Through the Zombie Glass wrc-2

by Gena Showalter

  Why?

  “What’d you see?” Gavin asked, and I looked to him—

  —we stood in the middle of a night-darkened road. Zombie ash was piled at our feet, twirling into the air, dancing away, and Hazmats surrounded us.

  Kelly raised his mask. He was scowling. “Where is he? What have you done with him—”

  “—this again,” I heard Veronica say, jerking me back into the present.

  Gavin scowled at her. “Next time, shut your mouth and let the vision finish. We saw tonight’s battle. At least, what I think is going to be tonight’s battle, and it wasn’t pretty.”

  She sputtered for a response.

  Cole closed the distance between us. “How?”

  I knew what he was asking and I wanted to lie. “Antidote.” No lies. I jutted my chin. “What we saw—”

  “I don’t know what it means, and I’m not going to try to guess. I’ve never been right before. What matters—you were told not to use the antidote unless absolutely necessary. Today, it wasn’t necessary.” His eyes narrowed, and he took my hand, tugging me into the locker room. I expected him to turn and lecture me the moment the door closed, shutting us inside, alone.

  He did turn.

  But he didn’t lecture.

  He meshed his lips onto mine, feeding me a bone-melting kiss I’d never forget. I responded immediately, wrapping myself around him, drawing him closer, drinking him in.

  Backing me up, he pinned me against the wall and caged me in. His body enveloped me, pressing, rubbing, seeking. All the while his hands roamed, stopping to knead here and there and oh...glory. I shivered with the force of the pleasure.

  “You feel so good,” he rasped. “Taste so good. You’re ready for me, right? You told me you were ready.”

  “So ready.”

  “We have to stop, though. We can’t do this here.”

  Whimper. “I know.”

  Panting, we broke apart.

  A hard knock sounded at the door. “Cole,” Frosty called. “Your dad just walked in.”

  Cole pressed his forehead into mine. “We’ll be out in a sec.”

  Murmuring. Fading footsteps.

  “One day,” he said to me, “we’re taking off, just the two of us.”

  One day. I wanted that—wanted a future.

  Cole’s eyes narrowed. “What you did was stupid, Ali.”

  “Sometimes the wisest decision seems like the most foolish.”

  “I should spank you.”

  “Try. Please.”

  He chuckled. “You thinking you’ll end up spanking me?”

  “Knowing it.”

  Before I realized what was happening, he was spinning me around and smacking me on the butt. “Come on. You can help us figure out the best course of action for tonight. In the morning, we’ll talk about our latest vision...and what you did with the antidote. And more about you being ready for me.”

  I heard the husky promise in his voice. “Cole,” I began.

  He shook his head. “Later.”

  Yeah. That was probably for the best. I nodded.

  Chapter 28

  Game...Set...Death Match

  The rest of the slayers arrived at different times throughout the day, and all of them had the same reaction upon spotting me. Absolute, utter shock. I was hugged. I was patted on top of the head. I was met with sad little smiles because everyone knew the situation wouldn’t last.

  Took us a few hours, but we all finally agreed on a plan of attack.

  I kinda felt sorry for the Hazmats.

  When the sun began to set, Cole gave me a quick kiss and took his place among the chairs lining the far wall. “You see a zombie,” he said, “you light up and start ashing. Don’t waste your energy trying to fight. That’s what we’re here to do.”

  “Sir, yes, sir.” I eased beside him.

  “If your flames are red—”

  “I know. Inject myself with the antidote, then run far, far away.”

  He tweaked the end of my nose, a gesture of affection. “When it’s over, I’ll come find you. You better not have a single injury.”

  “Same to you.”

  Veronica walked toward us, and I watched her purse her lips as she noticed our easy banter.

  You should see his chest, Ronny dear.

  She sat across from me. The rest of the slayers joined us, and one by one we forced our spirits out of our bodies. The antidote continued to do its job, and I was able to stand with only the slightest resistance from Z.A.

  The chill in the air was more pronounced than usual. Cole wrapped me in his arms, sharing his warmth, before leading the way out of the barn.

  Night was in full swing, the sun completely gone, the moon in its place, and the halogens Mr. Holland kept around the property glowing brightly, illuminating our way. My eyes burned and watered against the glare.

  We passed the gate at the property line, each of us on alert.

  In the sky, Emma’s rabbit cloud pulsed, as though agitated.

  I remembered the last time that had happened and gulped. “They’re close,” I said.

  “No.” Cole’s expression was menacing. “The zombies are already here.”

  They sure were. I looked, and saw multiple sets of red eyes glowing in the distance. Moans resounded, and the scent of rot drifted. I hadn’t expected things to kick off so fast, but that didn’t stop anticipation from firing me up.

  Ethan had told the truth.

  “Go, go, go,” Cole commanded.

  As one cohesive mass we rushed forward. Cole fired his crossbow, the arrow sprouting four points at the end and slicing through a zombie’s throat. Trina picked up speed, surging ahead, already swinging her ax. Frosty and Bronx tag-teamed two zombies, whipping around the creatures and binding the pair with rope before slicing here, slicing there. The creatures could only endure the violence—before their legs were removed and they toppled to the ground.

  Gavin stayed close to Veronica. She was in the process of shoving a row of zombies into the swing of his sword. Lucas, Derek and Cruz hacked through the second and third line of monsters. I stopped in the thick of it and spread my arms. A zombie tried to grab me, but Cole was there, swinging a short sword and removing the limb just before contact.

  Another zombie made a play for me, but this time I was ready, filled with power—I could do this. Fire leaped from the tips of my fingers. It was white and tipped with gold, thank God, and in an instant it spread to my shoulders. I could have whooped with joy.

  The zombie touched me and burst into ash.

  I was grinning as the fire continued to spread to my head, then down my chest, to my waist, down my legs and over my ankles and feet. I gave myself up to the heat, basking in it, empowered by it, and marched forward, ghosting my fingertips over the spine of the zombie chomping at Cole.

  Ash.

  I moved to the next and the next. Ash. Ash. One touch, that was all that was needed. Soon there were no creatures left standing. The slayers were panting, watching me with rapt fascination.

  “Dibs on being Ali’s partner,” Gavin said with a fist pump to the sky. “For, like, infinity.”

  Veronica jabbed him in the stomach.

  “What?” he said, frowning. “I believe it. I say it. I receive it. Right? That’s a spiritual law.”

  “Not if you violate my free will.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Was anyone bitten?”

  “No,” echoed a welcome chorus.

  “Good.” Cole nodded with satisfaction. “All right. It’s time to split up.” He looked to me. “You still good?”

  My pores seemed to open up and suck the flames inside, but the heat stayed just under the surface, ready and eager for more. “I am. You?”

  “Yeah.”

  We held hands for a moment, only a moment, offering silent assurances, before I moved to Gavin’s side. The two of us parted from the group, heading for the road we’d seen in our vision, maintaining a normal, natural pace.

  “You and Vero
nica seem awfully close,” I said to him. “Closer than usual.”

  “Makes sense. We hooked up last night.”

  “You did not.”

  “It was good, but not great.” Amusement dripped from his tone. “Practically a pity fu—screw.”

  “Ugh. You shouldn’t be telling me this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Telling people who you’ve banged is so low class.”

  He shrugged. “Lucas walked in on us. It’s not like it’s some big secret.”

  Still.

  “You jealous?” he asked.

  I rolled my eyes and made sure he noticed. “Gavin, I suddenly find you repulsive.”

  “Funny. That’s what she said after I told her sex is sex, and I’d be willing to make myself available to her anytime she wanted it, but not to expect anything more. And you know what? She still jumped me.”

  “Some girls have no taste.”

  “In this case, you’re the one without it.”

  That earned him another eye roll. “While she’s making herself available to you, you’re going to be seeing other women, aren’t you?”

  “I thought I’d made that clear. Was that not clear?”

  “The fact that I’ve had my tongue on your body...” I shuddered.

  His grin was slow but full-wattage. “So we can joke about that now?”

  “Why not?” I said, mocking him. It felt good to tease him, to act like the girl I used to be. “As terrible as it was, I don’t think there’s anything else we can do about it.”

  “Terrible?”

  “You practically checked my tonsils for infection, Gavin.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Ha! If you were lucky enough to be kissed by me, you’d still be screaming with pleasure.”

  “You say pleasure, I say—” I spotted the telltale red eyes in the distance. Inhaling sharply, I smelled the putrid stink of rot. My ears twitched, and I heard the grunts and groans of a hunger never to be satisfied. “They’re here.”

  He got serious in a snap, and we picked up the pace.

  Seconds before I reached the creatures, I summoned the fire, and just like that, my entire body erupted with flames. Then contact, contact, contact. Ash, ash, ash. The fight wasn’t even fair anymore, I thought with a surge of satisfaction.

  The zombies had no defense.

  But then, they weren’t the ones we were after tonight.

  The remaining monsters branched off, half surrounding me, half surrounding Gavin. The air was so fetid it clogged my nose and tickled my throat. I gagged, felt the flames begin to sputter and practically danced through the ranks to fell as many monsters as possible before it was too late.

  I focused on Gavin and realized he hadn’t had the same level of success. Around twenty of the mutated zombies still encompassed him as he sliced and hacked with his blades. I moved toward him, but not fast enough. One managed to crawl up behind him and bite into his calf. Howling with pain, Gavin dropped to the knees.

  I dived for the creature, and at the moment of contact my flames licked over him. Buh-bye now.

  “Others,” Gavin rasped, the toxin already working through his bloodstream.

  I destroyed the remaining zombies and crouched at Gavin’s side, whipping the antidote from my pocket and sticking him in the neck. The white-gold flames hadn’t dissipated, I realized too late. They licked over his throat and face, and he howled, his entire body bowing.

  “I’m sorry!” I hadn’t meant... Might have... Crap! What if I’d just signed his death warrant?

  He screamed as the flames disappeared under his skin. I fell backward, panting, praying, trying not to panic, and then, babbling, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” as he quieted and sagged against the brittle grass, still breathing.

  He would live.

  As the flames at last left me, I looked around and realized piles of ash surrounded us.

  Piles I’d seen in our vision.

  Excited, and trying not to give way to a rise of dread, I reached out and slapped Gavin across the cheek. “Wake up!”

  “I am. Jeez, woman! That hurt.”

  There was enough derision in his voice to scare the bravest of men, but I could only laugh.

  “What just happened?” he demanded.

  “I think the flames burned through the toxin.” Chased away the darkness, like the journal had promised. “Is the toxin still active?”

  He thought for a moment, blinked. A sense of amazement radiated from him. “No. It’s gone.”

  Would his flames have the same affect on me? Or, because I was part zombie, would his flames destroy me? Either way, I now knew without a doubt this was the solution I’d been hoping for; there just wasn’t time to explore it.

  I climbed to my feet and helped him do the same. “Stay aware.”

  “Sir, yes, sir,” he said, mocking me as I’d mocked Cole.

  Footsteps suddenly beat into my awareness. I spun, my heart drumming swiftly. Hazmats. Coming at us from every angle, soon surrounding us. Guns aimed at our heads.

  Because they weren’t slayers, but could see us, I knew they were in spirit form. They must have used the mechanical device Dr. Bendari mentioned.

  Gavin and I pressed back to back.

  “Where is he?” Kelly demanded as he removed his mask. “What have you done with him?”

  The vision.

  “Who? Your precious son?” I grinned. Payback sucks, doesn’t it? “I think I’ll keep that information to myself.”

  A cock of a gun. “Actually, why don’t I show you where he is?” Cole said from behind him.

  Kelly paled.

  The slayers were still in spirit form, and they had come out of the darkness to circle the Hazmats.

  Our hope was that they would be so intimidated by having our weapons trained on them, they would submit to us. We would lock them up in Mr. Ankh’s basement until we figured out our next move. But that best-case scenario wasn’t what we’d planned for—and I was glad.

  Without further ado, the Hazmats exploded into action, and the battle was on.

  Some of the slayers’ guns were knocked away. Some weren’t, and the sound of gunfire filled the night, reminiscent of firecrackers. Pop. Pop. Pop.

  Two suited bodies fell.

  Punches were thrown. Grunts abounded. Bones cracked. Screams joined the chorus. For several heartbeats, I stood there, pinned by uncertainty—I was supposed to step back, wait. Forget being benched. I marched toward Kelly as he watched the madness.

  From the corner of my eye I saw Cole knock the mask off one of the Hazmats. Trina took a punch to the chin, but quickly recovered, swung her ax and hit her mark. Another suited body fell. This one didn’t get back up. Frosty played with his prey, grinning as he sliced through his opponent’s suit. Bronx whaled on two men at the same time, punching one and kicking the other.

  Justin backhanded the guy in front of him. Mackenzie vaulted on a man’s shoulders, wrapped her thighs around his neck and arched back, forcing him to his back. Somehow she maintained her hold when they hit, choking him until he passed out. Veronica blocked a punch to the head only to take one to the side from another Hazmat. Impact stunned her, but she recovered quickly, and oh, was she angry! Growling, she threw herself into the culprit, and the two hurtled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Two of the suits had Lucas’s arms trapped behind him while another suit tried to fit a metal collar around his neck.

  In front of Kelly, I punched him in the cheek. He stumbled, caught himself and glared, fury blazing in his eyes.

  “You won’t stop us,” he said. “I won’t let my daughter die.”

  “We will stop you—and you’ll have no one but yourself to blame.”

  He made to flee. I kicked out my leg and knocked his ankles together. As he fell, flailing for an anchor, I dived on him. We hit the ground, and he lost his mask.

  He swung at me, but I shifted out of the way. Then I broke his nose. Cracked his eye socket. Split his lip. His teeth shredded the skin
on my knuckles, but I didn’t care.

  He wiggled his legs between us, flattened his feet on my belly and pushed. I sailed backward, and he jumped to his feet, stumbling away from me. As I stood, I searched the crowd for him, but one white suit bled into another, hiding him.

  Someone grabbed me by the hair and flung me in the opposite direction. I recovered, rolling and kicking my legs into the culprit’s stomach. I straightened as he tripped over one of his fallen comrades.

  I heard the whistle of metal against air and turned to see a man swinging a blade at me. I arched out of the way, but not quickly enough. Impact—

  Never came. Gavin had swooped in and removed the guy’s wrist, saving me.

  “Thank you!” I called over the screams.

  “Anytime, cupcake.”

  Movement at my other side. I turned.

  Another Hazmat came at Gavin, gun already aimed. I grabbed hold of his arm, his momentum strong enough to pull me to my feet. The moment I was balanced I used all of my strength to twist the guy’s arm behind his back. The gun dropped as bone snapped. He unleashed a wail of agony as his knees buckled.

  I caught sight of Trina a few feet away, a collar now clasped firmly around her neck. It was the same collar these people had once used on me, the same collar they used on the zombies to send electrical impulses through their bodies. At least Lucas had escaped the same fate. He savagely fought anyone who dared approach the girl.

  I tried to pry the metal from her neck, but the clamp held steady. She peered up at me with hazel eyes now dark with pain. Her lips parted, but no sound emerged.

  Anger rose. “Hold on. I’ll find a way to help you.”

  “Yes, help her,” Lucas gritted, ducking to avoid a punch.

  I looked around the field, found what I needed. I stalked to a motionless suit and dragged the guy to Trina’s side. After cutting away his glove, I pressed his thumb into the small ID pad that acted as a key. Nothing happened.

  Maybe Kelly had learned from his mistakes. Maybe his print was the only one that would work.

  I searched one more time. Still no sign. Coward that he was, he’d probably left the battle. But he wouldn’t have gone far. He would want to watch, to see whether his men succeeded or failed.

  I panned the darkness, watching for movement rather than a silhouette. There! A bush swayed. Kelly? Only one way to find out.