As The World Dies Trilogy Box Set [Books 1-3]

by Frater, Rhiannon

  She finally looked up at him and saw his hazel eyes were staring at her flushed face. “I’m sorry.” It was all she could think to say.

  Travis started to say one thing, then visibly changed his mind. He closed his mouth, thought for a second, then said, “I just want to be your friend.”

  “No, you don’t,” Katie corrected him in a soft voice. She was painfully aware of all the people in the store, packing boxes, breaking down shelves, and cleaning up. This was not a conversation she wanted overheard and repeated around the fort.

  He winced. “But I can settle for being your friend.” He closed the carton and reached for the tape.

  Katie rested her hands on the box and leaned toward him. “I need time to think.”

  “Being friends with me is not a threat to your memory of your wife,” Travis countered.

  She couldn’t reply without giving herself away, so she busied herself by grabbing the marker and labeling the box in bold letters. She could feel Travis searching her expression, seeking to understand. It made her nervous. She wanted him to walk away before he figured it out.

  “Or is it?” he speculated.

  Her green eyes flicked upward, and she saw that he was suspicious of her silence. Maybe something in her gaze gave her away, because he took her gloved hand in his. She yanked away, but only managed to pull her hand out of the glove. Travis caught her fingers gently and held her hand, apparently not caring that it was covered in sweat.

  “Katie, I’m not a threat to the memory of your wife, am I?” Travis asked in a whisper.

  The tears in her eyes and lump in her throat made it hard to speak. At last she was able to say, “Please …”

  The word could mean many different things, but, surprisingly, Travis seemed to understand. “Okay.”

  There was a spark of hope in his gaze now, and she averted her eyes quickly. She knew that in that moment, she had opened the door to her heart. Just a crack, but she was terrified.

  “I better go check on how things are going,” Travis said after a beat. He let go of her, then pulled a bag of M&M’s from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. “Sorry it’s a bit mushy. I have a feeling there will be a run on the chocolate soon, so I thought you might like this.”

  Katie couldn’t help but smile despite herself. “Giving me chocolates now, huh?”

  “I’m just a romantic.” He winked.

  Her gaze followed him as he walked away. She looked down at the bag of candy and happily tore it open.

  4.

  Safety in Twos

  Juan handed Jenni a big bag of tortilla chips. Seated on the wall, side by side, they could see the final shift mopping the floor of the Dollar Store. Night had come and the air was cool as it ruffled their hair and dried the sweat on their tanned limbs.

  “Are we really done?” Jenni yanked open the top of the bag and pulled out a chip. The smell was amazing and she breathed it in deeply.

  “Yep. Eric gave the okay on the bricked-up windows and the reinforced doors. And it doesn’t smell so much like zombie in there anymore,” Juan said with a grin.

  “Yum. The smell of Doritos is so much better.” Jenni munched a chip with relish.

  Juan laughed and shook his head. “Ah, the simple things in life.”

  “Are we going in tomorrow morning?” Jenni looked over her shoulder at the dark countenance of the hotel.

  “Travis is going to make the call after he inspects the new area one more time. He’s really nervous about all this. He hates the idea of putting anyone at risk. He even put himself on one of the teams to go into the hotel.”

  “Travis hates guns,” Jenni said in disbelief.

  “Yeah, but he’s doing that whole thing where the leader won’t ask his people to do what he won’t do.” Juan shrugged. “Since I’ve known him, he’s been like that. He’s annoyingly good at times.”

  “Not a bad boy like you, huh?” Jenni elbowed her boyfriend and stuffed another Dorito into her mouth.

  Juan pulled off his cowboy hat and smoothed his hair with one hand. “Yeah, he can’t stand up to my cool factor.”

  Jenni smirked as she leaned her head on his shoulder. A redheaded newcomer named Katarina was standing sentry nearby. Jenni didn’t know her well, but knew she was a good shot. As more people came into the fort, the dynamic was changing, from primarily locals from Ashley Oaks to a mix of people from all the towns in the area. So far, each new arrival contributed in some way that benefited everyone. Jenni thought it was good to have diversity. Jenni’s contribution was as the crazy zombie killer, and she was fine with that. She crunched another chip.

  It felt good to be on the brink of something new and big. The fort was about to grow in a dynamic way. Taking the hotel would change everything. Unless they failed. But then again, that would change everything.

  “You be careful in there,” Juan said softly, staring at her face. His finger lightly slid down the bridge of her nose. “Nothing wild, okay. I know you’re loca, but try to curb your natural loca tendencies.”

  Jenni grinned at him. “I know I’ll come back alive. I’ve got too much to live for. Like giving you hell and eating Doritos.” She tossed a chip into her mouth. He laughed and slid an arm around her waist.

  Jenni savored the flavor of the tortilla chip and the feel of Juan’s arm around her. She had no intention of dying. There was no way in hell she was going to let a zombie get her. Not now, when she had a new family, when she wanted to be with Juan forever. That was worth fighting for. Looking toward the swarthy man with the dark green eyes, she grinned.

  “Let’s go have sex,” she said, and shoved the bag into his hand. Before the startled man could react, Jenni climbed down the ladder into the construction site.

  “Uh, what? Okay!” Juan scrambled after her, abandoning the chips.

  At the bottom of the ladder, he caught her up in his arms and threw her over his shoulders. Both of them laughed as he carried her to their makeshift tent.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  1.

  The New Season

  The sun was barely peeking over the edge of the fort’s walls at six thirty in the morning, when Katie set out on her daily jog. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she wore a T-shirt, jogging shorts, and brand-new jogging shoes. Peggy and the mayor inventoried everything brought into the fort during the scavenging expeditions, then meticulously laid out everything in boxes and bins and opened a store of sorts in the basement of city hall. No currency was exchanged; instead you had to sign for anything you took. Katie had been surprised to find a box of jogging shoes and even more surprised to find a pair that fit.

  Katie started on her trek around the fort, enjoying the brisk morning air as it nipped at her cheeks. Before long, summer would be in full swing and the mornings would be balmy. She was on her second lap around the fort when Jenni joined her, dressed in jeans, a red tank top, and her boots. Glancing at her friend, Katie saw that the younger woman was glowing with something other than the cool morning air. Jenni grinned.

  “God, I think I hate you, Jenni! Every freakin’ night?”

  Jenni laughed as she easily matched her pace. “Yeah, so?”

  “I almost feel bad for Juan,” Katie said.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty brutal. I don’t know how he puts up with me.”

  “You’re loca, and he loves loca,” Katie reminded her.

  Jenni’s expression said it all. She was wonderfully in love, and Katie was happy for her. “I hope you find someone soon, Katie. It makes this life easier.”

  Katie just shrugged and kept running.

  “I know there aren’t any lesbians in the fort, but you know, you have options,” Jenni offered cautiously.

  Katie shrugged again. She debated opening up to Jenni. Her best friend could be terribly blunt and loud at times. If Katie confided in her, there was a good chance that everyone in the fort would know her business fairly quickly.

  Jenni frowned as they took another corner. “Look, I know nothing about lesb
ians. I never even watched The L Word. But haven’t you ever kissed a boy?”

  That made Katie laugh out loud. “Lots, actually.” There, it was out. She had said it.

  “So you tried guys out? Before you realized you were a lesbian?” Jenni raised her eyebrow.

  “I’m not a lesbian,” Katie said, deciding to fess up.

  Jenni’s eyebrows arched even higher. “Huh?”

  “I’m bi,” Katie answered.

  “Huh?” Jenni looked confused. She almost ran into a pile of concrete bricks, but Katie yanked her out of the way. “What does that mean?”

  “I find both men and women attractive. I just happened to end up with a really fabulous lesbian woman instead of a really fabulous straight man. The odds usually work against that. There are more straight men than lesbians, so a lot of bisexual women end up getting married to men. But Lydia was the right one for me.”

  Jenni’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, and she made an oh sound that lasted for a few seconds. She smacked Katie on the arm. “Then you do have options, you bitch! Travis!”

  Katie smacked her back. “Shut up!”

  “No, seriously! If you like both guys and girls, you have options! Real options!” Jenni had the mad gleam of a matchmaker in her eyes.

  “I don’t want him to know that I’m bi or that I have some feelings for him,” Katie said decisively. She almost regretted telling Jenni, but it had felt good to tell the truth. “At least, not now.”

  “You have feelings for him?” Jenni grabbed Katie’s arm and dragged her to a stop. “Oh, my gawd! You have feelings for Travis!”

  “But he can’t know, so keep it down!”

  Jenni twisted up her face, confused. “Why not? I mean, I’m relieved. I was afraid you’d be alone for the rest of your life unless some hot lesbian came along.”

  Katie sighed. “Just because you put two lesbians in a room, that does not mean they’ll hook up. Well, unless you go with the second-date U-Haul theory …”

  “What’s that?”

  “What does a lesbian bring to a second date?”

  “Oh … a U-Haul. That’s funny!” Jenni giggled. “So lesbians move fast.”

  “That’s not what we’re talking about!”

  “Okay, but I mean, well, you have options! You can have Travis!” Jenni was almost jumping up and down with excitement. “Katie, I’m so happy!”

  Katie felt her stomach tighten nervously. “I don’t want options right now. I just …” She trailed off.

  “She’s gone, Katie,” Jenni said sorrowfully. “You’re still here.”

  “I know. But I just can’t forget her and move on. Even if I do—” Katie wiped a tear from her eye. “—even if I do have feelings for Travis. I don’t want to talk about this.”

  Jenni sighed. She reached out and touched Katie’s shoulder gently. “I just want you happy. Is it wrong for you to be happy?”

  Katie shook her head. “I don’t know if I can be, without her. I loved her so much, Jenni. When I met her, I just knew she was the one. When I met Travis—” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It felt … similar. Not the same, but like he was important to me and to my future. Maybe I’m just admitting it to myself now, but I think I sorta fell for him. I sorta knew somewhere in the back of my mind that he was going to be my new love … .” She couldn’t continue; her emotions swirled and her throat closed.

  Jenni threw her arms around Katie, nearly crashing them both into the ground. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” Jenni assured her. “At least you know that you’re not alone and that people love you. And he’ll wait until you’re ready. You know that.”

  “I’m so grateful to have you,” Katie whispered. She kissed Jenni’s cheek. “You’re a good friend.”

  Jenni whispered back, “I love you.”

  2.

  Shelter from the Storm

  Stacey held the squirming Jack Russell terrier firmly in her arms as Bill and Ed helped her over the wall. Eric climbed up behind her and she could feel him reaching out to steady her with one hand. Pepe was not happy and she didn’t blame him. Though the new area was well fortressed, she felt vulnerable outside the construction site.

  A big black girl, Lenore, reached up to help her with Pepe as she climbed down the second ladder into the new area. Lenore’s best friend and constant companion, Ken, stood nearby, clutching the cat carrier that held his ticked-off cat, Cher. The sun glinted off the gold highlights in his dark hair and sweat beaded his tanned skin. The two friends were complete opposites of each other: Lenore homely, chubby, a bit sloppy, and always grumpy while Ken was cute, fit, immaculately dressed and always in a good mood. Lenore often told people she was Eeyore and Ken was Tigger. Stacey had to agree with that analogy.

  Most of the survivors from the fort were climbing into the new area. The elderly and disabled were being lifted over the wall on a pallet being hefted by the construction site’s big crane. Old Man Watson looked a little befuddled, but he gave Stacey a thumbs-up when he saw her looking his way. Stacey reached the street and turned to watch people settling into the Dollar Store. She hoped the smell—a terrible combination of zombie and bleach—was gone.

  Peggy, the city secretary, and her little boy, Cody, reached the street just as Stacey did. Cody was crying softly and the sound of his whimpering made Stacey feel even more nervous. His mother looked tense and worried as she tried in vain to comfort her child.

  “The zombies are going to eat us,” Cody sobbed.

  “No, honey. They can’t reach us here. We’re okay. I promise,” Peggy assured him, but she appeared just as unnerved as her child to be outside the construction site.

  “I wanna go back! I wanna go back!”

  Peggy wrestled her child into her arms, casting a nervous look toward Stacey before hurrying across the street to the store.

  “It’s going to be fine, honey,” Eric said as he reached the ground. He pressed a soft kiss onto her cheek. Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he looked around warily. “We made damn sure this area is secure. We’ll be fine.”

  “You can’t blame me for being nervous,” Stacey answered. She slid her arms around his waist and leaned against him. The love she felt for him pulsed hard inside her, and she felt a lump in her throat.

  His laid his arm over her shoulders, his fingers stroking her skin. “No, I can’t. But we’ll be okay. I promise.”

  “I cannot wait until this is over,” Ken said, and pouted slightly. His cat yowled as if in agreement.

  Lenore set Pepe down, holding firmly to his leash. Pepe zigzagged back and forth in front of her. “It’ll be done soon enough, and we’ll have nice beds to sleep in tonight. I need some good sleep. So sick of that damn cot.”

  “We can be roommates!” Ken clapped his hands excitedly.

  Lenore narrowed her eyes, mouth pursing in disapproval. “Oh, no! I am so not putting up with listening to you talk in your sleep about how hot Daniel Craig is. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be inside the fort, helping Juan? Gimme Cher and get back to work, slacker.”

  Ken handed over the cat carrier, giving Lenore a mock-disdainful look. “You’re so mean.”

  “Move it,” Lenore ordered gruffly. “Go do something productive with your white ass.”

  “Good luck, Ken!” Eric called out as the younger man made his way back up over the wall.

  Ken posed cutely on the ladder. “I will stun and amaze all with my mad skills!”

  “You’re a gopher,” Lenore said. “Like that’s hard.”

  “Bitch,” Ken sniffed, and hurried away.

  “He better not screw this up,” Lenore groused.

  Stacey couldn’t shake the knot in her stomach.

  “We’ll be okay,” Eric repeated, but she could see the fear in his eyes.

  “Zombies don’t got a chance against this crew. We’re tough,” Lenore said. “We’re mean. We’re nasty. Plus, Ken could talk them to death.”

  Stacey laughed and took Pepe’s leash from Le
nore. The terrier danced around her feet, looking up at her anxiously. Together, Stacey, Eric, and the dog walked toward the Dollar Store.

  Overhead, the skies opened and it started rain.

  3.

  The Waiting Room

  Peggy found an open spot in a corner of the Dollar Store and sank down on a cot resting against the wall. Holding her trembling son against her chest, she tried to calm her wildly beating heart. She couldn’t believe she was outside the fort. She didn’t care what Mike said about the walls—she was terribly afraid.

  The murmurs of conversation around her were slightly comforting as other groups found places to hunker down and wait. A few people were already trying to sleep, while others were playing card games or chatting.

  Rocking Cody, Peggy drew in a deep breath and slowly let it slip out between her lips, trying to settle her nerves. Nearby, Lenore and Stacey played with the little Jack Russell terrier as Eric conversed with a few of the older men not involved in the day’s activities.

  “It smells like bleach in here,” a familiar voice bitched. “Have someone do something about that, Steven.”

  Blanche Mann carefully maneuvered through the gathering, her high-heeled boots clicking loudly against the floor. At least she was wearing jeans and not her usual short skirt.

  “I’ll see what I can do, sugar,” Steven assured her. “At least we’ll be in the hotel soon.”

  “It’s about time Travis listened to you,” Blanche said loudly, smiling with satisfaction.

  Peggy was about to say something nasty when Yolanda sat next to her on the cot.

  “Mind if I sit here with you?”

  Peggy shook her head, trying not to let the sound of Blanche’s voice rub her last nerve raw. “I could use the company.”

  “So could I.” Yolanda tilted her head to study Cody. She frowned slightly at the sight of the six-year-old sucking his thumb, but Peggy was grateful when she didn’t comment. If it made Cody feel better to revert to babyish ways, Peggy would allow it. Yolanda smiled at Cody and gently brushed his hair with her fingers. “It’s a little frightening being on this side of the wall, isn’t it? But there are new walls to keep out the monsters, so we’ll be fine.” Yolanda lightly touched Cody’s cheek, smiling at him. “I saw men and women with big guns ready to kill them.”