“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Nathan raised the window to the left of the door. “That’s close enough. What do you want?”
The woman stopped and backed up. “My boyfriend is sick and I need help.”
“Stay where you are.” Nathan closed the window and whispered to Kiera. “Keep an eye on her.”
“Gotcha.”
Nathan turned to Miriam. “Where’s Steve?”
“Upstairs taking a nap.”
“Join him. Take Little Stevie with you. Don’t come down until I tell you to.”
As Miriam ushered her son upstairs, Nathan returned to the window and raised it again. Alissa joined him, clutching the Mossberg.
“Raise your hands and turn around.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Raise your arms and turn around.”
The woman obeyed.
“Approach slowly and stop at the bottom of the stairs,” Nathan ordered.
“Are you going to help me?”
“Just do as you’re told.”
As the woman came closer, Nathan snapped his fingers to get Kiera’s attention. “Take your gun and go upstairs with your mother.”
Kiera’s spirits deflated. “Because I’m a kid?”
“I don’t want her knowing how many of us are here. If this goes south, you’re my back up. You okay with that?”
“Of course.” Kiera ran across the living room and up the stairs. As she did, she heard the front door open and Nathan say, “What’s your name?”
“Nora.”
“Nora, come on in, but don’t try anything stupid.”
* * *
The alarm on Dickson’s watch sounded. He shut it off and double checked the clock inside the van. Thirty minutes had passed since Nora had left the Hummer in the driveway and walked up to the cabin.
“That means she’s in.”
“What if they shot her?” asked Stratman.
Dickson shrugged. “We would have heard it.”
A few minutes passed. Dickson patted the dashboard. “Let’s go back to town and set up the ambush.”
Chapter Sixteen
Nora sat at the dining room table, her back to the rest of the cabin, looking as nervous as she did haggard. Alissa sat opposite her, studying the woman and trying to imagine what nightmares she must have gone through. Nathan stood slightly behind Nora and to her left, his eyes never once leaving the woman.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” Alissa asked.
“A cup of coffee would be nice. Milk and sugar, if you have it.”
“We don’t have milk.”
“That’s okay.”
Alissa stood, but Nathan headed for the kitchen. “I’ll make it.”
“Why do you need our help?” asked Alissa.
“It’s my boyfriend, Richie. We holed up in one of the hotels in North Conway. We were going through the rooms, clearing the place of deaders and looking for anything we could use, when he slipped and fell down some stairs. He broke his ankle. He’s in a lot pain. I came looking for help.”
Nathan came out of the kitchen holding a mug of coffee that he placed on the table in front of Nora. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Nora took a sip and winced. “It tastes weird.”
“Sorry about that. We’re out of sugar so I used a liquid sweetener. Did I put in too much?”
“It’ll be fine.” Nora took a long sip.
“I’ll get you something to eat.” Alissa went into the kitchen for some crackers. She noticed that Nathan had removed the bottle of Stolichnaya from the freezer. It sat by the coffee maker, the top resting on the counter. She placed a dozen crackers on a plate and took them back to the dining room.
“Thank you.” Nora pulled the plate towards her and shoved a cracker into her mouth.
“Which hotel did you hole up in?” asked Nathan.
“I don’t remember the name. It’s in the center of North Conway. I know how to get there.”
“How long ago did the two of you arrive in town?”
“Two days.”
“What about the deaders?”
“There were a few, but they ignored us. They seemed more interested in heading north.” Nora paused. “Why?”
“I want to get an idea what we’re up against.” Nathan moved to her left. “How come you didn’t bring Ricky with you?”
“He’s too big for me to carry.”
“Rickey’s not immobile if it’s only his ankle,” said Nathan. “Couldn’t he limp?”
Nora turned her attention to Alissa. “Can you help?”
“I’m a nurse. I can help.”
“Do you have everything you need to fix him up?”
Nathan cut Alissa off before she could answer. “We’re barely managing.”
“We should get going,” pleaded Nora. “Before the deaders find him.”
“I thought you said there were no deaders in town.”
“There aren’t.” Nora responded quickly, then thought for a moment. “But there are some of those things inside the hotel.”
“I thought they were locked in their rooms?”
“They could get out.”
Nathan paused. “How did you find us? We’re a long way from North Conway.”
“It took me a while. There’s no one in town so I drove through the residential areas looking for help. Everyone’s dead or gone. I found myself on Route 302 checking out every driveway I came across until I found you. I’ve been driving around for hours.”
Nathan entered the kitchen and came out a moment later with a map of North Conway. He placed it in front of Nora. “Which hotel is he trapped in?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Please find it.”
As Nora studied the map, Nathan gestured for Alissa to join him in the kitchen.
“You know she’s setting us up,” he whispered.
“Her story checks out.”
“Some of it checks out. She can’t even remember her boyfriend’s name.”
“What do you mean?”
“She called him Richie. When I referred to him as Rickey, she didn’t correct me.”
Alissa rolled her eyes. “You’re being paranoid. She’s nervous, that’s all.”
“I know when someone’s lying to me.”
“We can’t leave him there.”
“Are you certain you’re not trying to soothe your conscience about the people you left behind in Boston?”
Alissa bristled but maintained her calm. “You stay here if you want. I’m going to help.”
Nathan sighed. “I’m not letting you go alone. But if you get me killed, I’m not speaking to you again.”
Without waiting for a response, Nathan took the radio off the counter and slid it into his pocket, then exited the kitchen.
“Have you figured out which hotel it is?”
“Yes.” Nora pointed to the map. “The Grand Hotel.”
“Good. We’ll help you. Give me a few minutes to gather our gear.”
“Thank you.” Nora turned to Alissa as she entered the dining room. “Thank you both.”
Nathan went out onto the deck and moved to the far corner. He removed the radio from his pocket and spoke to someone for several minutes, then came back inside and went upstairs. Five minutes later he came back down holding the FAL and Mossberg and three pistols, a Colt .45 in its holster which he strapped around his waist and the two 10mm Smith and Wesson revolvers. Alissa watched him insert one of the revolvers between the small of his back and his pants, covering it with his leather jacket. He stepped over to the table and placed the other one in front of Nora.
“What’s this for?” she asked.
“In case we run into any trouble. Now finish your coffee.”
Alissa mouthed the words thank you to Nathan. He ignored her.
As Nora drank down the last of the coffee, Nathan asked, “Where’s your vehicle?”
“I left it around the bend in the driveway.”
“What is it?”
“A Hummer.”
“Excellent. We’ll take that.”
Ten minutes later, the three of them climbed into the Hummer, with Nathan driving, and headed into North Conway.
* * *
What no one realized at the time was that the winds from the north had picked up a day ago and driven the forest fire out of the gulley into the northern part of North Conway. Once it reached buildings, the lack of rain allowed the conflagration to proliferate rapidly. Within the past few hours, flames overran the upper three quarters of the city and spread to within a hundred yards of the Grand Hotel. To the east of the hotel, where nothing but woods existed, the fire had moved farther south and already had moved past the structure, threatening to trap anyone still inside the city.
To make matter worse, the flames, smoke, and roar could be seen and heard for miles. Every deader within a twenty-mile radius now converged on the city, including those from Conway, the surrounding towns, and those wandering the nearby forests. As Alissa, Nathan, and Nora entered the city from the south, three hundred deaders closed in behind them, threatening to close off the city in a pincer move.
Chapter Seventeen
A wall of flames spread across North Conway as the Hummer moved along the main road.
“Jesus, I hope we’re not too late.” It was the first honest expression Nora had uttered since arriving at the cabin.
“We don’t have much time,” said Nathan. “We’ll get in, get your boyfriend, and get out before we’re all dead.”
“Sure.”
The hesitation in Nora’s voice did not register with Alissa, her full attention drawn to the conflagration bearing down on them. This terrified her more than Boston. Alissa tamped down the frightened woman in her and let the nurse take over. She started planning how they would rescue Nora’s boyfriend, bring him back to the Hummer, and haul their asses out before they burned alive.
Nora pointed to a road off to the right. “The hotel is down there.”
Nathan turned and headed into Settler’s Green Village, an outdoor mall composed of outlet stores. The Grand Hotel was located behind the village, though difficult to see through the pall of black smoke that hung over the area. The woods behind the hotel already burned furiously. Embers from the fire floated over the area, covering everything in a layer of ash, forcing Nathan to switch on the windshield wipers. As they took the access road around the village and approached the hotel, Alissa noticed a dozen spots on the roof smoldering. The entire area would be an inferno within minutes.
From his perch on top of Levi’s Outlet Store on the left side of the access road, Stratman watched the Hummer enter the plaza and pass beneath him. He aimed his Howa bolt-action hunting rifle on the vehicle, studying the interior through the scope. He had a clear line of sight to the hotel entrance. Stratman picked up his radio.
“Boss, they’re here.”
“How many?”
“Just Nora, a man, and a woman. They’re in the Hummer.”
“Fuck. There should be at least two more.”
“They probably stayed behind to keep an eye on the cabin.”
“We’ll deal with them later. Stay alert in case they arrive as back up.”
“Roger that. Elaine, did you hear the boss?”
“I did,” Elaine answered from her position on top of Banana Republic across the street from Levi’s.
“Same here.” The response came from Williamson, who stayed with the van parked behind Levi’s, ready to get them all away quickly if things went wrong. “Let’s hurry it up. That fire is getting too fucking close.”
“Calm down. The boss knows what he’s doing.” Stratman waited a moment. “Asshole, are you there?”
Joel and Rebecca stood outside the Chevy parked behind the hotel. The fire had reached the access road on the other side of the parking lot that paralleled the forest. The intense heat and embers caused the grass and bushes on islands scattered around the parking lot to catch fire, bringing the danger that much closer.
“Hey, asshole. Can you fucking hear me?”
Joel keyed the radio.
“I’m here.”
“Did you here any of that? We’re about to set the trap.”
“I heard.”
“Hang tight until I tell you to.”
Rebecca took the radio from Joel. “Can we move our position? The fire is getting close.”
“If you move now, you could give us away.”
“We’re in danger here.”
“I don’t give a shit. Asshole, are you there?”
Joel ripped the radio away from Rebecca, glaring at her. “I’m here.”
“If you break ranks the boss will hold you responsible. You know what that means.”
Joel gulped. “I do.”
“Then sit tight until you hear from me.”
“Sure thing.”
From inside the Chevy’s bed, Diana yelled. “Please let us out. We won’t cause trouble.”
“No,” snapped Joel.
“We’re burning up in here.”
“Fuck off.” He raised his Remington Model 870 shotgun and aimed it at the canopy.
“Joel,” urged Rebecca. “Lower the shotgun.”
“No way. I’m not getting my ass kicked for them.”
“You had no problem letting me be raped, though.”
Joel lowered the Remington and gazed into her eyes. “I’m sorry about that.”
Rebecca didn’t buy it. “Let them out so they can stand around in the air. If they try anything, you have the shotgun.”
“No. Now all of you, shut the fuck up.”
Joel turned away, unable to make eye contact with Rebecca.
Chris drove down Route 302, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, concerned about both the fire closing in around them and the possibility of an ambush. Nathan had called thirty minutes ago and informed him about Nora arriving at the cabin, the bullshit story she told, and Alissa insisting they go save this so-called boyfriend. Nathan needed back up in case there were more of these assholes than he could handle. Chris showed up at the cabin ten minutes later, after the others had departed, to pick up Miriam and Kiera and arm himself with the Mk14 sniper rifle. Once certain Steve could defend the cabin if necessary, he loaded the women in the Ram and headed for North Conway.
“The road to the hotel is a few hundred feet ahead of us,” said Kiera from the backseat. She held the map open in front of her, resting it on the FAL battle rifle that lay across her lap.
Chris pulled the Ram into the parking lot of a family restaurant not far from the entrance to Settler’s Green Village. A line of trees ran between him and the outlet stores and hotel, preventing them from being seen. He shifted into park and turned off the engine.
“What now?” asked Kiera.
“We wait to hear from Nathan that everything is okay and help him get Nora and her boyfriend to safety or, if the shit hits the fan, we save them in the nick of time.”
“I don’t like this.” Miriam sat up front, the Mossberg between her legs and pointed toward the floorboard. “We never should have involved Kiera.”
“Mom!”
Chris held up his hand to stop the argument. “We have to assume these people are after the cabin. If we don’t stop them here, then we fight it out back home where Little Stevie is. Trust me, this is the best way.”
Nora pointed to the front entrance of the Grand Hotel. “He’s in there.”
Nathan pulled the Hummer under the sheltered carport, shut off the engine, and pocketed the keys. He stepped out and wrapped the strap of his FAL around his neck, holding it in the high-ready position. The two women joined him. He raised a hand to stop them and stepped into the lobby, scanning it from one end to the other.
“All clear. Let’s hurry before we get trapped in here.”
Nora entered and crossed over to the admission’s desk, circling behind the counter. “I left Richie in the office where he’d be safe.”
N
ora opened the office door and stepped aside, allowing Alissa to enter. A man sat on the desk whom Alissa assumed was Richie. His legs dangled over the side. As Nathan stepped up beside Alissa, the man slid off the desk onto both feet, showing no signs of pain, and raised a Colt 1911, pointing it at Nathan. Nora moved up behind Nathan and placed the barrel of the Smith and Wesson against the back of his head.
“Don’t be a hero and you’ll live.”
Nathan released his grip on the FAL and raised his hands.
Alissa started to raise the Mossberg when a man in a red beard stepped out from behind the open door and placed the barrel of an AK-47 against her left temple. “I wouldn’t do that.”
Alissa hesitated and looked to Nathan for guidance. He nodded for her to comply. She moved her right hand from the trigger and held it out to the side.
“Smart move, honey.” The man took the shotgun from Alissa with his left hand and slung it over his shoulder. Switching his position to the right, he pulled the Glock from her holster and slid it behind his back, then moved back. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed the semi-automatic aimed at her back.
Nora had already taken Nathan’s FAL from around his neck, placing it around her own, and pulled his Colt from the holster, holding it in her left hand.
Nathan leaned his head to one side and whispered in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “I told you the bitch couldn’t be trusted.”
“Shut up, asshole.” Nora jammed the Smith and Wesson against his head and pushed, trying to intimidate him.
“Who many others were at the cabin?” asked Dickson.
“None that I could see.”
Dickson leaned back against the edge of the desk. “So, you’re keeping the other two hidden. I’d say you’re clever but you walked into this. That’s neither here nor there. To get to the point, my people need a safe place to stay and supplies to keep us going, and you have what we want. The deal is simple. You share what you have with us and we’ll let you stay if you don’t cause trouble. Otherwise, we take it from you anyway and leave you for the deaders. What’s your answer?”
Nurse Alissa vs. the Zombies | Book 3 | Firestorm Page 9
