by Chelsea Luna
Nicky squeezed Lindsay’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you new clothes,” he promised.
“I’m going to hold you to that promise, Nicky.”
Nope, he wasn’t going to lose Lindsay. Cage would have to be the odd man out.
Sucked for him.
“There they are!” Cage pointed to the tall line of Christmas-like trees near the toppled-over van.
Nicky leaned forward. It took him a moment before he could make out Rachel’s blonde head. Rachel, Adam and Finn were crouched near the road watching the gang steal their supplies. Rachel’s head was turned toward Adam and—
Shit.
“Zombies,” Nicky said.
“What? Where?” Lindsay’s eyes flickered back and forth over the debris-covered street like she was watching a tennis match.
“Heading toward Rachel.” Cage peered around the bumper.
“What are we going to do?” Nicky asked.
“Nothing!” Lindsay said. “We can’t move or those bikers will see us.”
“They can’t move, either,” Cage pointed out. “And if they don’t move, those zombies are going to either eat them or start moaning, and then the gang will see them. They die either way.”
“What’s the plan?” Nicky asked.
“I don’t have one,” Cage said.
“Dude, you’re number two in charge after Adam. Get it together.” Nicky sighed. “Okay, I’ve got a plan.”
“What is it?”
“Make them chase us?”
“What? No.” Lindsay poked a finger into Nicky’s chest. “You can’t run because of your shoulder.”
“She’s right,” Cage said. “I’ll go.”
“Not a chance, Quarterback. It was my plan. I’m coming with you.”
~ ~ ~
“What do we do?” Rachel whispered.
Adam frowned. “Finn, I need you to hide beneath that evergreen over there.”
“I can help,” Finn said.
“Do it,” Adam said. “And whatever happens, stay under that tree. Do you understand?”
Finn sighed, but nodded.
“Be careful.” Rachel brushed the hair from Finn’s eyes.
“If something happens to us, wait for the gang to leave and then go find Nicky and Cage,” Adam said. “Keep your pipe with you. You’ll be all right.”
“Fine.” Finn slid backward on his belly.
The two zombies ambled closer—one was a woman in her forties wearing pearls and a red suit. The other was a teen boy with torn basketball shorts and a stained wife-beater tank top. The boy’s right ankle bent at a ninety-degree angle. The zombies hadn’t seen them yet, but they would soon. They’d step right on top of Rachel and Adam if they didn’t move.
Rachel checked over her shoulder. Finn slipped under a thick layer of low-lying tree branches. The kid was quick and stealthy—good skills for surviving this new America.
“Break up into two search parties,” Gil yelled. “Half take the right side of the road and the others go left. Don’t kill any of them. Bring them to me. I have beef with whoever blew Reggie’s brains out.”
The woman sidled next to Gil along with two other men. Gil rested the shotgun—the one Rachel had used to kill Reggie—on his shoulder. A deep-seated hatred filled Rachel’s belly.
“I have three bullets in my gun,” Adam whispered.
“Four gang members are headed this way and two zombies.”
Gil, the woman and two men walked past the toppled-over white van. Their footsteps crunched over the broken glass.
Rachel met Adam’s eyes. “The man with the ponytail needs a bullet to the head. He’s the biggest threat.”
“Agreed, but I want you to hide behind the tree with Finn.”
“No.”
“We don’t have time to argue.”
“Then you better hurry and think of another plan,” Rachel said. “You know me better than that. I’m not running and hiding.”
Adam stared at her for a long time. “Fine,” he said. “Split up. I’ll go left. You go right. Don’t worry about the zombies right now. They’re slow movers.”
“I’ll sneak around the back.” Rachel moved to crawl away, but Adam’s hand clamped around her wrist.
“Be careful.”
“You, too,” Rachel whispered. Electricity surged between them and she didn’t want to move.
Adam pressed his lips against the back of her hand. “Stay safe.”
She backed away on her stomach. When she looked up, Adam was already behind a tree thirty feet away. Dust motes floating in the light made the immediate situation feel surreal.
The gang members spread out as they entered the tree line and descended the slope into the forest. Rachel wasn’t sure what to do—all she had was a hunting knife and her baseball bat. Adam only had three bullets left. Once they gave up their position, the gang would be all over them.
“I bet they’re close,” the woman said. “We can blow their brains out and stick them all in the same grave.” Her laugh turned into a deep, wet cough.
Rachel pulled out the hunting knife. It was the same one Adam had pulled from her pocket to kill a zombiefied Selena. She fingered the tip of the sharp blade. This one’s for you, Morgan.
Rachel twisted out from the tree and flung the knife.
The blade sailed end over end. Beams of sunlight filtered down through the canopy of tree leaves as the knife flew through the air. The woman’s mouth opened just as the blade penetrated her stomach.
She gasped and stumbled to her knees.
Adam moved from behind the tree and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit one of the men in the chest, killing him instantly. Adam fired a second round, but missed—the bullet sailed to the right of Gil’s shoulder.
Gil stepped over the dead woman lying on the pine needles, raised his shotgun and blasted the tree beside Adam. He slipped behind the tree trunk.
The two armed men stalked toward him. Rachel’s heart sank when she remembered Adam only had one bullet left. She whistled, but the men didn’t take the bait—they were after Adam.
Chapter Three
Cage Vance watched the gang split in half—each going to opposite sides of the highway to hunt his friends. The leader with the ponytail headed in Rachel’s direction with three other people.
“What do we do?” Nicky asked.
“I’m out of bullets,” Cage said. “I used the last of them during the shootout. I only have my tire iron.”
“I have my axe,” Nicky said.
Every member of the gang had a gun. Some had two. If they attacked, Nicky and Cage would get a quick bullet to the forehead. As Nicky would say, lights out and game over.
“Can you run with your arm?” Cage asked Nicky.
“I’ll be all right.”
Cage turned to Lindsay. “Can you fit under here?”
“Under the car? I think so. Why?”
“Squeeze under and don’t make a sound. No screaming. No crying. It doesn’t matter what you see. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“No.” Cage snatched her arm.
“Dude,” Nicky said. “Easy with my girl.”
Cage ignored him. “Lindsay, I’m serious. Don’t make a sound. Promise me.”
“Okay, jeez. I promise I’ll be quiet.”
“Nicky and I are going to help the others. Stay here until we come for you.”
Lindsay turned to Nicky. “Be careful.”
Nicky nodded, turned away, but then stopped. “Screw it.” He whirled around and kissed Lindsay full on the lips.
“Now, I’m ready to die.” Nicky grinned at Cage. “Not really, but that sounded badass.”
“Let’s go.” Cage crouched near the bumper. The two groups had already disappeared into the trees. They’d have to hurry. They ran to a charred sports car. The metallic burning smell threatened to choke him.
Nicky stuck his head around the wreckage. “It’s clear.”
Two quick gunshots fill
ed the air, followed by a louder shotgun blast.
Rachel.
They sprinted to the forest. Cage ducked behind the nearest tree. He nodded at Nicky and they raced to the next trunk. Movement in the distance caught Cage’s eye. He looked to his left—toward Morgan’s grave—expecting to see Rachel and Adam captured by the gang members.
But they weren’t.
Instead, a pack of zombies locked onto Cage and Nicky. The zombie in the front, shirtless with torn jeans, unhinged his jaw. Bloody drool slid down his filthy chin.
“Figures.” Nicky sighed.
Guttural moans filled the forest as the pack of zombies sprinted at Cage and Nicky.
~ ~ ~
Adam had one bullet left.
Two sets of boots crunched toward his tree. Maybe if he caught them by surprise, he could shoot Gil first? He might be able to wrestle the gun from the other man. Gil was the main threat. It was a terrible plan, but Adam didn’t have anything else. Time had run out.
“Steve,” Gil said. “Take out that knife-throwing bitch. I’ll take this punk hiding behind the tree.”
“Will do,” the other man—Steve—said.
Adam breathed in deeply. Aim for Gil’s heart—
Rachel’s sharp whistle cut through the forest.
Adam edged around the tree. The two slow zombies ambled in Rachel’s direction, but before Adam could react, bits of wood exploded around him. A bullet sank deep into the bark a few centimeters from his face.
Adam pulled back. He had to take at least one of them out so Rachel could have a fighting chance. He shook his head when he thought about Rachel flinging the hunting knife into the woman’s gut. Only Rachel would have the balls to do something like that.
He inhaled a deep breath. Time to act. He’d roll out and aim for Gil’s chest—a headshot would be too hard. If he couldn’t wrestle the gun away from Steve, then hopefully Adam could distract him long enough that Rachel could make a run for it. He could still save Rachel and Finn. He’d go on three. One…
Boots thumped against the dead grass.
Two…
The men were close. One of them breathed heavily through his mouth.
Three.
“I killed your ugly friend!” Rachel’s voice cracked like a whip.
No.
The boot crunching stopped.
“He begged for his life like a sissy,” Rachel taunted. “He was still crying when I blew off his face.”
Gil cursed.
Adam peeked around the tree.
Rachel’s head stuck out from the tree trunk. Long blonde hair tumbled down like she was poking out during a game of hide and seek. She grinned. “Hi, boys.”
Adam’s stomach sank.
The men turned, raised their guns at Rachel and unleashed a string of gunfire.
~ ~ ~
Cage lifted his tire iron. The first five zombies had closed the distance between them. They were fast. Too fast.
“Shit!” Nicky wielded his axe at the first zombie.
Cage knocked down one wearing muddy overalls before he swung his tire iron at another.
“Back to back!” Nicky screamed.
“What?”
“Like in the movies—”
“Now’s not the time for movie references!”
“Get back to back with me so they can’t grab us from behind!” Nicky sliced his axe into a zombie’s head with a sickening crack. Blood oozed from its skull.
Cage moved behind Nicky as the slower group reached them. Standing back-to-back felt safer, but they were outnumbered.
“So this is how it ends,” Nicky said.
The pack spread apart and closed in around Nicky and Cage.
~ ~ ~
Rachel ducked behind the evergreen. She couldn’t help but grin—it worked. They were coming after her. She’d saved Adam. Or at least bought him some time.
Chunks of bark rained down around her as gunfire blasted the tree trunk. Rachel slid to the grass and squeezed the handle of her trusty aluminum bat. She’d managed to keep her stepbrother Erik’s bat during the entire outbreak. Now, she needed it one last time to get one good swing at Gil’s head before they killed her.
The men closed in. One of them breathed loudly, and the stench of their unwashed bodies made her nostrils flair. The footsteps stopped, and a shadow fell over Rachel. This was it.
She glanced up.
Gil and Steve towered over her with two gun barrels pointed at her head. Rachel exhaled—she was ready. If she was being honest with herself, she welcomed the sight. Death would be much easier than this bullshit life they were living. Maybe her death would allow Adam and the others to get away.
Gil chewed the inside of his cheek. "Did you shoot Reggie?"
Rachel met his glare. "That asshole who shot and killed my eleven-year-old sister? I sure did."
Steve had the decency to drop his eyes. Gil didn't—he only shrugged. "I'm supposed to let you go because you have a sob story?" He cocked the gun. “Say goodbye, girl.”
Rachel closed her eyes and thought of Morgan as the gun exploded.
~ ~ ~
Adam jumped onto Gil’s back. His eyes immediately went to Rachel. The gun fired and, as if in slow motion, the bullet sailed from the barrel and sank into the tree beside her head. A perfectly circular hole smoked in the bark.
Adam slipped his arm under Gil’s chin and squeezed before he could get off another shot.
“Get off me!” Gil choked.
Steve stood stunned, watching Adam and Gil’s struggle. Rachel lunged at Steve’s legs. He stumbled backward, but caught his balance before he fell over.
“Don’t move.” Steve buried the nozzle of his gun in Rachel’s hair.
"Shoot her." Slobber dripped from Gil’s mouth.
Adam squeezed harder. “Put your gun down or I swear to God I’ll choke him to death.”
Gil lifted his gun over his shoulder and pressed the hot barrel against Adam’s cheek. Adam shoved the gun away, but he couldn’t seize it without releasing the chokehold.
Gil staggered to his knees.
“Both of you, put down your guns!” Adam yelled.
Gil ducked his head under, flipping Adam over his back, and onto the ground. The breath rushed out of Adam, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Steve fling Rachel down by her hair.
Gil crouched over Adam and lowered his gun to Adam’s forehead. “Should’ve stayed hidden, Pretty Boy.”
Steve punched Rachel in the face.
She groaned, but her unfocused eyes found Adam. “Watch out!”
The two slow-moving zombies dropped to their knees beside Gil and Adam.
Shit.
Gil shoved the zombies back, but the woman in the red suit crawled on her belly toward Adam.
Too much was going on. Gil. Steve. Rachel. Zombies.
“What if I hold you down and let them munch on you?” Gil whispered.
Rachel thrashed under Steve. He struck her again.
“Rachel!” Adam screamed.
Gil’s finger wrapped around the trigger. The zombie in the red suit slithered across the grass like a snake. She stretched and tangled her hands in Adam’s hair.
Adam pushed one hand against the zombie’s face, hoping she wouldn’t bite or scratch him. His other hand was under Gil’s throat, but it didn’t matter because the gun was inches from his face.
Steve choked Rachel with both hands. Her face was turning bright red and her eyes were bulging. He had to save her…
Gil fired.
Adam slammed his palm against the barrel and the gun exploded next to his ear. Ringing filled his head.
“Adam!” Finn ran from the trees and hopped over the other zombie struggling on his back. He whacked the female against her temple with his pipe. Blood—the same color as the woman’s suit—splattered across Adam’s face. She released her grip on his hair.
Gil lifted his gun again, but Adam shoved him. The big man with the ponytail lost his balance and Adam punched h
im in the jaw on the way down.
"They’re coming!” Finn pointed.
Cage and Nicky sprinted toward them. Nicky's axe was poised over his head like a tomahawk chop. Finn clobbered the second zombie struggling on his back.
"Kill her." Gil staggered to his knees. "Now!"
Nicky and Cage were closing the distance.
Steve released one hand from Rachel’s throat and pointed his gun at Nicky.
Rachel slapped at Steve’s hand squeezing her neck, but she was too weak to push him off. Her arms fell limply to the side.
Steve pulled the trigger, but the bullet sailed to the right of Cage and Nicky.
“You shot at me?” Nicky swung the end of his axe at Steve's head with a startling crack. He crumpled to a heap.
Gil brought the butt of his gun down at Adam’s head, but Adam rolled to the side and out of the way. Adam pulled his gun from his back pocket. He had one bullet left—he had to make it count.
Gil pointed his shotgun at Rachel lying limply in the grass beside an unconscious Steve. Adam slipped his barrel under Gil’s chin. “Drop your gun.”
“Hell no.”
“Drop it now.”
“No.”
“This is your last chance,” Adam warned.
“Screw you.”
Adam squeezed the trigger. The explosion rocked the forest and Gil’s body collapsed on the grass at his feet.
"Damn, dude,” Nicky said. “That was cutthroat…I like it.”
Adam raced to Rachel. Dark marks covered her throat and a purple bruise had formed on her cheekbone. Her eyelids fluttered.
“Hey there,” she whispered.
“You okay?”
“I’m good.”
Adam helped her to her feet. She was wobbly, so Adam slipped his arm around her waist to steady her.
“What about him?” Finn asked.
“Leave him,” Cage said.
“The rest of the gang went to the other side of the highway," Nicky said. "If we’re going to make our escape, we need to do it now. We can’t take on any more armed men. We need to get Lindsay and go."
