"Miss Janine," Chris yelled. "We don't have much time. Please. Open the door now."
The lady made a few more tentative steps.
"I'm going to die if you don't open the door now," Chris yelled.
"I need some help here," Devin said. Chris slammed his open fist on the frame, then joined Devin.
Miss Janine was almost at the door. Jen didn't want to break eye contact with her. "Just push the bar and open the door. We'll get in, but none of them will. We can help you. We can help each other."
"Get ready for incoming," Devin said. "Forget the door, Jen. We need your help."
The growling and sounds of rushing footsteps were almost upon them. Jen lined up one of the leading zombies in her sights. She squeezed the trigger.
The gun clicked empty.
16
A clunk came from behind Jen and something pressed into her back. She reached out as she turned, and Miss Janine disappeared into the side hallway. But Jen's arm held the door open.
She pulled it wider. "Get in!"
The wave of zombies was only yards away. Devin hurried through the door, but Chris didn't move.
"Chris," Jen yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"
He seemed in a trance as the horde bore down on him. Jen stretched out, grabbed his collar, and yanked him through the door. She pulled it closed and fell to the floor as the horde reached the building.
They pounded on the doors and windows, their drool mixed with blood and gore running down the pane.
Chris continued to stare at the horde, his mouth hanging open.
Jen picked herself up gingerly, her shoulder and hip throbbing. "What's wrong with you? You almost got yourself killed."
Chris pointed at the window. His lips moved, but nothing came out. Jen spun.
Towering over the zombie faces pressed to the window was Raymond.
He pushed his way to the front. Chunks of flesh were missing from both his arms and legs, and his eyes had a hunger she'd never seen in another human. He slobbered and reached out to grab her, but was denied. He screeched, and it went right through Jen.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Uncle." Chris rushed to the window. Raymond took his eyes off Jen and looked at his nephew as if he were a thick, juicy steak.
A pang of sympathy rose in Jen's chest. She put a hand on Chris's shoulder. "It's not him anymore."
He shrugged her off. Devin moved to Chris's other side. "We need to get out of sight. Let these things calm down and disperse."
Chris glared at Devin. "My uncle isn't a thing."
Devin's eyes filled with empathy. "There's no time to be gentle. If more of them come, there's a chance they could break in. So I'm going to be blunt. Your uncle is dead and he's not coming back. What you see out there is a parasite that's taken over his body."
Chris stared at Raymond. "I can't leave him like that. He took care of me all these years, the least I can do is make sure he's at peace."
"Later," Jen said. "Now's not the time. When it is, I'll help you."
Chris studied her for a moment then nodded.
Jen walked him to the side corridor. Miss Janine stood at the other end. Jen strode toward her, and the short woman shrank, but stood her ground. When she reached her, Jen bent over and gave her a hug. "Thank you."
Miss Janine's face turned red. "I couldn't take a chance on them getting in, but I also couldn't let them kill you." Her voice came out soft, almost like a whisper.
Chris hugged her. "You're my hero, Miss Janine."
Devin stood back and nodded at her. "Thanks."
"He told me not to open it," Miss Janine said. "Said it would get the children killed."
"Who told you not to open the door?" Chris asked.
A throat cleared and Griffin stood in a doorway down the hall. "That'd be me. After all, she's got children here. Wouldn't want to put them at risk."
Miss Janine squeezed her hands into fists. "But I opened the door for you."
Jen stormed to Griffin, coming nose to nose. "You pull that kind of shit again and I'll feed you to the zombies myself, one piece at a time."
Griffin put his hands in the air and laughed. "Whoa there, spitfire. No need to be that way."
Jen's pulse pounded in her ears. "Why'd you disappear from the community center and leave us holding the bag?"
Devin put a hand on Jen's shoulder and gently pulled her back from Griffin. "I'd like to know that myself."
Griffin rested a hand on the butt of his holstered revolver. "I saw an opening and took it. Looks like you guys made it out all right."
Chris rushed Griffin, his fist cocked back. Miss Janine stepped in front of him. "I won't put up with any of this. There are children here."
She gestured to the room behind Griffin. "In there. They're already scared, so don't make it worse. Come in and help calm them."
Griffin moved aside and Jen entered the room, catching a whiff of alcohol and body odor as she passed the bootlegger.
The room was a small gym, its only windows near the ceiling. Good. Three children, who looked to be between six and ten, sat on a bench, quietly talking among themselves. They stood and bunched together when Jen entered.
"Children," Miss Janine said. "These are friends. They're here to help us."
Chris walked in and the oldest girl's face brightened. "Chris." She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Chris hugged her back, smiling. "Natalie. I'm so glad to see you're OK."
She took his hand and tears streamed down her face. She sniffled. "Oscar Johnson came in the house and he looked sick. His eyes were yellow and Dad asked him if he needed help."
She wiped her face. "Mom told me to go to my room. That's when Oscar jumped on Dad and they fell to the floor. Then Oscar bit Dad."
Chris knelt next to her. "It's OK, honey. You don't have to think about it anymore."
She shook her head. "And Oscar bit Mom, too. I ran outside. There were other people eating other people. I was so scared. I hid under the Nortons' house and couldn't think of a safe place to go, until I thought of school."
"When I got here," Miss Janine said, "Natalie was hiding in the girl's room. Bobby and Alexei came just after, and that's when I locked the doors."
"And you let in Griffin, too," Chris said.
Griffin sauntered into the gym. Jen eyed him.
"She did," he said. "She's an angel."
"Apparently we wouldn't have gotten in if it hadn't been for this angel," Devin said.
Griffin's eyes narrowed as he glared at Devin.
Jen frowned. Got to keep my eye on this asshole.
Devin eased into a chair and wiped his face with his soaked shirt sleeve. "Chris said a plane should be coming in the morning. We can rest here safely until then."
Miss Janine handed a roll of paper towels to Devin. He smiled, ripped a couple of sheets off, and dried his face.
Jen wandered into the hallway. Had Miss Janine checked all the rooms? Could there be something hiding in here?
She crept back up the hallway they'd come in and stopped at the intersection with the main corridor. There was still growling and some banging coming from the direction of the door they'd entered, but it had calmed.
She padded back to the room, and Miss Janine was handing out bottles of water. "Would you like one, too?" she asked.
"That would be great." Jen took the offered bottle and drank half of it without stopping. She accidentally let out a belch and the children giggled. Miss Janine gave her a stern look and Jen said, "Excuse me."
Chris leaned his axe against the wall. Jen nodded at it. "You might want to keep that close."
"Why?" Devin asked.
Jen took another swig of water, then put the bottle down. "Miss Janine, have you checked all the rooms in the school to make sure they're empty?"
Miss Janine looked from Jen to Chris then back again. "No. I couldn't leave the children alone."
Jen nodded at Griffin. "And I'll bet Mr. Spineless here hasn't set fo
ot out of this room either."
Griffin gritted his teeth.
Miss Janine shook her head.
Jen cocked her hips to the side and gave Griffin a smirk. "Hoping the kids would protect you?"
The knuckles on his fists turned white, but the bootlegger didn't move. Just what I thought. Won't do anything when he's outnumbered. What a tool.
Chris picked up his axe. "I'll check the building." He strode out the door.
Devin sighed and stood, the pipe in his hand. "He shouldn't be doing that alone." He disappeared into the hallway.
Jen gestured to the door, inviting Griffin to leave. "Want to prove me wrong?"
Griffin slid the tomahawk from its sheath. A wicked-looking thing, it was all black except the blade's edge. Griffin handled it easily. "Got this for a bottle of vodka a month ago. Didn't know how handy it would come in."
He gave it a few practice swings, then mimicked Jen's gesture. "Ladies first."
Banging came from down the hallway. "Help," a female voice screamed.
Jen sprinted to the main corridor and glanced at the door they'd come in. There were still a few zombies, and they went bat shit crazy when they saw her, throwing themselves against the door and the windows.
"Open up." A woman stood outside the opposite doorway. "Please," she screamed. She looked behind her, then turned back. "They're coming!"
Griffin caught up with Jen. "Wait. You open that door and the zombies might get in."
"Then you better be ready to fight." Jen sprinted to the door. Four villagers were nearly on the woman.
"Stand to the side," Jen yelled. The woman moved, and Jen slammed into the bar, throwing the door open. The woman rushed in and disappeared down the corridor. Jen yanked the door to close it, but caught a twenty-something zombie with a shredded arm in the doorway. That gave the other zombies time to attack the opening, keeping Jen from closing the door. She strained to keep it from flying open, but the bar slipped a little at a time through her sweaty fingers. She made an attempt to grab the handle, but the shredded arm zombie snapped at her hand, just missing as Jen yanked it back.
Where are Chris and Devin? She glanced down the hall. Where the hell did Griffin go?
Yellow eyes pierced hers, boring into her, through her...almost hypnotic...bared teeth with chunks of meat stuck between them...clacking shut over and over...the death smell washing over Jen as the zombies lunged forward time and again.
She broke eye contact with them and stared at her fingertips turning white as they slipped farther and farther off the bar.
A boom from behind echoed painfully off the walls, and half of the twenty-something zombie's head disintegrated. Startled, Jen fell back and the door flew open.
A zombie leapt onto her and she grabbed it around the neck to keep it away, but her arms had little strength after holding the door closed and they trembled as she struggled. The zombie pushed closer. Jen turned her head and closed her eyes. This is it.
A sharp thunk and the zombie went limp. She was able to roll it off her. Devin stood over her, his hand out. She grabbed it and he pulled her up.
Chris and Griffin stood over the zombies, both wiping bloody blades off.
Jen lunged at Griffin. "Where they hell were you?"
Griffin put his hands up and backed away. "Easy there. I just helped save your life."
Jen's legs buckled, and Devin kept her on her feet. "Helped me?" she said. "By running off? Seems that's all you're good for."
"I'm not a big fan of Griffin's," Chris said, "but that's not fair. He came and got us. We didn't hear Marcia's screams from the back of the building."
Jen went cold and shivered so hard she could barely stand. "Adrenaline's leaving your body," Devin said. He led her to the gym and sat her down. Miss Janine handed her a bottle of water and she took a sip.
Devin sat next to her as the others spoke to the new girl. "Griffin shot the first zombie with that big gun of his, then took out the one on top of you with his tomahawk."
Jen swallowed a mouthful of water. "I still don't trust him. He runs too easy."
"It was the right thing to do this time," Devin said. "You were both outnumbered. And we would've never known you needed help."
Jen stood. "Let's go meet the new girl."
She stumbled, but recovered. Devin put an arm around her, steadying her, and they walked over to the others.
Chris gave Marcia a bottle of water. She drank part of it and seemed to be trying to catch her breath.
"Where were you?" Chris asked.
She swallowed. "Home. We need to go back. My dad's there and those creatures are beating on the door. It's only a matter of time before they get in."
"Why didn't he just come with you?" Devin asked.
Chris frowned. "Her father's wheelchair-bound."
Marcia stood. "I've got to go get him."
Chris took her arm. "Sit and rest. I'll get your father." Jen looked at Devin and his gaze met hers. He's thinking the same thing I am. We're not letting Chris go alone.
Marcia shifted her position and her pant leg rose for just a moment before it fell. But it was enough time for Jen to see the fresh bite wound on her ankle.
17
Jen nudged Devin and Chris. "Can I talk to you two in the hallway just a second?" She strode out the door without waiting for an answer.
Devin stepped into the hallway with a curious look on his face, while Chris's expression was blank. "What's up?" he asked.
"It's Marcia. She's been bitten."
Chris glanced back into the room, then shook his head. "I didn't see anything."
Jen's heart sank. Chris had lost so many people he knew, even having to put some of them down. She didn't want to give him another one. "Left ankle. It's covered by her pants but they slid up for just a second."
Chris studied her for a minute, then made a beeline for Marcia. Something in his expression must have alarmed her, because she leaned away from him. "What's wrong?"
Chris crossed his arms. "Lift your pant legs."
Marcia slid down the bench a few inches. "What are you talking about?"
Jen and Devin took positions on either side of Chris. "Your ankle," Jen said. "You've been bitten."
"Son of a bitch." Griffin drew his revolver and stepped away from Marcia.
Miss Janine gasped. "Children, come to me."
Marcia's face fell and tears welled in her eyes. "Please don't kill me," she sobbed.
Jen's gut ached. She could only imagine how Chris felt.
Chris glanced at his axe propped against the wall, then at Jen. "If we lock her in a classroom and leave her until she turns, then she won't feel a thing when we have to..."
Devin frowned. "It's a big risk."
"You ain't shitting," Griffin said. "This is why I didn't want to let anyone in."
Miss Janine looked at Chris. "Why don't we just let her go outside?"
"Miss Janine," Jen said, "please take the children to another room."
Miss Janine herded the children out. Devin looked at Jen, his eyes searching hers. "What do you want to do?"
Jen stepped in front of Griffin and put her hand out. "I'll do it."
Griffin shrugged and handed her the .357 Magnum. The damn thing weighed a ton.
She turned to Marcia and the woman wailed. "You can't be serious," Chris said.
Jen pointed the gun at Marcia's head and Chris grabbed her wrist, pulling her arm up. "No more," he said. "There's been enough killing."
Jen's gaze seared his. "She's going to change and it's going to be soon. If we let her go, she's one more zombie between us and the plane. Maybe even the one zombie that infects another one of your neighbors."
Chris stared at her, then blinked. His eyes lowered to the floor and he gave a slight nod. Devin turned away and Griffin crossed his arms, watching her with a curious expression on his face.
Marcia lay on the floor in the fetal position, sobs racking her body. Her pant leg had pulled up again and the bite mark was
there for all to see. The skin around it had turned black and the veins leading from it were discolored.
Jen aimed at Marcia's head. Her hands shook so much she struggled to keep the gun steady. Swallowing, she said, "We'll get your father and bring him back here." She took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger, the report of the blast deafening as it echoed off the close walls. The sweet aroma of burnt gunpowder invaded her nostrils and caused her to cough.
Marcia lay still, a bloody hole in the side of her skull and blood pooling around her head.
Devin cleared his throat. "I'll clean up. You go sit."
Jen walked slowly to the other side of the room and sat on a bench, facing the wall. She hadn't signed up to make those kinds of decisions. But who the hell else is going to make them?
Griffin put his hand over the revolver. "Someone had to do it."
Jen released the gun and stared at the floor. Not someone. I had to do it, and I'll be damned for it.
Her throat tightened. But I'll make that sacrifice to get us out of here safely.
Devin's voice broke her from her thoughts. "We should go get Marcia's father."
Jen stood. The body was gone. How long have I been sitting here?
Her father's eyes were filled with empathy. His arms went to encircle her, but he pulled back. He's as confused about us as I am.
Jen reached out and pulled him to her.
"I'm sorry I got you into this," he said.
She broke the embrace and wiped her eyes. "Not your fault, Dad."
Devin's eyebrows rose and Jen gave him a weak smile. "That's right. I said Dad, and I meant to."
He nodded, eyes watering. "I've wanted to hear that for a long time."
Chris stood at the doorway, his axe resting on his shoulder. "We should go. No telling when those zombies will break into Marcia's house."
Jen opened a cabinet door. Sports equipment was stored inside, and she rustled through it before picking up an aluminum baseball bat and giving it a few practice swings. "This should work fine."
Miss Janine brought the children back in, but she steered them away from the bloodstained part of the floor with a hole in it.
Griffin walked in wiping his hands together. "Body's wrapped and put in the janitor's closet."
The Awakening_Book One in the Zombie Uprising Series Page 8
