Despite the heat, they all wore jeans, boots, gloves, and jackets to protect them from zombie bites. Jenni’s long hair was braided and pinned up on her head so the zombies wouldn’t have anything to grab on to. Her work gloves were lightweight, but would be a bitch for any zombie to bite through. She was overheated already, but knew she had to stay safe.
The four warriors slowly approached the Dollar Store. The interior was hard to see, given the advertisements taped to the windows and the fact that the lights were off. Everything seemed gloomy and unwelcoming. Bill went down on his knees before the door and started to pick the lock. Busting the door open would be the last resort.
“Ha. I bet everyone thought the black man would be doing that,” Felix observed with a sly grin.
“You learn things on the job, being a cop,” Bill replied somberly.
“Don’t care if you’re black or white or brown or whatever,” Ed gruffly said, “just as long as you don’t turn green and bite me.”
Jenni laughed and Felix smiled.
Bill’s brow furrowed as he concentrated. With a twist of his wrist, the lock spun, and the door opened slightly.
They all gagged at once. The smell coming out of the store was putrid.
“Fucking shit,” Felix gasped.
“We got a dead one in there, all right,” Ed uttered grimly.
Bill crawled away from the door, eyes watering, trying to get a clean breath of air.
Jenni pulled her bandanna up over her nose. “God, that is awful.”
“Enclosed space and rotting dead stuff: not a good combo. Let’s do this, people,” Ed urged, pushing the door all the way open with one foot. He stared into the gloom, holding his rifle. Hey!”
As his voice echoed through the store, a low growl answered.
“It’s dead and talking,” Ed said somberly, and walked in.
Felix moved in right behind him. Bill climbed to his feet and joined Jenni. He wiped his eyes and cheeks with a bandanna, then nodded to her. His eyes were still smarting, but he appeared eager to get inside. Jenni slid into the darkened interior slowly, with Bill at her heels.
4.
The Store
The first thing Jenni saw was a line of small shopping carts. Beyond them, both checkout stands stood empty. Jenni walked cautiously toward the first aisle to the right as Ed and Felix moved to check out the left side of the store. Holding his machete, Bill peered behind the checkout stands just to make sure they were truly unoccupied. A swift motion of his head showed that nothing lingered there.
Jenni lifted her ax a little higher as she headed down the aisle, which was for makeup and skin and hair care. A lone bottle of shampoo lay on the floor. She scooted it out of her way with the tip of her boot. Bill moved up alongside her, close enough for Jenni to hear his steady breathing. It was comforting. At the back of the store, she slowly edged around the corner, looking into the long aisle that ran along the rear wall. It was empty.
Ed and Felix were obviously not finding anything as well, from the silence on their end, but the stench and moans indicated that clearly something was dead in the store and still moving. The aisle Jenni and Bill entered next, packed with baby supplies, made Jenni’s head swim for a moment; then she shoved all thoughts of Benji out of her mind and set her jaw determinedly.
The baby aisle was clear.
They reached the front of the store and turned to enter the next aisle.
Groans reverberated through the space.
“Is anyone alive in here?” Felix’s voice called out.
Another low moan was the only reply.
“If you’re human and hurt, say something,” Felix continued.
The moan grew into a hungry growl.
“Zombie,” Ed’s voice declared.
“For sure,” Felix agreed.
Bill froze for a second as he and Jenni reached an aisle full of photo books and frames. The floor was littered with broken and smashed merchandise. Scanning the area, Jenni spotted an arm dangling off a shelf above a display of cute, cheap frames. The arm was savagely bitten in several places. A low wail came from the shelf. The arm was attached to a zombie.
“Found one,” Bill called out.
The zombie arm twitched.
“I bet he crawled up there to get away,” Jenni whispered.
The zombie, wedged tightly between two metal shelves, wiggled excitedly, knowing human flesh was nearby.
“How do we do this?” Bill looked perplexed.
Jenni motioned to the zombie’s foot. “Drag it down and deal with it?”
Bill frowned. “Could go wrong on the way down. Could twist around and land on us or something.”
The zombie thrashed, unable to free itself.
“Let’s go to the other side,” Jenni suggested.
Household supplies were next. The zombie’s other leg and arm were hanging out in that aisle. Jenni observed that the zombie was a young man, probably in his late teens. If he hadn’t such a slim build, he may never have wedged himself between the two metal shelves. He saw them and thrashed even more, growling. Jenni spotted a small stepladder that had probably been used to stock the higher shelves. It was toppled over on one side, not far from the zombie’s feet. Probably the kid had used it to try to climb up out of the way of a zombie and gotten stuck and bit. Grabbing the ladder, she dragged it over to the front of the zombie. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see its decaying hand reaching for her, but she was out of reach.
“Hold me,” Jenni ordered Bill, then climbed onto the top step.
As Bill’s big hands held her hips, Jenni faced the zombie. Its hand waved in front of her eyes, straining desperately to reach her. The kid’s face was stained with tears and blood. Jenni felt sorry for him—he didn’t look much older than her stepson. But his time was done on this earth. She was ready to send him on.
With a grunt, she swung her ax as hard as she could into the face of the zombie. He grabbed her wrist just as the ax head buried itself into his skull. Almost as soon as his fingers seized her, they went slack. Jenni wrenched the ax out of the zombie’s head. Bill tightened his grip on her hips.
“One more whack to be sure,” she said.
She swung the ax again and cleaved the zombie’s skull in half. Now she was sure it was done. Black goo slid out over the edge of the shelf.
“It’s done!”
Her voice echoed.
A growl from the back of the store responded.
“Sounds like we got another one,” Ed called out.
“I figured that. This one climbed up on a shelf to escape something,” Bill replied.
A more desperate moan answered.
Jenni dropped off the stepladder and held her dripping ax tightly in her hands. She felt a little sick about the death of the kid. His first death, not the one she had given him. The world was just fucked and awful.
The next area was full of hanging clothes and bedding supplies. Jenni and Bill made sure to study any shelving above eye level. The moaning continued from the back of the store. The assault team moved on cautiously. It was far too dangerous to let down their guard.
“Found her,” Felix called out. “She’s on your side. And you won’t believe this.”
Bill and Jenni finally reached the back of the store and turned the corner.
A female zombie was reaching toward Felix and Ed, who were approaching from the opposite side of the store.
“You have to be fucking kidding me,” Jenni said in disbelief.
The ground was covered in overturned trash bins of all sizes, plastic clothes baskets, and storage containers. Some were broken and many were splashed with blood, clear evidence that a struggle had happened here. At some point, the female zombie stepped into a bucket and her foot had become stuck. When she tried to pass between the metal shelving and a support column, the bucket had become wedged. She’d been left standing on one foot and trapped. Jenni couldn’t see her face, but her body looked slim and young. She wondered if this was th
e one who had bitten the boy.
“Kinda dumb, ain’t they?” Ed smirked.
Jenni hefted her ax and brought it down hard onto the zombie’s head. The blade lodged halfway into the thing’s skull. The zombie slowly collapsed to the floor, and Jenni yanked the ax out of the dead girl.
Bill leaned down and examined the zombie carefully. “I see one bite on her hand. Only mark other than her head being split apart.”
“So, she gets bit, dies, attacks the boy here, he gets bit up, she gets caught, he goes and climbs onto a shelf.” Felix shrugged. “And he dies. Makes sense.”
Jenni frowned down at the body. “But who bit her?”
“They’re both wearing vests and name tags. Boxes are open in the aisles. They were early-morning stockers. Do you think she came in bit?” Bill looked thoughtful.
Slowly, they all turned to look at the swinging metal doors to the stockroom.
“Great,” Felix moaned.
“We do this right and careful,” Ed said firmly, indicating the back of the store. The battered metal doors swung open to reveal a long, narrow room. Boxes were piled along one wall almost to the ceiling. At the far end, a narrow bathroom could be seen through an open door.
“Hello?” Jenni called out cautiously.
She jumped when the metal doors that opened to the loading dock started to shake as something on the other side beat on them. Snarls and growls that set her hair on end emanated from beyond the closed doors.
“Okay. We got at least one outside, but those doors are holding for now. Let’s check the storage room,” Ed ordered.
It took ten long minutes to scour the narrow room. They moved slowly and purposefully. They checked the shelves, the boxes, the bathroom, and the manager’s office. They made as much noise as possible to try to lure something out.
“Nothing,” Jenni sighed with relief.
“One more sweep through the store,” Ed said.
Twenty minutes later, they left the Dollar Store and stood in the street, breathing in clean air.
“Got the empty stores now,” Ed said.
Jenni nodded and brandished her ax. “Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER THREE
1.
Army of One
An hour later, Nerit climbed down the ladder slowly to the street below. Her long, yellowish white hair was braided to keep it out of her gray green eyes, and she wore jeans, a plain T-shirt, and a denim jacket. Her joints ached as she descended, and she cursed her sixty-two years. Her mind was sharp, but her body sometimes failed her. Lately, one hip was giving her more trouble than usual and she winced as it sent a jolt of pain down her leg. Juan watched with concern as she gingerly climbed to the blocked-off street.
“Be careful, Nerit.”
“I’m not that old.” Though her voice was stern, she winked at him. She ignored Bill’s attempt to help her off the ladder, but he still took hold of her arm as she lowered her booted feet to the redbrick road.
“Stores are all clear, but we got one or two dead guys trying to bust through a back door. Making an awful fuss now that they know we’re here,” Ed said.
Nerit nodded. That was why she was here. Bill had called for her when no one could get a clear shot at the zombie or zombies. Bill had previously seen her in action and knew she was a deadly shot. She knew that the survivors were fascinated by her past as an Israeli army sniper and there were rumors about her being a Mossad agent. That amused Nerit. But it felt good to have a purpose in her new home and to be appreciated.
When she left the home she’d shared with Ralph above the hunting store, Nerit had taken only a few personal possessions. Perhaps the most important was her old Galil sniper rifle. Over the years, it had developed a few issues, but Ralph had carefully restored it. Nerit had to conserve her ammunition because she didn’t have much, but she wasn’t ready to change to a new weapon. The sniper rifle was a good, reliable weapon, but also it was a reminder of her deceased husband’s thoughtfulness and appreciation for her skills.
“I can get him,” Nerit assured Ed.
“You ain’t seen him yet.” Ed raised a bushy eyebrow.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said firmly.
Ed studied her for a long moment, a thoughtful expression on his grizzled face, then shrugged. “We’ll get you up on the roof.”
Nerit smiled warmly at Jenni as she passed the much younger woman. The brunette, who was holding an ax smeared in foul, congealed zombie blood, watched the older woman apprehensively. Nerit knew Jenni had confidence in her abilities. Most likely the look of concern was because Nerit had lost her husband recently. Jenni perhaps expected Nerit to be grieving, but what Jenni didn’t comprehend was that Nerit had accepted her loss. It was not easy to let Ralph go, but he was gone. She was part of a new family, and she was determined to help them survive.
“Good luck, Nerit,” Jenni said.
“Thank you, Jenni.”
Bill followed Nerit into the darkened store as Ed led the way to a staircase near the back. The store smelled of mold and mildew; the wood floor creaked as they walked. Motes of dust swirled around in the few shafts of sunlight that managed to penetrate the grime that covered the large plate glass windows in the front. There were a few shelves along one wall and an old cash register listing on an old counter, but there was no real indication what wares the store had once sold. Nerit was not one for sentiment, but it was a bit sad to see the remains of what had probably once been a thriving business.
The stairs moaned as she and Ed climbed. She was careful with her footing, as it was obvious that the store had stood empty for nearly a decade. Rat droppings and dead insects littered the wooden flooring of the second story.
“Got windows here, but the view of the loading dock is blocked by the Dollar Store,” Ed explained.
Nerit glanced at a broken window as she passed. A spider had taken great pains to fill in the gap between the glass and the wood frame with an intricate web. Stepping closer, Nerit could see into the back alley behind the Dollar Store. She could hear the zombie or zombies howling and slamming against the doors, but she could not see the undead.
“Roof is this way,” Ed said, guiding her up another set of very rickety steps.
Nerit was worried about Bill’s weight on the unstable stairs, but he followed them, treading very carefully. Ed pushed open a wobbly door and they stepped out into the sunshine. The roof was not in the best condition. Long swaths of tar paper were torn off or peeling, revealing the rotting wood beneath. Cautiously, Nerit stepped out onto the roof.
Ashley Oaks spread out around them in a panorama. The redbrick buildings of downtown looked lovely against the scenic green hills surrounding the town. It was beautiful, despite the cement brick walls closing off the construction site, the long-abandoned storefronts, and the few zombies wandering around in the distance.
Nerit gingerly walked to the edge of the building. A warm breeze buffeted her yellowed silver bangs back from her face. Most of the zombie on the Dollar Store loading dock was hidden from view by the side of the building; only one leg was slightly visible.
“See? Can’t get ’em,” Ed pointed out.
“I can,” Nerit assured him, and unslung her sniper rifle from her shoulder. As usual, the rifle felt good and comforting in her arms. It was like an extension of her. She closed one eye and focused through the sight. Her senses narrowed down to just her vision, and she removed herself from the world around her.
She pulled the trigger. A gout of black blood erupted from the zombie’s newly shattered ankle. The thing lost its balance and tumbled. When its body fell into view, Nerit quickly adjusted her aim and fired. A plume of blood and gore erupted from its head; then it lay still.
Lowering her gun, she listened.
The pounding and growling had ceased.
“You got him,” Bill said in an awed voice.
“Yes.” Nerit shrugged. She watched the shadows dwelling behind the Dollar Store. “Looks like that was it.”
&n
bsp; Ed gazed down at the body, then at a bike lying on its side in the alley. “Looks like the Ramirez boy. I heard he was in trouble for dating some girl in town. His dad worked on my farm.”
Bill sighed. “Betcha he is the one who bit the girl and they managed to lock him out.”
“And then it went to hell from there,” Ed agreed.
Nerit looked back toward the fort and the people gathered to watch what they could of the proceedings. “Let’s get some sentries up here to watch for any more approaching this way.”
“Yeah. Gotta inspect the buildings, too.” Ed headed back toward the stairs.
Bill looked down at the remains of the young man. “I bet he only wanted to see her and he ended up killing her instead.”
Nerit could hear the sorrow in Bill’s voice and knew it had nothing to do with the boy, but everything to do with his own loss.
It was an emotion they were too well acquainted with in this new world. She reached out and laid her hand gently against his round cheek, the stubble tickling her palm. “We all do foolish things. It’s best to learn and move on.”
Bill’s fixed gaze was broken by her words and he glanced toward her. “Yeah, you’re right, Nerit. I just think of all those poor, dead souls out there. How many of them did stupid things that ended up killing the ones they loved?”
“We can’t worry about them anymore. We need to concentrate on the living.”
Bill nodded soberly. “Yeah.”
In somber silence, Nerit followed Bill out of the building. There was more work to be done.
2.
Claustrophobia
Travis had almost reached city hall when Eric caught up and matched his stride. Tired and a little cranky, Travis was not in the mood for yet another discussion about the efforts to expand the fort.
“How’s it going, Eric?” he asked neutrally.
“I checked all the buildings. They’re sounder than I anticipated.” Eric pushed his glasses up on his nose as he tried to keep pace with Travis.
As The World Dies Trilogy Box Set [Books 1-3] Page 34
