Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set

by Kristen Middleton

  His kissed the top of my head. “Me too, Wild.”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  He pulled away and looked down into my eyes. “For what?”

  “For coming here,” I replied softly. “If it wasn’t for me taking off like that, none of this would have happened. The girls would be safe, Luke would still be alive, and nobody would be missing.”

  His eyes softened. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Besides, if we wouldn’t have come looking for you, we wouldn’t have rescued Adria.”

  “Yeah, but her life is in danger now,” I replied.

  “Not as much as it was when she was on that boat in Stillwater. Another few seconds and she would have been zombie food if it wasn’t for Billie and Paige.”

  “And now he’s kidnapped her. I just don’t get it.” I bit the side of my lower lip. “Where do you think he’s taken them?”

  “Maybe back to Atlanta? What do you guys think?” he asked, turning around.

  “I think Atlanta is a pretty good assumption,” said Nora. “Heck, maybe he misunderstood us and thought we were all driving in separate vehicles.”

  Paige snorted. “I doubt it.”

  Nora’s face darkened. “Why do you have to be so pessimistic all the time?”

  “I’m not. It’s just that there was only one vehicle here, so why would he think that we were all driving separate? It wouldn’t make any sense,” she countered.

  “It wouldn’t make sense, but he also may have not been thinking clearly,” said Nora.

  “You’re right. He may have been confused,” said Kristie. “Look at what had just happened before he walked out the door. If that wasn’t enough to drive someone a little off center, I don’t know what else could.”

  Paige sighed. “Yeah. Maybe.”

  “There are other things to consider,” said Bryce. “I hate to say this, but it’s also possible that someone else kidnapped Billie and the girls.”

  Kristie’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even think of that.”

  “I’m still going with my first gut feeling,” said Paige. “And if you ask me, I believe that Billie brought the girls back to the Mall Of America.”

  “Why would he bring them back there?” asked Bryce.

  Kristie sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Paige has this crazy notion that Travis is controlling Billie.”

  Bryce’s eyebrows shot up. “How? Travis is dead. We moved his body outside, and I’m pretty sure it’s still there with a big hole in the center.”

  “I’m sure it is still out there. That’s not what I meant,” said Paige, glaring at him.

  “Then please explain,” said Bryce, folding his arms over his chest.

  She noticed that all eyes were upon her, even Justice’s, and smiled weakly. “Well, if he really is a demon, then he could have jumped into Billie’s body after the other one was destroyed.”

  “You seriously think that Billie is being possessed by a demon?” asked Bryce incredulously. He turned back to me. “What about you, Wild? Do you believe all of that stuff about demons and the ‘End of Days?’”

  “I don’t know,” I replied, staring down at my left boot. I bent down and tied the laces. “I mean, we did see Travis do some crazy stuff.”

  “Exactly,” said Paige. “And don’t forget about the earthquakes and the red lake water. Those were some of the signs that Billie mentioned. You know, in the ‘End of Days’.”

  “He was just obsessed with that,” said Kristie. “And you were no help, Paige.”

  “Well, he made some really good points,” she said.

  “Excuse me, but the lake water is pink,” corrected Bryce. “Not red.”

  “Close enough,” said Paige, talking faster. “And don’t forget about the St. Croix, which was pink too, and the zombies wading around in it. I’ll bet they were attracted to the blood in the water.”

  Nora grimaced. “Okay, that’s disturbing.”

  “You weren’t there,” said Paige. “It was worse than disturbing.”

  Bryce groaned loudly. “You can’t be serious. We’re back to that old theory again?”

  “Now wait a second, I think Paige might be on to something,” said Henry.

  We all turned to him in stunned silence. Henry was the last person to believe in anything supernatural.

  “Don’t look at me like that. You have to admit, Travis used some kind of mind control with those zombies. And remember that ball of fire he threw at the church? Even the nuns were convinced that he was a demon.” He frowned. “No, I think Paige is on the right track and we need to high-tail it back to the mall before he kills that baby.”

  Kristie’s eyes widened in horror. “Henry, you really think he’s planning on killing Adria?”

  “It’s what he wants,” said Justice, speaking up for the first time. “Travis isn’t human. He had some kind of control over me that I still can’t explain. I think they’re absolutely right and Billie is being controlled by Travis.”

  Tiny sighed. “Well, what do you think?” he asked, turning to Bryce. “It couldn’t hurt to check it out again.”

  His lips curled under and then he sighed. “I guess we have to. I still don’t believe he’s possessed, but obviously we have to start somewhere.”

  “I think you should start by having a more open mind, young feller,” chastised Henry. “It might end up saving your life.”

  “He’s right,” I said, grabbing Bryce’s hand. “We all need to be ready for anything.”

  “Wild,” he said, squeezing my fingers. “You’ve already taught me that lesson.”

  I grinned.

  4

  Allie and Kylie

  “Retribution?” repeated Allie after Billie and the woman left. “What is he talking about?”

  “Revenge,” said Kylie, who was now holding Adria.

  “I know that. What I mean is ‘why’?”

  “He’s obviously crazy.”

  Allie stared down at the pizza with longing. “I’m so hungry. Maybe if we just had a few bites? To give us the energy to get out of this place.”

  Kylie’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare eat that; he’s trying to tempt us into helping him. Don’t give in.”

  “I know,” Allie sighed, turning away from the food. She walked over to the bedroom window and looked out into the darkness. There was a tall wrought iron fence surrounding the house and six vehicles parked in the driveway below. Shortly after Billie had left the room, he’d taken off into the night with the seventh. “I just wish we could get out of here, before he returns from wherever he went.” She tapped her fingers on the window panel. “Too bad we’re so high up, or we could try climbing down.”

  “Here,” said Kylie, moving toward her. “Take Adria for a while. I’m going to try and figure out a way out of here.”

  Allie turned back around and took the baby, who was thankfully, still dry. She smiled down at Adria, who was sucking on her fingers. “Looks like wrapping that T-shirt around her bottom is working. She’s a lot happier now.”

  “I know. I learned that in my babysitting class. Well, I learned about cloth diapers and this is close enough.”

  They’d managed to find some old shirts in one of the dresser drawers and had tied one around Adria, like a cloth diaper.

  Allie kissed her on the forehead. “You must be starving, though, you poor little thing. I wish there was something we could give you.”

  “Maybe you should give her some of that soda?” said Kylie, pointing to the cans sitting next to the pizza.

  Her eyes widened. “That can’t be good for a baby. Didn’t you learn that in babysitting class?”

  “Soda never came up. Look, we have nothing else, and she’s going to be dangerously dehydrated.”

  “I know, but soda?”

  Kylie rubbed her eyes. “Well, I don’t know what else to do. If we don’t get something for her to drink and get the heck out of here, they’re going to kill us, one way or another.”

  Allie bi
t her lower lip. “You really think Billie would hurt us?”

  “You saw the way he was acting. Something’s definitely very wrong with him.” Kylie opened the bedroom window, removed the screen, and stuck her head out into the darkness.

  “What are you doing?” asked Allie nervously.

  She looked back over her shoulder. “There’s an open window a few feet away. It’s kind of small, but I think I might be able squeeze through it.”

  “You’re actually going to crawl onto the roof?” gasped Allie. “What if you fall or someone sees you?”

  “Don’t jinx me.” She stuck her leg out the window. “Just wish me luck.”

  “Oh, my God, be careful,” she replied, lowering her voice. “And… good luck.”

  “Just be ready to go,” said Kylie, pulling her other leg out.

  Allie moved over to the window and her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she watched Kylie crawl across the shingles in her baggy pink shorts. They’d both lost so much weight in the last few weeks that Kylie reminded her of a prisoner of war trying to escape.

  “Be careful,” whispered Allie, terrified that she’d slip and go tumbling off of the roof. But Kylie had always been fearless and daring. She’d have made a good daredevil.

  If anyone can do this successfully, she thought, it’s her.

  When Kylie made it to the other window, she raised her head and peeked inside. A few seconds later, she turned back to Allie, giving her the thumbs-up.

  “Thank God,” whispered Allie, releasing a ragged breath as Kylie pulled the window open the rest of the way and removed the screen. She then watched as her lanky friend wiggled her way inside, head first. When Kylie was all the way in, Allie went to the bedroom door with Adria, and waited on pins and needles.

  “Oh, my God,” groaned Kylie a few seconds later from the outside of the doorway. “I need a key to get it open!”

  Allie’s heart sank. “Great. Now what are we going to do?”

  “You are going to have to climb out of the window,” stated Kylie. “With Adria. It’s the only way.”

  She stared down at the baby. “I can’t do that. What… what if I drop her?”

  Kylie paused for several seconds. “Okay, I’m going to climb back outside and you can hand her to me.”

  “Okay. Just hurry before someone catches you.”

  “Yeah, I know,” replied Kylie. “Hang tight. I’ll be back in less than a minute.”

  Allie walked back to the window and waited nervously until Kylie climbed back out onto the roof and began crawling back. When she reached the window, Allie handed her Adria and then pulled herself out of the window. She looked down at the grass below and swallowed hard. “Um, so do you want me to take her?”

  “No, I’ve got her. We just have to move slowly,” Kylie whispered, scooting back toward the other window as she clutched the baby.

  Allie positioned herself below Kylie as they crept along the side of the roof and reached the window, which led to a small bathroom.

  “Here, take Adria,” said Kylie, holding her out.

  Allie grabbed the baby.

  Kylie crawled back through the window, which looked incredibly small.

  “I don’t know if I can fit through there,” said Allie, handing Adria back to Kylie.

  “You have to,” whispered Kylie.

  “You could barely fit through it yourself, and you’re like a string bean.”

  Kylie put Adria down on the floor and then turned back. “Come on, I’ll help pull you through.”

  Just then, Allie noticed a pair of headlights in the distance and began to panic. “Oh God… someone’s coming!”

  Kylie grabbed her arm. “Get in here before they see you!”

  Panicking, Allie wriggled her way through the window, wincing from the tight fit. “Crap.”

  “Are you okay?” whispered Kylie, pulling her up from the tub where she’d landed, head first.

  “Yeah. Let’s just hurry up and get out of here.”

  Kylie picked up Adria and they snuck out the door and down the hallway to the tall staircase leading to the foyer.

  Allie stopped. “Wait, we can’t just go out the front door. Whoever is out there will catch us.”

  Before she could reply, the doorbell rang.

  The girls ducked behind the banister above. A few seconds later, Billie walked into the house, followed by Jenny and a stranger.

  Allie peeked over the railing quickly and then ducked back down, shocked to see a priest standing in the entryway.”

  “So, where is the child?” asked the priest.

  “We’ve locked her in a bedroom upstairs, with the other girls,” said Billie.

  “When do you expect the gates to open?” he asked.

  Kylie and Allie looked at each other.

  Gates?

  “Soon. Now that the hole has opened, it shouldn’t be very long. We need to bring the child there, now.”

  The priest let out a rattling cough. When he was finished, he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. “Excuse me.” He cleared his throat. “Could I get a drink of water before we return to the mall? I need to take my pills.”

  “Sure, the kitchen is this way and there is some bottled water. Jenny, why don’t you prepare a bottle for the baby, so the girls will be more compliant,” replied Billie.

  “Ah, a ‘Last Supper’,” replied the priest, chuckling in amusement as they walked down the hall. “How appropriate.”

  Billie chuckled. “Isn’t it, though?”

  After their footsteps faded, the girls fled down the staircase.

  “I just can’t believe our escape was that easy,” whispered Kylie, as they opened the front door and snuck outside. “We are so lucky.”

  “We haven’t escaped yet,” said Allie, feeling as if something scary was going to jump out of the darkness and attack them. Something much scarier than zombies.

  “Come on,” said Kylie, who was still holding Adria. “Let’s see if the fence is locked.”

  They ran past the parked cars and up to the wrought iron fence, which was about five feet tall with dark pointy spikes.

  Allie stopped at the doorway and tried pushing it open, but it was locked. “This is locked and I don’t know how to open it. I think we need a key. Crap, what in the heck do we do now?”

  Kylie looked along the long fence line that wrapped around the estate, biting her lip nervously. “Maybe we could climb over it. It’s not that tall.”

  “Seriously?” asked Allie. “There’s no way we can get over this thing without getting… impaled.”

  “Well, what other choice do we have? Maybe we can find a ladder and use it to get over.”

  “Maybe. First, let’s see if there’s another way out of here,” said Allie. “Come on.”

  They followed the fence to the back of the house, past the flowerbeds and a tennis court. When they found the only other gated exit, it was also locked.

  “Oh God,” moaned Kylie. “How are we going to get out of here?”

  Before Allie could reply, several zombies staggered out of the woods and moved toward them.

  “Oh, my God!” squeaked Allie, stepping away from the gate. “They smell like a sewer!”

  The zombies stumbled toward them, moaning and growling in anticipation. When the creatures made it to the fence, they tried reaching for them through the iron grates.

  “Actually, I guess it’s good we didn’t get out that way,” said Kylie as they backed away from the fence.

  Someone cleared their throat and both girls turned around in horror to find Billie staring down at them from the white garden gazebo in the center of the backyard.

  “Crap,” mumbled Allie.

  Billie, who was puffing on a cigar, blew out a cloud of smoke. The girls watched as an image appeared in the swirling mists; an image of a head with horns and a menacing smile.

  Frightened, Allie and Kylie stepped closer to each other.

  As the smoke dissipated, Billie smirked. �
�Let me guess, you needed some fresh air?”

  Neither girl said anything.

  Billie sighed and began walking down the wooden steps. “Did you honestly think I had no idea that you were eavesdropping when Father Brambati arrived? That you’d escaped? Oh… girls… What am I going to do with you?”

  Adria’s lip went out and she began to cry.

  5

  Cassie

  We left a note for Billie, just in case he came to his senses and returned to the house. Then we all loaded into the Yukon. Tiny and Kristie sat in the front, I lodged in between Henry and Bryce in the second row, Paige and Justice sat in the third, and Nora crawled into the back cargo area.

  “You going to be okay there?” asked Justice, looking back at Nora.

  She looked around and nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got plenty of room.”

  “Okay, but like I said before, I’d be more than happy to switch with you.”

  “Your legs are a lot longer than mine,” she replied, yawning. “You’d be cramping up in no time. Anyway, I like it back here. I’m probably going to sleep on the way. I’ll need all the rest I can get if I’m going to kick Billie’s ass back to Atlanta.”

  I laughed.

  Smiling, she pushed her short, dark hair back behind her ears.

  “Do you miss your blue streaks?” I asked, noticing now that most of them were gone. For some reason, she’d cut her hair before we’d left, using my grandmother’s shears. I had a feeling she did it to keep her mind off of Billie, or maybe it was just the shock factor, since she’d always been kind of a rebel. It was now chin-length and made her look almost cute and perky, but I knew better than to tell her that. She’d probably shave it all off in horror.

  She shrugged. “Not really.”

  “I wish I would have been more daring back in school,” said Paige, glancing shyly at Justice’s eyebrow piercing. “Like, maybe have gotten some piercings or at least a tattoo.”

  “You were a little too young for a tattoo,” said Kristie over her shoulder. “I told you before that when you were eighteen, you could get one.”

  Paige sighed. “Well, I guess that doesn’t help me now.”