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

by Frater, Rhiannon

  She groped blindly under the chair, trying to find her weapon, not daring to take her eyes off the zombie in the plumber’s outfit. Her knees protested as she fought to keep her balance and not move too quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was attract the huge zombie’s attention.

  Davey wasn’t making any more sounds, and she knew what that meant. Soon there would be three of the things to deal with.

  Her mind began playing tricks on her; memories overlapped with reality. For a moment, it was Lloyd at the door and Benji on the other side of the bed. She forced those images away.

  “You don’t understand, Jenni. You’re a stupid, crazy bitch. And it’s time for you to die. To turn into what we are and eat the face off your spic boyfriend,” Lloyd’s voice taunted her. “You always were such a stupid little Mexican. Can’t do a damn thing right. Guess your mother’s blood fucked you up more than I thought. I never should have married a half-breed.”

  Her fingertips touched the gun just as the enormous zombie turned around. The flesh from its forehead had torn free, and a metal plate was visible under his lank black hair. His glazed gaze rested on her. He howled and surged forward.

  “Shit!”

  In her panic, her hand jerked and she knocked the gun farther away. She had to give up on retrieving the weapon and just get out of the room. Rising to her feet, she saw the zombie stumble on the far side of the bed. Probably over the other zombie and Davey.

  Jenni backed up and felt something hard hit her hip. Looking behind her, she realized she was up against a door to the balcony. Ripping it open, she stepped out into the rain, then slammed it shut before backing away. The zombie growled in fury as it smacked into the edge of the bed. It adjusted course and kept coming.

  Jenni spun around, trying to figure out what the hell to do next. The white metal patio furniture—two small chairs and a table—were possible weapons, but he was so big … . He smashed into the door with a resounding thud and pounded on the glass.

  Jenni backed up against the stone railing. Her heart was beating so fast, it literally hurt. Gulping down air, she tried to steady her nerves. She looked around frantically. To her left, about six or eight feet away, was another balcony.

  The zombie’s fist burst through one of the panes and reached for her.

  Jenni ran to the far end of the slick balcony and climbed carefully onto the wide railing. Looking across the gap, she saw that she had no room for error. She would have to fling herself across to the other balcony and hope she could catch onto the railing. The wind buffeted her, and the rain stung her face. She tried hard not to look down and see how far she was from the ground.

  “Mexicans can’t fly. Just swim across the river,” Lloyd laughed in her head.

  “Lloyd, shut the fuck up,” Jenni said through gritted teeth.

  Another loud crash. Glass shattered behind her.

  Near tears, she lowered her feet until her heels were resting on the floor of the balcony between the ornate stone slats that held up the railing. Her butt rested on the edge of the wet rail and her hands held tightly to the slippery stone.

  This was not how she had planned to die. Falling to her death trying to escape a zombie was just not acceptable to her. Hell, dying period was not acceptable to her. Things were finally changing for her. Yes, the world was dead, but she was alive.

  The zombie was breaking apart the door behind her.

  Jenni whispered a prayer and threw herself toward the other balcony. Her chest smashed into the stone railing and she flung her arms around it. The pain of the impact ripped through her as she knocked most of the air out of her lungs. Struggling to breathe, she slowly pulled herself up and over the railing. Falling into a metal chair, she gasped in pain, staring back at where she had come from.

  The zombie stood on the balcony, looking confused. It gazed straight ahead, as if searching for her in the clouds as a peal of thunder ripped overhead. Finally, it turned and saw her. With a raging growl, it ran straight toward her, leaping onto the rail and launching itself into the air. Jenni watched in horror as the zombie sailed toward her.

  Like Jenni, he did not quite make it. His chest hit the rail and he fell back, his torn hands gripping the rain-slick stone.

  “Gawdammit!” Jenni yelled at him as he managed to hold on. Picking up one of the heavy metal chairs, she bashed at the zombie’s hands as hard as she could. She screamed as loud as he growled. As he struggled to pull himself up, she hit his huge hands with the metal chair. It was heavy and hard to wield, but she used it the best she could to batter the damn thing.

  “I’m gonna fucking bash your gawddamn skull in,” she hissed at him.

  Lloyd’s voice was quiet now.

  “I choose when to die!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “And it’s not now!”

  The zombie kept trying to pull himself up, but she kept smashing him as hard as she could.

  Davey appeared on the neighboring balcony. His face was completely stripped away, and his bloodied, fleshless skull stared toward her. Only his eyes remained and, comically, his ears and a flap of his skull. With a desperate hiss, he ran toward the battle between the living and the dead.

  “Bring it on, fucker!” Jenni shouted without pausing her attack on the big zombie.

  Davey hurled himself over the rail. He managed to grab on to the first zombie and they both hung suspended over the street far below. Davey ripped at the large male’s arms, trying to pull himself upward. The assault from above and below was too much. With a hungry growl of rage, the massive zombie lost his grip and they slipped out of sight.

  Holding the chair tight in her hands, Jenni stood with her chest heaving, listening intently, and didn’t relax until she heard the impact of their fall. Looking over the edge, she saw them far below. Davey was on the pavement, trying to crawl away with only one good arm. The other zombie was impaled on an old-fashioned streetlight, its arms and legs pumping as it tried in vain to escape.

  As Jenni watched the zombie writhing below, she became aware of the number of zombies gathering before the hotel. They shambled around, as if sensing that there was living flesh nearby. Suddenly one of them looked up, saw Jenni, and reached toward her, growling. Following the first one’s gaze, about ten more screeched at her. Backing away, Jenni looked at the doors behind her. The curtains for that room were drawn over the window and doors. She had no gun and no idea if anything lay beyond the glass. Soaked from the rain and gasping for breath, she knew she had to risk it.

  She reached out to open the door when the doors began to shake under the hammering of fists on the other side.

  Jenni regarded the other balcony she had come from. Her gun lay that way … as did the female zombie.

  Looking once more at the door quivering before her, she made a choice.

  3.

  Nightmares Realized

  Katie ran down the hall with Travis and Felix close behind. They had heard the screams and reacted immediately. Roger huffed and puffed behind them as they rounded the corner. Curtis and Jimmy were shouting at each other as screams came from beyond the closed hotel room door.

  “Where’s Jenni?” Katie shouted.

  “Jimmy flipped out and shoved me out of the room and shut the damn door. Jenni is in there. I’m pretty sure Davey is a goner,” Curtis responded, his face red with anger. “Now he can’t find the damn keys!”

  Jimmy was desperately checking his pockets when Katie whirled on him. “Jenni is in there? What the fuck were you thinking leaving her alone?”

  “I got it.” Roger unlocked the door with their set of keys.

  Next to Roger, Travis steadied himself, ready to fire.

  “The zombie was Bubba! He has a metal plate in his head!” Jimmy screamed at Katie. “Our shots didn’t even faze him!”

  “You don’t leave people behind!” Katie shouted angrily. For a moment, Lydia flickered in her mind. She fought back the image. “We don’t leave people behind.”

  “Ready?” Roger asked.
>
  Katie collected herself and nodded. Roger shoved the door open. Something that had once been human was on the floor, crawling toward the balcony. When the door banged open, it slid around, opened its mouth, and hissed. Katie felt her stomach flip-flop but managed not to vomit as she raised her gun and shot the thing in the head.

  “Jenni,” she called out anxiously. That thing on the floor could not be Jenni. Jenni had to still be in here, somewhere, alive. But if she wasn’t …

  Entering the room, Katie held her gun out before her. If Jenni were turned, she would have to kill her. Jenni was her friend and she loved her. It would be only right for her to be the one.

  Jenni couldn’t be gone … .

  A shape loomed in the doorway to the balcony.

  It took a second for her to take in the long black hair. The person limped into the room and raised its head. Blood poured out of its mouth.

  It was Jenni.

  Katie felt like screaming. Behind her, Travis raised his gun. “I’ll do it.”

  “Fuck no,” Jenni choked out.

  Katie hit Travis’s arm as the gun went off; the bullet hit the chandelier over the bed and sent it swinging.

  “Goddamn.” Jenni spit blood.

  Katie moved slowly toward her.

  “I thought—,” Travis started, obviously shaken.

  “Are you bit?” Tears were burning in Katie’s eyes. Jenni looked bad. Katie could feel chills sliding up and down her spine and her stomach clenching.

  “No.” Jenni spit again. “I busted my lip jumping to the balcony. Twisted my ankle climbing over.” She tucked her hair back behind her ears and licked her lips with a bloodied tongue. “Bit my tongue, too. Juan is so not going to like that.”

  Katie couldn’t help but laugh. She lowered her gun.

  “Shit, girl. We thought you were dead!” Felix said from the doorway.

  “I’m not that easy to kill.” Jenni grinned, then got down on the floor and reached under a chair to retrieve her gun.

  “You’re fucking lucky she’s still alive,” Curtis hissed at Jimmy.

  “Look, my bullet bounced off Bubba’s metal plate,” Jimmy protested.

  Katie walked onto the balcony and studied the area. She pieced together what Jenni had done to escape the zombies. Peering down, she saw a zombie impaled on a streetlamp and another crawling slowly up the stairs to the front doors of the hotel.

  “Travis,” she called out.

  He walked out and peered over the rail. “Shit.” Lifting his walkie-talkie, he pressed the button. “Juan, get a crew inside the hotel and secure the front door and windows. We can’t wait. We’ve got a crowd gathering.”

  “Gotcha,” Juan said. There was a pause, then, “How is it going?”

  “We lost Davey. Almost lost Jenni. She’s fine now. We’re moving on.”

  Jenni appeared in the shattered doorway. “There are some in the room next to us, too.”

  “How do you know?” Katie asked.

  “I was over there,” Jenni answered, pointing to the other balcony, “and they started banging on the door.” Jenni pushed her hair back from her face again. “Damn, when did I lose my hat?”

  Katie reached out to touch Jenni’s bruised cheek lightly. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Jenni sighed. “Well, I just don’t think I’d make a good zombie. I’d try to hump Juan, not eat him.”

  Katie smirked and Travis chortled.

  “You are crazy,” Travis said to her.

  Jenni shrugged. “Yeah. But it’s probably what keeps me alive.”

  “I wouldn’t doubt that one bit,” Travis answered.

  Curtis came onto the balcony. “I say we move on together as a group. Might be slower, but probably safer now that my group is down to two.”

  Roger and Felix stood in the room, looking down at the skeletal creature on the floor.

  “You know, I really don’t want to be wearing a red shirt anymore.”

  “I told you it was a bad idea,” Felix reminded him.

  Jimmy stood near the doorway, looking pissed and sheepish at the same time. “He had a plate in his head. Bullets didn’t work!”

  Katie could feel her anger against him building. He had left Jenni to die, and she couldn’t forgive that. “Just shut up, Jimmy.”

  Jenni limped across the room and stared at Jimmy in the eye. “Yeah, shut up.”

  Katie followed Jenni out into the hallway. She pulled pink chalk from her pocket and marked the door with an X, indicating a body inside.

  “Glad that’s not for me,” Jenni decided.

  Katie glanced warily at the next door. “So there are some in this room, huh?”

  “Yeah.” Jenni pulled her hair up out of her face and wound it into a bun. “Banging on the window. I didn’t see how many.”

  Katie tilted her head. “You know, for a moment, I thought you were gone.”

  Jenni winced. “Yeah, me, too. But I was very determined not to go out like that. If I go, I’m going down for something big. Very heroic. Not just … not like that. I’ve really made up my mind on this.”

  “Yeah, I can tell.”

  Travis and Curtis joined them as Roger and Felix finally looked away from the dead female zombie. Jimmy sulked behind them, silent at last.

  “Let’s get this done,” Curtis said bleakly, and moved ahead of them.

  Katie felt her stomach tense as she readied herself once more. Jenni unlocked the door.

  Curtis flung it open.

  Katie shot the zombie maid banging on the balcony door.

  It was that easy.

  Katie entered the room first and the warriors systematically checked it. Katie paused to look at the dead maid. The woman had been untouched except for what looked like a bite on her forearm. Katie marked the door with an X.

  “Why did you tell Davey not to open the wardrobe?” Jenni asked of Jimmy abruptly.

  “I saw dried blood under the doors,” he grumbled.

  “You got him killed,” she said. “You distracted him.”

  Katie could feel the tension building. “Let’s keep moving. There’ll be time for this later.”

  They pushed on.

  Door by door, room by room. Chalk mark after chalk mark. With the second plumber dead and another maid dead, they were feeling a bit better as they checked off the list of possible zombies from the hotel roster. Of course, there could be others they did not know about in the hotel, but the number of possible zombies was falling steadily.

  “Sixth floor clear,” Bill finally declared.

  Jenni was walking with a limp, so Katie stayed near her. She could see that Travis was stressing over Jenni’s injury, but was keeping his anger at Jimmy in check. Curtis was so red with anger, Katie was afraid he was going to have a heart attack. But they kept going, and Roger trudged along, mumbling to Felix about his red shirt.

  4.

  Friends in High Places

  Juan waited impatiently while the gate into the hotel was unlocked. Word from Travis and the sentries inside was that there was a growing number of zombies outside the front of the hotel. They could no longer delay walling up the windows and front door.

  As soon as the gate opened, he hurried through, followed by several construction workers with their tools and equipment and a small force of armed people. Stepping into the janitor’s room, he grimaced. The stench was pretty intense and his eyes watered. He kicked the dead zombie bodies out of the way so the equipment could get through, and grimaced as bits of gore clung to his boots.

  Stepping up to the door, Juan felt his palms sweating. They were going to have to trust that the teams had done their job and that no more zombies were roaming around on the first floor.

  “Let’s get it done,” he said.

  Swinging the door open, he stepped into the darkened hallway and flicked on a flashlight. He flashed the beam up and down the hallway. Nothing stirred.

  “Scary, huh?” Ken said from behind him.

  “When is it ever
not scary?” Juan called out. “We’re coming in!”

  “We have you covered,” a sentry answered, stepping out from an archway farther down the hall.

  As they drew nearer, they heard the zombies banging on the doors and windows. Juan and his crew broke into a brisk run. The sound of their pounding feet against the tile, the tools jangling on their belts, and the humming of the wheelbarrow wheels echoed through the lobby, mixing with the moans and screeches of the zombies. The heavy oak doors were shuddering under the impacts of many fists; the dim outlines of the zombies’ upper bodies could be seen through the heavy, frosted glass windows in the doors and on either side of the entry.

  “Let’s make this fast,” Juan ordered.

  The wheelbarrows of fresh cement were wheeled into position while the pallet jacks, loaded with bricks, were pulled into the room. Layers of wet cement and brick were laid as men and women worked in the humid heat of the hotel lobby.

  While the bricklayers worked, Juan turned to survey the lobby. Spotting the nearly decapitated zombie body on the steps, he walked over, looked down at it, and grimaced. “Damn.” Taking out his walkie-talkie, he pressed the button. “How is your progress up there, Nerit?”

  “Moving along. We’re on the seventh floor,” she answered.

  “Curtis? How about you?”

  “Also on the seventh floor. Making some progress. Jenni’s hurt, so we’re moving slower,” Curtis answered, then added quickly, “Nothing major, just knocked up a bit.”

  Juan felt his chest tighten. His Latin temper got the best of him, and he said, a little shortly, “I thought you said she was okay?”

  “She’s limping,” Curtis said blandly.

  Juan heard Jenni’s voice through the background static, saying, “Tell him not to worry.”

  Curtis said, “She says not—”

  “I heard her,” Juan interrupted. He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his curls. “Take care up there. We’re busy down here blocking these fuckers off.”