by Russ Watts
“I guess we go door to door, right?” Jonas asked Erik.
Erik nodded sagely. “Don’t try to second guess what we’re up against. We do this smart, and everyone comes out alive. I have to get my daughter back, Hamsikker, I have to.”
Jonas nodded. He understood what this meant. Erik and Pippa had already lost Peter. If they lost Freya, too, it would be over for them.
“Follow my lead,” said Erik.
The door to room nineteen was closed, and Erik pressed his ear against it. He looked at Jonas and shrugged, as if to say he wasn’t sure if the room was empty or not. As Erik pushed the door open, Jonas stepped inside with his axe held out in front of him. Nothing rushed out to grab him, and so he continued inside, quickly checking the bathroom before proceeding into the bedroom. The drapes were open, and light streamed into the room.
“Clear,” said Jonas.
“Freya, you in here?” Erik threw open the wardrobe doors, and pulled back the bed covers, but there was no reply to his question.
“Erik, she’s not here. Let’s go to the next room.”
Needing no invitation, Erik jogged from the room, and paused by the next door as he waited for Jonas to catch up.
Jonas assumed Erik had already listened for any sign of the room being occupied, or not. “You hear any…”
Erik ignored Jonas, threw the door open, and charged inside. To Jonas the hammer in Erik’s hands looked far too small and feeble to defend himself with should he be attacked. He followed his friend inside, and this time the room was dark, making it difficult to see much. Erik ran straight into the bedroom.
“Freya? You here, honey? Come out, it’s Daddy.” Erik pulled open the curtains, and began scanning the room.
“Jesus Christ,” said Jonas quietly. On the double bed lay the remains of a woman. She wore a long, yellow sundress that exposed her slim legs, although the skin on them was sallow and blistered. Small bite marks ran the length of her left leg up to her thigh, and Jonas turned away, sickened by what he saw. From the waste up, the woman had been eaten. Her ribcage stuck out, but the meat had been picked clean off it, and the only clue she had ever had arms were the remains of the bones that lay by the side of her body. Her head was gone, and scraps of blonde hair lay nestled on the pillows alongside clumps of meat.
A clatter came from the bathroom as something fell to the tiled floor. Instantly, Jonas bristled, aware they weren’t alone.
“Erik, did you check the…”
Jonas watched as Erik ran to the bathroom and flung open the door.
“Freya!”
A small figure emerged from the bathroom and ran to Erik. The face was smeared with blood, and the sunlight exposed the girl’s pale face. Her blond hair bobbed around her face as she ran to Erik, and Jonas was both elated and frightened at the same time. There was something in the girl’s dead hands - something metallic that swung freely as she ran, reflecting the sunlight and temporarily blinding Jonas. It looked suspiciously like the edge of a key chain.
“No, please God, no.” Jonas was filled with horror. How had it ended like this? Days ago Freya had been playing with her brother, laughing, and crying. Freya was nine years old, and on those rare occasions that she smiled, Jonas could see her mother in those blue eyes. Erik was going to be devastated. They all were.
“Erik, it’s…”
Erik could tell it wasn’t his daughter the second he saw her, and he swung his hammer at the girl. He caught her on the side of the head, and the girl dropped to the floor. She groaned, and he hit her again, causing her to let go of the jawbone she held in her hand. Erik’s hammer came away with bloodied blonde hair caught in it, and he punched the wall in frustration.
“God damn it, Hamsikker, where is she? Where the fuck is she?”
Erik charged out of the room like a stampeding bull, and Jonas approached the dead girl. Her brains oozed slowly from the crack in her skull that Erik had given her, and her eyes weren’t blue, but deep brown. Jonas looked at the jawbone in her hand, the teeth still buried deep into the gum. The metal fillings sparkled, and he knew for sure then it wasn’t Freya. He hoped she still had the key chain he had given her. She kept it on her day and night as she had done since getting it from him, and he knew she thought of it as more than what it was. Freya was dear to him, and if only one person made it out of the hotel alive, it had to be her.
A thump came from the wall behind him, and then more, as if people were fighting. Erik.
“Erik, wait for me!”
Jonas ran into the next room to find Erik battering a zombie to death. Tears streamed down Erik’s face as he continued to bash the old man’s head in, even though he was clearly dead. The old man’s brains were so deeply mushed into the carpet that they were never going to come out.
“Erik, stop this.” Jonas grabbed Erik’s arm, just as Erik raised the hammer to aim another blow at the old man.
“Where is she? I told her to get inside the van, didn’t I? I told her, Hamsikker, I told her to…”
Erik shrugged Jonas off and stood up, suddenly calm. He wiped the blood from his face and made for the exit. “She’s not here. Next room.”
Jonas stood in the doorway and refused to move. “Erik, stop. We’ll find her. But you said to me yourself that we have to do this right. If you go charging from room to room, eventually you’re going to end up in trouble, and if you wind up dead who’s going to take care of Freya then? What would Pippa think if she saw you like this? Stop acting crazy, and together we’ll…”
“Get lost, Hamsikker, you don’t know what it’s like. You don’t have any children, so how can you? You play the role of a caring uncle very well, but ultimately she’s not your responsibility. She’s not your flesh and blood. Why don’t you just take off? Hm? Leave like you left me in Jeffersontown. Leave, like you left Janey. You always ran away with things got tough, so it hardly surprises me you didn’t have kids. You’re chicken shit. So get out of my way, and let me find my daughter.”
Jonas stared at Erik. So this was it; the truth that Erik had been holding back all those years, the resentment that he had left him behind had finally come out.
“You know what, Erik, I’m not going to get in your way. Have I made mistakes in the past? Yes, I’ll admit that, but who hasn’t? You don’t know what Janey and I went through when you went home. You don’t know what our father was really like. So don’t try and guilt me into feeling bad, because none of this is any of my fault. I know exactly what it’s like to lose someone you love and for someone to feel pain. Your own flesh and blood, that’s what you said. You think I left Janey behind? None of your Goddamn business. You could’ve protected her, but you didn’t. I know about you too. She would’ve loved you if you’d only ask, so don’t accuse me of being chicken shit. You abandoned her just as much as I did.”
“Anything else?” Erik eyeballed Jonas, and raised his hammer. “You have precisely ten seconds to get out of my way, or I’ll make you.”
Jonas smiled. “I lost it once. Remember? Remember Jeffersontown, back in that bus, when you saved me from that girl? Remember the farm where Tyler died, and that stupid fight we had? Well, even though you are a complete asshole, I am standing here right now because like it or not, I still have your back. I will follow you into hell if that’s what it takes to get Freya back. So I recommend you do what you told me to do once, wind your head in, and focus. You can’t push me away, Erik.”
Erik’s face visibly softened, but he kept his hammer raised.
“Let’s go,” said Jonas, and he lifted his axe. “Let me take the next room.”
Without waiting for a response, Jonas walked across the corridor to the next room. The door was open, and he walked straight in.
Empty.
He crossed over to the next room , and walked in, aware that Erik was quietly following him.
Empty again.
There were noises coming from all over the hotel now. There were so many thumps and bangs and groans , that it was im
possible to tell where they were coming from.
“Jonas, I…”
“Save it, Erik. We’re here to find Freya.”
Jonas trudged to the next door. Room 23 was closed, but there were clear noises from the other side, and moans too.
“Freya?” Jonas called out, and heard muffled voices replying, calling for help.
It was hard to tell what was being said over the din. It was as if the darkness swallowed up their words, but Jonas thought he heard Mrs. Danick calling out for help.
“Ready?” asked Jonas. Erik looked like a man lost. Jonas knew he was still coming to terms with Peter’s death, and if any harm came to Freya it would kill him.
“Do it,” said Erik.
Jonas pushed the door open and found himself face to face with three zombies. All three were battering on the bathroom door, and when Jonas appeared, they turned as one to him. Jonas saw three hungry mouths dripping with blood, their rotting bodies swaying unsteadily as they appeared dumbstruck momentarily, as if trying to decide whether to continue bashing down the door or eat Jonas.
“Allow me to make your minds up for you.”
Jonas swung his axe into the chest of the first zombie, an obese man wearing a dirty gown. It swung open as the man attacked, and Jonas let him come. Using the axe handle as a guide, he pulled the man out of the room into the corridor. Spinning the zombie around, he pinned him back against the wall, sending a framed picture of Mickey Mouse crashing to the floor.
“Erik, go!” Jonas wrenched the axe free, pulling out much of the large man’s guts, and breaking half a dozen ribs in the process. He brought the axe around again, and swung it through the man’s neck. The axe head buried itself in the wall, and the obese man’s body fell to the floor, leaving his severed head perched atop the axe.
Jonas pulled the axe free and spat on the decapitated corpse. He turned on his heels quickly to see how Erik was getting on. There were screams and cries now coming from the bathroom, and it was evident at least one of the three people they were looking for was in there. Erik was laying into the next zombie, punching it with his fists, and Jonas saw why. The hammer was buried inside the dead man’s head, right up to the hilt, sticking out like a comical hat. It would be difficult for any man to retrieve, even Erik with all his strength. The third zombie was trying to get past the second one to Erik, but was trapped in the narrow hallway between the bathroom and the bedroom.
“Erik, bring them out here where I can get them.”
Jonas had no sooner spoken than Erik was backtracking, and the zombies spilled out of the room after him. The one fighting Erik continued struggling with him whilst the third ran straight for Jonas.
A runner, thought Jonas, and before he had time to hit it, the zombie had knocked him off his feet. They crashed into the wall together, and Jonas was surprised by how much strength the zombie had. Its foul stench made him want to vomit, but he pushed back, using his strength to overpower it. The zombie rolled to the floor, bringing Jonas down on top of it, and he tried to pin it down whilst he searched for his axe. It had fallen out of reach when the runner had hit him, and the zombie grabbed Jonas’s shirt, ripping the sleeve as it tried to bite him.
“Erik?”
Jonas could hear the fight continuing behind him, and he tried to see how Erik was getting on, but he couldn’t risk turning away from the zombie pinned beneath him. It was full of energy, and its deadly teeth kept snapping away at him.
“I got this,” said a woman’s voice, and suddenly the zombie beneath him stopped moving. Jonas saw his axe swing down and obliterate the zombie’s head, splattering him with blood and gore. Rose reached down a hand and helped Jonas up. She smiled at him, her eyes bright, and her hand cool to the touch.
“Are you okay?” asked Jonas as he stood up. “Shit, Erik!”
Erik was still fighting with the other zombie, repelling it with punch after punch, but it wasn’t going down, and Erik was tiring. Jonas grabbed the axe from Rose and shouted at Erik to stand clear. When the zombie was dead, its head split in half, Jonas faced Rose again.
“Mara, you should’ve helped Erik first. I mean, thanks, but…”
Rose shrugged, and just smiled at Hamsikker. She walked up to him and embraced him.
“I wanted to save you,” she whispered in his ear.
Jonas pushed her away. What was her deal? Just as he was about to ask her what she meant by that, he noticed Mrs. Danick was coming from the bathroom.
“Mrs. D, you’re okay?”
“Of course, I am. I’m sorry I led you on a wild goose chase in here, but I truly thought I could do more help by looking for supplies than sitting waiting in the van. I’m sorry. I left my bag in the van, or I would’ve been able to do something about those three chaps that were after us.”
“Sure you would. Maybe you could knit them a nice cardigan to keep them warm while they ate us alive,” said Rose, her voice full of spite. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead.”
“And if it wasn’t for Hamsikker and Erik, we’d both be dead,” replied Mrs. Danick. “At least if I went first, I’d like to think I’d have enough class not to eat your skinny ass.”
Rose put her hands on her hips. “Skinny? Is that why Hamsikker can’t keep his eyes off me? Is that why Peter wanted to fuck me? Your time’s over, grandma, and it’s time you realized that.”
“All right, all right, enough you two,” said Jonas. He wasn’t looking for gratitude, but he could do without them sniping at each other. There was enough to deal with looking for Freya without having to keep Mrs. Danick and Mara separated.
Erik ran into the bathroom and came out instantly. He grabbed Mrs. Danick’s hands. “Where is she? Where’s Freya?”
“I’m sorry, Erik, we haven’t seen her. I didn’t bring her in here. We left her in the van.”
“Oh Jesus, this isn’t happening.” Erik bent down to one of the zombies and put his feet on its neck. He pulled the hammer free and ran to the next room.
“Freya’s in here?” asked Rose. The smile disappeared from her face. “What the hell?”
“I’ll explain later. If you’re up to it, though, can you help us search these last few rooms? You, too, Mrs. Danick?”
“Of course. I’d rather be wandering the corridors of a zombie-infested hotel, than be stuck in that bathroom with her for one more minute.”
Mrs. Danick’s face told Jonas everything he needed to know. They were never going to get on, no matter how much time they spent together.
“Well, I’m glad you two ladies had some time to get to know each other. You can tell me about how you became best friends later, but right now we have to find Freya.”
Jonas joined Erik as they searched the last few rooms, but all they found were more dead bodies and empty rooms.
Erik began rattling the emergency exit door, but it was locked. There was no getting it open, and no way could Freya have gotten herself through.
“Let’s check downstairs again,” suggested Jonas. “Maybe Gabe had more luck than us. For all we know, she’s safely back in Pippa’s arms right now.
“Gabe’s in here?” asked Rose.
“Yeah, he’s searching downstairs with Terry,” said Jonas.
“Then I hope Terry’s watching his back,” said Mrs. Danick.
“Just what is that supposed to mean?” Rose glared at Mrs. Danick. “You’re the one that’s dragging the group down. You should do us all a favor, and just go and have a heart attack.”
“For the love of…Mara, will you just give it a rest?” Jonas brushed her shoulder and frowned at her. They reached the top of the stairs, and they stopped.
“You should listen to her, Hamsikker, she’s too much. All I want to do is help, and she…” Rose began to cry, and she put her head on Jonas’s shoulder. They were crocodile tears, but they had the desired effect.
“Look, I’m sorry for snapping, but you need to relax. We’re all on the same side here.” Jonas put an arm around her. “We‘ll get thr
ough this.”
Erik pushed ahead of them and began descending the stairs. “I’m going to find Freya. You can catch up with me when you’re ready.”
Mrs. Danick followed him. “Don’t let her fool you, Hamsikker. Don’t let her drive a wedge between us.”
Jonas waved her off and pushed Mara away. “You okay?”
Rose wiped her eyes, drying the imaginary tears on her sleeve. “Yeah, I’m just worried I guess. Gabe’s down there, and well, you’re so brave. You came looking for me. If it wasn’t for you…”
Rose leant forward and planted a kiss on Jonas’s lips. She pressed herself against him firmly, making sure he could feel her body against his and kissed him harder.
“Mm, no, stop it,” said Jonas, pushing her away again. He was so shocked that at first he had been unable to do anything, surprised at what she was doing. She was undeniably attractive, but this wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Dakota. He wanted a child. He wanted Janey to be okay. He wanted a family.
“Let’s pretend this never happened, Mara,” said Jonas as he started down the stairs. He didn’t look back as he spoke. He didn’t know if Mara was playing games, but he had no intention of starting anything with her. Perhaps Mrs. Danick was right not to trust her. Had he been wrong all this time? “Let’s go get Freya, and get the hell out of here.”
Rose followed Jonas down the stairs, staring at his back. How could he reject her like that? Nobody rejected her. It was only a bit of fun. She thought it was about time she had some more fun. She hadn’t played her favorite game in a while. Stick, or twist, would be fun with Hamsikker.
* * *
“Ladies first,” said Javier, as he held the door open for Terry. They had crossed the foyer effortlessly and were in a carpeted hallway that stretched out until it reached a fire door. The doors on either side were all open, but there was no sound. The air was murky, and it was difficult to see. Without the lights, the only way to see was from the minimal sunlight that came in sporadic bursts through the occasional open window.
