago. Now, at last, she felt stronger and the sickness was finally behind her.

    The old hunting dog strolled in, slow and steady on his stiff legs, and up to his water bowl to get a drink. Katie let her fingers brush over his back as he passed her by and wondered how Jack was doing. She had been able to talk to Jenni for twenty minutes the night before and she couldn''t remember if Jenni had mentioned the dog. Jenni had mostly talked about how they had corralled the zombies and how someone had been stupid enough to try to "save" his family from the mass of zombies. That, of course, had not ended well. Jenni also talked of how they had fixed up the fort, roping off areas as "living" areas, while others were strictly security or construction related.

    Katie had seen Travis making all sorts of drawings and writing down odd equations. She knew that he and Juan spoke a lot late at night. Though he hadn''t said as much, she had a feeling Travis had plans to make their new home even more secure.

    Standing up, holding her cup tightly in her slim fingers, she strolled over to the counter and leaned her hip against it.

    "Nerit?"

    "Yes, dear?"

    "Why won''t you and Ralph come to the fort?"

 Page 36

    Nerit hesitated in drying a plate and looked up at Katie. "This is our home."

    "But once we leave, you''ll be here alone."

    Nerit nodded and put the plate up. Picking up a glass, she began to dry it. "Katie, Ralph has three sons. I have two sons. We have grandchildren. We do not know where they are. If they are safe, alive, on the run, or¡­They will come here if they can. At least Ralph''s sons will. Mine are in Israel. I have very little hope of hearing from them."

    Katie looked down and her vision blurred just a bit from the tears she felt starting to brim. "I see."

    "This is all we have left now. If we leave, we leave behind all of it. We are very old and all we have is this shop. This little town. The hope that our children may still be alive with their children somewhere out there."

    Katie pressed her lips together, then nodded. She couldn''t blame Nerit.

    If she could have holed up somewhere with Lydia, safe and secure, and ride this out, she would have. "I understand."

    Travis leaned in the doorway. "Katie, how are you feeling?"

    "Good. Good."

    "I could use your help," he said. "If Nerit doesn''t mind you abandoning her."

    Nerit laughed and shooed them away. "Go, go, do what you need."

    Katie walked out into the hall and looked at Travis. He looked surprisingly sheepish.

    "Okay, Ralph and I have packed up all the guns, ammo, and clothes from the shop that we think the Fort needs. We''re heading over to the grocery store for anything else we may need." Travis blushed even more now. "Uh, there are¡­um¡­things." He was now looking everywhere but at her face.

    "Uh¡­women things."

    Katie rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, my God, Travis. Didn''t you ever buy tampons for a girlfriend."

    Travis winced. "I try to block that memory."

    Katie brushed past him laughing and headed down the stairs. Bill and Ralph were in the store, both dressed up in hunting outfits, rifles slung over their arms casually. Katie looked out the window to see the old white truck was in a new position and Travis had evidently constructed a sturdy pallet on the truck bed to carry the haul back to the fort.

    "I hear we''re going shopping?"

    "Yep, next door. Put on a jacket and grab a gun," Ralph said with a grin at her.

    "I thought you cleared out the town?"

    "Can''t take a chance," Ralph answered.

    "There are probably more out there wandering around," Bill added. He pulled a baseball cap on. "There are lots of farms and trailer parks out in those hills. We can''t let down our guard."

    "Makes sense," Katie sighed.

    Travis handed her a hunting jacket and she shrugged it on. Picking up a gun, she looked over her shoulder at the men.

    "So, basically, I''m risking my life because you pansies don''t want to pick up the tampons," she said with a grin.

    All three nodded.

    "Yep."

    "Pretty much."

    "Uh huh."

    Katie shook her head and looked out the front door at the grocery store across the way. It was very small, old fashioned. The road was clear except for the truck. She had heard, through her fever, that Ralph and Bill and dragged the bodies onto the back of a truck and drove a ways out of town, before dumping them into a ditch. This was not a time for proper burial.

    Ralph and Bill were the first ones out the door, followed by Katie, then Travis. Travis walked stiffly, the gun in his hands obviously making him uncomfortable, but it was equally obvious that Ralph had been working with him.

    Ralph swept his gaze over the few buildings that made up his town and motioned it was clear. One by one, they passed into the small grocery store through the rotating door. Inside, it was in shambles. Dark brown blood smears were everywhere. Bits of flesh were rotting on the floor.

    Katie coughed and covered her mouth with her hand. Travis pulled a bandanna from a stand near a sunglass rack and tied it around her head, making sure it covered her mouth and nose loosely. He then did the same for himself. Bill and Ralph just seemed to deal with it. Katie could still smell the stench, but not as strongly. Mostly she smelled the fresh, starchy smell of brand new cloth.

    Grabbing a cart, she started to walk down one of the four narrow aisles.

    There were lots of cans and boxes on the floor, but there was still a lot of stuff crammed on the shelves. She looked for the medicinal/hygiene area and began to load up. All sorts of vitamins, cold and flu remedies, allergy medicine, and cough medicine all went into her cart. The men busied themselves sorting through the food items.

    It was still cold in the store, the air conditioner whirring away. How long the power grid would stay up was anyone''s guess. They were all surprised it had lasted this long. She started shoving shampoos, deodorant and all sorts of hygiene items into the cart. It filled up pretty quickly. She returned to the front of the door, trying not to look at a small gray hand tucked under the edge of the front counter, and took another cart.

    It was about ten minutes later she heard a noise coming from the back office. She motioned to Travis and he crept up beside her. She motioned to the door and took a stance that showed she was ready to shoot. Ralph had said the store was clear, but they couldn''t take a chance.

    Travis leaned forward, turned the knob, and shoved the door open. It was the manager''s office and two little black and white TV sets were on. The office looked empty. They both looked at each other and shrugged.

    Then they head the whispering. "Not fast¡­enough¡­not fast¡­enough¡­ not fast¡­enough¡­"

    Both of them slid into the office, nearly filling the narrow space with their presence. Drawing close to the desk, Katie and Travis both looked over.

    They saw the tip of a woman''s pink shoe.

    "Hello?" Katie''s voice cracked slightly.

    "Not fast¡­enough¡­not fast¡­enough¡­"

    A woman''s pale face drew out of the shadow''s long enough to gaze up at them then she retreated back under the desk.

    "Not fast¡­enough¡­not fast¡­enough¡­"

    Katie moved slightly to peer further under the desk and she could see the woman''s eyes glinting with the light from the twin TVs. She looked over and saw that the security videotape was on. It showed what had happened on that horrible first day. It would play a scene, then rewind. Katie saw the little red light of the remote control glowing under the desk. The woman had it clutched in her hand.

    Looking back at the screen, she saw the security camera point of view of the entire store. A man was lying on the floor, having a violent fit. People were gathered all around him. Then he stilled. And even though she knew it was coming, when he sat up and grabbed the nearest person and bit into him, Katie jumped. Some people ran as others just stood and gaped. The man stood up after wresting a huge chunk of flesh from his first victim.

    A woman turned and ran. Behind her, a boy turned and followed. They were almost to the back of the store and out of view when the first zombie grabbed the boy.

    The VCR rewound.

    "¡­not fast¡­enough¡­" the voice whispered from under the desk.

    Travis looked at Katie and then back at the screen. "Oh, God."

    Katie took a deep breath. "Ralph! We found a survivor!"

    The minute the words were out of her mouth, she wondered if it was true. For from beneath the desk came a voice devoid of life whispering "Not¡­fast¡­enough¡­"

    2. The Abyss

    "¡­not fast¡­enough¡­not fast¡­enough¡­"

    Katie wedged past Travis and moved so she could kneel down and see the woman hunkered under the desk.

    The young woman flinched when she saw Katie and turned her head to one side, her body quivering. She kept one eye firmly on the TV sets as she tried to draw her legs under the desk.

    "C''mon," Katie said.

    "¡­not fast¡­enough¡­" she said again.

    One hand was curled around the remote control. The other hand was thrown up against the side of the desk. She was a young woman who now looked very old. Her skin was stretched tight and taunt over her facial features, her arms and legs emaciated. She reeked of urine and shit and Katie could see she was sitting in a nest of her own filth.

    Katie ran a hand over her face, pulling her bandanna from her nose and mouth so it hung loose around her neck. The smell was awful, but she needed the woman to look at her and not the TV.

    "My name is Katie. This is Travis. Our friends Ralph and Bill are here, too. We''re going to take you somewhere safe."

    The woman shook her head violently, but her eyes never left the TV.

    "¡­not fast¡­enough.."

    Katie looked over at Travis. "This isn''t going to be easy."

    He looked perplexed and out of his depth. "Just tell me what to do."

    Katie edged forward and reached out to the woman. "We''re going to take you away from here. Please, give me your hand. You can take a shower and eat some food."

    The woman again shook her head; one bright blue eye fastened determinedly on the TV.

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    Katie looked at the image replaying once more on the grainy black and white set. Sighing, she said to Travis, "Get ready."

    He blinked, confused.

    Katie twisted around and ejected the tape from the VCR.

    There was a hoarse scream and almost immediately the woman was on her. Her bony, desperate hands clawed at Katie''s, trying to wrest the tape from her fingers. Travis grabbed the bone-thin woman about the waist and lifted her up into the air and over the desk.

    Kicking and screaming, the woman languished in his arms. Her body twisted into odd angles and dried bits of excrement fell from her dress and legs.

    Katie gagged but managed to get to her feet despite the woman''s kicks.

    The woman''s eyes were wide, terrified, uncomprehending. Katie handed her the tape.

    The woman instantly went limp, holding the tape against her heaving chest along with the remote control. Her eyes wide, staring, unseeing of anything beyond the black and white image replaying in her mind''s eye, she began to murmur, "¡­not fast¡­enough."

    Katie took hold of the woman''s arm and Travis set the woman down slowly. The woman swayed, but stood, staring blankly.

    Ralph and Bill stood in the doorway, both wearing looks of utter shock and revulsion. Finally, Bill said, "It''s Laura Matthews."

    "Shit, I opened the door and nothing ran at me or answered when I called out. I didn''t think to look under the desk," Ralph said remorsefully.

    "I''m sorry, Laura hon. I didn''t know you were hiding."

    Laura didn''t move. She showed no recognition of her name.

    "She had a son?"

    "Younger brother. She basically raised him after their mom died." Bill shook his head sadly. "We dumped his body with the rest of them a few days back."

    "How did she live?" Bill looked amazed.

    Ralph pointed toward a water dispenser tucked near the desk. "Probably drank water. Don''t need food as long as you got water. At least for awhile."

    Laura just stared, slightly swaying.

    Katie gently pulled on her arm and Laura stumbled forward, but managed to walk. Katie carefully led her through the store, trying to not smell the utter reek of the girl or look into her blank eyes.

    Once outside, the girl shuddered and grabbed tighter to the tape and the remote. Katie looked at Travis to see that he was quite ashen. She somewhat smiled at him and they began to walk across the road.

    The shriek was what made her jump and drop the girl''s arm. A flash of movement had her twirling around, gun raised.

    "Shit!" Travis fumbled with the safety on his gun.

    Katie''s gaze took in the form of something streaking toward her, a flash of red, black and white. She raised the rifle effortlessly and fired. Fine red spray splattered her and the girl and the headless zombie sprawled onto the ground a few feet from them.

    "Yep. Still not safe," Ralph said as he stepped into the road.

    Katie took hold of the young woman''s arm. Laura was staring at the zombie, blood splatter decorating her drawn features and scrawny body.

    "¡­not¡­fast¡­enough¡­" she said.

    Katie sighed. "Yes, we were. We were fast enough. We''re safe. You''re safe."

    She pulled the girl along toward safety. But as they walked, she realized that the young woman so desperately clutching the videotape of her brother''s death would never truly be safe again.

    3. Down the Rabbit Hole

    Katie pulled Laura into the hunting store behind her then looked toward the guys. "I have her. You guys can finish up."

    Travis reached in and took Katie''s arm gently and looked into her eyes.

    "Katie¡­" He faltered, as if he wanted to say something, but he wasn''t sure what.

    "I''ll take care of her with Nerit."

    He nodded, let go of her, and left the store. The door shut behind him with a loud click.

    Laura was shivering violently, her teeth chattering. Katie gently lead her along, trying not to think too hard of the sweaty, greasy feel of the woman''s skin.

    "Nerit!"

    The older woman appeared at the top of the stairs and exclaimed,

    "Laura!" and rushed down to them.

    "She was holed up in the grocery store. Hiding under the manager''s desk,¡± Katie explained as she helped Nerit guide the catatonic girl up the stairs.

    "But Ralph¡­"

    "She''s in shock. She probably gave no indication that she was hiding in there. She just kept watching the security tape of her brother dying over and over again."

    "¡­not fast¡­enough¡­" Laura whispered.

    Nerit coughed on the harsh smell emanating from the girl, then whispered, "It''s okay, Laura. You''re safe now."

    Laura did not even glance in Nerit''s direction.

    Together, they got the girl up the stairs and into a shower. They put her in fully clothed. Her dress was plastered to her skin with her own urine and excrement making a foul paste. The water soon ran hot and cleansing over the girls emaciated form. But she barely blinked, barely acknowledged what was happening. She just clung to the VCR tape and the remote control and stared straight ahead whispering, "¡­not fast¡­enough¡­"

    Once the water ran clear, Katie and Nerit undressed the girl. They both winced at her wizened body. Her ribs stood out sharply and her pelvis stuck out harshly beneath her pale skin. Nerit and Katie didn''t speak as they worked on bathing the girl. Cleaning her up with clinical aloofness it was if they both could not allow themselves to feel the sheer horror of this woman''s mental and physical condition.

    Finally, when they were done, they dressed her in one of Nerit''s nightgowns and gently guided her to the kitchen. The entire time, the girl did not release the tape or the remote control.

    "Sit down, Laura," Nerit said softly.

    The woman obeyed.

    Katie sat down across from the girl and finally let herself feel the brutal reality of it all. The girl had been starving to death slowly since this had all begun. While she and Jenni had taken refuge with Nerit and Ralph, this girl had been in that office. It was awful, terrible, and Katie felt guilty that she was relieved that she was not this young woman.

    Nerit sat down with a small container of pudding in her hand. She opened it and spooned a little out. "Laura, it¡¯s time to eat."

    Laura turned toward Nerit, finally acknowledging her, and opened her mouth.

    Katie guessed hunger had finally made Nerit''s voice register with the girl. She watched Nerit tenderly shovel a little bit into the girl''s mouth. The girl slowly closed her mouth and her jaw worked slightly. For some reason, it was too much to bear. "I need a breather." Katie stood.

    Nerit nodded. "I know. You go. I will stay with her."

    Katie walked out of the kitchen and out onto the balcony. She stood there, gripping the railing, taking deep breaths. She felt like a bitch, but she couldn''t deal with this right now. She just couldn''t. Yet she couldn''t just stand out here and not do anything at all.

    Moving through the living room, she snagged her rifle and went downstairs to help the men load the pallet. They were surprised to see her, but she simply said, "I need to help" and no one protested. She immediately began to help pack up the boxes with supplies while Ralph stood watch over the street.

    Everything was boxed, labeled and taped shut. Once the load was done being packed onto the pallet, they began securing it down with ropes, a large hunting net, nails and wire. By the time they got done, Katie was certain nothing would be tumbling off the thick pallet. Travis had made it complete with a thick, heavy metal wire in the frame that hooked into thick towing chains in all four corners. They all connected to a large metal loop. Katie knew that the plan was to hook the pallet unto the crane''s hook back at the fortress and use it basically as an elevator to lift them all up and over the wall.

    She had felt leery about this plan at first, but seeing what Travis had concocted, she felt a bit more secure.

    As they walked inside, Travis took hold of her arm and drew her back.

    "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, sure¡­" Katie started to pull away, but Travis held firm.

    "I don''t think you are."

    She pressed her lips together, then sighed. "That girl¡­Jenni was like her in the beginning. Staring ahead, not talking, just blank. Then she snapped out of it."

    Travis flinched. "Oh."

    "I see what Jenni could have been in that girl. If she hadn''t run outside but had holed up in a bathroom or a bedroom¡­"

    "Oh." Travis rubbed her arm lightly and kissed her forehead very tenderly. "But Jenni''s okay."

    Katie closed her eyes and nodded. "It''s sheer luck, Travis. You, me, Jenni, all of us¡­being alive. Being okay. We were just lucky to get to safety.

    We could have all been Laura."

    His fingers were very tender as he stroked her hair, trying to calm her.

    "Yes, but that reverend saved you and you saved Jenni."

    "And you saved us," Katie added. She fastened her gaze on him and sighed. "This world is fragile. It hurts so deep. I can''t bear to think too far, too much, of what it would be like to lose¡­" She faltered.

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    "Jenni."

    "Or Jason. Or Jack," she hesitated. "Or you. Nerit. Ralph."

    He smoothed her hair gently and gave her a little hug. "I have nightmares¡­waking nightmares. I see people-the people around metransformed into those things. I have since the first day. Juan, the Mayor, Peggy, others. When you were sick I kept seeing you as one of those things.

    Just for a split second. A waking nightmare of my-"

    "-fear."

    "Yes." He sighed. "I was talking to Jenni that first night. I was thinking how beautiful she was, then for a moment, for a flash, I saw her as dead as one of those monsters."

    Katie looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. "I think we all have those fears."

    "We''ll take Laura home with us. We''ll help her find her way back to us, to the land of the living. We''ll keep each other alive." Travis'' voice was determined, full of emotion.

    Katie wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly to her.

    "Help each other be strong."

    Travis held her in his arms and nodded. "Yes. We''ll go home tomorrow.

    To Jenni and Jason and the dog and all the others."

    Katie felt tears hot on her face and she let herself relax into his warm embrace. His strength reminded her of her father and he felt so safe and comforting. And for a moment, she let herself believe it was her Dad hugging her and she wept.

    "We''ll be okay," Travis promised.

    Katie looked up at him and nodded. "Of course. We have no other choice."

    Travis smiled at her and said, "Besides, I promised Jenni I''d build her a gazebo so she wouldn''t get sunburned."

    "Oh, you did?" Katie giggled at the thought of Jenni relaxing in the shade of a fancy gazebo.

    "Yeah. I have a soft spot for beautiful women," he said with a grin.

    "Yeah? Then that''s something we have in common," she quipped.

    They laughed together. Travis slung his arm around her neck and guided her toward the steps.

    "You''re the prettiest competition I ever had," he teased her.

    Katie just smiled at him and they climbed the stairs to join the others.

    4. In The Heart Of The Abyss

    Nerit put Laura down to sleep in the living room and covered her with a light blanket. She sat with her and stroked her clean hair until the girl finally slept. Of course, Laura still clutched the VCR remote and the VHS tape, but at least she was asleep.

    Dinner was a low-key affair. Nerit made a delicious meal and they all enjoyed it. Ralph even opened up a bottle of wine. But at the same time, they were all muted in their conversation. There was a great sense of sorrow at the table.

    There was refuge in working hard, planning, keeping alive: a refuge from feeling too deeply. But Laura had brought the reality of this new world starkly into view. It was hard to deny the horror that existed in the world beyond their tiny conclaves of safety. How easily the walking dead had become "them" and the living "us.¡± The decaying, mutilated appearance of the zombies made it easy to hate them, fear them, and even kill them. The dead were the enemy and that was a comfort in this world. The lines were clearly drawn.

    But Laura brought it all vividly into focus. Her fate was the norm. Not theirs. They were lucky. For one reason or another, they had escaped the initial bloodbath. They had not joined the ranks of the dead in that first horrible day. It was sobering for all of them to realize that they were alive nearly by the luck of the draw. But Laura was also alive, but not nearly so lucky. How many, like her, survived only to slowly starve to death as the dead grew in ranks to dominate the earth? How many, like her, were shells of their former self, their minds broken by the horrors they had seen? And would they, the lucky ones, one day see something too terrible to endure and also slip into that twilight world or perhaps find themselves one of the walking dead?

    But all this remained unsaid. They spoke instead of their plans to keep themselves safe, alive, and healthy. They had the rare luxury of being in a remote area far from the cities that were overrun with the dead. And they knew it. It was a blessing and a burden.

    After dinner, Katie walked onto the balcony and sat in a chair next to Ralph. She didn''t speak, but looked up at the brilliance of the stars above as the fragrant smoke from Ralph''s pipe trailed up to the heavens.

    "It''s not the end, Katie. Just the next step," Ralph finally said.

    "I guess we are all acting like we''re at a funeral," Katie sighed.

    "We are. The funeral of the world. And we''re the mourning survivors picking up the pieces and finding a way to move on," Ralph said in one of the longest sentences she had ever heard him mutter.

    Katie looked at him and forced a smile. "I feel so guilty."

    Ralph nodded slowly. "We all do."

    Katie looked toward the living room and waved one hand. "I see her and know that I could have easily have been her. Or one of those things. I don''t understand why I''m here."

    "To live. Keep going. Rebuild." Ralph''s eyes were unwavering from her face.

    "Sounds so easy," Katie said softly.

    "But it¡¯s not. This is a new and dangerous world. Got a map downstairs.

    Got circles around pockets of survivors. I talk to them online or on the CB.

    Have since the first day. Each day less people respond. Maybe the grid in their area has gone down or the Internet has failed. Or maybe they are dead.

    It''s a tough world. I talk to a trucker stuck out in the hills every day. He ran out of gas. He is low on food. I can''t go get him because he doesn''t know where he is. He''s going to die out there. And I''m his only friend."

    Katie shivered and slumped back in the chair, holding herself. "I hate leaving you both here."

    "It''s where we belong. Same as you going back to the Fort. It''s where you belong." Ralph leaned over and took her hand in his. He gave it a firm squeeze. "You help Travis and the others keep safe. You keep strong."

    Katie looked at him, then smiled. "And you do the same."

    Ralph nodded and Nerit appeared at the door. "It''s time to sleep, you two. We have an early morning."

    Ralph unfolded his body from the chair with a little grunt. He walked over and kissed Nerit on the cheek. She smiled softly at him and held out her hand to Katie.

    Katie went to her and Nerit guided her inside.

    Laura was still asleep on the sofa, curled up tightly, clutching the tape in her sleep. Bill was lying on the cot, snoring a little.

    "You and Travis need to share the guest room. Is that okay?" Nerit asked.

    Ralph turned to protest, but was silenced at Nerit''s look.

    "I don''t care. It''s not like he''s a jerk who''ll try to feel me up," Katie said with a wink.

    Ralph gave Nerit a look as they passed him and she just waved her hand at him. Katie was bemused by Ralph''s old-fashioned sensibilities. But she was tired and wanted to sleep.

    They reached the threshold of the guestroom and Travis was already there, lying on his back, eyes closed, on top of the covers. Katie almost laughed at the sight.

    Nerit kissed her cheek and whispered, "I''m going to miss you."

    Katie smiled back at her. "I''m going to miss you. I hope, one day, I can be as strong as you are."

    Nerit looked flattered, but at the same time a little sad. "Just remember to always be true to your heart and do your best. And that will always make you strong."

    Katie kissed Nerit''s cheek gently and hugged her. "Good advice. I plan to keep it."

    Letting go of the older woman''s hand, she slipped into the darkened bedroom and lay down on the bed.

    "Don''t try anything," Travis said sleepily. "I''d hate to punch a woman."

    "I can barely contain myself, but I''ll keep my hands to myself," Katie assured him with a little laugh.

    Travis smiled and opened one eye to look at her. "I''ve turned gay women before."

    "Suuuuuuuuuuuuure."

    "Yep, turned their stomachs and sent them screaming," Travis teased groggily.

    "That sounds more plausible. I can barely keep from gagging." Katie rolled onto her side and tucked her hand under her cheek, facing him. "But seriously¡­"

    Travis rolled over to face her. "Yeah?"

    "Tomorrow¡­"

    "Yeah?"

    "If I don''t make it-"

    "You will make it."

    "But if I don''t, take care of Jenni and Jason."

    Travis sighed. "Okay. But you are going to make it, Katie."

    Katie wasn''t so sure anymore. Today had drained her, made her feel vulnerable to fate.

    Travis reached out and took her free hand. "We both will."

    Katie opened her eyes sleepily. "Okay, but don''t let go."

    "I won''t," Travis promised, and held her hand until she slept.

    Chapter 14

    1. Falling Into The Abyss

    Don''t let go!" Katie swung over the zombies, her feet kicking as she tried to get back onto the pallet.

    Travis'' hand, slick with sweat from the heat and his nerves had an iron tight grip on her wrist. "I won''t! Grab onto my arm with your other hand!"

 Page 39

    Katie''s body was jolted as the pallet swung about and she screamed.

    The moans and shouts of the zombies below made her tremble with fear.

    People in the Fort where shouting and she could hear Jenni screaming her name.

    Travis was holding on tight to the heavy chain that held the pallet up.

    Bill was holding on for dear life, nearly falling off himself.

    The pallet was swinging crazily from the crane.

    This is it, Katie thought. This is how it ends for me.

    Katie kicked her legs, trying to somehow swim through the air and get a better grip on Travis. Her free hand finally managed to grip his strong, thick wrist. Her fingers barely fit around it. She was gagging on the sheer stench of the dead below and her terror felt as if it was choking her. Travis¡¯ grip on her felt tenuous somehow and he gazed down at her with grim determination.

    The pallet that made up their makeshift elevator continued to throw them off balance. It swung in long loops over the heads of the undead, making them shriek all the more as the humans dangled teasingly from it.

    How had it come to this?

    The drive to the town had been uneventful. Travis had driven the old white truck while Katie had been squeezed in between him and Bill. Laura had sat quietly on Bill''s lap, a crocheted purse hanging around her neck.

    Nerit had given it to her and had put the VCR tape and remote control into it.

    Laura had seemed to find this acceptable and had stared out of the windshield all the way to town as her fingers stroked the purse.

    Travis had traveled an alternate route, avoiding the main street into the heart of the town that lead to the fort. They had taken a series of side roads until they came up to the outside of the enormous hotel that''s back faced the fort. The improvised wall that kept the zombies corralled had impressed both Travis and Katie. A storage container and sandbags: very ingenious. It was evident that Juan was very clever.

    No zombies had made their appearance as they parked the car. On the road they had seen a few, in the distance, usually running from a farmhouse, but none had appeared in the town. The evacuation to the school had been highly successful.

    The enormous crane, perched over the fort, had been already in movement, its long arm extending toward them. Travis had slid out of the truck and moved to the bed as Bill and Katie covered him, guns drawn. Bill kept one hand on Laura''s shoulder as they got ready to return to the Fort.

    "¡­not fast¡­enough¡­" Laura had begun to murmur.

    She had been so silent and it startled them to hear her.

    "She''s starting up," Bill had whispered.

    They had worked as quietly as possible, trying not to draw too much attention. By the cries and moans behind the barrier keeping them safe, they had known the zombies were well aware of their presence.

    Travis had climbed up onto the pallet and when the large hook from the crane had descended far enough, he had hooked the pallet onto it.

    "Okay, remember where I told you to stand. It''s all about weight distribution to keep us from tipping over," Travis had said.

    Laura had whispered, "¡­not¡­fast¡­enough¡­"

    Katie had helped Bill get Laura up onto the pallet. Katie had pressed Laura''s hands to the ropes Travis had made as hand holds, and Laura had gripped them firmly, despite her continuous blank stare. Katie had taken up her position, slinging her rifle over one shoulder, while Bill and Travis took theirs.

    "Nervous?" Travis had asked.

    "Not at all," Katie had lied.

    The pallet had lifted rather smoothly and when they were high enough to be safe, they had started a long, slow swing over the zombies toward the Fort.

    The stench of them had filled their nostrils, an almost burning sensation, and the screams from below were hellish and chilling. Katie had kept her gaze on the fort and had tried not to look down. Occasionally, she checked on Laura who stood near her, holding the ropes tightly. Her lips had been moving and Katie had barely heard her whisper, "¡­not fast¡­enough."

    Bill had looked down and let out a whistle. "Damn. There''s a lot of zombies."

    Katie couldn''t help herself and she had looked down. It had made her gasp to see how many were beneath her, jumping up and down, swinging their arms, trying in vain to reach them.

    Laura had looked down as well. Her voice had risen in volume. "¡­not fast¡­enough¡­not fast enoughnotfastenoughnotfastenough¡­"

    "Laura, calm down. Look away," Travis had said firmly.

    "Laura, don''t look," Katie had said.

    Then Laura had stopped her fevered muttering and looked at each of them one by one. "We can never be fast enough," she had said clearly.

    And had let go.

    "No!" Katie had made a mad grab for the girl and had caught her hair for just a moment. But gravity grabbed the young woman and dragged her down into the hands of the zombies below.

    But Katie wasn''t the only one who had lunged for her. Bill and Travis had reached out in vain and Bill, who was much heavier than all of them, shifted his weight too much and the pallet had leaned to one side and swung in a dangerous arc.

    Katie, already holding on by just one hand, had lost her footing and fallen.

    "Katie!" Travis had grabbed for her.

    She had managed to hold onto the handhold he had created, but she had dangled over the zombies, her weight making the pallet swing even more.

    Bill had almost fallen off trying to regain his footing and sprawled over the top of the supplies, gripping the netting fiercely. Travis hand had found her wrist and hand and had grabbed on.

    And now she hung suspended, as the feeding frenzy below made her feel like throwing up. She could hear the slurping noises, the harsh crunching of bones, and it made her even more desperate to get up onto the pallet.

    "Don''t move, don''t swing us," Travis ordered her. "I have you. Just hang there."

    Katie stared into his eyes and trusted him.

    Slowly, the pallet stopped its crazy swinging and came to hang over the zombies, slightly listing to one side. Finally, the crane began to move again.

    "I''m slipping," Katie whispered.

    "No, you''re not," Travis responded firmly. "I have you."

    Her fingers gripped his wrist tighter. His hand had such a tight hold of her, she felt as if he was crushing her wrist and hand.

    Bill didn''t dare move and kept whispering, "Oh shit¡­oh¡­shit¡­she jumped."

    Katie dared to look down and saw the dirt trucks beneath her and some very evil looking black spikes. Beyond that was the fence and, last of all, the concrete wall.

    The pallet began to descend and Katie sobbed with relief.

    "Katie! Katie! Katie!" Jenni''s voice wafted up to her.

    Suddenly hands were all over her and for a moment, she had one of Travis'' waking nightmares, and she thought they had her. But when Travis let go of her, she fell into Juan''s arms. Jenni was next to him, tears on her cheeks, and she grabbed Katie''s bruised hands.

    "You made it!"

    Katie felt wet tears flowing down her own face as she nodded and pulled Jenni into a tight hug. Jason threw his arms around both of them in a tight hug and Jack, at her heels, barked for attention.

    Katie kissed both Jenni and Jason on the cheek firmly then hugged them both to her again. It felt delicious to be alive and with them once more.

    Travis swooped down and hugged them all at once in a big bear hug.

    Jenni threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

    "You saved Katie!" Her expression was one of absolute joy.

    Travis shook his head. "Nah, she saved herself. She had such a tight hold of me, I think she broke my wrist."

    Jason didn''t smile at Travis, but he hugged Katie again and whispered,

    "I''m so glad you''re back.

    Katie grinned at him and kissed his cheek again. She was amused when he blushed.

    Juan walked up to them and looked toward the pallet. "Okay, I gotta ask.

    Did anyone get any smokes?"

    There was a pause before Katie burst into laughter. She felt overwhelmed with emotions. Happiness, sadness, fear, relief, remorse, guilt all mingled together. But she let her relief override all of them and she flung her arms around Juan and kissed his cheek.

    "What? What? Why are all of you women crazy? I just want my smokes,"

    Juan protested.

    Travis just shook his head, his arm slung around Jenni''s shoulders. "One track mind¡­one track mind."

    Katie slung her arm around Travis'' waist and gave him a sideways hug.

    "Thanks, by the way."

    Travis kissed the top of her head. "Sorry, but I''m not going to let you die."

    "Good," Jenni said happily and grabbed Katie''s hand.

    "Seriously," Juan said again. "Did anyone grab some smokes?"

    2. Dead of Night

    Night finally descended, pushing back the heat, and letting the cool evening breeze waft into the fort. It would have been even more welcomed if it hadn''t brought the stench of the dead in with it.

    Travis stood out in the middle of the construction site, drinking a soda, and surveying the property with Juan. Juan had done a good job of getting it a bit more organized, even creating one corner specifically as a living area.

 Page 40

    The lunch wagon, two portable office buildings, and a variety of chairs and tables had been arranged on what remained of the old building''s foundation.

    Blue tarps were made into makeshift tents. Everything that could be useful had been organized in another area. Building materials, tools, machinery, anything at all that could be used to defend the fort was neatly organized in another corner. It was all about imagination and making do at this point.

    Travis had been damn impressed with the spiked perimeter. He had never thought of breaking down the wrought iron fence for something like that.

    "I figure this. We got people still out there alive. Curtis has been talking to them every day on the CB. If we could actually make a "safe" not crazy ass way to get into the fort, we could have more people in here," Juan said to him.

    "Yeah, but do we have the resources?"

    Juan shrugged. "Who knows? We just gotta figure it out as we go. This is the new Eden, dude, whether we like it or not."

    Travis looked around the site glumly and sighed. "Yeah, dammit. Just how the hell are we supposed to save the world?"

    Juan shrugged. "Not the whole world. Just what little we can carve out of it for ourselves."

    Travis motioned to the back of the hotel. "I want to get in there. There is plenty of room in there for everyone and it would be helluva lot more comfortable than trailers and cots."

    Juan nodded. "That will be a big undertaking. At least they hadn''t officially opened yet and there was only training staff the first day. Maybe twenty people? But with the guns we can clear them out easier."

    Travis sighed. "I''d like to avoid guns at all costs. It will probably draw more of the zombie''s attention. Katie grabbed some crossbows and archery stuff back at Ralph''s, but we''ll definitely need to practice a lot with those before we use them. Same with the guns."

    "You know, it''s really sissy of you not to like guns."

    Travis gave Juan a look. "Yeah, well, I had staunch Democratic parents who were former hippies."

    "Well, "give peace a chance" will get your ass kicked now days. Well, more like eaten," Juan reminded him.

    "Yeah," Travis rubbed his forehead. "Yeah. The rules are all different."

    "Except the lesbian rule. Lesbians are still hot," Juan decided.

    "Especially those two."

    Travis looked to where Juan was pointing and was surprised to see Katie and Jenni standing out on the back steps of city hall. Katie was in a tank top and shorts and Jenni was in an over-sized man''s shirt that went down to her knees. They were animatedly talking and laughing. It was very late, so they probably couldn''t sleep. The day had been tiring, but invigorating at the same time. Travis and Katie returning with Bill had been seen as a victory in the fort.

    "Katie is a lesbian, but I don''t think-"

    "No, no, dude, they are together. Everyone knows it." Juan grinned and nudged him with his elbow. "Too bad they don''t like guys. Maybe they''d invite one of us to have fun, you know, if they liked the ol'' man meat"

    Travis gave Juan a long look. "Man meat?"

    Juan grinned. "But I wouldn''t mind watching, even if I couldn''t touch.

    Travis'' brow furrowed with confusion. "I''m pretty sure that Jenni-"

    "Nope, she likes the chicas. I heard it on good authority."

    "Well, damn," Travis said, his voice edged with disappointment.

    "Yeah," Juan said, but was obviously daydreaming about something highly pornographic.

    Katie and Jenni started the long walk toward them, both of them barefoot he noted. Katie looked better than she had for days and it made him feel good. He really liked her. She was a hot lesbian buddy, he thought. And Jenni, well, she was just crazy and precious all rolled into one.

    "Hey, guys, what''s up?" Katie asked.

    "Figuring out our next move," Travis answered. He couldn''t help but study both of them rather suspiciously.

    Jenni gave him her sweetest smile. Her long black hair was flowing around her face and occasionally she would wrinkle her nose at the stench.

    He looked at Juan, who just gave an affirmative nod.

    "What''s up, guys? Seriously," Katie said, giving them both an inquisitive look.

    Travis opened his mouth to answer truthfully, but Juan said, "Talking about the archery stuff. I don''t know if anyone is going to remember their camp days good enough to figure out how to use it."

    "Oh, well, yeah, but if we could use it instead of guns unless in highpressure situations, it could cut down on how much attention we attract,"

    Katie said.

    "Attracting attention," Juan said in a way Travis knew he wasn''t talking about zombies.

    "Um, yeah." Katie gave Juan an intense look.

    Jenni just kept smiling at Travis. "What do you think, Travis?"

    "That we''re fucked," Travis answered truthfully. "But we can do our best to get unfucked."

    Katie gave him a long look. "Sounding a little bitter there, Travis."

    "Well, you know."

    A voice called out and one of the construction workers ran over to them.

    It was the big, black man named Mike. "Travis, Juan, we have a situation."

    Travis noted that Mike was holding one of the rifles. It made him nervous despite the fact Mike was former Army. "What is it?"

    "You better come see," Mike answered.

    They all followed the tall man and ended up at the far end of the complex. There was a platform erected for the sentries to keep watch. They had created a sort of blind to keep the zombies from seeing the guards, but it gave the guards some hassles with its limitations on how much they could see. Mike had taken down the blind and he pointed down over the wall past the hurricane fence.

    Four zombies were twisting on the metal spikes, groaning and pumping their arms and legs as if they could swim off of them. A fifth had landed headfirst onto the spike and was finally really dead. The four survivors saw the living staring at them and went nuts trying to get free.

    "Fucking shit, they''re climbers now."

    Travis swallowed hard at Juan''s words. "Some of them at least. Wake up some more people, Juan. We need to triple the guards. Get them armed. We don''t need them swarming us in the middle of the night."

    "We better check the entire exposed perimeter," Katie said softly.

    Travis noted she and Jenni were holding hands. "Yeah, dammit. Just when this place was feeling a little safe."

    "I knew those fuckers were smarter than they appeared. Dammit, first they¡¯re runners, now they¡¯re climbers. They''re breaking all the fucking zombie rules!" Juan looked personally insulted by this development.

    Travis turned to the two women and laid his hands gently on their shoulders. "Both of you get some rest. We''ll watch the perimeter."

    "Fuck that! I''ve slept enough. I''m gearing up," Katie answered firmly.

    Jenni nodded, agreeing. "I''m with Katie. If there are zombies coming over our walls, I''m going to be there to shoot them."

    "You''re both crazy, you know that?"

    "Yeah, but that''s why you like us," Jenni said flirtatiously.

    Katie flashed him her brightest smile. "We''ll be right back, Rambo."

    Travis watched them hurry away and turned back to Mike and Juan. He could tell how dire the situation was. Juan hadn''t even glanced at the departing women.

    "This isn''t good," Juan said grimly.

    "We''ll deal," Travis answered. "We have no other option than to deal with it and not let them in."

    Mike picked up one of the makeshift spears. "I''ll deal with them."

    "Make it quick," Travis answered. "We don''t need to give the rest of them ideas."

    "Climbing zombies. That''s definitely breaking the rules," Juan said.

    Travis ran his hand over his holstered gun. "Yeah, well, the rules are shit now. Let''s get to work."

    3. Not Fast Enough

    Katie couldn''t get dressed fast enough. Shoving her feet into her boots, she glanced over at Jenni, who nearly toppled over as she hopped into her jeans. Jason was fast asleep and snoring with Jack snuggled into his side watching the two women suspiciously. Their nonstop chatter had annoyed the teenager earlier in the evening as they had caught up on all that had happened while they had been apart. Katie had enjoyed that time immensely.

    It had almost been like a slumber party. But now, dammit, reality had hit.

    Zipping up her camouflage pants, Katie leaned over and quickly tied her boots. Her arms and hands were hurting like hell from the bruises and sprains she had received from dangling off that damned ¡°elevator over hell," as Juan had put it.

    "Think they''ll all come over?" Jenni asked worriedly.

    "No, or they would have already, but we need to move fast before enough figure it out to cause us real trouble," Katie grabbed her rifle and headed out the door. "Meet you down there."

    "Okay! I''m almost ready!" Jenni flopped onto the bed and started in on her boots.

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    Running down the stairs, Katie ran into a few other people, all men, who were also on their way out to help fortify the guards. There was a surprising lack of women in the fort and it had taken her awhile to realize this. Most of the women were older and married. It saddened her, but made her feel that she needed to prove herself and pull her own weight.

    Juan stood near the back door instructing everyone where to go. One by one, the men spread out to take up positions. Katie found herself to be the last one Juan paid attention to.

    "Travis wants us to meet him up on the balcony," Juan said. He looked very tense.

    "Why?"

    "I don''t know. Hey, Loca, we''re wanted upstairs," Juan said to Jenni with an evil glint in his eye.

    "Bite me, redneck," Jenni answered and made a face at him.

    Juan made chomping noises at her.

    "I''m so out of this," Katie said, and hurried back into the building and up the stairs.

    "Redneck."

    "Loca."

    "Redneck."

    "Loca."

    "Redneck."

    "Mucha loca."

    "Redneck," Jenni said again as they followed Katie up the stairs.

    "Are you calling me a hick spic?" Juan asked in his thick West Texas twang.

    "No! I''m calling you just a plain ol'' hick!"

    "Oh, I am so out of this one," Katie said firmly, and walked down the hallway toward the balcony.

    Juan laughed and Jenni smacked him.

    Katie could tell they were tussling by all the noise behind her, but she decided not to pay attention. It has been clear since she had returned that Jenni and Juan were locked in a highly adversarial battle of the wills.

    Stepping carefully onto the rickety balcony, she found Travis looking over the zombies. Because all the guards were visible to the crowd, the zombies were fairly evenly dispersed along the perimeter.

    "I don''t see a weak spot," Travis said to her.

    Katie looked over the perimeter slowly, studying it. "Me neither."

    "I''m telling you, they''ve gotten smart," Juan said, his tone suddenly quite serious.

    Jenni timidly stepped out and surveyed the crowd below. "They''re just doing what they always do."

    "Yeah, but somehow, five managed to get over the trucks." Travis shook his head. "I don''t get it."

    Katie''s gaze swept over the crowd slowly. Something was amiss. She swept her gaze over them again, then saw what it was. All the zombies were going crazy trying to get to the guards, but one zombie, toward the back, was just studying the trucks and the barriers that kept it from its meal of warm flesh. It''s just kept swinging its head back and forth.

    "Some are thinking, "Katie said softly. She pointed and they all looked out.

    "Shit, she''s right," Travis grunted with disgust.

    The zombie moved slowly to one side to let a small crowd of children through to bang on one of the trucks. It was one of the more stripped down zombies; not much was left on its bones. It''s skull-like head once more turned to look at the perimeter.

    Kate slipped the safety off her rifle.

    The zombie moved resolutely toward one particular truck. It was a large truck full of dirt with cement bags packed tightly under it and between the cab of the truck and the load. It pushed its way toward the crowd, reached up and started trying to open the door.

    "Gawddammit!" Juan''s voice was almost feral. "Fucking shit! These things are breaking all the gawddamn rules!"

    Katie slung her rifle off her shoulder and raised it.

    "Katie?" Travis said softly.

    "Can''t afford for a smart one to survive," Katie answered.

    Her finger began to close on the trigger, then she hesitated.

    "Travis¡­"

    The zombie, its broken body barely able to stand, gave up the door. It staggered to one side and began to claw at the sandbags, as if to get purchase to lift itself up. Around its neck hung a crocheted purse.

    "Yeah?"

    "I think that''s Laura," Katie whispered.

    "Shit."

    "Who''s Laura?" Jenni asked.

    Katie took aim again, sighting the remains of the girl carefully.

    The zombie that had been Laura managed to get a good grip and started to pull itself up.

    Katie shot it through the head and it fell back.

    The zombies ignored the shot and continued to bang on the trucks.

    "They''re getting smarter," Katie said softly.

    Travis looked ill and nodded. "Yeah."

    "We have the ammo. It''s time to kill them all."

    Jenni blinked. "Yeah! They''re all corralled! Easy pickings!"

    "We can''t-" Travis started, but stopped himself. "Okay. In the morning."

    "We shouldn''t waste all that ammo," Juan muttered.

    "It''s not wasting it if we are securing our perimeter and our safety,"

    Katie answered.

    "It''ll be like shooting fish in a barrel," Travis sighed.

    Jenni had one of the biggest grins on her face Katie had ever seen.

    "Yeah, it''ll be fun."

    "You are so loca," Juan declared.

    "Oh, yeah, hick spic?"

    "I am so not a part of this," Katie declared and slipped past them into the hall.

    She felt Travis following her, and when they were far enough from the arguing two, she turned toward him. His face was a mask of pain and uncertainty. "We have to do this."

    Travis nodded. He said softly, "Once we start firing those guns, we may bring more."

    "Do you want to risk more of those things figuring out how to get past the trucks?"

    Travis sighed. "Yeah, I know. In theory, the spikes could slow a lot of them down. The Hurricane fence would probably stand for a little while, but then they''d be up against the wall."

    Katie nodded her face tense. "We cannot afford to lose ground to them."

    She felt it to her bones that if the zombies ever breached the first perimeter, things would not go well for them, despite the security of the wall. They needed to gain ground, not lose it.

    Travis looked back at Jenni and Juan who were now cursing each other out in Spanish. He blinked. Jenni knew Spanish?

    Katie glanced back down the hall then grinned. "Kinda like kindergarten flirting, huh?"

    "Uh, you''re not jealous?"

    Katie snorted. "Yeah, right. Like I''d be jealous of Juan." She gave him a bemused look. But her stomach was coiled into knots. She was horribly afraid. There seemed to never be time for peace.

    Travis gave her a decidedly goofy look. "Yeah, well, anyway, let''s start planning what we''re doing. I guess I''ll wake the Mayor."

    She reached out and touched his arm. "Travis, it¡¯s a war. We have to fight."

    He sighed and said. "The thing about war is that there are always causalities."

    Katie felt a chill flow down her spine and she glanced toward Jenni. She felt her stomach tighten and she looked back at Travis. "But we have no choice."

    "Yeah, I know," he answered sadly They stood in silence for a long moment and Katie looked toward the still arguing Juan and Jenni. "We better get the Mayor¡­"

    Chapter 15

    1. The Killing Grounds

    Jenni flipped Juan off discreetly behind Katie''s back, then found a place to sit down in the Mayor''s office. The Mayor looked weary and overwhelmed with the news of the zombies climbing over the trucks. Tobias'' death had weighed heavily on him and he looked haggard.

    Curtis looked a little better than he had. It was as if he was finding his role to play in this world and growing comfortable with it. Jenni thought he was cute in a little boy sort of way. Jason and Curtis often hung out, talking, and just being guys. It made Jenni happy. Jason needed a friend, considering all he had lost.

    Jenni, meanwhile, was glowing with happiness over what she had gained. Katie was back and she was just ecstatic over that fact. And of course, Travis was back, too. And that made her girlishly giggly with delight. She couldn''t help it. He was such an incredible guy.

    She phased in and out of the conversation that followed. It really didn''t interest her except when they talked about killing the zombies. She was surprised there were opposing voices to the plan. Juan was worried about running out of ammunition if they used so much right off the bat. The Mayor was worried about riling up the zombies even more. Jenni rolled her eyes during some of the discussion and Katie leaned over and took her hand.

    Jenni knew it was the "behave" signal, so she tried not to give snarky looks. It wasn''t all that easy.

    The debate went back and forth. Katie was adamant about wiping out the zombie horde before it got any bigger and they got any smarter. Jenni thought she was making the most sense. Travis was conflicted about the whole gun issue and argued that maybe they should try to find an alternate way to wipe out the zombies. Jenni considered smacking him upside the head.

    Juan sat near her and kept muttering in Spanish. Jenni muttered right back at him. Soon they were discreetly swearing at each other. The crux of the argument was that Jenni was a bloodthirsty psycho and that Juan was too stupid to understand guns were made to be fired.

 Page 42

    "Where did you learn Spanish?" Katie whispered at one point.

    "My Mom was Mexican," Jenni whispered back.

    "Oh."

    "My Dad was Irish," Jenni added.

    "So you''re a lazy drunk," Juan quipped and waged his eyebrows at her.

    "I am so going to kick your ass," Jenni said with a surly pout.

    The Juan thing: she wasn''t sure what that was about. A part of her was sure she hated his guts, but another part of her really got off on their arguments. It was too much fun. And, she had to admit a stress reliever.

    Neither one of them really took the insults seriously. It was just, well, she wasn''t sure. A way to make life more fun maybe.

    Finally, just when she and Juan had started to play rock, paper, scissors, and it seemed a stalemate was inevitable, Mike came in.

    "Two more. They climbed over the back of one of the trucks. One of them fell right onto a spike and it took his head right off. The other one stood on the truck and tried to jump past the spikes. She ended up impaled at the pelvis. This isn''t good," Mike said.

    Katie turned to the Mayor. He slowly nodded under her intense gaze.

    "When the sun rises, we''ll kill them all. Agreed?''

    Jenni looked toward Travis, who nodded. "Yeah, agreed."

    Juan stood up slowly and said, "Okay, so we have no more time and no choices. But we can''t do this again. We won''t always have guns or ammunition. We need to be able to defend ourselves other ways."

    "Absolutely," Katie agreed.

    Travis nodded wholeheartedly. "The guns make us safer for now, but, yeah, you''re right."

    Jenni stood up and stretched. "Just tell me where to go and I''m so ready."

    Juan laughed. "Big surprise there."

    Jenni gave him her snarkiest look.

    2. Tinkerbell of Death

    "I don''t like this," Katie said as she stood beside Jenni.

    Jenni shrugged. "We have to be able to hit the ones that are out of view from all angles."

    Katie sighed. "Yeah, but why you?"

    "Cause I volunteered. Besides, I get to be harnessed up," Jenni grinned.

    "Kinda like a deadly Tinkerbell of death!"

    Katie laughed and watched as Juan rigged up Jenni. Mike had also volunteered to take up a forward position on the front line. They would be positioned on the dirt trucks directly in front of the fort. Any zombies up in that area were not visible from the sentry positions. If Nerit had been at the fort, she probably could have taken them out from the top of city hall, but no one had sniper-like skills.

    Jenni kissed Katie''s cheek then swatted at Juan''s hands. "Hey stop feeling me up!"

    Juan gave her a look. "Aw, am I turning you on?"

    "Um¡­ewww," Jenni responded.

    She felt giddy and excited. It always felt good to be doing something.

    Killing the enemy was something that she actually enjoyed. Each time she pulled the trigger, it was delicious revenge for her dead children.

    Katie hugged her once more, then slipped away to join Travis. They were going to be on one of the platforms. Only people who had experience firing a gun had been recruited for this task. Mostly hunters and a few military men were manning the sentry posts now.

    "Be careful, Mom," Jason said, and hugged her tight.

    Holding him close, she closed her eyes and relished the feel of being a mother. "I will be. I promise.

    Jack was giving her a doggy quizzical look, not sure what to make of the harness that had her hooked up to a pulley system that Juan had created in the first days of the zombie holocaust, as he called it. He probably thought it was a weird kind of leash for humans. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head and snuggled him up for a moment.

    "I''ll be okay. I promise."

    "Ready?" Juan asked.

    Mike and Jenni nodded.

    They were hoisted up into the air and suddenly the horde of zombies swam into view.

    "Kinda wished they didn''t smell so bad," Mike said stoically.

    "Yeah," Jenni said, and wrinkled her nose.

    They reached a good height and were slowly moved forward. She rather enjoyed being swung over toward the dirt truck. It was rather like flying, so she struck a superman pose that made Mike laugh. But it died away as the zombies grew more agitated and the enormity of what they were doing was made clear. Juan carefully lowered them onto the dirt truck and they both immediately knelt down as they were told to do. It limited how visible they were to the zombies below.

    "You know," Mike said after a moment, "the black man always gets it in these scenarios."

    "Well, in the zombie movies, the black guy is usually the hero," Jenni said in an attempt to console him.

    Mike laughed. "Yeah, and the cracker shot him at the end of the first movie."

    "Oh, yeah," Jenni said, and winced.

    "Just keep steady and we''ll both be okay."

    Jenni nodded and bit her lower lip lightly.

    "We''re all in position. Starting the count down," Travis'' voice said over the walkie-talkie attached to Mike''s belt.

    Mike winked at Jenni. "Keep cool, girl."

    "Five, four, three, two, one¡­" Travis voice intoned.

    The crack of rifles filled the early morning air.

    Jenni rose up with Mike at her side and began to aim and fire. The first zombie was an old man and she split his head nicely in two. She barely moved the rifle, sighted the next zombie, a young woman with her face torn away, and fired.

    Aim¡­ fire¡­

    Aim¡­ fire¡­

    She reloaded as quickly as possible and kept firing. The zombies were pushing hard against the truck and tiny tremors could be felt under their feet.

    Mike fired with precision and swiftness. She tried to match him the best she could.

    Each mangled, screaming, distorted face that dissolved into bloody mist beneath their assault made the knots in her stomach ease just a bit. They were thinning the crowd, making them pay for what they had become. She hated them. She fiercely, passionately hated them, and each time their head burst beneath the hail of bullets, she felt her smile grow.

    Ten minutes in, the killing in full swing, she started to reload. It was then a zombie came up over the sandbags and began to charge her. She was so startled by his abrupt appearance that she was surprised when her hand automatically drew her revolver and shot a nice little hole into it¡¯s head.

    "Fuck," Mike exclaimed.

    Another was scrambling rather easily onto the truck.

    Mike took this one down, firing over Jenni''s head.

    Jenni stood up and Mike quickly went back to firing into the area that he was assigned.

    "Cover that area, Jenni," he said.

    She stepped cautiously toward the edge and blinked, then blinked again in horror. "Juan, get us the fuck off of here!"

    By killing the zombies toward the front of the crowd, they had inadvertently made a nice little ramp of bodies right up to the truck.

    Two more zombies rose up at the far end of the truck and started to race for them. Jenni shot both of them.

    "Fuck!" Mike grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Get us the hell off this thing!"

    More zombies were beginning to charge now. At least four. Jenni kept firing, but more were coming.

    Her body was jerked upwards so hard, the revolver fell from her hand and she gripped her rifle tightly with the other. Pain erupted through her back and arms as she was dragged upwards. The zombies kept coming. She curled her legs up to her chest as fast as she could, and they swung their arms under her trying to catch her. Being far taller, Mike was much longer, and one zombie gripped his leg. The large black man screamed in anger and fear and fired point blank into the zombie''s face. Another grabbed his booted foot and was lifted with him. Mike kicked his leg hard, but the creature was tenacious and was trying to pull itself up to bite him.

    Jenni tried to take aim with her rifle, but they were swinging a bit wildly due to being hoisted so quickly. "I can''t get him."

    "Muthafucka," Mike snarled and kicked as hard as he could. The zombie fell and landed face first on a spike.

    At least a dozen zombies had clambered up onto the truck now under them.

    "Why aren''t they swinging us back," Jenni screamed.

    They were now lifted high enough that no zombie could grab hold.

    "We''re bait," Mike answered.

    Sure enough, Jenni saw that all the zombies making their way up onto the trucks were pooling directly under the two humans hanging over them.

    Sadly, Jenni saw their bags of ammo were getting trampled into the dirt.

    They both hung there, over the zombies'' heads, watching them leap and scream, trying to grab them.

    "They can''t take us toward the fort or they''ll follow," Mike said. "And that will compromise everyone."

    "Do we shoot?" Jenni held tight to her rifle.

    "Praying sounds good to me. Told you, the black man always gets it,"

    Mike said grimly.

    Twenty of the undead were now crowded onto the truck.

    "Oh, well. We''re not dead yet."

    "Yeah," Mike said. "Yet."

    3. Close Encounters

 Page 43

    Things were going to hell. Travis and Katie felt as if the world was toppling around them. The guards were all shouting at each other. Jenni was screaming as Mike¡¯s voice yelled over the walkie-talkie. Juan was arguing with the Mayor. Jason was screaming, "Get my Mom down!" And the zombies were clustered on top of the one truck, trying to get to Jenni and Mike.

    "Fuck me," Travis whispered.

    "Who''s a crack shot," Katie demanded, looking around at the men with the rifles.

    "I am. Through the eye every time," one man said. He was older and had a weather-beaten face.

    "Take out the zombies on the left end of the truck," Katie ordered.

    Travis looked sharply at her. "Are you sure? They are so close to falling into the spiked area."

    "As the zombies fall back, they''ll fill up the top of that ramp of dead bodies and the other zombies won''t be able to scramble over them." Katie pointed. "We might be able to eliminate that slope in the pile and make it harder for them to get up."

    Travis studied the situation. "Yeah. I see that. And if they try to climb, they''ll pull the bodies down on them. Go for it, Ed." He nodded to the volunteer.

    Ed nodded and began to target the zombies.

    The rifle began to roar and Katie watched as the zombies began to fall backwards back into the corral. She was grasping at straws, she knew it, but they had to do something.

    "Shoot the fucking ones under us," Mike shouted into the walkie-talkie.

    "They can''t reach you," Juan''s voice answered over the cackling static.

    Katie ran down the stairs from the guard post and toward Juan. Jason came running toward her. "Katie, get her down!"

    "Jason, we''re doing our best without compromising everyone," Katie answered, resting her hands on his shoulders for a moment.

    Jack was barking hysterically at the zombies that were still intent on getting Jenni and Mike.

    "Why don''t we have grenades? Or flame throwers or something like that!" Jason''s voice was high and strained.

    Katie sighed and moved on toward Juan. "Because we''re not soldiers, Jason. We''re just trying to survive." She glanced toward the zombies to see that Ed, the hunter, had significantly reduced the population. But there were still maybe ten or so under Jenni and Mike. "Juan, what are we going to do?"

    Juan was studying the situation with great intensity. He lifted his walkie-talkie to his mouth. "Travis, status?"

    There was a burst of static then, "We slowed them down from getting up on the truck. They can''t just walk up anymore onto the truck, they''re struggling to try to get up now. Katie had a good idea, but it may not last. The more they claw at the dead, the more they slide down. But they''ll be able to get back up soon if we don''t hurry."

    Juan looked at Katie, then toward the zombies. "I think we should pull Jenni and Mike back and leave them over the spikes and let those last few zombies fall into the spikes."

    Katie winced, then nodded.

    "We need better weapons," Jason said angrily from behind Katie.

    "Yeah, we do. Know where to get any or how to make them?" Juan''s voice was sharp. He turned away and began talking into the walkie-talkie, instructing the pulley operators.

    Jason threw up his hands and stalked away angrily.

    Katie sighed and looked toward Jenni and Mike. They looked so vulnerable up there. The operators on the pulleys began to tug them back in and the zombies began to leap for them. A few tumbled into the no man''s land where the spikes were. Two were impaled, but two more glanced off the spikes and landed on the ground.

    Juan cursed loudly in Spanish as he motioned to the operators to stop hauling the two in.

    Another zombie made a flying leap at Jenni and his fingers glanced off her shoe, but he fell hard against the hurricane fence.

    Another three tumbled off onto spikes, but now they had some zombies up against the hurricane fence rattling it.

    "Gawd, this keeps getting worse," Katie muttered.

    Travis voice cackled again. "We have a breach." His voice sounded overwhelmed.

    Katie looked up to see more zombies flowing onto the trucks. Because they had pulled Jenni and Mike back, the zombies were now hurtling into the spiked area. Many were impaled, but more and more were falling to the ground as they glanced off their undead companion''s skewered bodies.

    "Juan, we''re fucked if we don''t hold that line," Katie exclaimed, and moved toward the stairs that lead up to the top of the wall.

    Travis joined her and Juan followed her as the Mayor shouted at them to do something fast.

    "Keep the guns thinning the herd at the back of the corral," Travis said.

    "We need to go in with spears," Katie said, almost over him.

    "We need to keep someone shooting the ones trying to get over the truck," Juan added.

    "Sounds like a three prong plan," Travis said.

    "Great minds¡­do something¡­" Juan said, and waved his hand at some of the construction workers who were hanging back waiting to join the fray.

    Travis grabbed hold of Katie''s arm as she turned to grab a spear. "You don''t have to."

    "Yeah, I do," Katie answered. She slung her rifle over one shoulder and double-checked her revolver.

    Jenni and Mike were now dangling over the spikes, screaming to be pulled back in, but Juan motioned to them that it wasn''t going to happen.

    Katie understood why. At this point Jenni and Mike were the main focus of the undead cannibals. Drawing them into the fort would just turn the zombies'' attention to all of them.

    "This is crazy!" Jason''s voice drew Katie''s attention. "We need better weapons. We need grenades and¡­and¡­"

    Katie looked down at him and gripped the spear tightly. "Jason, we''ll take care of it."

    Travis and Katie looked down at the ladder that led to the area between the fence and the wall. A few zombies saw them and grabbed the fence and began to shake it. Katie muttered "fuck" a few times then let herself down the ladder. Her hands were shaking so badly it was hard to hold on. All that separated her from a gruesome death was a wire fence.

    Travis dropped down behind her, followed by construction worker, then another. Katie pressed herself back against the wall and stared at the crazed, rabid faces of the zombies just on the other side of the fence.

    "Katie," Travis said softly.

    "Yeah," she answered. She peeled herself off the wall and took a step forward.

    Beside her, a short Hispanic man drove his spear between the holes in the fence and into the eye of a zombie. And with that simple act of violence, the world turned bloody and surreal. Using the spears with screwdrivers at the ends, the construction workers began to thrust hard through the gaps in the fence, trying to drive the sharp ends through the eyes or mouths of the screeching zombies.

    Katie took a deep breath and gazed into the face of a female zombie screaming and growling on the other side of the fence. Her fingers, stripped of most their skin, clutched the fence tightly, and she shook it as hard as she could, trying to rip down the barrier between her and Katie. Katie lifted the spear and aimed the end at the woman''s eye. As hard as she could, she thrust the spear forward and felt the sickening squish of the woman''s eyeball.

    Shoving harder, the spear pressed deep into the screaming woman''s head and finally into her brain.

    "Scramble it!" Travis voice was jagged with exertion as he struggled to impale an enormous zombie on the other side of the fence.

    Katie jiggled the spear around and felt the woman go limp with one harsh cry. Leaning her weight back, she drew the spear out of the now dead zombie''s flesh. Blood splattered her clothes.

    "Shit."

    "On a stick," Travis said.

    More zombies were trying to leap off the trucks onto them, but due to the foresight of Travis and Juan, the truck perimeter was a good distance from the fence and they kept landing on the spikes, or tumbling to the ground.

    Katie felt sweat dripping off of her and she thrust the spear into the eye of another zombie. Then another. Over and over again. It was hard work-gory work-and the screaming faces made her tremble. But she kept going.

    Juan''s voice sounded over the walkie-talkie. "Travis, we nearly have the corral empty. Most of the zombies are now up against the truck or down in the trenches with you."

    Travis nodded, though Juan couldn''t see him. "Then this fucking battle is almost over."

    "Let go! Let go!" someone shouted, followed by a harsh scream.

    Katie looked to the side to see that a construction worker had been foolish enough to brace his foot against the fence to draw the spear out of his victim and two other zombies had managed to grab it. He had fallen, sideways, against the fence and now the remaining zombies were tearing bits of his flesh away with their fingers and teeth.

    Katie dropped the spear and walked over to the man. Another man was trying to wrestle him away from the zombies.

    She drew her gun.

    "No, no, just save me," the man pleaded.

    "I am," she answered, and aimed. She fired four shots, point blank, through the holes in the fence, killing the zombies who had bitten into the man.

 Page 44

    "Thank you, thank you," the man whispered.

    Katie said softly, "No problem" and shot him square between the eyes.

    "Bitch!"

    She was tackled from the side and knocked to the ground. The man above her didn''t hesitate to punch her so hard across the face that her vision swam.

    "Stupid fuckin'' lesbo bitch!"

    He hit her again and her vision began to darken. Dimly, she heard Jenni screaming.

    "Get off her! Get off her!"

    Someone tackled the man and pushed him off her.

    Katie tried to roll over and tasted blood in her mouth. She spit it out and managed to roll onto her knees and palms. Men''s voices were shouting and arguing behind her and she heard the impact of a fist against flesh. There were more screams. She crawled to the wall and resting her hand against it, drew herself slowly up. Her body was shaking and she felt like vomiting. The world swam around her. Slowly, she realized she was still clutching the gun.

    Swinging around, she aimed at the man who had punched her. He had Travis in a strangle hold and two other men were trying to get him off of Travis. The zombies were almost all dead. Just two more rattled the fence and screeched.

    "Let him go," she whispered.

    The men continued to fight.

    "Let him go!"

    The man looked at her, his green eyes bright with fierce anger. He let go of Travis abruptly and lunged at her again. The gun slid up his slick skin to his neck as he tackled her to the ground once more.

    "I''m going to feed you to those things," he hissed in her face. "You killed my brother, you bitch."

    "He was already dead," Katie managed to say as his weight slowly pressed the air out of her lungs. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

    From the gleam in his eye, Katie realized he didn''t give a fuck about the gun. He put his hands on her throat and started to squeeze. Something fell on him from above, smashing into the back of his head and Katie gasped as the weight of it knocked all the air out of her. Gasping, she tried to hold onto the gun, her vision darkening still. Her assailant''s eyes rolled up into his head as he slid into unconsciousness. Then Jenni was over her, smoothing back her hair and whispering, "It''s okay."

    Travis pulled Jenni away and knocked the now unconscious attacker off of Katie. He leaned over her and took the gun from her hand. "Katie, try to breathe, okay?"

    She struggled for breath as her hand grasped his arm. Jenni stroked her hair gently, trying to calm her.

    Finally, she managed to say, "sonofabitch," and that made both Travis and Jenni smile with relief.

    Travis lifted her up into his arms and carried her back toward the ladder. She could see that the no man''s land between the truck barrier and the fence was nothing but dead bodies.

    "We¡­did¡­it," she whispered hoarsely.

    "Yeah," Travis assured her and hoisted her up.

    Juan and Mike lifted her up over the wall and laid her down on the platform.

    "Dropping from the harness is real loca, Loca," Juan informed Jenni.

    "What if you had missed and hit the spikes?"

    "Um, you would miss me?"

    Juan snorted. "Yeah, right."

    Travis leaned down and gingerly touched the side of her face. It was throbbing and hurt like hell. "Katie, Katie¡­"

    "I think I''m going away," Katie whispered.

    She passed out cold.

    Beyond her, past the wall, past the fence, past the trucks, the corral was seeped in blood and gore and nothing moved.

    They had won.

    Chapter 16

    1. Voices

    Katie swam to the surface of consciousness slowly. The darkness was deep and stifling. She clawed at it, trying to rise, trying to break free.

    "¡­defending all of us¡­"

    Travis'' voice.

    "¡­shot a man in cold blood¡­"

    That was the Mayor''s voice.

    "¡­there is no cure for a bite¡­"

    Juan sounded pissed.

    "¡­we would have had to shoot him anyway¡­"

    Curtis was defending her. Wow.

    She struggled to push up through the thick membrane of the darkness and strained to speak.

    "Don''t be an idiot," a woman''s voice said.

    Peggy, the city secretary.

    "Yeah, this world has all new rules. Katie did that guy a favor."

    Jenni, safe and sound.

    "Who is in charge around here?"

    The Mayor again, sounding shrill.

    "Well, I would say Travis," Juan said.

    There were murmurs of agreement, Peggy and Curtis included.

    "I''m an elected official!"

    "Well, the new elections were just held and you lost," Juan answered.

    "Take the handcuffs off," Travis ordered.

    Handcuffs?

    Katie realized the cold brace around her wrists was metal. She tried to open her eyes and failed. Something cold and wet was resting on her forehead and eye. An ice pack.

    "Curtis, I am your boss!"

    "Not anymore," Curtis answered.

    "Give me the keys," Travis said.

    Again, she tried to open her eyes.

    "Hey, you awake?" Travis'' voice, warm and strong. So much like her father.

    Her eyes fluttered and light broke the darkness.

    She felt him fumbling with the handcuffs.

    "Kinky," she moaned.

    Travis laughed and his features swam before her eyes and slowly solidified.

    More figures pushed into her vision and she saw Jenni''s large eyes.

    "Not dead¡­" she managed.

    "And not arrested," Juan assured her.

    "You can''t let her go," the Mayor protested.

    "Watch us," Travis answered, and leaned down and gathered her up in his arms.

    The ice pack tumbled off her head and onto the cot.

    Wrapping her arms loosely around his neck, she whispered,

    "¡­need¡­to¡­stop¡­playing¡­romantic hero¡­"

    "Yeah, I keep telling you that, but you just don''t listen," Travis chided her playfully.

    "She''s bullheaded that way," Jenni agreed, following him as he carried Katie out of the room.

    Katie slumped against Travis. "Head hurts," she said.

    Then she slipped away again.

    2. Movement

    Jenni pushed her way into the city council meeting room and elbowed her way past the many people gathered there: townspeople, construction workers, city workers, other stragglers who had found their way here.

    Everyone was pressed into the room.

    At the council table sat Katie, Travis, Juan, the Mayor, Peggy and Curtis.

    The room was already in an uproar.

    "¡­we should have a say¡­"

    "¡­who says what we should do¡­"

    Jenni was relieved to see that Katie looked very alert despite her swollen face and blackened eye. Her lip was still swollen and cracked, but it didn''t take away from the fierce look on her face.

    Jason was seated toward the front and motioned Jenni over. She slipped into the seat he was saving for her and Jack rested his chin on her knee so he could have scratches behind his ears. He gave her a doggy grin of satisfaction as she commenced her scratching.

    Curtis stood up slowly. "Okay, okay, let¡¯s be civil about this. A lot has happened since yesterday. We need to stay calm."

    The room quieted down a bit.

    Curtis sat down and Travis stood up. "I''m not real good at leadership stuff, but we need to do something to make sure that what happened yesterday doesn''t happen again. Now, my strong point is building and I can design new fortifications for this¡­uh¡­fort. Juan also has a lot of ideas and we are working together to expand our fort and also make it safer. Safer to live in. Safer to get in and out of. We''re going to need a lot of volunteers.

    Now, the Mayor here, he can run a city and he will be dealing with the logistics of that. Food distribution, water consumption, living quarters, all that."

    The Mayor slowly raised his head and Jenni could tell he was a defeated man who had grabbed onto whatever was left of his power base.

    "What about the lesbo?"

    The voice came from the back of the room.

    Travis'' face darkened, but he kept his temper. "Katie, Bill, and Curtis have experience in law enforcement-"

    "She killed Patrick in cold blood!"

    "Patrick was bitten," Travis said softly. "A bite is deadly in this new world. He was dead already. And yeah, you get bit, you are going to be delivered out of this life fast and quick to keep the rest of us safe."

    "That''s murder!"

    Jenni strained to see who was talking.

    "No, it''s being humane. Now, Katie, Bill, and Curtis are going to work together to make sure that everyone understands the new rules around here."

    "Who gave you the right?" An older man now.

    "No one. But it''s what we are good at. We''ll need everyone to work hard to keep this place safe." Travis looked grim. "We need to work together, or we will all die."

    Katie said in a low voice, "Tell them the plans."

    Travis nodded. "First off, we cleared out the zombies to the point that none have been seen since yesterday. Tomorrow, we''ll dispose of all the bodies after removing the corral and clearing the area¡­"

 Page 45

    He spoke softly, but firmly. Juan had a plan to devise a new entry point using the street to the east by rigging up what he called the "Panama Canal.¡±

    It was a simple series of walls with gates. Anyone entering by vehicle would have to drive into two locks to give guards time to shoot any zombies who slipped in as well. Then the vehicle would enter an area behind the construction site that would be walled off and enter the garage of the building that had once housed a county newspaper office and distribution center.

    "So, we''re expanding the wall as fast as we can. We''ll use the storage containers to block off an area for safety, build the wall, then move the containers again until we have enough space."

    They would go into the hotel and the old newspaper building and clear it out, then brick up every entrance that would be facing the outside world.

    Everyone would be moved into the hotel.

    Other teams would take trucks to go into the town and bring back supplies.

    "Seeds so we can plant gardens for food, as much food as possible, bedding, tools, toilet paper¡­" Peggy read off a long list.

    Other teams would look for survivors. They would be armed, of course, and Mike would train those volunteers, since he was former army.

    Juan added, "I''m heading to the library. We need books on farming, medicine, weapons, warfare¡­"

    "We have a window of opportunity before another batch of those bastards show up," Travis said as the meeting continued.

    "What about the army coming to rescue us?"

    Curtis shook his head. "The best news I have is that they are holed up at a rescue station in Madison and under heavy siege."

    "We have to rescue ourselves," Katie said.

    Jenni looked over the people in the room to see that they actually did understand. There was seriousness in their features and a grim determination that gave her hope.

    "Everyone just needs to do what they are good at. We need to work together. I don''t want to be your leader, but someone who is helping out."

    There were murmurs of agreement to Travis'' words.

    "What about the lesbo bitch? Shane is locked up because of her."

    Jenni finally spot him. A tall man with dark brown hair and a heavy mustache. An older guy, grizzled and fierce.

    Curtis stood up slowly. "He agrees to act like a civilized man, we''ll let him out. But the rule remains. You get bit, you will be given the gift of a quick death."

    There was silence, then Rosie, Juan''s mother, said, "That is fair. And right."

    More murmurs of agreement.

    Travis motioned to those at the table. "All of us are heading up some part of the fortifying of this fort. Come to us. Talk to us. Volunteer. We need to work hard to get this done."

    Jenni raised her hand as high as she could.

    Travis acknowledged her.

    "I just want to say that in every zombie movie internal fighting is what finally let¡¯s the zombies in to win," she said, and gave Travis a big smile.

    There was total silence at this, but Juan nodded. "She''s right. We keep it together or die."

    The grizzled old timer snorted, but shrugged. "Fine."

    Jenni gave him a long look and leaned over to Jason. " He''ll be trouble."

    Jason nodded. "Yeah, I know."

    The meeting finally broke up. Most of the people actually seemed relieved that there was some sort of plan. Katie stood slowly and her hand rose to her battered face. Travis turned to her to make sure she was okay.

    Jenni hesitated, feeling a little jealous. Katie was her best friend, not Travis''.

    She sighed and fought the emotion. It was hard to share at times. Katie gave him a little smile. She gave Jenni an even bigger smile and Jenni grinned happily.

    Juan started past her.

    "Hey, I''m going with you," Jenni informed Juan.

    Juan stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. "Fine. But you''ll do as I say."

    Jenni smirked. "Of course, I will."

    Katie laughed and sat back down slowly. "I wish I could go along just to enjoy the banter."

    "We don''t banter," Juan said with a sniff.

    "We argue," Jenni agreed.

    "We hate each other," Juan added.

    "Viciously," Jenni said with a nod.

    Travis regarded both of them, then looked at Katie. "I think they''re secretly dating."

    Juan sputtered and Jenni made a face.

    "Yeah, definitely," Katie agreed.

    Juan and Jenni eyed each other for a moment and both shook their heads vehemently.

    "I''d rather date you, Travis," Juan said firmly.

    "Oh, how cute!" Katie laughed and wagged her finger at both the men.

    "It would be a match in heaven."

    Jenni flung her arms playfully around Katie''s neck as she sat on her lap.

    "And I have a woman."

    Katie just giggled and missed Travis'' stricken expression.

    If Jenni had seen, she would realized her kidding had hit a nerve, but she missed it and the two women began to joke around.

    Travis and Juan slipped away.

    "Told you," Juan said simply.

    "Yeah," Travis said glumly.

    "Want to hold my hand?"

    Travis snorted. "Ha, ha."

    "What? I''m a sexy bitch!"

    Travis just kept walking.

    3. What Have I Become

    Katie felt trapped within the fort now that others were venturing out into the town. It was three days since the great battle and she was a walking bruise. Her jaw ached and her eye looked worse than ever. She was healing, but her bruises were still rising to the surface and revealing themselves in all their colorful glory.

    The first group to go out of the fort had returned with truckloads of food from the local grocery and survivors from the convenience store she and Travis had stopped on the way to Nerit and Ralph''s. Unfortunately, they had become too confident and two zombies had dragged down one of the fort''s men in the grocery store. It was a sobering moment that reminded everyone vividly that the danger still existed even though the zombies were not crowded outside their walls. It was a bitter irony to add ten new people to their company while losing another.

    Travis had called off any other sojourns out of the fort for another day.

    He enlisted Mike to once more go over gun safety and procedure, with Curtis helping him out with demonstrations. They couldn''t afford to lose anyone else.

    As her body struggled to heal, she sat in on planning sessions for the new entrance and the taking of the hotel. Though she didn''t understand all the logistics and the terminology, it became apparent that Juan and Travis were clever and resourceful. If she were well enough, she would be joining the team that was going in to clear out the hotel. Meanwhile, Jenni had volunteered to go into town to the library with Juan and had also volunteered to stand guard at night.

    Katie suspected Jenni was interested in standing guard due to Travis taking the late shift. It was pretty clear to her that Jenni was interested in Travis. Whether the attraction went both ways, she wasn''t sure.

    Unable to sleep, Jack and Jason snoring loudly on the nearby cot, she slid off her bed and wandered up to the roof. The wind was cool and soft on her skin and she hugged herself to keep warm. Sitting down on a plastic chair someone had left up there, she looked up at the bright stars and sighed.

    It was hard to feel peace when you now knew you could kill without remorse and on pure instinct. In her mind, she replayed the image of that man, torn and bleeding, and how he had not even realized her finger was pulling back the trigger. He had been so relieved that she had saved him.

    Then she had truly saved him.

    Rubbing her hands together, she leaned forward and sighed. Staring at the rooftop between her feet, she took a deep breath of cool, fresh air. With the zombie bodies gone, she felt liberated to take deep breaths. The air was fresh once more.

    "We do what we have to do," Lydia''s voice whispered.

    She looked up to see Lydia sitting in the chair next to her. "Baby?"

    Lydia smiled and reached out to run her fingers lightly down her cheek.

    "I''m here, sweetie."

    Katie fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Lydia''s waist, clinging to her. Her cheek pressed to Lydia''s lap, she began to weep. "I''m dreaming."

    "It''s okay though, isn''t it?" Lydia''s long cool fingers stroked her hair gently.

    "Yes, oh, yes. I was afraid I wouldn''t dream of you anymore. Not after what I did."

    Lydia carefully lifted Katie''s chin to gaze down at her. "And what did you do?"

    "I killed that man. I just killed him."

    "But you killed Jason''s friend and his friend''s father at the camp."

    "They wanted me to. They were infected!" Katie face was wet with tears.

    Lydia lovingly traced the contours of her face with the tips of her fingers.

    "And how was this different?"

    "I just¡­did¡­it." Katie''s voice caught and she shivered. "And I don''t¡­feel bad."

    Lydia nodded. "I know, baby. And you shouldn''t. You shouldn''t feel bad.

    You saved him from my fate. You liberated him from hell. You did what you had to."

 Page 46

    "I don''t feel bad, Lydia, because I hate them. I want them all to die. I don''t care what they are or once were. And when I knew he would be one of those things, he stopped being human to me and I killed him. And I don''t fucking feel bad!"

    Lydia leaned down and gently kissed Katie''s forehead. "I know, baby. I know. But there is more, isn''t there?"

    Katie drew back. "I don''t want to talk about it."

    "Katie, tell me."

    "I can''t!" Katie stood up and wiped at her face with trembling fingers.

    Lydia slowly stood up and took Katie''s face between her hands. With infinite tenderness and love, she kissed Katie''s lips. Katie clung to her and kissed her back.

    "I love you, Lydia. I should have¡­"

    Lydia lightly kissed her again. "Tell me."

    Katie shivered and whispered against Lydia''s soft lips, "Oh, gawd¡­"

    "Tell me."

    "I should have killed you!"

    Lydia nodded and drew back. Her figure began to alter before Katie''s eyes. Lydia looked down at her chest as a huge hole opened slowly and her emptiness was revealed. Raising milky eyes, Lydia whispered, "You should have."

    And then she rushed Katie screaming.

    Katie awoke, tumbled off the plastic chair, and landed hard on the roof.

    Travis was there in an instant, helping her up.

    "Geezus, you''re shaking," he said with concern.

    Katie looked around, terrified. Her fingers gripped his shirt tightly as she swung her head around, looking desperately for the ghoul from her nightmare. But the rooftop was empty except for them.

    "Travis," she sobbed.

    "I''m here," he answered, his gaze concerned.

    "Travis, I let her down," Katie choked out, then collapsed against him, weeping.

    He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, feeling her trembling violently against him. Tenderly, he stood stroking her hair as the woman cried, not understanding her rambling words. But he knew her heart was broken and his broke for her.

    At last, he helped her down the stairs back to her room. She walked slowly, weakly, and leaned heavily against him. When he entered, Jenni was just lying down. Seeing Katie, she immediately sprang up and took her from him.

    "Katie, honey, what is it?"

    Travis released Katie reluctantly and watched Jenni help her lay down.

    He stood awkwardly as Katie reached out to Jenni and they clasped hands.

    "Lydia," Katie said in a clear voice at last. "She''s still out there-one of them."

    Jenni knelt next to the cot and sighed. "I know, Katie."

    Travis said, rather lamely he thought later, "I think she''s upset."

    Jenni looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah." She stood, pushed her cot up to Katie''s, and lay down. "I''ll take care of her."

    Katie seemed to relax as Jenni curled up next to her and held her hand.

    Travis nodded and backed out of the room slowly. He turned and shut the door behind him.

    Juan was coming up the stairs smoking despite all the "Thank You For Not Smoking" signs all over the city hall. The recovery team had brought back beer and cigarettes from the grocery store and Juan was a happy man. He hesitated when he saw Travis.

    "Ever see Chasing Amy? " Juan asked after a beat.

    "No," Travis answered.

    "Eh, yer fucked," Juan decided.

    "Yeah." Travis looked at the door.

    "Well, I''m off to get shut eye. Loca and I are heading out tomorrow around noon."

    "Take it easy out there," Travis answered automatically.

    "As long as Loca doesn''t shoot me in the ass, it should be just fine." Juan grinned and walked on.

    Travis looked back at the closed door and thought of Jenni''s expression when she had seen Katie. The compassion in her eyes had touched him deeply. Yeah, he shared something with Katie, but it didn''t seem to compare to the bond the women had.

    And it made him feel very alone.

    He walked on slowly, deep in thought.

    4. Not Always As It Seems

    ¡°Coast is clear!"

    Juan nodded to Jenni and she quickly let herself down the ladder and onto the main street. It was empty of bodies and covered in about a half foot of rich fresh earth. It didn''t smell nearly as bad as it had. She walked quickly and confidently to the city truck Juan had pointed out to her. He had once worked for the city as a maintenance guy and was sure it was reliable and ready to go.

    Juan dropped down behind her, walking with his rifle in his hands. His long hair flowed curly and crazed from beneath his cowboy hat.

    "Almost seems like a normal day," he said.

    Jenni looked around and nodded. "Want to go by McDonald''s for a McGriddle?"

    "Do not torture me, Loca. I loved those fuckers."

    The truck perimeter had been moved outward and now a new wall was being erected directly behind it. Also, the storage containers were moved off to their new location as the first of the "locks" was built. Everyone was working hard. Well, except for Old Man Watson. He sat around, smiling, nodding and look pretty oblivious to what was going down.

    Jenni drew closer to the truck and ducked down to make sure there was nothing under the truck. Satisfied, she peered into the cab, then opened the door and slid in. Juan followed suit and slammed his door.

    "Okay, we are taking the shortest route there. Anything jumps up and follows us, we don''t do anything fancy unless we have to. Okay?"

    Jenni nodded. "Okay."

    "Promise me."

    Jenni gave him her snootiest look. "I promise."

    Juan rolled his eyes and started the truck.

    Jenni settled back in her seat and rested her rifle across her knees. They had actually received a briefing from Mike. They were to stick together and at the first sign of more than one or two zombies, they were to run for safety. If possible, they were to get to a safe position and take out the zombies.

    Manpower was spread thin, so two men crews were being trained by Mike.

    Despite their bickering, Juan and Jenni had actually done quite well together and felt confident.

    Jenni watched the buildings gliding by her window thoughtfully. Many of the businesses were shut down, their fronts boarded up.

    "The town was dying," she said.

    "Pretty much dead. A developer came in and sold the city council on a big plan to revive it. In the old days, the hotel was actually a prime spot for the old Hollywood stars to come and relax while hunting out in these hills.

    The construction site was an old theater that one of those old stars from this area actually built for shows. We''re talking early 20s. Not even talkies, but silent films. So the developer was going to tap into that and raise up a whole little bit of old Hollywood here. Even had others interested in buying up the old stores and making them into retro style diners, etc, etc. The big clincher of all this was lobbying to get gambling legalized in the county. It was a crazy idea, but the guy has¡­had money." Juan shrugged. "I thought it sounded like a load of shit, but it gave a lot of us jobs."

    Jenni thought this over. "I''m sure Vegas thought the same thing, huh?"

    Juan laughed. "Yeah, probably."

    The truck turned down a residential road and they both tensed. There was more of a chance of the undead in this area than in the shutdown downtown area.

    Juan swerved around a bike in the middle of the road, dried blood and guts clinging to its frame.

    "Fucked up world," he said.

    "Yeah."

    Jenni glanced into the large picture window of a house as they passed. A woman and little boy stood inside beating on the window. Neither one of them was alive.

    "There are still more, trapped inside houses."

    "And outside," Juan said and the truck bounced as they ran over a legless zombie.

    Jenni giggled a little.

    "Yer really a sick chica," Juan said, and his voice seemed to be tinged with appreciation.

    "Yep. Pretty much." She flashed her biggest smile at him.

    "Too bad yer gay. I might actually ask your sick ass out."

    Jenni rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I''m so not gay."

    "Ah, c''mon. Everyone knows about you and Katie." Juan made a really obscene gesture with his mouth.

    Jenni immediately flipped him off. "Not gay."

    "Yep."

    "Nope."

    "Yep."

    "Nope."

    "Yep."

    "Love the penis, I can assure you," Jenni said and wagged an eyebrow.

    Juan nearly drove into a car. "Shit, girl!"

    "I do! I was a married woman! I love men. Not you, other men, but I love men."

    "So you and Katie aren''t¡­" Juan made another obscene gesture and Jenni smacked him.

    "No!"

    "Oh." He sounded rather disappointed.

    "I kinda like Travis, honestly."

    Juan blinked. "Yeah?"

    "Yeah."

    "Oh, I think he''s got a hard on for your former girlfriend."

    Jenni blinked. "Huh?"

    "Yeah. Katie. Though I''m sure he thinks you are a fine piece of ass. Loca, but fine."

 Page 47

    Jenni frowned a little. "Katie is gay. She is the gay one."

    Juan shrugged. "Travis just¡­he''s always confused about women. You should go for him. He''d enjoy your locaness."

    Jenni smacked Juan again. "Get out! Really?" She smiled at the thought of being even a little alluring to Travis.

    "Uh, yeah. Stop hitting me. I''m driving." Juan pointed to the road.

    "Oh, yeah." Jenni was grinning hard now. "Well, Katie is gay, so he has to know that isn''t going to happen. So, maybe he''ll look my way. I need makeup. And maybe a cute top." Jenni thought for a moment. "Think we''ll get to kill zombies?"

    "Your mind just goes all over the place, doesn''t it?"

    "Pretty much."

    Juan pulled into a nearly empty parking lot outside of what had probably been a very "modern" building in the Seventies, but could now be safely classified as an atrocity of architecture. Only two cars were in the parking lot.

    Across the street was a nice park. There were no houses nearby, so it was easy to look around and see that the area was pretty clear of danger.

    "Just keep smart, Loca."

    Jenni nodded and slid out of the truck. She flicked the safety off her rifle and walked slowly toward the main entrance.

    The first obstacle to their expedition was in plain view once they got close enough. The library had a set of glass double doors with a small foyer between them. Trapped inside of them was an old man, dead, hungry, and beating on the interior door. It was kind of funny that he still clung to his library book.

    "He wants in," Jenni observed.

    "Possible survivors."

    "That''s what I''m thinking."

    Juan walked over and peered past the old man. "Can''t see anything but a card catalog up against the door."

    "Survivors then."

    "Maybe. If they had food in there."

    The old man became aware of them and turned. He hissed when he saw them and instantly started banging on the door to the outside. Surprisingly, it wasn''t locked and slowly opened under his weight.

    "Shit."

    "Fuck."

    "Shoot it, Loca."

    Jenni waited until the man managed to stagger outside and fired one shot, neatly taking off the top of his head and shattering the glass door behind him.

    Juan looked down at the zombie''s book. "Better Sex After 60," he said.

    "No!"

    "Yeah."

    Jenni looked. She broke into wild laughter. "Oh, shit. That is funny. He probably got here early to turn it in before his buddies saw him.

    They became aware of three anxious faces looking at them over the top of the card catalog. They were drawn, a little pinched, but live faces. The heavy piece of library furniture was pushed out of the way and a woman unlocked the inner door.

    "Oh, thank God! Juan!"

    "Belinda!"

    Juan hugged the woman tightly and slipped into the library. "Everyone okay?"

    Jenni sized up Belinda. She had long black hair, amber eyes, and a tiny frame. She was obviously Hispanic and very pretty. The other woman was older, blond, and very short and stout. The third person was a young teenage girl with red hair and a spray of freckles across her nose.

    "Thank God someone came for us," the blond woman exclaimed.

    "Gretchen, good to see you alive."

    "Same here, Juan," the stout woman answered.

    Belinda locked the door behind them. "We''ve been here since it started."

    "We were almost out of food," the teenager said.

    "We''re here now," Jenni said with a smile. She felt a little weird about Belinda, but liked feeling like the rescuer.

    "Oh, Lord, we''ve been eating snacks out of the vending machines. We''re almost out," Gretchen said.

    "We got locked in when Mr. Marsters showed up with a bad bite. He said someone bit him as he was stopped at a stoplight. We tried to help him, but he died," Belinda explained.

    "We had heard about them coming back and we took no chances and were carrying him out when he did come back," Gretchen added.

    "We almost didn''t get away from him. He tripped and fell and that is when we managed to lock the door," Belinda finished.

    Jenni studied her a bit longer. She was fairly sure that librarians were not supposed to be attractive or sexy.

    Juan quickly explained about the fort, the situation, and all they had endured. Gretchen kept clasping her hands and saying, "Dear sweet Jesus."

    The teenager just seemed dazed. Belinda kept hugging Juan, which really annoyed Jenni.

    Jenni wasn''t sure she liked any of them.

    "So there are no doctors or nurses in the fort?" Gretchen asked in horror after Juan was done with his story.

    "Nope. Clinic got wiped out right away. That''s why we need books," Juan answered.

    Belinda clasped her hands over her mouth and tears welled in her eyes.

    She shook it off and said, "Okay. Give us the list."

    Juan rummaged around in the pocket of his worn jeans and pulled it out.

    Belinda took it and immediately scanned it.

    "Okay, we''ll divide it up, load up the book carts, and get out of here,"

    Belinda said.

    Jenni tried not to frown at her. Who had put her in charge anyway?

    But being the good sport she was, Jenni trudged along behind Gretchen, pushing a book cart while it got loaded up with what looked like a bunch of really boring books. Juan went with Belinda and the teenager collected all the remaining candy from the vending machine.

    Jenni was almost disappointed when they got out to the truck and there were no zombies in sight. She was feeling edgy and irritable and wanted to shoot something.

    They all squeezed into the truck. Belinda sat next to Juan with the teenager on her lap. Gretchen squeezed in next and Jenni ended up crammed in last, almost on top of Gretchen.

    The trip back was even more boring than the trip out. Again she saw some zombies trapped in houses, beating on windows, but none broke out.

    She thought of Mikey, sighed, and felt even more like shooting stuff.

    Back at the fort, the ladies were helped up over their defenses and into the construction site while Juan loaded up the old pallet Travis had built with the books while Jenni and others stood watch.

    Finally, she went over the wall, Juan behind her.

    "Well, Loca, we''re safe and sound."

    "Big fucking deal."

    Juan looked at her and frowned. "What?"

    Jenni just wrinkled her nose at him.

    "What?"

    "I didn''t get to kill anything on the way back. At all!"

    Juan started to laugh. "Yeah, but you''re back and okay. So you can go flirt with Travis."

    Jenni considered this for a moment, but it didn''t seem quite as alluring as before. "Oh, yeah. I guess I could."

    "Time to come out of the straight closet, chica." Juan mussed up her hair with one hand and strode off to join Belinda.

    Jenni just scowled after him. She stomped her foot once and stormed off to pout.

    Chapter 17

    1. The Terrible World

    Jenni walked out of the new gate cautiously, her rifle in her hands, safety off, ready to fire. Bill walked with her, also sweeping his gaze over the abandoned street. Curtis was right behind them, looking very nervous. This was his first time out of the fort and he was already sweating profusely.

    Jenni had been asked to accompany the former cops on a search and rescue expedition. Either Juan had talked up her skills and craziness to grandiose proportions or her actions in the fort had made her seem crazy, yet competent. Or maybe it was a combination of both. But it did amuse her that they wanted her to tag along, because they knew she had no issue about killing the zombies. Unfortunately, there were those who did seem to have issues with killing their former townspeople. Already on one rescue mission, someone''s aversion to killing their zombified grandmother had resulted in one death.

    The construction workers attempted to shut the gate behind them, but there were a lot of teeth jarring screeches and a lot of swearing. Juan had told Jenni that there had been some issues with the gate and obviously this was true. Hopefully, they would have it fixed by the time they got back.

    Despite her efforts to not be annoyed, Jenni was having trouble dealing with Juan. It was all about Belinda and she hated it bothered her so much. It became clear that Juan''s real reason for the library excursion was to hopefully save Belinda. And since she was one of the town''s librarians, everyone knew her, which annoyed Jenni to no end. Since Belinda had arrived, they dynamics had changed again. Juan was constantly acting like a total idiot around Belinda, trying to act all smooth and sophisticated and if Jenni even tried to pop a joke in his direction, he''d get annoyed. Though she was utterly loath to admit it, she missed their banter.

    She strode quickly toward the mini-bus they had begun to use during the rescue missions. The fort population was slowly growing and the number of men and women was slowly evening out. There were at least a dozen children now and Peggy''s son had plenty of other kids to play with. At times Jenni felt annoyed with their presence. It was hard to see other children alive and well when hers had died so quickly.

 Page 48

    Fate had been cruel to so many, but spared others.

    "Keep it short and sweet,¡± Bill said.

    "We''re going to stir up the captive natives again," Curtis sighed.

    "Let them bust out. We''ll shoot them and not have to deal with them later," Jenni said with a grin.

    Bill shook his head. "Such a blood-thirsty woman. You PMSing again, Jenni?"

    Pushing the door open to the mini-bus, Jenni turned to the two men.

    "Yeah. Be afraid, be very afraid."

    Curtis legitimately looked a little afraid, but Bill just laughed and lugged his girth up the stairs and into the driver''s seat.

    Warily, Curtis slid past Jenni and sat in the front seat. "Juan tells stories about you."

    Jenni shut the doors and smiled back at Curtis. "Ah, really? I didn''t know he still talked about me since his girlfriend showed up."

    Curtis shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "Uh¡­well..,he calls you Loca."

    Jenni wagged an eyebrow and held on, staying on the steps of the bus as it rolled forward.

    Bill just chuckled good-naturedly. "Well, I think Jenni is a little girl who''s a killer shot and if she''s loca, I can deal with that."

    Jenni smiled. "Thanks, Bill."

    Bill was always nice to her. Ever since he had arrived with Katie and Travis, he had been somewhat low-key. He had gone through the same thing as she and Katie had. Being outsiders to the townsfolk who had known each other all their lives, it had been hard to find their niche. Only now were they starting to feel as if they were actually part of the community. Bill had started volunteering to get to know people better and now a lot of the fort''s population knew him by name.

    The mini-bus slowly crawled down the street toward one of the residential neighborhoods bordering the downtown area. It drove past a burned out gasoline station, abandoned restaurants, the old cinema that had closed its doors long ago, and a car lot that stood empty of cars. It turned at the first block of the neighborhood of small early 20th century homes. Most were in good repair, but a few had fallen to the elements and leaned dangerously to one side, or had collapsed altogether.

    Bill drove very slowly; giving anyone whom was alive enough time to come to a window or doorway. Of course, this meant the undead were hearing the steady hum of the engine as well. A few appeared at windows.

    Jenni had gone through this before. Sometimes the zombies broke out, sometimes they didn''t. If they did break out, a bullet to the head settled the situation. So far the bus had never been swarmed.

    "No one alive on this street, it looks like, "Curtis said softly.

    "Yeah." Bill answered sadly. He turned a corner and they started down another street.

    Jenni watched the shrubbery and the houses with equal interest. Once she had seen half a man stuck in a hedge. She had wondered if he had tried to hide and had been pulled out and eaten. So far, she didn''t see any zombies outside of the houses, which was a relief. There was a great fear in the fort that more swarms of zombies would converge on them. Jenni listened to all the arguments, but had no opinion. Maybe zombies would just start moving in one direction and happen upon the town. Maybe there was a real danger of them migrating toward areas of the living. Did it really matter? In the end, they just had to be prepared.

    "That looks like a situation," Curtis said suddenly. He pointed to a house up ahead. Two zombies were rushing across the street toward a house where four others were banging on windows. The front door was in shambles and it looked like a piece of furniture had been shoved up against it. The second floor window was open and a teenage girl was waving her arms.

    Bill slowed to a stop and the bus idled as they all stared at the situation.

    So far the zombies had not noticed them. They continued to assault the house, screeching up at the girl who was so desperate to signal the bus.

    "Kill em all," Jenni said after a beat.

    "No choice if we are going to rescue her," Bill agreed.

    "Take the ones on the left," Jenni told Curtis. "I''ll get the ones on the right."

    "I''ll cover you both," Bill added.

    Curtis took a deep breath. "Okay." He nervously fingered his service revolver. He nodded grimly to himself and stood up. "Okay."

    Jenni opened the door and stepped out cautiously. All the undead activity seemed to be centered at the house. Curtis walked beside her and they took up positions near the bus so they could retreat quickly. She looked out at Bill, who had the driver''s side window open and his gun ready.

    "Ready?"

    "Sure," Curtis said softly.

    Jenni lifted the rifle and sighted the most dangerous looking zombie. It was a fully intact male. She fired and made him headless. Immediately she swung toward the next one as she heard Curtis firing as well. A faceless woman was turning to head off the porch. The bullet Jenni fired slammed through the woman''s forehead and sheered off the top of her head. Curtis was firing next to her, his shots a little too wild as his nerves got the best of him.

    One of the zombies he shot, went down on a useless leg, but continued to crawl toward them.

    "Shoot em in da head!" Jenni''s finger closed on the trigger again and another zombie fell, its brain flopping out of its head onto the sidewalk.

    Curtis took a deep breath, steadied his hands, and fired quickly. This time his aim was more sure and Jenni was relieved as his shots found their proper targets and the zombies fell.

    "Watch out! Behind you!"

    Jenni whirled around to see an old woman, shambling toward her. To her amusement and horror, the woman had a strangle hold on a living cat.

    The cat had been systematically eating the woman''s arm probably since she had died. It looked skinny and bedraggled. She almost burst out laughing, but instead took aim and took out the dead cat lady. It dropped to the street, still twitching, the cat squealing and trying to get free. Jenni walked over and leaned down. As she pried the old woman''s dead and decaying fingers off the cat, the cat gave her a few swats with its claws, but managed only to get her jacket. The fingers finally released the angry feline and it rushed off with an angry little house cat roar.

    "Now that was fucked up," Jenni said to Curtis with a grin. Her expression grew grim as she saw what emerged from the house.

    The teenage girl was first, followed by a man that was apparently her father. He was carrying a little girl in his arms, heavily wrapped up in a blanket. A young boy followed his mother. The mother was pale, gray and sickly looking.

    "Thank God! Thank God," the man exclaimed. "We were hoping someone would find us! We ran out of food two days ago!"

    The mother stumbled a little and her little boy helped her stand up straight.

    "My wife and daughter need immediate medical attention," the man continued.

    Curtis looked at Jenni and they both sighed.

    "When were they bitten?" Jenni asked.

    "What?" The man didn''t register her words. "What?"

    "When were they bitten," Curtis asked. "They aren''t doing too well. We can tell they were bitten."

    "Yesterday. The front door was broke into and two got into the house.

    Daddy killed them, but they got Mom and Angie before we stop them. But it''s just small bites. It was a little kid who jumped on both of them. Nothing major. Just little teeth marks," the oldest daughter said.

    Curtis sighed softly and Jenni looked down at her boots for a moment.

    "Well, that was enough," she said finally. "And they are both as good as dead. We can''t take them with us."

    "What do you mean? You can''t leave them here!" The man''s face flushed red and fierce. "They need a doctor!"

    "There are no doctors alive in this town," Curtis said softly. "And there is no cure for the bite. They''re as good as dead and we can''t take them with us.

    It''s dangerous for all of us."

    The little boy began to cry and cling to his mother. She looked down at him sadly. Her eyes were sunken and her cheeks hollow. Her color was very bad and Jenni was sure she didn''t have much time left. The father backed away from them, clutching his ailing youngster in his arms.

    "We just can''t leave them behind," he protested.

    "You have to if you want to come with us. We have a safe place were many survivors are staying. If you want to come and be with us you will have to leave them behind," Curtis said in his best police officer "everyone stay calm" voice.

    Jenni considered just killing the mother outright, but it seemed too cruel. But they couldn''t just stand here and argue.

    "Let''s go," she said simply.

    Curtis hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."

    The teenager looked at her father desperately. "Daddy? We can''t stay here."

    The Father was holding tightly to his youngest and backing toward his wife. "We''re not leaving."

    "Yes, you are," his wife said firmly. "I can feel it burning inside of me.

    Cold and hot. I''m going to die here and I will be one of those things. Give me our daughter, Douglas."

    Douglas turned and looked at his wife with a desperate expression on his face. "Catherine, I''m not leaving you here."

 Page 49

    "Give me Angie and take our kids to a safe place."

    He shook his head and looked down at his daughter. Her breathing was ragged and she looked worse than the mother did.

    "Give me Angie, Douglas!" The wife held out her arms to him.

    The teenage girl grabbed hold of her brother and pulled him back away from their parents.

    "Mom¡­Mom¡­"

    "Ricky, go with your sister," she answered firmly. "Douglas, give me Angie."

    The man began to weep as he neared his wife. She looked as good as dead, looking worse by the moment. Reluctantly, he held out the small, precious bundle to her.

    "Now, go with our other kids to safety. Go!" Catherine held her daughter tightly to her, cradling her head against her shoulder. "Go!"

    Jenni motioned to the kids to get on the bus and they obeyed. They looked shell-shocked and terrified, but they obeyed. Curtis took hold of Douglas'' arm and guided him to the bus. The man could not take his eyes off his wife and child.

    "If we can get them to a doctor¡­" he mumbled.

    Curtis shoved him up into the bus and climbed in after him.

    Catherine stared at Jenni sadly and her grip tightened on her daughter as the small form began to thrash and growl. Blood splattered across her cheek and lips as she gripped the child close.

    Jenni raised the rifle and the woman looked down at her undead child that was tearing away at her breast. She nodded tears on her cheeks.

    "Catherine! Catherine!"

    Jenni could hear the woman''s husband and children screaming.

    She fired.

    The first shot stilled the child and tore a hole through Catherine''s chest.

    The woman was falling when the second bullet caught her and ripped the top of her head off.

    Jenni turned and got onto the bus in silence. She looked at the father who was clutching his children to him and weeping. She gazed at the two kids who were near hysterics as they clung to their father.

    Curtis was pale and had tears in his eyes. Bill looked calm and resigned to it all.

    Jenni slammed the door shut and leaned against it. Tears slid down her own cheeks as she thought of her dead children and once more felt the sting of their deaths. She hated the world in that moment. Hated everything about it. How it stole children from parents and parents from children. She never wanted to experience this again. Never wanted to see a family torn apart by this plague of living death. But she knew that she would and it made her angry.

    If she could help it, she would never let it happen again.

    "When we get back, I''m going to hug Jason so tight," Jenni said softly to Bill.

    He nodded at her and put the bus in gear and they started the return trip back to the fort.

    2. The Quiet Before The Storm

    Katie walked up the stairs to one of the main platforms overlooking the new entry point. The sun was setting and the construction crew was working hard until the last shards of light faded.

    It was coming along quickly, with the construction crew working around the clock. It was rough going and stressful. There had been a few attacks by zombies, but the guards had managed them with no loss of life. As the days wore on and small raiding parties went out into the town (always within a few blocks of the fort) to salvage what they could, a trickle of survivors began to arrive. They were usually pale shadows of the people they had been, near starvation, and sometimes severely dehydrated.

    Belinda, the town librarian, had hunkered down with a stack of medical books and tried hard to make do with the supplies that had come in from the local drugstore and the convenience store. She wanted desperately for them to raid the clinic, but Juan had explained that the clinic was packed to the gills with zombies. If they went into the clinic, it would have to be carefully planned out and loss of life would have to be expected.

    Katie rubbed the tip of her nose and sighed. Her face was slowly healing and now there was just a pale swath of green and purple bruising. Her lip had healed and the soreness was fading. But she still felt battered and bruised from that huge battle. The terror she had felt plus the raw energy of the kills, and shooting that man and just not giving a damn.

    That still haunted her. She had killed him and not cared. At first, she had not been certain why she had found it so easy to pull the trigger, then after her dream, she had understood.

    After someone was bitten, the end result was inevitable. To put them out of their misery quickly and efficiently was not only humane, but also necessary for the safety of all. She knew that, of course, in theory. But the sheer horror of knowing that Lydia was still out there, undead, destroying other lives, was too much to bear if she gave it too much thought.

    Looking over what had been accomplished so far, Katie couldn''t help but smile. The outline of the enormous lock system was up. A sturdy, high wall, three feet thick, extended the length of a block and a half. They had blocked both ends of the block to construct the wall with the storage containers and other heavy equipment. They had gone into each empty, abandoned building to make sure it clear. The wall had gone up as fast as they could get it up. The abandoned businesses had not been incorporated into the fort due to their dilapidated condition, but the wall had been built right up against them.

    Travis explained they planned to use the rooftops for sentry duty. Any entrances to the roofs of these buildings had been cemented over. Nothing or no one could get up on top of the buildings or scale the wall. Fire escapes had been dismantled and the parts moved into the fort. Everything that could be used was being salvaged.

    The new gates were being tested. They had been giving the workers some trouble, but it seemed the problem had been solved. The second set of gates would be going up soon inside the long narrow entry point. Already a fence was being constructed to keep guards safe and slow the zombies down in case of infiltration.

    "Looking good, isn''t it?" Travis joined her and smiled.

    "Awesome, actually. It almost looks like a castle."

    "Yeah, I can see that," Travis responded with satisfaction.

    The only way into the new area at this point was by long ladders.

    Looking over the new area gave her a sense of hope.

    "It almost feels like we''re on top of this," she said.

    "Yeah, almost." He glanced back at the hotel and the many windows shimmering with the fading sunlight. "That''s gonna be the big victory."

    "When are we going in?"

    "As soon as the entrance is done. You can see by discoloration of bricks where they bricked up a back entrance of the hotel. We''ll go in there. But I''m not comfortable just breaking in and going in. If there are more zombies that we think in there, they could flood the fort as soon as we break open the wall."

    "So, what are you planning?" Katie tilted her head and looked up at the back end of the hotel. Her blond hair billowed around her face in the cool breeze.

    "Build a small wall encapsulating the new doorway and use the old wrought iron gate as the door. When we go in, we''ll have the gate locked behind us with guards standing post," Travis answered solemnly.

    Katie sighed and shook her head. "Everything we do comes with such a great risk."

    Travis also sighed and leaned back against the railing. "We have a great opportunity right now to get ourselves secure before we get slammed with a bunch of those things again. I feel them coming, don''t you?"

    "Everyday," Katie answered truthfully.

    Travis nodded. "Once the gate is fully operational, we''ll extend our search out a few more blocks."

    "We may just lure more back here," Katie warned him.

    "I know, but I have a feeling any survivors out there are quickly running out of time."

    Katie turned her gaze toward the reinforced truck perimeter. It had been built up higher and now spikes rose up before them. If there was a push to get to the trucks, the zombies in the back would end up impaling their comrades in front of them.

    "We need to get into the hotel, too. Things are getting cramped in here.

    We''re up to a hundred survivors."

    Travis made a face. "We don''t have enough men, Katie. "

    "Then teach the rest of us how to do it. I can probably help build that entrance to the hotel you are talking about."

    Travis studied her and laughed. "Yeah, probably."

    "Jenni is going out on rescue missions. Jason and Curtis are trying to figure out how to make new weapons. Belinda is working hard to become a self-taught doctor. Peggy runs inventory like a general. Give me something to do, Travis." She gave him an intense look. "And stop protecting me."

    He looked startled at her comment. "You got hurt."

    "Yeah, but I''m healing."

    "I just thought¡­"

    Katie raised an eyebrow.

    Night was settling over the fort and people were lighting lanterns on the tables set up in the "residence" area of the site.

    Travis just stared at her. "Okay, okay, I''m trying to protect you."

    "Why?"

    Rubbing his face, the tall man sighed. "Um¡­because¡­look, I need you to help me figure all this out. I can''t risk you getting¡­ You''ve been hurt twice¡­You¡­"

 Page 50

    Katie held up her hand. "Okay, obviously, you''re being a total girl right now. Just out with it, Travis."

    "I don''t want to lose you to those things. Or to some dumbass going after you because you are gay. Yeah, I''m keeping you back from some stuff until you''re okay. You did break down the other night; you did get the shit beat out of you. Sorry if I shouldn''t be so protective, but I might as well tell you¡­"

    Katie didn''t want to hear his next words. She quickly hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay, okay. But I don''t need a big brother. I need to work. To keep busy."

    Travis blushed a little. "Yeah, well." He seemed to consider going on, telling her the truth they were both avoiding.

    "Uh huh. No worries." Katie said briskly and deftly avoided looking at him. Instead she looked toward the new entrance and watched the gates open and close in short jerky movements. "Things are getting better, but more complicated, aren''t they?"

    "It''s the way of life," Travis decided. He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. "Let''s get some dinner."

    "Sounds oh so exciting," Katie joked.

    "Yeah, I hear it¡¯s Dinty Moore beef stew night!"

    "Yummy. Ah, fillet Mignon, I miss you so."

    "Hamburgers¡­gawd¡­I miss those," Travis said with a little sigh.

    Katie laughed and they walked down to join the others for dinner.

    3. Promises

    Katie glanced up from her meal of Dinty Moore beef stew and freshly baked cornbread to see a very pale and pensive Jenni sit down across from her.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Jenni shrugged and used her spoon to poke apart the bits of beef in her stew.

    "Jenni?"

    "It''s just not fair, you know? It''s not fair that this thing splits up families.

    It''s not fair that my kids are dead. It''s not fair that your wife is dead. Why can''t entire families survive together? Why can''t they just make it through as a whole? Why is that so fucking hard?" Jenni finished her rant and shoved a bunch of stew in her mouth and chewed furiously.

    Katie blinked, then slid her hand across the table to gently pat Jenni''s free hand. It rested on the table in a tight fist. "What happened?"

    Jenni shoved more food into her mouth and shrugged again. Her eyes were angry and not focused on anything or anyone in particular.

    Katie looked toward the entrance to the dining room to see Peggy talking to a distraught looking man who had his arms draped across the shoulders of a teenage girl and young boy.

    "You rescued a family," Katie said.

    "Half a family. The Mom and the little girl¡­zombies¡­or on their way¡­when we got there." Jenni stabbed a potato with her spoon until it was mush. "They were bit two days ago. If we hadn''t gotten there in time the whole family would be dead right now."

    "But you did save some of them and that is something," Katie said softly.

    "Is it? Really?" Jenni covered her face with one hand. "Katie, the only thing I even feel a little good about is that I killed the mother and kid so they aren''t out there running around. How fucked up is that?"

    "Honestly, I understand. I wish¡­I wish I had had the strength to kill the thing that was Lydia so she wouldn''t be out there right now. I wish it with all my heart. So be glad you gave that family at least that much," Katie responded in a soft, tortured voice.

    Jenni lowered her head, nodding slightly. "I wish we had put Mikey and Benji to peace. Lloyd¡­fuck him¡­but the kids¡­" She sighed wearily and shoveled more food into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully, then waved her spoon around in the air, and said around her food, "It fucking sucks when death is a gift."

    Katie ran her fingertips over her forehead lightly, then leaned forward to look at Jenni straight on. "I''m not joking, Jenni. It''s ripping me apart knowing that Lydia is out there. Lately, it¡¯s almost unbearable."

    Jenni frowned and reached out to grip Katie''s hand tightly. "I''m sorry, Katie. I didn''t realize. Of course it''s eating you up."

    Katie leaned her chin on one hand and just sighed. "Promise me, if I am ever bitten, that you will give me an out."

    Jenni nodded vehemently. "I will. I promise. I will. And you will do the same for me."

    Katie held Jenni''s slim hand in hers and smiled at her sadly. "I promise.

    Strange, isn''t it? The vow to kill each other has suddenly become sacred."

    "I''m telling you it''s a fucked up world!" Jenni shoveled more food into her mouth.

    Katie let go of Jenni''s hand slowly and nodded. Her gaze traveled to Travis, who was sitting across the room eating with Mike and Juan. "Yeah, It is. Can you excuse me?"

    "Uh, sure. You okay?"

    "No, not really, but I think that''s normal," Katie answered with a small smile.

    "Yeah, tell me about it."

    Katie slid to her feet and carried her dish and glass over to the big plastic bins set up for the dirty dishes. It was looking pretty messy tonight and she was glad her kitchen detail had been the night before when it had been just sandwiches and salad.

    Moving down the hallway, she sought out the room where all the library books had been set up. It had formerly been the record room, but now served its purpose as a small-condensed library. As she suspected, Jason was seated at the table, his food congealing beside him, Jack dozing at his feet, as he flipped through a book on chemical warfare.

    She was relieved to see that he was alone except for the dog.

    Sliding into the chair across from him, she rested her elbows on the table and regarded him thoughtfully. "Jason?"

    "Yeah?" He didn''t even look up.

    "I have a favor to ask you," Katie said slowly.

    "Yeah?" He looked up, obviously trying to shift gears in his head. "Huh?"

    "Remember our talk a while back about my sexuality?"

    "Yeah?"

    "You didn''t tell anyone I''m bi did you?"

    Jason kind of smiled. "No. I let them all think you and my Mom are doing it. Keeps the guys away from both of you."

    "Oh?" Katie thought about this then laughed. "Okay."

    "Yeah." He shrugged. "It works out better that way. I thought for awhile Juan was gonna try to hook it up with Mom, but he''s all about Belinda."

    "Yeah, he seems to be," Katie agreed. "But anyway, I don''t want you to tell anyone I''m bi, okay?"

    "Why?"

    "Well, for the reason you stated. I don''t really want to deal with guys hitting on me."

    Jason blinked, thinking, then blinked again. "Um¡­okay¡­but is this¡­wait¡­" He frowned a little. "Why is this important all of the sudden now?"

    Katie hesitated considering that Jason''s motives for everyone thinking she was gay was as a cock block for his Mom. "A guy likes me. I don''t want him to get his hopes up."

    "Because you''re not over Lydia?"

    "That''s one of the reasons."

    "Is this about Travis?" Jason''s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You''re not clearing the way for my Mom are you?"

    Katie winced and slightly nodded.

    Jason frowned even more and sat back in his chair.

    "Jason, your Mom likes him and he''s such a great guy-"

    "Then you go for it! You like guys!"

    Katie shushed him and made a face. "I don''t want to. I can''t. Lydia¡­"

    "Lydia is dead."

    Katie felt her jaw set with anger, but she reminded herself sternly that she was dealing with a teenage boy. "Yes, she is. But, I am nowhere near being ready to be with anyone else: male or female."

    Jason looked at her angrily. "So why is my Mom ready? Why is she ready, Katie? You tell me!"

    Looking down, she sighed. "Because, by the time it all went to hell, your Mom was already wanting to move on. You know what your Dad did. She wanted to be free."

    Jason furiously wiped a tear away. "I know. But why does she want to move on from my brothers? Why isn''t it good enough to be my Mom?"

    Startled by his outburst, she hesitated, then said, "She wants to be your Mom, Jason. You mean the world to her. But she has a right to find happiness beyond just that one role. The way you find happiness beyond being her son." Katie tapped the book with one hand, then pointed to Jack.

    Jason frowned even more. "Yeah, but¡­"

    Katie lifted an eyebrow.

    "I''m not replacing anyone with these things."

    "Neither is she. Who did she replace with me?"

    Jason lowered his head and then slowly looked up at her. "No one." He sighed. "Okay, fine. I won''t tell Travis or anyone else that you like guys too."

    He did his best pouty teenager look.

    Katie smiled at him softly. "Thank you."

    "Yeah¡­yeah¡­yeah¡­" Jason said moodily.

    Sliding to her feet, she smiled at him and went in search of Travis.

 Page 51

    Chapter 18

    1. When Truths Are Revealed No One Is Safe

    The low hum of the gate opening was joined in harmony by a steady squeal. Huge lights had been rigged up over the new area of the fort and a team was diligently working into the night on resolving the issues with the gate. The new area was still cut off from the rest of the fort and only accessible by long ladders placed up on the wall and a small platform that bridged the two walls.

    As Katie walked across the site, she could hear Juan''s voice rising over the din. She knew he was working long hours to get the first gate working properly before the second gate went up. It was dangerous work and stress levels were high. Occasionally, a zombie would try to attack the construction workers. The sharp-eyed former hunters on sentry duty would take them down. As more and more people flooded into their tiny fort, it was evident that space was fast becoming an issue and the taking of the hotel was the talk of everyone at dinner. Things were moving forward because they had to.

    Travis was on watch at the far side of the fort, far away from the construction of the gate. Shrouded in the darkness on his tiny watch platform, he was gazing out at the now empty main street where so many zombies had met brutal deaths in their first real victory against the undead.

    Since that first big battle with the zombie horde, the main street had been eerily empty. The moans were fast becoming a distant memory and a thick layer of dirt had covered the smell of death and decay. As spring took a firmer hold, grass and wildflowers had taken root out on the main street and Katie suspected it would soon look like a little field in the country.

    But the terror of that crowd of zombies moaning and screeching in their desperation to reach the living had burned deeply into the psyche of those in the fort. It had been decided that they had to keep the zombies from forming in a horde outside the fort. Ideas were running rampant in the fort on how to keep this from happening, but after the almost disaster of the mass slaughter when the zombies had breached the perimeter, every idea was being heavily scrutinized.

    Katie strode up the stairs to Travis'' side and he gave her a small smile.

    Spring was in the air and the nights were cool. Spring in Texas meant cold nights and warm days. She was in the Reverend''s jacket tonight and its fragrant tobacco smell and its comforting warmth was a gentle reminder of the man who had died for her.

    The sheer luck of the draw that enabled so many in the fort to survive that first hellish day still wore on Katie. Call it survivor''s guilt, but it was not easy to deal with. She knew for sure that Travis dealt with it as well. Perhaps maybe all of the survivors suffered from it. At times it was hard to talk of their life before and the people they had lost. At other times there was relief in their conversations as they spoke of their future plans. But it was like being caught between heaven and hell: both happy and sad to be alive.

    Travis glanced over her as she stepped onto the platform and joined him. Again, he gave her a slight smile, then glanced back down the street.

    "I think I saw a few flashes down the road," he said. "They looked almost like headlights."

    "Seriously? Think other survivors are coming this way?"

    "Maybe. Though at times I''m afraid those things have learned to drive.

    Or remembered how to drive,¡± Travis answered, his brow furrowing.

    Katie shivered at the thought. "Well, since Laura''s remains tried to open that truck door, we haven''t seen anymore of them appearing to think."

    "Yeah, I know. I keep hoping that what she did was some sort of memory, not her reasoning out her actions." Travis continued to stare down the street intently. "The last thing we need is thinking zombies."

    Katie leaned against the railing, rubbing her hands together. Travis was obviously deep in thought. They were both ill at ease with each other in this moment, which was not the norm for them.

    "About earlier," Katie started.

    Travis sighed, but didn''t look at her. He double-checked the spotlightpresently turned off- to make sure it was properly hooked up. "Probably just my imagination. It probably wasn''t headlights."

    Katie rested her hand on his shoulder. "No, not that."

    Travis stood up and looked down at her. "It''s okay. I shouldn''t have tried to say anything. I realized that during supper."

    Katie shook her head. "No, no, it''s okay. I''m partially to blame. I was rather pushy about it then chickened out."

    Travis gave her a sheepish look. "I''ve been kinda obvious, huh?"

    Katie smiled warmly. "Yeah, kinda."

    Travis blushed and shook his head. "Juan says I''m a sucker for the unattainable girl."

    Katie laughed. "Yeah, me, too. For a long time. Then I found Lydia."

    Travis sighed. "You''re so lucky to have had her. My ex-fiancee and I never had what you did. I was always trying to please her and make her happy and in the end, I guess I failed and she left. I guess I''m not good at this whole girl thing."

    The thought of Lydia made her heart literally hurt and she sighed.

    "Travis¡­"

    "I know, I know, Katie. I know how this goes down. Yeah, I''ve tried to pretend, but I knew even during moments of hope it was not going to happen." Travis looked down at the rifle in his hands, then over at the street.

    "In this new world you''ve been one of the good things in it. Everything has changed and gone to hell, but you help make it tolerable."

    She couldn''t help but smile at his words. She reached out and hugged him gently. "You and Jenni and Jason are very special to me. My new family.

    I want you to understand that."

    Travis looked down into her eyes, sad and resigned. "But?"

    Katie rested her hand on his cheek and found the words harder to say than she had imagined. She opened her mouth to speak, reconsidered, then closed it. What was there to say? Instead, she kissed his cheek softly. It was rough and slightly scraggly against her lips. He clung to her and it was a comforting expression between them and the world felt far away.

    Travis turned slightly and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Friends only?"

    Katie nodded, mutely.

    Travis nodded back then kissed her lightly again, but the platonic veneer quickly faded. Forgetting all her reservations, Katie kissed him back, softly and sweetly. The kiss turned into something both of them had not expected and that energy pulsated between them. They clung together, wrapped in each other''s embrace, their kiss real and intense.

    Sharply, overwhelmingly, Lydia''s image filled her mind. Images of her lovely face, sweet kisses, gentle hugs and then her screaming reanimated corpse.

    Pulling away abruptly, but more reluctantly than she would have ever imagined before, she said softly, "I can''t."

    "I know," Travis said with a sigh. "I know."

    "Jenni adores you," Katie said lamely.

    "Let''s not go there," Travis answered almost bitterly.

    "Okay," she said helplessly. She wanted to comfort him, but the energy of their kiss still tingled over her skin and she couldn''t risk it. She had to stay true to Lydia. To what they had shared. She had to mourn her and remember her. How could she let herself care for someone else when Lydia was still out there?

    "I''m sorry, Katie. I really am. But you can''t just deflect my emotions onto Jenni. Don''t get me wrong. She''s gorgeous and makes me laugh. I really like her a lot, but please, just don''t do that."

    "I guess it¡¯s stupid of me to think I just cleared the way for you two."

    Travis gave her a small smile. "I would never call you stupid."

    Suddenly, a bright light blinded them both. The roar of an engine broke through the sound of the gates'' construction.

    "What the hell?"

    "It''s a motorbike," Travis answered.

    He flipped on the searchlight that had been rigged upon the platform and aimed it down the main street.

    An old battered motorbike darted into the light. A scraggly looking young man and his equally scruffy girlfriend looked up at them with desperate, terrified expressions.

    "Let us in! They''re right behind us!"

    Travis flashed the light up the road to reveal a crowd of zombies running toward the fort, obviously following those on the motorbike. Katie noted immediately that most were in doctor''s coats or nurse''s uniforms.

    "The clinic. They went to the clinic," she said.

    "Shit!"

    "Let us in!" The boy was yelling loudly, stirring up the pursuing zombies even more.

    Katie and Travis were so stunned at this quick turn of events they both seemed incapable of figuring out what to do.

    The boy noticed the open gate and gunned the engine. He swerved around the corner and headed up the road toward the next unblocked intersection to loop around the block and to the gate.

    "He''s heading for the gate," Katie said in a trembling voice.

    "Shit! Shit!" Travis grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Juan! Close the gate!

    Close the gate!"

    There was a cackling noise, then, "We''re working on it, dude. Chill out."

    "Zombies coming, Juan!"

    "What? Shit? From where," Juan''s voice demanded over the static.

 Page 52

    "The clinic. There is a kid on a motorbike heading around the block to get into the gate."

    "Gawddammit!" It was obvious that Juan''s voice was terrified.

    Katie headed down the stairs, running as fast as she could. Even from across the great distance between Travis'' post and the new entrance, Katie could hear Juan shouting.

    "Shut the gate! Shut the gate!"

    Travis caught up with Katie and they both sprinted to the post that would overlook the approach to the gate. More people came running, grabbing up their guns and spears. The squeal of the gears as the gate started to close filled the night air. Already some of the construction workers were trying to scramble up the ladders out of the new area to safety.

    "What''s going on?" Jenni caught up to them at the platform and looked down the road.

    The guard at this post already had aimed his spotlight down the road and it illuminated the two teenagers on the motorbike just turning around the corner. Soon after them, the zombies followed.

    "The idiot''s leading them right toward the open gate," Travis growled.

    Katie glanced over into the new area and saw the gate was still closing.

    Juan and two other men were trying to oil the gears and watch the mechanism controlling the gate as it slowly closed.

    "We didn''t have enough fucking time," Juan shouted up toward them.

    "Not enough fucking time!"

    More of the construction workers made it over into the fort, breathing heavily, terrified.

    The continuous loud screeching noise of the gate drawing closed ripped at her ears and Katie lifted her rifle to try to get a clear shot of the zombies. It was hard to get a bead on any of them with the kids on the sputtering motorbike swerving back and forth, both obviously panicking.

    The gate seemed to be taking forever to close. The motorbike scooted through the now narrow gap in the gates and a few people cheered. The zombies hit the gate and began to push through the gap that was only wide enough for one person to squeeze through at a time. Shots began to fill the air as people on the walls opened fire on the zombies still rushing down the road.

    "Juan!" Jenni ran across the bridge between the two walls.

    Katie followed, trying to avoid some of the men scrambling into the fort.

    Jenni reached the top of the other wall and knelt. The first zombie was pushing his way into the new area and the last two men with Juan were now climbing the ladders. Jenni aimed and fired and the first zombie''s head split open. It was lodged between the two gates that were still trying to close.

    Juan ran toward the opening, a shovel in one hand.

    Meanwhile, the two kids were trying to climb up a ladder, both of them trying to use the same one, jostling each other in their haste. Katie ignored them and moved down the top of the wall to a better position to fire at anything coming through the gate. Jenni almost slid down the empty ladder in her desperation to help Juan.

    Juan began to shove the dead corpse back out from between the gates with the shovel as the desperate hands of the zombies behind the corpse tried to reach out and grab him. Katie watched in horror as Jenni ran straight up to Juan.

    "Loca, what are you doing here?"

    "Saving your ass," Jenni answered and swung her rifle upwards. She stood right next to Juan and started sighting the heads of those behind the dead zombie and fired through the narrow gap in the gates.

    "Jenni is fucking nuts," Travis said from beside Katie, then started down one of the ladders.

    Juan''s only advantage in the shoving match he was engaged in with the zombies was that the dead body was well lodged between the gates. It was slowly being pushed forward and soon the "living" zombies would be able to try to squeeze through. Travis landed in the new area and ran to help as Katie stood ready to fire at anything that broke in. Behind her, she could hear the shots of those trying to thin out the crowd of zombies at the back at the pack.

    The dead zombie body shuddered and to their horror a hand burst through his ribcage. A grotesquely gnawed face shoved itself past the other zombies ruined head. It was literally ripping apart the corpse to get to the living.

    "Fuck you," Jenni said, and blew its head off.

    But the damage was done and the first zombie''s body crumpled and more of the animated ones pushed forward, trampling the "dead" ones beneath their feet.

    Travis grabbed another shovel and joined Juan in shoving them back as the gate managed to close another inch or two. The whine of the mechanism filled their ears. Jenni kept trying to shoot at the zombies through the narrow gap and not get in the men''s way.

    Katie stood at her watch post feeling helpless. Her arms were aching from holding her rifle up for so long, but she didn''t dare look away or blink.

    Butterflies were gnawing away at her stomach hungrily as she tried to think about how vulnerable both Travis and Jenni were.

    Mike appeared beside her and climbed down as fast as he could.

    Running to join the others, he grabbed a wood plank from a pile of lumber.

    Avoiding the grasping hands of the dead, he let it fall against the zombies, who grabbed onto it, to either push it away or pull it away.

    "Good idea," Juan said. And he put the tip of the shovel against the board on the top as Travis pushed on the bottom. Instead of soft bodies that gave way, the shovels pushed against the hard firm surface of the plank and it gave the men adequate leverage. Mike and Jenni joined them and using the board as a shield, they shoved the zombies back through the gap. The gate shuddered and leaped closed. The men barely got the shovels out of the way in time.

    Katie sighed with relief and lowered the rifle. A few arms, hands and feet were sticking out from between the closed gates. Some were even moving.

    Jenni picked up a shoved and began hacking at the limbs, severing them, blood flying, until Juan pulled her back. Jenni flung her arms around him and they both staggered backwards, then fell into a heap. Travis and Mike high-fived and Travis smiled up at Katie.

    "See, Katie. Easy."

    Katie laughed and ran a hand over her forehead, feeling the thick sweat slick on her fingers.

    "You''re fucking crazy, Loca," Juan teased Jenni as he helped her to her feet.

    "I kept your ass alive!"

    "Yeah, so, what, I owe you?"

    "Yep!"

    Juan pulled out his wallet and thumbed through some now obsolete bills. "How about a buck."

    Jenni smacked him and they ended up in a shoving war.

    It was then that Belinda made her appearance, climbing down the ladder, tears streaming down her face. Katie saw Jenni quickly back away from Juan and Juan looked up expectantly.

    But Belinda ran to Mike, flung her arms around him, and they clung to each other. Travis even looked surprised. Juan''s expression was beyond words.

    Katie watched as Jenni walked up to Juan and put her hand lightly on his shoulder.

    But there was no time to really understand what was going on, because the fort was victorious once more and cheers were going up. People came swarming over the bridge to climb down the ladders to great their heroes.

    Travis accepted their hugs and handshakes, smacks on the back, and even a kiss on the cheek or two, but he finally managed to make it up to Katie on the wall.

    Grabbing her close, he kissed her lips lightly. "I''m not giving up, okay?

    I''m going to wait."

    Katie was in tears and nodded and hugged him tightly back. "It may be a long time. Maybe not ever."

    Travis laughed and smiled down at her. "I can wait¡­"

    The image of Lydia flickered in her mind''s eye and Katie closed her eyes and hugged Travis tight.

    "I can wait, Katie," a voice said. And she wasn''t sure if it was Lydia or Travis and she was afraid.

    Chapter 19

    1. Twists and Turns

    Jenni followed Juan through the throng of celebrants and up out of the new entryway. Mike and a few other workers were busy hacking off the limbs of the zombies who had managed to push an arm or a leg through the gates as it closed. Juan wasn''t talking and Jenni knew why.

    Belinda rushing to Mike had startled everyone. She had briefly seen Travis and Katie embracing and in that moment had realized what Juan had told her was true. The tall, handsome man with the sad eyes was in love with her best friend.

    It didn''t bother her, though. Her crush on Travis had long faded. The more she hung out with him, the more she realized she just saw him as a guy friend. For awhile she had flirted with him outrageously and he had obviously enjoyed it, but he had never noticed or taken her cues that she was ready to be ravished. Now she was glad he had been oblivious. Being tangled up with Travis would have only complicated everything.

    Of course it was complicated enough because Katie was gay. She felt pretty bad that Travis was setting himself up for a world of hurt.

    Of course, Juan was feeling that hurt all too clearly right now.

    "Juan?"

    "Loca, I''m not in the mood," Juan answered briskly as he headed down into the fort.

    "I was just going to say how sorry-"

    Juan turned toward her, pointing at her with a fierce look on his face.

    "Don''t."

    Jenni nodded. "Okay."

    Juan turned on the very muddy, gory heels of his cowboy boots and headed straight for the city hall. Peggy was there talking to the two newcomers. Curtis was there as well. Things already looked strained and heated and Juan marched right up to the young man and punched him square in his greasy face.

 Page 53

    "Whoa, Juan!"

    Curtis grabbed Juan and Jenni quickly stepped forward just in case the spaced out looking girl did anything. But she only stood there; looking mildly bemused by it all, swaying back and forth.

    The boy slowly rose up, fastened his eyes on Juan and just said, "That hurt."

    "You went into the fucking clinic!"

    "Hey, we were in need of¡­medicinal treatment," the boy answered.

    His eyes were so red they looked as if the blood vessels had ruptured in them and his skin looked clammy. Jenni realized the reason for all the anger.

    She was looking at two very strung out young people who had probably gone into the clinic looking for their next high.

    "Meth is not medicine, fucker," Juan spat furiously, trying to squirm away from Curtis.

    Peggy looked at Jenni and whispered, "You''re looking at the local crystal meth dealer."

    Jenni nodded and frowned a bit more. "I think we may need Bill, too."

    Peggy looked at Curtis, who looked far too young and nervous. "You''re right." She rushed off to find Bill.

    "Where''s the rest of your posse, huh? Where are they?" Juan''s voice was close to fury.

    "Dead, dude. It was bad. Real bad," the boy answered.

    The girl began to giggle.

    Curtis pushed Juan behind him. "Ritchie, you went to the clinic for drugs and you got your friends eaten, huh?"

    Ritchie frowned and shook his head. "It''s not like that, man. We needed medicine. Carrie got bit and we needed medicine."

    Everyone immediately looked at the girl. She was busy staring at outdoor light bulb over Curtis'' head.

    "Those things kept trying to get into the 7-11 we were shacking up in. It got real crazy."

    "Which 7-11?" Curtis raised an eyebrow.

    "You know, the one over by the McGee place. There was a lot of those things there."

    The girl giggled again, swaying on her feet, and covered her mouth with her hand. There was a distinct bite visible. It was swollen and puss filled.

    Jenni put her hand on Juan''s arm, trying to calm him. But Juan was nowhere near calm when he said, "Yeah, so how did you get out? Where is Sergio?"

    Ritchie rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yeah, well. We drew straws and someone lost and that someone had to run out the side door and draw them away."

    Juan looked ready to punch him again. "Was it Sergio? Did you make my cousin do it?"

    Ritchie thought this over before answering. "No, no. It was¡­um¡­that Freddie guy."

    Curtis was looking a bit more pissed off than Jenni had ever seen him.

    "So you just made one of your guys run out there so you guys could escape?"

    "Yeah, pretty much. Then we got to the clinic, walked in, and things were fucked up in there, too. That''s where Sergio got it. That was fucking sick, dude. They just grabbed him and went at it!"

    Jenni grabbed onto Juan''s arm as his fist went sailing forward. The momentum sent her tumbling into Ritchie. Jenni was grossed out by the sheer reek of the boy and scrambled quickly away from him as he fell flat on his ass. Juan was already lunging toward him, shouting angrily in Spanish.

    Jenni flung herself at him and he grabbed onto her to shove her aside.

    "Loca, out of my way!"

    "It''s not worth it!"

    "I''m gonna kill that sonnofabitch!"

    Curtis motioned to the boy to stay on the ground to keep him away from Juan. "We need to calm down now, Juan."

    "He killed my cousin! We all knew he was a good for nothing lowlife corrupting the kids of this town with his homemade shit! Now he has gone and gotten Sergio killed and you want me to fucking calm down?"

    Jenni kept her hands pressed firmly to Juan''s chest. "Juan, Juan, please."

    "No, Jenni, he''s a fucking murderer and we''re letting him get away with it."

    The girl took this moment to throw up all over Jenni. She staggered back and fell against the wall.

    "Shit, that''s gross," Ritchie decided.

    Jenni was beyond grossed out and unbuttoned her blouse and threw it off her. "Oh, shit! Gawd! Gross! Ugh!"

    Juan seemed to forget his anger and yanked off his T-shirt and started to wipe the muck off her hair and face. "Man, Loca¡­"

    Curtis looked down at the girl who was now having convulsions on the ground. "Shit." He drew his gun slowly. "Shit."

    Jenni turned around just as the girl''s eyes rolled back into her head.

    "Curtis!"

    Ritchie was still on the ground, wasted, laughing, and not making much sense.

    "If she bites him¡­" Curtis started.

    "Fucking shoot her!"

    The girl''s pupils suddenly came back into view, but they were glassy and quite dead. She opened her mouth and let out a growl that sent chills down Jenni''s back.

    "Shoot her!"

    Curtis hesitated.

    Juan didn''t. He took his good ol'' boy shitkickers to the girl¡¯s head, heel first and slammed her head sideways into the brick wall beside her and kept kicking until her head was mush.

    Curtis looked stunned and Jenni just lifted an eyebrow.

    Juan looked down at his bloodied boots and gore splattered jeans then at Jenni. "C''mon, Loca. We need a shower."

    Curtis hesitated, then grabbed Ritchie. "I''m locking him up."

    "Check him for bites, man," Juan said numbly. The anger had gone out of him. He reached out to Jenni and she took his hand.

    Bill was walking toward them, looking very cop-ish. "I''ll help out."

    Juan nodded and walked quietly toward the city hall. Jenni followed, glancing back at the young man, who was really not much of a man at all, but mostly boy. The drug dealer was still giggling to himself with his now very dead girlfriend''s body slumped beside him.

    "If we had let her bite him, we wouldn''t have to deal with him," Curtis said to Bill.

    Bill just shrugged. "Not for us to decide, Curtis."

    "Yeah,¡± Curtis reluctantly agreed. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right.¡±

    Juan drew Jenni into the narrow hall that lead to the janitor''s shower everyone in the fort used. It was in the back of the janitor''s office and clipboard hung from a rusty nail with a sign in sheet and schedule attached to it. Billie Jo, one of the older women that had been rescued a few days before, was just emerging in a bright blue bathrobe. She blushed deeply and hurried past them. Another man, one Jenni didn''t know, was waiting to go next, saw their condition and didn''t complain as Juan pulled her into the janitor''s office "I''m really sorry about your cousin," Jenni said softly.

    Juan walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. "It doesn''t matter now."

    Jenni sighed. "Yeah, but he was your family."

    "Yeah, and he''s dead and that fucker Ritchie is still alive. There really isn''t much justice in this world." He grabbed hold of her and shoved her, completely clothed under the water and got in with her.

    Jenni tilted her head back to let the water flow over her and get all the disgusting vomit off her. Juan took off his hat and tossed it to the floor. He rested his hands on the ugly green tiled wall on either side of her and rested his forehead against hers.

    "Loca, I''m losing it."

    "No, you''re not."

    "Yes, I am. I can''t do this."

    "Do what?"

    "Make it safe for all of us and keep my head together," Juan''s voice was ragged, overwhelmed.

    "You''re doing a good job. The gate closed tonight when it needed to."

    "But too slow. They almost got in. We can''t afford fuckups. And all because of that fucker that got my cousin and his drugged out buddies killed."

    Jenni''s clothes were now quite soaked and the lukewarm water was going cold very fast. "We could throw him to the zombies."

    "Don''t tempt me. I might." Juan sighed and watched the blood and gore slowly rinsing off his very beat up boots. "Help me, Loca, okay?"

    "Okay. But I''m not sure how."

    "Let''s get a bottle of tequila from storage and go up to the roof. I want to get fucking drunk and I trust you to watch my back."

    "Okay." Jenni ran a hand over her hair and found it muck free. Grabbing the almost empty bottle of shampoo, she dumped some on her head and began to wash it. "But I need clean hair first."

    Juan laughed and pushed her hands away. He lathered up her hair, making horns at one point, amusing himself.

    Giggling, she let him and smiled up at him. It felt good to have him back after his puppy dog antics with Belinda. She was glad he hadn''t mentioned that situation. Belinda had annoyed her from day one and Jenni was sure she wasn''t good enough for Juan.

    Rinsing off her hair, Juan made sure to cover up her face with it. "You look better this way, Loca."

    "I''m so gonna kick your ass."

    Juan laughed and stepped out of the shower, rinsed off and looking a little better. Jenni followed and looked down at herself. Her tank top was very wet and not much was left to the imagination. Suddenly she felt the sexual tension in the room explode. Looking up, she saw Juan staring at her and suddenly things felt very different between them. She had a good idea from the look in his eyes that she looked very tasty in that moment.

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    "Wanna fuck?" Jenni asked half-joking, looking him straight in the eye.

    "Later. After the tequila," Juan answered softly, looking a little dazed.

    "Okay. Meet you up there in twenty," Jenni answered with a smile and walked past him out of the room.

    She felt Juan watching her, then heard the guy waiting for his turn in the shower say, "If I had been in there with her, I wouldn''t be out already."

    "Was she always that hot?" Juan asked, confused.

    "Pretty sure she was," was the answer.

    Jenni grinned to herself and ran up to her room.

    Chapter 20

    1. Dead Man¡¯s Party

    Jenni changed into a pale green tank top and jeans and ran up the stairs to the roof. To her surprise, there were already quite a few people up there, including her son, who sat in a circle of teenagers.

    There were only five of them, two boys and three girls, but for the first time in awhile, he was smiling. The ever faithful Jack was at his side, smiling a doggy grin, and the kids were drinking warm colas and listening to a CD player someone must have snagged on a supply run.

    "Hey, Mom!" Jason smiled at her and got up to hug her. "Is it cool if I camp up here with the rest of the kids tonight?"

    "Yeah, sure," she answered, and eyed the pretty new brunette she had saved earlier today. The girl''s haunted eyes were less red and she seemed comforted by the companionship of other teenagers.

    "We''re trying to cheer up Shelley. Her Mom and little sis got killed today before she was rescued," Jason explained.

    "I totally get it," Jenni assured him, smiling. She was slowly starting to panic over Juan arriving with Jason standing there beaming. He looked so happy; she didn''t want his smile to disappear.

    But then it abruptly did and Jenni turned around worriedly wondering how to make Juan recognize he needed to be low-key.

    But it was Travis and Katie that were walking onto the roof, both talking softly, not touching, but looking somehow intertwined. Jenni felt a pang of jealousy and frowned a little. She didn''t care if Travis was in love with Katie.

    But Katie was close to her, not Travis.

    Katie looked up and smiled at Jenni. Walking up, she hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek and Jenni clung to her and felt better. The world was so cruel right now; she did not want to lose anything dear to her.

    Travis set a huge pack of beer down on the ground as Mike and a few other workers also appeared on the roof. Curtis came up last holding a bag of candles in one arm and some bags of chips in the other.

    "It''s turning into a party," Jenni said with a laugh.

    "We need one after this day," Travis answered.

    More people were arriving, including the Mayor and Bill. There was a flurry of activity as folding chairs were brought up and some tables. More people spilled onto the roof, talking animatedly, shaking off the fear of the earlier attack. In the distance, the moans of the zombies still clawing at the gate could be heard, but everyone seemed determined to ignore it.

    Soon, candles were burning in little jars set up along the edges of the roof and people milled around, drinking beer and soda, talking and relaxing.

    There was a sense of relief among the people that could not be easily denied.

    Once more, disaster had been averted.

    Jenni hung out with Katie for a few minutes, her arms around her waist, talking to her softly.

    "You look sad," Jenni said.

    "Overwhelmed, that''s all. Tomorrow we''re going to start to get ready to go into the hotel."

    Jenni glanced toward Travis. He was busy talking to the teenagers and Jason watched him with the type of scrutiny only a teenager could achieve.

    "What about him?"

    Katie shrugged. "He''s my friend."

    "And?"

    "Jenni, you know." Katie looked at her sadly.

    Jenni frowned a little more. "Look, I know you''re into chicks, but maybe you could-okay, that was just dumb of me."

    Katie laughed and hugged her tighter. "I just need time. Even if he was the hottest woman in the world, I couldn''t. I need to just deal in my own way."

    "You miss her terribly, don''t you?"

    Katie nodded and smiled sadly. "More than I can bear at times."

    Juan literally tripped onto the rooftop. His boot had snagged on one of the electric cords being run up to power the stereo. He looked around confused. His gaze settled on Jenni and he wandered toward her trying far too hard to look nonchalant as he held one of the biggest bottles of tequila she had ever seen. In his other hand were two shot glasses.

    Katie looked at Jenni, lifted both eyebrows and said, "I thought you had a thing for Travis?"

    Jenni grinned and looked coy. "A girl can change her mind."

    Katie laughed and shook her head. "Gawd, I''ve been a fool."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Nothing. Go have fun."

    Jenni grabbed Katie close, kissed her hard on the cheek, grinned, and walked over to Juan. Jenni knew she was turning it on sufficiently when several of the guys turned to watch her strut by. Juan still had a little bit of a dazed look on his face, but he did smile when she drew near.

    There are times in life when pretense is just bullshit and a waste of time.

    Juan and Jenni hung out about ten minutes at the party before they disappeared downstairs as more people showed up on the roof. Holding Juan''s roughened hand in her own, Jenni dragged him down to the janitor''s room. Grabbing the clipboard, she scribbled, "Out of Order" on it.

    "Loca," Juan said with a laugh.

    "Shut up," she answered and shoved him inside.

    He managed to put the still closed bottle of tequila on the desk before Jenni was on him. She had already made up her mind that he was hers, at least for tonight, and she claimed him with burning kisses as she seductively wrapped herself around him.

    "You''re loca, Loca," he said with a satisfied grin as she pulled his clothes from his body.

    "Yeah, you keep saying that. It''s about time you experience it," she answered coyly.

    Fire and water, heat and passion, desperation and perhaps something more, fueled their lovemaking. Jenni felt no fear as only the second man she had ever been with willingly in her entire life lifted her into his arms and pressed her naked back against the cool shower tiles and slid himself into her. She tangled her hands in his wet hair and kissed him deeply as the nightmare world they lived in faded to the dim edges of her reality. Only she and Juan existed and it was perfect.

    Later on, in a tangle of limbs, she laughed as he growled into her neck and called her Loca in a way that meant the world to her and it was perfect.

    Katie watched Juan and Jenni disappear off the roof and turned to Travis. They were sitting side by side on the edge of the roof. Travis looked back at her and raised his eyebrows. Katie slightly laughed and ran a hand over her hair.

    "I''ve been really oblivious to some things, evidently," she said.

    "Well, at least now I won''t have to worry about you fixing me up with her," Travis answered with a wink.

    Katie elbowed him lightly and took another swig of her beer. The mood was surprisingly relaxed considering that a small crowd of zombies was gathered outside of the gate. Of course, no one really wanted to deal with them tonight. There was a desperate weariness about their little party. People were tired of the zombies and tired of the siege. In the time period they had been able to go out on scrounging parties to bring back supplies and survivors, there had been almost a sense of normality. And now the zombies were back and people just wanted to forget how trapped they truly were.

    Looking toward Jason, Katie saw he was talking intently with the other teenagers and now a few pre-teens. They were drinking soda and eating chips and once in awhile, Jason would laugh or smile. That was very good to see and Katie was sure he had not seen his stepmother disappear with Juan.

    Travis rubbed the back of her neck with one hand gently and she glanced toward him. He gave her that sad-eyed smile that made her heart ache for him. So she did the only thing she could think of. She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. Laughing, he drew his hand away and leaned toward her.

    "You know, it¡¯s little things like that which make me think there is so much more to you than meets the eye," Travis said.

    "Oh, there is," she answered, feeling slight guilt at her determination to make him think she was an unattainable lesbian. Of course, the painful truth was she was drawn to him and that felt like an utter betrayal of Lydia. "I have all sorts of deep dark secrets."

    "Ah, I see," he said, and squinted his eyes at her. "You know, I don''t believe you."

    Katie laughed. "Seriously. I have all sorts of secrets that would tantalize you. But that''s okay. My life as a super spy should be kept secret. I made James Bond look like a wussy."

    "I see. Well, then I won''t tell you that I''m a space alien," Travis said with a nod of his head.

    Katie smirked and clicked her bottle of beer against his. "You got a deal."

    Curtis wandered over and looked at them uncomfortably. "Did you get an update on our newest addition?"

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    "Yeah, the Mayor told us. He wasn''t too happy about Ritchie showing up or the story around it," Travis answered.

    "Look, I know I''m not one to say what does or does not happen, but I think we should just put him out of his misery and dump him over the wall.

    Seriously, he''s nothing but a piece of white trash." Curtis looked more upset than Katie had ever seen him.

    Travis stood up and said softly, "Curtis, this is something that we all have to discuss together. Seriously, in this world, I feel everyone has a chance. Even the local crack dealer."

    "Meth dealer," Curtis corrected.

    Katie stood up as well and said in a low voice, "But at the same time we need to make sure our safety isn''t compromised by people who have no idea of how to work with the community."

    Travis looked at her, startled, and said, "A human being is a human being, Katie."

    "Yes, but at the same time, what will he add to our community? If he honestly sacrificed others to save his own life and those people were his friends, then how do we know he won''t do the same to us?" Katie looked at him very intently.

    "That''s bullshit, Katie. I''m sorry. They are all strung up on drugs and doing stupid stuff like going into a zombie-infested clinic. They are not in their right mind." Travis put his hands on his hips and returned her gaze.

    Curtis shook his head. "Look, Travis, I have some serious concerns and I''m sure others do as well."

    "Then we handle it as a group," Travis answered immediately.

    "Don''t get defensive if we don''t agree with your point of view, Travis,"

    Katie said firmly.

    "I just don''t understand how you could not see that everyone has a right to life," Travis responded.

    Katie shook her head and looked away from him. She ended up looking across the construction site toward the new area. There were at least four men up on the new wall shouting down at the zombies. Katie noticed one was even peeing on them.

    "Travis, I think we may have other troubles," she said and pointed.

    "Ah, shit."

    Katie watched as another man flung his empty beer bottle down at the zombies. Maybe it was because she was now aware of the situation, but she could swear the zombies were getting louder.

    "I''ll get Bill so we can go get them," Curtis said gruffly.

    Travis agreed with this and Curtis walked off. "I''m going to go and get them down before one of them takes a header into the crowd."

    "I''ll come with you," Katie answered, setting down her half-empty beer.

    Travis sighed and headed down the stairs. Katie followed, her hands in her jacket pockets. As they passed the closed door to her tiny room she shared with Jenni, she smiled to herself, realizing she probably was going to have to find somewhere else to sleep.

    Out in the courtyard, there was more commotion. Several of the older people and a few parents were talking loudly to Mike, demanding that he shut up the men on the wall. Children were trying to sleep, as were the older people. Mike was nodding, promising to do something, when Travis and Katie walked out of the city hall building with Curtis and Bill behind them.

    A few more men, drunk and rowdy, had climbed onto the wall next to the gate, jostling each other a little, trying to get into position to either throw things down at the zombies or urinate on them. Katie was glad she couldn''t see the men''s flopping penises from her viewpoint.

    "Let''s go," Travis said to Mike as he passed them.

    Curtis and Bill stopped long enough to promise in their best policemen voice that the situation would soon be under control, then also followed.

    "Get down," Travis called out as he climbed up to the platform that served as an entrance to the new area.

    Shane, the redneck who had punched out Katie, turned and laughed.

    "Ah, c''mon, they just stand there with their mouths open."

    Next to him was his best buddy, Phil. "Yeah, Travis, they''re just a bunch of dead dumb fucks."

    Travis didn''t step out onto the three-foot wide wall, but stood on the platform looking toward the gate. The pounding was frantic.

    "You''re stirring them up. Come on down."

    Several of the obviously very drunken men began to laugh. "C''mon, Travis. Stop being pussy-whipped by your lesbo girlfriend and lighten up."

    Shane whipped out his cock and waggled it at Katie before turning, drinking his beer, and urinating over the edge down onto the zombies below.

    Katie turned away, shaking her head.

    "C''mon, boys. Bring it back in," Bill said in a firm, authoritative voice.

    "You ain''t a cop no more. Back off," Phil answered.

    "This is going to turn dirty," Katie whispered to Travis.

    "Shut up, lesbo bitch! Who asked you to fucking open your mouth?"

    Phil''s voice was full of hate and his gaze was hostile.

    "Nah, Phil. Let her open her mouth. I got something right here for it,"

    Shane answered, flapping his cock at her.

    "Gawd," Katie turned away again.

    "Get back now," Bill said. His voice was going to a calm, deadly place.

    Travis hesitated then started to follow Katie.

    "She ain''t gonna give you any, Travis. She''s a waste of ass," Shane said mockingly.

    "Fuck off, Shane," Travis answered.

    Shane continued to dance around, exposing himself.

    Travis looked ready to go out onto the wall and punch his lights out, but Katie grabbed his arm. "Let it go."

    "Yeah, Travis, let it go. She don''t want you. Maybe we should just bend her over and turn her back to the man side of the force," Phil said nastily. He began fumbling with his zipper. In his drunken state, he wavered, his foot caught, and he went tumbling forward. He hit the top of the wall sideways and began to roll off when Shane caught him.

    "Oh, gawd," Katie murmured as Bill and Curtis rushed onto the narrow top of the wall to rescue Phil.

    Travis stepped back, his hand coming out to keep her behind him. Katie wasn''t sure what he was thinking, but he seemed to think she needed protecting.

    The zombie moans and screams were increasingly loud and the banging on the gate was more energetic.

    Bill and Curtis managed to get a grip on Phil and with Shane''s help and the help of a few others they managed to pull him up. Mike moved out onto the wall and began to corral the rest of the men back to the platform. Katie noticed that Shane and Phil avoided him and stumbled onto the platform.

    "Waiting for me, baby," Shane sneered at her.

    Katie just laughed and shook her head. She turned on her heel and walked away. Without looking behind her, she knew Travis was following. He caught up to her and slid his arm around her shoulders. Looking up at him, she could see he was more upset than she was.

    "Travis, I''m used to it," she said softly.

    "I''m not and it was bullshit," Travis answered darkly.

    "Let it go. It''s not worth it. Lydia and I sometimes got comments like that. It''s not uncommon. Some men are very intimidated by lesbians.¡±

    Travis shrugged and turned her toward him. "Yeah, but I don''t like it."

    Katie tilted her head. "But they have a right to live here, too. And to be a part of this community."

    "Don''t twist my words back in on me," Travis growled.

    "Look, we just have to deal, that''s all," Katie answered, then yawned.

    "Gawd, I''m tired. And I have a feeling I don''t have a place to sleep. Maybe Peggy can put me up."

    Travis shook his head. "No, come with me. Sleep with me."

    "Travis?" She blinked.

    "I said sleep. I didn''t say have sex, okay?"

    Katie hesitated. "Okay."

    Travis led her toward the beat up portable building that was now a dorm. Entering it quietly, they made their way past recently constructed doors and walls that lead into tiny dorm rooms. Travis led her to a doorway at the end of a hall and opened up the door to his office. It was crowded with a desk, light table, and file cabinets. Up against the wall was a sofa that folded out into a bed. It was still rumpled from the night before, but Katie was too tired to care if it was freshly turned down or not. Sliding off her jacket, she flopped onto it and stared up at the ceiling.

    She felt so very tired, physically and emotionally. Shane and Phil just reminded her of all that she and Lydia had gone through together. But now she was dealing with it alone and the ache inside of her was intense.

    Travis shed his jacket and lay down next to her. "I''m sorry those guys are such shits."

    "Not your fault. Just part of life," she answered grimly. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her side.

    She could sense Travis beside her and his great need to reach out and touch her. But she ignored it and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. Curling up, she wished fervently the ache inside of her would subside, but it pulsated and ate at her.

    "Fuck this," Travis whispered and suddenly his arms were around her, dragging her deep into his embrace. He held her tightly and she clutched his wrists with her hands. "I can''t stand to see you in pain."

    Katie smiled slightly and opened her eyes. Turning her head, she gazed at him gratefully. She knew she was a bullheaded Norse, prone to moodiness and the solitary, but he bulldozed her defenses and she rather needed that.

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    "You''re a very good friend, you know that?"

    "I''m trying," he answered, and snuggled against her.

    She closed her eyes again and enjoyed the sensation of his closeness.

    Already, the ache was fading, and she was too tired and stressed to think too deeply what that meant. For once, she just didn''t want to think about what things meant. To just relax, to just not care, just for a little bit.

    Rolling over in his arms, she rested her hand against his neck, her thumb resting on his cheek and kissed his lips very softly. "Just for a moment," she whispered, her gaze searching out his.

    Travis didn''t hesitate and kissed her deeply and slowly. His hand rested tenderly on her hers as they kissed. Almost as if he knew the kiss had grown to be too much for her to bear, he drew away and kissed her forehead.

    Silently, he laid his head next to hers and drew her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

    "Just for a moment," he said, and closed his eyes to sleep.

    She smiled, then fell away into a peaceful slumber.

    2. Dead Man¡¯s Party Ends

    And so the party ended and people finally crept back to their beds, some so drunk they barely found their way. At last, silence descended except for the ceaseless moaning of the zombies.

    A steady rain started at some point of the night and many of the guards rushed to get ponchos.

    During the brief chaos, a figure made its way to the roof of the city hall, lugging another form with it. Without pause, it shoved the other form over the edge of the roof. It tumbled over easily, its arms and legs flailing, then it landed with a painful thump without uttering a sound.

    It did not take long for the zombies to find it and soon a feast erupted in the street.

    When the guard returned to his place, he noticed a heavily ravaged body standing in the street, swaying back and forth, it''s head turned upwards.

    Its mouth was taped shut.

    It was Ritchie.

    Chapter 21

    1. Skin Against Skin

    Skin against skin¡­breath-consuming breath¡­ limbs intertwined¡­ soft moans¡­ gentle whisperings¡­pleasure building steadily¡­

    Katie''s hands slid over the broad shoulders of the man over her and tilted her head back, sighing softly, rapturously.

    "Travis¡­"

    His mouth slid over hers in a soft kiss and her fingers tangled in his hair.

    Suddenly, something gripped her leg painfully, angrily. She opened her eyes to see Lydia, mangled, bloodied, and dead leaning over them.

    "How could you," Lydia demanded in a raspy voice.

    Then she lunged forward, bloodied teeth desperate for flesh.

    Katie awoke and nearly fell off the bed in her haste to defend herself and Travis. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she pressed the flat of her hand against it to feel the harsh pulse beneath her fingers. Looking around, she realized the sun must be up for a yellowish light was seeping in around the mini-blinds.

    Travis was nowhere to be seen and she felt panic billowing up in her.

    Resting her booted feet against the floor, she leaned forward, taking deep breaths. Nothing had happened between her and Travis except for their goodnight kiss, but she still felt agonizing guilt. Rubbing her face with her hands, she tried to remove the vision of Lydia lunging forward to bite into Travis.

    Feeling like crying, she stood up shakily and grabbed the Reverend''s jacket. She slid it on and ran her hands over her hair. It felt tangled and crazed and she pulled out the rubber band to let the curls fall around her face.

    Travis entered with his face grim and his gaze haunted. He saw her expression and moved toward her.

    "Katie," he said, concerned.

    She took a deep breath. "I had a nightmare."

    "Evidently. You look pale as a ghost." He touched her cheek softly.

    She had trouble looking at him in the eye and he gently turned her face toward him.

    When he saw the pain in her eyes, he gently lowered his hand. "Lydia?"

    Nodding mutely, she began to mess with her hair again.

    "Katie, I know what is going on is confusing," he started.

    Katie refused to look directly at him as she fussed with her hair. "You''re not the one betraying your wife. Your entire life for years. You''re not living with the knowledge that your wife is one of those things now!"

    Travis drew back and lowered his head, his expression tormented and sorrowful.

    "I lived my life for the last decade with an incredible woman who did nothing but love me unconditionally and believe in me. I loved-love her with all my heart and it kills me that she is gone."

    Travis looked up with her, a stricken expression on his face. "I understand."

    Katie tried hard not to cry and shook her head. "No, you don''t. You don''t know what it is like to live your life with someone you love more than life itself and have people treat you like shit because of it. How you don''t hold hands or kiss in public out of fear. Or the way it feels when you do finally come out fully to a world that swings back and forth between wanting to see you fuck your wife or drive you out of the neighborhood. You don''t understand."

    Travis took hold of her wrist and drew her near. His voice was very raw with emotion. "Don''t tell me that I don''t know what it is like to love someone.

    If you haven''t figured it out, I do love you. And I will continue to do so as you deal with the ghost of Lydia in your life. Maybe I''m a fool to believe you could love me back, but your kiss gave me hope. Lydia may have been your life and hope before, but now she is your tormentor and your curse."

    "Fuck you!"

    "Katie, our world is dead. Everything that we were is dead. This is the new world. What we make of it. It''s been a few weeks, but it feels like a lifetime ago, doesn''t it? Who you are now is not who you were on that first day."

    She sobbed and nodded mutely. It did seem like an eternity ago. Time seemed odd and cruel. Everyone seemed to be living at an accelerated pace.

    "I feel lost without her here. I miss her! Every day I miss her and the only way I can deal with it is to not think about her!" She gasped at her own words and covered her mouth with her fingers.

    Travis'' gaze warmed and he reached out toward her. "Katie, you''re not doing anything wrong. She loved you and you loved her. But you can''t let that stop you from living now."

    She blinked the tears from her lashes and took a slow, stuttering breath.

    Katie drew back from him, covering her face with her hands. She trembled at the impact of his words and he slipped his arms around her and held her gently. Laying her hands on his chest, she looked up at him and sighed.

    "I can''t forget her."

    "And you shouldn''t," he assured her. He kissed her forehead and drew away.

    She rubbed her face and then ran her hands over her T-shirt to smooth it out as she tried to regain her composure. Right now, she couldn''t fully examine his words or try to deal with them, but they had hit a harsh chord within her.

    "You didn''t come in here to calm me down from a nightmare," she said after a beat.

    "Yeah, we have a situation. It''s not going to be pleasant. Someone threw Ritchie over the wall, bound and gagged."

    Katie dropped her hands. "What?"

    Travis looked at her sadly. "He''s out there, in the street, staring up at the city hall. He''s not moving, just staring. He''s pretty much eaten away, but you can tell it was him."

    "Oh, gawd, that''s awful," Katie gasped.

    "Yeah. And I have to go find Juan. He''s suspect number one, followed by Curtis."

    Katie shook her head. "No, no, I don''t believe either one of them would do that."

    "Yeah, but Bill is investigating so we need to find Juan," Travis answered grimly.

    "He''s with Jenni," Katie said.

    "Yeah, so I thought you should come with me."

    "Okay, let¡¯s go."

    Their walk across the construction site was uneventful. It was early morning and many people were up at breakfast or still asleep. The sun was barely up and a thick mist, two feet deep, drifted over the ground. As they walked, Katie glanced toward Travis and saw absolute devastation written on his features. He was taking a lot of hard knocks and she knew she was part of it.

    She was struggling hard against her internal turmoil. Never had she felt so conflicted. Well, actually, she had, back in high school when she had come out as a staunch lesbian and had endured much vilification at the hands of her former friends. Cheerleaders were not gay. And then in her senior year, she and her girlfriend had broken up and Katie had unexpectedly fallen in love with her first boyfriend. It had been a huge relief to her parents and her friends, but it had thrown her a little. But she had been young and embraced her boyfriend with all the love and passion she had embraced her girlfriend.

    When he had started pushing her to have sex with another girl with him watching, that had ended their relationship. He had been pleasant enough, but she despised him for trying to use her sexuality just for his pleasure.

    But with her first boyfriend and girlfriend behind her, she had felt secure in the knowledge that she could love a person for who they were. A series of girlfriends and boyfriends had followed. This had thrown her family and made her mother especially upset. But Katie had been fine with it. It hadn''t been easy though. Some of the lesbian community thought she was a lesbian in denial or just confused. The straight community often just wanted to portray her as promiscuous. More than one guy she had dated had expressed delight at the thought of threesomes only to have her apartment door shut on him for good. There had been the good, solid boyfriends who had just not worked out. There had been the good solid girlfriends who had not worked out.

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    Then there had been Lydia.

    She was jarred out of her thoughts by Travis suddenly jolting to one side as someone passed them. He looked shaken and took a breath.

    "Waking nightmare?"

    Travis noticed. "Yeah. I wish they would go away. I''m afraid one day I''m going to shoot someone thinking they are one of those things or not shoot one of those things thinking I''m imagining it."

    Katie rested her hand on his shoulder. "We''re both pretty screwed up, huh?"

    Travis laughed bitterly. "Who isn''t?"

    Entering the building, they made their way up to the floor where Katie and Jenni roomed with Jason. The door was closed and Katie tapped lightly on it.

    "Uh¡­"

    "Jenni, it¡¯s me."

    "Okay, come in."

    Katie opened the door to find Jenni sitting on her cot in a red tank top and shorts. Juan was in his jeans, lying down with his hands behind his neck.

    Jenni was eating a small fruit cup and looked flushed and rather happy.

    "Um, hi," Jenni said with a giggle.

    Juan noticed Travis expression and sat up quickly. "What''s wrong?"

    "Someone bound and gagged Ritchie and tossed him over the wall."

    "Who?"

    "No one knows, but you''re a suspect. So is Curtis."

    "I was with Jenni," Juan said.

    "Obviously," Katie said with a slight smile.

    Jenni frowned as she chewed her fruit. "He was. All night. We barely slept."

    Travis looked down and blushed slightly. "Okay, so he has an alibi, but Bill will want to talk to you both about it."

    Jenni stood up and waved her plastic spoon at Travis. "How could anyone think that Juan would do something like that?"

    "Because he sort of tried his best to take Ritchie out last night," Travis answered.

    Jenni sighed. "Yeah, true."

    Juan pulled on his boots and reached for his shirt. "Fine, I''ll go defend myself. But this is bullshit. What is Bill going to do to whoever got rid of that piece of shit?"

    Travis ran his hands over his hair. "I have no clue. Hell, how do we handle a murder? Or any crime?"

    Juan tugged on his shirt as Jenni scrambled to slide into her jeans, pulling them on over her shorts. "Travis, you know me. I would not do this."

    "I know that. I know. I know you were here with Jenni. I don''t think anything will come of it."

    "Yeah, well you try to be a Hispanic male in a white society and see if you feel comfortable with that answer," Juan answered. He pushed past Travis and Katie, his face set, his eyes blazing, and headed into the hall.

    "Where is Bill?"

    "On the roof," Travis answered.

    Jenni grabbed Katie''s hand as they moved up the stairs and leaned toward her. "Are you okay?"

    Katie smiled at her slightly. "Nightmares."

    "Lydia?"

    Katie nodded.

    Jenni sighed and rubbed Katie''s back with one hand as they walked. "I really didn''t sleep."

    "Yeah, I figured that out," Katie said with a smile.

    Jenni giggled then her expression grew serious as Curtis'' voice sounded from above.

    "¡­I said to put him out of his misery then chuck him over," Curtis was shouting at Bill.

    Bill nodded. "I understand, but you were heard saying very clearly you wanted Ritchie dead."

    "Because he''s a threat, Bill. Or he was." Curtis looked fiercely upset.

    Nearby, Fred, one of the construction workers, was keeping watch on the street below. He said, "I was gone for maybe ten minutes. I got the kids down into the council room and grabbed a poncho and headed back up here.

    Whoever it was moved fast."

    "The door to Ritchie''s cell is easily unlocked from outside. It''s just a deadbolt. Anyone could have done it," Juan said as he joined Bill and Curtis.

    "He was sleeping with me last night," Jenni said quickly, her hand grabbing Juan''s. "All night. And not really sleeping."

    Bill blinked and looked back and forth between them.

    "I have an alibi," Juan said, his dark green eyes stormy.

    "Okay, but I need to question you, too."

    Katie walked over to look down at the lone figure standing in the street below. It was just staring up at the roof of the building. The duct tape had survived the feeding as had part of the boy''s T-shirt. He was almost stripped to the bone, but most of his long ponytail with the skull and crossbones clasp remained. His arms hung at his side, free of their bonds. But one of his ankles trailed a long bit of duck tape with a good chunk of flesh attached to the end.

    It moaned when it saw Katie and reached its hand out to her, staggering forward slightly.

    The questions continued behind her as she watched what was left of Ritchie. She wondered why he stood there, alone, while the others banged away on the gate. But there he stood, staring, reaching out, and moaning.

    With a squeal of tires, the big red Ram 1500 4x4 that Katie had driven to rescue Jason came roaring around the corner and slammed into Ritchie. His head splattered against the grill and his body flew across the street as the truck came to a screeching stop. There was a moment of hesitation, then the truck charged forward.

    "Ralph and Nerit are here!" Katie turned toward Travis who ran forward to see.

    They both watched as the truck sped down the street slammed into another wandering, slow zombie. The truck swerved around and came to a stop as the driver seemed to try to figure out where to go next.

    Fred lifted his binoculars and peered through them. "I only see a woman and she looks pissed."

    "Nerit," Katie whispered.

    The truck lurched forward again and made a run toward the gate.

    2. Death by Red Truck

    The truck vanished as it raced around the block toward the street that led to the gate. It swung back into view and headed toward where the zombies still stood beating against the closed metal gates.

    Katie ran along the top of the roof, her eyes watching the truck and its fierce run toward the entrance to the fort. She got into a better position to watch, and held a hand to her brow to shield her eyes.

    The red truck slammed into the outer fringe of zombies, wiping out a slew of them in one fell swoop. The brakes were slammed down on and the truck came to a hard stop right before the gate. Nerit reversed and backed up drawing the surviving zombies away from the gate. She drove slowly backward allowing the zombies to nearly catch up before she hit the accelerator and the truck lurched out of their grasp. The truck reversed up the road quite some distance and Katie had a good idea what came next. The red vehicle charged forward straight toward the dead and slammed into crowd. Zombies flew in every direction, bodies bursting apart, pieces of bodies flying across the street as the impact split them apart.

    "Shit," was all Travis could manage.

    The truck backed up slowly again, the few still staggering zombies trying to follow. The truck sat idling, seeming to wait and when they were within a few feet of its front grill, it leaped forward and knocked them flat. Then the truck reversed hard and ran over the bodies. Then forward again. The zombies were crushed beneath the tires.

    The truck backed up, the door opened, and Nerit appeared, standing up on the edge of the cab, leaning one elbow on the door. Her rifle came into view and the last four zombies, stuck in the gate, waved their free limbs at her, growling hungrily. One by one, their heads popped and they collapsed.

    Nerit slid back into the truck and slammed the door shut.

    Travis drew his walkie-talkie. "Open the gate. It''s clear now. We have a visitor."

    The red truck drove slowly up the carnage covered road and idled outside the gate as some of the workers hurried to get it open.

    Juan stared out at the dead bodies and the gore splattered truck. "Wow."

    Katie and Jenni headed toward the stairs. They both knew something was horribly wrong.

    Juan looked over at Travis. "Wow."

    Travis smiled slightly. "Tough women are sexy, huh?"

    Juan looked back. "Shit. I think I want to marry her."

    Nerit had arrived.

    3. Nerit¡¯s Story

    Travis ran behind Jenni and Katie. Both of them were hurrying at top speed. Down the stairs, out the back door, across the site, up onto the platform, across the bridge and down the ladder into the new entry: it was a mad dash the whole way.

    The red truck slowly slipped through the gates. Armed guards made sure no zombies managed to get in with it, but Nerit had done a good job clearing the street. The truck''s deer guard was slathered in blood and gore and the tires left grimy reddish/black tracks behind it.

    Travis watched Katie''s expression. It was desperate, sad, fearful, and wary. Katie felt fragile to him now and it terrified him. Though he could see her outward strength, he feared her internal strength was failing her. What was happening or not happening between them seemed minor compared to the haunted look in her eyes.

    Jenni clung to Katie''s hand, looking scared. Her long black hair caught the morning breeze and streamed behind her. She really was lovely and he was glad Juan had found comfort with her. Belinda was just bad news for him. She was his eternal crush all the way back in kindergarten and Travis had watched Juan be lured in only to be spurned.

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    Where was he in all this though? Travis wasn''t sure. He had a job to do.

    He planned to get it done.

    He had slid out of bed in the middle of the night to work on some modifications to the new gate system and felt satisfied he had worked out the problems. That work had made him feel solid and good inside, but one look at Katie and that feeling slipped away. He was mad for her and he knew it.

    Never had he been in love with any woman as he was in love with her. But at the same time, he wanted just to make sure she was okay. He did not want to cause her anymore pain than she was in, but she had given him hope. Given him more hope than he had dared to dream of.

    But now, seeing Nerit''s expression as she slid out of her truck, clutching her sniper rifle in one hand and the collar of her dog in the other, Travis could see just how devastating love could be.

    Nerit looked pale, her eyes red and swollen. She let go of the dog and held out her arms to the young women who rushed immediately to her.

    Holding onto both of them, she let out a soft whimper and Travis'' heart broke.

    Nerit didn''t have to say a word for all of them to know Ralph was gone.

    "This isn''t good, is it," Juan said from behind Travis.

    Travis glanced back at him and shook his head. "No, it¡¯s not."

    Thirty minutes later Nerit sat in the council room, a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a fresh cigarette lit and smoldering in the other. Juan had gone to get her cigarettes at her request and he had taken a pack from his sacred stash.

    Travis sat down across from her while Jenni and Katie flanked her. Both of the women looked stricken. Nerit looked calm, yet her hands were shaking.

    "It happened two days ago," she started then took a long drag on her smoke. "I was bored. I read a lot and had read all the books in our house. So I went across the street to the store. I knew that they carried some paperbacks and magazines so I thought I''d grab some." She rubbed her weary eyes and sighed. "So I went into the grocery store and started collecting reading material. Ralph was on the roof working on our new garden. It felt safe, but I still had my rifle, you know?"

    Katie nodded. "I know. We can''t take chances."

    "No, no, we can''t. There are worse things than zombies out there." Nerit sighed. She lowered her head for a moment, then tilted her head, concentrating on some point in the past. "So, I''m looking through the paperback rack and I hear a noise outside. I look and I see a van with four men getting out of it in front of the store. Ralph stands up, calls out, and one of the men tells him to open the door. Ralph says not until he knows that none of them has been bitten. So one of these men¡­" Nerit faltered, her eyes lowering as she took a deep breath, "One of them shot Ralph."

    "Shit," Juan said softly.

    Jenni lowered her head and Katie reached out to take Nerit''s hand gently.

    Nerit gripped Katie''s hand so tightly Travis could see that her knuckles were white. "So they shot him and started trying to break in. They broke out the windows and tried to figure out how to pull the bars out of the windows.

    But that building is old and strong. They couldn''t figure it out. I went to the roof of the grocery store while they did their best to get in." Nerit fell silent as she gathered her strength, then looked up once more. "I made it to the roof and took up position. They did not even look up."

    Travis shifted in his chair, picturing the scene oh too clearly in his mind.

    Nerit, the former Israeli sniper calmly getting into position: the men below oblivious.

    "I could see Ralph slumped over and there was so much blood. I¡­was going to start to shoot¡­make the bastards pay¡­when another man came out of the back of the van. He was dragging a woman by her hair. She was bound and gagged. I could see she was struggling and the man was laughing this horrible laugh. Horrible." Taking a long drag on her cigarette, Nerit paused, clearly trying to keep control of her emotions.

    Travis stood up and slowly walked over to the window. He had a feeling the story was only going to get worse and the pain emanating out of Nerit reminded him far too much of the pain he felt flowing out of Katie at times.

    Juan sat next to Jenni and put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. Her fingers still rested lightly on Nerit''s arm, but she seemed overwhelmed by grief.

    "He kept kicking the girl and I was about to put him out of his misery when I saw the girl''s face. It was¡­wild¡­dead¡­hungry. Then he said, ''I told you she was bit'' and kept kicking her. She was in a horrible state. Her thighs were raw and covered in blood. Her breasts bruised and cut. To me it looked like they raped her until she was dead. But she was alive again or alive as those things are."

    Katie looked toward Travis and he sighed. The world was dangerous enough without human predators to add to the mix.

    "So," Nerit exhaled slowly. "So they start talking about finding a replacement for her. And how she was the last of the good fucks they had.

    That they needed more girls for the rest of the guys back at their camp. So I knew then what to do." Nerit took a long slow drag off her cigarette and her eyes became cool, calm and dangerous. "I had my sniper rifle, so I merely shot off her bonds. I didn''t worry about hurting her; she''s dead. But with the silencer and those idiots making so much noise, they never heard. I watched her get up and charge them. I watched her get her revenge on the one who had been kicking her. The other men began to panic and some shot at her."

    Nerit paused and smiled, "I shot the weapons out of their hands and let her have them. All of them. And when they rose, I put them down, one by one.

    And at the end, I gave her, that poor girl, her peace."

    They were all speechless. What could they say? Travis was at an utter loss. What Nerit had seen and experienced was beyond anything he had encountered. He felt sick to his stomach and afraid.

    "I went across the street, back home. Ralph was alive, just barely. I got him downstairs and laid him on the bed. It was a gut wound and fatal. So I gave him morphine and sat with him, held his hand, until the end." Tears streamed down her face, but her expression was stoic. "I sat with my revolver against his temple and waited. But after his last breath, he didn''t stir again. I covered his body with a blanket and closed the door."

    "Why didn''t you call us?" Katie asked.

    "And risk those other men knowing where I was? I didn''t dare. I just packed up as much as I could, grabbed the old dog and started out late last night." Nerit stubbed out the cigarette and sighed. "I was afraid to be on the road knowing those bandits are out there."

    "We need to make sure we double the guards," Travis said softly.

    "I need to finish the gates," Juan said standing up. "We can''t take any risks if we have more to worry about than just zombies."

    Jenni looked up, tears streaming down her face. "If they''ll just shoot an old man without a thought what would they do to us?"

    Katie had her arms around Nerit, comforting her. "We need to just make sure we are ready for them if they do show up."

    Travis nodded and walked over to Nerit and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I''m sorry, Nerit. I liked Ralph."

    Nerit smiled at him slightly. "And he liked you. But he did teach us one final important lesson."

    "What''s that?"

    "It''s the bite that brings them back. We have nothing to fear from the ones who die naturally." Nerit sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "And for that, I am grateful."

    Epilogue

    The reality of the new world, in all its brutal and violent glory, had enveloped the Fort. Not only was the threat from without, but also from within. A murder had been committed by one of their own and despite the rigorous investigation instigated by Bill, the murderer was not found.

    There was some relief that normal death did not bring about a zombie birth due to the aged population in the Fort. Ralph dying a peaceful death was a comfort to those who knew him in life or over the CB.

    Nerit found a place for herself in the Fort relatively quickly. She had one true desire: to keep going. No one stopped her when she immediately found work to do.

    Juan and Travis worked tirelessly on the gate system, only taking a few breaks to sleep or eat. The construction crews not only fixed the first gate following Travis'' plans, but erected the second gate as well. Incorporating the old newspaper building into the Fort, they soon had a working garage. The only problem with the old offices was the years of filth and grime inside of them. For a long time, the building had sat derelict and to clean it out completely would take weeks or maybe months. It was inhospitable. They needed the hotel.

    Meanwhile, Katie, Nerit, Jenni and other volunteers worked hard on construction of a gated entrance that would open to the hotel. Nerit seemed energized by the work and her dog, Tucker, and Jack sat nearby watching it all with great interest. Katie and Jenni threw themselves into the task, working so hard they could barely stand the pain of their aching muscles when they laid down to sleep.

    Jason gave up his bed to Nerit and moved into a room with another teenage boy survivor. Jack reluctantly went with him and gave up his spot to Ralph''s old hunting dog.

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    Katie woke up on several nights to see Jenni sneaking out to be with Juan and was happy that at least her friend had found some happiness in this dead and rotting world. She continued to struggle with the ghost of Lydia, feeling guilt for any ounce of happiness she found. The only way to deal with the guilt was limiting her time with Travis and she knew it hurt him. But what else could she do?

    The guards maintained their posts watching for zombies and possible human bandits. The world seemed even more dangerous than before and everyone was on edge.

    The winds shifted and April fell away to give birth to May. The world grew hotter and fiercer. The bluebonnets faded away to tall grasses and the spring showers gave way to long hot days. Despite all they had endured, they all sensed the one unavoidable truth none wanted to speak of.

    The worst was yet to come¡­

    THE END