Date: 2014-02-08 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Zombies; Horror
Description: When a deluded scientist, a crazy gang leader, and Max all butt heads, chaos is bound to arise. Armed conflict develops among the rivals fighting each other for the control of Fairport, the safest city to be in the zombie apocalypse. Z strikes hard, but Dean and the gang fight back with everything they have. Can Dean and the others keep Fairport safe from impending doom? IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a warning to those readers who are looking for a more violent read with gruesome descriptions of blood and gore. This is NOT that type of book. There is lots of zombie action, but this particular story
Publisher: Dark Shadows Publishing

The Zombie Chronicles – Book 7

Trepidation
by

Chrissy Peebles

Copyright 2013 by Chrissy Peebles

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

The Zombie Chronicles - Book 7 - Trepidation

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

To be continued in Book 8: Impact

Cover Art by Kellie Dennis at Book Cover by Design
www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk

Books by Chrissy Peebles

***

The Enchanted Castle Series

The Enchanted Castle Series Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ysb6uzIdsEk

Enchanted Castle - book 1

My Haunted Fairytale - book 2

Enchanted Dreams - book 3

The Ruby Ring Saga

The Original Ruby Ring Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w-eZwPJbA\

New Updated Trailer:  http://youtu.be/JJzoHW0xVMI

Eternal Vows - book 1

Eternal Destiny - book 2

Eternal Fire - book 3

Eternal Faith - book 4

Eternal Bloom - book 5

Eternal Flame – book 6

The Crush Saga

The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4

Crush - Book 1

Crash - Book 2

Chosen - book 3

Chaos – book 4

The Hope Saga

The Hope Saga Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9UkY0qiSo

Apocalypse - Underwater City - book 1

Rebel Princess - book 2

Rebel Warrior - book 3

Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/viwT0M8Ms_g

Book 1 - Castaway

Book 2 - Dread

Book 3 - Peril

Book 4 - Outlive

Book 5 - Endure

Book 6 - Persevere

Book 7 - Turbulence

Book 8 - Hope

Book 9 - Termination - The Conclusion

Apocalypse Unleashed Series

Book Trailer for The Zombie Chronicles Series: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70

Val (prequel to the zombie series) Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE

Val - The prequel to The Zombie Chronicles

The Zombie Chronicles - book 1

The Zombie Chronicles - book 2 - Race for the Cure

The Zombie Chronicles - book 3 - Deadly City

The Zombie Chronicles - book 4 - Poisonous Serum

The Zombie Chronicles - book 5 - Undead Nightmare

The Zombie Chronicles - book 6 - Revelation

The Zombie Chronicles - book 7 – Trepidation

Come stop by and say hello!

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chrissy-Peebles-Fantasy-Author/351121651567296?ref=bookmarks

Blog: http://www.chrissypeebles.blogspot.com

The Zombie Chronicles Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70

Humans are a rare and endangered species. Swallowing down our fear, we must fight to protect humanity at all costs. Protecting the human race must be our number one priority. We need to fight for the future we want, not the one that’s been delivered to us. Taking back our world is a fight I will never give up on. And in my opinion, that makes every zombie hunter a very special breed of warrior.

— Dean Walters - survivor & zombie hunter

Chapter 1

“Run, Dean!” Nick shouted.

“Hurry!” Val chimed in.

Flesh-eating zombies shambled behind me, their creepy moans echoing through the hallway. My footsteps clicked and clacked as I ran down the long corridor, faster than I’d ever run before. It was dark, spooky, and downright eerie, but I could see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Nick, Val, Claire, and Lucas beckoned to me, so I pumped my legs even harder. I was just about to step into the light when something grabbed my legs. I fell on my stomach, reaching out for my brother.

“Dean!” Nick screamed.

“Nick!”

Something sinister was pulling me away from them, dragging me to Hell. I kicked and flailed, to no avail. It had too tight of a grip on my ankles and was taking me back to be devoured alive. I could hear the others shouting for me hysterically. I reached out for them, but as I was dragged away, they grew smaller, their cries became quieter, and everything became darker. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a maniacal choir of snarls and moans.

Suddenly, a dim light flickered to life, and I frantically rolled onto my back. I stared into countless sets of white eyes as the zombies leaned over me. They inched closer, reaching out for me, ready to sink their teeth into my flesh. Pain exploded in my shoulder when one bit into me. “Nooooooo!” I screamed.

Gasping and sweating profusely, I sat straight up in bed. My shirt was stuck to my clammy skin. My heart was racing faster than a horse hooves at the Kentucky Derby. I wiped my face with my sleeve and took deep breaths, trying to calm down. It was just a dream, just another nightmare, I told myself. I wasn’t really back in that terrifying lab. I jumped down from the top bunk and opened the window. The cold air felt good on my face, cooling my skin as well as my nerves. It was cloudy outside; a storm was fast approaching.

I got cleaned up, then dressed. We’d survived the nightmarish lab and had triumphed, but in spite of our victory and our survival, I was haunted by those dreadful memories. The room began to spin, then grew smaller and smaller, and I felt a hot flash. Am I losing my mind, or is this just some kind of panic attack? I wondered, horrified. I grabbed my gun and rushed into the living room where the others greeted me.

“Well, well. Look who finally decided to join the living,” Lucas teased.

“Dean,” Val said, “are you all right? You’ve been sleeping for twelve hours.”

“It’s morning?” I asked.

“Afternoon,” she corrected.

“How are you feeling?” Nick asked.

“Like...driving down the highway and popping a tire. I mean...like I’ve lost control of the vehicle, have crossed into the opposite lane, and am lookin’ at an eighteen-wheeler barreling toward me at some ridiculous speed.”

Val came over to hug me, but I gently pushed her away.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” I said.

“Well, talking or not, you gotta be starving, little buddy,” Lucas said. “You haven’t eaten since before we went to the lab.”

I sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t mention that lab to me.”

Claire walked over with a plate of orange slices. “Wanna share?”

“Nah, I’m not hungry.” I was still so freaked out by the nightmare that my hands were shaking, but I tried to hide it. “I’ll be back,” I muttered.

“Dean, what’s wrong?” Val asked. “Where are you going? Why can’t you just—”

“I just need some air, all right? Is there some crime against a guy needing to breathe?” I screamed back at her in a tone she didn’t deserve.

Val stood. “At least let me go with you.”

I shot her a look. “No. I need to be alone.”

“Please, Dean,” she pleaded.

“No, Val.”

When she tried to follow me, Lucas pulled her back. “Look, Val, Dean’s been through a lot. He just needs to be alone and deal with all this in his own way,” he said. “I can respect that, and so should you.”

“Yeah, just let him go, sis,” Nick agreed. “It’s how we Walters brothers handle things.”

As they kept talking amongst themselves, whispering about me, I walked out and shut the door behind me. I hurried down the corridor and climbed down the rope ladder, then headed outside. The sky was gray and cloudy, and droplets began to sprinkle down on me. Still, there were kids outside, bouncing a ball and laughing in delight. So naïve, I thought. So clueless to all the dangers that surround them. I’d give anything to be that carefree again, to smile and laugh and not be plagued by all the horrible memories I can’t seem to get out of my head.

A woman named Jan ran over and straightened out a large tarp, then placed it at an angle to catch the rain. “Dean,” she said. “Grab the buckets.”

I obediently walked over and grabbed the buckets, the perfect water filtration system: holes in the bottom, with layers of sand, charcoal, then sand again. We also boiled the water to kill any bacteria. It was a lot of work living off the land, improvising ways to survive in a world devoid of modern conveniences and technology, and everyone was much too busy to be too disturbed about the losses I’d suffered and all I’d gone through. It felt as if, while my life had taken a turn for the worst, everyone else just wanted to ignore it and continue living theirs.

I’d seen the atrocities firsthand, up close and personal. Horror had a very distinctive, unforgettable face, and I’d met it. We don’t live in a perfect world anymore,” I muttered, trying to accept it. The apocalypse had swept in like a hurricane, given birth to hordes of flesh-eating monsters, and left a path of destruction in its wake. We could never relax; we were always running from the all-consuming, big, black hole that seemed to gobble up everything we’d ever loved, including my Jackie. We tried to stay one step ahead of it, fighting, but it just pounced on us, kicked butt, and left us to pick up the pieces of everything we’d once cherished. Like everyone else, I had to rebuild my life after all the losses, all the tragedy, because I didn’t want to sink into hopelessness. That small sliver of hope, which seemed to be shrinking all the time, was all that kept me going. Life goes on, whether we want it to or not, I finally concluded, watching as Jan rigged up the rain buckets.

Jan looked up at me and smiled. “We’ll have fresh water soon.”

I nodded.

“Don’t look so sad,” she said, her brown hair whipping around in the wind. “You got your happy ending. You survived that horrible place, that Frankenstein’s lab.”

I met her gaze. “There’re no such thing as happy endings—only survival and pain.”

“Dean, you can’t let the zombies take away what we have left. You still have friends and family to love, to laugh with, to talk to. Dance! Enjoy every moment with them. Enjoy life.”

“I want to, but I have so many regrets, so many things I wish I could change.”

“Like what?”

I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Look, hon’, I’m not here to judge. I’m here to listen.”

“Okay. Well, I have so many regrets I don’t even know where to start—just a lot of what-ifs or what-coulda-beens.”

“We’ve got no time for regrets. It might sound cliché, but life really is too short for that.”

“That sounds good on a bumper sticker or coffee cup, but it’s hard to live by when the burden is so heavy. I killed a man in self-defense, Jan. How can I not regret that? It will always haunt me. I guess...well, this whole thing has changed me into someone I don’t recognize, made me do things I never thought I’d do. Maybe everything’s just catching up to me.”

“You need to let go of all the blame, anger, and pain. Don’t worry about past mistakes or failures, sweetie. Nobody can judge us for acts we’ve done while trying to survive in this new world. Heck, I had to shoot my mother, father, and sister the first day. I mourn their loss every day, but I also know they’d want me to go on, and I’ll tell you what. That zombie virus might’ve taken my family, but I refuse to live like a prisoner. I’m gonna enjoy my kids every chance I get.”

“Mommy! Mommy,” a little girl said. “Are you gonna dance in the rain with us?”

“Yes, baby,” she said. “I most certainly am!”

The rain began to pour down in sheets, and I watched Jan and her children laugh and dance. In all that darkness and gloom that surrounded us, I finally saw a shining light. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I shouldn’t regret the past or fear the future. Then, for just a quick moment, I felt my lips curl into a tiny smile.

***

I wanted to go back to the lab, but Nick insisted that I wait until things settled down. I waited for a week, and even though the snow had come, I was still determined to go.

Huge snowflakes fell as I stared at the monstrous pile of rubble before me. The smell of concrete and metal filled the air when the wind blew in our direction. I was dressed in a brown coat, a white shirt, ripped jeans, and scruffy black boots. My feet crunched in the snow as I slowly walked over to the ashes of what once had been the lab, all of it destroyed in the explosion Jonathon had singlehandedly caused in the fear that if any of us lived, we’d expose the entire world to the virus. He’d gladly triggered the self-destruct mechanism and was happy to die a martyr. Luckily, he didn’t take most of us with him. Still, Steven was mourning his death and had even insisted on holding a funeral for him. I’d attended, but only because I didn’t believe he was involved with the tortuous experiments in the basement of the lab.

“This place brings back so many painful memories, Dean,” Claire said. “We were drowning in lies. I was locked up in that jail cell, used as a human pincushion, Jackie was killed here, and mad scientists did horrible experiments in their evil laboratory hidden deep underground.”

Really, Claire and I just wanted to go back to the site where Jackie was buried, so we could grieve properly, maybe get some sort of much-needed closure. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would come out. I was pretty numb inside and didn’t even know the right words to say. I glanced over my shoulder at some of the guys who were standing guard, with their Glocks and rifles ready to go, since Max had insisted they come with us; we had plenty of firepower in case any zombies decided to show up at the party uninvited. The zombie herd had left, though, so for the time being, it seemed the city was safe. No zombie would cross the perimeter of the greater part of the city due to an explosion a few months back. I was packing some serious firepower of my own, with my trusty rifle slung over my chest. In that new world of ours, strapping on a gun every single day was the new reality.

“Just pretend like we’re not here,” one of the guys called. “I know Claire said she’d rather be by herself, but you shouldn’t go anywhere without somebody havin’ your back.”

I nodded. “Yeah, we know. Thanks, guys.”

“Take all the time you need. We got you covered!” he shouted back.

Claire said a few words for all those who had lost their lives. During the following moment of silence, she let out a sob, knelt, and placed a bouquet of artificial flowers on the debris-scattered remains of the floor. “This nightmare will never be behind me,” she said, “but I’ll never forget you either. You were more than just my cousin. You were my best friend, and you’ll live in my heart forever.”

I then set down some artificial red roses, and they showed up brilliantly in the snow. “Jackie,” I said, “not a day goes by when I don’t wish I could have one more kiss or hug from you. I know you want us to go on, and I’m sure you’d hate all this mushy stuff and all this fuss. We’ll move on, Jackie, for you. We’ll never stop trying to make this world the place you would have wished for, and one day, it will be. Ultimately, zombies are just dead humans, and they’ll continue to rot. If we can survive four or five more years, we’ll get our world back. They’ll die out, but we’ll still be here, making the world you loved as beautiful as you were.”

“We will get our world back,” Claire promised. “It’s just gonna take some time.”

I took a step closer and laid down a second bouquet of flowers that Val had made. “This is for all who were lost on that tragic day. May you rest in peace.”

We stood there, holding each other. Claire cried in my arms, and I held her close for a long time. We didn’t even care about the cold or the snow. I could think of no more words to say. I tried to hide my hurt, but deep down, my heart ached. Jackie had touched me in a way I was sure no other girl could ever could, and she’d always be in my heart.

“I didn’t want this to be Jackie’s final resting place,” Claire said. “I tried everything to find her body, but I guess my best just wasn’t good enough.”

I touched her back. “You have every right to be upset, but we can’t change the past, Claire.”

“No, we can’t,” she whispered.

“Jackie is at peace,” I said. “She’d want us to go on.”

She stood. “I know. She always used to say, ‘Tomorrow’s a new day.’”

I gripped her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

She stood and met my gaze directly, her blue eyes shining in the bright sunlight. “But I’m gonna make sure that Charlie pays for betraying us.”

“Another name for your hit list?”

Her lips pressed into grim lines as the wind swirled her hair around. “Yep. I’m gonna destroy him, trash his face, then feed him to the zombies.”

“Geesh. I hope you never get pissed at me.”

She walked over and hugged me, long and tight. “You’ll never be on my list, Dean, but I can’t say the same for your brother. Why isn’t he here anyway?”

“The others had to go with Max. It was an emergency, and—”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. A zombie threat to check out.”

“You know how Nick is. He lives and breathes zombie-bashing. Plus, he feels this intense need to protect us and keep us safe.”

“He cares so much about us,” she said.

“Yep, and he fights fiercely for those he cares about,” I said, glancing over at Claire. She was so beautiful, so loyal, so sweet. I watched her red hair blow in the wind as her blue eyes shimmered. She was so tough and refused to be that timid girl we’d met in the woods. She was brave, determined to make her own path in life. She was broken, but hope brought her strength and courage. Or maybe she’s just fueled by revenge. I figured it was really a little of both. Claire had vowed to move forward and to keep Jackie’s memory alive, and she’d done just that by facing so many obstacles. She never lost her balance, even when the tide turned against her. She just fought harder, and I had to admire that. In the dog-eat-dog world, survival of the fittest was becoming the new norm, and Claire was proving herself quite fit. My brother’s an idiot, I thought. How can he not see the beauty of what’s standing right in front of him, right within his reach?

“I don’t know if we’ll last a week, a month, years, or forever, but I do know one thing, Dean.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ll never figure Nick out.”

“Heh. Well, don’t beat yourself up about it. He’s my brother, and even I can’t figure him out,” I said.

“But it’s just not Nick I’m frustrated about. It’s just...I wish I had more answers. At least we figured out the animal thing, and it’s good to know we don’t have another epidemic on our hands, but I wanna know who was in charge. Who made Asia, Kate, Sam, Larry, and the others go through those horrible experiments? Who’s the lunatic behind all that?”

“We’ve got nothin’ but time,” I said, wrapping my arm around her as we started walking back to my car.

Max had given cars to both of us for our undercover work, though they were nothing fancy. Claire’s was a Honda Civic, and mine was some kind of black Mazda. Nick and the others had secured their own transportation. There were plenty of vehicles to choose from, as long as someone could figure out how to make them run and provide enough gasoline. Luckily, there were a couple of fantastic mechanics in the complex who were more than happy to help anyone with any car repairs. We walked for the most part, but we go for a spin every once in a while, especially in cold weather or when we had to go too far to travel on foot.

“Dean!” one of the men called.

“Yeah?” I said, spinning around.

He peered through his scope. “Get in your car! We’ve got unidentified company.”

Chapter 2

My first thought was zombies, but then I saw a black truck cruising down the street toward us. I had no idea who it was; it could have been anyone, from one of the locals to a new person in town, or maybe even a gang member out house-shopping, ready to stake their claim on the city.

I grabbed Claire’s hand and pulled her toward my Mazda. If there was a problem, I was sure the guys could handle it, and I knew Claire didn’t need the headache with the emotional torment she was already going through. My goal was to get Claire home and make her lunch—nothing fancy, but some kind of canned food and a few fresh vegetables from what Rachel had brought from the greenhouse. Only in a post-apocalyptic world could I ever have been considered a chef, because I couldn’t cook to save my life. Opening a can came naturally to me though.

We hopped in, and I started the car. When I saw one of the guys approaching, I rolled down the window. “You got this handled?”  I asked.

“Yeah. Just get back to the apartment,” he said. “We’ll talk to these guys and see what they want. I’m sure they’re just passing through.”

I nodded, then sped off.

Claire leaned back and buckled herself in.

I turned left down the next street and started cruising back to the apartment.

“Thanks for coming, Dean,” Claire said. “It means the world to me.”

“Of course I’d come. I loved Jackie too.”

“I know you did. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have gone into zombie-infested territory at three a.m. to dig up Jackie’s body.”

“Yeah. Only we’re nuts enough to do that,” I said, “because we loved her that much.”

“Yeah, we did, and I know we’ll always cherish every memory we had with her.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, Dean, that truck we saw back by the lab is following us.”

I swallowed hard and glanced into the rearview mirror, wondering why the guys hadn’t handled it. It was then that I realized that the men in that truck weren’t just random survivors. My gut told me it was a gang of troublemakers, and I wondered if they’d made quick work of killing those we’d left behind to fend them off.

“Whoever it is, they’re speeding to catch up with us,” she said.

Continuing to look in the rearview mirror, I pressed the gas. The menacing black truck continued to pursue us, but no matter what, I wasn’t going to let them hurt Claire. She’s been through hell already, I thought. She doesn’t need this crap...and neither do I.

“Dean!” she screamed. “Floor it! We gotta go faster!”

“Are they gang members?” I asked, gripping the steering wheel till my knuckles were white, wishing Max had hooked me up with a Ferrari instead of a Mazda.

“I-I think so,” she breathed out. “I don’t wanna have a run-in with them out here, Dean,” she said. “It’d be nice to surprise them on their own turf, with a good plan and lots of backup, but not here. We’re outnumbered, probably six to two.”

“I know,” I said. I hit the gas, but I didn’t know how long I could keep up that reckless pace in all the ice and snow. The tires spun, and we fishtailed every once in a while, and I was worried about flying off the road. When I hit a rut, the car rattled. I gritted my teeth, fighting to keep control of the automobile as we swerved left, then right. The tires squealed, but I accelerated and drove like a madman through the slush and snow. The speedometer shot up to sixty, but I continued to floor it. A cold chill ran through me when I felt the car skidding around the turns.

Speeding rapidly in pursuit, the truck continued to gain on us, likely having a lot less trouble since it was probably a four-by-four with rear-wheel drive.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and wiped the beads of sweat from my brow. The car suddenly jolted when the truck slammed into our back bumper. I gasped and jerked my head back around.

“They’re trying to run us off the road!” Claire shouted, horrified.

The tires spun, and the wet brakes squealed. My stomach lurched, and white-knuckled panic flooded through me when we hit a patch of ice too fast and completely spun out like some crazed amusement park ride gone wrong. With no traction in the snow, we swerved violently to the right, then veered off the side of the road and flipped over into the ditch. I shuddered as the car filled with smoke from the radiator. My vision was blurry, and I was a bit confused, but I saw Claire’s airbag deploy; mine, on the other hand, didn’t. Pain exploded in my head from slamming my skull into the steering wheel. Stars spun in my vision, and I wiped blood off my forehead, but my only concern was my passenger. “Hey, are you okay?” I asked, releasing my seatbelt and leaning down to look at her.

“Yeah. How about you?”

“I’m fine.”

I helped Claire unbuckle her seatbelt so we could make a quick escape, but we had no such luck.

“Get ready! They’re coming,” Claire said, letting out a long breath and reaching for her gun.

“Hold on now, Dirty Clairey,” I said. “Like you said, we’re outnumbered, and if you go on a shooting spree, telling everyone to make your day, it will only make things worse.” The whole brutal scene brought back horrible memories of when I’d killed a man in self-defense. I was a survivor, not a murderer, and his death would always haunt me, even if he had tried to cause mine. I knew I’d have to shoot to kill again if the gangsters left me no other choice, and that was a reality that was difficult to face. Killing the undead was a far cry different than killing a living, breathing person, no matter how vile.

“Okay, I’ll hold off, but I’m not gonna surrender!” Claire said. “If we do, we’ll be eating bullets.”

“Let’s just calm down and see how it all plays out,” I advised. “We may not have to go out in a blaze of glory after all.”

“You honestly think we can talk our way out of this, Dean?” she retorted. “I’m sure they killed our comrades back there, and we’re gonna be next if we don’t take ‘em out first. I say we shoot first and let God sort ‘em out.”

“You sound like every eighties action movie I’ve ever seen.”

“Yeah? Well, Rambo lived through all those sequels, and I plan to do the same.”

I shook my head and held my gun steady. I really didn’t want to fire at them, but dying wasn’t on my itinerary any more than it was on Claire’s, and I would fire if I had to. “If they start shooting, I say it’s game on, but let’s wait and see what happens first.”

She nodded. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

“We just wanna talk,” yelled a man with a deep voice. “Drop your weapons and get outta your car.”

“No! Giving up our weapons is suicide. We’ll be unarmed, and they’ll slaughter us,” Claire said.

“We blew up the lab!” I yelled. “We even saved some of your friends and family.”

My heart thundered as sudden gunfire erupted like we were in some kind of warzone. We both instinctively ducked down as glass shattered and we were sprayed with a cascade of glittering shards. Once all the windows were shot out, I was sure they were going to exterminate us once and for all. Claire and I had escaped the warehouse after they’d set it on fire, and they didn’t seem too keen on gratitude for  saving their friends and relatives from that crazy lab.

Claire took careful aim and positioned her gun out the window, then started firing. If I wanted to live another day, I knew I also needed to fight with everything I had. It really was all about survival. As much as I hated firing on humans, I refused to die like that, trapped in a Mazda in a ditch. If I had to go, I was going to take some of those jerks out with me. I exhaled as I squeezed my trigger, letting off several shots. Another spray of bullets came at us, bursting our tires, so loud that it sounded like someone was beating the car with a Louisville slugger. Almost in slow motion, I saw a bullet fly beside my head, and I ducked and gasped.

“I’m not in the mood to die today, Dean!” Claire said. “If we stay here, that’s exactly what’s gonna happen. We gotta distract ‘em somehow so we can make a run for it. I’m sure we can lose them in those weeds and that brush over there, but we gotta move fast. Got your steel-toed sneakers on?”

“I’ll cover you,” I said as more bullets rang all around me, dinging the car. I returned fire and let out one shot after another. My ears were ringing, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before one of those bullets pelted my head.

“No, Dean! We’re both going. I’m sick of being a damsel in distress.” Claire slammed another magazine in. “I’ve got the better weapon, so don’t argue with my plan. I’m gonna go full force. Open the door, get to those weeds, get low, and start crawling. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Fine,” I conceded. “On the count of three. One—”

Before I even got the chance to put the plan into action, a man’s voice echoed from my right. “Cease fire, John!” he said. “Tell ‘im, Marla.”

Marla was the name Claire had used when we spied on them at the warehouse.

When I turned, I gasped at the sight: One of the thugs was holding the barrel of a gun up to Claire’s temple.

“My name is not Marla,” she snapped.

“I know, Claire,” he said with a smirk. “Just havin’ a li’l bit of fun.” He looked at me harshly, and the smile from his sick joke left his eyes. “Now drop the gun, boy, or she’s dead.”

I pondered my options for a second, wondering if I could take the guy out. Before I could contemplate any further, I felt the cold barrel of a gun against the side of my own head.

“Hand over your weapons,” the thug said.

Glaring at him, I handed my gun over.

“Get out!” he shouted in my ear.

Due to the tumble we’d taken, the door was dented and wouldn’t open. The next thing I knew, several men were brutally jerking and tugging me through the shattered window, then pulling me through the snow by my hair and jacket.

“Get up!” a bearded man commanded like some kind of angry drill sergeant. “On your feet now!”

Claire screamed when they pulled her by her hair, dragging her next to me.

The presumed leader approached, his footsteps crunching in the deep snow.

Pain exploded in every nerve of my face when he pistol-whipped me, and the last thing I heard as I slipped into darkness was Claire’s long, shrill, helpless scream.

***

As I slowly came to, I could hear snapping and a thudding sound. My ankles hurt, and my feet felt numb. My eyes fluttered open, and I glanced around as they slowly focused. It was dark, and the stench of death made me want to vomit. I noticed I was tied up by the ankles, bound and gagged and suspended upside down in the air. When I glanced at the floor, I gasped. Dozens upon dozens of decapitated zombie heads lined the ground below me. What kind of butchers are we dealing with here? This takes a special kind of sick.

Gruesome, cut-off heads thrashed and chomped, lunging for me, desperate for a bite of fresh meat.

Great, I thought. Just freaking great.

Chapter 3

Severed heads with decaying skin and round, white, filmy eyes viciously snapped at me, then landed back on the floor. Luckily, I was high enough that they couldn’t reach me, but I knew that wouldn’t last long. I stared at their vacant eyes and rotting flesh and wondered how Z could be so cruel.

“Hi, Dean,” a voice said in a tone similar to a hiss.

Speak of the devil.

“I can’t believe you’re alive,” Z said. “I left you for dead in that warehouse, yet here you are.”

I didn’t say anything, as I couldn’t think of anything pleasant to say, and I wasn’t about to give him the pleasure of hearing me beg for my life.

“My people treated you well, fed you like a king, gave you nice clothes, and showed you their...Southern hospitality,” he continued, “and for what? So you could spy on us!” He grabbed a broom and swept several zombie heads out of his path, just so he could reach over and punch me right in the gut.

I sucked in as deep a breath as I could in such a compromising position. Before I knew what had hit me, I felt a blow to my back. I couldn’t breathe as pain shot through me.

When the zombie heads inched toward him, he backed up into the safe zone.

Glaring, I met his gaze. “Where’s Claire?” I demanded.

“She’s alive,” he answered snidely, “barely.”

“I’m gonna kill you!” I roared.

“Yeah? I got those same empty threats from Claire too.”

I yelled through the pain radiating down my back. “Let her go! You’ve got me now.”

“You certainly do fight for the girl, Dean. But I’ve done a little recon, and I know she’s your brother’s woman, not yours. I also know you’re all new to the group.”

“If you’ve done your research,” I said, groaning and struggling to breathe, with the blood rushing to my head, “you know I wasn’t with those scientists.”

His face twisted as he contemplated my words.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked.

“You’re with that crazy nut, Max. And being associated with him makes you my enemy.” He looked at the group of men who were next to the rope that was holding me. “Fellas, I think Dean wants to talk to the Talking Deadheads.”

“He’s fish bait for the piranhas,” a man said with a laugh and a grunt.

“No!” I shouted. “Why don’t you just put a bullet through my head? Let me die like a man.”

“Aw, that’d be way too easy. Besides, if you had died like you were supposed to, been incinerated back at the warehouse, we wouldn’t be going through this now, would we?”

The rope lowered, and I stared into the milky, white eyes and snapping jaws, knowing full well that if they even nibbled on my face the slightest bit, I would be a dead man. My heart lurched as they lowered me close enough to smell the rotting scalps, a stench that made my stomach clench. I’d smelled it before, but my current predicament already had my stomach in knots, and as I vomited, my tormentors only laughed. “Just shoot me!” I shouted. I didn’t want to die, but I would have rather taken a bullet to the head than to feel those things bite my face apart, chunk by chunk. I lifted my body into the air, doing a suspended sit-up, of sorts, but I didn’t know how long I could hold that position. I knew Z was going to kill me, but the sick part was that he wanted to watch me suffer. It sickened me all the more to know he got some sort of rush to watch me squirm. I didn’t have much time, so all I could do was try to toy with his sense of empathy, if he had any at all. “Look, Z, I took down that lab, my friends and I. We went in there and took it out, just like you wanted. We even helped to free some of your people. I’m sorry I spied on you. Truly, I am, but surely I made up for that. We almost died in that lab, trying to get your people out.”

A woman approached and I noticed it was Sandy. I had chatted with her when I was undercover in Z’s warehouse. She was really nice and seemed to like me a lot. Maybe she could talk Z down.

“Z, he did save many,” she said softly. “This isn’t right. We oughtta hold a banquet in his honor, serve him another ham—not hang him like a piece of meat in a butcher shop!”

He slapped her hard across the face. She looked shocked as she wiped blood off her lip and I wondered if she realized she had joined forces with the wrong side.

“He didn’t save my brother, though, did he?” Z shouted at her as she cowered in fear. “No, he left him to die in that underground house of horrors. He probably did that on purpose!”

In that moment, I realized that what I’d done, the risk I’d taken to eliminate that lab didn’t mean anything to Z and like-minded thugs. I’d solved the mystery of the disappearing members of his group, and I’d blown up the lab and saved lives, but I hadn’t saved the one life that mattered most to him, his brother’s, and now he was going to make me pay for it. I hadn’t done it on purpose though. The hybrids, zombies, and infected animals had been killing people left and right. Havoc, panic, and confusion had been running rampant. In all that chaos, all that horror, I had no idea who his brother was. I could only guess it was the man who’d taken my weapons and left me with nothing more than a pipe to fight the mindless killing machines. “I didn’t let anyone die on purpose, Z,” I said very honestly. “Please just untie me, and let’s talk face to face,” I said.

“Or maybe I’ll kill you.”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “If you wanted me dead, I’d be dead already,” I said in a tone that was much braver than I actually felt.

He smirked. “Smart boy.”

“So what’s this all about then?” I asked. “Why am I hanging upside down, being beaten, yet still alive? What’s the bottom line? Is this some kind of weird hazing ritual for you people, a rite of passage?”

He sneered. “Hardly. I’d never let you join us.” He motioned around at the zombie heads. “I’m going to send you back to Max, your leader. I want you to tell him everything. Let him know I’m insane—a crazed, dangerous madman. See, this is just the beginning of what I’m gonna do to every person who lives in that city. If you don’t heed my warning and get the heck out, know that the next wave is coming soon. We want that city, and if you won’t give it to us, we’ll take it.”

“They’re innocent,” I said. “They’re just ordinary people like you and me, just trying to survive.”

“Pssh. Those idots, those helpless, mindless sheep are nothing like me. It’s survival of the fittest, and I will do whatever is in my power to prove to everyone that Max is not at the top of the food chain like he thinks he is. I will ruin the man, destroy him for sending spies here!” he roared. “This city is now at war, and I will destroy anyone who sides with him.”

“Can’t we come to a compromise?” I asked. “Is there no way to stop this war?”

“Sure. Just convince everyone in Fairport to leave town and never come back. That city is mine, and I want every single one of you out.”

“But the town is the only safe place to live. If they cross those borders, most of them will die. You know what it’s like out there, because you were out there yourselves. There are kids in the city, some of them very small, as well as elderly people who can hardly get around. If you make them leave, you’re sentencing them to death.”

“Dean, I am not out to save the world like you are. It is not my problem if the weak cannot fend for themselves.” With that, he motioned to his guards to release me.

The men began shoveling the chomping heads to the side, then released me, dropping me harshly onto the cold concrete in a stiff, sore heap. A man with brown, greasy hair cut my bindings, and I quickly stood. I felt pins and needles as the circulation slowly returned to my feet.

Z’s gaze narrowed into snake-light slits. “You are only alive because I need a messenger who can safely get to Max. You will tell them to leave. Do you understand?”

“Where’s Claire?” I asked.

“The redhead?”

“You know exactly who I mean.”

“You can see her in a minute, but first let’s go get your friends.”

“My friends?” I asked, shocked that they hadn’t killed them already. “Where are they?” I asked.

“They’re in one of my special holding cells outside,” he said. He gripped me by the shoulder and dragged me through the dimly lit room, then out a door and into the freezing cold. He and a group of his brutish cohorts walked me down the street, turned left, and then led me to the back of one of the other warehouses.

When I glanced ahead, I gasped. The whole back parking lot was empty and fenced in with towering barbed wire. Z’s minions stood guard around each side, armed with shotguns to take care of any prisoners who tried to escape. Like victims forced into the Coliseum in ancient times for the entertainment of the sick masses, my friends were battling zombies; without weapons, they were fighting with every bit of strength they had to stay alive. Jimmy didn’t make it, and my heart sank as I watched him kick and thrash, screaming bloody murder as zombies pulled out his intestines, causing rivers of crimson blood to gush and pour onto the white snow.

“Oops. Look like that one’s a goner,” Z said in a mocking tone, touching my shoulder.

I ran to the fence and shook it. “No!” I shouted. I shut my eyes, unable to watch any the carnage any longer. I knew his screams would be etched into my mind forever. How could Z’s men stand there and do nothing? They’re all as sick as their psychotic leader! I spun around and stared hard at him. “Let them go!” I shouted. “How can anyone be this...sadistic?”

He peered at me with wild eyes. “As I said, this is only the beginning.”

Chapter 4

I couldn’t believe Z would make our men fight against zombies in some kind of sick game. “If you let them go, I’ll personally deliver your message to Max,” I said. “You’ve made it quite clear.”

“Oh, you’ll talk to Max anyway,” he said. “I only need one messenger to survive.”

“Everyone has a price,” I said. “What’s yours?”

“Charlie’s head on a platter,” he said, “for killing my brother.”

“Hmm. Well, it seems we have a common enemy. He killed my girlfriend too,” I said. “Let me help you take him down.”

“Who says I need your help?”

“I know a lot of the scientists, and I have pretty much have free reign in the city,” I wagered. “I can get information you can’t.”

Z pointed to the left corner. “See the injured over there?”

“Were they bitten?”

“No. My men roughed them up. I wanted to see if the others would protect them or if it’d be every man for himself.”

“These men have character,” I said.

“It seems they do. They’re selflessly protecting each other, all except for that one. His legs were broken when we threw him in, so I guess he didn’t stand much of a chance,” he said, pointing to Jimmy, who was being devoured by zombies.

“This is sick!” I said. “I thought the zombies were monsters, but you? You’re just—”

“Calm down, Dean. I gave them a few weapons,” Z said.

“And that makes everything all right?”

“Let’s see if you have character,” he said. “Half of them are injured and won’t last too much longer. I’ll let those out if you’ll go in their place.”

“And you promise not to hurt them worse or kill them?” I asked.

“I might be sadistic, as you put it, but I’m not a liar. I always keep my word. If you survive, I’ll let you all go.”

I held out my hand. “Deal. Now get them outta there.”

He shook my hand firmly.

“And I want a weapon,” I demanded.

“That wasn’t part of the deal,” he said with a sinister laugh.

Z gave the order to release the injured men, and they scooped up the wounded from what looked like a prison yard and let them out. Then, with a hard shove, they threw me inside.

I immediately sized up the battle. There were about five of us. At least a dozen of the zombies had been slain, but ten more were coming. I needed a blunt weapon, something that would allow a brain-killing stab. I frantically glanced around, and then I saw it. One of the dead freaks was a security guard in a dirty, torn uniform, and there was a nightstick attached to his belt. I ran over and snatched it, more than ready to deliver some blunt force trauma.

“Dean!” Jared said.

I didn’t even greet him, for the anger in me was surging too much when I heard zombies sickeningly slurping away as they fed on a fallen comrade. I’d done guard duty with Jimmy, and he had been a friend to me. I grabbed a zombie by its shoulders and threw it to the ground. With my heel, I crushed its head like a rotten watermelon. I kicked the next one and smashed its rotting face in. Black gore exploded, and a horrible stink filled the air. Some of the other men finished off their zombies and headed over to help me. In no time, with flaring tempers and mindless, brute strength, we killed the monsters who had taken Jimmy away from us.

“More are comin’ this way!” Jeremy said.

“I’ll take the two to the far left,” I said.

He nodded. His breath became ragged, and his hands balled into white-knuckled fists as he stared ahead.

It reminded me of our stint in Kingsville, without the huge crowd cheering the zombies on. Something heavy pushed down on my lungs, making it hard to breathe as a 200-pound walking nightmare climbed on my back and snapped its jaws near my ear, clawing at the air. With the help of two men, I kicked it off of me, and it fell over in a heap of rotting skin. I punctured its head with one clean thump of my steel-toed boot. Its skull shattered with a loud crunch, cracking like an egg.

I let out one killing stroke after another, hoping to gain the upper hand. One zombie started to come at me, then walked right past me, as if its vision was somehow impaired. I whacked it in the back of the head, and it went down with a loud pop. “What’s the matter?” I shouted. “Not enough Vitamin A in the brains you been eatin’, buddy?” I asked as I smashed its skull for good measure, not wanting to risk it coming back and attacking one of the others.

The snow and ice was so slippery that some of the naturally clumsy zombies couldn’t keep their balance. We took full advantage of that, but it wasn’t exactly safe for us either. As soon as one of our own slipped, the zombies pounced. Joe screamed when one went straight for his neck. I slammed my nightstick against its head so hard that some of its black teeth shattered and sprayed on Joe. Joe covered his face as I rolled the zombie off of him, then stomped its face; it exploded when I drove the skull-crunching hit home.

Then the most inconceivable thing happened: Jimmy walked toward me. As he groaned, what was left of his intestines dragged along behind him. He’d been gutted, and it was a gruesome sight.

I knew I had to put him down. I shook my head. “Jimmy, I’m so, so sorry.” I ran at him, but before I could get to him, Ned smashed his head with his crowbar.

Jimmy crashed down into the snow, and Ned fell to his knees, sobbing.

“Get up!” we all yelled.

“This isn’t over,” I said. “More are coming!”

As fury consumed Ned, he took down a zombie with his bare hands and stomped its head over and over—a rage I understood because I’d felt it many times.

I peered around me at all the dead zombies littering the ground, and then I walked toward to Z and his men. “Done,” I said. “We had a deal. Now let us go.”

“But they’re not all dead,” he said.

“Yes they are.”

Z pulled out his gun and lifted it high in the air, then fired off a few shots, which didn’t seem to make much sense to me.

“Dean!” Jared called. “That’s the dinner bell.”

“What?” I asked.

He pointed at the snow drifts way off at the back of the make shift prison yard. “Those gunshots are...a dinner invitation!”

I gasped at the piles of snow shaking and lifting as if something was trying to break out. A hand burst through, followed by another, till dozens and dozens of rotting hands were reaching out of the snow. A zombie with bright red hair poked its head through the snow, then worked its legs loose. At the exact same time another burst through, followed by another.

We all exchanged terrified looks, knowing our fight had only begun.

Chapter 5

I turned back toward Z. “You know we can’t fight them with these crappy weapons.”

He smirked. “As I said, weapons were not part of the deal.”

“Get us outta here, man,” I begged.

He shook his head. “If I were you, I’d get as many as I could while they’re still trapped in that huge snow drift we plowed.”

If looks could have killed, he would have been a dead man. I raced through the snow to a drift where a zombie was still buried. I let out a deep breath and rammed the nightstick right through its skull. Its lifted hand fell back into the snow, and a red river trickled from its head wound. “Kill them!” I shouted. “Get as many as you can before they get to their feet!”

“You heard Dean!” Ned shouted. “This ain’t no winter wonderland! Get to work, boys!”

We all started smashing zombie heads with whatever makeshift weapons we could find. Those who had no weapons used their feet to smash heads in.

A zombie, covered in snow and ice, with matted, dirty blonde hair came at me from the left. I brought my knee up high, to my chest, and kicked it, delivering a powerful blow. It fell backward and crashed into the snow. I thrust my nightstick straight into its forehead and watched as its deteriorating face caved in like a rotten melon. I gasped for breath; all that fighting took a lot out of me, as it was physically draining and strenuous work. My muscles ached, and I was out of breath, but my adrenaline surged, allowing me to keep delivering blow after lethal blow.

Limping along, a zombie in a torn, dirty, bloody suit came from my right. As I swung my nightstick, cracking its skull, another lunged for my neck. I wrapped my leather-gloved hands around its decomposing neck and hooked my leg behind its leg, then swept my leg against its calf, forcing it to fall. The clumsy thing was no challenge, and it dropped to the ground easily. I delivered the lethal blow as gore exploded from its head.

Joe, armed with a golf club, screamed, “Four!” and whacked a zombie next to me.

It didn’t go down and only bent his weapon.

I went over to take care of it, but Joe beat me to the punch—or rather to the kick, since he booted its knee out, slammed it to the ground, and furiously finished it off with a series of bone-crushing stomps.

When the next frozen freak came at me, I lost my footing in a slippery patch of ice and fell backward. The zombie came right at me, so I placed my nightstick horizontally in its mouth to block the bite. I kicked and thrashed, but that didn’t help; even if I broke every bone in its decayed body, it wouldn’t stop going for my jugular. Fortunately, Ned saved the day by slicing its neck with the end of his shovel. Black goo and gore gushed all over me, like recycled motor oil, and I had to turn my head to avoid tasting it. After I kicked the thing off of me, Ned decapitated the flesh-eater.

Another devilish monster lumbered through the snow. Its sunken eyes were glazed over, and its flesh was falling off. As if it had had far too many repeat visits to the plastic surgeon, it’s nose was only hanging on by a few strands. Moaning, it reached for me with its bloody hands, but within five seconds flat, I’d bashed its head in, and it was lying dead at my feet. “How’s that for a nose job?” I asked the dead thing.

Three more zombies suddenly came at me, but I didn’t hesitate to put them out of their misery. I smashed the one to my left, then the one to my right. The third one leapt at me, and I jumped back against the chain-link fence. I gave it a powerful kick that caused it to stumble backward, but it wasn’t down for the count. A standing jump-kick shoved the creature, at least twice my size, ten feet away. When it finally toppled over, one of my comrades finished it off for me with a kick of his boot and a whack from his bat.

I couldn’t remember my savior’s name, but he was wearing a long trench coat covered in mud and grime. He held up his bat and grinned from ear to ear. “Nothin’ smashes a skull like a Louisville Slugger.”

“True,” one of the guys said, “until the flimsy thing cracks.” He held up a wrench proudly. “This is much better.”

“Great job, you guys,” I said, laughing at their banter.

Ned came over and clapped my shoulder. “I think we got ‘em all.”

I tried to catch my breath. “We hit hard,” I said between gasps. “That’s how it’s done!”

“You’re a natural-born zombie slayer, kid,” he said, “just like your brother.”

“Thanks.” The compliment meant a lot to me, more than he’d ever know. Wiping slime and gore off my face, I walked over the fence and shook it.

Z clapped his hands. “Bravo!”

“Are you happy now? I’m tired of these games. Now let us go!”

“Like I said, I’m a man of my word,” he said, unlocking the door in the fence.

Catching my breath, I walked out of Hell as Z’s minions all pointed guns at us.

“Everyone can leave but Dean,” Z said, “unless I can kill Claire in his stead.”

“What!? You know I won’t leave without her,” I said.

“None of us will,” Jared assured me. “We all go,” he said to Z, “every single one of us.”

I shook my head. “Take me to Claire. Where is she?”

“She’s just...chilling.”

“And what does that mean exactly?”

“She’s having fun out back, at the swimming pool.”

“Swimming? But it’s wintertime,” I said.

He held out his hand and caught a few snowflakes. “Hmm. In that case, maybe we better hurry.”

Anger boiled inside of me. I wanted to rip him apart, but I knew I had to stay calm if I was going to see Claire. When my friends began to get riled up, I told them it’d be best if they’d just take their free pass and leave, and I assured them that Claire and I would catch up with them soon, even though I didn’t know if that was true or not.

“No! We’re not leaving without you,” Jared said.

“Aw. How touching,” Z said. “But if you don’t leave within the next sixty seconds, I’m putting a bullet in the head of every single one of your injured.”

“Get them home,” I said to Jared. “They need medical help.”

Jared clapped my shoulder. “All right, but we’ll be back...with backup,” he whispered in my ear. “We’ll get you outta here, both of you, one way or another.”

I nodded.

“The clock is ticking, gentlemen!” Z yelled.

Jared shot me a long look and bit his lip, as if he was debating whether to go or stay and fight.

“Go!” I said, knowing that if he lifted one finger, the injured would be killed immediately; as Z said, he wasn’t one to go back on his word. “Claire and I will be fine, and the lives of these men are in your hands. It’s no time for a standoff, Jared. You don’t want their blood on your hands, right?”

My little speech, with a bit of a guilt trip, worked wonders. Carrying the wounded, they left reluctantly.

Z motioned me to follow him and his gang past the warehouse and down the street. “I bet you miss Claire,” Z said.

“What did you do to her?” I demanded.

“She’s at the pool, soaking up the sun and snowflakes,” he said, with that sinister tone seeping into his voice again.

My stomach clenched, and I was sick of his games. If he’s harmed one hair on her head... I thought as Z and his minions walked me two blocks away.

When we turned down another street, I could hear a woman screaming.

Claire! A wave of terror washed over me. I bolted through an unkempt yard, to the back. Taking the stairs two at a time, I raced to the top of the slippery deck.

Zombies surrounded the frozen pool, but the ice had broken, and Claire had fallen in. She was pale, almost a shade of blue, flailing around in the ice-cold water as the undead walked precariously around her, reaching for her and snapping their jaws. Some had already fallen through and were floating beneath the thin layer of ice. Like some kind of grim scene from a nightmarish shark movie, one latched onto her leg and bit down, and Claire screamed in agony. She grabbed a long, thick piece of ice and impaled its rotting, decaying head.

I glanced around for anything I could use as a suitable weapon, but all I found was a leaf skimmer. I grabbed the pole and rammed it through a stick-thin zombie who was dressed, quite fittingly, in a pink bathing suit. A few of the other zombies sensed fresh meat and began to head toward me. I took out a biter in a blue and white, dirty jogging outfit and thrust the pole through another that was missing its lower jaw, causing black-red blood to ooze out onto the snow-covered deck.

Much to my surprise, Z and his men began firing at the zombies.

Claire tried to climb out of the frozen pool, but slipped back down. Her lips were chapped and looked as if she’d been eating a bowl of blueberries. Clearly, she was very weak and probably in shock, and she needed to get out of that water and under some blankets before she suffered from hypothermia.

I ran over and pulled her out. “C’mon, Claire!”

“Dean...” she whispered, her lips trembling. “I-I...”

I cupped her face. “It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

One of Z’s men laughed. “Liar. She’s far from okay. She’s been bitten. It’d be best for both of y’all if you’d just let me put a bullet in the pretty little popsicle’s head.”

One of the other men held up a gun and pointed it at her. I recognized him as one of the men I’d laughed and joked with on the way to help Z get oil at the warehouse.

“No!” I wailed. “Don’t!”

“You know what will happen to her,” he said. “She’s zombie bait now!”

Chapter 6

I jumped in front of Claire, trying to shield her from their impending gunshots, as if they’d have any problem shooting both of us. “Please don’t do this!”

“Well, Z? You want me to shoot him or what?” the man asked.

“Nah, let him take the girl home to die. Let her friends and loved ones watch her turn into one of the infected. I want them to know that if they cross paths with me, this is only the beginning of what I’ll do to them.”

Claire’s eyes fluttered back, and I knew time was running out. “I need to go,” I said.

“Pssh. There’s no point in rushing. She’ll never make it back alive,” one of the others said.

“She will if you’ll drive me,” I said. “If you get us there, both of us alive, I’ll deliver your message.”

Z shook his head, then pointed his gun at me. “Not gonna happen, Dean. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you ten seconds to get outta my sight before I shoot you. I suggest you go now. Ten...nine...eight...”

I knew he meant every word, and his eyes were colder than I’d ever seen them before. I picked Claire up and climbed down the stairs while he continued to count. I raced through the brown vegetation and cut through another yard, then bolted left. Breathing hard, I kept going until I was sure I was far enough away. I zigzagged in several different directions, but I was worried about my footprints in the snow giving me away, so I created a false trail by circling back to my original path, then retraced my own steps.

When I was sure they weren’t following me, I looked for a safe place where I could put Claire down while I hunted for a house with a fireplace. I knew if I didn’t get her to a warm place soon, she would freeze to death. I found a deserted car with the keys in it, but the engine wouldn’t turn over, and I was no mechanic. I knew a little and fussed under the hood but it did little good. I opened the back door and gently set Claire inside. Her entire body shivered, and I knew she was losing heat at a dangerous rate.

“Don’t leave me,” she said, her voice slurred. “I-I don’t wanna die alone.”

“Nobody’s gonna die on my watch, Claire,” I said.

“Dean, please don’t go.”

I knew she would be easy prey for any zombie straggler, and I had to hurry and find shelter quickly. I kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I’m so tired,” she whispered. “I’m gonna close my eyes, just till you get back.”

I noticed that her breathing was very slow and shallow, and when I felt her pulse, it was quite weak. I knew I was losing her; Claire wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. I hated to leave her, but it was a tough, life-or-death decision I had to make. I took a deep breath, slammed the door, and hurried off as fast as I could through the snow drifts, knowing her life depended on me.

I scouted house after house but couldn’t find one with a fireplace. I’d found a pile of wood in one of the basements, along with a lighter and even a tiny bit of kerosene. It’d be enough to get a fire going, if only I could find a fireplace. I gathered the supplies and kept looking. Finally, I happened upon a ranch-style house, and when I opened the front door, I sighed in relief at the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen: a huge, stone fireplace. I secured the house, found a few jugs of water, and double-checked for zombies, glad to find that it was all clear.

It was pretty easy to get a blazing fire going. I grabbed a blanket off one of the beds and put it in front of the fire so it would get warm and toasty. I then trekked back to the car where I’d left Claire, gathered her up, and carried her to our newfound sanctuary.

When I set her down on a leather chair in front of the fire and wrapped her in the warm blanket, she trembled. “Wh-where did you find an electric blanket? Or electric, for that matter?” she joked.

I chuckled. “I just set it in front of the fire.”

“You’re so smart. That’s what I love about you. I know you fought hard back there. I can tell by your clothes. You’re covered in zombie guts. I just wish I woulda been there to help you.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “We’re all survivors. We fight to stay alive.” I gave her a few sips of water in a blue glass from one of the jugs I found. She didn’t want much because it was so cold, so I let the water sit by the fire for a while. “I’m gonna search the bedrooms and hunt for some dry clothes,” I said.

“Okay. Thanks,” she whispered.

I searched several drawers and closets. Everything smelled musty, but at that stage of the game, considering what our nostrils had been put through, smells really didn’t matter. With a most interesting ensemble in hand, I hurried back into the living room. “I found you an outfit,” I said. “You’ve gotta get out of those wet clothes.” When I pulled her boots off, water spilled out of them.

“My feet are numb,” she said. “I think everything is.”

I helped her slip her soaking-wet coat off. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you warmed up. We just have to get you dry and snuggled up in all these blankets.”

Her teeth chattered as she reached for the clothes I’d found. “Thanks, Dean. If you can just turn the other way, I’ll get dressed.”

“I’ll go look for supplies,” I said. “We need to dress that wound. Besides, I need to get into some dry clothes myself.”

“All right. Try to find something stylish,” she teased.

I walked down the hall and checked the bathroom for useful medical supplies. There wasn’t much, other than some alcohol and a few strips of gauze. When I shut the medicine cabinet, I stared into the mirror for a minute. The reflection didn’t even look like me, just a shell of my former self. My face, hair, and clothes were covered with blood and gore. My eyes were bloodshot, and I’d lost so much weight that my face looked almost skeletal.

In one of the bedrooms that looked like it used to belong to a teenage boy, I rummaged through the drawers until I found something that would fit, and then I headed back to the bathroom. I stripped out of my bloody, wet clothes. The room was freezing, and I started to shiver. I poured water on a washcloth, along with some liquid soap that smelled like vanilla, then washed up the best I could in the tub. I poured the rest of the jug of water over my head, because I knew my hair was matted with zombie chunks and blood. I even found a little bit of shampoo and used it to wash my hair. The black and red sludge that oozed off of my body and down the bathtub drain was disgusting. I dried off with an oversized black towel, and then put the dry clothes on, a checkered shirt and pants two sizes two big. When I tucked the shirt in and used the belt, the pants at least stayed up. Regardless of the fact that I looked like an anorexic farmer, it still felt good to have all that slime and gore off of me. I poured a little alcohol on some of the open cuts on my face, my battle wounds, and I winced with the sting.

“All done!” Claire called.

I walked back into the living room and saw that she’d piled her wet clothes by the window. The new outfit just hung on her, a green sweater and some grayish sweats, but we really couldn’t care less how we looked, as long as we were warm and dry. I carefully cleansed and bandaged the zombie bite on her ankle. It wasn’t festering or oozing all over the place like a typical zombie wound; since Claire was immune, the zombie bite wouldn’t kill her, but the hypothermia could.

“I fought those zombies at the pool so hard,” she said, “but they just kept coming and coming.”

I squeezed her hand. “You’re tough. You did as well as you could, all by yourself.”

“But I got bitten.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re immune, remember?” I said. “Z’s men didn’t know that. If they did, they probably wouldn’t have let you go. They thrived on you dying back at the apartment building, that way it could send a message.”

“They couldn’t have cared less that their actions put me in the position to get bitten. I meant nothing to them. Is this what humanity has turned into? Are they as cold and heartless as the zombies?”

“Not all of humanity, Claire. There are still a few good guys left.”

“Yeah, well, look at you. You have the biggest heart.”

“So do you.”

“Nah, my heart is dead, black, and cold, just like the zombies. Still, I’m not gonna let the past have power over my future. I’ll try to be the best person I can be.”

“And you show us that every single day.”

“I try.”

“I’m so cold,” she whispered.

“You’ll warm up soon,” I said. “I’ll keep putting wood on the fire.”

“Dean, you’re so sweet. Maybe I picked the wrong brother.”

I let out a long breath and remained silent, not sure what to say to that. I sure didn’t want to mess with my brother’s relationship. Claire was tough and funny, sweet and beautiful, and I hadn’t realized what a catch she was until recently, since we’d been spending a lot of time together. Our kiss flashed in my head, but I knew I had to tune that out. Claire is off limits, I kept telling myself, reminding myself that Nick would kill us both and that even if he wouldn’t, it just wouldn’t be right.

“Dean...” she said.

“Yeah?”

“You really could use a haircut,” she said.

“Well, I hate to break it to ya, darlin’, but I think somebody ate my barber.”

She smiled weakly.

“I’ll tell ya what,” I said. “There’s a beautician two doors down from us. I promise to make an appointment the second I get back. Deal?”

“Deal, because you look like a bushman.”

“That’s the point,” I said. “Somebody has to scare away the bogeymen.”

“There’s only one way to scare them away,” she said, “and that’s a bullet to the head. I finally learned that the hard way. See, I had this great teacher who told me that if I wanted to survive, I had better get used to fighting.”

“You’re a fighting machine now.”

“I’m a little tired though. Do you mind if I shut my eyes for a few minutes before we leave?”

“Sure. Get some rest and warm up. I’ll be right here to keep you safe.”

“One of the good guys,” she said, winking.

I helped her onto the makeshift bed I’d made on the carpeted floor in front of the fire and wrapped her in a soft blanket I’d pulled off a king-sized bed in the master bedroom. She shivered uncontrollably as I held her close in my arms next to the fire. I figured the body heat would help warm her freezing body—not to mention that I was freezing myself, and I hadn’t even been dog-paddling with the undead. I can’t imagine how cold she must be. Tears welled up in my eyes. She didn’t look good at all, and as hard as I’d tried to save her, I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it. There was no doctor around, and I was all she had. If she dies... I thought, then put the horrible thought out of my head.

“I’m gonna kill that Z if it’s the last thing I ever do on this zombie-infested planet,” she whispered. Before I could reply, her eyes fluttered shut.

“Claire?” I said, shaking her. I didn’t know what to do. I would have given anything to have Val, Nick, or Lucas there. I shook her again, but she didn’t budge or flinch. “Oh, Claire,” I said, “please don’t die on me. I can’t lose you too. I just can’t.” After pillaging through the house and finding more blankets, I covered her up and put a pillow under her head. I felt her skin and realized it was cold and clammy. The pulse I felt in her wrist was so very weak. She was alive and holding on, but I didn’t know how much longer she had. I stared at her long, red hair, spread out like an angel’s wings. I knew I couldn’t go back without her; she was part of the family, and my heart simply wouldn’t be able to bear losing Claire.

I considered carrying her back to the apartment building. Maybe Max could help her. I wasn’t a doctor and had no idea what to do except to keep her warm. I slipped on my coat and opened the door to survey the street, to see if it was safe to venture out, but when the bitterly cold wind smacked me in the face, I worried that Claire might not be able to take the journey. I walked back over and felt her skin; this time, she felt warmer. Still, there was no way I could take her back out in the cold until she was better. If she got worse, though, I knew I’d have to carry her back. I only hoped I was making the right decision, because if I was wrong, it could cost Claire her life, and I would never forgive myself for it.

***

After a few hours, she woke and called me over. “What time is it?”

I glanced down at the watch on my wrist, a rare luxury Max had equipped us with so we wouldn’t miss important meetings. “It’s around three p.m.”

“Whoa! I slept that long?”

“You needed the rest,” I said. “Rest for another hour, and then we gotta head back. I found a pair of dry boots you can use...and a dry coat too.”

“Sounds like a plan. I bet you haven’t sat down the whole time I was sleeping.”

“No, I was patrolling and guarding. Also, I found a car with enough gas to get us back to the apartment.”

“Come take a little break with me on this wonderful bed you made me in front of the fire,” she said, patting a soft blanket.

I smiled and sat down next to her. It was so warm and cozy that I ended up stretching out and got underneath the covers. She snuggled up next to me and laid her head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close. As the fire crackled, my thoughts consumed me. I thought about my parents, my island home, losing Jackie, and the impending war with Z.

“You look like you’re a million miles away.”

“I guess I am.”

“Can we pretend like everything is normal, if only for a few minutes? We’re in this cute, cozy house, sitting in front of a roaring fire, all snuggled up in a warm blanket, while the snow comes down in big, giant, fluffy flakes. It’s like Christmas.”

“I don’t think a few minutes are gonna matter one way or the other,” I said. “If anything comes down that chimney, I’m pretty sure it won’t be Santa.”

She laughed, then snuggled into me, ignoring my pessimism.

The fire felt so warm. For a minute, everything seemed right with the world. If I tuned out everything, including how close we still actually were to Z’s lair, it really did feel like two pals just chilling out and keeping warm. We talked and laughed and didn’t even worry about zombies, since I’d already checked the house thoroughly. “I haven’t laughed like this in a long time,” I said.

She leaned her head on my shoulder. “Me neither.”

Chapter 7

After a while longer, I stood. “We gotta go. Z’s men could find us here. I know Z said we could leave, but I don’t trust him. He could’ve seen the smoke from the chimney and change his mind. Not only that, but the snow’s really starting to come down. We gotta get back before we get snowed in, and I don’t wanna be walking around in the dark. We’ve gotta let Max know what a sicko we’re dealing with.”

“Hey, Dean...thanks,” she said.

I slid my black boots on. “For what?”

“For getting me all warmed up and making me laugh, for helping me forget about the dreadful world we really live in, if even for just a few minutes. It was a nice fantasy.”

“We’ve been through so much. It feels good to feel...human sometimes.”

She slipped on the big, black fur coat I’d found for her, then slid her feet into four pairs of socks and the furry boots that were a size too big. It was good that she had them, because if the old car broke down, we would have to brave the frozen tundra to get back to town.

I handed her an empty vinyl bag.

“What’s this for? My wet stuff?”

“Yeah and for the stuff in the bathroom.”

“The bathroom?”

I smiled. “Go see.”

She grinned, then darted up the stairs. When she screamed, I knew she’d found the little toiletry stash. “Soap, shampoo, perfume, and razors!” she yelled, delighted. “Oh my gosh! You really know how to pamper a girl, Dean!”

“Wow. This must be a messed-up world when somebody gets so excited over razors,” I retorted.

She laughed. “Hey, have you seen my hairy legs? I could French braid my shins, for goodness sake!”

I chuckled at the strange visual of a big pink ribbon hanging from her legs.

“Dean, this is a goldmine! There’s all kinds of stuff.”

“Well, pack it up and let’s go.”

We put out the fire, grabbed everything we could carry that might be of some use, then trampled through the snow and climbed into the car. Fortunately, the drive home was far more uneventful than anything we’d been through the last few days.

***

Back at the apartment complex, Max happened to be in the parking lot.

I beeped my horn and waved him over.

“Dean!” he yelled. “You’re okay.”

“Yeah, well, we’re breathing.”

“New wheels?” he asked. “Where’s the Mazda?”

“History. I hotwired this car to get back.”

“How very MacGyver of you,” he joked.

“We’re fine,” Claire said, too cold to laugh at his very outdated joke. “I’ve gotta see Nick though.”

“The others are out looking for you and the others,” Max said. “I’ll send word that you’re alive and kicking. What happened though? Where’s the crew I sent with you?”

“Huh?” I said, confused. “Jared and the others aren’t back yet?”

He shook his head. “No, and we haven’t seen hide nor hair of their car.”

“Z kidnapped us,” I said.

Max gasped. “Z? How did you escape?”

“Long story,” I said. “I’ll tell you everything once we get inside. It’s freezing out here, and Claire needs to warm up.”

“Yes, of course. Meet me in my office as soon as you get settled. I’ll get some of my men, and then we want to hear every single detail.”

I parked the car and hurried inside the apartment. Sparkles greeted us and Claire picked her up as she wagged her tail and licked her face. The first thing I did was get a fire going to warm up the living room. Claire and I drank lots of water and gobbled up a couple cans of tuna and kidney beans.

“You stay here and rest by the fire a while,” I said.

“No way! I’m coming with you,” she insisted.

I smiled, glad she was feeling better and was back to her old stubborn self. The thought of losing another good friend had been almost too much for me to deal with.

We waited for Max in his office and sat around the table with others to discuss our kidnapping.

Max rushed inside. “The others are back!” he said.

“Are they okay?” a woman asked.

“They’re traumatized, and there are a few injuries, but most are okay. Darrin started bleeding pretty badly, so they had to hole up until they got it to stop.” Max looked over at Claire and me. “They told me everything. I’m so, so sorry.” He quickly went on to tell the others what had happened, and they were just as horrified as he was when they found out we’d been captured. “What did the fiend do to you?”

“Well, he hung me upside down over a bunch of decapitated zombie heads, and he made Claire walk out onto a frozen swimming pool that she fell into, with zombies chasing after her. She was attacked by the freaks on top of the ice while the ones underwater attacked her legs, all while almost freezing to death.” I purposely left out the part about her being bitten, as I was worried they might throw her out of town.

“So why’d he let you leave?” asked a thin man named Harvey.

“Because,” Claire retorted, “he wanted us to bring a message to all of you. He wants you to know how sick of a psycho he is and that he is not someone to be trifled with. If we don’t leave the city, he says he’ll kill every single man, woman, and child in a similar deranged way.”

I let out a long breath. “It’s...psychological warfare. He thought if we brought the message to you, we could convince you to leave without a fight. Otherwise, he’s vowed to wage war on this town and everyone in it.”

“Well, whatever kind of warfare it is, it’s working,” a woman said. “I don’t wanna see my babies killed that way, by some self-proclaimed homicidal tyrant. Still, I have no idea how we’ll survive past the perimeters.”

“What he did to Claire was sick and twisted. Why would Z torture a poor girl the way he did?” a woman asked.

“It was to prove a point,” I said, “to show that he’ll kill women just as easily as he’ll kill men. Gender makes no difference to him.”

“He left us in that warehouse before to be devoured by zombies, then lit the place on fire when he thought we were still in there,” Claire said. “He just doesn’t care, and that’s what makes him so dangerous. There’s no way to reason with someone so insane.”

“I’m just surprised he’s even giving us a warning and time to leave,” said a redheaded woman with hair a shade darker than Claire’s.

“He’s only doing that so he has less people to fight,” Max added. “It was certainly not out of the kindness of his heart.” Max stood. “I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I have no intention of leaving, so it looks like I’m gonna have a war on my hands. I say we gather up any soldiers who want to fight, men or women, as well as any weapons we can find, then start strategizing and making a military game plan. We’ll attack in a week.”

“No!” a man said. “We should take them right now.”

“That’d be foolish,” another said. “Max is right. We need time to formulate a plan and gather troops and weapons. Then we’ll deliver payback to them for terrorizing people from our city.”

“We’ll fight with all we have,” Max said, “with our hearts, with spirit, with pride. We’ll do it to protect our friends, our families, our children, and the functioning society we’ve built here. I swear to you, Fairport will be victorious, and it will remain ours!”

The group cheered and clapped, inspired by their fearless leader, and I was happy to see it.

“I’ll get started right away,” Max said, then left the room in a hurry.

Claire and I talked with the others for a few more minutes. Everyone had his or her own opinion, but it was good that, for the most part, we were all on the same page.

***

After the meeting, we headed back to the apartment. I had no idea where Nick, Lucas, and Val had gone to look for us, and I knew if we headed out to try to find them, we’d probably miss each other, so it was probably best to just stay put. I only hoped Max’s men had gotten word to them that we were all right and had warned them about the impending war.

Asia was eating tuna on the couch with her feet propped up, and Kate was taking a nap. “Hey! What’s up?” she asked.

“We were here earlier, but I guess you were sleeping,” Claire said.

“My hands keep shaking. I think I’m still suffering the after-effects of those drugs they gave me.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll eventually make Charlie pay for all that,” I said, anger consuming me.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream startled me.

I grabbed my Glock.

“Kate!” Claire said, grabbing her gun and running toward the bedroom.

Droplets of sweat ran down Kate’s face, and her hair was glued to the sides of her head. “Put the guns down.”

“What happened?” Claire asked.

“Just...it was only a bad dream,” she gasped out between breaths.

Claire ran over and hugged her tightly.

Kate was pretty shaken up. Poor girl, I thought, knowing it was only the beginning of a lifetime of nightmares. I didn’t know exactly what they’d done to her, but whatever it was, I knew it wasn’t good. When I realized Claire and Asia seemed to have things under control, I turned to leave to give the girls some time to themselves.

A few minutes later, Asia came out. “So...how’d you wreck your face?” she asked.

“Z’s men kidnapped us. They aren’t exactly the most hospitable hosts.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Nick and the others are out looking for me. Max knows we’re okay, and he sent men to go out and reel the others back.”

She arched a brow. “What the heck’s going on?”

“It seems World War III has begun,” I said grimly.

The door opened, and Val rushed in and hugged me so hard I almost couldn’t breathe. She then stepped back and slugged me in the arm. “Dean! What the heck were you doing?” She then hugged me again and asked, “Are you okay?” She shoved me back, stomped her foot, looked at me, and shook her head, then crossed her arms like she was about to ground me; every single gesture reminded me of our mother. “You’re all cut up.”

“Just a few battle scars,” I said, almost proudly. “I’ll live, sis.”

“Quit playing macho. How do you feel?”

“Well, I hurt everywhere, and I’ve got a horrible headache.”

“Max told me everything and I can’t believe it. Let me help you into bed You need to rest.”

“Can’t. No time. There’s too much going on right now.”

Nick hugged me, then loosened his grip. “Where’s Claire?”

“Kate had a nightmare,” I said. “She’s in there with her, trying to calm her down.”

He nodded, then clapped my shoulder. “How are you holdin’ up?”

“I’m fine.”

“We found your car in the ditch,” he said. “I was pretty worried there for a minute especially when I found Claire’s gun on the ground. I’m just glad you two are okay.”

My brother hugged me again.

“Claire will be glad to get her gun back,” I said.

Nick looked at me as emotion consumed him.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m fine.”

“Max told me what they did to you and Claire,” he continued. “I’m gonna kill Z! The second I get my hands on that as—”

“Language, Nick!” Val scolded.

“That...jerk, he’s a dead man. He tried to kill you in that warehouse and now this? After you risked your life to save his people? I’m gonna make him suffer and show him no mercy.” With that, Nick stormed off to the bedroom to check on Claire.

Lucas laughed and shook his head. “Man, Dean, you’re always putting him in a mood,” he said, “but it’s good you’re okay.”

“Thanks, man,” I said sheepishly, hating all the fuss.

“Um...can somebody please fill me in?” Asia asked. “I’m totally in the dark here.”

I explained the entire story to everyone from start to finish, in vivid, gory detail.

Val was horrified and swore revenge, and Lucas and Asia were ready to sneak into Z’s lair and slice his throat.

Finally, Claire and Nick returned to the living room, and Claire was instantly pulled into a hug by my sister.

“We gotta get that Z,” Lucas said, seething.

“We can’t do anything foolish,” Nick said. “I think Max has a pretty good idea about making a plan and attacking in a week. We’ll get our revenge, if it’s the last thing we ever do, but we gotta be smart about it.”

“We’re coming with you,” Asia said.

Nick nodded. “Fine. Let’s all go.”

And with that, we headed out the door, eager to plan Z’s destruction.

Chapter 8

Max had been scheming for a couple days about the most effective way to take Z down. His goal was to neutralize him without harming the women, children, elderly, and any men who refused to fight. He wanted to spare as many lives as possible, to come out victorious with very little bloodshed. He knew cutting the head off the snake would cool the tempers of the others, and he wanted to help the survivors after Z’s demise.

To boost the arsenal, we offered many weapons from the back of our U-Haul. Max graciously left some for us, as he knew we wanted to get back to Ohio and would need firepower for that journey. In his heart, he hoped we’d stay, but he knew Nick was dead set on getting home eventually.

To drum up some extra support, more to fight for our cause, Max traveled outside the city. He promised the would-be soldiers a safe place to live if they’d help take down the gang, and several joined up after his motivating speech and all the promises he made. He housed many of them down the hill from us, and they were very grateful to be granted lodging in our special, very unique city that so many had worked so hard to rebuild and secure.

Max assigned us to scavenge for supplies, and we all went except for Claire and Asia, since they’d already gone with another team to scavenge for guns, weapons, and useful items in a nearby town that hadn’t yet been pillaged. Nick, Val, Kate, Lucas, and I had to go a little farther out, because everything around the city had been depleted; we drove for about an hour outside the city border. We were pretty lucky, even though it started to rain, because the weather was warmer than normal for winter, a balmy fifty-five instead of the twenty-five degrees we’d been dealing with. We made sure to pack a couple gas cans in the back so we wouldn’t have to look for fuel. The only part of the trip that bothered me was that we would be returning at night, but I figured we’d be pretty safe in a moving vehicle.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared as the rain poured down. The windshield wipers swished at top speed, but even that didn’t give us a clear line of sight.

“This is crazy,” Kate said. “We can’t drive like this. It’s like a monsoon out there.”

No sooner than the words left her mouth, the SUV jerked, and the right side fell into a huge pothole. The ground rumbled, and I knew we’d hit more than a regular bump in the road. Was that a tremor...like from an earthquake? I could see the ground falling away, and dirt, rocks, and chunks of asphalt pelted the windshield as the road collapsed beneath us. It was as if the Earth had opened up to swallow our vehicle whole, nose first, as if we were being devoured. Kate screamed and my stomach lurched as we were submerged in a small crater. In a matter of seconds, the whole road collapsed, swallowing us up like a black hole. Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The eroding pavement and water made me nervous. What if we sink deeper? What if another car falls in and lands on top of us? What if... I had to stop myself from that train of thought, because the what-ifs were almost too frightening to consider.

“The road caved in!” Val said, stating the obvious in a shriek.

The SUV sank lower and lower and began to fill up with water. I didn’t want to go any deeper into that horrible pit, and I imagined our SUV and us being incinerated in the fiery, hot core of the Earth.

“We’ve gotta get outta here!” Lucas said.

Kate threw her shoulder into the door. “We can’t! The doors are jammed!”

“The hatchback!” Nick commanded.

With my heart pounding, I crawled to the back. “Nick, are you okay?” I asked when I saw my brother wince.

“I think I dislocated my shoulder.” With a groan, he tried one more time to open the hatchback, but it wouldn’t budge. “It’s stuck,” he said with a huff. “Let’s try together.”

I grunted and pushed with all my strength, and we got the stubborn thing open a narrow gap, just enough for us to squeeze through. We frantically began pushing rubble and debris out of the way so we could open the door wide enough for everyone to get out.

“Okay, that’s good,” Nick said.

The door opened halfway, and I moved out. My feet stood on rocks and pebbles and sharp, jagged concrete. I glanced up through the sheets of cold, pouring rain and saw that we’d plummeted ten feet into a massive crevice in the ground. Fortunately, it appeared we’d be able to climb back up the metal grating and on blocks of concrete, a makeshift ladder. I didn’t know what we were going to do about the car, as it would have taken a crane to get it out of there, but for the time being, we had to be concerned with ourselves. As I started to help the others out, a loud boom of thunder echoed in the air, causing me to shiver.

Val, ever the ingenious one, converted her black sweater into a splint. She blinked the rain out of her eyes as she tied it in place, with Nick grumbling and complaining all the while. “There. That oughtta help some,” she said, proud of herself.

Nick nodded as rain dripped from his chin. “Okay, everyone. Let’s all remember to stay calm. Let’s get outta here as quickly and efficiently as we can.”

Moans sliced through the storm, and when I glanced up, I gasped. A large group of zombies stood in the pouring rain, staring down at us. Instinctively, I reached for my gun, but Nick grabbed my arm.

“No!” he said. “You’ll only attract more.”

Lucas glanced up at the horde above us. “We can take them out, especially if the klutzes topple down into this hole one at a time. Easy pickin’s.”

“The car could sink deeper,” Kate said, droplets running down her face. “This road isn’t stable.”

“We don’t know how many of them are up there either,” Val chimed in. “If we start shooting, we might run out of ammo before we can get them all, and they’ll completely surround us. We’re sitting ducks down here.”

I could hear the haunting popping sounds as metal screeched and concrete and rocks shifted. A cold shudder shot down my spine. I understood Kate’s point. If we fought them and shuffled around too much, the ground could give way beneath us, and we could sink even deeper. If we shot at them, though, it might summon more, and we could be completely surrounded by dozens of undead freaks within seconds; they’d come faster than we could take them out with our guns.

When the first zombie stumbled into the chasm, Nick was on it in seconds, bashing its head in with a chunk of concrete. When another one fell in, Val beat Nick to the punch and crunched its skull before it even knew what hit it.

Suddenly, the SUV groaned, and the ground below us started to shift.

I carefully walked through the slush of water, dirt, and debris and climbed on the metal meshing, then shot Nick a glance. “We gotta shoot ‘em...fast, then climb out of here and shoot some more. It’s our only option.”

“If we’re fast enough, maybe we can get away before more come,” Kate said.

Huge chunks of wet clay and sand suddenly fell on me. I wiped my eyes and spat out the pebbles and dirt. I could hear the dirt slowly caving in. I climbed up the metal meshing and fired at the first rotten zombie I saw looking down at me. Gunfire rang out as the others followed my lead. I climbed up the slippery metal, careful not to lose my footing, as I didn’t want to fall and knock the others down. When I got to the top, I climbed out. The sinkhole had left a huge crater in the middle of the street, but even worse than that, dozens of zombies came at me. I had to hold them off long enough for the others to hurry out.

The rain continued coming down in sheets. When lightning illuminated the sky, every freak’s gory details came into perfect view. I kept squeezing the trigger. When my gun clicked empty, I reloaded while Nick and Lucas fired away.

A beeping sound caught my attention, and I looked up to see a pickup coming straight toward us. The truck screeched to a stop and an older woman peered out the driver’s window. “Hop in!” she screamed. “Hurry!”

We didn’t hesitate to take her up on the offer for a ride. I bolted into the truck bed, hopping over the tailgate like a track star, and then I helped the others in. Zombies moaned and started to walk toward the truck, but the tires spun and sprayed them with a thick layer of mud as the vehicle sped off down the road. I gasped, but I felt relieved. About time somebody helped us out, I thought. We’ve been helping other people ever since the helicopter crash.

“How’s your shoulder?” I asked Nick when I noticed the bone protruding a bit; his shoulder was visibly deformed and out of place. I could tell he was miserable and in excruciating pain, even if he wouldn’t admit it, because he grimaced every time we went over a bump.

“I’m fine,” he breathed out.

“You don’t look fine,” Kate chimed in.

“You know how much I hate being fussed over.”

“Let me pop it back into place,” Val said.

“When we stop,” he said. “Truth is, my arm’s a little numb, and the pain is pretty...” he said, then trailed off, refusing to admit any weakness.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get you all patched up,” Val said.

“We lost the SUV,” Kate said. “It’s at least an hour back.”

“Longer on foot,” Lucas said.

I blinked the rain out of my eyes as the truck flew down the dark, deserted street. No one said another word as we glided around the corner and down a long street, then stopped.

Kate opened the tailgate, and we all hopped out.

The elderly driver, dressed in a yellow raincoat, asked, “Are you guys okay?” Her black bangs were sticking out under her hood, and she had dark eyes and a friendly smile. I guessed her to be about sixty years old.

“My brother dislocated his shoulder,” Val said.

“We’d better get him inside then,” she replied.

Nick grimaced in pain. “No. Thank you for the ride, but we’ll be on our way.”

The woman stepped closer. “On your way? It’s nighttime, for goodness sake. Have you even eaten? Come inside and warm up by the fire, and I’ll make you a bite. You can stay the night and rest, and we’ll get that shoulder fixed up for you. You can leave at  first light.”

“We wouldn’t want to put you out,” Kate said.

“Nonsense.”

“I just want to get back,” I said. “I don’t like being in zombie territory.”

“Heh. Zombie territory is everywhere,” the old woman said, obviously clueless about our city and its strange barrier.

Lucas shot me a look that told me to shut up, and I recalled that Max had warned us not to tell too many people about our safe haven, so I decided not to mention it.

“I have very good eyes,” Val said. “Even in the dark, I can see anything or anyone who tries to sneak up on us.”

“It’s pouring rain out there, and I can’t let you young’n’s leave with a clear conscience. You won’t be safe out there, good eyes or not. It’s only for one night, and I’ve got plenty of room. I gotta admit that I’ve got an ulterior motive though.”

“What’s that?” Kate asked suspiciously.

“Well, my boys are away, and I need some firewood chopped.”

“Well, since Nick, here’s, gone and gotten his shoulder all banged up, I could easily do that for you in the morning,” Lucas offered, “right before we leave.”

Val nudged me. “What do you think? Nick needs his shoulder snapped back into place, and we’re all cold and hungry. We could stay here and get a good night’s sleep. And she’s right. It’d be pretty dangerous and miserable to trek through the rain in the dark.”

“I’m Rita,” the lady in the yellow slicker said, introducing herself.

I reached out my hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

She looked at me and smiled. “You have the bluest eyes, sonny. I could eat you right up.”

I laughed and even blushed a little, then nodded at Val. “I say we stay, but we need to leave the second the sun comes up.”

“Absolutely.”

We all talked it over and voted. Nick and Kate still wanted to leave, but they were outnumbered; Lucas thought it’d be much safer to leave in the daylight, even if we did have Val’s eyes, and Val was so hungry and tired that staying seemed like a good idea to her too.

“We’ll stay,” Val finally said.

Rain dripped off Rita’s raincoat. “Okay then. Follow me.”

We followed the woman up a concrete sidewalk to a huge building, a bed-and-breakfast. The windows were boarded up, and the lady had created a nice hideout for herself. As long as a herd didn’t show up, she and her family would likely be okay.

We walked inside a huge entryway. Above us, the chandelier shook a bit as rain and fierce wind beat against the roof. Lighting flashed through the huge, rectangular window, creating odd shadows on the wall through the lacy curtains.

Rita offered us blankets and towels, and I was so thankful to be out of the cold rain. I wiped my face off, then wrapped up in a blanket as our kind hostess ushered us into the living room, to a roaring fire.

“C’mere, Nick,” Val said. “Now, I’m gonna have to pull your arm away from the socket till the ball is beyond the edge of the socket cup. I’ll pull while your arm is in a proper position, slowly and steadily. Jerking will only cause the muscles to contract and could break a bone, and that’s the last thing we need right now. Just be patient and grit your teeth, and the ball will pop right back into the socket.”

“Just do it,” Lucas said. “He’s a big boy. He can take it.”

Val pulled Nick’s shirt down off his shoulder and examined the swelling and his bruised skin. “Wow. You nailed it pretty good. There’s no easy way to do this, and I gotta warn you that it might hurt a little.”

His lips pressed into grim lines. “I can handle it.”

She blinked. “Okay. Get ready.”

Nick took a deep breath and tried to be brave, but he yelled as she popped his shoulder back into place. He began panting as the pain nearly overwhelmed him, and his eyes began to water, though he never would have admitted that he was actually crying.

“I’m sorry,” Val said. “But that was the only way.”

“I-I’m okay,” he said, gasping deeply. “Thanks, sis.”

“Here! He can use this splint,” Rita said, running over and handing it to Val.

“Thanks.” Val reached for it and adjusted the straps until it fit perfectly.

“We have a box of medical supplies in one of the rooms. Raided the hospital and took all we could get, just in case. I don’t like takin’ things without payin’ for ‘em, but it’s kind of the way of the world these days.”

“Good call,” Kate said.

“I’m so sorry I don’t have any ice for his shoulder,” Rita said.

“It’s okay,” I said. “It’s kind of hard to find ice in a zombie apocalypse.”

“Nick, do you wanna lie down on the sofa?” Kate asked.

“I would like to get some sleep,” he answered. “We need to leave first thing in the morning.”

Val looked at Rita. “Do you have a place for him to sleep?”

“Not yet. The boy’s gotta eat if he’s gonna get his strength back and recover,” Rita answered.

“I’m not hungry,” he said.

“I’m not either,” I parroted, as my stomach felt queasy as well.

The woman looked away, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I never get guests. I bought this hotel to entertain, and now I never get to do that. I just...well, what has the world come to when an old lady can’t make a nice meal for somebody and show them to one of my fancy rooms?”

Rita had been so kind to us, and I felt very sorry for her. “On second thought,” I said, rubbing my aching stomach, “I’d love to.”

“Yes,” Lucas chimed in. “I’d love to have dinner with the proprietor of such a fine establishment.”

“Great!” Rita said.

“I’m not trying to be rude,” Nick interjected, “but I really don’t have much of an appetite. I just wanna lie down.”

Rita handed him a brown mug full of water and two little white pills. “If you don’t want to eat, at least take these Tylenol and have some water.”

“Thanks, ma’am. My shoulder’s really killing me.”

“Well, darlin’, you’ve clearly been through a lot. You get a good night’s rest, and you’ll be good as new tomorrow,” she said.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Nick said. “I’ll help Lucas with your firewood in the morning.”

“You’ll do no such thing with that bum shoulder of yours!” Val screeched. “We’ll take care of that. You need to rest that shoulder.”

Nick laughed. “You’re right. I guess that’s what we have Lucas and Dean for, huh? All the hard work.”

“Hey, girls can swing an axe too,” Val said, winking at Kate.

Nick laughed again, then winced.

“I think chopping wood is more than a fair trade for a meal and shelter for the night,” Lucas said.

Rita smiled. “I’m just thankful to have company. I’ve never been more lonely. With my boys gone, having y’all here is nice.”

“We’re sure glad we ran into you,” Lucas said.

As our hospitable house-mom was grinning, I was startled by a bang coming from upstairs, and I looked at Rita. “Are you sure it’s just us here?”

“Oh, that’s just Harvey.”

“Harvey?” I asked, fearing that she might have a pet zombie or something. The way of the world had my paranoia constantly on edge, and I was sure no one could be as nice as Rita without having a few quirks.

“My cat. Nothing to worry about. He just hates being all cooped up, but if I let him out, I’m afraid he’ll become a zombie treat.”

“Definitely,” I said.

Rita looked at the girls. “Would you ladies mind giving me a hand with supper?”

“Sure,” Val said. “I’m way better at popping shoulders into place than cooking though.”

Rita smiled. “Honey, if you can open a can, you’ll be a gourmet chef in my kitchen.”

We all chuckled.

The girls went into the kitchen to help with dinner, and Nick took a seat on the loveseat by the fire, while Lucas and I sat on the leather couch.

“It’s homey here,” Lucas said.

I kicked my feet up on the matching ottoman. “Yeah, way more homey than gangs, turf wars, and zombie hordes.”

Nick looked at me. “I know you don’t like getting in the middle of Z and Max.”

“That’s only because Z’s crazy, completely irrational. He enjoys torturing people. It’s some kind of sick, twisted fantasy for him. You should have seen his face when he had me hanging upside down over those snapping zombie heads. He looked like a freaking kid on Christmas. How can those people follow a sadistic leader like that?”

“That’s just it,” Lucas said. “He is their leader, and from what you told me, he takes pretty good care of his own. I bet most of those people don’t even realize what a lunatic he really is.”

“I don’t think they do,” I said, “but they worship the ground he walks on, and they’re willing to die for him.”

“We’ve gotta back Max up,” Nick said, “and I’m more than willing to fight. I personally wanna take this Z down for what he did to you and Claire, not to mention all the other men, making them fight like some kind of gladiators, just for his own sick entertainment. It reminds me of Kingsville. He’s even more of a freak than the zombies, and I’m gonna rip his heart out, if he even has one.”

Lucas’s face reddened as anger consumed him. “You’re right, man. This war with Z is personal now, since he’s messed with Dean and Claire more than once and is threatening every man, woman, and child in that city. It’s time to make him pay.”

We talked for a few minutes before Nick yawned. “I’m so tired.”

Rita had enough rooms for each of us to have a room. She led Nick to his, then showed each of us to ours. Mine was a bit too country and flowery and girly for my taste, but the king-sized bed that I’d have all to myself was soft and warm, so it was like luxury accommodations for me. The boarded-up window reminded me of when we’d stayed in that nursing home, but I couldn’t blame Rita. We weren’t in Fairport, and she had to fend off intruders. While zombies really had no way to reach the third floor, thugs, drifters, and robbers could, and they’d do whatever it took to loot for supplies, even breaking into an old woman’s inn.

I thanked Rita and headed downstairs to the grand dining room. As my hand slid down the banister, I noticed some streaks of dried blood. I jerked my hand away and raised an eyebrow. “What happened?” I asked Rita.

“I cut myself earlier. I’m useless here without my sons. That’s exactly why I need help with the firewood. I want nothing to do with that heavy, old axe.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll chop you lots of wood.”

“I can’t thank you enough.”

“No, Rita, we should be thanking you,” I said when I walked into the dining room and laid eyes on the feast she’d prepared. I’d never seen anything so elegant, a huge table covered with fine linen and china and even floating candles. The chandelier was twice as big as the one in the entryway.

“This is so beautiful,” Val said, smiling.

Rita smiled. “I don’t eat in here very much, so I’m so thankful for the company. I hope you don’t think it’s too over the top.”

“Absolutely not,” Kate said. “It’s gorgeous.”

“We can’t thank you enough,” Lucas said, reaching for a silver serving spoon to scoop out some corn on his fancy plate.

We enjoyed canned meat, corn, and instant mashed potatoes, and there was V8 to drink. The mashed potatoes were flaky and not very good, and the meat was super salty, but I knew she’d done her best. Since I was already feeling nauseated, I stealthily nibbled only a few bites of the meat and sneaked the remaining scraps under the table into a large linen tablecloth. Then I smiled and told her how delicious everything was.

As she nibbled on her own food, clearly not liking it very much herself, she told us about all the parties she used to throw in that very room.

“I bet they were fantastic,” Kate said.

“So you stayed here when the zombie virus broke out?” Lucas asked. He blinked and kept his eyes shut for a moment, then snapped out of it.

I laughed. “Looks like somebody needs a nap. You shoulda gone to bed with Nick.”

“Now look, Dean. My brother and I are friends, but even in these desperate times, I’m not gonna lower myself to going to bed with—”

“Lucas!” Val squealed before he spit out another of his crude jokes. “You know what Dean meant.”

He laughed. “Right. But there’s no way I’d go to bed before supper. Have you ever known moi to be a party pooper?”

Rita chuckled at their banter. “Well, back to your question. When the zombie thing first happened, the police tried to evacuate me, but I refused to leave. This is my home, so we stayed and fought.”

“Have you ever encountered a herd?” Val asked.

She sipped her V8. “Can’t say we have.”

Lucas scooped another bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth. “Count your lucky stars. But even still, you should have some sort of escape route, just in case you wake up one morning and find you’re completely surrounded.”

“A few have banged on the windows,” she said, “but we put those out of their misery pretty quickly.”

Kate excused herself to use the bathroom. A few moments later, she returned with a disturbed look on her face, carrying a taxidermied black cat.

“What the heck?” Lucas asked. “Find a friend?”

“Yeah...a dead one,” she said.

“Put him back!” Rita roared as anger suddenly consumed her.

“Do you know who this is?” Kate slurred like she had a few too many drinks.

Rita stood. “Put him down.”

Kate read the gold nameplate. “Says here his name is Harvey, but didn’t you say Harvey made that crash upstairs earlier? Is Harvey a ghost?”

Rita grabbed the cat from Kate and helped her sit down. She then stomped out of the room to put her dearly departed critter back wherever Kate had found it.

Meanwhile, Kate was acting very strangely, playing with her food and laughing.

“She must’ve found the liquor cabinet,” Val said.

“Did you do a few shots or what?” Lucas asked. “Because if you did, you could’ve invited me, ya know?”

“What? I-I don’t drink.”

“Well, you’re acting drunk,” Val said. “What’s going on, Kate?”

“If I were you, I’d be more worried about that dead cat. She lied to us!”

Rita came back in and sat down. “I didn’t lie. That was the original Harvey. He died ten years ago. The one you heard upstairs is the second Harvey.”

“Really?” Kate asked. “Well, I’d love to see him. Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!”

“He’s locked in a room upstairs. I-I didn’t want him jumping on the table while we eat.”

“Hmm. Well, if ya don’t mind, I’m gonna go find him,” Kate insisted.

Rita shot her a glare. “I’m sorry, but I can’t have that.”

“Why? Because he doesn’t exist and because you’re a liar?”

“No!” Rita screamed, slamming her napkin down.

“Listen, Kate,” I said. “It doesn’t really matter, does it? And calling our hostess a liar—”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m no Martha Stewart or anything, but I’m pretty sure that’s not a good thing—not very good manners,” Lucas finished.

Kate yawned. “I’m too tired to walk up the stairs anyway.”

Her yawn must’ve been contagious, because I suddenly felt as if everything was catching up to me. As everyone talked, I began to feel as if my head was in some sort of fog.

“Dean?” Val said. “Dean, are you okay?”

“My head’s spinning.” When I tried to stand, the room spun even more, as if I’d just stepped off of some kind of supersonic carousel. “Wh-what’s happening?”

“Let me take you to your room,” Rita said. “You’ve had a rough day.”

“Okay,” I said.

She led me out of the dining room, but I could have sworn she was taking me downstairs instead of up to the room she’d shown me earlier. Instead of that soft bed, I’d seen, the one with the flowery quilt on it, it felt as if I was lying on cold concrete, but I couldn’t move. I was so groggy that I couldn’t gain control of my senses, but I heard the distinct moan of a zombie, and I instantly wanted to fight. Instead, I just closed my eyes and drifted off.

“Dean!” Val said. “Wake up!”

Suddenly, I snapped out of it and glanced around. Everyone was still at the table. Am I hallucinating? Did I fall asleep? Have a nightmare? My head continued to spin, and I had no idea what was going on. I tried to focus on Val’s face, wondering if someone had spiked the V8.

“Dean, my head’s spinning,” my sister said.

Kate just stared at me blankly. Lucas tried to stand, but Rita easily coaxed him back down into his seat; he didn’t even question her, which was odd for him, especially when she easily grabbed his weapons. When she frisked the rest of us, we tried to put up a fight, but we were all too weak to fend the old lady off. My arms wouldn’t cooperate with my brain, and they felt heavy and numb. I couldn’t even utter a word of complaint since my throat and lips wouldn’t cooperate either.

“You’re probably wondering what’s going on,” Rita said.

“You drugged us!” Val said. “Why?”

Lucas slurred, “She’s gonna feed us to her zombie family.”

My heart raced at his words. “She’s what?”

“I’m not going to feed you to zombies,” Rita snapped. “That’s just ludicrous.”

I sighed in relief.

“Are you sure?” Lucas asked, not so quick to believe her. “Because I’m staring at a couple of zombies.”

I jerked my head up and glanced around, but I didn’t see any zombies.

“That’s just the drugs I gave you,” Rita said calmly. “There are no zombies here.”

“I knew this was too good to be true,” Lucas said.

“Me too,” Val whispered.

“Ulterior motive,” he muttered, then trailed off into some kind of babble that none of our hazy brains could understand.

Chapter 9

I literally felt as if my head was underwater, and I could have sworn Rita had admitted to drugging us. “But...why?” I managed.

“Because you’re my guests of honor,” she said.

Val cocked a brow. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re the feast.”

“Is that why you didn’t eat much?” I asked.

She nodded and smiled a smile that would have looked grandmotherly under any other circumstances. “I was saving my appetite.”

Val threw up her arms. “Not again!”

“What?” Kate asked.

“I’ve dealt with cannibals before. It wasn’t all backwoods like this one. It was very organized and precise. It happened on my way to the island. This fake hospital tried to harvest me for meat...but I was able to escape.”

Rita laughed. “Not this time, sweetheart.”

“If I could move, I’d punch you!” Val shouted. “Why kind of drugs did you give me?”

Lucas glanced over at me. “Why is it that no matter where we go, we run into the nuts? She did say she could eat you right up, ol’ blue eyes,” he said, turning to me. “Maybe we shoulda taken that literally.”

“We’ve gotta get out of here,” I said to my sister and friends, as if they didn’t already know that.

Rita laughed. “Heh. I’m just pulling your leg. I’m not gonna eat you!”

“Really?” Kate asked hopefully.

“Well, not tonight.”

“Dean!” Kate frantically yelled. “This woman is crazy. We’ve gotta go now!”

Rita grinned like a shark, an unstable, dangerous predator who literally wanted to devour us. “The door is right there. Feel free to show yourselves out.”

“But everything is spinning,” I said.

“If you choose to stay, my boys will skin you with a cleaver. Then we’ll cut you up piece by piece. I was an idiot to eat beef for so long. Human flesh is the tastiest morsel of them all, and it’s a whole lot easier to get than a cow or chicken these days.”

“You’re worse than the zombies!” I said. “You’re sick!”

“How can you say that, Dean?” she retorted. “Those zombies will rip you apart and eat you alive. I kill my livestock with mercy.”

“Livestock? Lady, you’re insane!” Kate said as she suddenly lifted her head. “Don’t you even have a conscience?”

“I used to, but I will do whatever I have to keep me and my sons alive. I kill as humanely as I can and only eat to survive. I’m not a maniac or a cannibal or anything. This is all about staying alive till we get our world back, till the zombies rot into extinction. Then I’ll go back to normal food.”

My stomach churned at the thought of being murdered and eaten.

“Just out of curiosity,” Lucas said in an unnervingly rational tone, “what part of me will you eat?”

I knew then that Lucas was out it; if he had been in his right mind, he would have already knocked the old fiend to the floor, and we would have been out the door.

“Do you think she has road kill in the fridge?” Kate asked.

“Why would she?” Lucas said. “She prefers people-burgers. I bet her fridge is filled with jars of eyeballs and fingers in pickle juice.”

I shook my head in horror.

“No, I am not grotesque about it,” Rita calmly explained. “I only eat thighs, calves, livers...all the things you would eat from any animal that is slaughtered for food. Of course, I can make a to-die-for stew from tongue. I just converted it from an old slow-cooker beef recipe my great aunt gave me. When supplies are scarce, I do have to throw in some stray cats or dogs now and then.”

“How many people have you...eaten?” Kate asked, almost throwing up.

“I’ve lost count,” she said, “but it isn’t hard to lure people in. Everyone needs help out here, and there are no police or firemen to lend a hand. I guess you could say I kill ‘em with kindness. I had to find a way to feed my family. This nice woman from Toledo was running from zombies, so we had to help her. We were so hungry that we were practically going mad, so I guess the first time, it was...instinctual. We just killed her and fed. It felt nice to have a full stomach, and I knew that it was something we’d have to do from then on.”

“It’s repulsive!” Val said.

“It’s better than starving,” Rita retorted, “and it’s better for the victims to be killed humanely by us than to be ripped apart by those zombies.”

“I can’t believe you’re rationalizing this,” Val said, “especially since you already have normal food. Look at this dinner.”

Rita crossed her arms. “That’s only for luring people in, and there isn’t much.”

“So let me get this straight,” Lucas said, slurring. “Are you gonna eat me tonight, or am I gonna end up as part of a bunch of little frozen TV dinners?”

“Actually, we’re stockpiling for winter,” she said.

“Like squirrels?” he said, obviously unable to keep track of the conversation.

I wasn’t thinking straight, and I knew Lucas wasn’t. I had enough presence of mind, though, to know we had to find Nick and get out of there. “I-I need to slap water on my face.”

“There’s no running water, but there is a bathroom upstairs. You won’t escape. There’s no exit up there.”

I gripped the banister. Each step seemed almost impossible, and my feet felt like lead. When I got to the top of the stairs, I saw the bathroom. I walked in and gasped. The walls were splattered in blood, but I couldn’t even be sure that was real. I opened the shower curtain, and a shudder ran through me when I saw a mutilated, headless corpse in the bathtub. “Nick!” I screamed, fearing the worst.

He didn’t answer.

Where’s his room again? I couldn’t remember and turned to the left. I heard death moans echoing faintly through the dimly lit halls. My mind was clouded, but I forced myself to try and focus. I heard footsteps in the room I thought was Nick’s, and I hoped it was only him pacing. “Nick?” I whispered. My fingers gripped the doorknob tightly, and I called for Nick again.

A long, intimidating hiss was my only reply.

Still, I had to see if Nick was okay. As soon as I opened the door, a black-haired zombie lunged at me and snapped its jaws. I gasped and instinctively kicked it hard in the chest, sending it whirling backward. What the heck is a zombie doing in this room? Was it Nick? It had thick, black hair like Nick’s, and it was just as tall.

The zombie came back and leapt for my throat. My vision blurred, and strange, multicolored spots, like moving Smuckers jelly, seemed to fill my eyes. A gunshot echoed, and the zombie collapsed in a gory heap. I screamed, certain that Rita had killed my brother. My heart ached, and I was suddenly paralyzed with grief. I reached for the bedside table. As I fell, I grabbed the tablecloth, and a vase shattered into pieces next to me. I stared at the colors of the broken pieces. I knew I needed to get him, but I simply didn’t have the strength. All I could think about was my brother.

Rita’s voice broke into my thoughts. “Get up!”

“I-I can’t.”

“Yes you can. Try.”

I stumbled to my feet as anger washed over me. I refused to let the heinous old hag win. I was going to take her down, gun or not, was going to make her pay for the stomach-turning things she’d done. She was a skinny, bony little woman, and I knew I could easily overtake her, even drugged as I was.

In spite of my resolve, though, to conquer my feeble foe, everything was a blur, and the next thing I knew, Rita was guiding me down the stairs and outside. Why am I not even trying to escape? I couldn’t make out the details, but I heard a door open, a creaking sound. I couldn’t hold on any longer, and within seconds, I melted into darkness.

Chapter 10

I woke up to the steady, rhythmic dripping of water. Lying on my stomach, I glanced around and tried to figure out where I was. My mind was still a bit cloudy from whatever the crazy woman had put in our food and drink. I shouldn’t have had a V8, I thought, but the joke wasn’t enough to make me smile in my condition. It was dark, and I couldn’t see a thing. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of it. Where am I?

I felt something scratchy beneath me. Hay or straw or something. I wasn’t out in the open air, and the place had a foul stench to it. I would have bet a million bucks that I was in a barn.

A drop of water hit my face, and I assumed it was from all the rain coming through the leaky roof. When I sat up, I hit something hard. I couldn’t see what it was, but it really made no difference. I just wanted out of here.

I took a cautious step, feeling through the darkness to find the door and praying to God that the others were alive and okay. I gasped when the memories of the most recent events flashed through my mind in severed fragments: Nick’s room. He’s...a zombie. But Rita shot him!

Glass crunched, and a chill shot down my spine. I could hear tiny footsteps, and that meant only one thing: I wasn’t alone. That thought alone made my stomach gurgle. When I heard a tiny growl that didn’t seem to come from a human throat, only one thought occurred to me: Zombie!

To make matters worse, the creature had a distinct advantage over me, because I couldn’t see anything. I didn’t have a weapon or even know where the exit was. I wondered if I’d been put in there on purpose, to feed the zombie, maybe the woman’s dead husband or one of her sons or even her alleged cat.

The crunching grew closer, and I sucked in a deep breath as fear coursed through my veins. I could barely hear the footsteps over the sound of my pounding heart and frantic breathing. I clenched my fists, ready to fight. It let out another soft growl, and I could hear it breathing. Blood pumped hard through my head, almost dizzying me. I couldn’t even see my opponent, but I was sure it was stalking toward me. Terror gripped me and squeezed even tighter as I strained to see in the darkness.

“Dean?” I heard a voice call from behind me.

“Val?”

“Yeah?”

“Get up! There’s something in here with us!”

“Wh-where are we?” she groggily asked. “Something’s dripping on me,” she said.

“Get up!” I said, repeating my command more sternly. “I know your mind is foggy, but there’s a zombie in here. I need you to fight. We’ve gotta take it down. Besides, I need your eyes!”

“Dean...” she said.

I followed her voice. “You’ve gotta get on your feet, sis,” I said, feeling around for her. When I felt her arm, I shook it. “Wake up!”

“I can’t open my eyes. In my pocket. There are keys, with a little flashlight on them. Max gave it to me.”

More footsteps shuffled around, and I almost threw up as they came nearer. “Val, you’ve gotta open your eyes and see how many there are!” I frantically said. “Do you see anything we can use as weapons?”

She didn’t answer.

At that point, I was sure she’d blacked out again, and I figured I’d have to fight the threat off by myself. I reached into Val’s pocket and grabbed the apartment keys, fumbling with my nervous fingers for the little flashlight. When I found it, I was glad to see that it let off quite an impressive LED beam for such a tiny little thing. I shined it around the dark barn, but I didn’t see any zombies. Of course, I didn’t see any suitable weapons either, nothing but hay and walls constructed of old and decaying wood. “Wouldn’t you know it?” I complained to myself. “In those Jason movies, there’s always a pitchfork or a shovel or something. Why isn’t it like that in real life?” I knew I had heard something, so I glanced around again. “They aren’t smart enough to hide,” I reasoned, “unless...” The thought of it being a hybrid caused me to sweat profusely, and I wiped by brow.

When the low growl pierced the air again, I knew I had to get myself and Val out of there in a hurry. I’d never been so scared and disoriented before. Even if it was only one zombie, being trapped in that dark, dank, unfamiliar place with no weapons was a nightmare all its own. The increasing dread only made it harder to suck in air, but I knew I had to push beyond the fear, for myself, for Val, and for the others. “Breathe,” I told myself.

In a blur, something shot toward me.

My heart stopped.

It barked, and I let out a sigh of relief as the German Shepherd sat down by my feet, a friendly, furry beast who just wanted to check me out. I patted its head, still trying to get my breath back, and then I rushed back over to Val. I flashed the little light she gave me and gasped.

It was at that moment that I caught sight of something so gruesome, so horrible that I would never ever forget it: dead human bodies dangling from meat hooks, like deer carcasses in a hunter’s garage. They looked fresh and were still dripping crimson blood that splashed the hay beneath them. It became instantly clear to me that Rita had lied about her family being away for over a week, because she couldn’t possibly have killed all those people and hoisted them up there by herself. I was horrified when I realized it wasn’t rain I’d felt dripping on me earlier; the thought made me gag, and I had to fight the urge not to vomit. Clearly, the barn we’d been thrown into was a makeshift butcher shop, and we were next on the chopping block.

“Val,” I said, “you’ve gotta wake up!”

She didn’t budge.

Just as I was considering throwing her over my shoulder to carry her out, the door creaked open. The beam from a flashlight poured in, and heavy shoes crunched on grit and rocks, carrying a group of armed men inside.

I quickly shut off the mini-flashlight, lay down, and played dead. There was no way I could take on such a group by myself, so I just remained completely still, not even breathing. When a huge glob of blood dripped onto my forehead, I didn’t dare wipe it off. I opened my eyes just a slit and saw a man in a bloody apron.

“These carcasses aren’t ready,” one of the men said. “They need to hang out for a few weeks before we can butcher ‘em.”

I swallowed hard.

“One of them is ready,” a woman said.

“Okay. Sal, this’ll be your first one. Sure you can handle it?”

“Yeah. I just cut between the ribs with a knife and cut the top from the bottom with the meat saw, right?”

“Exactly. The cross-section of the cuts will look like a proper rib-eye steak.”

A woman cut in, “Or, if you want, you can cut across the top to make round steaks. Even better, cut larger portions. Rita makes an awesome roast with all those fresh veggies we got growing in the blue room.”

“Now you’re makin’ me hungry,” the rookie butcher said and laughed.

“What about the new ones Rita led back here?” a man asked.

“She drugged them pretty good. They’ll be out till morning. Let’s get Sal started, and we’ll come back later and put ‘em outta their misery. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“When did you get a dog?” Sal asked.

“I found it just a little ways north of here. I figured the mutt would make a good lunch tomorrow.”

They chuckled, then took one of the bodies off a meat hook.

“So...what’s it gonna be?” one asked. “Sirloin, porterhouse, T-bone or New York strip?”

“You got hunger on the brain, don’t ya, kid?”

At that point, I knew we were dealing with a whole new kind of sick and twisted; had they had chainsaws, they would have given Leatherface a run for his money, and that made me want to puke.

The barn door clicked shut as they left, and when I was sure they were gone, I started shaking Val.

“Dean?” she said.

“Nick’s dead,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out of my mouth.

“What?” she said, her voice trembling. “Nick?”

“Yeah. He’s dead,” I repeated. “I think she overdosed him, probably those two pills she gave him, and he died and turned into a zombie. He went after me, and Rita shot him dead in his tracks.”

“Why’d she save you?”

“It wasn’t personal. It was...territorial, like a dog fighting over a bone. As far as that old bat was concerned, Nick was going after her food.”

Val let out a long sob.

I could say nothing else and only embraced my heartbroken sister in a tight hug. Nothing had ever hurt so badly in my life. I felt shock, disbelief, numbness, sadness, and anger wash over me at the same time. A few moments later, when she asked for more details, I told her everything I knew, then helped her up.

“We gotta stay strong for Lucas and Kate,” she said. “Can you do that?”

“Yes.”

“Where are they?” she asked.

“I-I don’t know,” I nervously stuttered, as I had no idea if they were dead or alive.

“Rita led us to the barn, but they passed out, and they’re too heavy for her to carry.”

“Wow. How nice of her to help us out, getting us to the barn before we passed out.”

“I’m sure her plan was to get everyone out here, but it didn’t work out that way.”

“They think were down for the count till morning,” I said.

“Dean, you didn’t eat much,” she said. “That’s probably what ultimately saved your life. I ate a ton, but maybe I’m immune to drugs or something, or else they left my system pretty quick. I mean, I can heal from zombie bites, so my system can take a lot.”

“Do you think they’ll bring the others out here, now that the men are back?”

“I’m not sure, but should we just sit around and wait? I mean, what if they decide to kill them in the house first. Lucas and Kate are completely defenseless. We’re their only hope of survival.”

“If they do bring ‘em out here, we’ll all be together. We can easily sneak out and take the truck. If we hurry to the apartment, they’ll never find us.”

“I don’t wanna just sit out here and wait. It’s too much of a gamble with our friends’ lives. Besides, what if they shoot us as soon as they come out here again? They have guns, but that old witch took ours.”

“You’re right, sis. We need the element of surprise on our side. They think we’re completely drugged, so we’ll just have to ambush them. Let’s sneak in and find the others. I just hope they don’t come back too soon and discover that we’re missing.”

“That’s why we need to move fast.”

I opened the barn door, and it creaked loudly. My heart jumped. The dog ran outside to freedom, and I was thankful for that; I just hoped it was smart enough not to stick around the freak farm, because if they saw the dog, they would suspect that we’d gotten out. Just as I was considering putting him back in the barn, he darted off. I glanced around but didn’t see anyone. There were no guards on duty, and that gave us an advantage.

“We can’t go in the front door,” Val whispered. She pondered, then pointed to a high window. “Look! Somebody is trying to break out.”

A boot smashed through the wooden boards and I wondered if it was Lucas. I called his name but he didn’t answer. I didn’t want to alert Rita or her cohorts to my presence so I didn’t try to call again. Somebody was trying to escape and it was the perfect way in.

“C’mon!” I shimmied up a nearby tree, then clambered from branch to branch. Whoever was kicking out the window had stopped. I called to them, but they didn’t answer. I climbed quietly into the open window, then helped Val in behind me. When I saw Nick there, looking at me half dazed and alive, it was as if lightning had struck me, and I was speechless.

“Nick’s not dead!” Val said.

“Of course not,” he slurred. “But Rita came back in and gave me an injection. She said it was Valium. I heard her tell some man that Val and Dean were in the barn dead. She locked my door, so I had to break out of here and see if it was true.”

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Val said, shooting me a glare for delivering the news that he was dead.

“I-I was drugged,” I whispered. “I’m sorry. I must have been in the wrong room.”

“This is the east wing.”

“I went west, I guess, but why’d she have a zombie in any of the rooms?” I asked.

“Who knows? It’s impossible to figure out a lunatic.”

I’d never been so happy to see Nick alive. I wanted to hug him and never let go. Nick and I had our differences, but we were family and loved each other.

Nick swayed and lost his balance, crashing onto the bed. Val tried to gently wake him up, and he groggily opened his eyes.

“Get up!” I whispered. “We gotta go.”

“Is it morning?” he asked, slurring and yawning.

“Get up!” I said.

He stood and swayed to the side, and Val caught him. It had to be one of the most intense moments of my life. I knew if we were caught or overtaken, we’d be killed for slaughter. I loved my friends and family, and I refused to let our lives end in that vile way. No matter what, I would make sure my siblings got out alive.

Nick was too loopy to climb down a tree though, and he didn’t even know what was going on. His coordination was off and I was afraid he’d fall and break his neck.

“Nick can’t climb a tree,” I whispered. “We can try carrying him down.”

“We could, but what about Kate and Lucas? We have to go get them. And we’re in the house undetected. We take the drunk with us. And go look for the others.”

“I’m not drunk,” Nick slurred.

“Shhh,” Val said.

She walked to the closet and got a metal clothes hangar. She threw the pants off that were hanging from it and straightened it out.

“Ready to break out, boys?” she asked.

“I’d just rather go back to bed,” Nick said.

Sticking the pointy part of the hangar straight into the little hole in the middle of the door knob, it clicked and popped open. I opened the door as softly as I could and peeked down the hallway, relieved to see that it was all clear. My heart was pounding a million miles a minute, the floor creaked with every step I took, and every second seemed like an eternity. I could feel the droplets of sweat beading down my back and face. I tried to keep my breathing even and unlabored, but that was easier said than done. When I heard someone stomping up the stairs, terror flooded through me.

“This way,” Val whispered, pointing to a room filled with glass aquariums of what looked like spiders and snakes. Whether they were pets or food, I didn’t want to know.

Val and Nick went into the closet, and Val whispered to Nick not to say a word.

He stopped mumbling.

There wasn’t enough room for me, so I opted for the spot under the bed.

And of course, out of all the rooms in the place, they decided to wander right into the one where we were hiding.

Just our luck, I thought, none too happy of being surrounded by snakes of the animal and human kind.

Chapter 11

From my vantage point under the box-spring, I saw black, scruffy boots and tattered jeans, four legs in all, indicating two men. Whoever they were, they seemed pretty upset about something. The one with the shinier boots cursed, and the other one lunged at him.

“I want that blonde,” he said. “You got that brunette last week.”

“There’s another brunette out in the barn.”

“Yeah? Well I don’t want her. I want the blonde.”

Blonde? They’re fighting over Kate.

“Sorry, buddy, but it ain’t gonna happen!”

Then, just like that, a fight ensued.

If Nick hadn’t been so drugged, I was sure we could have taken the two down, but as it was, we had to wait it out.

Glass shattered with a loud boom, spraying out in glistening arcs and crashing to the ground. I covered my eyes as little shards flew toward me.

“Don’t do this!” the man yelled. “You can have her.”

“No, that ain’t good enough. You’ll just keep butting in, trying to take what’s rightfully mine.”

As they argued, something slid over my legs. I knew instantly that it was one of the snakes I’d seen earlier. I sucked in a deep breath, hoping the thing wasn’t poisonous or ready to strangle me like those giant anacondas I’d seen on Animal Planet so long ago.

As I stared straight ahead, I saw a handful of hairy, black and brown tarantulas, as big as my fists, skittering creepily toward me. Go the other way! I thought, but the overgrown arachnids didn’t seem to care what I thought and just kept coming, staring at me with their beady little eyes. I didn’t know spiders could move that fast. Dread washed over me, and I wanted to run. I’d faced zombies in battle, but these natural predators were something entirely different. A scream swelled in my throat. I pushed one away, then another. Some went to the left of me, and others went to the right. It took everything in me not to run out of my hiding spot. I felt like bugs were crawling all over me, but I was sure it was just my imagination getting the best of me. Then I felt something on top of my head, then all over my body. I felt a tickle on my neck and about freaked. I could have sworn one crawled up my back, and it was all I could do to keep from screaming when I was so very unnerved.

As the men fought, a shot fired, and one of them dropped to the ground. He fell forward, facing me, while blood gushed from the bullet wound in his head. The other man, the hot-tempered shooter, paced the room, as if pondering what to do. As he thought out his plan, a big, hairy tarantula crawled on top of the dead man’s face, then sat on his head.

I stared at the dead man’s face. As if the zombies aren’t bad enough. This whole thing is turning usually normal people into monsters, some as murderous as the zombies themselves. How could anyone ever resort to butchering and eating humans? I mean, there was that rugby team in the Andes or something, and that psycho serial killer in Milwaukee all those years ago, but still... The violence was almost unbelievable, but I’d witnessed it with my own eyes.

As I was pondering the sad state of humanity, the man’s eyes opened—the milky, filmy orbs of a newly turned zombie. I scooted back, but he reached out with his still-warm hand and grabbed my arm.  I was just glad I was far enough under the bed that the gun-toting idiot couldn’t see me unless he peeked under the bed.

“What are you flailing around for?” the shooter asked. “I thought you were dead, buddy. But we can’t have you runnin’ around here tryin’ to eat everyone’s brains, now can we? I’m afraid it’s time for you to go into eternal slumber, Ricky.” With that, he pulled the trigger again, and the headshot caused the zombie to loosen his grip on my arm. The man spat on the dead guy, then turned off the lantern.

Surrounded by complete darkness, with hairy bugs and slithering snakes crawling all over me, I was frozen in terror. It didn’t help matters that there was a dead guy lying just inches from me. Still, I knew I couldn’t stay there forever.

Just as I was about to ease out from under the bed to escape the madness, the door opened, and someone burst in and turned on the lantern again. “What did you do, Tommy?” Rita asked.

“It was an accident,” Tommy said, sobbing as if he really cared. “What am I gonna do, Mama? The other guys are gonna hang me!”

“We’ll tell them the blonde got the gun and shot him.”

“But they’ll kill her then...and I want her.”

“Well, you’re just gonna have to do without, son. This is the only way to keep the peace. If Marvin finds out that you shot Ricky in cold blood, he’ll kill us all.”

I could feel spiders crawling on my back, legs, neck, and head, and it was creeping me out. I tried to jerk my body so they’d fall off.

“Get this mess cleaned up,” she said, “and get all these spiders and snakes back in their pens. Marvin won’t be happy that his pets are loose.”

“We could eat them,” Tommy suggested.

“Son, do you have a death wish? They’re off limits! You know that. Now get this cleaned up.” With that, she turned and left.

Tommy grabbed a tall laundry hamper to gather up the spiders. As soon as he bent over to pick up the first one, Val burst out of the closet and kicked him, causing him to stumble back a few feet. When he lunged for my sister, that was my cue to get out from under the bed and give her a hand.

Before I could even get close enough to help, Val cold-cocked him. “And that’s how I take care of flesh-munching monsters,” she said.

Tommy fell backward, right on top of the dead man.

She shook her fist and looked at me. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. How’s Nick?”

“Asleep again.”

“Let’s wake his lazy butt up,” I said, shaking Nick. “He’s had enough beauty sleep.”

She knocked a spider off my shoulder.

I shuddered. “Whoever Marvin is, he’s lucky I didn’t smash his creepy pets.”

Finally, our brother opened his eyes.

“Get up,” Val demanded.

We helped him up, and he stared off into the distance.

Val opened the door and looked both ways. “All clear,” she whispered.

Nick was still out of it, but we were lucky that he was at least able to walk.

Val went down the stairs first, with the catlike precision of the average ninja, then waved us forward when she saw that the coast was clear.

I guided Nick down the stairs as carefully as I could, but his feet were still half-asleep, and he missed a step and tumbled all the way down, groaning all the way.

At the bottom of the stairs, I tried to get him to open his eyes and get back on his feet, but he was out cold. “C’mon, Nick!” I said, patting his cheeks. “Wake up, man! We don’t have time for you to keep going narcoleptic on us.”

Val ran to the dining room, then rushed back in and glanced at me. “Kate and Lucas are out cold too,” she said.

“Where are Rita and her evil offspring?” I asked.

“Probably out back, chopping up that body they were talking about earlier. Poor guy, whoever he was.”

“Poor us if they realize we’re not in the barn. C’mon. We gotta get Nick and the others outta here fast.”

“I hope they don’t see us.”

“Rita parked her truck out front,” I reminded her.

“I know, but so are they.”

I opened the front door and peered out, then walked outside and did a quick sweep. I didn’t see anybody, much to my relief. First, we carried Nick outside. The cold air blew in my face as we hoisted our brother into the back and covered him with an itchy wool Army blanket Val found.

“One down, two to go,” Val said.

I let out a long breath. I was exhausted, terrified, and dreaded going back in that house, but we couldn’t leave our friends behind. I bolted for the porch and took two steps at a time, with my sister keeping up an impressive pace right behind me. We hurried straight to the dining room, and worked to throw Lucas over my shoulders in a fireman’s carry, so his weight would be balanced. He was heavy, but I managed, and Val carried Kate the same way.

I’d never left a house so fast, but as soon as we were to the truck, I heaved Lucas in, then helped Val roll Kate into the truck bed. While Val covered them up and quietly closed the tailgate, I searched for the keys. When I realized Rita was too smart to leave them above the visor or in the glovebox or under the driver’s seat, we began looking for a screwdriver or a similar tool so we could hotwire the thing. We were about to commit grand theft auto again, but that was a lot less dangerous than going back into that nightmarish house where we’d almost become the main course for a bunch of cannibalistic lunatics.

Click.

“Come out and put your hands up.”

“Please don’t shoot,” Val begged, huddling next to me and crying, playing her role well. She inched toward the man. “Please don’t hurt me,” she begged.

“I’m not gonna shoot you, honey,” he said.

“I heard you upstairs,” she said. “You’re looking for a girlfriend, huh? Well, blondes don’t have all the fun. If you let me go, I’ll show you.”

He relaxed his shoulders for a split second.

That was all the window Val needed to give him one swift, crippling kick to the nuts that sent him crashing to the ground. She then grabbed his weapon and knocked him out with the butt of the gun.

I made quick work of taking the rifle off his shoulder, happy to be armed again.

Suddenly, his brothers and friends came out of nowhere, and a volley of gunfire ensued.

“Shoot to kill, Dean!” Val yelled, shooting me a stern look. “Take ‘em out!”  I knew it was a hard order to give, because she’d always been compassionate, but it was a live-or-die situation, and she didn’t want to mess around. When the first man charged, she aimed and fired.

For me, though, shooting at live targets was a lot harder for me than just shooting zombies, but they’d left us no other option; truly, it was self-defense. I took careful aim at everyone who came at us, trying to hit shoulders or legs, anything that would slow them down without killing them, and a bunch of them dropped like flies.

“I said shoot to kill,” Val said, then finished off the ones I’d missed. The cold, empty look in her eyes reminded me of the expression Nick often wore. She was a merciful, compassionate person, but when it came to saving her loved ones, she was a force to be reckoned with.

The remaining cannibals begged us to stop our defensive assault. Two men and one woman dropped their guns.

I covered Val while she kicked away their weapons, then picked them up and threw them in the back of the truck. She hurriedly gathered up the rest of the guns from the fallen and threw them in the truck as well.

“We surrender,” Rita said, her voice shaky.

“We want the keys to the truck,” I said. “Now!”

Rita looked at me, and her scowl deepened. “I did save you from that zombie back in the west wing, young man. See, I drugged that man a little too much, and it killed him. Too bad, because he had meaty thighs, and I could have made good use of him. I couldn’t let him dig his teeth into you though, not after I worked so hard to lure you in.”

“You wicked old witch!” Val screamed. “You need help.”

“I’m not wicked.” Rita said. “I’m just...this godforsaken zombie apocalypse has made me this way!” she roared.

Her lousy excuses wouldn’t garner her any sympathy from me, so I just shouted at the monster, “Gimme the keys to this truck, or there’s gonna be another victim of the apocalypse lying on your lawn, lady!”

“I have to go inside,” Rita said in a calm, reassuring voice.

I didn’t trust her for a minute, and neither did Val. I was sure if we let her go in there alone, she’d come out with a machinegun or an Uzi. For all I knew, the crazy old bat had a rocket launcher stashed in her quilt rack.

“Dean,” Val said, “go in with her and get the keys. Shoot her if she tries anything funny.”

“I don’t wanna leave you out here with these guys,” I said.

“Right,” she said, then quickly shot both of them in the chest. “There. Now you have nothing to worry about. Now go.”

Rita screamed and wept over one of the men. “How dare you? Have you no mercy?”

“Us? You’ve got dead people hanging in your barn, ready to be made into casserole! How’s that for mercy, lady?” Val asked sarcastically. “Now, if you don’t go get those keys for my brother, the zombies are gonna be feasting on your dead corpse when I make Swiss cheese of you right here!”

“We’re just trying to survive, like you,” she whined.

“And so are we,” I chimed in.

Val’s voice trembled. “Now you know the pain each and every family member felt when their loved one didn’t come back from your little bed-and-breakfast. I’m officially putting this cattle farm out of business.”

“We don’t eat for pleasure, just for survival,” she said.

“Maybe at first you did,” I said, “but you admitted yourself that you started to enjoy it. You’re twisted and sick. We’re all living in this world, dealing with all this, but we aren’t eating each other! You’re a freak, a monster, and there’s something wrong with you if you’d go to those lengths!”

“No! I’m a good person,” Rita argued.

“Tell that to the families of your victims,” Val screamed, getting angrier by the second, her face redder than I’d ever seen it before.

“Where’s the key, Rita?” I asked, waving my gun at the old woman.

“In the kitchen.”

“I suggest you be a little more specific, hag,” Val spat.

“It’s hanging on the key rack, behind my raincoat.”

I turned to my sister. “Go get it. I’ll watch Rita.”

She nodded and stormed into the house.

“Well? Are you gonna lecture me now about what a sick operation I run here?” Rita asked.

“I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person,” I said. “I read that on a coffee cup once, but it seems to apply here. You’re a freaking psychopath,” I said. “Nothing I could say would make you change your mind or feel any remorse.”

“Do you feel remorse when you eat a burger?” she asked. “Cows are killed the same way.”

“Human beings are not cows.”

Before Rita could utter another ridiculous word, Val came out. “I got the key!”

“Great. Now we can—”

Bang!

The second my attention was diverted, there was a gunshot, and Val collapsed to the grass next to one of the men she’d killed.

“Val!” I shouted.

Chapter 12

My sister was writhing in pain, shivering, and clutching her chest.

Rita then pointed the gun straight at me.

Just as I was about to lunge at her, the gun clicked empty. I rushed over and picked up Val.

Rita tried to grab another gun from the back of the truck, but she was startled by a series of zombie moans echoing through the air and knew she had a bigger problem to contend with then us. Rita’s own relatives were rising from the dead, and they were hungry for more human flesh. On top of that, our little gun battle had invited more to the dinner party, so several were moving in from all sides.

Seeing no point in wasting ammo to rescue a woman who would murder countless more people, I left Rita to her cruel fate. I lay Val in the passenger seat and shut the door, then started the engine.

“Don’t leave me!” Rita yelled. “My sons aren’t here to defend me!”

I threw the car in reverse and backed down the driveway. In the rearview mirror, I saw Rita run toward the house and bang on the door, with a hungry group of zombies, some of her own sons, gnashing their teeth behind her. Then a thought occurred to me. “Val,” I said. “Did you lock her out?”

She refused to answer me and stared straight ahead, as if in shock.

Taking that as my answer, I pressed the gas pedal, and we sped off.

“On the way here,” I said, “I saw a doctor’s office. We can raid it for supplies.”

“No. We can’t risk stopping. Just get to the apartment. The doctor there can take care of me.”

I gripped the steering wheel tightly. “That’s a pretty serious wound. Are you sure you can make it that far?”

Up ahead, a group of people armed with rifles was walking along the edge of the road. When they saw us, they tried to flag us down.

I slowed down, but Val grabbed my arm.

“Don’t you dare stop,” she said. “You shoulda learned by now that we can’t trust strangers, Dean. It’s been nothing but a disaster for us. Just keep going. If they’re flagging us down, that means they have nothing, and they can’t help us. They might try to hijack the truck, and we’ve gotta get back to the complex.”

Reluctantly, I passed the group of survivors. If we hadn’t disbanded the cannibals back at Rita’s bed-and-breakfast, those poor people might have been Rita’s next meal. Ultimately, while I was leaving the travelers to fend for themselves, I felt good that we’d taken out dangerous predators that would have been their demise. In a way, we’d rescued them without them even knowing it, and I had to take some joy in that.

I sped as fast as the truck could go, hoping my brother and friends wouldn’t wake up in a daze, wondering why they were in the back of a speeding truck. I called Val’s name to check on her, but she didn’t respond. “Val?” I repeated.

No answer.

I had no idea what to do. I knew we needed to sanitize her wound and stop the bleeding, and she was probably in dire need of antibiotics, which I was sure the doctor at the complex was fresh out of, because he’d had to treat so many patients. In fact, antibiotics had been added to the list of supplies we’d been sent out to search for.

Ignoring Val’s advice to head all the way back to the complex, I pulled into the parking lot of the doctor’s office I’d seen. I looked around but didn’t see anything. I shut off the engine, debating about what I should do. I knew it was dangerous to go inside the building and very risky to leave Kate, Nick, and Lucas unconsciousness in the back of the cab, defenseless against any oncoming zombies. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Val was probably right and I should just head home.

Just as I was about to back up, a woman pointed a rifle at me.

I rolled down my window. “Look, I’m leaving. I only stopped to—”

“Get out!” she demanded.

I was sure she wanted my truck, and I didn’t want to shoot her, so I decided to floor it and try to speed away.

Just as I was about to pull out, she shot out my tire.

“Crap!” I yelled.

“Get out!” she repeated.

I now knew she meant business, and I feared Nick, Val, Lucas, or Kate could get caught in the crossfire so I had no choice but to cooperate. She didn’t look all that dangerous, and I was sure I could fight her if I had to to keep the truck. I slowly got out and held my hands high, only to notice that there were tears running down her face.

“Are you here to r-rob me?” she stuttered.

“No. I was trying to leave,” I said. “I don’t wanna cause any trouble.”

She aimed at my forehead, but her hand was shaky. “Were you gonna try to break in?”

“I desperately need medical supplies,” I said. “My sister’s been shot, and my three friends were drugged.”

She lowered her gun, and more tears streamed down her face. “Well, in that case, maybe we can help each other out,” she frantically said.

“How?” I asked.

“I’m a doctor. I can help you. I just want...something in return.”

I cocked a brow. “What?”

“I was just informed that my seventeen-year-old niece was left behind in a supply run. It wasn’t on purpose, but they were overrun by zombies at the Walgreen’s a few miles from here. If you rescue my niece, I’ll do my best to save your sister and the people who were drugged.”

“How do I know you’re really a doctor?” I questioned, not so ready to trust any stranger after the Rita fiasco.

“I guess you’ve just gotta trust me,” she said.

“Trust doesn’t come easy these days. Maybe you want to steal my truck.”

“I live here, and my name is Dr. Willows. I believe you’re in urgent need of a doctor.”

“Desperately,” I conceded.

“Then today’s your lucky day. I love my niece, but I can’t risk my life to go save her, or I’d do it myself. I have six children under the age of ten. If I die, they won’t have a mother anymore. I can’t leave them by themselves in this world. I just can’t. I won’t. I hope you understand. Give me your word that you’ll try to rescue my niece, and I’ll get straight to work on your sister,” she said, peering behind me at Val. “From the looks of it, you’d better hurry up and make up your mind.”

I sized the woman up, and my gut told me she was genuine. I didn’t know if I could trust my instincts, as my faith in myself was a bit tainted because of Rita, but I was generally a good judge of character. “Where is your niece exactly?” I asked.

“In an office in the back of the pharmacy. The good thing is that they don’t know she’s there...yet.”

“Hmm. Well, you drive a hard bargain, Doctor, but I guess I’d better hurry,” I said with a half-smile. “I’ll do all I can for your niece, and I’ll trust you to do the same for my sister.”

Chapter 13

Just as I was about to leave, Dr. Willows reached for my arm. “Wait! I need a little information before I treat your sister and friends. Help me get your sister and the others inside, and you can tell me what we’re dealing with.” She then called a group of other women, who eagerly offered their assistance.

“What happened?” a brunette asked.

“We have a gunshot victim,” Dr. Willows said, “and the others were drugged.” The doctor then looked at me. “Do you know what kind of drugs and how much?”

“I’m afraid I’ve got no idea. I think it was put in our food, but I didn’t eat as much as the rest of them,” I said.

The dark-haired woman looked at me. “My name is Suzy. I’m a nurse. I’ll need you to wait out here.”

I nodded.

She directed her attention to some of the others. “Put the drugged ones in beds in Room 6 and the gunshot victim in Room 10.”

After the others rushed off to prepare the rooms, another brunette with a clipboard began asking me questions. “Who is the gunshot victim?” she asked.

“Her name is Val,” I said. “I’m her brother, and so is Nick, one of the men who was drugged—the one with black hair and blue eyes. Why?”

“Because we may need blood for a transfusion.”

I filled the nurse in on all the information I knew. I even told her about Rita and everything we’d been through. My hands were shaking as I told the story.

Another woman on crutches tried to give me a glass of water and a white pill. “Take this. It’ll help you relax,” she said with a smile.

The whole thing reminded me too much of Rita, so I pushed her hands away. “No.”

“You don’t trust us?”

“Trusting strangers is how we got into this mess in the first place.”

“We’re not like them. We’re trying to help.”

I peered at her intently. “Well, I’ve been burned too much. I’ll calm down on my own, thanks. Why are you so eager to help us anyway? You don’t even know us.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

When another woman came in and saw the nurse holding the water and pills, she snatched them away. “No pills!” she said. “He’s going to rescue Megan.”

“Sorry. I-I didn’t know,” she replied.

I got up and started pacing. “Is Val gonna be okay?”

“We don’t know.”

“I want to see her before I go,” I demanded.

“Not just yet. Dr. Willows is trying to save her life.”

“Then let me see the others,” I insisted.

“As soon as we make sure they’re stabilized.”

“It was just drugs,” I said. “I had some, too, and I’m fine.”

“The dosage was high. The young woman is barely breathing.”

“Her name’s Kate,” I said. “The woman who gave us the drugs, this old lady named Rita, didn’t care if she overdosed them, because she planned to kill us anyway.”

“I’m so sorry this happened to you in our town. I know Rita and her sons, and I had no idea what they were up to. Don’t give up on your family and friends, Dean. We’ll do everything we can to save them.”

It seemed like an eternity passed before the doctor finally came out to give me an update. “Nick is going to be okay,” she said. “Turns out he was given a hefty dose of Valium.”

I sighed in relief.

“Lucas and Kate, however, ingested large amounts of GHB.”

I cocked a brow, as if she’d spoken to me in a foreign language.

She continued. “Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, or it could’ve been ketamine or even rohypnol.”

I’d heard of that before, and I knew it was a date-rape drug. “Are you telling me that old bag slipped us roofies?” I asked, shuddering.

“Basically, yes. You didn’t ingest enough of it to do much damage, but the others did. Strangely, Val isn’t suffering any effects from the drugs. Did she skip dinner?”

“Something like that,” I said, not ready to explain to the doctor that my sister was half-zombie.

“You said you live about an hour away?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

Her lips pressed into grim lines. “Val, Lucas, and Kate would’ve been dead if you didn’t stop here on the way back. You saved their lives by bringing them here.”

I gasped, and a deep sense of guilt flooded through me. Had they not pulled guns on me, I would have hightailed it out of there. Following Val’s advice would have cost them all their lives. The thought of that had me struggling to keep it together. “How’s Val?” I asked.

“I was able to remove the bullet,” the doctor said, “but to be honest, she’s barely hanging on.”

“If you need blood, you can use mine.”

“We used Nick’s,” she said. “He was a match.”

“Whew. Well, I’m thankful for that.”

“Infection is going to set in quickly. I gave her some antibiotics, but we’ll need more.”

“Antibiotics? That was why I stopped here in the first place,” I said.

“When you rescue Megan, you’ll be at Walgreen’s. Scoop up as many antibiotics as you can,” the doctor said. “Time is of the essence. I’ve done my part, and now it’s time for you to do yours.”

“Take care of them, Doc,” I said. “And if I don’t make it back, please tell them...that I loved them.”

“You can tell them yourself when you get back here with my niece and those antibiotics, Dean,” she said, handing me a piece of paper with the names of antibiotics written on it.

I could feel the compassion in her voice, and I knew she would treat my siblings and friends well. I slipped on my coat and hopped into the truck to go survey the scene. I’d be by myself, with no backup. It was beyond dangerous, but I now owed the doctor a huge favor. At least it was morning, so I would have the advantage of light instead of going on a suicide mission at night.

Just as I was about to pull out, the woman on crutches yelled my name. She hobbled over and opened the passenger door, then put her crutches inside.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I’m coming with you,” she said, climbing in and buckling up, “kind of.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you honestly think you can rescue Megan from a herd of zombies all by yourself?” she asked.

“Of course not. That’s why I’m gonna create a diversion of some sort.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“I’ve got a better plan!” she squealed. “Turn right on Lucinda Street, and you’ll see.”

“I don’t like surprises,” I said.

“You’ll like this one!” she said, then gave me directions to a blue house.

Chapter 14

My eyes instantly lit up when I spotted the armored combat vehicle out front, a green tank, sitting right there in the yard. “Does it work?” I questioned, jumping out of the truck as excitement flooded through me.

“Yup. It’s all ready. My father’s out of town, helping other relatives, but he keeps this to defend the house if too many zombies come.”

“And he won’t mind if I borrow it.”

“He probably would mind, but he’s not here, but you’ll never get Megan out of there alive without a little manpower behind you.”

“I’m afraid I skipped that class in driver’s ed though,” I said.

“Heh. Don’t worry. I can give you quick instructions. My dad has let me drive it on supply runs.”

Even though she couldn’t go with me due to her broken arm and leg, remnants of a horrible car accident, she graciously gave me detailed instructions on how to operate the vehicle, and she let me take it on a test run while she told me exactly what to do.

“You got this?” she said.

“I got it.”

“Then hurry up and go rescue Megan!” she said.

We said our goodbyes, and then she went inside her father’s house.

I opened the hatch and crawled in the manhole-like opening, then hit my elbow and head. I looked around at all the white walls and gray metal, the protruding objects, dials, buttons, and hanging straps. I was a bit worried about the powerful machinery, as I didn’t want to lose a limb or be burned. I got into position the best I could, scraping my knuckle bloody in the process in the tight, cramped little space. “I swear, I’d need to be a contortionist just to get comfortable in here. How do those big, bulky military guys do it?” I said, trying not to bump into the lights and computer screens.

I sat in semi-supine position in the front section of the hull, directly under the main gun. I leaned back in a reclining seat that reminded me of a dentist’s chair. I looked at the directions I’d been given to get to Walgreen’s. I would steer the tank with the motorcycle-style handlebar and accelerate by twisting a handle grip throttle. Fortunately, the brakes were operated by a pedal on the floor, just like a car. With my thumb and forefinger, I could easily move the gear selector. This isn’t so bad, I thought. The transmission was automatic, with four forward speeds and two reverse. I navigated using three periscopes, one of which was equipped with a night-vision sensor. There were digital instrument panels that provided me with all sorts of navigational data.

I turned on the switches, and the engine cranked to life. I only had to worry about steering, throttle, and the brake, and I was sure I could handle that. The M1 surged through all its gears, and I decided it was a good time to test the brakes; they could have stopped on a dime. “Incredible!” I said. I slid the selector in place and pulled back hard on the throttle. With a jerk, the tank took off. Really, the M1 didn’t drive much differently than a heavy-duty truck, and I was protected by sixty tons of killer steel as I maneuvered down the road. I’d only seen the steely beast on television and in the movies, but now I was behind the wheel of one, and it was quite exciting.

I crept up to ten MPH, then twenty, then fifty. The turret motor and ventilator were pretty loud, and the smell of burning oil was all around me. As the tank cruised down the road, I felt the vibrations shooting through my body. The squealing tracks were louder than the engine itself. “What a rush!” I said with a laugh. It was just as thrilling and exhilarating as the Ferrari joyride down the highway that I’d taken with Val.

If I had that truck I took from Rita, there was no way I could pull into the parking lot of Walgreen’s, though, because it was zombie central. There were far more enemies out there than I had bullets for, so I was thankful to be safe and snug inside my big tank. They were shuffling all over the place outside, and I was sure there were even more of them inside, especially since the windows had shattered, giving them free access to the store. I bit my lip and thought hard, realizing I needed a distraction. I had to rescue Megan and get the antibiotics for my suffering sister.

I sucked in a deep breath. Here goes nothing, I thought. I had been deployed to the combat zone, and I planned on the mission being successful. Through the periscope, I had 200 degrees of visibility. Aimlessly stumbling around the parking lot like clumsy idiots, the hostiles weren’t hard to spot. My plan was to expend a little bit of my ammunition from my current position to destroy my enemies and take their numbers down. As I looked around, I caught sight of the doors I needed to break through, and several undead were there, shuffling over the broken glass.

I turned the handlebar to the left. As I pulled into the parking lot, I backed off the throttle, and the tank came to a stop. I fired every second, and gunfire rang out all around me. Cars were scattered around, blocking my path to the entrance of the stores, but that was no problem for me; I could just bulldoze right through them. I slowly crashed through cars and shopping carts, small trees and lampposts, then rumbled past the herd of zombies, feeling like I was at a demolition derby at a county fair, only without the corndogs and people cheering me on.

Metal creaked the second I connected with the first car, and the multi-ton tank crushed the priceless Mercedes like a tin can. The luxury automobile was pulverized in seconds, flat as a pancake under the tank treads, along with any zombies who happened to be in the way. Bouncing around in the metal box, I annihilated anything in my path. It was bumpy and jarring, but I plowed through the roadblock like an experienced commando. The roaring and clattering of the tracks boomed in my ears. My heart pounded in my throat, and I coughed as the exhaust fumes hit me full force. When I moved my arm, I bumped into something metal and pointy and realized I’d cut myself. I examined my battle wound; it was no biggie—just a little scrape. The sixty-ton, car-crushing, armored vehicle plowed through a huge crowd of the undead, who just stood there like deer caught in the headlights as they were mowed down.

I aimed under the “One-Hour Foto” sign and fired my powerful cannon. With a loud boom, the crumbling doorway was engulfed in fire. The loud bang and shockwaves washed over me, and my ears began to ring. “Target acquired!” I yelled. I drove my armored vehicle straight through as the smell of ammonia drifted around in the wake of the gunfire.

It was difficult to maneuver the big tank, and when I crashed through the wall of the store office, the tracks began to whir; I was stuck. Through the night-vision screen, I could see zombies pouring in around me. I put the tank in reverse and started firing the gun. The clank of the shell casings hit the bin.

Boxes of cereal flew all over the place as I headed down an aisle. Snap, crackle, pop, I thought, laughing, as zombies, gore, and guts flew everywhere. I smashed countless bodies under the treads, plowing through them like they were nothing. I saw the pharmacy section up ahead, and I was happy to see it; now all I had to do was rescue the girl, get the medicine, and get out. Hordes of zombies were coming, so I just fired away, watching their bodies jerk as bullets tore through them.

When I didn’t see any activity, I grabbed my flashlight and rifle. I climbed down from the tank, which wasn’t the easiest to do. “Megan!” I shouted. “I’m here to rescue you. Your aunt sent me.”

A door clicked open, and a girl with long brown hair ran out.

“It’s okay,” I said. “You’ll be all right now.”

“Let’s go.”

“I have to get some antibiotics first,” I said, grabbing the list from my pocket. “Can you help me find these?”

“There’s no time for a shopping spree!” she yelled.

“We’ve got to get them,” I said. “Without them, my sister will die.”

She swallowed hard and reached for the list, then motioned me over to where the drugs were kept. The medicine supply had been raided, but there were still some left.

A low hiss, followed by a moan, echoed through the dark building, and I suddenly had a grim since of déjà vu, as if I was back in the eerie lab again. I cringed, and my heart began to race.

“Let’s go!” she said.

Just as a zombie came into view, I aimed and fired. The girl screamed, but I handed the list to her. “Please find as many as you can. I’ll hold ‘em off.”

She darted off to the medications and started sifting through them.

I hurried over to the place where I heard more hisses. I knew we couldn’t stay there very long, and we had to get back to the tank. A naked zombie with green, tattered skin snapped its jaws. I shot it, but then another one came out of nowhere. Its black fingernails reached for me, and I fired a single shot into its brain. Two more stumbled over all the supplies, litter, and debris, and more came from the left. I swallowed nervously. “How much longer?” I asked.

She held up three large bottles. “I’ve got them!”

“Let’s get outta Dodge then!”

She hurried over, and I fired away as she climbed inside the tank. I told her where to sit, then climbed in myself and shut the hatch. I fussed with the switches for a minute before the tank whirred to life. I immediately backed up.

Megan was holding tightly to a metal rod, not letting go, gasping for air. She was absolutely terrified and looked like she might pass out.

I tried to comfort her, but it did little good. I started back down one of the aisles, this time toppling over drink displays and candy bars. When I tried to turn toward the door, the tank went the other direction and rammed into the wall. I tried to back up and get back on track, but it wasn’t working.

“What’s happening?” my petrified passenger screamed hysterically.

“I’ll get it,” I said, fumbling with the buttons.

“And just how long is that gonna take?” she said. “Some rescue this is! You can’t even drive!”

Fear rose in my voice. “I’m trying, okay?”

“We’ve gotta get out of here before more come.”

“I shot lots of them,” I said.

“That doesn’t matter. For every one you kill, there are five more out there. They’re like freaking rats! Let’s leave the tank. You can come back and get it another time.”

“We can’t go out there,” I said, looking through the periscope. “There must be fifty of them.”

“We can’t stay here and wait for more to surround us. We have to move!”

“I know!” I shouted, frustrated and trying to think. “But I don’t wanna get killed in the process!”

Chapter 15

“I’ve got an idea,” I said.

“What?”

“We can lay down a smokescreen,” I said.

“A what?”

“This tank can do that. It’ll confuse the zombies, and they won’t be able to see us.”

“I like it!”

After shooting off another round of bullets, I flipped a toggle switch next to the ignition, and a gallon of fuel went through the turbine’s exhaust manifold, causing huge clouds of white smoke. I lifted the hatch, which was big enough to swallow at least nine or ten tanks. The white cloud gobbled us up, and we were able to climb down under the cover of smog. I used my rifle to poke through the smoke, because I couldn’t see a thing. When I felt the barrel of my gun touch a body, I instinctively shot at it. We carefully maneuvered our way through and hurried out the door, with zombies shuffling in our direction. I grabbed Megan’s hand, and we bolted to the right.

Much to both of our surprise, we made it back to the doctor’s office in one piece, with the antibiotics in hand.

Dr. Willows ran over and pulled Megan into a tight hug. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she checked her niece over. Then she hugged me tightly. “Thank you, Dean. Thank you so much for bringing her back to us!”

I held her at arm’s length. “How’s Val?”

She frowned. “Not good. I’m afraid...well, we don’t expect her to make it through the night without a miracle.”

Her words hit me like lightning, stealing my breath and words away.

She touched my shoulder. “But Nick is awake, and so is Lucas. Also, I was able to stabilize Kate.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Can I see them?”

“Sure,” she said and motioned me to follow her. She led me to an exam room to see Val.

On the hospital bed, under a white blanket, my sister looked so peaceful, as if she was merely sleeping. There was an IV hooked to her arm, but it just led to a bag on a pole, and it wasn’t the electronic kind. She looked pale and tired.

I reached for her hand as tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t know what to say or do, since I’d just been told she wouldn’t make it through the night. She was my sister, and I’d grown so close to her that I also thought of her as a friend. “I-I love you so much, Val,” I whispered as a tear rolled down my face.

The door creaked open, and Nick walked in.

Thankful to see that he was okay, I quickly wiped my face and embraced him. It was the most emotional moment we’d ever shared, both of us consoling one another about Val. My throat constricted, and more tears threatened to spill from my eyes. Neither of us could speak for a moment, so we just looked at each other. I could tell by the horrified look on my brother’s face that the doctor had told him the awful news.

“I-I can’t bear to lose her,” he said, his voice trembling uncharacteristically.

I wiped my eyes. “Me neither.”

Nick sat on the edge of the bed and held Val’s hand. “If she doesn’t make it, I’ll never forget this time we had with her. If she hadn’t come to the island, we never would have met her or even knew she existed. Just knowing that kills me.”

“She’s a beautiful person,” I said. “We have to keep the faith, Nick, even when there’s no hope.”

He looked away and pondered. “I heard you rescued Megan. A tank? Wow. Nothing short of amazing.”

“Thanks.”

“I was kind of sketchy about what happened back at Rita’s,” he said, “but Lucas filled me in on a little of it. He told me Rita was crazy and wanted to cannibalize us. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“It’s not your fault. You were drugged.”

“I wanted to leave, but I let everyone convince me to stay. I should have insisted,” he said.

“It wasn’t your fault, Nick. We outvoted you. How’s your shoulder?”

“Better. Just bruised now, and that’ll heal.”

“Claire has to be worried sick about us,” I said.

He nodded. “I know. I wish we could phone her.”

I looked away. “We can’t go back without Val.”

“I don’t think Claire’s heart can take losing her.” He paused. “I don’t even think my heart can.”

There was a knock at the door, and Lucas and Kate came inside. I hugged both of them, and they told me they were glad I was okay and that they’d been worried about me. We all said a prayer for Val, and it took everything I had not to burst out in tears.

“You should’ve taken me with you to that store,” Lucas said.

“You were out cold,” I said.

“I’m sorry about that whole Rita thing, man,” he said. “A lot of it’s still fuzzy though. How’d you get us all outta there and here? Give us Cliff’s Notes version, would ya?”

“Well, Rita drugged you with valium, and us with something like roofies. I didn’t eat that much, so it didn’t affect me that long. Val was affected at first but snapped out of it, probably because of that serum in her blood. We carried you out of here, but Rita and her crazy sons tried to stop us. We shot most of them, and we drove off. Zombies showed up just in the nick of time to distract Rita, so I rushed out of there and drove here to get bandages and antibiotics, only to run into Dr. Willows, who offered to help Val and you guys if I rescued her niece. I did my part and...well, I guess she did the best she could to help all of you.”

Nick looked at Lucas in stunned confusion.

“What if Dean and Val hadn’t been able to overcome the drug?” Kate asked.

“We’d be dead,” Lucas said, “probably on a sandwich with mayonnaise.”

“Man, that old broad was sicker than I thought,” Nick said.

“A few more things happened, but I’ll fill you in later. Right now, I just want to be with my sister and send her all the positive energy I can.”

Dr. Willows came in and checked Val’s vital signs, then looked at us.

“I know you gave us all IVs,” Kate said. “I’m sorry you had to use up so many precious medical supplies.”

“You’re all paid up,” she said. “Dean saved my niece, and I’m forever in his debt.”

“No,” I said. “I owe you...for everything you did for Val, my brother, and our friends.”

“I wish things would...turn out differently,” the doctor said. “I really do.” She then turned and left the room.

Val suddenly opened her eyes and called for people I’d never heard of.

“Kyle,” she said, “is that you?”

“It’s me, Dean,” I said, softly.

“Where’s Kyle?” she asked. “I need to tell him that the bite didn’t kill me.”

Lucas looked at me. “That was the guy she came to the island with.”

“Her boyfriend?” I asked.

“It’s somebody she got romantically involved with along the way. She doesn’t talk about it at all.”

Val reached for Lucas’s hand. “Lucas? Is that you?”

“Yes,” he said.

“We can’t be together. I’m seeing somebody else.”

“Kyle’s not here,” I said.

“It’s not Kyle,” she said.

“She’s delusional,” Kate said. She thinks her and Lucas are still dating.”

Val’s eyes fluttered open. “Sammy, is that you?”

“It’s me, Kate.”

“Where’s Sammy? She was so devastated when we were ripped apart. I have to tell her that I didn’t die. She thinks I’m dead. I can’t bear for her to suffer any longer.”

Lucas explained. “She came with this teenage girl who was about seventeen with turquoise hair. I guess she was a family friend and Val used to babysit her. And then there was Kyle and his little daughter, Jenny. When Val was placed into isolation, she was allowed one last visit with them. It was so sad. It about ripped me apart. The little girl, about ten or so, was crying and Sammy wouldn’t let go of Val. Kyle told Val he loved her as the soldiers ripped him away.”

“What happened to them?” Kate asked.

“Dean’s dad got them safely off the island and they were told not to return. Val was bitten and Kyle was told Val would be humanely put down. He was heartbroken. He vowed to take care of Sammy for Val and to keep her safe. As far as the three of them know, Val died from the zombie bite.”

“That’s so sad,” I said.

“Kyle,” Val said. “You promised to be with me to the end. Where are you when I need you the most? You said we’d face this bite together.”

“She thinks she’s dying of a zombie bite,” I said.

“Val,” Kate said. “You were shot. You were cured from the zombie bite. Don’t you remember?”

She took a deep breath. “I was cured. But there’s no cure.”

Kate patted her hand. “Yes, there is. You’re living proof.”

“Then I’m going to live?” she asked. “You’ve got to tell Sammy, Kyle, and Jenny. They’ll be so happy to hear I’m going to be okay.”

“They’re not here,” I said.

“Kyle left me?” she asked, as a tear fell down her cheek. “Then get Sammy. She’d never leave me, not in a million years.”

“Your friends were escorted off the island,” I said. “They didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

She gripped the blankets tight. “Then they think I’m dead? They don’t know I’m alive?”

“I’m so sorry,” Kate said.

“Sammy has to be heartbroken. We were so close. I took care of her when she had nobody else.” She let out a long breath, then met my gaze. “Everything is cloudy, but it’s all coming back.  I see Lucas and Kate are okay. I’m so thankful for that. But how’s Nick? Where is he?”

He ran out to run an errand. She let out a sigh of relief, then fluttered her eyes closed. She didn’t say anything else. She ran a high fever and I’d never seen her look so pale. We were losing her and my heart couldn’t take it. She grew worse with every passing minute. We stayed up all night and kept a vigil for Val. None of us left her room. Dr. Willows brought us in food and drinks, though we didn’t really have much of an appetite. My pants were loose, and I knew I’d lost quite a bit of weight, but my stomach was in constant knots, so I seldom felt like eating. I thought back to the nursing home, when Val, Claire, and Jackie had given me those speeches. My mind drifted back to Val’s words, and I teared up all over again:

“I was living a perfect life, something of a fairytale, I suppose. Then, in the blink of an eye, my world crashed down around me. I lost my home, my family, my fiancé, my job, my dogs, and my life. Just before the world turned into a zombie hell, I found out the shocking news that I’d been adopted. My biological grandma begged me to come to the island, so I did. On my way, I was bitten, but I really couldn’t have cared less. As far as I was concerned, my life was already over anyway, but I did still want to meet my family before I took my last breath...

“I was scheduled for execution, but you—a brother I hadn’t even known—stepped in and selflessly risked everything to save my life. You did everything you could, from taking the antidote from the lab to breaking me out of jail. You risked life, limb, and reputation—your whole future for a sister who hadn’t even been part of your past. When we crashed, I again put your life in danger. I’m so sorry about that, but you loved me, and you quickly proved that you’d do anything to help me. The wonderful thing about it is that you did that without even really knowing me. But we had this connection, this bond. Dean, you’re my brother, and I love you for that. But even more so, I love you because you’ve stuck with me through all of this. You even put up with me when I fought with you, like that little battle we had in the grocery store. We may not always see things the same way, but I know we both have one another’s best interest in mind, and that means everything...

“You’ve never given up on me and even continued to fight for me when I became a zombie. Nothing could stop you. You were determined to find me and risked your life again to go into that deranged city. You almost died in their makeshift arena, and nothing hurts more than knowing it was all because of me...

“...I just wanna tell you that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Finding you has been the most wonderful thing. I couldn’t ask for a more fantastic brother, and I love you from the bottom of my heart.”

When I finally snapped back to the present, I said, “I need air.”

Nick jumped up and grabbed me. “No! I don’t want you going outside. We’re not in Fairport, and there are too many of those slimy things out there. I won’t lose you too.”

There was no way I could argue with those words, so I decided to stay. Kate sat next to me and held my hand for comfort. I hugged her and closed my eyes, and she just held me.

Chapter 16

When I woke up, it was morning.

Dr. Willows was examining Val, taking her vital signs. She smiled. “She’s better! I don’t know how, but I guess she’s a fighter.”

We’d never been so happy.

Tears ran down Kate’s face as she hugged me.

My heart leapt with joy when I saw Val open her eyes. “Val!” I said.

“Dean?”

I rushed over. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

She touched my face. “Ditto.”

I laughed.

She closed her eyes and fell back to sleep, but it was still a relief to know she was back on the road to recovery.

***

Over the next week, Val’s health improved, and we finally said our goodbyes. I was so touched that strangers had actually kept their word and helped us. Dr. Willows had done so much for us, giving us food and shelter and helping Val get better. The doctor wanted us to stay another week but we wanted to get home for Christmas. The thought of Claire spending it alone thinking we had died was too much for any of us to bear. Lucas and Kate offered to go back and tell Max and Claire that we were okay, but we didn’t want to split up. And it was dangerous having Max come back for us. Why take unnecessary risks? Val was well enough to travel an hour and our own doctor back at the apartment complex could take over her care.

We drove back to Fairport, arriving there just before a blizzard hit, and we told everyone what had happened. Some joked that we should’ve sent Z a dinner invitation from Rita. Claire and Nick shared an emotional reunion, since she had feared that we were dead.

Christmas was the next day, and we wanted it to be special for Val, since it would be our first Christmas with our sister. We chopped down a huge pine tree and decorated it with the ornaments we’d found a few weeks earlier.

When Val woke up on Christmas morning, she gasped. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’ll never forget this Christmas as long as I live.”

“You’ve been a pretty good girl,” Nick teased, “so Dean and I got this for you.” He handed her a small package with a red bow.

“Are you trying to make me cry?”

“Just open it,” I said.

She unwrapped the package and fingered the sterling silver pendant. “It’s a necklace.”

“It’s a wolf with an arrow through its mouth,” Nick said.

“It signifies one who has the perseverance to overcome any obstacle or win any battle,” I proudly explained. “We thought it was perfect for you.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she hugged me and then Nick. “Thank you, guys.”

We laughed, ate, sang all the old carols we could remember the words to, told stories, exchanged more gifts, and actually enjoyed the most wonderful day of the year. Claire even played some music on a tape recorder we’d found, and it was, truly, a holly, jolly Christmas for us, even when the world was falling apart.

***

Christmas came and went, but I knew that every day we got to spend together was a gift. Until we’d almost lost Val, I’d always taken that for granted and had never really paid too much attention to it. Now, I’d always cherish my friends and family, every single minute.

I stopped by Apartment 101 to deliver some much-needed medical supplies to Mrs. Jones, who insisted that everyone call her “Grandma.” She was the sweetest old lady and loved to tell stories about her days as an actress and singer on Broadway when she was younger. Mrs. was dressed in a modest, knee-length, floral dress, and her hair was as white as the snow that was falling outside. Even in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, her gaudy jewelry and trademark librarian bun made her stand out like a sore thumb. I set down the supplies and helped her put everything away.

“Your mother would be so proud of you,” she said.

I smiled. “My mom’s a wonderful woman. She made sure Nick and I have...character.”

“And Val too,” she said, her big, blue, twinkling eyes.

“Val didn’t grow up with us.”

She pushed up her glasses. “Really?”

“She was adopted. We only met a couple months ago.”

“Well, you certainly have a very special bond. It seems like you spent your whole childhood together.”

“Yeah, Val’s great. We hit it off right away. I feel like I’ve known her my whole life.”

The sun shone through the cream-colored curtains, and I swore I saw the shape of a hand, a silhouette, coming into view, but then it disappeared. I marked it off as my imagination playing tricks on me.

“Why are you on the first floor?” I asked. “You’d be much safer upstairs.”

“I can’t climb rope ladders at my age. I’d be stuck up there, and I don’t want to be dependent on people bringing me things. Besides, I have a rifle.”

“Why aren’t the windows boarded up?” I asked.

“Because I refuse to let anyone take my sunshine away. Why do you ask?”

“I just...well, I thought I saw something, and it has me all jittery. I just worry about the safety of the folks on the first floor.”

The silhouette came back, and this time, I could clearly see a hand twisting. My heart began to race, and I hoped it was only kids playing a trick on us. When the hand tapped on the window, I walked over and slowly parted the curtains.

In an instant, a zombie with half a face smacked the window with its skeletal hand.

This is no joke, I thought with a groan.

Chapter 17

I gasped. “Zombie!”

“No,” she said. “You must be mistaken.”

I peeked out past the rotter and saw at least a dozen of them stumbling around.

Mrs. Jones took short steps and shuffled over. “Good heavens!” she said.

“They’ve breached the perimeter!” I said, reaching for my gun. I then turned to Mrs. Jones. “Grandma, you need to get upstairs! I’ll help you.”

“No, Dean! I’m not leaving.”

“Then lock the door and stay put.”

She opened her closet door and reached for her rifle. “Are you kiddin’? We have to warn the others!”

Mrs. Jones’s grandson raced down the hall and looked at me. “Thanks for taking care of her. I’ll look after her now.”

I nodded and sprinted down the hall to the lobby, where a group was frantically loading weapons.

“Dean!” one of the men called. “Can you help us get the ones coming up the hill?” he asked. “Should be pretty easy, since they’re so clumsy and slow, especially comin’ uphill. We got teams in the back and front already.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Ned said. “Let’s go!”

I opened the door, and gunfire erupted. The sickening, salty smell of blood hit me in the face, and I gagged. Some of our people had been torn to pieces, and others were screaming for help as the zombies savagely ripped into them. The wails and screams were horrifying. Pulling my trigger, I fired taking out one that was biting into a man’s face. The loud thunder of gunshots filled the air as we all started firing away, flooded with anger and disgust that they’d broken into our sanctuary. We didn’t stop firing till all of the undead had fallen and dead zombies littered the parking lot.

Michael wept as he pounded the skull of a thin zombie with short, curly red hair. “This is for my sister!” he screamed. “I’m gonna make you pay for taking a great woman away from this world!”

His emotion made me swallow hard. I didn’t know how I would have reacted if a zombie had killed my sister.

He then put two rounds into the zombie’s chest.

His sister took her final breath as fountain-like sprays of blood spurted on the concrete.

Another woman, barely alive, reached out to me. Blood gushed from her gut wound and neck, She gasped, trying to say something.

I moved closer and listened.

“Please tell my childr...tell my kids I love them,” she begged in a helpless whisper.

I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood. Time seemed to slow down, and my breath grew labored. As Jan’s eyes fluttered shut, I tried to hold it together. Just a few weeks earlier, I’d helped her collect rain water and watched her dance in the rain with her children. Now, she was covered in so much blood that I hardly recognized her. How did our peaceful, safe apartment building turn into a combat zone? I wondered. How did they break through?

More moans made me turn my head to the left. Snapping out of my gaze, I started shooting at other zombies that were squirming and clomping out of the weeds. Bolting ahead, I aimed and fired at a zombie in jeans and a white shirt, one with thick hair and glasses. It fell on its face. Then I shot at another, with bushy, black hair, snapping its jaws. Another in a coat, hat, and gloves, a man with a bushy beard and sunken cheeks, reached for me, snapping his jaws like a hungry piranha. I fired two shots in two seconds, both of which hit the flesh-eater in the head. Black oozed from the bullet wounds in his head, sending him back to the grave forever.

All kinds of thoughts flooded my mind. Maybe the zombies aren’t repelled anymore, because there’s no way we’ve had this many natural deaths in the Fairport. Something’s wrong, and I’ve gotta find out what it is. I wasn’t sure how safe it was to stay there, and again I longed four our island and the warm feeling of my mother’s hugs.

“We need to get to the hill,” a woman said. “That’s where they’re coming from.”

“C’mon!” Ned yelled.

Just as I was about to follow them, a moan echoed off to my right, where three more zombies were breaching the perimeter. As one of them slowly spun around, I realized it was missing the back of its head. I focused, let out a breath, and took them all out.

“Dean!” a familiar voice called out.

I spun around, and my eyes widened in shock. “Grandma? What are you doing out here?”

“I can shoot, you know,” she said. “If they’re coming up the hill, I can take them suckers out one by one. I may not be able to move too quick, but I sure can stand in one spot and fire away! My grandson taught me everything I need to know.” She started to shuffle away.

Shouts and yells pierced the air, coming from the woods. A second later, several kids ran out in a panic, with at least five zombies on their butts.

“Dean!” one yelled. “Help!”

I took careful aim and fired off more shots, till I nailed each and every target chasing the kids. I stood as a buffer in front of the children, who were screaming their heads off and huddling behind me. I glanced in the direction of the building to see if there was a clear path for the kids, but flesh-eaters were coming from all over the place now, like a big swarm of angry bees.

Zombies, covered in dried blood, walked clumsily toward me. I squeezed the trigger and nailed at least five or six of them, but more came from the left and right. My heart was racing, and everything was a blur. Every time I took down a line of them, more came. One of the boys screamed when a zombie grabbed his arm. Just as it began to sink its black teeth into the kid’s flesh, I aimed my rifle and shot it in the face. Gore, brains, and flesh flew all over the children, making them scream even louder.

I opened the door of a nearby car and motioned for the kids to get in. “Lock the doors and stay still!” I ordered.

The youngest was frozen in place, too terrified to move, so I picked him up and handed him to the others, then jumped on top of the car like some kind of Rambo. I aimed and fired, mowing down one zombie after the other. Gunfire rang out from everywhere, and I could hear people firing from the back of the building and by the hill.

A zombie grabbed my ankle and wouldn’t let go. I tried to blow its brains out, only to realize I was entirely out of ammo. Three more pulled on my leg, as if they were in some kind of tug-o-war. I began whacking their skulls with my rifle. A few seconds later, a series of gunshots rang out, and they all dropped to the ground. I glanced up at Grandma, who was grinning and holding her rifle.

“Don’t just stand there with your mouth hanging open,” she said. “Get those kids to safety.”

Without hesitation, I opened the driver’s-side door. Grandma covered us as we zigzagged and jumped over dead bodies, breathing in air that reeked of death and blood. Once we reached the building, I quickly opened the door and ushered all the little ones inside. They were all hysterical, and I tried to calm them down the best I could.

One of the boys hugged me. “Dean, don’t leave us.”

I wanted to stay with them, but I knew that wasn’t an option. I needed to be out there fighting. I knelt down. “Listen, it’s gonna be okay. Just hurry up the ladder and look after the others. I can’t leave Grandma out there by herself.”

“Okay, Dean,” he said.

Grandma came in and shook my arm. “Let’s get our butts back out there!”

“I need ammo,” I said.

She slung a beaded purse over my shoulder. “There ya go! Now c’mon.”

I reloaded, then opened the door and peered around me. The front was clear. I knew Grandma was going to go out there with or without me, so I walked slow so she could keep up, ever watching for any sign of danger. Loud popping sounds rang in my ears, and the smell of gunfire filled the air.

When we made it to the top of the hill, Nick grabbed my arm. “The rest are coming from down there,” he said. “We need to take them out.”

“Don’t worry,” one of the men said. “You just shoot. We got your back. Nothin’s gonna sneak up on you.”

I nodded, then assumed a position on top of a ledge with the other guys, a much better vantage point. Peering through my gun scope, I calculated my first target and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew and hit a blonde, heavyset zombie straight in the chest. When it fell over, I moved to my next target. I gasped when I recognized a woman I’d talked to once about the infected animals. She’d only lived a block over from us. My heart went out to her as she suddenly fell sideways, with a bullet hole in her forehead; I was just glad I didn’t have to be the one to take her out. I disconnected from my emotions and kept shooting. My neighbors were coming to tear into our flesh, and we had to fight. With my adrenaline pumping, I stalked my prey from above and watched them fall, one by one, to their demise.

I glanced over at Grandma to make sure she was okay. There she was in all that jewelry, a floral dress, and a housecoat, shooting like Lara Croft, with surprisingly good aim. I’d always thought powerful strength and lightning speed were the only way to survive, but Grandma proved me wrong. Age didn’t matter, as long as we all worked as a team to destroy the deadly threat.

Through the scope of my gun, I saw others ambushing zombies, and I had to be careful not to shoot them. I wondered if they should’ve gone down there like that, in all that gunfire raining down. The thick aroma of cordite burned my throat, and I was sure it was worse down below.

I put my gun down and took a deep breath. We’d cleaned house and put all of them down. Truthfully, the zombies didn’t stand a chance against us. Max had so much firepower at his disposal that we could’ve taken down hundreds of them, and now zombies were strewn up and down the hill.

“How’d they breach the border?” somebody finally asked, the question we’d all been dying to hear the answer to.

“Aren’t we safe here anymore?” a woman asked.

“Maybe they’re not repelled anymore,” a man said. “We knew it couldn’t last forever.”

“We’re so screwed!” somebody yelled. “Royally screwed.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I thought that at first, but I noticed something.”

“What, Dean?” my comrade next to me asked.

“Because I noticed they were wearing clean clothes, and there was dried red blood on them. Also, they weren’t terribly deteriorated like most of the ones I’ve fought, so they couldn’t have been killed too long ago. And another thing...I noticed one had glasses, and another had a hat. If they’d been zombies for long, they woulda already lost those. Zombified people aren’t exactly fashionistas.”

“He’s right,” a woman said. “They were newly turned.”

“But...how did so many die in our city at one time?” Sammy asked, his eyes wide.

“Maybe the virus,” the woman said, “but if that’s the case, we’re all vulnerable now.”

“We need to burn the bodies,” I said, “as fast as possible.”

Sammy left to go get gasoline and a lighter, and I headed down the hill with the others to start piling zombie bodies up for proper disposal. Cremation was the best way to prevent the germs and bacteria from spreading.

When I glanced down, I noticed a white piece of paper fastened onto a dead zombie with a safety pin. In black marker was the letter “Z” scribbled across it. A shiver shot down my spine. “This wasn’t the virus, folks,” I announced grimly. “This was...Z.”

Chapter 18

The man next to me looked at me, stunned. “What?”

“Looks like he left his calling card,” I said, pointing to the paper.

When we checked the other zombies, several had similar notes pinned to them. When we more closely examined them for cause of death, we realized they’d all been shot, execution style, right through the head.

I was mortified. Did Z break in here during the night and murder all these innocent people just to get to Max? To scare him? I knew scare tactics and terror were Z’s M.O., and when I saw our fearless leader, I called him over to tell him about it. “Max,” I said, “these people...they were all murdered, compliments of our greatest enemy, Z. They were all shot in the head.”

He examined body after body and gasped when he realized I was right. “I’m gonna make him pay for this! He will suffer!” he roared.

We launched our own investigation and learned that Z had, in fact, killed everyone who lived down the hill from our apartment building. When we checked the houses, the coppery smell of a bloodbath assaulted my nostrils, and I almost threw up right on my shoes. It was heart-wrenching that survivors—not zombies—had been killed. Blood was splattered everywhere, from the ceilings and furniture to the floors and doorways.

“How could they do this?” I asked.

“Z is crazy,” Lucas said. “He’s a psychopath, even worse than that Rita, and he needs to be stopped.”

I swallowed hard. “How could they follow him, knowing he slaughters innocent people?”

“That’s part of his motive. He’s a pathetic terrorist, trying to instill fear into every living person in this city. He has no morals and doesn’t care, and that’s what makes him so dangerous. We need to eliminate him right now.”

When Nick came in, his lips were pressed into a grim line. “They’re all this way,” he said, leading me out.

“We need to take Z out,” Lucas said, “right now, when he won’t expect it.”

“He wants to scare us, so he’s gonna be surprised when we turn around and take him on, full force, rather than running away with our collective tail between our legs.”

I gave him a fist-bump. “I like it.”

“And so does Max. Gather your weapons, and let’s go fight.”

It felt good to hear Nick finally including me, to be considered a real, integral, contributing part of the gang. I wanted nothing more than to take Z down, and I mentally prepared for the battle as I gathered my bullets and guns.

We divided into teams. Asia and Kate went with Max, and the rest of us hopped in another Land Rover, all of us fuming with rage, bent on destroying Z.

***

We didn’t get very far when Max came to a decision not to go attack the city in rage. We weren’t prepared and everyone needed a solid game plan. We were livid about what Z had done to all those people, but before we could launch a successful attack, we needed to do some recon. There were rumors that Z had called in more reinforcements, and we knew it would be stupid to march into his territory without knowing what we were up against; for all we knew, he had double the people we did, and we could get slaughtered in a matter of minutes. We all wanted to get our hands on him, but we had to be smart about it.

I was on guard duty and the two us took the south trail. My shift was almost over and I couldn’t wait to get back to the apartment and get a workout in. When I burst through the bushes, I scanned the area in front of me, slowly from left to right.

“It’s clear,” I said.

No answer.

“Mikey?” I called out.

No reply. I turned around and glanced through the towering weeds. I called his name a few more times but there was no answer. I heard a gun cock behind me, then felt cold steel against my neck.

“Ready to die like your friend?” a deep voice asked.

Instinctively, I turned around. I rolled my arm to the inside of the man’s shooting arm and brought my arm up and over the guy’s arm. He fought me but I continued wrapping my arm underneath his. His forearm was locked into my armpit and I drove his elbow joint upward until he screamed in agony. If I pulled any harder, I’d dislodge his shoulder joint. With my other hand, I initiated a throat strike and kicked his knee out. He dropped his weapon and fell into the snow.  My heart pounded and I recognized him as one of Z’s men. I knocked him out with the butt of my gun and his eyes fluttered closed.

Two shots fired behind me and I swung around. A zombie...a hybrid was holding a gun pointed directly at me. My stomach dropped. I thought we had blown them all up. Either Charlie had snuck some out before the lab blew up or he was creating more hybrids with our serum. The thought terrified me. The hybrid wore a long, black trench coat, a hat, gloves, and black pants with boots. Its frizzy, brown hair blew in the wind over its tattered and torn skin. Two more of Z’s men lay on the ground dead. I froze, staring at its withered, rotting face. I could barely breathe. My mind raced. Every second was a blur. We were at a standoff. I wondered if I could lift my gun faster than it could shoot me.

“They were going to kill you,” it said in a deep, raspy voice. “Just like they killed your friend. So I helped you out. You didn’t even know they had their guns on you.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked.

The hybrid stared at me, then walked off into the brush. I didn’t have the heart to shoot it after it saved my life. I just watched it walk off as twigs crunched under its steps. Other men who heard the shots fired came running. Mikey had been shot dead. I told the others what happened. Half of them went to look for the hybrid and the other half went to look for anymore of Z’s men lurking around. I ran to Max and told him everything. He immediately dispatched more men. I hurried inside the apartment and called everyone. But the only person there was Val.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I was attacked by one of Z’s men while on guard duty,” I said.

“What?” she asked.

“And it gets weirder... A hybrid saved my life.”

“No, those things don’t save lives. They rip and tear skin as they feast.”

“It saved me from my attackers. When it pointed a gun at me, I thought I was dead. But it lowered the gun and walked away.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” she said. “Why would it help you and not kill you?”

“I don’t know.”

“You know that meeting we’re supposed to have with Max later today?”

“Yeah?”

She swallowed hard. “It’s about that. People have been reporting hybrid sightings. They’re prowling around Z’s gang and Max’s territory. Max wanted to warn everyone so they’re aware and extra cautious.”

“Charlie has hybrids,” I said. “And you know they have to be created from our serum.”

“How can I sleep at night knowing that?” she asked.

“I wonder how many he made,” I said.

“I have no idea, but we gotta find those hybrids and take care of business.”

“I can’t believe you knew about this and didn’t tell me,” I said

“Max just told me. That’s what the meeting is all about.”

“But still, he came to you first with confidential info. Why?”

“I just happened to be in his office when he received the reports.”

I blinked in disbelief as realization overwhelmed me. “Charlie’s creating an army. I thought we blew up that army when we blew up that lab.”

Val sat down. “Looks like he’s starting a new army.”

A shiver crept down my spine. “It’s unbelievable.”

“It’s hard to fathom.”

“What did we unintentionally unleash on earth?” I asked, guilt-ridden. “This is our fault. If we hadn’t given him the serum, the hybrids wouldn’t exist.”

“We’ll stop this,” she said.

“I hope so.” I did not want those hybrids hurting anybody in this city...or anywhere for that matter. I knew how dangerous they were and I knew they needed to be contained somehow.

“Can he control them?” she asked.

“He must or else we’d have dead bodies piling up all over the place.”

Val nodded. “True. So how’s he controlling them?”

“Jonathon talked about a chip but he wasn’t sure.”

“I can’t buy that,” she said. “He’s has to be doing it another way.”

“How can he keep them from murdering people?” I asked. “It’s bred in their zombified genes. I saw those ravenous hybrids in his lab. I saw what evil they’re capable of up-close and personal. I still have nightmares about what they did to those people.”

Val tapped her chin. “You think it would’ve fed on the gang members it shot.”

“I was waiting for it to pounce and jump on him, but the hybrid simply walked away.”

“Max said the other ones aren’t attacking either,” she said. “They’re just prowling around.”

“Gathering intel?”

Val shook her head. “For Charlie? Like good, little hybrids? That’s not good at all.”

“Charlie can’t shoot a gun for crap but he has an army of the living dead at his beck and call.”

“That’s beyond dangerous,” she said.

I let out a long breath. “At this point, Charlie’s just as dangerous as Z. I don’t know which one is crazier.”

“It’s a tough call.”

“We’ve got two lunatics we desperately need to kick out of town.”

“We need to find where Charlie’s keeping the hybrids stashed,” Val said. “I’m going to have Max send out teams to scour the city for their lair. We need to destroy them before they destroy us.”

“When the others hear about this, I’m sure they’ll be ready to tear apart the city looking for them.”

Val blinked. “I wonder what Charlie’s doing with all these hybrids.”

“Jonathon told me that he created the hybrids the first time to destroy Z’s gang,” I said. “You said he’s watching Z’s gang and now us. He’s looking for a weak link. I bet he plans to take out both sides.”

“And if that’s the case, that leads me to one conclusion, Charlie wants control of Fairport. But he has to fight a dangerous warlord, not to mention Max, to claim his stake.”

I propped my feet up on the coffee table. “Maybe he’ll let Max and Z battle it out. That way he only has to take on one group and not both.”

Her lips pressed into a grim line. “If he has hybrids on his side, he can easily take both sides out.”

“We’ll take out Charlie before that ever happens,” I said. “We just have to find his hide out and take lots of backup and ammo. We’ll blast them all back to hell.”

“And hopefully that’s where they’ll stay.”

***

We scoured the city for Charlie’s hybrids but couldn’t find them. We’d even checked the hospital lab like we suspected. It looked like Charlie had been there, but there was no sign of zombies. We had no idea where Charlie and the hybrids could’ve went. It was a complete mystery. Even some of the scientists disappeared with him. I knew he had a little tight group of men and women who were dedicated to him. Obviously, those people were clueless to what a nut he was.

The hybrid problem continued because we kept getting eye witness reports day after day. I wondered what they were feeding on because nobody in Fairport was showing up dead from zombie attacks. And so far, they hadn’t hurt anybody...they just watched from a distance. And that creeped me out more than anything.

Max assigned recon missions to each of us, and Asia and I would be working together to scale a tall building near Z’s warehouse. Our mission was to try to gauge just how badly we were outnumbered and pick up any intel that might help us. We did this on a daily basis because Z had new people joining his group every day. Max sent us in alone, thinking we’d be a lot less noticeable than a larger group, and he expected us to move like the shadows.

As we walked along the road to our destination, I looked at Asia. “Nice binoculars. Where’d you get ‘em? I haven’t seen a sports store around here lately.”

“On a supply run yesterday,” she said. “Max gave them to Val, and she let me borrow them.”

It wasn’t the first gift Max had given to my sister. In fact, he’d been giving her plenty, and I was really starting to get suspicious that he might have a crush on her. “Well, they look like top of the line.”

“They are. We’ll be able to see everything.” She half-smiled, then winced suddenly and touched her forehead.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Just a headache. Just gimme a minute,” Asia said, waving me away.

“You’ve been through so much. Those scientists did all sorts of horrible experiments on you. Maybe your body needs time to rest.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “I just need...a minute.”

Truth be told, we didn’t really know what sort of heinous things had been done to Asia or Kate. Neither of them wanted to talk about it, and I couldn’t blame them for not wanting to relive the nightmares; Kate had tried to talk to me about it once, but she’d just kept breaking down in tears. Whatever it was, I was sure it had been horrendous. I didn’t want to pry. Lucas had told me that Asia had a scar on her stomach, something he’d discovered when they were bragging about their battle wounds over a game of cards, but I’d never seen it, and I didn’t want to pry.

In spite of her protests, I wrapped my arm around Asia’s waist and helped her to a worn-down bench in front of one of the stores.

After a few minutes, she shook her head. “I’d love to know what they injected me with. Must be the same thing as Kate, because she gets headaches too.” She stood. “Okay. I’m good to go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

We kept walking down the lonely city streets, past abandoned buildings. We weaved slowly between trees, cars, buildings, and shrubs, careful not to be seen by anybody—an effort aided by our black coats and pants. Our feet crunched in the deep snow and ice, and a fierce wind whipped across our faces. Then, just as we got closer to our destination, laughter echoed through the air.

On such short notice, there was nowhere to hide. Our only option to escape being detected was to hide under a nearby car, a blue Pontiac. Like lightning, I bolted under the car and scooted into place. Asia followed, and we stayed completely still as the men turned the corner.

“So...you ever drive one?” one of the guys said.

“Yeah, when I was stationed in Iraq.”

“Do you really think you can get the thing going?” one asked.

“Pssh.” The veteran laughed. “I can fix anything. I just can’t believe you got your hands on one.”

“Well, Z wants it fixed fast. We’re gonna use it to blast those idiots still living in the city.”

Another man laughed and kicked an empty Pepsi can that rolled very close to the tire right in front of my face. “Can’t they take a hint? After what we did to those people living at the bottom of the hill, you’d think the others would have enough brains to get the heck outta Dodge.”

“They’re very...stubborn.”

“Stupid, if ya ask me. They aren’t gonna be able to fight off a mighty and powerful tank.”

A tank? What the...? I swallowed hard.

“Z said once we take control of Fairport, which shouldn’t take long, we can have any house we want,” a different man said.

“Whoa! I love this!” He let out a chuckle. “It’s like...the post-apocalyptic American dream.”

More laughing ensued, and one man clapped another’s shoulder. Finally, they walked away, past the blue car, not suspecting a thing.

Once they were out of sight and earshot, we climbed out.

“Dean,” Asia said, “did you hear that? They have a tank!”

I’d taken a herd of zombies down with a tank; I knew firsthand just how powerful they were. “It sounds like they’ve gotta fix it first though.”

“We have to stop them from giving that tank the Midas touch.”

“Let’s go back to town and let Max know,” I said.

“Shouldn’t we find out where it is first?”

“Hmm. I guess you’re right. Maybe we should follow Z’s men.”

She pondered, then ran a hand through her hair. “We could just stop the whole thing if we shoot the mechanic. It sounded like only the one guy knows how to fix it.”

“Asia!” I said.

“What, Dean?” she snapped. “This is a matter of life and death—ours.”

My eyes locked on hers. “Asia, we’re not murderers.”

She looked away, obviously struggling with the decision. “No, we’re not,” she finally said, “but if they get that tank up and running, how many people will they murder? We can save hundreds just by killing one.”

My face hardened into grim lines. “No. We can’t...I won’t sink to their level.”

She gripped her rifle tightly. “Dean, this is war.”

“If you kill him, Z will just find somebody else. Our best bet is to take out the tank.”

“With what, Dean?” she retorted. “These wimpy little rifles?”

“No, but if we find the location, we can go back and tell Max. I’m sure he’ll come up with a game plan to destroy it.”

“Wait...didn’t you have a tank?” she said.

My eyebrows arched. “Yeah, but it’s two hours away, and it doesn’t even belong to me.”

“So we borrow it,” she said.

I shook my head.

She sighed. “What do you expect? We aren’t gonna win this war using high morals, Dean. This is about survival, and our enemy is a psychopath. Don’t you want to save lives? Z will slaughter the entire town without even blinking.”

“Standing here arguing about it isn’t gonna help one bit. I say we trail ‘em and see where they’re storing the tank.”

“All right, but we better hurry before we lose them,” she said.

And with that, we raced up the street.

Asia seemed to have a colder edge to her than I remembered, but I couldn’t really blame her for that after all she’d gone through. I just hoped she wouldn’t open fire on Z’s men the second we spotted them.

When I heard voices, I peeked around the corner and saw a huge group of Z’s men loading boxes into an Army truck, presumably full of supplies and ammo.

“So...how do we get to the tank driver?” Asia asked.

“There’re way too many for us to take out,” I said, risking another peek around the corner.

“I still say we put a bullet in the Mr. Fix-It.”

“And how do we know which one he is?”

“I saw him,” she said. “He has red, spiked hair.” She peeked around the corner, squinted, and saw a man fitting that description, then pointed him out. Concentrating as she looked through her scope, Asia pointed her rifle at him.

I grabbed her arm. “Asia, no!”

“I’m sorry, Dean, but I have to. Just be ready to bolt the second I nail him.”

“Z will just get somebody else to fix it, and it’s not that hard to drive a tank. I did it with some instructions, and he’s got a lot of ex-military guys on his team.”

As she focused, the gun started to shake in her hands. “I-I can’t do it anyway,” she stuttered. “I can’t believe it’s him.”

“You know him?” I asked.

“Yeah, from the lab. He was a prisoner, locked up right across the hall from me. His name is John. He has six kids and a loving wife.”

“And killing him won’t solve our problems.”

“I know. You’re right,” she said, dropping her head in shame. “What’s happening to me, Dean? I’m just not thinking straight. But how do you know Z has Army guys?” she whispered.

“Well, for one thing, that guy back there, when we were hiding under the car, said he was stationed in Iraq. Plus, I met lots of them when Claire and I went undercover.”

I peeked around and took another look. All the men had entered the building except John. When I saw him climb into the Army truck, I knew we had to stowaway on it, no matter what. Once we figured out where they were storing the tank, we could tell Max and come back with a team. Hopefully, less lives would be lost that way.

“Any idea how we can get inside that truck without being spotted?” I asked.

“If we’re gonna do it, now’s our chance, while they’re all inside,” she said.

I nudged her. “C’mon then!”

I ran to the first car I saw and ducked behind it, and we moved from car to car that way. When there was only one car left between us and the truck, I peered at the scene.

“Do you think there’s anyone in the back of the truck?” she whispered.

I could see through the flap, and it didn’t appear anyone was inside it, but I couldn’t be sure from where I was hiding. “There’s only one way to find out,” I said. Once it looked as if the coast was clear, I knew we had to go for it; we likely wouldn’t have such an opportunity again.

With my heart pounding in my chest like a college football fight song, I sneaked over and carefully peeked in. Clear. I motioned to Asia, and we climbed into the back of the truck and quickly and stealthily made our way toward the tangle of boxes and tarps. We dropped down on our stomachs and scrambled under the supplies, where I hoped we’d be well hidden.

A few minutes later, we heard talking and joking outside. After we’d been hiding for an hour, I began to wonder if we’d made a mistake.

The men and women outside the flap were talking about launching off. I only hoped our hiding spot was good enough; I was certain Z would kill us without a second thought if they found us, and I knew he’d take some sick pleasure in torturing us before he did.

Finally, some men and women jumped into the back, and the truck took off with a jerk. As the stuff shifted and bumped all around me, I stayed completely still, and so did Asia.

“We need to get that tank working by Wednesday,” said a voice that I recognized, the voice of a woman I’d chatted with when I’d gone undercover with Claire. “We’re gonna need a big power-hitter to face Max and his people and take that town from them.”

“Z said not to take any prisoners,” a man said.

“Yeah, it’s probably best to just take them all out.”

“Even the women and children?”

“When we start firing, there’s not gonna be any way to tell the difference. I don’t like it any more than you do, Betty, but it’s the only way to have a life.”

“So killing children is...okay now?” Sandy asked in disbelief. “I swear, Z’s getting crazier and crazier every day. I didn’t sign up for this.”

“Don’t ever talk like that!” a man snapped. His voice then melted into a whisper. “Gosh, Sandy. He’ll kill you if he hears—”

“But we’re letting a nut-job tell us what to do,” she whispered.

“He might be crazy, but he’s trying to make a home for us all, and I have to respect that. He’s taken care of us up to now, hasn’t he?”

“So you’re fine with living in a house knowing the previous tenant was murdered?” she asked. “I’m not. Z is taking this too far.”

“Zip it...and don’t let me catch you talking that way again, especially in front of the others,” demanded a man with a deep voice.

Just like that, the conversation ended, and an uneasy silence took over.

The ride lasted well over thirty minutes, and we had no idea where we were or how we were going to get back. When the truck stopped, I was relieved. Everyone climbed out, and no one noticed us. So far, our plan was going off without a hitch.

Asia squeezed my hand. “Should we check it out?” she whispered.

I slowly sat up and looked around. “It’s clear.”

She moved the flap aside slightly, and I peered through the gap. I saw huge military surplus tents and uniformed soldiers guarding the perimeter against zombies, and it was clear that we were definitely in the danger zone.

“It’s looks like an Army base,” I said. “Did he call in the Cavalry or what?”

“He’s adding to his manpower all right,” Asia said, “and that’s way more than a few good men.”

I shook my head. “This isn’t good at all. I bet they’re helping Z because he promised them sanctuary in the city.”

“If we bring back a team, we could take out this camp. Z would be royally screwed without backup,” she said.

“Well, they’re apparently planning to attack on Wednesday. If we destroy this camp and that tank before then, they’ll be their weakest, and we can put up a fair fight.”

“We’ll hit ‘em full force,” she said. “They won’t even know what hit them.”

“Exactly, but we can’t take ‘em out by ourselves. We’ve gotta get outta here and get this intel back to Max.”

Suddenly, Asia jumped, startled. “Someone’s coming! Hide!”

I crawled behind the boxes and threw the tarp over me.

The next thing I knew, someone had hopped onto the truck and was rifling through the boxes.

My heart stopped for a moment, then began to pound furiously. I hoped I wouldn’t be discovered, but I clenched my fists, prepared to fight if I had to.

Snap!

Just like that, the tarp was flipped side, and I saw a gun pointed right in my face.

Chapter 19

“I see you,” a woman said.

Much to my relief, it was Sandy.

“Come out, or I’ll shoot,” she threatened in a menacing tone.

I crept out and slowly held my hands up. I looked deep into her eyes. When I had met her back at the warehouse, she’d really liked me. I was sure I could use that to my advantage and beg her to let me go. Surely she knows what Z will do to me if she turns me in. I waited for a second to see if she would come around; if she wouldn’t, I’d be forced to attack, and I knew hot-tempered Asia would have my back. My hands shook as I prepared to take her down, a last resort I didn’t want to resort to.

“I know you aren’t here alone,” she said. “Your partner on this mission better come out before I shoot you right in the forehead.”

Right on cue, Asia came out of hiding, with her hands up high.

“Both of you,” Sandy demanded, “drop your guns and kick them over to me now.”

We did as we were told, but we also knew something Sandy didn’t: We had backup.

“Dean,” Sandy said, the gun shaking unsteadily in her hands, “you’re deep behind enemy lines. What are you doing here?”

“You know what I’m doing here,” I said.

She let out a long breath. “You know I can’t let you leave.”

“If you don’t, I’m a dead man,” I whispered.

She looked at me intensely. “Yes, and they’ll do it in...a very violent way. I’m afraid our fearless leader is a firm believer in cruel and unusual punishment.”

“Not if you help us,” Asia said.

“And why would I do that?” she retorted.

“Because I heard you,” I said. “You don’t want this war. Look, there’s no need for the battle and all the bloodshed. We’re more than willing to give you and everyone else a place to live in the city, Sandy.”

“Z is...crazy,” she admitted again. “He’s murdered some dear friends of mine for no reason.”

“I’m well aware how unstable he is.”

“We just want peace,” Asia said, “a place where we can all live in harmony. We took down the lab and saved many of your people. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“It does,” Sandy whispered. “We are so thankful that you rescued our men.”

“Then why am I on Z’s hit list?” I asked.

“Because you live with Max, his nemesis.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you are willing to help them plan a bloodbath, the murder of innocent children and elderly people.” When she didn’t respond, I continued, “I watched the mother of small children die when Z’s zombies attacked our apartment building. Now those children are orphans! How can you condone this kind of behavior? You do that, and you might as well be a zombie yourself.”

“I don’t condone it! I was completely on Z’s side at first,” Sandy argued, “but after what I’ve seen him do...well, it’s like I’m stuck in some kind of nightmare.”

“Then join us,” I said. “Clearly, we’re the good guys...and I think you are too.”

“Z has hooked up with this group of militants, a bunch of hothead veterans and soldiers. They plan to ambush your town tomorrow, and they’ll take everyone out. Their creed is to take no survivors, and everyone must die. They’ll handpick who will be able to live in the city, and I’m afraid...well, if I join you, I don’t think I’ll be given that chance, Dean.”

“Sandy,” I said, as calmly as I could, “if you let me outta here, I can warn Max. We can destroy this camp, and that will leave Z weak and vulnerable so we can take him out.”

“I can’t leave right now, but I’ll get you out. All I ask is that you promise me a place in the city. I want to live in peace too.”

Asia shook her hand. “Deal. Max has nothing against peaceful people living in the city.”

Sandy suddenly looked at me with a terrified look. “Have you seen those zombies...the smart ones?”

“We call them hybrids,” I said.

“They’re stalking us,” she said. “I’m worried.”

“You should be,” I said. “The creatures are beyond dangerous.”

“What are they?” she asked.

“Half zombie, half human.”

She cocked a brow. “They didn’t finish turning? They’re stuck that way. How?”

“Charlie created them in the lab,” Asia said.

“Z’s going to kill Charlie,” she breathed out. “For sending those things after us.”

“We’ve got the same problem,” I said. “So far, there’s been no major attacks, and they’re not feeding on unsuspecting survivors.”

“Like I said, Z will take Charlie out,” she muttered.

“Not with an army of hybrids to back him up, he isn’t.”

“Can you get us some wheels to get outta here?” Asia said.

“I can’t get you a vehicle,” Sandy said. “You’ll have to make it back on foot, and there are herds of zombies out there.”

“Just get us out of this camp,” Asia said. “We can handle the zombies. We’ve had plenty of practice.”

Sandy nodded, then handed Asia a map and a compass from her coat pocket. “I marked out where you are with a red x. Head north.”

“Thank you,” Asia said. “You’re doing the right thing.”

“Well, we’re gonna be neighbors soon, and this is a little more important than lending you a cup of sugar,” Sandy said with a smile.

Asia returned the grin.

“I can drive you to the main road, but that’s as far as I can go without looking too suspicious,” Sandy said. She peeked out of the flap of the truck. “It looks clear. Just stay hidden back here till I come for you.”

We nodded and crawled back to our hiding places under the boxes and tarps.

The engine clicked, and the truck started.

“Hold it, Sandy!” a man’s voice called.

My stomach lurched.

“I’ve gotta go pick up one more load,” Sandy lied.

“But we haven’t even unloaded yet.”

“Stop the truck!” another voice demanded.

Before she could even answer, some men jumped into the truck and started gathering boxes. I wondered why Sandy didn’t just floor it to get us the heck out of there. Asia was probably wondering the same thing, because she looked at me, confused. I bit my lip hard when the tarp shuffled over my head; I was sure they were going to discover us any minute. When a man huffed as he scooted a heavy box away from me, I held my breath. Please don’t let them find us!

Another man slid another box away from me, leaving me nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. My only hope was that he’d get distracted, that Sandy could think of something to throw him off our tail. So many thoughts rushed through my head that I almost grew dizzy. My heart was racing, throbbing in my temples, but I knew I needed to stay calm and focused and keep my head straight. Panic would only make things worse, but it was hard not to panic; I know all too well what Z would do to us if his men got their hands on us. I’d been there, done that, and it wasn’t fun.

Then, in a heart-stopping flash of a second, a man glanced down at me with a cold, chilling stare.

Busted. And at that very moment, I realized just how ludicrous our plan had been.

Shouting curses, he jerked me up by the shoulders and threw me out of the truck as if I weighed nothing. My breath caught in my throat when a boot hit me in the pit of my stomach, sending me tumbling backward, only to land with a thud on the snow-covered grass. I gulped, shook my head, and swallowed down the pain.

“Take him to Tent D,” the man ordered, “and take the girl to Tent F. It’s best to question them separately so we can catch ‘em in the lies I’m sure they’re gonna tell us.”

As two men dragged me off, I slammed my elbow into the stomach of one of my captors. When he loosened his grip, startled, I ran in a burst toward freedom. Another muscular bodyguard grabbed me and threw me on the ground like some kind of wrestler, while the other fiercely kicked me. My throat tightened, and I could barely breathe. He threw me over his shoulder and carried me inside a tent while stars danced in my vision from the blow. They set me roughly in a chair, pulled my hands behind my back, and tied me up securely. A piece of dark cloth was wrapped around my eyes as a blindfold. Of course I struggled in my bindings, but that was to no avail.

A few minutes later, a man walked in. “Z doesn’t like trespassers,” he said. “What are you doing here?” he asked when he pulled my blindfold down and peered into my eyes like some kind of enraged animal.

“I’m a survivor, just like you. I was just trying to get some food,” I fibbed, hoping he’d buy it and that he had some shred of compassion left.

“Nice try, Dean. Your little girlfriend told us everything.”

“Obviously, you don’t know her as well as I do. She’d never do that.”

“Right. So she’s not your girlfriend. You prefer redheads, don’t ya? Like that Marla chick.”

“Her name is Claire.”

“Many people here recognize you. We know who you are. Did Max send you?”

I laughed. “What makes you think he did? I’m a big boy, perfectly capable of going out on my own and—”

“So you’re claiming you were out looking for food and just stumbled upon us accidently?”

I didn’t answer.

“You’re a liar and a fool, Dean, but I’m sure Z will deal with you accordingly. He’ll be here shortly, and you can tell your little fairytale to him.”

“Look, you seem like a nice enough guy, mostly on the sane side,” I said, trying to kiss up and appeal to any humane side he might have, “so why are working for a psychopath?”

He chuckled. “Not for him, Dean. I work with him, as his second-in-command. Now, why don’t you spare Z the interrogation and just tell me all about Max’s operation?”

I decided it was best to tell him as little as possible. I sat motionless, with my head slightly bowed, avoiding eye contact. From that moment on, I’d only speak if spoken to, and I refused to show any emotion. Max hadn’t told me all his secrets anyway, and I had no idea where he stored most of the weapons. In fact, I really didn’t know much at all. Max was very secretive and only confided in a select few, a sign of a truly great leader.

My interrogator’s calm demeanor quickly faded as I sat quietly, staring at him without saying a word, and he asked me the question once again. “Well? Are you gonna talk, or do I have to call Z in here?”

I refused to answer, even when I felt a jolt of pain radiate across my chin as he punched me.

The man grabbed the front of my shirt and shook me. “What kind of weapons does Max have?”

“I-I don’t know. Rifles, I guess—lots of them.”

Burning pain radiated across my jaw when he slapped me, trying to scare me into talking. “That’s not telling me anything! Everybody’s grandma has a freaking rifle nowadays. I’m sure Max has some kind of arsenal. Now what other weapons does he have?”

“Well, for one thing, I know he doesn’t have a tank!”

He repeated his question, this time in an even more demanding, threatening tone.

“Look, I’m relatively new there and only eighteen, a kid in most people’s eyes. Why the heck would Max tell me anything? Do you and Z go around telling teenagers your secrets? And shouldn’t you be more worried about those hybrid creatures lurking around your camp?”

Another punch came, and more pain exploded across my cheekbone. I wondered how long the interrogation would last, and I hoped Asia wasn’t receiving the same brutal treatment. He asked me question after question, beating me when I didn’t answer, until trickles of sweat began to roll down my face and I tasted salty blood at the corner of my mouth.

When he finally tired of using me as a punching bag, he let out a long string of curses, like he had a textbook case of Tourette’s.

A woozy feeling overcame me as I blinked. I winced, my head reeling.

“Remember what my brother did to you, how he hung you upside down over those zombie heads?” the man said.

Wait...Z has another brother? Great...and I bet psychosis runs in the family.

“Well, I was there, and I saw how scared you were. If you don’t start cooperating, Dean, you’re gonna find out real quick that what you experienced was just child’s play.”

My blood began to boil. Z had said his brother was killed in the lab, but there were obviously more of the evil spawn. I decided then and there that if I managed to get away, all of them were going down. I half-grinned as I imagined pounding on my captor like there was no tomorrow.

Suddenly, the tent flap opened, and I heard Sandy’s voice. “You said you’d wait for Z,” she said. “We aren’t supposed to do anything without his consent.”

He cursed at her, making it clear that there was a power play going on between him and his brother.

“I’ll let you have a few minutes,” the man said. “Get some vital information before we execute him.”

“I’ll try,” she said.

With that, he nodded and left the tent in a huff.

“Sandy,” I managed between gasps.

She touched my bleeding face and looked deeply into my swollen eyes. “My gosh, Dean. What did he do to you? This isn’t right. We’ve gotta get you out of here. I won’t stand by and watch Z kill another innocent person.”

I struggled, battling with the ropes that were tied so tightly they were cutting off my circulation and cutting into my flesh. “Where’s Asia? Is she okay?”

“She’s...” Her voice trailed off.

“She’s what? Where is she? Tell me, Sandy!”

“They roughed her up too, Dean. They’re...heartless.”

The words fueled my anger, to the point where I was unable to speak.

“Z’s brother has the authority to kill you,” she said.

“Then what are you waiting for? Untie me and get me outta here,” I said.

She fumbled around with the ropes, nodding her head. “That’s the plan.”

When the ropes were finally loosened, The blood rushed to my hands, causing them to tingle. I quickly reached up and wiped the blood and sweat off my face.

“I’m so sorry about this, Dean,” Sandy apologized.

“I’m alive. That’s the important thing, right, neighbor?”

She smiled. “My sister’s on our side too. She already untied Asia and helped her escape. Asia has your rifle. She’s waiting for you in the woods, on the south side of the camp.”

“Thank you.”

“Just get word to Max. Destroy this camp and then destroy Z. I’m sorry, Dean. I guess...well, I didn’t see Z for the maniac he really is. This whole thing has blinded people. Everyone is so worried and scared...just trying to survive.”

“But now you know the truth, see Z and that fiend brother of his for their true colors.” “Definitely.” She peered out between the flaps of the huge tent. “Run straight into the woods. If you go right now, you can make it without being seen.”

I nodded. “Thanks again...and don’t forget to invite us to your housewarming party.”

She smiled and handed me a rifle.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

“Use it to knock me out. I’m gonna tell them you hit me, then loosed Asia and took off. I don’t want them realizing my sister or I had anything to do with this, or we’ll be next on Z’s chopping block. The only things he hates worse than trespassers are traitors.”

“Sandy, I can’t hit you. What kind of neighbor would I be?”

“You have to, Dean. It’s the only way to save my life. They can’t know I helped you. They’ll kill my children back at the warehouse. You’ve gotta knock me out or shoot me, or else you have to get back in that chair and let me tie you up again. Now hurry up and pick one.”

I gripped the gun and hit her on the head, trying to do it as humanely as possible. When she collapsed, I gently checked her pulse to make sure she was all right, and then I muttered, “Sorry, friend,” and ran out of the tent.

Outside, the place was swarming with guards. I ducked behind a pile of crates and boxes, then sneaked behind a truck. I crouched there and scanned my surroundings. The woods didn’t look to be so far away, so when the coast was clear, I emerged and crept to the next tent. I peeked around it and rushed over to a smaller tent. I crouched down and squinted across the camp and spotted the woods Sandy had mentioned. Just one final sprint, I told myself.

Ruff! Ruff! a little dog barked, threatening to alert my enemies to my presence.

“Chill out, Fido,” I whispered, then  leapt into a nearby snowdrift, with a shower of bullets flying over my head.

Chapter 20

Footsteps crunched in the snow as I slid under the vehicle. The ground was cold and solid, as if I was lying on an iceberg, and I could smell smoke from a nearby fire. I kept perfectly still as my body shook. I have to get out of this camp. I was surrounded by the enemy, and I only had this one opportunity to survive. If I screwed it up, I would be a dead man, and I wouldn’t have a chance to warn Max of Z’s evil plans.

I peered out and considered my options and escape routes. I thought about hotwiring a car I saw not too far away, but there were too many men standing around it. I could run east, straight to the forest, but that area was even more heavily guarded. If I went west, I’d have to sneak through the most populated part of the camp. All things considered, east seemed like my best bet, so I tried to mentally calculate the distance.

Five armed patrolled the area, cursing and laughing about my demise. My life meant nothing to them, and that was a scary thought.

I used my elbows and feet to Army-crawl over to some tall weeds, hoping they’d give me cover. Someone had fired at me, so it was a bit frightening to know that they knew I was out there somewhere. I wasn’t completely hidden yet when a pair of grungy black combat boots stopped right in front of my face, and I froze, other than the wild thumping of my terrified heart. I debated inching back a bit; I knew even the slightest noise would give me away. When the man moved on, I crawled deeper into the brush.

I glanced around and saw that it was as clear as it was going to get. Like I was competing in some kind of Olympic decathlon, I jumped over logs and ran around huge rocks as branches whipped across my face. My feet crashed through the underbrush, but I kept going, never looking back, knowing my reward would be much more valuable than a gold medal: I’d actually live.

When I realized I’d finally made it, I leaned against a tree for a moment to catch my breath. An owl watched me from a snow-covered limb high above, then hooted nonchalantly and flew away. I looked around for Asia’s footsteps in the snow, but I only saw deer tracks. I kept moving, but when a twig snapped somewhere in my vicinity, I jumped and darted my gaze all around me, my eyes wide. My shoulders slumped in relief when I saw a rabbit hopping away, into a pile of debris and logs.

Another bullet whizzed by my head, and yet another ricocheted off the tree trunk in front of me, sending a shower of bark everywhere. A hail of bullets slammed into the tree trunk next to me. As they continued to fire, I dove behind a huge tree and contemplated firing back. They’d been too busy torturing me to bother taking the ammo out of my pockets, and there were still some bullets left in Sandy’s rifle. Still, I thought it was a better idea to keep moving and save my ammo for when I really needed it—like when we had to trek back home through all those zombies. There was no use firing aimlessly into the woods, wasting all those bullets without even hitting anything.

As if I didn’t have enough trouble on my hands, I heard a mindless moan and turned around to find a zombie with a hollowed-out face. Its eyes remained, but they looked possessed and empty, and it snapped its jaw at me, much faster than the average zombie. Black ooze dripped down its blood-stained chin as it hissed at me, and I almost threw up at the site of its putrid face, with all that exposed, torn, shredded muscle. I felt even more nauseous when I saw intestines dangling in its decayed hand. I knew Asia was out there somewhere, and I only hoped I wasn’t looking at part of my friend.

The thing was tall and muscular, and I wasn’t willing to gamble that I’d win a fight against it. I aimed my weapon; it was a precarious situation, well worth a bullet. I was sure the gunfire from my enemies had drawn it there in the first place, so one more shot wasn’t going to matter.

Another zombie burst out of the vegetation and grabbed my leg just as I fired. It was crawling so I was able to easily crush its skull in. Because of the distraction, I hadn’t nailed the towering zombie standing in front of me. The round hit the deceased in the neck, and I quickly took aim again. My finger squeezed the trigger, and this time, I nailed it in the head, putting a huge hole in its cranium. A shower of crimson and bone fragments sprayed the tree beside it, and the moaning abomination fell back against a boulder. When I looked to the left, I saw a fallen deer in the brush, surrounded by pinkish-red snow. I felt sorry for the creature, but I was a bit relieved to know that—and not Asia—was what the undead abomination had been feasting on before I came along.

More zombie moans filled the air, and dread washed over me. I was already on the run, and those hideous monsters were the last thing I wanted to deal with, but it seemed I would have no choice. I peered through my scope and scanned the landscape in front of me. I took a deep breath and shot four more, then fumbled in my pockets for more ammo and reloaded. I spun around to make sure nothing, human or zombie, had sneaked up from behind, and I was relieved to see that I was alone out there. A second later, though, more zombies shuffled through the towering ferns toward me. I felt the rifle recoil gently on my shoulder as I took out three more of the infected, putting them out of their sorry misery and mine.

Another twig snapped, and I spun around to stare into the powder-white complexion of a rancid zombie with the biggest, gaping head wound I’d ever seen. It was shirtless, so I could see its ragged torso. I didn’t know which was fouler, its arms and neck bent at unnatural angles or the oozing scratches running down its face. The zombie was also missing some fingers, and I was sure it had been in some sort of horrible accident or—worse—had been partially devoured by another zombie. My stomach dropped at the thought, but I fired off a shot, straight into its cranium.

In spite of the cold, sweat began to roll down my back. I clenched my teeth as a sick feeling nestled in my gut. My life was in jeopardy; I could face a violent, painful death from a bullet hole in the head or a bite from the undead, and neither of those options seemed appealing. I thought about the island, my old life, my parents, and my friends. It was as if a million thoughts whirled through my head at once, like my life was really flashing before my eyes. Will I make it out of this? After everything I’ve been through, am I gonna die out here, alone, in the woods?

Something hissed behind me, and I spun around on my heels. A zombie with one good eye staggered toward me like a drunk. Its other eye was hanging out of its eye socket by a reddish-purplish thread, a vein. It had swollen lips and a broken nose. As it reached hungrily for me, I aimed and squeezed the trigger.

Pure fear washed over me as shells crashed into the snow not far from where I was hiding, gasping for breath. Even a leg shot could be fatal, because I had no access to a doctor or medical supplies, and I still had to get back to Fairport on foot, through a zombie-infested forest. A gunshot wound would slow me down and make me vulnerable, an easy mark for the living dead. Realizing that, I tore through the snow, moving rapidly and zigzagging around huge rocks and tree stumps. Bullets snapped through twigs and limbs as they passed my head, and I wondered just how close the shooters were.

Panting hard, I spun around and saw two men hiking through the snow, dressed in camouflage coats. As much as I hated having to point my rifle at living human beings, I really didn’t have a choice; they would have no problem shooting me first. So, I aimed my gun with steady arms, kept my legs in a wide stance, and fired at my targets. I nailed one in the knee and the other in the shoulder. I clenched my teeth and felt heat rising into my face. I was furious and swore I was going to make Z’s brother pay for ordering them to kill me.

“Dean!” Asia called.

Relieved to hear a familiar, friendly voice, I glanced to my left and saw her standing behind a towering, granite rock, squeezing off shots with her rifle. I was so thankful to see that she was safe, but upon closer inspection, I realized her eye and lip were puffy and swollen. My face contorted with rage. Now, rather than running, I wanted payback. “You’re hurt,” I said.

“I’m fine.” She looked at me and shook her head, taking notice of the cuts and emerging bruises on my face.

Another bullet ricocheted, sending my heart into overdrive.

“Get ‘em!” a man shouted. “Z’ll give us a bonus for those two!”

I grabbed Asia’s hand, and we rushed behind a huge boulder as a barrage of gunshots cut through the air. Sucking in deep breaths, I peered around the rock to see how far away our adversaries were. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear their voices. Every muscle in my body tensed. “We need to move,” I said. “C’mon!”

She motioned me to the left, and we tore through the deep snow as bullets whirred overhead. We ran deeper and deeper into the terror zone, evading capture and homicide. Round after round was fired at us, and I flinched with every near-miss. Adrenaline flooded my veins, and I knew we had to lose the enemy, hot on our trail.

The terrain was becoming a problem, and before I knew it, I took a tumble. My body hit the ground hard, and the next thing I knew, I was helplessly rolling down a snow-covered hill. Loose snow chased me down the steep incline, slapping against my face and stinging my skin. My lungs still burned from running so hard, and when I finally landed at the bottom, I smelled death and decay. I gazed up into milky white eyes. “Zombie!” I yelled.

Chapter 21

The creature was covered in snow, as if it had fallen down one too many times. Its skin was black and torn, revealing the muscles underneath. As it stumbled toward me, I reached for the rifle slung around my neck. I aimed and fired, and then I inched back as black gore exploded from its head. I took a deep breath, jumped to my feet, and ran to Asia. “You okay?” I asked.

Her face contorted in agony as she scrambled to her feet. “I’m good.”

“Then let’s go!” I said, grabbing her hand.

We ran across the meadow and arrived, much to our dismay, at a cliff with a fifty-foot drop into icy water below. A chill shot up my spine as shouts and yells echoed behind us.

“They’re coming,” she said, stating the obvious.

My stomach lurched. “What do we do?” I stammered.

“Well, if we jump down there, we’ll be mulched into snow cones for sure.”

I peered at her. “We’ve gotta trick them.”

“How?”

“We need to make them think we jumped. Then we’ll double-back and trace our footsteps, and, uh...” I looked around and pointed to a bunch of oversized rocks. “We can hop across those, jump off, and bury ourselves in the snow.”

“Hmm. It could work,” she said, contemplating. “Actually, it’s ingenious.”

“Good. Then follow me,” I said, retracing my own footsteps.

We climbed across the rocks and Asia lay down by some huge, towering trees. I buried Asia completely, all except for a hole near her mouth, so she could breathe. Then I lay down near her and quickly covered myself with snow and dead leaves and sticks.

It wasn’t long before the men followed our tracks to the cliff.

“Those crazy kids jumped!” a man said.

“They’re as good as dead then. If the fall didn’t kill them, the cold water will.”

“Even if they do survive the river, the zombies will finish them off like human popsicles.”

The seconds slowly ticked by. Five minutes eventually passed, and I couldn’t help nervously fidgeting with the hem of my jacket. I breathed in and held in the air for a second as a shudder ran down my spine; I refused to let fear consume me. The footsteps and voices faded away, and when I felt it was safe, I finally stood and let the snow fall off me, breathing a huge sigh of relief. I gave Asia’s hand a squeeze, and she let out her own tiny sigh.

She shook the snow off, then glanced around, taking in every detail, with a frown perched between her brows. She nudged me. “C’mon!”

The snow wasn’t so deep, only up to our ankles. As we traipsed back through the meadow, the trickling of water echoed all around us. I peered at the icy river that blocked our path. There was no way we could swim across it without getting hypothermia, and I felt boxed in by the winter landscape. I motioned Asia to the right, and she followed. I’d never run so fast over such rough terrain, and I feared falling again, but we had no time to spare.

Asia suddenly stopped, gasping for air.

“I know it’s hard, Asia, but we gotta keep moving,” I said.

She pointed. “Look.”

Buried among the overgrown weeds was something red.

“Is that...a kayak!?” I asked excitedly.

“Looks like it,” she said.

We brushed the foliage out of the way and saw that the boat looked old and worn. It was painted red but was pretty battered and banged up; it had long since seen its better days. Still, I hoped it was waterproof, because the river could carry us to safety much faster than our frozen feet could, and we wouldn’t have to worry about zombies or making tracks for our human predators to follow.

“I don’t know if it’ll float,” Asia said. “And what if Z’s men didn’t buy our bluff? What if they’re still looking for us? We might be easy targets on the river if they can fire from the cliffs and banks.”

“We could try losing them by making some fake trails, circling back to our original path and retracing our own footsteps.”

“Uh-uh,” she said, shaking her head. “Too much work, and we’ve got too little time. I say we get the boat in the water and risk it.”

“Well, we don’t now how rough the current will be. Ever been white-water rafting?”

“Nope,” she said, rolling the boat over, “but there’s a first time for everything. Besides, what good plan doesn’t involve a little risk?”

We quickly examined the boat, and it looked to be in good working order. Together, we pulled it out and grabbed the paddles. My feet squished in the ice and mud as we pushed the boat off and jumped inside, with Asia in the front. Paddling as a surprisingly cohesive rowing team, we managed to get the momentum going, with the help of the icy current beneath us.

The men cursed and shouted at us from the bank as we paddled as fast as we could. Gunshots rang out, and one bullet even dinged the side of the boat, but in no time, Mother Nature’s little irrigation system had carried us far away from our would-be pursuers.

Asia glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “We did it, Dean!”

I chuckled. “Yeah, but we’re not through the worst of it. Getting back to Fairport through this freezing, zombie-infested land is gonna be the hard part.”

“I feel like I’ve just been given a second chance at life,” she said.

“So...what are you gonna do with it?” I asked, glad to hear her sounding more positive than she had in a while.

She smiled. “I won’t throw this opportunity away. I’m gonna spend more happy moments with my friends, who are basically my family. I’ve gotta learn to be more optimistic too. These days, life is a gift. You never know. Maybe just this one time, I’ll get it right,” she said, looking back over her shoulder at me.

I smiled at her and nodded.

“As far as I know, I only have one chance to get it right, so I better get my butt in gear,” she said.

“Yep. Seize every opportunity. That’s always my motto.”

She paddled hard against the current. “We’ve cheated death today. We have no guarantee that we’ll be so lucky again.”

“Today? Heck, I’ve cheated it at least four or five times. I’m pretty sure the Reaper’s getting ticked off at me by now.”

She laughed. “Dean, is there...well, anything about me that I need to change? I really do want to be a better person.”

“You’re fine just the way you are, the Asia we all know and love.”

“Aw. Aren’t you the sweetest? But I know I could try to be less...bossy, for starters, even if you’re too nice to say so.”

“I don’t know about that. I kinda like a woman who takes charge.”

“Heh. Well, some people—like Lucas, for instance—don’t. But I’ll never apologize for being bold enough to live life on my own terms.”

“See? That’s the Asia I know. Don’t change a thing.”

She grinned again.

We skillfully steered the kayak down the river, and I was thankful that everything was going smoothly.

She glanced over her shoulder again. “Do you think we really gave those guys the slip?”

“Always assume you are being hunted,” I said, “whether it’s zombies or humans.”

“Z could send more men after us,” she said.

“Nah, I think he’ll just move his operation.”

“Not when he’s ready to launch an attack.”

“Right. Maybe he’ll just add more security, in case Max tries to attack.”

As we glided downriver, Asia pulled out the map and compass Sandy had given to her. She studied it carefully. “When we see more cliffs, we need to hop off,” she said.

“How off course are we?” I asked.

“Well, it looks like the river is saving us from walking tons of miles. I bet it’s faster than a car. We won’t be far from Fairport at all.”

“Great,” I said. Being on the run was making us both nervous, so I decided to distract Asia by changing the subject. “So, Asia...” I said, paddling hard.

“Yeah?”

“What’s your favorite food?” I asked.

She glanced over her shoulder at me in surprise, looking at me as if I was crazier than Z.

“What? A guy can’t make conversation?” I said with a smirk and shrug.

“Peanut butter and jelly,” she replied.

“Seriously?”

“Yep.”

I chuckled. “I figured you for more of a burger type.”

“When I was little, I would get out the peanut butter and jelly and make this huge mess in the kitchen. My mom said only I could make such a disaster out of a PB&J sandwich.”

I laughed.

“What’s yours?” she asked.

“I have many, but I can’t get enough of my mom’s homemade chicken pizza.”

“Mmm. Now I’m hungry. Thanks a lot.”

“Yeah, I know. I’d kill for a pizza.”

“Me, too, but I doubt they deliver out here...and surely not in thirty minutes or less,” she remarked with a grin. “Someday, I’ll make you a huge pizza.”

“Sounds great. I had no idea you know your way around a kitchen.”

“Yeah, I love to cook. My mom taught me how to make all kinds of Italian dishes. I can even make a mouthwatering lasagna you’d kill for.”

“I never figured you for a cook,” I said.

“Just because a girl can handle a rifle, that doesn’t mean she’s no good with a spatula, Dean,” she snapped over her shoulder.

“We should hang out together more so I can learn all your deep, dark secrets.”

She shot me a smile, and I grinned widely.

When we saw the cliffs, we pulled to the bank and climbed out. The icy water swished around my boots as we disembarked, and we shoved the kayak off to float away, so it wouldn’t alert anyone to where we’d gotten out.

Back in the forest, the snow wasn’t too deep, so we made pretty good time. I kept a constant eye on our surroundings, knowing anything could pop out at us at any time. I inhaled deep breaths of fresh air, and the aroma of pine drifted into my nostrils like a strong perfume.

“These pines...they remind me of my short time in Army boot camp,” Asia said. “I was there when this whole zombie nightmare started.” She gazed at me. “I’ll never forget the moment when I heard the horrible, unbelievable news. There was so much blood, so much chaos, all in the blink of an eye.”

“I know. I’ll never forget those screams,” I said.

“Where were you when it all broke loose?” she asked.

“Believe it or not, I was at the top of a Ferris wheel in North Carolina. Being up there...well, it saved my life.”

“How did you know what was going on?”

“When the wheel finally carried us back down, I saw all the blood and gore. A police officer managed to get us back to the top, where we were safe. I called my dad, and he, my mom, and Nick hurried barely got out alive, because zombies attacked our house.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Well, Dad helped us down, and—”

“Wait...us?”

“My date and me. She took off, along with all the others who’d been on the ride.”

“Where is she now?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if she made it out alive. We barely got through, and we had tons of firepower. We must have fought off dozens of those things. Nick led the way and just kept shooting. He got us to a helicopter, and we flew to the island where my grandma lives.”

“Is it a nice island?”

“The best.”

“So why aren’t you on that island paradise now?”

“Because...well, it’s Val. The authorities were gonna kill her, so Lucas and I smuggled her out. When the helicopter crashed, we landed right in Zombie Land, where we’ve been ever since. We just want to get back to the island someday.”

“So your parents don’t even know you’re alive?” she asked.

“Nope, and I don’t know if they are alive either. Apparently, there was an outbreak on the island, and lots of people turned. Several others died in some explosion. I just hope my family’s okay.”

“I know what you mean. I have no idea if my family is alive or dead, and I come from a big family, with lots of brothers. Let’s keep the faith, Dean. We gotta believe our loved ones are all safe and alive. That’s what keeps me going out here.”

I gave her a fist-bump and smiled, not even wanting to think about what I’d do if my relatives were dead. “You’re right, Asia. When there’s nothing else to hold on to, you gotta hold on to hope. I know I do.”

Asia looked at me seriously. “What you did for Val was amazing. What made you stick out your neck for her, a stranger to you at the time?”

“Well, I’d never seen my mom cry as hard as she did the day those people ripped Val out of her arms. When she learned that Val was scheduled for execution, she was overcome with grief, and my grandmother sobbed like I’d never seen her sob before. My mom said it was like losing her for the second time. It was heartbreaking to see their pain, and I couldn’t let my mom suffer like that, so I swore to Mom that I wouldn’t let Val die, that somehow I’d save her. I’d known Val less than a day, but she’s family, and I’d risk anything for family. There’s nothing I won’t do to save the people I love.”

“Blood or not, not a lot of people would go out on a limb like that for somebody they have no bond with. I mean, you didn’t even grow up together.”

“That doesn’t matter. She’s my sister, and I’ll always fight for her, even if it means risking my own life.”

“You’re one in a million, Dean Walters.”

I smiled.

Asia suddenly looked pained and turned her gaze away from me, out into the wilderness. “The two of us...we both carry a lot of scars, embedded deep in our souls. I carry pain around every single day, but I know I’ll walk out of the darkness and into the light someday. Maybe one day, I’ll tell you my story. You won’t believe what I’ve been through. But I just...I can’t talk about it right now. I just keep my scars hidden and try to survive another day.”

“How do you shake it all off like that, bottle it up?” I asked.

“It’s not easy, but I’m sure trying.”

I glanced down. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m carrying a 100-pound stone around my neck, and it’s slowly choking me to death.”

“Just remind yourself that you have no control over what happened. Tell yourself out loud, ‘I will rise above this,’ like a mantra. Say, ‘I’m still here,’ or ‘I will overcome,’ or ‘This does not define who I am, and I won’t let it destroy me.’ You gotta admit to yourself, ‘I’m hurting because of what happened, but I’m able to release it, to let go of this intense pain so it doesn’t keep me down.’”

“It’s that easy?” I asked.

“Well, it seems to work for me most of the time, at least when...” Her voice trailed off, and she steadied her pace.

I left her alone with her thoughts, but after a few minutes, she finally broke the silence.

“I’m freezing my butt off, but I can’t deny how pretty it is out here. It’s just so...majestic,” Asia said. “It’s like a Christmas card.”

I stared at the falling snow and white-tipped trees. “The serenity is an illusion,” I whispered. “Monsters can come crawling out of this scenic picture at any given moment.”

“Stop,” she said.

“What?”

“Stop talking like that, being so negative. That’s not like you at all. What’s going on with you, Dean?”

“I’m just being...realistic.”

“Well, I need something to focus on to keep cool, calm, and collected.”

“Sorry. I guess I’m becoming more cynical. Lately, it all seems to be getting to me.”

“So you’re turning into Nick?”

I stopped and stared at her, realizing she was right.

“You’re not your brother, Dean,” she said, trying to reassure me. “You can be tough and have a heart.”

“Pssh. If I ever had any heart, I don’t anymore. The zombies may as well have eaten it.”

“I’ve seen it firsthand,” she said.

I walked on, rolling my eyes at her.

She continued, “Look, you can’t let all this make you cold and hard, like all this ice around us. So life dealt you a horrible hand. You gotta learn to deal with it, without losing yourself in the process.”

“I’ve lost so many people I cared about.”

“So have I. Matter fact, so have many of the people you talk to.”

“It’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair. Being thrown into a zombie apocalypse isn’t fair. In spite of everything, we’re survivors.”

“That’s the thing. I’m always just surviving. How many more near-misses can I actually survive?”

“You’re here for a reason,” Asia said.

“So many people are dead, lost in the madness that surrounds us every hour, every minute, every second, every day. How’s a person supposed to stay sane in a world like this? I can almost forgive Z for being a nut-job. This is enough to make anybody go crazy.”

“This zombie war has altered me at such a deep level, but I stay sane because it’s what I have to do. Yes, I’ve been through hell, but I’ll fight and wade through more oceans of fire if that’s what it takes to get to the finish line.”

“That’s just it, Asia. It’s beginning to feel like there is no finish line—not with all this evil on the loose.”

“There is, Dean. It’s just a marathon, not a sprint, that’s all.”

“Then I have no choice but to run it, I guess. I just hope I don’t snap.”

“Give yourself some credit. You’ve lived through unimaginable horror and heartbreaking loss. You might get bent, but you’re not gonna snap. You, Dean, have what it takes to survive.”

“And what’s that?”

“Well, for starters, perseverance, a positive attitude, and a strong will to live.”

“A positive attitude? I feel numb, if anything.”

“From anguish, agony, and despair comes inner strength you never knew was possible. I think I read that on a fortune cookie once or something. But anyway, with that comes the will to survive and fight the demons who threaten to devour you, even if it’s bite by bite.”

“Yeah, I know about inner strength. I’ve had to tap into it many times. But maybe mine is wearing down. Suddenly, everything hurts so much. My heart won’t stop aching.”

“You’re still grieving over Jackie.”

“If I don’t stay on top of my game, if I make just one mistake, it could cost someone their life, either me or someone else. That’s a lot of pressure.”

“So you’re worried about slipping up?”

“I’ve been having horrible dreams, waking up with my hands shaking.”

“You’re under a lot of stress, so it’s understandable. My gosh, look at what you’ve been through, what we’ve both been through. We’re dealing with zombies, and if that isn’t bad enough, we’re in the middle of a war, fighting for turf.”

“Sometimes I wonder why we’re even here. My brother and sister and I should be trying to get to the island, not fighting that lunatic Z for a city we won’t even end up staying in.”

“You guys are emotionally involved with Max.” She let out a long sigh. “I am too. I went on a mission with him, and he totally won me over. He has such a charismatic personality, this charm, and an obvious ability to lead. What I find the most fascinating is how much he cares about the people he’s taken under his wing.”

“But we’re not his people. We’re only here till the weather breaks, and we’ll be leaving soon.”

“Is Val onboard with that?”

“Of course she is. Why wouldn’t she be?”

“Because she seems to love it here.”

“She’ll come with us. That’s been our plan all along.”

“Are you so sure?” she questioned.

“Why wouldn’t she? She’s our sister, and she had family back on that island too.”

“Obviously, you’ve been so busy that you haven’t noticed.”

“Noticed what?”

She blinked. “How close Val and Max have become.”

I cocked a brow. “What are you saying?”

“I think you know exactly what I’m saying.”

I swallowed hard, and I raised a brow. “Do you know something I don’t?”

“Well, I’ve got eyes...and I’m very observant.”

“You think something’s going on between them?”

Asia met my gaze directly. “I know it is, Dean.”

“But he’s too old for her.”

“Only by fifteen years.”

“Does Nick suspect anything?” I asked.

“Your brother is much too self-involved. He’s too busy in his own little world of Claire and zombies.”

I shook my head in shock, then sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to free the unsettling thoughts from my head. “I had my suspicions. Even still, they’ve hid it quite well.”

“Not from me,” she said. She stopped abruptly and pointed down. “Look!”

There, right in front of us, were hundreds of frozen footprints, some from shoes and some from bare feet, making it clear that they weren’t left by living survivors. I motioned for Asia to be silent, and her terrified face mirrored my own. By the looks of all the footprints, which stretched as far as I could see, it had to be a huge horde. I only hoped they’d already passed us, but that hope was quickly dashed when we heard a moan off in the distance.

We tried a different route, limiting our noise to the inevitable thudding of our feet and the crunching of snow underfoot. An hour passed, and I remained constantly alert, keeping an eye on our surroundings. Every little sound put me on edge.

A zombie suddenly groaned up ahead. I listened intently, and when I heard more raspy moans, I knew there was more than one.

“Looks like we’re about to have company,” Asia said. “I just hope it’s not that herd who left the footprints in the snow.”

Chapter 22

A wave of terror shot up my spine. I heard more hissing and motioned for Asia to stop.

“Wait!” I said.

“We can take on a few rotters,” she said, “but who knows how many of them there are?”

“I’m gonna try to get a better look,” I said, then shimmied up a tree, branch by branch.

“All right,” she said, pointing her rifle straight ahead. “Just try to hurry.”

“There are lots of cliffs,” I hollered down. When I had a better view, my jaw dropped. There was a hill with literally hundreds of zombies shuffling forward. “There’s a giant herd climbing up the slope!” I said. “They’re not very coordinated, and they’re falling everywhere.”

“That’s good to know. We should definitely not go that way.”

“Let’s try moving west,” I called down, but as I peered around, I realized zombies were stumbling in from every direction. “This place is like Zombie Grand Central!” I yelled. “We gotta get the heck outta here.” I wiped my brow and tried to still my racing heart as I clambered down the branches as fast as I could. I drew in choked breaths, and a sense of dread settled deep in the pit of my stomach. “They’re coming from everywhere, Asia.”

“Well, you said west is our best bet, so that’s the way we go,” she said.

I pulled her hand. “C’mon!”

We moved swiftly and quietly through the woods, not wanting to invite the zombies to a buffet. All I could think about was reaching Fairport, where we’d be safe. I knew the danger zone was called that for good reason, but when we’d formulated our little recon plan, I hadn’t realized the Army truck we stowed away in would take us so far off track.

Garbled sounds rang in my ears as a grotesquely decomposing zombie lumbered toward me. I held my breath and felt my pulse speed up. The smell of death and decay emanated from it, filling my nostrils with a nauseating stench. Suddenly, there were more zombies in front of us, all of them with green, sagging skin and mangled faces.

“Welcome to Planet Undead,” Asia said. “I’ll take the hags to the left. You get the righties...but no gunfire, unless you absolutely have to.”

I nodded. The last thing I wanted to do was draw more freaks to us. I swung my gun wildly at the first zombie in my line of sight. It walked toward me in that slow, jerky gait of theirs, on a hobbled foot with no shoe. Its long, frizzy, blond hair swayed in the wind as it lunged for me. I snapped its decaying ribs, then smashed in its rotting face with the butt of Sandy’s rifle. Thick, white maggots, as big as the mealworms I used for fishing on the island, crawled out, and the blow sent the zombie reeling against the tree trunk. It jerked spasmodically in the snow. I anxiously brushed some maggots off my shoulder, and I had to suppress my urge to vomit.

Next, a ghoul with a slashed face snapped its jaws, revealing black, jagged teeth. It had torn, tattered skin, and its eye was hanging out on a blue, fleshy strand. Stringy blond hair clung to its rotting head, but it was too decayed for me to tell if it was male or female. Its greenish right arm was twisted in an unnatural, sickening contortion. Just as the dark, ominous creature reached for me with its good hand, I sidestepped and swung the gun with the force of a tsunami, delivering a perfect skull-cracking blow. When it fell over on its side, I stomped its head in just to make sure it wouldn’t be coming back for more. Chunks of gore exploded on the white snow as its head caved in like a rotten watermelon.

Something grabbed the back of my shirt, and I swung my body down, flipping the zombie up and over my back. Two more came at me from behind. I kicked one in the chest, then slammed my rifle against the other’s head. More rotting flesh and chunks of matted hair flew everywhere. When the zombie fell, I stomped on its buddy’s head to finish the job; the skull crunched like an egg. Two more approached, but two more strong, brain-slamming swings of the gun took them down in lightning speed.

Meanwhile, Asia was holding her own. Wielding her gun like Babe Ruth at the bat, she seemed fearless, regardless of all the zombies coming her way. My chest heaved with jagged breaths when another zombie with a bald head and a long cut running down its face walked toward me. I sidestepped it, then came from behind and delivered a fatal blow to the back of its neck, snapping it completely. It slumped to the ground. More clumsy, rotting hands began to grab and reach for me. Black fingernails clawed dangerously close to my sweaty face. When the next swipe came, I kicked its rotting knees out. It fell back, and I delivered a powerful, thunderous blow to it with my foot.

When a zombie in a dirty blue dress growled and headed toward Asia, I delivered a fatal blow to its tailbone. It fell into the snow headfirst, and Asia finished it off, decorating the snowy landscape with black blood and guts.

I gripped my weapon tightly and looked for my next target, which was pretty quick to make an appearance. In a blur, a zombie with a greenish-brown face and frizzy hair lunged at me, clearly lusting for my living flesh. Crushing jaws snapped, missing my throat by mere inches as I swerved to the right. With the butt of my rifle, I struck the bottom of its jaw, causing the corpse’s head to snap backward, shattering its rotting vertebrae. The sickening snap made me shudder, but I watched as the pile of decomposing bones and flesh crumbled to the ground.

Another undead nightmare quickly replaced its friend, coming at me from the left. I put the thoughtless monster in a headlock, then grabbed the back of its belt and lifted it upside down. I fell backward and pile-drived it onto its head, crushing it beneath my weight.

When the next one came, I bludgeoned it. Blood and gore exploded from tearing flesh as I put the serial killer out of its misery.

I glanced over at Asia just in time to see her folding a zombie in half by pinning its shoulders to the ground and placing its putrid legs above it. When she sat down with as much force as she could muster, its spine snapped. She finished it off with a kick to the head.

I peered out and scanned the area. The smell of rotting death lingered in the air, and a choir of guttural howls froze my blood. There were so many of them out there, getting ever closer, and there was no way we had enough energy or bullets to take them all down.

Asia’s gaze narrowed. “There are too many, Dean. I guess we’re gonna have to whip out the guns.”

“We can’t. It will just attract more of them,” I said.

“I know, but what choice do we have?” she asked, her voice raising an octave. “I say we fight with everything we have.”

The undead were relentless, they were coming, and we were sorely outnumbered. Gasping like a fish out of water, I looked around for an escape route, and then it dawned on me.  “I got an idea.”

She grabbed my arm. “So spill it!”

“Let’s try losing them in the snowdrifts. They’re so clumsy, we might be able to—”

Before I could even finish explaining my logic, she nodded, grabbed my arm, and pulled me toward the deep snow.

A zombie came from the left, and I pounded it, splitting its head with a grotesque squishing sound. Blood showered me, and I wiped my face with the sleeve of my coat. I tried to catch my breath as I kept moving, looking around constantly so nothing would catch us by surprise.

“They’re following us!” Asia said.

“Just keep moving,” I said. “Hopefully, the snow will slow them down. Most of them don’t have shoes...and some don’t even have feet!”

I glanced over my shoulder at the pack on our butt. Their hungry moans pierced my ears, and that made me run even faster. Sweat continued to trickle down my neck and back. There was nowhere to hide. Our only choices were to keep running or climb a tree, and if we climbed, they’d just wait around the bottom for us to fall, even if it took days. I didn’t even want to think about being treed like a couple of doomed raccoons, so I opted for running. My breathing came in labored gasps as I sped forward, but I didn’t dare look  back at what I was running from.

Chapter 23

The moans grew louder and more intense as their voracious appetites drove the insatiable creatures after us. The sickening dread, horror, and terror combined into a nasty knot that landed flat in the bottom of my gut. Wading through the waist-deep snow, I moved my legs like I’d never moved them before.

“Why is this snow so heavy and thick?” Asia said, fighting for every step.

“I don’t know, but don’t stop,” I replied.

I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw that my plan was working: The snow was slowing the zombies’ pursuit. They were too stupid to stop, so it wouldn’t be long before they’d be buried alive. They simply were not intelligent or coordinated enough to come after us, and Asia and I both began to laugh as they helplessly flailed and thrashed around, trying to break free.

I stopped laughing, though, when something grabbed my ankle. My heart jumped into my throat, and more shivers ran down my spine. “Something’s got me!” I said, kicking and looking down in horror. “There are zombies, Asia! Some are already buried in the snow!”

She looked at me in terror as the snowdrifts began to shake and shift. It was horrifying thinking that we might step down right into the mouth of one, like a bear trap. It was like walking through a zombie minefield, a flesh-eater could sink its teeth into me at any given moment.

Suddenly, we heard them shuffling and moaning beneath the layer of snow. We’d obviously disturbed them from their hibernation, and they were ready for a snack. Their distorted cries made me tremble. Nevertheless, we had to keep going, because going back wasn’t an option.

I held my breath with every single step I took, and I carefully steered clear from any shaking snow, knowing what evil was lurking beneath. I forced myself to take the biggest steps possible, continuously watching for gnashing teeth and ambushes from crawling zombies.

When I felt fingers wrap around my leg, a deep chill ran through me. My foot collided with the creature’s decaying, brittle face, and as I kicked it mercilessly, I screamed for it to die. Another brain-muncher joined in, then another. I whipped out my gun and began firing shots like a madman. I had no idea how many freaks were buried under the snow. For all I knew, it might have been a whole undead army. My only salvation was that the heavy snow made it nearly impossible for them to move much, if at all. Asia ignored her own no-gunfire rule and started blowing them away as well.

Finally, everything quieted down, and Asia motioned for me not to speak as we walked to the left, where the snow seemed still. “Just keep moving,” she whispered.

Suddenly, the snow around us began to shake violently, like an earthquake, so we veered right, but patches in that direction began to shift back and forth. I wasn’t sure there was a safe spot for us to cross, but up ahead, I noticed an area where the snow was not as deep, and it seemed to be unoccupied. If we can just get over there, we’ll be in the clear, I thought. When I saw a grotesque hand pop up, though, I backed up and zigzagged around. The snow was getting more and more shallow, but that didn’t stop a bulbous head from suddenly bursting through it, chomping its jaws at us.

“Watch out!” Asia screamed.

I jumped back and gazed down at the creature. It had thick black hair and sharp teeth and was snapping like an angry piranha. Its face looked as if half of it had been devoured, and I could tell by its sluggish jerks that it was trapped. I smacked it with my rifle, and its decaying head burst like a rotting pumpkin.

Asia and I cut through the other way. Minutes trickled by, and I wasn’t sure how much time passed as we kept our steady pace through the snow.

When we finally made it across the meadow, I let out a sigh of relief. The snow wasn’t as deep, but the terrain was pretty icy, and we had to be careful not to slip. I turned around to make sure we weren’t being trailed by anything, and it seemed all the zombies were stuck in the snowdrift, moaning their complaints, hissing, moaning, and making all kinds of racket as they tried to break free of the ice that would hold them there till spring.

Asia lifted her chin a notch. “We outsmarted them.”

I gave her a high-five.

Since everything appeared safe for the moment, she stopped to take a look at the map and compass, trying to get our bearings. While we were both studying the map, the wind threatened to whip it right out of our hands.

I pointed. “According to this, Fairport’s not far at all.”

“I’d guesstimate a couple miles,” she said. “We’ll be sitting by a warm fire in no time.”

CRACK!

“What the heck was that?” Asia said.

When I looked down and saw the ice splintering apart, I realized we were right in the middle of a frozen pond or lake. Winter had sealed the water under a giant sheet of ice. Beads of sweat trickled down my face, but I did my best to keep my cool and think clearly, without panicking.

“Thin ice!” she said in a terrified voice. “And I’m in no mood to go for an arctic swim!”

“Don’t move,” I said, assessing our dangerous situation.

She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “At least it’s not zombies.”

“Walk to the right, away from the crack...and very slowly.”

She looked at me, terrified, and didn’t move a muscle.

“We can do this, Asia,” I coaxed. “Look what we’ve already overcome.”

“Yeah, you’re right. This is nothing,” she said, her voice wavering even though she was trying to sound brave.

The ice creaked and popped with every single step we took. When I looked ahead, I was none too happy to see zombies shuffling onto it. Their distorted echoes grew closer, and my heart pounded.

“Dean,” Asia said. “this will never hold our weight and theirs, and if we try to fight them off, we’re gonna drown!”

“We’ve gotta shoot them,” I said.

“But that will just summon more flesh-munchers, and the ice can barely hold us. What do we do?”

“You’re right.” I peered ahead at the approaching brain-eaters. “Let’s try to zigzag around them.”

We took soft steps, trying not to break the ice, making our way closer to a snow bank in the distance. A zombie with long, stringy, black hair and a rotting face inched its way toward us. My stomach clenched. I knew trying to fight it might mean our demise, because the ice was far too thin for all that thudding and jumping around. We tried to zigzag away, but the thing was not deterred whatsoever; its sights set on dinner. The zombie slipped, and I sighed in relief, but that was short-lived, because three more were getting closer.

I pointed my rifle and peered through the scope. “I could so take them out.”

Asia’s face hardened. “And call twenty more? No way! If one more of those things steps on this ice, we’ll be screwed.”

Knowing my friend was right, I lowered my gun and kept taking steps. The scent of rot filled the air as a corpse with brown, choppy hair reached for me from about ten feet away. I didn’t let it out of my sight, not even for a second. “If it gets a little closer, I can nail in one good whack,” I said.

She glanced up at me. “But it’ll crash through the ice.”

“Well what am I supposed to do, Asia? Hold out my hand and let it take a bite?”

“No! Just move back.”

The putrid creature reached for me with its skeletal fingers, and I quickly moved away. As I did, the thin ice cracked and gave way, and the zombie slipped into the dark abyss of the icy lake.

The ice was so thin that I feared taking another step, but we couldn’t just stay where we were. I pointed to the left. “Let’s try that way.”

“Wait!” Asia grabbed her knife and stuck it into the ice.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Ice has to be three inches thick to take our weight, and my blade’s striking water. It’s too weak here.”

“Not good,” I said. “I guess we go the other way.”

She tried ramming her knife through that ice, and it wouldn’t go through. “Okay. This is good. Let’s go.” After we took a few steps, she glanced over her shoulder. “Dean,” she said with a gasp, “there are dozens of them coming!”

I turned, and my heartbeat stopped for a second when I lifted my gaze to the large group of salivating corpses. Pondering, I swallowed past the lump in my throat. Gurgling cries echoed in the air as zombies poured out of the forest like water from a running faucet. I blinked hard. “Why are there so many of them? Where are they coming from?”

“The wind is blowing our scent toward them,” she said.

“The ice won’t be able to hold them all.”

She tried to shake away the horrible thought. “Let’s just hope they don’t make it over here before we get far enough away.”

I looked at the first line of muscular zombies, a group comprised of dead police and firefighters. The one in the lead, in a torn and tattered blue uniform, seemed the most determined. Its bloodied flesh drooped loosely around a gaping hole in its chest, and half of its scalp was torn off. Still, those injuries didn’t slow it down, and I was really worried about it reaching us on the unstable ice.

Asia shot me a look. “That’s not the 911 team we called for.”

“Right. If that’s Fairport’s finest, count me out.”

I watched as a few clumsily slipped and fell on the ice. Some couldn’t get back up, and they flailed around like Bambi, continuously falling down every time they tried. Others were stronger and managed to regain their balance and limp along toward us.

As Asia and I tried to hurry across the lake, I contemplated shooting our followers, as I’d suggested before, but I didn’t have enough ammo to take them all down. If we could just get our hands on those police-issued guns, I thought. They’d multiplied in number and were still pouring in from the forest to the east.

“Dean!” Asia shouted. “It’s cracking.”

My mouth dropped open as her horrified gaze locked with mine, and then I stared down at the ice, breaking apart right beneath our feet.

Chapter 24

The crack was growing, radiating away from us, but as the ice seemed to cry out in pain, I knew we were in big trouble.

A look of pure terror spread across Asia’s face. She leaned over, her voice urgent. “There’re too many zombies on the ice, Dean. Something’s gotta give.”

A sinking feeling tugged at me. I knew if I didn’t act fast, we were all going to go for an impromptu scuba dive. “I’m gonna eliminate that problem right now.”

“How?” she asked with a shudder as the blood drained from her face.

I started to walk toward the zombie pack.

“Wait! What are you doing? You can’t possibly fight all those zombies by yourself,” Asia shouted. “Plus, any kind of combat will compromise the ice even more!”

“Don’t worry,” I said, taking more brave steps toward the living dead. “I’ve got a plan.”

She started to follow me, but I motioned for her to stop.

“Stay there, Asia. The ice can’t hold both of us. Just wait where you are.”

Confusion flooded over her. “What? Why? Where’re you going?” A heavy sigh escaped her lips; she clearly wasn’t happy with me.

The crack seemed to web out and deepen with every step I took. I hated taking such a risk with my life and Asia’s. In fact, I hated everything about that entire zombie apocalypse, but I swore I’d outlive those dead corpses. I’d learned the hard way that the biggest challenge wasn’t surviving the zombie virus; rather, it was recuperating in the aftermath, waiting for them to rot and die out. We had to keep fighting, keep battling, until the zombies were nothing but a big huge pile of ashes and decaying bones. It would take a few years, but I was sure we’d triumph in the end. We just had to.

“Dean,” Asia scolded, “get your butt back here now! I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but getting yourself killed isn’t gonna help our cause one tiny bit.”

I pressed my mouth tight and said nothing. The zombies snarled at me with their droopy skin rotting right off their bodies. The noxious stench of death assaulted my nostrils. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand and gagged. Pale, lifeless eyes stared back at me. With their jaws snapping and their arms outstretched, they shuffled closer. Sweat gathered above my brows and trickled down my face.

“What in the heck are you trying to do?” Asia demanded.

I heaved a sigh. “You’ll see.” I was ready to do whatever it took to save our lives, even if I wasn’t sure my plan would even work. When death’s dark shadow reared its ugly head, I had every intention of grabbing that scythe, breaking it in half, and shoving it right up the Grim Reaper’s crypt. I refused to go down without a fight. I let out a loud war cry like some kind of barbarian, raised my rifle high in the air, and smashed the ice with the butt of my gun.

The ice started to crack, and a huge chunk fell into the lake. I stared down at the gaping hole and slowly staggered back as the ice cracked and shifted, moaning and groaning.

A zombie took a step, and the crack grew bigger. The creature focused on me, presuming I was going to be its afternoon meal. It had white eyes and greenish skin, and no matter how many of them I’d seen before, my stomach still fluttered with fear and nausea when they looked at me like that. Dark blood, the consistency of dirty 10W-30, seeped from the zigzagging wound on its forehead. It mindlessly shuffled toward me while its comrades looked around in a daze, with the ice shifting under their feet like a funhouse floor.

“Come and get it, boys!” I shouted at the freaks. “Your meal awaits!”

It was easy enough to catch their attention, and as they moved toward me, the ice broke in a jagged circle around them with a shattering hiss. The zombie frontlines dropped right into the open lake. Yes! I thought, feeling quite victorious. A loud crack echoed in the air as the ice gave way, dropping more zombies into the watery grave. Once most of the herd had fallen in, I took some small steps back.

Asia clutched her chest and let out a long sigh of relief. “I can’t believe you pulled that off, Dean. You’re lucky you didn’t go down with them.”

“I had to chance it,” I said. “It was the only way to get rid of them.”

She smiled. “Brilliant plan.”

“What can I say? Ice, ice, baby! Now let’s hurry and get back to shore.”

Asia shook her head at me, then took several small, hurried steps.

Suddenly, the ice crunched beneath her shoes, and right before my eyes, she vanished into the depths.

“Asia!”  I hurried toward her in shock.

Her hands were flailing around, frantic to grab onto something, anything, but all that surrounded her were water and jagged ice. Splashing, she anxiously reached for the edge of the ice, screaming for me to get her out. “I can’t feel my feet, Dean!”

The ice under me started cracking, so I took a few big steps to the right, then flattened my body against the ice, spreading my arms and legs wide to evenly distribute my weight. I slithered over to her and threw my coat in, hoping we could use it as a makeshift rope.

Just as I tossed the jacket toward my friend, a zombie hissed only inches away. Crap! When I glanced up, I saw two of them snapping at the air. The ice cracked, and the zombies reached for Asia as they fell in. Asia screamed, flailing wildly. They tumbled around in the swirling water and viciously tried to bite into her neck.

“Asia!” I reached for my gun and aimed for a decaying forehead. I squeezed the trigger, and the zombie loosened its grip on Asia and floated to the surface.

The other zombie sank, taking Asia with it. As they battled it out, bubbles rose to the surface for a second, but then all was unnervingly still.

“Asia? Asia!” My eyes darted about nervously, and I was frantic with worry. I couldn’t shoot blindly into the water, for fear of inadvertently harming Asia. “Asia!” I screamed again at the top of my lungs.

I set my gun down on the ice, but just as I was about to dive in to look for her, she popped her head up, bobbing up and down. Fear and panic loomed in her eyes as she floated in the water. “I-I killed it,” she said. “I literally ripped its rotting head off.”

Asia was tough—that was for sure—but I was worried about hypothermia setting in. I knew I had to get her out of there fast. Raw fear gripped me, making my stomach churn. “Grab my jacket!” I said.

Shivering and gasping for air, she reached for it.

“Asia,” I said, “I want you to lift and kick.”

She stretched her arms over the ice and shimmied up for me to pull her out. Her upper torso rested on the ledge. I gave her another tug with all my might, and she pulled with her arms and kicked her legs to propel herself out of the water. I slowly heaved her up over the edge. My stomach was in knots, and I took a deep breath to calm myself.

Spluttering and coughing, Asia pushed the tangled, frosty hair out of her eyes. “I’m so cold,” she stuttered between shivers. Every muscle in her body trembled as she let out a shaky breath.

I was freezing too. My jacket was soaking wet, and the wintery wind whipping across my body didn’t help. My voice wavered as I consoled, “It’s gonna be okay, but the ice is weak. I know you’re tired, but we need to roll away from the water.”

She nodded, and we moved slowly away from the icy chasm, scooting carefully on our stomachs. I was so cold, and Asia looked miserable as water dripped off her dark hair. I knew she was freezing, even worse than I was, and my heart went out to her. We needed to get home fast as possible and get a warm fire going.

“Approaching zombie princess,” Asia said.

The zombie she was talking about was dressed in a big, puffy, torn, tattered dress and looked like it had stumbled right out of some kind of twisted fairytale. We scooted way over to the left and crawled past it. It was walking very slowly, either because the cold was taking a toll on it, freezing its already brittle bones, or because it was starving. As we passed, it let out guttural sounds and grunts. When I heard a splash, I turned my head and saw that the petrified prom queen had fallen through the weak ice and been swallowed up by the cold lake, just like the others.

“Guess Cinderhella didn’t have her happily-ever-after,” Asia joked.

“Yeah, well, maybe her Prince Charming is already down there,” I said.

“I just want off this ice,” she said. “Part of me is tempted to just start running.”

“You wanna end up like Seeping Beauty or that herd I took out?”

“No way.”

“Then keep shimmying across the ice,” I said, using my arms and elbows to slide along, knowing that keeping our weight evenly distributed was the key to staying alive.

She shivered violently. “Survivors do what they gotta do.”

“Yeah...and this beats running from cannibals,” I said.

“How do we find ourselves in these situations?”

Before I could answer, I was peering down at a sunken, hollow, diseased face with jagged, stained, yellow teeth. Its black fingernails scratched frantically at the ice. I froze, and my breath caught in my throat as I gazed down at the horizontal body, seemingly frozen right under me, flattened against the ice. When it opened its milky eyes and stared right into my soul from the other side of that glassy floor, I couldn’t do anything but gasp.

Chapter 25

One of the zombies I’d killed was floating directly underneath the ice. I stared in horror at the flesh-eating monster directly below me. Its hands pounded on the ice as it stared at me with those snow-white eyes. Somehow, the creepy thing had made its way over to where I was. How convenient, I thought, as a wave of nausea swept over me at the gruesome sight.

Asia screamed when she saw her very own creeper staring up at her. “What the heck?” she asked, terror oozing from her voice. “They have this big lake all to themselves, yet they’ve gotta have their pool party over here.”

Multiple dead zombies floated below me. It looked like the ones I’d just killed. For a minute, I was too terrified to even talk.

“Dean?” she said. “Are you okay?”

My lungs constricted. “Yeah. It’s just...”

“Yeah, I know. More Stephen King crap we could never dream up in a million years.”

I placed a shaking gloved hand on the ice and moved on. “Yeah, something like that.”

Even though the ice was weak, I knew there was no way the zombies could break through; they simply weren’t strong enough. Another zombie floated to the top, then another. In a matter of seconds, the whole herd seemed to pile up right below us. My imagination began to play tricks on me, and I imagined them pounding their fists through the ice, reaching right into my chest to rip out my heart. With so many now pounding on the ice, there was a possibility they could break it, and the thought of that made my skin prickle.

“Asia,” I said, “what if they break the ice?”

She let out a long breath, then threw a terrified glance in my direction. “Let’s scoot faster.”

As I slithered as quickly as I could across the frozen lake, their haunting faces looked up at me while they floated around in the frigid water below. My heart drummed harder against my chest, and when I could finally breathe again, I let out another horrified gasp. The only thing between them and me was a thin sheet of ice. The whole thing felt surreal, as if we were acting out some horrible movie or videogame. I pictured the opening scene: Asia and I lying flat on our stomachs, spread eagle, inching our way across the ice. As that imaginary camera panned out, I imagined literally hundreds of zombies under the ice, fighting to break their way out. Shuddering, I shook my head at the thought.

One particular zombie with swirling blond hair pounded so hard that the ice spider-webbed in a dozen tiny, radiating cracks.

“The ice is breaking!” Asia shouted hysterically.

I gasped for breath. I knew if we fell in freezing water, we’d be torn to bits like shark bait, even before we died from hypothermia or drowning. Hundreds of undead had floated toward us.

One corpse moaned and snapped its teeth against the icy surface; the teeth shattered like glass. It wasn’t ready to give up, though, and when it started head banging the ice, I was mortified. Its face was so rotted that I could see every white bone beneath the skin and muscle. It kept hitting the ice with its head, and I could feel every vibration. My gut twisted. Will the ice give way? Am I gonna sink into that icy soup and be devoured, limb by limb?

I couldn’t bear to look down at the creature writhing beneath me, so I focused on the blue sky and the tree line in front of me. I slid across the ice and tried to ignore the ravenous zombie under the ice, banging its head on the hard surface like some kind of heavy metal head-banger: Thud...thud...thud...thud. Ignore it, I said to myself. Don’t look at it. Just crawl faster.

I crawled past it in no time, but more looked up at me. My jaw dropped when I saw a rotter with no eyes and no lips. It just had empty eye sockets and a smashed face, like someone had beaten it. It licked the ice like it was enjoying a lollipop with its black, mangled tongue. I crawled to the left to avoid the nightmarish thing.

As we slithered along, our teeth chattering, a waterlogged zombie with dark, black rings around its eyes and multiple cuts on its face clawed the ice, determined to break through for a snack. Its black nails were grotesque, and half its cheek was ripped off, exposing flesh. What really freaked me out was that its face was swollen to the size of a beach ball. As I peered at it, it moaned, then sliced its jagged nails into its own face in frustration, slushing off layers of sagging, rotting skin. I looked away in horror.

I kept moving, but I couldn’t stop shivering, a result of the cold and the fear that were threatening to overwhelm me. I tried everything to fight off the vivid images in my head, but the ones beneath me were just as terrifying—and far more real.

Suddenly, a crunch pierced my ears, and a zombie’s icy hands wrapped around my boot. When I instinctively jerked, the ice shifted.

CRACK!

“Dean!” Asia said, with a deep frown planted between her brows. “Don’t move, or we’re good as dead.”

Fear crippled me. I knew she was right, but I couldn’t just let the thing make a drumstick out of my leg. I reached for my gun and fired, nailing its hand in one shot. The zombie let go and fell back into the watery abyss.

I inched faster and stopped momentarily when I realized how weak the ice was. Another zombie took full advantage of the situation, popping its head up directly in my path, mere inches from my face. Instinctively, I reached for my gun and blew its head off, spraying blood and gore everywhere.

The ice vibrated with every punch the zombies delivered, trying to escape from their icy prison.

My mind raced. “We’ve gotta log-roll to shore,” I said. “This is taking way too long.”

Asia nodded in agreement.

I began rolling across the unstable ice, being careful not to let my elbows or knees or the toes of my boots hit it too hard as I rotated around.

After a few dizzying moments, I heard Asia shout in joy. “The ice is pretty solid now!” she said, crawling on her hands and knees. “It’s a good seven to eight inches. I think we can walk the rest of the way.”

I couldn’t see through the ice anymore, which was comforting. I stared ahead at the coating of new snow, glistening like diamonds under the warm rays of the sun. I slowly scrambled to my feet, testing the ice with the weight of my foot. Then I gave the ice a few good whacks with my gun, listening for a deep thump. When I heard it, I smiled; there was no hollow sound, and that was a good sign the ice was firm and solid. It seemed pretty sturdy. I held out my hand and helped Asia up, and she embraced me in a long hug. It was such a relief to know we’d be able to walk upright, without having to see zombie bodies bumping up and down beneath us.

She looked into my eyes. “Thank you, Dean...for saving my life back there.”

I touched her face. “I’ll always have your back, Asia.”

Her lips trembled, and she gazed into my eyes. “I know...and I’ve got yours.”

I hugged her, rubbing the hard stress knots in her shoulders with my palm. As she clutched me and buried her face in my chest, my arms encircled her in a strong grip. “You’re my family now,” I said with heartfelt intensity.

“And you’re mine.”

Off in the distance, I heard more zombie moans.

Asia heard them too, because she clutched me and buried her face in my chest. “Dean, I’m so cold,” she said. “We need to hurry up and get off this lake, away from these zombies, and build a fire.”

My labored breathing eased, though my lungs still burned and my head pounded. “I’m freezing, too, but building a fire will take too long. We’d have to find dry enough wood, and most of its covered in snow. We’re not too far from Fairport. Besides, it’s not safe out here, and the smoke might draw a crowd.”

“Like zombies, hybrids, or Z’s men?”

“For all we know, Z’s men could be guarding the perimeter of the city, waiting for us. We can’t risk a smoke signal.”

“Let’s just get our butts to Fairport,” she said. “We can take the back way in.”

“Can you walk?” I asked.

“I’m numb, but I can do it,” she said, letting out frosty breaths. She tried to smile confidently, but her shaky voice gave her away.

“I can carry you if you need me to.”

Her mouth set in a hard line. “No way. Not a chance, buddy.”

“Still playing the macho card, huh?” I asked.

She smiled. “You better believe it. As long as I’m breathing, I’m not gonna let somebody coddle me. Just let me get dry first. She began picking up fresh snow and rubbing it on her clothes.

I wrinkled my brow in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“It’s a trick I learned in survival class. Light snow is really absorbent and will suck away moisture. It’ll help me warm up.”

I wrapped my arm around her to steady her, and we walked together through the frozen landscape. I wished I hadn’t soaked my jacket, though I was glad it had come in handy to pull Asia out of that lake. The cold seeped into my bones, and I was sure I’d never been so cold in my life. My lips were numb, cracked, and blue, and my body trembled from head to toe, but I dared not complain about it because I knew Asia was even worse off.

Just as we cut through a patch of twisting trees, we heard a low growl coming from a nearby shrub.

Asia used her high-tech vision, and a horrified gasp broke from her. “There’s at least a dozen or so.”

“We’re so close to home,” I said.

My breathing was labored, but we steadily moved along and went a different way. We pushed through the thick undergrowth, moving quickly and quietly, like frozen ninjas.

As much as Asia didn’t want to admit it, she was getting weaker by the minute. Fortunately, luck finally smiled on us, and we didn’t have to fight any more zombies. I was thankful for the break, because I had never felt so miserable in all my life, and everything seemed a blur. I wouldn’t have been very valuable in hand-to-undead hand combat.

Chapter 26

As soon as we reached the city, thankfully unabated by zombies or fiends of the more human variety, we hurried to the apartment complex, eager for a warm fire, dry clothes, blankets, and some food. Lucas carried Asia up to our apartment, and she didn’t bother trying to shoo him away.

I tried to tell the others what happened, but they insisted that we warm up first. I took sips of hot coffee, and Kate threw thick blankets around us. It was so good to be home and alive. The place was freezing, though, so Val and Kate got a huge fire going and made beds for us in front of it. It had never felt better to put on dry clothes, and Val was a real mother hen, waiting on us hand and foot.

I glanced around and realized one familiar face was missing. “Hey, where’s Claire?” I asked.

“Guard duty, on the other side of the complex,” Val said. “We’ll make sure she knows you’re back.”

Asia looked over at me. “This ain’t the Hyatt or anything, but we sure are getting the five-star treatment.”

Val smiled. “It’s the least we can do. Now, here’s my version of an electric blanket,” she said, throwing a huge red blanket over us after she’d warmed it by the fire.

“It feels wonderful,” Asia said.

I squeezed her hand. “We made it back...and alive at that.”

Triumph flickered in her beautiful, dark eyes. “I know. I still can’t believe it.”

I smiled. “Yep. We’re survivors...again.”

She smiled back at me, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Nick came over and sat next to me. “Don’t worry, little bro. I’m not gonna give you a lecture...yet.”

“Nick,” I said, “I need to talk to Max. It’s important.”

“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” he said.

I bit my lip hard, certain that my brother would be none to happy to hear I’d jumped into an enemy truck and sneaked into enemy territory.

“Just tell me. I promise not to chew you out.”

I sighed deeply, then spilled the whole story to him, from start to finish, leaving nothing out.

His eyes grew wide, and he immediately left the apartment to inform Max of what we’d found out.

A short while later, the doctor made a house call. Asia and I both had frostbite, and my left hand was in pretty bad shape, but Asia was also severely hypothermic. “She’ll need lots of rest and keep her warm,” he said. He also started an IV on her and gave her fluids. The IV drained by gravity and was hung on a silver pole next to her. He wanted to give me one too, but I refused. No use wasting our precious supplies when I didn’t think I needed it.

After the doctor left and another knock came at the door, Val checked the peephole, then smiled slyly and opened it to let Max in. I could tell by the way they looked at each other in that moment that Asia’s suspicions were spot on.

“I’ll give you guys a few minutes,” Val said, then put on her coat and left.

“How’s Asia?” Max asked.

“She’s sleeping. She needs her rest.” I sat up and looked at Max. I still couldn’t believe he was dating my sister and was hiding it from me.

“Dean, you and Asia risked your life for our community,” he said, “and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“We knew we’d never get an opportunity like that again, so we jumped on it.”

“You did well. I’m getting ready to head out, but I’ve got a few questions, and I wanted to make sure you’re both okay. I also wanted to personally thank you.”

“I can’t let Z take over this town,” I said. “He enjoys killing innocent people.”

“You’re a brave man, and that’s hard to find these days.”

Max couldn’t believe the lucky break and was assembling teams as we spoke. When he questioned me, I gladly told him everything I knew.

“I’d like to go too,” I said.

“Not without clearance from the doctor,” Max said.

“What?”

“Dean, you’re a mess. You barely survived. Right now, what you need is rest.”

“Are you leaving right away?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“It’s a dangerous mission,” I said.

“Yes,” he said firmly.

“Then maybe you oughtta kiss my sister goodbye, just in case something goes wrong,” I whispered under my breath.

Max looked at me in shock. “What do you mean?” he asked, trying to play dumb.

“Cut the crap, Max!”

“Dean, I—”

“Just admit it. You’re dating my sister.”

“She told you that?”

“No, but Asia mentioned it, and I know she’s right. I’ve seen the way you look at each other, all googly-eyed.”

“We’ll discuss this later,” he said sternly, a bit embarrassed.

“Yes, we should...because you’re way too old for her.”

“Your sister is a grown woman, Dean. For goodness sake! She’s twenty-four years old, not a child.” He blew out a breath and walked out the door.

Clearly, it was a touchy subject for him, but he didn’t tell me not to say anything, so I contemplated whether I should tell Nick or not.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and I remembered I hadn’t eaten in what seemed like ages. I was weak, thirsty, and exhausted, and I knew I’d have to let Max fight that epic battle without me.

They all left with Max except Kate. She handed me a bowl of hot soup. I enjoyed every hot bite. On the last supply run, I got my hands on a portable gas burner. We didn’t need electricity, matches, lighter, or batteries. It ran on an eight-ounce Butane canister. We used it only on special occasions, as we didn’t wanna burn through all the Butane. So we either cooked outside on the fire like my good old camping days or we used this gas burner.

Kate handed me a glass of cold, thin milk.

I smiled. “Thanks.”

“I put a jug of water outside on the windowsill to make cold milk from powder. It isn’t as good as the fresh stuff from Max’s cows, but the cows aren’t giving a lot of milk right now.”

“This is great,” I said. “When did you get this?”

“On the last supply run, I hit the jackpot. I got some instant mashed potatoes, toilet paper, and, uh...some oats and pasta and even pancake mix.”

“Pancakes? Sounds awesome.”

“Well, we’ve got a gas burner now, so maybe this Sunday, I’ll make a pancake breakfast for everyone.”

“Mmm. Sounds great.”

She looked at me and smiled. “To tell you the truth, Dean, I’m more excited about the toilet paper than I am about the pancakes.”

I laughed. “Yeah, it’s sad that we live in a world where toilet paper is a hot commodity. It’s really wiping me out,” I said with a wink.

“Oh geesh. We need to keep you away from Lucas.”

“What? I thought that joke was absolutely Charmin’!”

Chapter 27

When morning came, Nick returned with news: Max and his teams had destroyed the compound outside the city. “Z had a few men stationed there, but most of them were gone. It doesn’t matter though. We took out that compound and got the tank, even if it doesn’t work. We also got our hands on the arsenal of weapons he was storing there.”

“And Z? Did you get him?”

Nick shook his head and looked at the floor. “Nope. The coward ran back to his warehouse.”

“So why didn’t you guys take it out with him in it?” I asked my brother.

“Because there are women and children there,” Nick explained. “Max just wanted to get the weapons away from them. He’s not a murderer, Dean. He just wants peace.”

Lucas shook his head in frustration. “If ya ask me, that Z needs to be exed out, at all costs. This is never gonna stop with that psychopath running things.”

“Max hopes our assault and looting will send a message,” Nick said.

Lucas chuckled. “A message? It’ll just piss him off even more.”

“But Max spared him,” I said. “That should count for something, right?”

“Not when you’re dealing with a crazy man,” Nick said.

“So what now?” I asked.

“We see if Z backs off.”

I cocked a brow. “I don’t see that happening.”

“Then we take him out,” Lucas said, “and I won’t lose any sleep over it when we do.”

Just then, Val walked in. “Max is gonna check out the other compound to see what’s over there. Any volunteers to join him for a little field trip?”

“I’m in,” I said.

***

I hopped in the truck with Max and Val, and Nick, Claire, Asia, Kate, and Lucas hopped in another vehicle. They were going to approach the compound from a different direction than us. We took off, speeding over bumps, and crossed into the danger zone to assess what we were dealing with.

Max put on the brakes when we were close to our target. The teams behind us stopped and waited for his command. He jumped out, and I pointed my gun into the vegetation as he glanced around, but I didn’t see any sign of zombies.

“We have no idea what’s over that ridge,” Max said. “Z’s men could be waiting for us—or maybe not. We just don’t know. It’s best we check it out first.”

“I can scout it out,” I offered.

“Not on foot. Too dangerous,” he said.

It wasn’t windy, but it was freezing outside, and I was thankful for my hat and leather gloves. Max’s men were stationed all around us so nothing could sneak up on us, and that was also a relief.

Max walked to another truck and pulled out an oversized remote-control helicopter, about two feet by two feet. “This will give us a real edge,” he said.

“A toy?” I questioned.

“Not just a toy, my friend. This little beauty is equipped with a camera, and I can see the images on my iPad. We’ll be able to see what’s down there without having to risk going in unaware.”

“It’s pretty amazing, Dean,” Val said. “Max showed it to me earlier. We flew it high in the sky and took video of the apartment complex. Everything looks totally different from up there, almost...peaceful and normal.”

“I saw you two out there laughing, and I wondered why you were playing with a toy.”

Val glanced up at Max and grinned like a silly schoolgirl.

“You mentioned an iPad, but how does that work without the Internet?” I asked.

“The satellites still work, so we don’t need Wi-Fi or anything. It’s equipped with a gyroscope and a high-resolution digital video camera.”

I smiled. “Spyware, huh?”

“Yep. The camera is already built-in, right underneath the cockpit.”

“Can I fly it?” I asked.

He smiled at me, made sure the helicopter was ready for takeoff, and carefully set the high-tech gadget on the ground. “Perhaps another time.” He hit the button on the remote control, and the whirlybird took off into the air.

“And we’re off!” Val said.

I stared at the iPad in Max’s hand, a live feed, as if we were actually sitting in the pilot’s seat. The little copter flew high and fast, and the image was sharp and clear, giving us a valuable bird’s-eye view. Our jaws dropped when the helicopter whirled out of sight and we saw a herd of zombies on the iPad screen, stumbling around in every direction.

“Son-of-a...” Max stuttered, studying the horrible scene. “Still wanna march down there on foot, kid?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “On second thought...”

Val held the map tight, peering intensely at it. “It’s the right spot.”

I stared at the undead army of hideous creatures. “It’s a trap!” I said. “Z’s men tried to lead us straight into a dinner party!”

Max cursed, a string of several four-letter words I’d never even heard before.

Val’s face was suddenly white as a ghost’s. “Nick and the others! They’re heading to the other side to lie low and wait for orders from us.”

I swallowed hard. “They’re heading right toward the herd! We’ve gotta stop ‘em!”

Max reached for his walkie-talkie. “Team 7 and 8, pull out now! I repeat, abort now!”

The walkie-talkie crackled, and I could barely hear the garbled voice coming from the other end. A chill shot down my spine. “Try it again! They’re gonna die down there!”

Chapter 28

“You’ve gotta warn them, Max!” Val said.

Max tried again, to no avail.

My heart thundered in my chest, and I was ready to jump in the truck and go get them myself. We didn’t have much time, and I knew every second counted if we wanted to save their lives.

“We could take a shortcut and try to cut them off before they get to the danger point,” Max suggested.

Val shook her head and pointed to the map. “But it’s impenetrable right here. We’ll never get through.”

“I know. That’s why I sent them on foot.”

I studied the map for a moment, and an idea struck me. “We can warn them!” I said.

“How?” Val asked frantically, wide-eyed.

“The helicopter! We can attach a note to it and find them with the video stream.”

“Hmm. It could work,” Max said. “Paper! Pen! I need it now, people!”

I opened the glove compartment and rummaged through, happy to find a Magic Marker.

Another woman found a long, white envelope.

I wrote, “WARNING: Team 8 retreat! Zombie herd approaching. From Dean.” I attached it to the helicopter, and Max sent her back into the air.

As the miniature aircraft disappeared up into the tree line, I inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. My whole group could be annihilated if our plan didn’t work, my brother and my best friends.

Val held my hand, and I looked at her nervously, trying to keep it together. The louder I panted, the tighter she squeezed my hand in reassurance. “Say a prayer,” she whispered.

“I already am.”

I looked down at the screen as Max maneuvered the helicopter around, searching for the two missing teams.

He flew the copter forward, backward, up, down, clockwise, and counterclockwise.

“Where are they?” I asked.

“Just gimme a minute,” Max said. “There are a lot of places to check, and they might be hiding.”

“We don’t have a minute, Max! They’re running out of time, and they may not even now it!”

Val gently led me away. “Let’s give Max some room.”

“I can’t take this, Val,” I whispered. “If we don’t hurry—”

“They’re gonna be okay,” she said.

“I found them!” Max yelled.

I rushed back over and looked down at the iPad. The helicopter was still high in the air, but figures were walking through a clearing. Unfortunately, right over the next hill, there was a multitude of flesh-eaters just waiting for an easy meal. There was no way we would’ve gotten there in time, so I was glad we’d sent the note. I just hoped Nick would see it in time. I assumed he’d recognize the helicopter as Max’s, because we’d both secretly made fun of Val and Max for playing with it that very morning.

When Nick saw the helicopter zoom overhead, he pointed at it; the others gazed up and started waving.

“He recognizes it!” I said.

“Let me pull around and land her,” Max said.

I held my breath as Max fussed with the controller.

As soon as the copter landed, Nick grabbed the note and read it. He mouthed, “Thank you!” and there was relief written all over his face. Max started it up and flew back toward us.

I let out a big sigh of relief; there was no way they could have fought off a herd that large. When my sister hugged me, my hands finally stopped shaking.

“Oh no,” Max said. “We’ve got company.”

When I glanced down at the iPad, I saw some of the group shuffling through the weeds and overgrowth, heading right for us.

“Let’s move it, people!” Max said as he landed the helicopter.

We jumped back in the truck and took off with a jerk. We drove to one of the main streets and waited for Nick. When his group came back unscathed, I had never been more thankful.

Val looked at me. “See? Not everything turns out bad, Dean.”

“It does most of the time,” I retorted.

“You’ve been through some near-misses,” Max said. “I’ll give you that. And, yeah, it’s a fight for survival, but look at all the wonderful things you still have. Your family is alive and breathing. You have food and shelter and a community of people who’ve come to love and appreciate you.”

“Yeah, I know, and I’m thankful for the good things in my life.”

Max’s gaze met Val’s. “Me too,” he said, almost blushing.

She smiled, and I almost gagged. The two of them were like Cream of Wheat: sweet and mushy all at once. I’d never much liked Cream of Wheat.

***

We all met back in Fairport and had a few drinks at Max’s apartment.

“Z’s men are still on the loose,” Max said, “and they tried to lead us into a trap, but we overcame. Two of my teams were walking into danger, but Dean came up with a brilliant idea to warn them. He saved their lives, and I’m forever grateful.”

“Thank you, Max,” I said.

“No, thank you.”

Nick hugged me. “Yeah, I guess I owe ya one, little brother,” he said. “We had no idea those brain-munchers were out there.”

“It was really Max’s helicopter that saved the day,” I replied.

Max planned to start sending teams to the warehouse soon, since we were pretty sure Z was still lurking there, but I didn’t think he’d be leaving Fairport anytime soon, especially when he knew there was a herd south of the city.

When I looked over at Val, I noticed that she was sitting really close to Max, but she would probably just say it was because it was so crowded in his apartment.

Claire suddenly embraced me in a hug. “Thank you, Dean,” she said.

“Huh? Oh, sure, Claire. It’s fine.” My gaze shot back to the couch, but Max and Val were gone, just like that. “Hey, where’d those two take off to?” I asked curiously.

“Outside to get some air, Max said,” Claire answered.

“They’re getting awfully chummy,” I said.

“They’re just friends, Dean.” She laughed. “He’s a little too old for her. He has a teenage daughter, and I’m sure Val doesn’t wanna be Rachel’s stepmom.”

I shook my head. “That’s not even funny.”

“Like I said, there’s nothing to worry about. They’re just friends.”

I didn’t even want to think about it anymore. I just wanted to go home and kick up my feet after the long couple of days I’d had. I shot Claire a look. “Hey, you wanna go back to the apartment?”

“Hmm. Is that kiss we shared getting to you?” she asked with a laugh.

I playfully nudged her. “C’mon, Claire.”

Kate approached and asked, “Kiss? What’s this about you two kissing...and, more importantly, does Nick know?”

Claire grabbed her arm. “It’s not what you think.”

Kate smirked. “That’s what people always say when they’re caught red-handed.”

“It was just part of our undercover assignment,” Claire said. “We had to pretend like we were lovers to fool Z’s men.”

“That’s old news. Nick told me you two went behind his back to do that, but he didn’t mention lip-locking being a job requirement.”

“We were kind of forced into it,” I said.

“Right,” she said, clearing her throat.

“It’s not exactly something we wanna announce to the world,” Claire said.

“Hmm. Then I suggest you be a little more quiet about it,” Kate said, then sashayed away, giggling.

Since Kate and Claire wanted to stay, I headed back to the apartment on my own.

***

I started pacing around the freezing cold living room.

Sparkles followed me and barked.

“What? I’m warmer when I keep moving,” I explained, then chuckled inwardly at myself for talking to the dog like she could possibly understand.

I put some logs on the fire, and a blaze was going in no time.

It really bothered me that I could’ve lost Nick, Lucas, Claire, Asia, and Kate all at once. The realization weighed heavily on me, and I felt dazed, numb, and empty. The thought of being there without them was one I simply couldn’t bear. They were all my family, and losing Jackie had been bad enough. I couldn’t imagine losing every single person I loved. Many of the other survivors had seen their loved ones destroyed right before their eyes. I knew Max was right: I was very lucky to have my family and friends and a safe place to stay. I appreciated that, and I didn’t take it for granted, not for one second. We all missed Jackie, but each of us felt her loss in a different way, and none of us wanted to end up like her.

I didn’t really fear death though. In my opinion, the unknown wasn’t half as frightening as the cruel reality around us. I stared into the embers and thought about that for a second. The only real thing I feared about death was that it might take my friends or family from me.

Jackie’s words echoed in my head. She’d told me to live each day as if it were my last. I knew that every day I walked outside the city could be my last living day on Earth. I tried to help others and to live without regrets. I tried to make each day special and make it my best, because I knew there was no guarantee of tomorrow. They weren’t the kind of thoughts that should have been drumming through an eighteen-year-old head, but in our screwed-up world, I had to think about them every single day. I was furious that the zombie virus had stolen our world and forced us into survival mode, forced us to deal with things like death and loss. My hands began to tremble again, and I wondered if I was losing it.

The door creaked open, and Asia came in.

Sparkles hurriedly ran over to greet her.

She petted the dog, then shot her gaze at me. “What’s wrong?” she asked, slipping off her coat.

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying, Dean. I can tell.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Asia stared at me and crossed her arms. “Fine. Then don’t,” she snapped, then marched over and pulled me into a hug. “Just don’t suffocate in the sadness. It’s pretty easy to do if you’re not careful.”

We just held each other for a moment, and no words were needed. I could tell she needed me as much as I needed her. It was an intense moment, and after what we’d been through together, we’d built an emotional connection, a strong friendship, and a tight bond.

Asia held on tighter. She tried to hide her emotions, just as she usually did, but tears flowed from her eyes. She tried to play it tough, to keep up her hard exterior, but she missed her family miserably and was just as distraught as I was. We’d seen horrible things no human should ever have to witness, but we wore our scars like badges of honor and vowed to carry on, no matter how hard it seemed.

“I know this is about us almost walking straight into that herd, but we would’ve run once we realized we were outnumbered.”

“That hill was thick with weeds and tree stumps. You never woulda made it back up in time—at least not all of you.”

“Dean,” she said, “you know as well as I do that this is a high-stakes game.”

“Like poker?”

She nodded. “Sometimes, taking risks is the only way to win at the game of life.”

“Then I plan on winning, because I’m a real sore loser.”

“Then you’d better step up your game and play harder, and I’ll do the same. We’ve had too many close calls. I’ve stared death in the face so many times that I’m not scared of it anymore.”

“Yeah? What’s death look like?”

“Well, he’s tall and dark but not so handsome. He’s sorta bony and wears a long dark hood and doesn’t leave home without his scythe. You’d think he’d know better and carry a Glock or a rifle out in a zombie apocalypse, but I guess he’s kinda old-fashioned.”

I laughed. “Heh. Yeah, I guess the Grim Reaper isn’t so hip, huh? Somebody oughtta tell that guy to change his bathrobe once in a while. I’m sure it reeks.”

We both chuckled.

“It doesn’t matter what religion or race you are, whether you’re rich or poor. Death is our constant companion. It’s all around us. It will come for everyone eventually, and there’s no escape. My plan is to just try to outrun it for as long as I can...and make my mark on the world in the meantime.”

I gave her a fist-bump. “Mine too.”

“Now, enough with this sentimental crap,” Asia said. “Let’s open up a can of beans. I’m starving.”

“Me too.”

Asia found some food for us, and I reached for a can of dog food. As I reached for the can opener, she smiled.

“What?” I asked.

“If you’d prefer Alpo, that’s okay with me. I doubt the beans will taste much better.”

I chuckled. “It’s for the dog. If we don’t feed her, she’ll beg the whole time we’re eating, and the last thing that dog needs is a bunch of beans.”

“I think you really like that yappy little mutt.”

“She’s not yappy. She hardly barks.”

Asia smirked. “See? You’re even sticking up for her.”

“I can’t let the dog starve. Claire would kill me.”

“Just admit it. You like the dog.”

I grinned. “Well...maybe just a little.”

We chuckled again, and the moment suddenly seemed lighter. We talked for hours before the others came back, and it was nice to spend some alone time with Asia when we weren’t freezing to death or fighting for our lives.

***

Time flew, and after a week passed, the herd had moved. We were all thankful for that, and now that the threat was over, Max could start focusing all his time on Z.

Nick and I were walking back from a perimeter check. It wasn’t as cold as some days but I still needed a hat and gloves. It was an overcast day. Snow crunched under my feet as we walked.

“I hope Mom, Dad and Grams are okay,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about them so much.”

“Me too. I’m sure they’re fine. They probably have the island all back to normal by now.”

“Knowing Dad, I totally agree.”

“When we decide to leave, Val might stay here,” Nick said in a grim voice.

My jaw dropped. “Why?”

“You know why. She’s scared the execution squad might come for her again.”

“We can go to another island,” I said.

He kept walking briskly. “She’s afraid they might come after her, and you know they very well might.”

“How can we return without Val? I don’t want to lose her.”

A sad expression crossed his face. “I don’t either. She says she’ll come back when things get normal again.”

“I’ll talk her into coming,” I insisted. “She’s our sister. We can’t just leave her here.”

“And we can’t force her to come either. Plus, she feels safe here.”

“What if that barrier that repels the zombies quits working? Then what? The island is the safest place to be.”

“You make a great argument.”

Suddenly, I noticed red dots bouncing around my chest. Was a sniper trying to take me out? My heart pounded. When I glanced up, I saw armed figures on top of the roof pointing sniper rifles at me.

“Duck for cover!” I shouted.

Nick and I scrambled for cover. I crouched behind a blue run down truck and peered up, trying to make out who the figures were. I was sure it was people from Z’s gang.

“Are they Z’s assassins?” I whispered.

“Assassins don’t miss their targets,” he said.

When I peered through my scope, I gasped. It wasn’t Z’s men at all. I was definitely staring at a group of hybrids. They were dressed just like us in winter coats and hats and I wondered why they’d need them. But if they were more human, maybe they wanted to act more human.

Nick fired off a shot but they didn’t return fire. When I glanced up, I noticed the hybrids were gone.

“C’mon!” Nick said. “Let’s go catch them. I have lots of questions.”

He ran to the building and hastily pulled the fire escape down. We bolted up the red, metal stairs and when we got to the top, we didn’t see the hybrids anywhere.”

Nick cursed. “Where did they go?”

I glanced around. “Looks like you chased them off.”

“I swear I’m going to catch one of those things and its going to give me every single answer I want to know.”

I looked at Nick. “They aimed guns at us. Why didn’t they shoot us?”

“I have no idea,” he answered. “They had a clear shot. Yet, they didn’t take it.”

“And they’re not feeding from people in our city,” I said. “What’s going on?”

“Charlie might’ve given them orders not to stir up any trouble. Just to observe.”

“But why would a hybrid listen to that?” I asked. “They don’t take orders. They kill. They murder. They feast.”

“I want to know how many of those freaks Charlie created,” he said.

“They’re stalking us.”

“They’re studying our security, looking for the best way to break it.”

“I can’t believe we’re dealing with a hybrid problem once again.”

“Tell me about it,” he said, then shifted his stance. “But before, the number was manageable. Who knows how many hybrids Charlie created? He’s playing with fire and he knows it. Even though they’re roaming the city, he’s somehow keeping them contained. But what happens if they leave the city?”

I shuddered. “If they get out...”

“We’ve got to take them out. I just wonder where Charlie’s hiding them.”

“Do you think they’re feeding on people outside the city?” I asked.

“That’s a horrible thought. But that’s exactly why hybrids need to be put down. They’re murderers and nothing else.”

“That one did save my life,” I reminded him.

“That doesn’t make sense. That’s not their normal behavior at all.”

“It showed me mercy,” I said.

“It might’ve been trying to hold onto its humanity. But eventually, it’ll give in to its desire to feast on human flesh. No matter how hard it fights it. It’s no different than the ones we’ve encountered before. So don’t let it fool you.”

“We better going,” I said.

And with that, we took off back to the apartment complex. We went straight to Max and told him everything.

“These hybrids are a threat that needs to be eliminated,” Nick said. “Our city will never be safe with them running around it.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Max replied. “But Z is more of a problem right now.”

I didn’t believe that for a minute. “Just because those hybrids are on good behavior doesn’t mean we need to put them on the back burner.”

Max met my gaze. “We deal with the bigger threat first.”

“Those hybrids can turn into a problem far worse than Charlie,” Nick said. “They can call herds.”

“Then why haven’t they?” Max asked.

“Charlie must be giving them something to keep it under control,” I said.

Nick shook his head. “They could snap at any given moment. They could slaughter the entire town.”

“Maybe that’s Charlie’s ultimate goal,” I said, cringing at the thought.

“We’ve got to take the threat seriously,” Nick said. “If Charlie is creating an army of hybrids, that’s serious crap. And it needs to be dealt with immediately.”

I absolutely agreed. “We need to expand our search outside the city. We need to find where Charlie’s keeping them, and eliminate the problem once and for all.”

“Can he make more hybrids?” Max asked.

“I’m sure he can,” Nick answered.

“Then Charlie needs to be eliminated with his hybrids,” Max said. “Then we’ll never have to worry about that problem ever again.”

“He can’t have that much serum left,” I said. “He has to be running on fumes.”

Max blew out a breath. “Here we are just trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse, and we have two very dangerous nuts to deal with, a crazy gang leader and a lunatic scientist breeding a hybrid army like some kind of science fiction film.”

I nodded. “Living in a post-apocalyptic world seems to bring out all the crazies. Everyone goes into survival mode and it brings out every primal instinct. It either brings out the best in people...or the worst.”

“We need to make this hybrid problem top priority,” Nick said.

“We have,” Max replied. “I’ve used all my resources to try and find his little army.”

“Little? His army could be huge. Don’t underestimate Charlie. He could have hundreds of them for all we know.”

“I don’t know what else you want me to do,” Max said.

“Find Charlie at all costs,” Nick said. “This isn’t only a threat to us. This is a threat to all humanity. And that takes precedence over Z.”

“Creating an army of hybrids to win a war against a local gangster is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of,” I said.

“He’s been planning it for some time,” Nick contemplated. “You told me Jonathon said he created the hybrids to take down the gang.”

“I think he was learning how to control them,” I said. “When we were attacked at the lab, Charlie sicked his hybrids on Sam, Larry, and Z’s gang after we fled the scene. Not only was Charlie able to win and triumph in victory, but he was able to secure them as test subjects. Charlie had control of those hybrids.”

Max shook his head. “Those hybrids took out Z’s gang, Sam, Larry, and all the regular, stupid zombies who stumbled onto the scene.”

“Z’s gang wondered how a few scientists were able to defeat some of their toughest players, along with zombies,” I said. “But now we know. Charlie had help...he unleashed gas and employed his hybrid army that he kept stashed in his underground facility. The same facility where he abducted people and did horrible experiments on them.”

“Nobody had a chance against Charlie,” Max said. “Not with his tricks and his hybrid army.”

“Who’d be expecting gas and hybrids?” I said. “It was sneaky.”

“But Charlie’s little, precious hybrids were killed when Jonathon set off the self-destruct sequence and blew up the building,” Nick said. “So he started again.”

Max crossed his arms. “I think Charlie found a new place to set up his lab. He took the remaining serum and made more hybrids. We just need to know how many hybrids he made and where they are being kept hidden.”

Nick met his gaze. “Let’s get surveillance teams on every single scientist still living in Fairport. I know some of them are still consorting with Charlie. Let’s find out who, and then follow their every move. I’m sure they’ll lead us straight to the madman himself.”

“We could even put a little pressure on some of the scientists to get them to talk,” Max said. “Or maybe we can get their wives to talk. I’ll get on this right away.”

“Charlie’s here...somewhere,” I said. “We need to hunt and stalk our enemy like big game. If we dig hard enough, I’m sure he’ll turn up.”

Chapter 29

Kate and I were sent on a simple but risky mission: to go outside the safe zone and load one of Max’s pick-up trucks with donated supplies. A couple who had recently come into the welcoming arms of Max’s little safe haven had offered to share all the canned food they’d found in a recent store raid, but they wouldn’t go back to get it because the woman’s mother had been killed violently by a zombie, and the trip would bring back too many bad memories.

As I drove, Kate looked at me. “We shoulda brought Sparkles. Poor thing’s always cooped up in that apartment.”

“Claire walks her all the time,” I argued, “and she’d just be bite-sized zombie bait.”

“You’re right. She’s better off back at the apartment, nice and safe. It’s just...well, I used to take my dog everywhere with me, and I kind of miss it.”

“You had a dog?”

“Yup, a yellow lab named Anna. She was ten years old. She was killed when zombies broke into our house. My mom was killed that fateful day too. It actually happened right after I saw you in Kingsville. After I passed out those flyers, I went home, and Mom and Anna were both gone. When we found their bodies...well, a neighbor helped me bury them. We had a makeshift funeral, and then I went to look for my sister, and...well, you know the rest.”

“Yeah, I heard you mention that to Nick back at the nursing home. I should have offered you my condolences, but I just didn’t know what to say. I’m not good at that kind of stuff. I really suck at it. But I want you to know I’m so sorry about you losing your mom, your sister, and Anna.”

“Thanks, Dean. That means a lot.”

“It’s not fair that we have to lose the ones we love,” I said.

“My mom had dementia, and she couldn’t have fought them off. I was her caregiver, and she was all I had. I should’ve been there taking care of her, not off trying to—”

“You had to find your sister,” I said. “You wouldn’t have been able to go on without knowing.”

“But while I was gone, the zombies broke in.”

“You didn’t know they would, and I’m sure your mother would’ve wanted somebody to find your sister.”

“I had no idea my beautiful, funny, smart sister and best friend was already dead because of those Kingsville games.”

“I’m so sorry, Kate.”

“Me too. I’m only here with you because I don’t have any family anymore. Almost everyone in my neighborhood died in zombie attacks, so I couldn’t stay there anymore. It just wasn’t safe. Asia convinced me to come, to leave all the horrible memories and start over somewhere else.”

“You met Asia in Kingsville?”

“Yeah. Right after she turned back from the serum, we started chatting and instantly became best friends.”

“I’m so glad you two came with us,” I said.

She smiled. “Me too.”

I was very thankful for the group I was with. We, for the most part, all got along really good. I thought we made a great team and trusted them completely.

“Val told me some of the scientists that worked with Charlie are missing,” Kate said.

“I heard about that.”

“What do you think happened to them?”

“It could be anything. Z could’ve found them, and if he did, I shudder to think what he would’ve done to them. Or maybe some pissed off hybrids got their revenge. Or maybe Charlie disposed of them for whatever reason. Or maybe they simply got scared and ran away as far from this place as they could get.”

“Max is looking for them as we speak,” she said. “If we can find one of them, then we can get answers. They might lead us to Charlie.”

I turned left. “Okay, I think this is the road.”

Kate looked at the directions Max had written down. “Yeah, it should be down a few houses.”

I pointed at a shop with a large window display of antique vases and paintings. “I think this is it.”

“Yep.”

I parked the truck in front of the store.

“I don’t see any zombies,” Kate said.

“Me neither.”

I jumped out and peered around carefully. The snow was pouring down, and the wind was bitter cold. I stepped on the porch and banged on the door, not really expecting an answer.

“Why are you knocking?” Kate laughed. “I don’t think anyone’s home.”

“Because it’ll draw any zombies out.”

She peeked in through the large, horizontal window. “I don’t see anything, and they said they left the door unlocked.”

“What if it’s a trap?” I said.

“What?”

“We don’t know that couple from Adam and Eve. Maybe Z sent them.”

She raised a brow. “You think they’re spies?”

“What if they sent us here for a reason?”

“Like what?”

“I’m not sure. I’m just...well, I’m trying to think of every possible scenario.”

“Z has you all paranoid,” she said. “Why would he go through all of this just for us? He wouldn’t.”

I knew Kate was right, but it wasn’t just Z. It was everything, from the gang to the lab. I felt like I couldn’t trust anybody; I’d been burned too many times.

Kate’s blonde hair whipped around in the wind. “I’m freezing out here. Let’s just hurry up and do this.” She pointed her gun straight ahead and opened the door.

A lot of light poured in from the huge front window, and I was thankful for that. I waved my flashlight across the shelves, over the antique dolls and figurines. Everything looked to be in perfect order, and nothing was undisturbed, so I figured the zombie attack must have happened outside.

The floor creaked with every step we took, but we searched the entire place. Once we deemed it clear, a zombie-free zone, we climbed into the attic and found the canned goods.

As we loaded the food into the truck, keeping a watchful eye in every direction, the snow started blowing and whipping around.

Once the food was all loaded, we climbed into the truck, and I started the engine.

Kate shot me a look. “Do you think we can drive in this? I don’t wanna get stuck somewhere.”

I could hardly see through the violently swirling snow and heavy fog. Just like that, we were caught in a white-out, practically a blizzard. I gave it a little gas, and the tires began to squeal, stuck in a snowdrift.

Kate jumped out. “We’re gonna need a shovel,” she said.

“Maybe there’s one inside the shop.”

The snow was falling so thick and fast that it looked like thick, white drapes, impossible to see through. I couldn’t even tell the difference between the sky and the ground. Everything was blurry, and the wind was bone chilling. I hopped out of the truck, and we both hurried inside the store. We searched the place but didn’t see anything we could use to free the tires from their snowy groove.

Kate looked out the window. “Dean, we’re not getting home anytime soon.”

“Well, I’m not staying here. You pump the gas, and I’ll give the truck a push.”

“It’s too bad out there. We might get stuck somewhere worse, in the middle of nowhere. At least here, we’ve got shelter, and there don’t seem to be any zombies.”

“All right. We’ll wait here for a few hours,” I said reluctantly, “but as soon as it clears up, we’re taking off.”

“We might have to stay the night.”

I cringed at the thought. It was freezing, and there was no fireplace, but there were some blankets, and we had plenty of food in the truck. We opted for the attic because I didn’t want to sit in that shop with all those creepy dolls staring back at me. We made a makeshift bed and cuddled up in the covers, trying to get warm. I could see my breath, but it still wasn’t as cold as it was outside. Since we couldn’t find any candles or lanterns, we set our two flashlights beside each other for light.

“It’ll be okay,” I said. “We’re safe here. We have shelter. We’ll just wait out the storm and then go.”

“Those roads are going to be tough to manage,” she said.

“That’s what four-wheel drive is for.”

“Well, thank goodness we brought the truck.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

We chitchatted about everything, from Z to our apartment.

Suddenly, Kate looked very sad.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Today is my sister’s birthday,” she said. “She would’ve been twenty-one.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“It’s hard to forget her. We made so many memories together.”

“Tell me about her,” I said.

She smiled. “Well, her name was Carol. She was beautiful, with long, blonde hair and blue eyes like mine. She loved to smile and laugh. She had a bubbly personality that lit up a room, such a gentle soul. When she went to Kingsville, she never came back.”

“I remember the flyer you showed me.”

“My neighbor had a generator and electricity. I printed those out till I ran out of ink.”

“She looked like you,” I said.

“Yeah, people used to think we were twins. I’m trying to move on, because I know that’s what she would want, but sometimes I’m so haunted by losing her. It’s almost worse than being stuck in that lab, where they prodded and poked me every day.”

“Grief sucks.”

She touched my hand. “I know you miss Jackie.”

“Not a day goes by when I don’t think about her.”

“I know. I miss Carol every day too. How do we heal from a broken heart?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out. Sometimes I think I’m losing it. I’m stressed out, and I’ve had so many close calls that I question why I’m still breathing. I’m grieving. I argue with my brother. I fight to survive. I try to stay encouraged and give it all I have, but sometimes I feel like my best just isn’t good enough. Sometimes I feel chilling, petrifying darkness, almost guilt for all the things I’ve done.”

“You keep beating yourself up for killing that guy in Kingsville, but he had it coming. But he helped put my sister in that arena, and he was rooting for the zombies. He was a monster.”

“He was under the effects of that toxic water.”

“That’s no excuse. He killed my sister, and I’m glad you killed him. I know that’s not what you wanna hear, but I’m glad to get it off my chest. When they captured me, they told me he was the one who threw her in there. Then they said they hoped there weren’t any hurt feelings. I told them I was glad he was dead, so they roughed me up.”

Hearing that made my blood boil. “Why are people so crazy?”

“Well, there’s no government, so people do whatever they want. There’s no one to stop them. I would have given anything if I could have stopped my sister from going to Kingsville. Sometimes I dream of warning her not to go visit her friend.”

“I have nightmares too,” I admitted.

Suddenly, a door creaked, and I froze.

“Did you hear that?” Kate whispered.

We listened intently but didn’t hear any more noise. I grabbed a flashlight and reached for my rifle. I walked to the door, my heart pounding. It was so quiet I could have heard the proverbial pin drop. The floor creaked, and footsteps echoed beneath us, so  I knew we weren’t alone. It was either a zombie, a survivor, or one of Z’s men, and I sure hoped it wasn’t the latter.

Pointing my rifle ahead of me, I crept down the stairs and flashed my light around, but I didn’t see anything. I had to know what we’d heard, because there was no way I could sleep there knowing we weren’t alone. I took a few more brave steps, then flashed my light around once again.

“I don’t see anything,” Kate said. “Maybe it’s an animal, a rat or something.”

“Maybe.”

Suddenly, glass shattered with a loud boom.

I gasped, certain that something had knocked a figurine off the shelf.

Kate pointed her gun toward the shelves. “Something’s in here,” she whispered.

My stomach clenched as I took another step forward.

A black cat darted out and flew past my feet and up the stairs.

Kate breathed out, relieved. “A flippin’ cat!”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I shined my flashlight around through the pitch dark, and everything seemed to be okay, but I had to be sure. I started walking through the aisles with my gun drawn. When I noticed another door way off to the side, I pointed my flashlight down at the floor.

Kate gasped.

There were muddy, wet, snowy footprints leading from the basement of the shop. My stomach lurched when I realized we had more ominous company than a stray cat. I wanted to know who or what was in there with us. There was no way we could leave in that blizzard, and we’d be forced to stay the night, so I had to track down our uninvited guest and put it out of its rotting misery if it was a zombie.

CRASH!

Chapter 30

I instinctively pointed my gun in the direction of the ominous noise. As I inched forward into the next room, I held my breath. I heard another loud crash and hurried straight toward it. When I turned down the aisle where the music boxes were kept, I found myself looking into the eyes of a killer. The zombie was pretty emaciated, and I could see its ribs through its black skin. A low, throaty, growl rose from its throat. It lumbered straight toward me, and I put a bullet straight in its brain. It crashed backward, knocking a dozen music boxes to the floor and shattering them in an eerie melody of mixed-up tunes.

Kate clutched her chest. “We’ve gotta get that thing out of here, or I’ll never be able to sleep.”

Together, we dragged the zombie outside and across the street. The wind whipped across our faces, and the bitter cold bit into my skin. When I glanced up, I saw something through the blowing snow: a figure with long, flowing black hair. I aimed my gun, but just as I was about to shoot, I noticed its glowing green eyes. I gasped, totally caught off guard. Jackie? “Look!” I said.

“It’s a zombie,” she retorted.

“But she’s backing away.”

“Maybe it’s a hybrid.”

The figure took off to the back of the house across the street, which was odd, because it wasn’t like zombies to run away from a fresh meal. I thought it might be another survivor, and I had to see who it was. I started to run after her, but Kate pulled my arm.

“You wanna get yourself killed, Dean!?” she shouted over the howling wind.

I broke free and raced across the street and to the back yard. I spun in a slow circle. It was hard to see through the wall of snow, and my feet slipped and slid with every step. Then I saw those glowing eyes. “Jackie?” I said in stunned amazement.

The figure darted off into the white blanket of snow, and I anxiously followed. At that point, I knew I wasn’t pursuing a zombie, because it had green eyes just like Val’s and Asia’s.

When a snow-covered zombie stumbled in my path and howled at me, I whipped out my handgun and pulled the trigger. A bullet hurtled through the air and found its mark right between the eyes of the rotter. Dark blood leaked from the hole in its head.

Another one approached. A huge gouge was ripped out of its cheek, as if something had bitten into it like an apple. I jumped out of its dangerous grasp as it reached for me, then aimed my gun and squeezed the trigger steadily. Its lifeless body crashed at my feet.

Four more gnashed their teeth, making low, raspy sounds as they shambled toward me through the blizzard. Swallowing hard, I aimed at the shadowy figures looming ahead. As they came into the view, I unloaded all my bullets into them. I blinked as blood sprayed.

A zombie hissed behind me, and Kate shined her flashlight on it, as I whipped around, shattering its leg with my boot. The rotter lunged, and I smashed the butt of my gun into its head. It tumbled back into a thick snowdrift.

Kate raced over and shot it, then grabbed my arm. “Are you crazy?”

“I thought I saw Jackie.”

“So you’re chasing ghosts now?”

“No! Her eyes...they were glowing and green!”

“It could be a survivor from Kingsville,” she said. “I loved Jackie, too, Dean, but tracing out here in a zombie-infested blizzard is plain stupid.”

“Didn’t you see her eyes?”

“It looked like a zombie to me, but...”

I didn’t expect her to believe me, because I didn’t even believe it myself. It could have been a survivor from Kingsville, or it might have just been my imagination playing tricks on me. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I couldn’t forget those glowing eyes. “Let’s get back inside,” I said. “I’m freezing.”

We cut through the yard and hurried back inside, then slammed the door behind us.

“I swear I’m losing my mind,” I said, “but that girl looked exactly like Jackie, with long, dark hair and green eyes and everything. I coulda sworn it was her.”

“You’re always thinking about her, Dean, so it’s natural that your mind would jump to that conclusion. None of us want to face the fact that she’s really gone.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” I said. “I’m just glad that zombie is outta of the house.”

“Yeah, that thing nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Me too. We’d better find out how it got in.”

I walked down the creaky stairs, into the ice-cold basement. Kate struggled forward behind me, sucking in quick breaths. My heart raced with every descending step. I ducked under sticky cobwebs that fluttered above my head. I coughed, gagged, and coughed again. The mildew was unbearable, and I tried to take in shallow breaths. My footsteps seemed so loud and heavy, even though I was trying to tread lightly.

I swung my flashlight around through the darkness and didn’t see anything. My gaze darted all around, and I paid careful attention to every detail of my surroundings, from the wobbly stairs to the cracked walls. When I heard a scratching sound, fear sent my heart racing. Anything could be lurking in that dark, musty basement, and something was clearly moving in the darkness. I looked at Kate. “Hear that?” I whispered.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“Kate?” I whispered.

She let out a trembling breath. “Faintly.”

“What is it?”

“I have no idea.”

The image of a herd of zombies devouring me filled my mind. The terror I was feeling was a hundred times worse than any horror film could ever accomplish in a scary basement seen.

Kate flashed her beam into the dark corners. “I don’t like it down here. Let’s go back upstairs.”

“We can’t. We’ve gotta figure out how that zombie got in and seal it off. It was clear the first time when we checked it.”

She pointed a trembling finger. “Look! There’s another room. Not that I want to, but we better check it out.”

“Yeah. C’mon.”

She inched forward.

When the floor began to move, I gasped. I flashed my light downward and realized I was stepping on hundreds of cockroaches. I jumped back as they scattered at a startling speed at the sight of our flashlight beams.

“Bugs! Gross! I hate bugs!” Kate squealed. “Let’s go back.”

“Not until we deem this basement clear and find how that zombie got inside.”

“I just wanna get outta here, Dean,” she begged. “This place is infested. They’re even swarming the walls.”

I suddenly felt a bunch of squirming legs on my head, and I quickly wiped the cockroach off. “So let’s just hurry up and get this done.”

She frantically brushed off her clothes. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Better roaches than zombies,” I retorted.

“Speak for yourself.”

My heart had never beaten so fast before, and the floor crunched with every step I took, like I was stepping on living saltines. The wavering flashlight beams cast eerie shadows on the squirming walls. Uncontrollable terror filled me as I experienced flashbacks of the lab. Walking through the dark, into the unknown, brought back all sorts of horrifying memories that were still all too fresh in my mind. My stomach clenched as I led the way.

When a shadow emerged, much larger than a cockroach, my labored breathing intensified. I aimed my gun and focused. The thing wasn’t human; I could tell that much for sure. I fired, and the creature fell back with a loud thud.

Kate ran over to it and fired a slug into its brain.

As I shined my light around, I realized we were surrounded by dozens of them.

“Mannequins!” Kate said, letting out a deep breath.

I glanced around at the plastic people surrounding us. “That’s the second time I’ve done that.”

“Yeah, I remember when you took out the CPR dummy at the nursing home.”

“It’s dark, and these things have faces, and my adrenaline’s already pumping a million miles an hour. You can’t blame me for freaking out.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” She peered around her, shivering. “These things are downright creepy.”

Howling in hunger, a zombie burst out from behind a group of mannequins. Alarm jolted through me as it reached out with skeletal hands and snapping, jagged teeth. It pulled my arm toward its open, waiting mouth. Before it got the chance to sink its teeth into fresh meat, I fired at its rotting brain. After a shower of oozing gore, it stopped thrashing and hit the cold, hard concrete. I wiped my face off with my sleeve and almost puked as dozens of cockroaches crawled out of its mouth.

“That’s it. I’m gonna throw up!” Kate shouted. “For every one we see, there’re a hundred more hiding in the walls.”

“How many heart attacks can a person have in one day?” I asked, the floor crunching grotesquely with every step I took.

“I guess three. The very first zombie, the mannequin, and the freaking roach motel!”

I glanced around. “Zombies are getting in somehow.”

“Here!” Kate said, pointing to a drainpipe on the far side of the room.

“Let’s secure it.”

We sealed off the open pipe, then did another sweep of the house. When we deemed the basement clear and properly blockaded, we headed upstairs and huddled together in the covers.

“Do you think they’ll come up here?” Kate asked.

“No more zombies are paying us a visit tonight. This little shop of horrors is closed.”

“I’m talking about the roaches.”

“Kate, I know it sucks, but it’s not the end of the world.”

“I can’t sleep right now, so I’ll take first watch,” Kate said. “Get some sleep. I’ll wake you up for your shift.”

I nodded. I didn’t like bugs any more than she did, but they were the last thing on my mind. I was more worried about zombies and Z’s gang. I finally drifted off to sleep. I’m not sure how long I slept before I was jolted awake by Kate.

“Dean!” she said. “Wake up!”

Chapter 31

“I’m awake,” I said groggily, not ready for the fourth heart attack in one night.

“Someone broke in!”

Sleepily, I scrambled to my feet and reached for my rifle.

Kate pointed her gun at the door.

I wasn’t sure how the zombies could have broken in through the drainpipe, since we’d secured it really well, so I feared we were going to have to face an adversary of the more intelligent variety. The thought terrified me. Z’s army or not, shooting at a human being was always much harder than making Swiss cheese out of a dead corpse, and I didn’t want to kill anyone. I had flashbacks of Kingsville and that awful night when I’d taken a man’s life in self-defense, and a droplet of sweat rolled down my face.

My fingers wrapped around the doorknob, and I cautiously opened it, with my heart beating a million miles a minute. I walked down the corridor, the floorboards creaking with every step I took. I turned the corner to the stairs, and a hooded man aimed a gun at me. Terror gripped me, and I gasped.

Was it a hybrid? Did Charlie send it after me like some kind of hit man? Or was it a gang member?

Just as I started to pull the trigger to wound him in the shoulder so I could get away, he yelled, “Dean, are you crazy? Put that gun down, man!”

Gasping, I swung the flashlight at him. “Lucas?”

Kate ran into his arms and hugged him, an embrace that seemed to last a little too long. When Lucas cupped her face, he was wearing a strange expression I’d never seen on his face before.

“I was worried sick when you guys didn’t come back,” Lucas said, staring at me. “I had no idea you were an antiquing kinda guy, Dean.”

“We got snowed in,” I said.

“Well, let’s get you home. The others are outside and downstairs.”

I was more than happy to leave our own personal ice tomb. Our friends made quick work of digging our truck out, and we made the slow trek home through the snow.

Back at the apartment, Kate and I slept in front of the fire, trying to thaw out from our very unpleasant stay in that frozen, bug-infested nightmare.

***

When morning came, the apartment was freezing. I put on jeans and a sweatshirt and walked into the living room. Everybody was gone except Lucas, who was putting wood on the fire. “It’s freezing,” I said.

“Tell me about it. After we got back last night, I worked the nightshift, and I’m still wound up. I’m gonna grab something to eat, warm up, then catch some Z’s.”

I dug through the cupboard and opened two cans of tuna, one for me and one for Lucas.

He grabbed a spoon and dug right in. “Thanks, Dean.”

“Not a problem. I mean, you did save my butt last night, getting us out of that shop and home through that snowstorm.”

“About that...”

I cocked a brow. “Great. I feel a lecture coming on.”

“Dean...”

“What?” I asked. “How did you expect me to get home in that mess? We were trapped, and—”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is it? I’m getting a little tired of you and Nick and even Val treating me like a kid. I’m sick of—”

“Hey! Calm down, would ya? It’s just...well, you left Kate alone last night to go on a ghost hunt, man.”

I huffed. “She told you that?”

He sat down and propped up his feet on the coffee table. “Yeah.”

“I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“She might’ve been killed, Dean.”

“Kate can handle herself.”

“What if a herd had jumped her?”

“What could I have done if they did? They would have eaten me too.” With that, I sat down on the couch, and Sparkles hopped up into my lap, looking pleadingly at my tuna can.

“Let me rephrase that. What if one came out of nowhere and you weren’t there? You didn’t have her back, Dean.”

I pondered his words, and they stung a bit because they were true. Max sent us on missions with partners because no one could afford to be alone for even a minute. Leaving Kate left her vulnerable, and that was stupid and selfish on my part. “I screwed up,” I said.

“I hope that’s all it was.”

I cocked a brow. “Huh? What else would it be?”

“You’re no good to this team if you’re stressed out to the point of having hallucinations. Jackie’s gone, Dean. You can’t keep risking your life and ours to try to find her. That can get you killed. Heck, it almost did. Kate said you were attacked by zombies, and that never woulda happened if you would’ve gone back into the house.”

“What, Lucas? Nick’s not here, so you feel like you have to fill in for him, acting like a bully and criticizing me?” I retorted.

“No, bro. It’s not like that. Jackie’s death hit you hard, and I know you’re still grieving. It’s just...well, we can’t have you making mistakes that are gonna get one of us killed.”

“Last time I checked, Lucas, you weren’t a freaking shrink. Can’t we just change the subject?”

“Promise me you’ll never do that again.”

“Fine. It’ll never happen again.”

“Good, because I don’t want anything to happen to Kate.”

When he smiled, I knew instantly what it was really all about, and I recalled the hug he’d given to Kate the night before. The two of them had been doing a lot of guard duty together, and it suddenly dawned on me that there was more than that going on between them. “So you like Kate, huh?” I said with a huge smile.

“Of course I do.”

“No, I mean, you like her—like, you think she’s hot.”

He grinned. “She is. Val and I didn’t work out, but I’ve got a whole lot more in common with Kate.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“For starters, she laughs at my jokes.”

“Does she know you like her?” I asked.

“Um, judging by the way she kissed me last night, I’m pretty sure she does.”

“You and Kate? Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Does Val know?” I asked.

“No, and I’d like to keep it that way. I’d rather not turn this whole thing into Guns and the Restless. Please keep it on the down-low, li’l bro.”

“That’s why you came for us in the blizzard. You were worried about Kate.”

“Yeah, but I was worried about you too. We go way back.”

“You gotta tell Val,” I said.

“Huh? She already knows you and me go way back.”

“Lucas, cut the jokes. You know what I mean. Val needs to know you like Kate.”

He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure she can handle it. I think she’s still totally hung up on me, even if she won’t admit it.”

“Trust me, Val’s moved on.”

“I don’t think so. She wants me bad, and she likes wild guys. Plus, my hair’s grown back. My Army buzz is no longer an issue.”

“She really hated that.”

“Hated it? She loathed it.”

“Well, her new bad boy has hair down to his shoulders, and he’s a little more...mature”

He raised a brow. “What? Who?”

I cleared my throat and tried to speak, but no words came out.

“I have every right to know, and this is a small world, Dean. Don’t think I won’t find out, because I will.”

“Max.”

He stood suddenly, almost spilling the remainder of his tuna, as if it was the most shocking news he’d ever heard. “I’m sorry? Did you say Max? As in Max, our fearless leader?”

“The one and only.”

“No way!”

“Yes way.”

“I-I had no idea. She sure moved on pretty quick.”

“And you didn’t? Besides, it’s not like you guys ever had a relationship or anything.”

“No, but I really cared about her. I still do.”

“Maybe you two should talk about it, clear the air.”

“Yeah, I will,” he said.

“Good.”

“But Max isn’t right for her. I mean, he’s, like, forty, isn’t he?”

“He’s definitely older, that’s for sure.”

“I don’t like it,” he roared, “not one tiny bit.” He threw the empty, fishy-smelling can away, then looked at me. “I’m going to bed. I’m pretty beat.”

“’Night, Lucas,” I said.

“’Night.” And with that, he walked off and shut the door, obviously all out of jokes.

I knew he was pissed that Val was dating Max, and I wasn’t too happy about it either. I tried to tell myself it was because he was too old for her, but I had to wonder if I was just being selfish. I was scared that she’d choose to stay with Max when we left, that she might want to put down roots in Fairport, and that scared me more than anything.

***

I was walking down the street with a group of guys. We were coming back from a perimeter check. It was freezing and we wanted to hurry back to the apartment complex to warm up. The bushes rustled and armed hybrids surrounded us. Six of us against fifty of them was no match. They took our weapons before we knew what hit us. They had everyone lie down flat on the snowy grass except me. I soon found out why. Charlie walked toward me and smiled.

“I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time,” I said.

“That’s touching, Dean. It is, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“You killed Jackie!” I said as emotion consumed me.

“That was Jonathon. But he’s dead now. So your vengeance should be appeased. He got what he deserved.”

“He said it was you.”

“I can honestly tell you that I did not kill Jackie.”

I could feel the heat in my face rising. I wanted to tackle Charlie and sucker punch him. I knew that wouldn’t solve anything. But a few hits sure would make me feel a whole lot better.

“I hope we can be friends,” he said.

I shook my head. He must be delusional. “No, not ever. You left me down in that lab!”

He tapped his chin. “Wait a minute. If memory serves me correct, you knocked me out to go down there.”

“That was Lucas, not me.”

“I couldn’t let you out,” he said. “One of the idiots down there tinkered with the wiring opening all the cages to the infected animals and to the hybrids. And I had no idea where you were down there in the dark. How was I supposed to find you in all that mess without getting infected or killed?”

“You sent in zombies when we tried to escape through one of the exits.”

He smiled slyly. “I figured they could clean house and eat all the infected animals. How else was I going to get my lab back?”

“You’re sick, Charlie!” I shouted. “And you would’ve never got your lab back from those hybrids without getting killed. You’re lucky Jonathon destroyed it.”

He peered at me intently. “You weren’t my target at all. I really felt bad especially when you came to my rescue and saved my life.”

I shuddered at the memories. “I almost died.”

“I can’t believe you survived,” he said. “It’s truly amazing. You define the word ‘survivor’.”

“No thanks to you.”

“If I could’ve gotten you out, you know I would’ve. Those hybrids were murdering everything around them. And you could’ve let the virus out, infecting every single animal around here.”

“As you can see, I didn’t spread the virus. The animals are fine.”

“You’re lucky. But then that does run in your blood.”

“Didn’t you learn from the last fiasco that breeding hybrids is a dangerous business? Especially when you lost control of them?” I motioned around me at all the hybrids.” Looks like you cooked up a new batch. I hope these ones don’t go all psycho on you like the last batch.”

“You’re cocky, Dean. And I like that. I could kill you in a heartbeat, yet, you still run your mouth.”

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I want you to give Max a message,” he said.

“And what’s that?”

“There’s been lots of violence in this town. And I don’t want to cause any more. I’m taking over Fairport. I’ll give Max and his people a few days to pack up and leave. If he doesn’t, then I’ll be forced to unleash my army.”

“Did you give Z the same courtesy warning?”

“Yes, I did. But things didn’t go so well. His group shot at us and we had to dispose of the group. I thought that if I told you, things might go more smoothly and we wouldn’t have a repeat situation.”

“I’ll deliver your message to Max. But he won’t back down.”

“He’s been warned.”

“Gotcha ya.”

“I was born and raised here in Fairport,” he said proudly. “Max just came to the city after the outbreak. Z is even newer. He only came a few months ago. This was my town way before it was any of yours. And I love it more than anything. Just remember that.”

“I will keep that in mind,” I said.

And with that Charlie and his minions disappeared into the foliage. They left our weapons in a pile and we quickly reclaimed them.

“Let’s go after them,” one of the guys said.

I blinked. “No, there are way too many hybrids.”

“We can ambush them by surprise.”

“And end up dead like Z’s men when they thought they could fight against Charlie and his hybrids? This is not the way to go about it. We need a smokin’ hot plan. It needs to be planned precisely and well executed. Let’s just leave and tell Max what happened.”

They agreed and we walked back through the snow to the Windsor apartment complex. We told Max everything and everyone vowed to give Charlie and his minions’ one heck of a fight because we weren’t leaving. Nobody was.

***

The next day, I learned more horrible news: Things had heated up between Max and Z. Z had launched an attack on the city, killing ten innocent victims. We were all outraged, and Max was prepared to take out the warehouse at nightfall, ready to put Z out of his misery. We all knew there was no way to make peace with that warmonger, and we couldn’t wait any longer. The time had come.

Max went over the battle plan, and when the time came for action, I was more than ready. I’d had enough of that maniac, and I wanted him out of commission.

We parked a few streets away and split up into groups, just the way Max had instructed.  The thing we wanted to do was hurt any of the survivors in there. We didn’t want to hurt any of the survivors. We just wanted Z, the brains behind that operation, the sick mastermind who had no problem torturing and killing men, women, and even children without even batting an eye.

Nick, ever my bodyguard, wouldn’t let me or Claire be on the frontlines, so we took positions on the roof on the adjacent building. Nick and Lucas had taken out the security detail guarding the building, and Val had thrown a smoke bomb inside once the door was open, to smoke out any guards in there.

I was the best sharpshooter around, so I got into position and waited for my cue to play sniper. Through my scope, I watched Max’s men set up tripwires and tape small explosives onto the buildings. When they scurried away, I noticed several shadowy figures walking toward the building. I aimed my rifle and looked through the scope. “Are those hooded men Z’s guys?” I asked.

Claire peered through her scope. “I’m locked on. They’re not with us.”

When the shadowy beings turned and revealed their faces, I gasped at their greenish-black skin and white eyes.

Claire must’ve seen the same thing, because she looked at me with wide eyes, stunned. “They’re zombies,” she said.

I stared through my scope again. “Okay, then let’s take ‘em out.”

“On it,” she replied, pointing her weapon at the corpses.

I focused on the first zombie’s head, but just as I was about to squeeze the trigger, one of Z’s men screamed in agony when a zombie savagely bit into his neck like a rabid animal. I squeezed off a shot, and the zombie dropped.

Another zombie bent over and spoke to the fallen one, as if they were friends, and I noticed that one of them had a gun. I shuddered at the realization. “That’s a hybrid!” I shouted. “Charlie’s launched an attack against Z.”

“Wow. Talk about biological warfare!”

“Yeah, and they’ll take down anything in their path. They could bite Nick or Lucas, who aren’t expecting them.”

Claire glanced over at me in horror. “Then we need to eliminate the threat.”

I nodded and positioned my gun, looking for my next target. “Let’s do it.”

“Okay. Target locked,” she said.

“Fire!” I breathed out as I squeezed off one shot and then another.

The corpses crashed to the ground in a trembling heap.

I stopped, but Claire kept firing while I glanced over my shoulder to make sure nothing was sneaking up on us. So far, so good, I surmised, then went back to firing.

Through my scope, I could see one hybrid peering up at me, scowling. Before I could even grasp what was happening, it pulled out a gun and fired up at me.

Claire nailed it in the head, but its friends hurried and took cover behind the parked vehicles.

I heard a crash from below and froze.

“What was that?” Claire asked.

“Z’s men...or worse,” I said.

“Well, either way, I’m blowing it away.”  Claire pointed her gun toward the door and slowly made her way across the roof toward it, with me right behind her.

We both walked into the stair corridor, but neither of us saw anything. I walked down a few flights of stairs, but nothing moved or stirred. I knew it wasn’t smart for us to leave our positions, but I didn’t want to get ambushed by any ghouls or maniac Z-lovers.

A loud bang suddenly reverberated through the building, and everything shook. The boom echoed everywhere around us, nearly bursting my eardrums, and I was suddenly surrounded by smoke, debris, and darkness, my head swirling with confusion.

Chapter 32

When my eyes fluttered open again, I looked around a bit confused, unsure of what had happened. Did the building cave in on us? Did they use the tank? The whole place was immersed in a hazy darkness, so I unfastened my flashlight from my belt. My hands shook as I held it, causing the beam to waver. I coughed as I inhaled the smoke that was swirling around me.

As my eyes regained focus, I glanced around for an exit, but there didn’t seem to be one. The whole place was in shambles, with piles of brick, cement, and drywall everywhere, everything coated in plaster and dust. It didn’t look like we were getting out of there anytime soon, at least not without a bulldozer.

Suddenly, there was a cough behind me, and I remembered I hadn’t been alone. “Claire! Are you okay?”

“Not Claire,” a low, raspy voice said.

Chills rushed over me. I spun around in the direction of a hybrid’s voice. The thing shined a bright flashlight in my eyes, temporarily blinding me again. I fumbled around for my gun, only to discover that I’d been disarmed while I was unconscious, but I wondered why it hadn’t killed me while it had the perfect opportunity.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

I shined my own light right back at the towering figure, and I gasped when I saw the hybrid’s hideous face. My eyes flew wide open, and my mouth fell agape. It was just standing there, grinning at me, toying with me; quite like Z, the hybrids seemed to enjoy terrorizing their victims, and it wanted me to see its face before it killed me.

The creature shuffled through the debris and aimed its rifle straight at my head.

In that moment, I was sure it was all over. My life flashed before my eyes again, and I thought about the others mourning my death. My heart beat like a runaway train when the cold barrel touched my forehead. Suddenly, though, I felt the cold tip of the rifle lift from my skin. Another near-miss? I wondered.

“You’re not gonna die here and now. You’re not on my hit list. I’ve done enough recon to know that, and I have to follow orders.”

He then reached out his hand, and I swallowed hard as he helped me up. I’d never touched a hybrid like that before, and I was thankful I was still wearing my leather gloves. When he stared at me, I stepped back in complete disbelief. He was huge, and I was sure he’d been a bouncer or a wrestler in life. His size mortified me, especially since I only had a flashlight, a piece of nearby debris, or a broken two-by-two for a weapon, if I even had time to jerk it up from the pile of rubble.

“Where’s Claire?” I frantically asked. “You better not have hurt her.”

His putrid finger pointed to the left.

There, I saw a body covered in dust and debris. I instantly rushed over and felt for a pulse; I was happy when I felt her heart beating strongly. I gently caressed her soft but dirty face. “Claire?” I said. Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw her lying there like that, and I took a moment to compose myself.

“She’ll be okay,” the hybrid said, his throaty voice cutting through the fog of panic that was enveloping me.

My mouth opened, but no words came out. I couldn’t bear to lose Claire, and I couldn’t imagine how my brother would take it. Nick had finally opened up and let himself have a shot at love, and losing Claire would absolutely destroy him, even worse than when he’d lost Darla. So many thoughts raced through my head, but I didn’t know what to say or what to do.

“I checked her out before you came to,” the hybrid said. “You’ve been out a long time now. You missed all the action outside. Then again, I guess we both did.”

The thought of being stuck in that claustrophobic little space with a hybrid sickened me, even if he hadn’t pulled the trigger. I swallowed back the rising panic and looked around. My eyes fell on a large piece of concrete, perfect for bashing the things head in if he tried anything funny. I coughed and wiped my burning eyes.

“Why didn’t you do it?” I asked. “Why didn’t you kill us?”

His face contorted into something akin to shock. “Do you think we are only capable of doing the worst possible things? Truly, you ought to give us more credit.”

“I’ve seen what your kind can and will do! I’ve seen it firsthand. I know what you are. Did the scientist put a chip in your brain or something, to make you behave?”

“No,” he said, almost laughing. “Those rumors are amusing though, are they not?”

“Then why didn’t you kill me when you had a chance?”

“I still have a chance, and part of me wants to more than anything, but I...well, I’m fighting it,” he said in the typical demonic voice of those of his white-eyed ilk.

“So you’ve got some shred of humanity left, a conscience?” I said.

“Yes,” he said. “You are very observant.”

I’d never met a hybrid who was quite as human as he was, and I’d always thought of them as monsters. I thought about the ones in the lab, how they’d feasted on a patient still hooked up to an IV, or the ones who had murdered my friends from the nursing home in the infamous baby doll attack. I’d thought they could only hold on to their wit and intelligence, not humaneness. They had their minds but were stuck in zombie bodies, and I wouldn’t have wished such a cruel fate on anyone, but I had no idea they had any shred of compassion in them, so he surprised me.

The hybrid inched closer, and I stepped back. “You don’t trust me,” he said.

“Why should I? I’ve been tricked before, and I’ve seen too many people die.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What happened here?” I asked.

“We were blowing up the buildings like Charlie told us to do. And then I saw you and Claire on the roof. I told my comrades to wait because you two were on Charlie’s ‘do not kill’ list.”

“You’re lying. Charlie tried to kill me in that lab. I barely survived.”

“Because you were stuck in that lab with all those infected animals. But once he heard you were safely out with no ill effects, he put you on his ‘do not kill list’ for the hybrids.” I cocked a brow and he continued. “Because you and Claire saved his life once. You rescued him from a house that was surrounded by a herd of zombies. He thought he owed you that. So he put your whole gang on the list so he could repay his debt to you for saving his life.”

“That’s crazy. But how do I pick the mind of a madman?” And then a thought occurred to me. I remembered how that hybrid had shot those two thugs who snuck up from behind me. I wondered why the hybrid had saved my life, and now I knew.

“We’re attacking Z’s gang hard,” the hybrid said. “If your brother and friends were not on that list, they’d surely be dead right now.”

I swallowed hard. “How do you know they’re even here?”

“Charlie said they could never turn down a good fight. And Charlie heard through his spies that Max was attacking Z tonight. So he sent us to take out both sides. Don’t worry. Your little posse will be spared. But I can’t say the same for the rest of Max’s group.”

“So you came up here to warn Claire and I to leave the building because it was going to blow up?” I asked.

“Yes. But the bomb must’ve detonated.”

I shook my head. “Then how are we still alive?”

“Lucky for us, our homemade explosives weren’t all that powerful, and they didn’t completely destroy the building. By the way, my name is Shawn Balaston.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

He handed me my gun back. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

I slipped my gun into my holster, then he handed me back my knife and rifle. I thanked him and knew he must’ve trusted me enough to give me back my weapons.

“Thank you for coming up here and trying to warn me,” I said. “I’m sorry I got you in this jam.”

“It’s okay. Helping you made me feel human.”

“Do you remember much?” I asked.

He paused, then spoke, “The memories fade in and out, but I know I have a wife and a son. I remember...loving them.”

“Are they still alive?”

“I have no idea. They were before I turned. I was bitten while trying to protect them. My wife tried to nurse me back to health, but she couldn’t, and everything went black when I...well, I was told the scientists captured me and gave me some kind of serum. I was human for three days before I changed into this. I begged them to let me go when I thought I was cured, but my pleas fell on deaf ears.”

“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” I said.

“I’d rather be this than roam the streets like those things out there, mindless and devouring everything.”

Even though there was a deep sadness in his voice, I knew he was a coldblooded murderer, a hit man, with orders to eliminate specific targets. “Personally, I think this is worse,” I said. “You still have to kill to eat, but you are also aware of it, aware of what you are, because your mind is more clear.”

“We only feed on animals,” he retorted, “mostly rodents.”

I was just thankful they weren’t feeding on people.

“I feel bad about all of this,” he said. “I really do. Charlie sent me to demolish Z’s gang first, and then ambush Max and his group.”

“It’s a stupid plan. Charlie should’ve let Z and Max battle it out, then took on the victor.”

“Charlie personally wanted his hybrids to take out both sides. It’s a pride thing. He wanted to say he conquered victoriously and nobody else.”

“He’s a narcissistic sociopath,” I said.

I don’t really like the plan, but I have to do what they want me to do if I’m going to get what I want.”

“And what’s that?” I asked. “What do you want?”

“To be human again and to find my wife and son.”

“How will attacking Z’s men help you become human again?”

“Charlie promised that if we help him, he’ll help us.”

“How? What can he possibly do for you?” I inquired.

“He has a cure.”

I swallowed hard. “Shawn, I’m afraid Charlie lied to you. There is no cure.”

“No!” the hybrid insisted. “Charlie would have no reason to lie.”

“No reason other than to create an army of obedient hybrids,” I muttered, but I did think about his words for a minute. If the hybrid wasn’t lying, that meant we needed to save Charlie. What he’d done in the lab was as horrible as it was unforgivable, and I despised the man, but if he had a cure, the world deserved to know about it. The cure might have to be fixed or altered, but it could still save hundreds of lives. I hated that Charlie had dangled it in front of Shawn and the others like a carrot though; it proved that he was still as diabolical as ever, still manipulating others to do his bidding. Maybe there isn’t a cure at all, and Charlie’s just tricking them, telling them what they so desperately want to hear, giving them hope, lying to them. “Do you hate what Charlie’s making you do?” I asked.

“Are you kidding?” he said. “I was out there roaming the lonely city streets, and he gave me my mind back. Do you know how wonderful it was to have some sense of humanity again, if only for three days? Charlie took me to the roof of the building, and I watched every sunset and every sunrise. I got to stare up at the starry sky.” He looked straight into my eyes. “Yes, you have to fight to survive, and I know it’s an uphill battle, but don’t ever take being human for granted.”

“I won’t,” I said. “I’ve had some near-death experiences that really made me think, this being one of them.”

“It isn’t Charlie’s fault I’m this way. He didn’t turn me into this, and I truly believe he wants to help. He just...wants something in return.”

“What did Charlie do with the people he saved, the ones who didn’t turn into hybrids?”

“They weren’t allowed to stay. He let them go, as long as they promised to leave town. He only kept the hybrids because he needs us to save his new lab. If the gang destroys it, there will be no cure for us. He’s helping us, so we’re indebted to him.”

I wondered if Charlie handpicked his little hybrid army, because there were some that I was sure would have killed him in a heartbeat. These were loyal to him, though, and they truly believed he was going to be their savior, that he could cure them.

Suddenly, something else hit me. Shawn said that Charlie had let the people go, the ones who didn’t change into hybrids. I realized then that the woman I’d seen near the antique shop, the green-eyed one who reminded me of Jackie, was probably one of them. So she wasn’t a figment of my imagination, I realized, and it was quite a relief to discover that my sanity was, for the most part, still intact.

Charlie was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When he deemed someone worthy, they were given special, preferential treatment. To everyone else, though, he was a mad scientist who put them through hell. Clearly, he was twisted, and while he’d deemed the Jackie lookalike to be worthy of life, he hadn’t felt the same about poor Kate and Asia. For some reason, they ended up on his naughty list, so he punished them horribly.

“Charlie can’t be trusted,” I finally said to his protégé. “He kidnapped innocent people and experimented on them.”

Shawn’s gaze narrowed. “Only because he was desperate to find a cure so we can—”

“I don’t care how desperate he was,” I snapped, cutting him off. “He tortured my friends, did cruel experiments on them. What he did down to all those people is inexcusable! He murdered my girlfriend and tried to kill me. I barely escaped from that house of horrors, and I plan to make him pay for it.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my nerves. “And I’ll tell you what. Those hybrids were nothing more than murderers.”

“Charlie separated the hybrids who exhibited...less humanity,” Shawn argued.

“You mean the killers?” I asked.

“Yes. He put them in one part of the lab and put the rest of us, the loyal ones, in the new lab at the hospital.”

I shook my head. “No wonder Charlie and his men wouldn’t go to the basement. All the killers and infected animals were down there. That’s probably why Jonathon wanted to blow the place up.”

“Charlie was told to exterminate the dangerous hybrids, but he wanted to do a few more tests on them,” Shawn explained. “He’s a brilliant scientist, you know. Now, we have to destroy the gang, because that’ll make Charlie happy, and he promised to reward us with the cure.”

“How come we didn’t find the lab when we searched the hospital?” I asked. “We searched for where Charlie might hide the hybrids.”

“It’s hidden deep underground just like the last one. Without the right codes and a map, you would’ve never found it. Charlie keeps us safe like that. I completely trust him.”

“You shouldn’t put so much faith in him,” I warned. “The man is a lunatic, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a liar too.”

“But I saw him cure a hybrid. I saw it with my own eyes.”

My jaw dropped. “Who?” I asked.

“A girl named Jackie...your Jackie,” he said.

The words struck me like lightning, but I wasn’t sure if I should believe him. “You’re a liar! And how do you know who I am? This is all a hoax, a big setup!”

“I know who you are because Jackie told me all about you. She had a picture of you in her pocket when she became a zombie, a Polaroid. She looked at it all the time.”

“More lies!” I shouted.

“She said the picture was taken in a cabin or something, someplace where you had to hole up for a while.”

Emotions overwhelmed me, and my throat constricted.

“Think about it, Dean. What would I have to gain by all of this?” the hybrid asked. “If this is a hoax, how did I know I’d be trapped inside of this place with you? This couldn’t be planned. It just happened.”

“Dean!” I suddenly heard a voice call. It was my brother’s, followed by the voices of the others.

I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to kill Shawn. I wasn’t sure if I should believe his story, but it certainly was a compelling tale. If he wasn’t telling the truth, at least partially, I had no idea how he would have known about the Polaroids and the cabin in the woods. After all, he hadn’t said anything about operating a psychic hotline in his former life. “They’ll kill you,” I said.

He leaned closer. “If they do, you’ll never find out where Jackie is.”

“She’s in the hospital lab deep underground,” I said.

“Or Charlie could’ve moved her to a more secure location hours from here. Haven’t you wondered why some of the scientists are missing?”

“But this is the safest city to leave. I don’t think he’d do that.”

“Are you willing to gamble that?”

“How do I know you’re not lying?” I retorted.

“You don’t, but what if there is truth to my claim? You’ll never find out what happened to her. I can give you the answers you so desperately need, Dean—answers you’ve risked your life to find but haven’t.”

“Dean, we’re coming in! Hold on!” I heard Val call. “Are you all right in there? Dean? Claire?”

“Don’t let them kill me,” Shawn begged.

I shot him a compassionate look. “I won’t.”

“Dean!” Nick shouted in a muffled voice.

“I’m here!” I shouted.

“Stay put,” Val said. “We’re coming.”

It was noisy as they tried to create an opening to get to us. I only hoped the entire building wouldn’t collapse on top of us, and I hated that they were again putting themselves in danger to save me.

“Nick,” I said, “what’s going on out there?”

“We stormed the warehouse. Most of Z’s men were killed by hybrids, but that slippery Z escaped with a band of soldiers. Max and his men went after him.”

“Where are the hybrids now?” I asked.

“Gone. We took out a couple, but most of them escaped.”

The rocks shifted, and Val heaved herself through an opening, followed by Nick and Lucas.

“Zombie!” my sister instantly shouted, taking aim.

Chapter 33

Just as Lucas began to pull his trigger, I jumped in front of Shawn. “You can’t kill this one!” I yelled.

“Huh?” Lucas questioned, as if I’d gone nuts.

“He’s not like the others,” I said.

“Dean, you musta hit your head. Now move away from that thing!” Nick ordered.

“He says Jackie’s still alive, that Charlie cured her!” I shouted. “If you kill him, he can’t tell us anything.”

“What?” Claire said in complete shock as she stumbled to her feet.

Val hurried over to steady her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but I could do without the hangover. Musta been quite a party. Wh-what happened?”

“Hybrids tried to blow up this building,” I said.

She ran a hand through her hair as she contemplated having survived an explosion.

“Some of their explosives crapped out on them,” Val said, “so you’re okay.”

“Did I hear somebody say something about Jackie?” Claire asked, confused. “Is she really alive?”

“No,” Lucas said, then turned his attention to me. “They’re messing with your mind, Dean. It’s what they do.”

“Don’t be fooled by that things bull,” Nick said. “Now move aside, Dean.”

Lucas pointed the gun again, waiting for a clear shot, but I refused to move. I was sure Shawn could answer many of my questions.

Blam!

In one swift move, and without another warning, Nick threw me to the ground and put a bullet in Shawn’s head.

My stomach clenched into a million knots, and I looked at my brother in utter disbelief. “No!” I shouted.

“Dean...” the hybrid said with a groan.

“Shawn,” I whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

“I-I just remembered...” he said.

I held his hand as he took a few dying breaths. “What? What do you remember?”

“I-I slaughtered my wife, my son. I-I...oh no! I didn’t remember till now. But now I can be with them, Dean. Now I can rest in peace. Now I can...” With that, he closed his eyes, and Lucas put another bullet in his head.

I glared up at Nick with disdain. “How could you?”

“It was just a hybrid. Chill out,” he said. “What’s wrong with you anyway?”

“Dean, those things just killed almost everyone in that warehouse,” Val said. “They’re beyond dangerous.”

Lucas shot me a look. “And in case you’ve forgotten, hybrids have tried to kill us more than once.”

“This one was different,” I whispered.

“I highly doubt that,” Lucas retorted. “Once a rotter, always a rotter, even if they do have a good grasp of the vocabulary and can figure out a door lock.”

“Let’s go,” Nick said.

I squeezed through the narrow opening of debris and walked outside. I stared at the demolished buildings and thought about everything Shawn had told me; it all weighed quite heavily on my mind. Bright flames licked up into the night sky, and smoke in various colors was swirling around everywhere. It was like being in the middle of a warzone.

“We gotta save Charlie,” Claire said.

“Again?” Val said. “Didn’t you and Dean risk your lives to save him from a house surrounded by a herd?”

“We did, and then found out he was the mastermind behind the experiments.”

Lucas raised a brow. “And you want to save him, why?”

Claire sighed. “I hate him, but he knows where Jackie is.”

“You’re falling for that hybrid’s crap!” Lucas said.

“What if this was about somebody you loved?” she retorted. “I need answers. I need to talk to Charlie.”

Lucas looked at me. “What did the hybrid exactly tell you about Jackie?”

“Shawn said Jackie was alive, that she was cured,” I said. “That he witnessed it with his very own eyes. If I can talk to Charlie...”

“We don’t even know where he is,” Nick said.

“Dean!” a voice called.

Nick, Lucas, and Val trained their rifles on a woman emerging from the curtain of smoke.

“Put your guns down,” I said. “It’s Sandy. She’s from Z’s compound, but if it wasn’t for her and her sister, Asia and I wouldn’t have gotten out of there alive.”

Nick walked over to her. “I can’t thank you enough for saving my brother’s life.”

“Your brother is an honorable man,” she said. “I couldn’t let Z kill him.”

“We can’t thank you enough,” Val added.

They lowered their weapons, and Sandy hurried over and hugged me. “I thought you were dead. I saw you on the roof, and I tried to stop the hybrids from placing the explosives, but I couldn’t. I’m so sorry.”

“No need to be, Sandy. I’m alive,” I said, hugging her.

Lucas looked at me seriously. “You were trying to protect your own would-be murderer back there, Dean.”

“He was trying to save my life,” I said.

“Sure he was,” Nick said in a sarcastic tone.

“He said Charlie put all of us on a ‘no kill list’,” I said. “No hybrids were allowed to hurt us.”

“He lied,” Val said.

“I don’t believe he’d do that.”

“So zombies lie. Go figure,” Lucas retorted.

“It makes perfect sense,” I said. “It explains why that hybrid saved my life when those thugs attacked me.”

“Where’s Z?” Claire asked.

“He was pretty busy running from the other hybrids,” Lucas said. “I bet they woulda spit him out if they ate him though.”

“I know where Z is,” Sandy suddenly blurted out. “I tried to find Max, but he’s gone already.”

I gasped. “Where, Sandy?”

“Z just left, and they’re on their way to kill Charlie, then go after Max.”

“Charlie? Where? Do you know exactly where they’re headed?”

“They’re going to Charlie’s place in Fairport, on the edge of town,” Sandy said. “Do you know where the elementary school is? By the town hall?”

I nodded. “I’m learning  Fairport pretty good. So yeah.”

“It’s a huge, brown house with a wraparound porch you can’t miss.”

“I’ll find it,” I said.

Lucas shook his head. “Good riddance, if ya ask me. Maybe they’ll kill each other so we can have the day off.”

“Right. The scientist gets what he deserves,” Nick agreed, “but when Z comes for Max, we’ll be ready.”

“I agree that Charlie should pay for the evils he’s done,” Claire said, “but if he has info on this supposed cure or Jackie, we should—”

“Tell me you’re not falling for that fairytale, that crap the hybrid was spewing at Dean,” Lucas said. “Did you hit your head too hard too?”

Nick pulled Claire into a close embrace. “Listen to Lucas. I know you want to hope Jackie’s alive, but it was a load of crap. Now c’mon.”

Pointing his rifle straight ahead, Nick led the way to the car parked blocks over.

On the way, Claire grabbed my arm. “We have to warn Charlie that an execution squad is on the way. We have to stop it and find out what he knows.”

“Then let’s do it,” I said.

“You think you can beat Z’s gang there?” Lucas asked Nick.

“If we take Breech Street over to Maple, it’ll save a good ten minutes. We’re gonna need backup, and we need to tell Max what Z is up to.”

“There isn’t time,” Claire said.

I gripped her hand to try to calm her down.

“Let’s just go, you and me,” she said.

I nodded, then announced to everyone my decision. “Claire and I are leaving.”

Nick stopped and spun around. “Not without us, you’re not.”

“Then you better follow me, because I can hotwire that red car right there,” I said, pointing to the left.

“You’re not running off again without backup,” Val said. “Z’s men play dirty, and I won’t let you face them alone.”

“We just have to beat them there,” Claire chimed in.

Nick shook his head. “No. It’s too dangerous. You know what Z will do to you if you get caught? Remember what he did to you last time? He shows no mercy.”

“I need to do this...for Jackie,” she argued, “and if you ever cared about her one tiny bit, or if you care about me, you’ll help me or at least get outta my way. If you try to stop me, I will never forgive you, Nick.”

Claire’s trump card worked, and the others finally agreed, because they knew how stubborn we were and that we would go with or without them. The only choice they had was to accompany us or stuff us in the trunk, because we wouldn’t give up.

We drove to Charlie’s house, tires squealing as we sped there. We parked in the driveway, where we were greeted by his security team. Charlie had never had guards on duty before, since he’d never feared for his life, but now he was on Z’s hit list.

I jumped out of the car and rushed toward the armed guards.

“Halt,” one shouted, “or I’ll shoot!”

I heeded his warning. “Listen, I just need to talk to Charlie.”

“I got a better idea. I’ll give you ten seconds to haul your butt outta here,” said the towering, bearded, scowling man.

“But Z’s gang is coming!” I said. “We’ve only got a ten-minute lead on them, and they’re looking for Charlie.”

“You’ve gotta get him out of here,” Claire said, inching forward. “Charlie’s my friend,” she lied. “We’re only here to help.”

The men refused to budge.

“C’mon, fellas. Put the guns down. We’re all on the same side here,” Val said, trying to muster a flirtatious voice even though she looked like she wanted to murder them.

Claire resorted to yelling for Charlie as the security force swept toward us in full force.

The door creaked open, and there stood the mass murderer himself. In my book, he was on the same level as Z. They were both sick, twisted individuals, and Charlie had science on his side. “What do you want, Claire?” he asked.

“Tell your men to put their weapons down,” she answered. “We just want to talk to you.”

Charlie hesitated for a moment, then motioned for his men to put down the guns they were pointing at us in a menacing manner.

“Where are your hybrids?” Lucas asked.

“Not here,” Charlie said.

“Don’t trust them yet?” Lucas said. “Afraid you’ll have to sleep with one eye open?”

“Or a butcher knife under your pillow?” Val retorted.

“And here I thought Charlie had the hybrids under control like trained dogs,” Nick said. “Afraid they might bite off your hand when you give them a biscuit?”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “Why are you here?”

“Z’s men are coming to kill you,” I said.

Chapter 34

The scientist arched an eyebrow. “And exactly why are you warning me?”

“We were told that you cured Jackie. Is this true?” Claire asked. “I can’t live another moment in the darkness, not knowing. It’s killing me, Charlie. Please! We really were friends once, and I think you owe me the truth.”

“And don’t forget we risked our lives to save you from that herd,” I said. “Claire and I almost died trying to save you that day.”

“I know you risked everything,” he said. “I am forever grateful.”

He fell for it hook, line, and sinker and waved us in.

“No!” Nick said. “We don’t have time for a sit-down. We need you to come with us, and your team is more than welcome to accompany you. As a matter of fact, I would suggest it, because otherwise, they’re gonna be playing welcome wagon to Z’s band of lunatics.”

“Leave with you? No way,” Charlie said. “For all I know, this is a trap, and Max’s men are waiting for me in those trees out there.”

“This isn’t a trap,” Val said. “You have my word. Now let’s get outta here. The clock is ticking.”

“I’m not leaving,” he said.

“I think you are...one way or another,” Lucas said. He then turned to Val and whispered, “I say we knock his stubborn butt out.”

“His team will shoot us,” Val said, “and there are more of them than us.”

“We can’t stick around here much longer,” Nick said, “or we’re goners too.”

Claire let out a long sigh. “Just gimme one minute to convince him.”

“Fine,” Lucas snapped, “but then we’re makin’ like the movies and are gonna be gone in sixty seconds.”

I bounded up the stairs to the porch and hurried into the living room. The others followed, including some of Charlie’s security team, just to make sure we didn’t get out of control.

“Is it true?” Claire asked.

“I know you hate me for all the experiments I ran, but it was because of those experiments that I discovered the right compound. The original cure was missing it for B+ blood types.”

“You made hybrids!” Val shouted. “If they escape and multiply, our whole world is screwed.”

“You took our cure under false pretenses, Doc,” Lucas yelled, shifting his stance.

“I only did what you asked. I created a cure.”

“We’ve gotta go, people!” Nick shouted, nervously looking out the window. “We can carry on this little Q&A later, when we’re safe.”

Charlie looked at one of his men. “Go check it out. See if the gang is coming.”

The man nodded and left.

“Charlie,” I said, “I get why you don’t trust us. Guilt does that to people. But you can take your own car and use the backstreets. We’ll come with you.”

Suddenly, tires screeched, and shouts of anger filled the air outside.

My heart raced as I hurried to the window and moved the curtain. “Well, the gang’s all here,” I said.

“Great,” Nick complained, grabbing his gun.

“Now do you believe us?” Claire asked.

Charlie clumsily grabbed a rifle. “Yeah, I do.”

“If you would’ve listened to us in the first place, we woulda been gone by now,” Val snapped, looking through the scope of her weapon.

Shots echoed loudly as Charlie’s security force took on Charlie’s gang. Screaming ensued, followed by more shots. Glass shattered with a boom as bullets flew past my head. In the chaos of the moment, my stomach knotted up again. I knew getting caught by Z would be a death sentence, that he’d find a new way to torture me and enjoy watching me take my last breath. As the enemy drew dangerously close, I aimed my rifle through the broken window. We all fought back to the best of our ability, and as much as I hated firing on humans, I had no choice. Still, so many men were coming at once that I knew there was no way we could take them all on.

Suddenly, some egg-shaped thing whizzed past me and landed on the floor with a thud.

“Grenade!” Lucas yelled.

“Run!” Val shouted.

We hurried to the kitchen and ducked under the table. An ear-splitting sound filled the air as the hand grenade exploded with a loud blast.

My eyes watered, and I coughed as the room filled with smoke.

“To the basement!” Charlie said.

“Bad idea,” Nick said. “Our best chance is to keep fighting.”

“He’s right,” Val said. “We don’t wanna get cornered down there.”

“There’s a secret exit,” Charlie retorted, coughing.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Claire asked. “Let’s go!”

We all followed Charlie down the steps and zigzagged around his food and supplies. He led us down a long corridor, into a small room, where he moved a bookshelf and unlocked a door. “We’ve gotta put the shelf back, or else they’ll follow us.

Once we were all in, Nick and Lucas pushed the bookshelf back in place the best they could, then shut the door.

We took off down another dark corridor, and I shined my flashlight ahead. The air was stale, and cobwebs were draped everywhere. I used my hands to wipe them away, and when a long-legged spider crawled across my shoulder, I brushed it off. “Where does this lead?” I asked.

“To a field not too far from here,” Charlie asked.

“Is it secure?” Nick asked.

“I assure you that there are no zombies or hybrids in here,” he said.

“You assure us, huh? Gee, that’s comforting,” Lucas said.

“Wait,” Val said. “Z’s men aren’t behind us anymore. I guess the secret passage fooled them.”

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew. I picked this house especially for that reason, and now I’m glad I did.”

Claire and I chatted about the possibility of Jackie being alive. We didn’t know if it was true or not, and we didn’t want to get our hopes up, only for them to be dashed.

Claire turned to face Charlie. “Why don’t you tell us more about my cousin? You promised me answers, so please be honest and start talking.”

“I only pretended to kill Jackie,” he said bluntly. “I really just took her to the new lab, because I didn’t want you guys to take her with you. I knew you were going to leave, and it would have been very dangerous for her to go with you. At some point, you would have felt forced to kill her. Besides that, I needed more tissue samples. I needed to keep her here.”

“Because she was a perfect specimen?” Claire asked.

“Exactly.”

The cold way he answered her, talking about Jackie like she was a lab rat, was enough to trigger my anger. I slammed Charlie up against the wall.

As soon as I assaulted him, the few security guards who’d come with us pointed guns at me.

Lucas jumped one of the men, while Val took the other.

“Stop!” Nick shouted. “We need to work together if we’re gonna get out of here alive.”

Realizing my brother was right, I loosened my grip on Charlie and let out a few choice words.

Lucas patted my back. “He’s not worth it, buddy. Don’t let him get to you.”

Charlie brushed himself off, then helped one of his security guards up.

Nick glared at him. “You’re gonna give Dean and Claire all the answers they want. Is that clear?”

Charlie nodded. “Crystal clear.”

Nick huffed and took the lead once again.

“If we didn’t need you right now,” Val said. “I’d blow your head off for what you did to Asia and Kate and all those other people.”

“Blow my head off? That’s a little harsh, isn’t it? I thought we were friends,” he said.

“Our friendship died the second you did experiments on my real ones.” With that, she stormed off and caught up with Nick.

“Is Jackie really alive?” I asked. He didn’t answer and I continued. “I saved your life once. And I don’t mean to keep harping on it. But I don’t understand why you won’t give me peace of mind? Why can’t you give me the one answer I need to desperately hear? Just tell me one way or the other.”

“Is she alive or not?” Claire asked.

“She’s alive,” Charlie whispered.

Claire gasped in stunned belief. “Don’t lie to us. My heart can’t take more false hope.”

“I swear to you that Jackie’s alive and well,” he said.

My heart raced. “Where?”

“You get me outta here alive, and we’ll talk,” he answered.

I was sick and tired of him keeping us in limbo, holding us emotionally hostage, and at that moment, I realized she was probably not alive at all. I was certain that Charlie was lying to us, just using her as leverage or a ploy so he could escape, just like Shawn had tried to do.

“How is she?” Claire asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“She’s wonderful,” Charlie said.

“So you say,” Lucas chimed in, not believing a word the scientist said.

Claire suddenly kicked out Charlie’s knee and knocked him to the ground. She held her gun to his temple. “Where is she? I’m not waiting any longer. Just tell me where she is!”

When Charlie’s security team jumped in, Charlie told them to stay out of it.

“She won’t hurt me,” he said.

“You don’t know me very well,” she retorted.

“Claire, what happened to you?” he asked. “This isn’t like you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, stomping his chest. “All you need to worry about is giving me answers before I blow your head off.”

He blinked. “And to think, I kept the hybrids from killing you, should they run into you.”

“I hate mind games,” she shouted. “So start talking because I really feel like head butting you, knocking you out, and feeding you to the zombies!”

“If you kill me, then you will never get the answers you so long for,” he said.

“Don’t kill him,” Nick said. “Let’s just see how this plays out.”

Glaring, she slowly lowered her gun and he scrambled to his feet.

“What happened to the sweet Claire I first met in that jail cell?” he asked. “The one I used to sit and do crossword puzzles with.”

“She died!” Claire shouted. “You killed her when you took Jackie away from me. You pretended to be my friend but you’ve done nothing but put me through hell. The worst part about all of this is the not knowing. How can you keep me in limbo like this? It’s so mean and cruel. Especially after I risked my life for you. But I guess it didn’t mean anything.”

“You’re becoming unglued, unhinged...unstable.”

Claire went to slap him when I caught her hand. “We gotta keep moving.”

“I want to see Jackie,” she said.

“I’ll take you to her soon,” Charlie said. “I promise.”

“I hope you’re not lying,” she said.

“How did you find out about Jackie in the first place?” he questioned.

I cleared my throat. “It was me. I was trapped in a cave-in, with Shawn, and he spilled a few of your dirty little secrets. When I heard that Z’s men were on their way to kill you, I knew we had to stop it.”

“Why did you do it?” Claire demanded, her face reddening with anger. “Why did you hurt so many innocent people, Charlie?”

“Because I thought it was worth the loss of a few to save the rest of the world,” Charlie said. “Is that so bad?”

“Yes! If it involves cruel experiments on helpless victims, then yes!” she retorted.

“I only picked people who deserved it, like those thugs who moved into the warehouse. I watched them steal and murder countless times. Will the world really miss them?”

“Nothing gives you the right to play God,” Claire said.

“And what about Asia and Kate?” I asked. “They aren’t thugs.”

“Truthfully, those two pissed me off. I needed them desperately, yet they refused to stay. But I loved you guys just like Jonathon did. You’re good people, and I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never would have taken Val, Claire, or Jackie downstairs to the lab.”

“But you did! You took Jackie down there,” I said.

“Only when I was left with no other option. She kept summoning zombies, so I gave her something that stopped them from coming. But it wasn’t just that she was calling them. It was all the other hybrids I created a few days after I got my hands on the serum.”

“You figured out how to create hybrids that fast!?” I shouted.

“Yes. We captured dozens of zombies off the streets the same day you gave me the serum and took them into the back entrance and downstairs.”

I was floored by his statement. So it wasn’t just Jackie calling all those zombies that horrible day.

“Did the other scientists know what you were up to?” Claire asked.

“Only a handful knew the secret. The others thought we were just experimenting with zombies, so they opted to stay upstairs and work on slides, where it was safer. We told them it was top secret, and if anyone talked about it outside those walls, they’d be forbidden from working there and be kicked out. They vowed not to tell you because they didn’t want you going down there and getting hurt, but they had no idea we’d kidnapped live human test subjects. Jonathon didn’t even know. If he had, I don’t think he would’ve ever brought you to the lab, but you were friends of his, and we treated you as such.”

“Not me,” Val retorted.

“Or me,” Claire said. “I hated that jail cell.”

“We had to put you in that jail. You were infected, and we had no idea if the cure would hold up. We put you there for everyone’s protection, including your own. At least I didn’t throw you down in that lab with those thugs.”

“Somebody shoulda treated you like a thug,” Lucas seethed.

Claire shot him a hard glance, then looked back at Charlie. “I trusted you,” she said, “but anyone you didn’t deem worthy, you killed in horrendous experiments.”

“It is what it is,” Charlie said with a dismissive shrug, “but I fixed your cure. You brought it to me broken, and I fixed it, just like you asked.”

“I didn’t ask for you to hurt anyone,” she said.

“You act as if I’m a monster,” Charlie said, “but I just saved the human race. I will go down in the history books as a hero.”

I sneered. “So you did this all for glory, for fortune and fame? You wouldn’t even have that cure in your hands if it weren’t for a very dedicated scientist back in Ohio. He discovered it, not you. You just perfected it...and even that’s just hearsay.”

“We’re here,” Nick said. “Everyone quiet!” He opened the steel door and peered out.

A cold blast of air hit me in the face as I peeked around my brother’s shoulder and saw that zombies littered the meadow ahead of us.

Chapter 35

“It’s just off the perimeter line protecting the city,” Lucas said.

“Your escape route runs right through zombie-infested territory, Charlie? Brilliant,” Val said.

“I had no choice,” Charlie muttered. “It was the only house with a secret passage, and I figured I might need a quick getaway someday.”

“Yet another side effect of guilt,” I said under my breath.

Nick softly shut the door. “The way I see it, we’ve got two choices here. We fight the zombies, or we fight Z’s gang. Which is it gonna be, people?”

“I think we’d have a better chance with the zombies,” Val said.

“Speak for yourself,” Charlie responded, his voice trembling.

I knew Charlie was terrified of zombies, and he certainly wasn’t a marksman of any sort. Lucas had given him a few pointers in the past, but he still sucked.

“What if Z’s gang hears us shooting?” Val asked.

“Whatever we do, we need to move quick,” Nick answered. “We gotta kill ‘em and get the heck outta Dodge. Once we get away from here, Z’s men will never find us.”

I blew out a nervous breath.

Claire tapped my shoulder. “Cover Charlie at all costs. He’s a lousy fighter, but we still need him.”

“I’m not going to move from this spot, and I’m certainly not fighting,” Charlie said stubbornly.

Claire rolled her eyes. “Well, whatever you do, you’ll be well protected. Because we need answers, and to get those, you have to stay alive.”

Nick came up with a pretty viable game plan and assigned us all to certain positions. My job was to use my rifle and act as a sharpshooter. We’d be hitting the zombies hard, especially with Claire and Charlie’s security team clearing out the front with semiautomatic weapons.

Gunfire rang through the air as Claire waved her gun back and forth, emptying her magazine and clearing the path ahead of us. I swung my rifle to the left and took out two zombies who were trying to grab Kate. Swinging to the right, I squeezed off three more shots.

We ran through the snow as fast as we could, bolting across the meadow. Hungry moans and dead, shuffling feet crunched through the snow and underbrush.

Claire reloaded, and another round raced through the zombie bodies, dropping them to the ground.

A rotter with a melted face stumbled toward me. I was sure someone had set the darn thing on fire, but it obviously had done little good, because the thing was still alive and looking for its next meal. It let out a sharp shrill, snapping its jaws, and I shot it right between the eyes. The nightmarish ghoul flew back, and I quickly moved to my next target.

The next one was looking its undead best, with a bloody scalp and a missing nose. My fingers squeezed the trigger, and down the creature went.

We pounded through the snow, plodding as fast as we could. We were making surprisingly good headway and were almost through the field when a corporate-looking zombie in a long-sleeved white shirt covered in bloody handprints and blood splatter reached for me. It let out a deep-throated howl. Chunks were ripped out of its hands and face. I took a few retreating steps in the icy snow and fired away. As fast as I shot it, three more approached.

Gunfire thundered in the air as Claire fired. She ejected her clip from her gun and slapped in a new one, then resumed firing again at the dead freaks. She mowed the majority down, and that made it easier for me.

Meanwhile, Nick and Lucas were protecting Charlie, who was useless and didn’t fire his gun once. He never would have made it past those zombies had we not been there to cover his butt. Nick valiantly fired at anything that came too close to wrapping its gnarly hands around the scientist’s scrawny neck like so many of us wanted to do.

When the next fiendish freak came my way, I aimed and fired. I took them down methodically. The next one was wounded, with a fist-sized hole in its face, leaking black slime. It clumsily tripped in the snow, and three more dummies tripped over it. I laughed at the bumbling idiots and kept moving, protecting the group the best I could. My senses were in overdrive, and I shot at anything that moved and lurched toward us. I shot a glance over my shoulder to make sure nothing was coming from behind. When I realized all was clear back there, I reloaded and went back to fighting.

Two more lunged right for me from my left and three more from my right. I fired at all my targets successfully, watching them drop like flies. I took down the first line of snarling zombies staggering toward me, but more quickly replaced them. One let out a raspy breath as it jumped out of the bushes. It bared its jagged, black teeth and tried to grab my arm to sink its canines in. I jumped back and fired. Another reached for me, and I kicked it in the ribs, causing a loud crunch.

Claire walked next to me and swept her gun back and forth as she took out the second and third line of zombies.

Another approached in that all-too-familiar shuffling gait. Its sunken cheeks were peeling off in decomposing layers. Its lips were gone, exposing yellow teeth. It had black patches around its snow-white eyes. It was naked, and from all the bite marks and missing flesh, I could see that other zombies had been feasting on it. The skin on its legs was completely missing, revealing muscle and bone.

“It’s the last one,” Lucas said. “Who wants to do the honors?”

“Let me,” I said. I aimed and fired at the emaciated creature that was walking toward us as if it had any chance of surviving. It crumpled into the snow face first, collapsing at my feet.

“That’s all of them,” Val said. “Let’s move it.”

Panting for breath, I stared at all the zombies lying dead in the snow.

“You knocked out my security team,” Charlie roared.

Nick and Lucas smiled. When I turned around, I saw Charlie’s security team unconscious in the snow to the left.

“Hope they wake up before the zombies get them,” Lucas said.

“You people are unbelievable,” Charlie said.

“Us?” Lucas retorted. “Boy, this psycho scientist really has some nerve.”

“Guess Charlie’s minions should think twice before they work for a madman,” Nick said.

I slung my rifle over my shoulder and followed the others. After walking for a bit we finally came to a main road flanked by fields of dead corn. I was thankful there weren’t any trees or vegetation for zombies to ambush us from; we had a clear view in every direction. So far, the coast was clear, and my shoulders shrugged in relief as we walked down the lonely road.

“We should just leave Charlie here with the zombies,” Claire suggested. “Maybe he’ll feel the fear and terror he made Asia and Kate feel.”

“He can’t go back with us to Fairport,” Nick said. “Max hates him. He experimented on his nephew, for goodness sake. Max hoped Z would finish him off. He told me it would be the one good deed Z has ever done. If Max knows we stopped his execution, he’ll be livid.”

“He’ll kick us out,” Val said, “and I don’t wanna leave.”

“Of course not,” I said, “not when you’re sucking face with him.”

Her jaw dropped. And I couldn’t believe I just let those words slip out.

“What?” Nick said in stunned amazement.

Lucas shot her a look, and I knew I had opened a can of worms.

“Tell him, Val,” I insisted.

“I can date whoever I want,” she said.

“Yeah, but Max?” Lucas said.

Val rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t start your jealous crap. We’re not even dating anymore, if we ever were.”

“I don’t think this is the time to discuss Val’s love life!” Claire shouted. “What if Jackie is alive?”

Val shook her head. “She’s not, Claire. Charlie is just bluffing to save his own butt.”

“Funny,” Lucas said, “that the good doctor is willing to run a house of horrors, but he can’t stay alive without help.”

“I took care of lots of those gang members,” Charlie said. “And the rest won’t be too hard to track down. I can easily send my hybrids after the rest of them.”

“I can’t believe you unleashed those things,” Nick said.

“Jonathon died so those things wouldn’t be out here,” Claire said.

“Mine aren’t as dangerous. I can control them.”

“Only by lying to them, promising you’ll cure them,” I said.

Lucas held up a hand. “Wait...I’m lost. A little help here?”

“He divided them up,” I said. “The dangerous ones were blown up, but he moved the calmer ones, the ones who would obey, to the hospital lab.”

Nick grabbed my shoulder. “Are you telling me there’s a group of hybrids at the hospital lab?”

“If Shawn was telling me the truth about that, yeah,” I said, “but I’ve really got no idea if he’s still stashing them there or not.”

“How did we miss that?” Lucas said. “We searched that entire hospital.”

“Haven’t you learned anything from me?” Charlie asked. “I don’t put things where you can see them.”

“Underground lair?” Val asked.

“Yes,” he said, smugly.

“We’ve gotta dispose of any hybrids,” Lucas said.

“They took lots of Z’s men down,” Charlie said. “They’re far too valuable.”

“Because you’ve created an army of supersoldiers? They can fight without emotion, won’t disobey direct orders from you, have no regard for safety, fight viscously, and can take a bullet to the arm, leg, or chest. They’re like your own personal military swat team.”

“And with them, we’ll defeat Z,” Charlie said.

“But at what price?” Val retorted. “They’ll be loose out there.”

“No, they’ll come back,” he said. “They want to be cured, and I hold the cure in my hands.”

“This is ridiculous!” Nick spat.

“Come join me,” he said. “We’ll destroy the rest of Z’s men, then we’ll disband Max’s team. And Fairport we’ll be ours to conquer and rule.”

“To rule?” I asked. “Seriously?”

He met my gaze. “I’m dead serious.”

“No,” Nick said.

“Absolutely not!” Val chimed in.

“Nope,” Lucas said.

“Not a chance,” Claire said.

He sighed. “Okay then. That was my one and final offer. Don’t think you’ll get it again.”

“What about the innocent people at Z’s warehouse?” Val said. “Those hybrids destroyed everything.”

“The gang had to be disbanded,” he retorted.

“It was murder, and that makes you no better than Z!” Nick shouted.

“I did what I had to do to get my city back,” Charlie said.

“Your city?” Claire said. “How long will it take before you unleash your hybrids on Max? Because he seems to think the city is his. How long will this turf war go on? Will this never end?”

“Max is a good man, but there can only be one leader,” he said. “But don’t worry. I won’t let my hybrids hurt you. I’ve already put you under protection.”

“So that was why Shawn didn’t kill me and Dean?” Claire said.

“Yes,” he answered.

“It still doesn’t excuse what you’ve done,” I retorted.

Lucas stepped forward. “Listen, scolding this a-hole isn’t gonna get us anywhere.”

Val turned to face Charlie. “So let’s move onto better things. For starters, where do you keep the cure, the one that supposedly cured Jackie?”

Charlie nervously shifted his stance. “I can’t tell you. That’s my bargaining chip, the only thing keeping me alive. Why would I tell you?”

“Because if you do, then we’ll let you live,” she said. “Think about that long and hard, especially when you don’t have your hybrid army to back you up this very second.”

Charlie thought for a moment and bit his lip. “It’s in a locked safe,” he said, “and only I have the combination. Even if you find the safe, you won’t get into it, and blowing it up will only heat up the serum, which will destroy it.”

“Are you sure I can’t kill this little freak right now?” Lucas said.

Claire slugged him. “No!”

So many emotions were running through my mind, including homicidal rage at Charlie. “Take us to Jackie,” I said.

“We should get Asia and Kate first,” Val said.

“I’ve got a better idea,” Lucas said. “I say we take Charlie to Asia and Kate and see what they want to do to him.”

“No!” the scientist cried.

“I think Asia would love a little payback,” I said.

“That girl is crazy,” Charlie said. “She killed five of my hybrids with no weapons. If she comes, the deal is off. I’ll never show you where Jackie is being kept.”

Val shoved him. “Oh, so now you’re making deals? You’re nothing without the power of your lab and staff. You’re pathetic!”

As we trampled through the snow, a horn beeped, and a silver car pulled up next to us. Peering in, I recognized the driver as one of the security men I’d seen back at Charlie’s house.

“Brian!” Charlie yelled. “Are they gone?”

“Nope. They’re at your house, waiting for you to come back. They’re not even sure you were ever there in the first place though.”

Nick held a gun to the man’s head. “Get out of the car,” he said.

Lucas opened the door and dragged him out, and Val quickly disarmed him.

“If you don’t mind,” Nick said, “we’re gonna borrow your wheels.”

“What!? You can’t leave me out here with no weapons and no car!” the man shouted.

“You’re in the safe zone,” Val said. “You’ll be just fine, but the faster you walk, the faster you’ll get back.”

Lucas motioned for us to all get in the car.

I jumped in the back seat, next to Claire.

“You didn’t have to steal his car,” Charlie said.

“Well, I didn’t want him to come with us,” Nick replied.

Val glanced over from the front seat. “He would have put a bullet in our heads the second we let our guard down.”

Charlie huffed. “Take me to my lab at the hospital so I can show you Jackie is alive.”

“And what’s the catch?” Claire asked.

“You’ll have to do something for me. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

“Fair enough,” Nick said. “What is it?”

“I’ll tell you once you see that Jackie is really alive. You might be more willing to consider my proposal when you see her pretty face. And I’ll even throw in a bonus for you to sweeten the pot. I’ll give you one vial of the cure...the one I made that cures hybrids.”

“So why can’t we make this deal, right here, right now,” Val said. “Why go to the lab where all your minions are awaiting your return?”

“No, I want to go where all his minions are,” Nick said. “Please Charlie, by all means, take us there.”

Charlie looked at Val. “I swear they won’t hurt you.”

“If they come at me like a pack of wild animals, all bets are off,” Claire said.

Charlie smirked. “They won’t. I have complete control of them.”

“And I’m just supposed to trust you?” I asked.

“And I’m supposed to trust you?” Charlie retorted.

“Unlike your word, mine is solid,” Nick said. “We just want what’s rightly ours—Jackie and that vial that cures hybrids.”

“Fine, but if you try any tricks, you’ll never lay eyes on her. And don’t think I’m dumb. I know you want to kill my army. But that won’t happen. You know why? Because my hybrids will snap you in half like a twig.”

“You think so?” Nick asked in a cocky tone.

Charlie nodded. “I know so.”

Chapter 36

I knew Nick was up to no good. Sure, he wanted Jackie back if she was alive, but he’d given no indication that he believed she was. He wanted Charlie’s notes on the how to fix the formula, along with a sample, but I knew Charlie wouldn’t just hand those over so we could take it to another lab for another scientist to take all the glory. Nick was as good as Charlie was at manipulating people into doing what he wanted, and he had the guns and muscle to back it up when they didn’t.

I was also sure he would expect Lucas, Val, Claire, and I to take down the hybrids, and it seemed Claire was on the fence about that. She was afraid they’d have the upper hand and would slaughter us. I pondered the deal. Charlie wanted us to go into his lab and see Jackie so he could ask us for something. If we complied, then we’d leave with Jackie and a vial that cured hybrids. However, if we said no, I was sure he’d unleash the hybrids on us. If we refused to go, we would never know where the hybrids were being kept. Because we’d searched the entire hospital before. And we’d also never get our answers about Jackie. So I guess we all decided on risking it and seeing how it all played out.

We parked at the hospital, and the parking lot seemed to be devoid of zombies. I kept my hand on the gun in my holster, just in case, and I slowly let out the breath that was frozen in my throat.

As we walked to the hospital, I pulled Nick back. “Remember, he’s sneaky. He took down all those armed gang members with gas and hybrids, so watch out.” When Nick nodded, I continued, “The hybrids are loyal to him. They want to be human again, and they’ll do whatever it takes. That means they’ll stand by him, even if he is lying to them. Don’t threaten or hurt Charlie in any way.”

“He’s up to something,” Nick said.

“Maybe he’s hoping we’ll be some new test subjects,” I said.

“Scary thought, but you might be right,” Nick said.

“Maybe he brought us to his evil lair to sic the hybrids on us,” I said.

“At this point, anything is possible, so stay on guard.”

“Do you believe him? Do you think Jackie is alive?”

“I’m sorry, Dean, but I think it’s malarkey. He’s just using that to manipulate us.”

“But that hybrid said—”

“Consider the source, little brother. It was a hybrid. People like Charlie...they use your emotions. We don’t really know what happened to her, and that haunts all of us, so Charlie’s smart enough to use that to his advantage. Stay strong. Don’t fall for it.”

“If you don’t believe him, then why are we here?” I asked.

Nick blew out a long breath. “Because I don’t want you holding it against me for the rest of my life. If we hadn’t come, you’d always carry around those what-ifs. I know firsthand that that’s no way to live. I’m here to prove to you that Charlie is crazy.”

“It’s really about taking out the hybrids, Nick. You’re just here to take them out, so don’t use me as a scapegoat.”

Lucas clapped my shoulder. “Are you gonna believe the truth once you see it for yourself?”

“Yes, I can handle the truth,” I said. “I just need to know, one way or another.”

Charlie unlocked the main doors to the hospital. “We don’t have electricity in the hospital, only the lab. There’s no way a generator could give enough juice to this entire facility.”

My heart pounded as I walked in.

Charlie grabbed a lantern from the main desk and turned it on to light our way. Our footsteps echoed as we walked down a long corridor, making a few twists and turns. Flashbacks of the old lab still haunted me, and strolling down that pitch-black corridor reminded of the first time I’d had to escape Charlie’s grip. When he led us down the stairs, I began to get really nervous. My only consolation was that he was a wimp, and he was only one person. Of course, he could have a whole army of hybrids down here, at his beck and call, I thought eerily. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and my hands began to tremble as I was overcome with a really bad feeling.

Charlie took us through a maze of corridors and opened a few secret doors with codes. We walked down more stairs. He led us into a lab and flicked the lights on. It wasn’t creepy at all; in fact, it looked like a modern lab, equipped with microscopes and lab tables and all kinds of other equipment. The walls were crisp and white, and I didn’t see any sign of foul play.

“Is this where Jackie’s being held?” I asked.

“First, I need to ask for a favor,” he said.

“What?” I asked.

He peered intently at me. “I’m going to need more serum.”

“What!? And why would you think I have any?” I retorted.

“Cut the crap. I know you have a whole bag...and I want it.”

“Sorry, Charlie. That’s not gonna happen,” Nick said, “and I suggest you control your tone when you’re talking to my brother. Besides, who told you such a crazy thing anyway?”

“Jackie.”

Lucas chuckled. “Sure she did. Just how gullible do you think we are?”

Nick stepped forward. “Look, if we had a silo full of serum, we wouldn’t give you a drop of it. So are you gonna release those hybrids on us or what?”

I knew Nick was egging him on. He wanted to know where the hybrids were kept because his mission was to destroy them, before they came after Max and took out Fairport. Suddenly, something sharp pierced my skin, and I screamed. When I stepped back, I gasped at the sight before me: Charlie was holding a syringe and had injected me with something.

“Now, Nick, your brother’s a dead man,” Charlie said, “but I have an antidote to save his life. All I ask in return is that bag of vials. And don’t go trying to fill them up with piss or something, because I’ll be checking the contents.”

Nick lunged for Charlie, and Val held him back. He pulled out his gun and threatened Charlie with every kind of torturous assault he could think of, spewing out a chain of curse words I’d never heard him say before.

I rubbed the spot on my arm where the needle had been inserted; it was swelling up like a mosquito bite. I wanted to cuss Charlie out, too, but I was too overwhelmed with shock and panic.

“Stop it, Nick!” Val yelled. “Put the gun down. If you kill the spineless jerk, Dean’s as good as dead.”

“Yeah, just take a deep breath and think about it, man,” Lucas added. “I’d like to blow his head off, too, but we gotta be smart.”

When the fear let go of my throat for a moment, I asked, in a trembling voice, “What did you inject me with?”

“Anthrax. Death will occur within four to twelve hours of exposure.”

“How could you?” I screamed.

“Dean saved your life!” Val shouted. “How could you do this to him?”

Charlie looked at her hard. “And I saved Dean’s life so I think we’re even. Remember when those gang members shot Mikey when Dean was on guard duty? Dean took down one gangster but two more had guns trained on him. My hybrid shot the remaining thugs and saved Dean’s life. And do you have any idea why? Because I put Dean and your whole group on my ‘do not kill’ list to the hybrids. But that favor is over and done with as of today.”

“We should’ve let him died in that house,” Claire said. “We should’ve never rescued him with Steven and Rachel.”

Trembling terror blanketed my siblings’ and friends’ faces. I’d never seen them so horrified. The gnawing sense of anxiety overwhelmed me. There was no CDC anymore, no ER to rush me to. I’d been injected with a deadly virus, and there was nothing anyone could do for me—anyone but the man who’d injected me. I’d been delivered a death sentence, and it hadn’t come from Z’s men or those disgusting zombies. A million thoughts plagued my mind. I tried not to let the dark thoughts consume me, but worry began to swallow me whole.

“I have the antidote,” he said in an unnervingly calm voice. “All you have to do is get me what I want.” He laughed. “See? One doesn’t have to be armed with a gun to get people to comply. Heck, I didn’t even need my fearless hybrids. You followed me down here because you think I’m weak and stupid, but I outsmarted all of you.”

“This is sick!” Val shouted. “What gives you the right to play God?”

He pointed at his watch. “The clock is ticking.”

Chapter 37

Before my brother could even decide what to do, the door burst open, and I instinctively ducked as a spray of gunfire flew in our direction. We hid behind a huge stone pillar. Val knocked a table over, and we huddled behind it. She grabbed her gun and started firing back as Z and five of his men ran directly at us.

“Dean!”

I turned to face Steven, who was cowering behind the overturned table.

“Steven?” I said. “How did you find this place?”

“I got one of my dad’s scientist friends to talk and brought Max to the exact location. Z got his hands on that same scientist so I’m sure that’s why he’s here.”

Steven pointed his gun as he glanced around. “Where is he?”

“Who?”

Steven didn’t answer, but I’d never seen him looking so angry. We all wanted to take Z down, but I think Steven wanted to be the one to actually do the deed. He sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I see him!”

“Don’t play hero, Steven. You can’t just rush out there alone to take him out. His men will gun you down in five seconds flat,” I said, ducking to avoid the incoming rifle fire.

But neither my words nor the bullets seemed to faze Steven. In slow motion, he pointed his gun right at Charlie. “Die, you sucker!” he shouted.

Suddenly, much to my amazement and dismay, a bullet hit Charlie straight in the forehead.

Z wasn’t Steven’s mark after all! It was Charlie all along.

The man who had my antidote crumbled to the ground in a trembling heap.

Val ran over to him and shook him. “No!” she screamed. “We weren’t done with him. Dean needs him!”

My stomach lurched as I watched Charlie die, taking with him the secrets of how to cure the deadly disease he’d injected me with—not to mention the answers about Jackie that I’d so desperately longed for so very long.

Steven lowered his gun, and a satisfied grin crossed his face. “He killed my father. My dad died so his virus wouldn’t get out. And now he can’t make any more hybrids.”

Charlie’s eyes fluttered open as he stood. He growled and peered at us with white, dead eyes. Steven shot him again and the zombie fell to the ground.

“How could you?” Val said.

Steven showed no remorse. “What? That mad scientist needed to pay. I know he was your friend but—”

Claire cut him off in a hurry. “That’s not it, Steven. Charlie injected Dean with anthrax, and he was trying to trade the antidote for something. Now we’ll never get it, because you killed him. He was also going to tell us where my cousin was, because he kidnapped her. Now we’ll never know that either. He’ll take Dean’s cure and my cousin’s whereabouts to the grave!”

Steven looked at me. “I-I just got here,” he stuttered apologetically. “I had no idea. I’m so, so sorry. I guess I...I was just bent on revenge, seeing red, and I—”

“You idiot!” Lucas said as he made his way over to us. He stared at Steven intently, his eyes blazing with fury. He hit Steven with the butt of his gun, and Steven fell sideways, out cold.

“Lucas, stop! This isn’t who you are,” Val said. “He’s just a kid, a teenager who lost his dad. Give him a break.”

“Well, that so-called kid just gave your kid brother a death sentence, and I’m not gonna stand by and let him get away with it!”

“I’m upset, too, but beating up a teenager is no way to handle things. Now lay off!”

Suddenly, another bullet whizzed past my head, reminding me that we were going to have to fight our way out of yet another lab. I aimed and fired once again, squeezing off one shot after another. When more of Z’s foolish followers poured in the door, a cold chill shot down my spine. And when I saw a few hybrids shooting at them, I gasped.

It was all out war now between Z’s men, Max’s men, the hybrids, and the newly turned zombies who were shot.

“We need to get outta here,” Val said. “We can’t take them all on!”

Nick nodded. “Get to the exit. I’ll cover you.”

“There’re more coming from behind,” Lucas shouted.

When I glanced over my shoulder, I was shocked to see even more men pouring in.

Nick waved Max over to us and pointed to Z’s men. “Look!”

There, rushing forward, were Max’s teams, coming in fast, fearless, and furious, shooting semiautomatics like trained soldiers.

Now, we just have to wait for Z and his gang to wave their little white flag, I thought. If the hybrids don’t eat them first. We’d taken down Charlie, Z’s men were almost out of the way, and the only catastrophes we really had to deal with were the hybrids and the disease that was coursing through my veins.

Max’s men jumped into action, and the room thundered with gunfire. Most of the hybrids who were fighting had been shot in the head. Bullets pelted the walls as Max’s team fought like trained military commandos. Max was a brave leader, and his troops were just as courageous and bold as he was.

When Max made his way over to us, he saw Steven and bent down to feel for a pulse. “Was he hit?” he asked me.

“He was...avenging his dad’s death, and he got knocked out in the process.”

His eyes widened in shock. “Charlie’s dead?”

I pointed to his lifeless body.

“Get Steven to safety,” Max commanded. “I’ll cover you so you can get to the door.”

“Got it,” one of his men answered. He threw Steven over his shoulder as easily as a linebacker hoisting a sack of potatoes, then carried him out of the lab.

Max and his other men stood up and started firing again.

Suddenly, horrifying screams echoed through the room, and panic ensured. I peered over and realized the men we had killed during the shootout had turned into zombies, and they were attacking Z’s gang. Max let out a rapid-fire round and the first line of zombies dropped to the ground.

One zombie made it through the rain of bullets and swiftly headed in my direction. I shot it, and it fell forward, slamming its face on the floor. I jumped down as more gunfire flew at me. Crisscrossing fire echoed all around me, and bodies continued to fall. I continued to fire through the ear-shattering noise of shells exploding all around me. I was quick and accurate and made every shot count.

“I’m hit,” Z finally shouted. “Cease fire!” He crashed to the floor, and his few remaining, unzombefied men ran to his aid.

Max motioned for us to stop.

“Since when do we take orders from a psychopath?” I asked.

Max ignored my comment and pointed his gun directly at Z.

Z stood up and looked at us, then down at the blood saturating the floor. “Listen,” he said. “I came here for the same reason you did—to kill Charlie and those hybrids, so he wouldn’t send them after me. My men already took down most of Charlie’s undead army. A few got out and came up here to fight. You should be thanking me because I killed rooms full of those freaks. I’d never seen anything like it before in all my life. Charlie had to die, one way or another. He was a menace to society.”

Like this guy has any room to talk, I thought.

Claire stood up, and Nick tried to pull her behind the table, but Max held him back.

“We’ve got a plan,” Max whispered. “Just let this play out.”

“Then let me go, not Claire,” I offered. “I’m a dead man anyway.”

“He’ll see right through you,” Max said, shaking his head.

I drew a sharp breath. I didn’t want Claire anywhere near Z’s men, because I knew they’d love to make an example out of her. Every one of their guns was trained on her as she approached them, and I held my breath.

Claire dropped her weapon, and it clattered to the floor. “I want to switch teams, Z. You killed those hybrids. Clearly, Max can’t protect me like you can.”

Z coughed. “It’s too late for that, love. I’m dying...and I only have one dying wish.” He picked up a walkie-talkie and said, “Do it.”

“Do what?” Claire said.

“The stupid hybrids left some bombs behind, and now we’ll put them to good use. There are no teams anymore. We’re all going to die together. If I’m going out, you’re coming with me.”

“Call it off!” she demanded.

“It’s too late for that, sweetheart.” He pointed his rifle at Claire’s head. “You were supposed to die in that warehouse, so we’ll just have to take care of it now.”

Just as he started to pull the trigger, Claire threw a grenade right at him. Just like that, she had the revenge she’d sought for so long.

Z’s crazed eyes widened in horror as he took his final breath.

At that exact moment, Max’s men launched a slew of grenades toward Z’s men.

The explosions shook the room, and smoke swirled.

Everything was a blur as people scattered and shouted all around me. I thought back to the first time I’d met Claire, that little scared girl. Now, she’d taken down the most vicious enemy we’d ever faced. Her transformation boggled my mind.

That murderous pig was dead, along with crazy Charlie. Fairport had just eliminated two of its biggest threats and nutcases, and the city could live in peace. Max had once only cared about the people in the apartment complex, but when the citizens of his little utopia had been willing to step up and fight alongside him, he began to see them in a new light. Now, he vowed to protect everyone in Fairport and would help anyone who came to the city.

We all roared as we charged Z’s remaining men, taking them by surprise. Bullets flew over my head, but I proceeded, ready to take out all memory of Z once and for all. If I was going to die, I was going to die a hero. I squeezed off shot after shot as we made our advance, and a dozen more dropped.

A victory cheer erupted as the last of them fell.

I tried to walk but missed a step. I was so drowsy, and it was hard to keep my eyes open. I’d always been a fighter, but I didn’t know how to fight a deadly disease, and we had no idea how to find the antidote.

Val wrapped an arm around me and led me out of the lab as more gunfire flew over our heads.

Nick and Lucas motioned for us to stay put while they cleared the way of a few stragglers, mostly zombies stumbling around in confusion.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Val said.

I couldn’t breathe or think or speak as it all sank in.

“How do you feel?” When I didn’t answer, she asked again. “Dean?”

I fought to keep my eyes open. “Drowsy.”

She looked at Claire with a serious expression on her face. “Anthrax doesn’t kill as quickly as Charlie said, and it doesn’t make you feel drowsy this fast. It starts out with stomach flu-like symptoms. Keep an eye on him. I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” Claire asked.

“To get that vial Charlie set on the table after he injected Dean. I need to see what he actually gave him.”

“This place is gonna blow,” Claire said.

Val forced back the quiver in her voice. “Well, if it does, it won’t matter what Charlie did.” With that, she darted off through the smoke, heading back into the lab.

“This way,” Nick said.

“We’ve gotta wait on Val,” Claire said.

“What? Where is she?”

“She went back in the lab, to check on the crap Charlie gave Dean.”

“She what!?” He motioned for us to continue, then darted off after her.

Just as we reached the stairwell, I heard a faint scream. My stomach dropped. “Do you hear that?” I asked. “It sounded like a woman.”

“Or a hybrid.”

“What if Charlie’s holding Jackie prisoner? We should check it out.”

Claire swallowed hard, and beads of sweat ran down her face, but she nodded.

I veered off toward the scream with Claire right behind me. I knew the place was in danger of blowing up at any minute, but I wasn’t sure how much faith we could put in anything Z said; the man was an expert at bluffing. Still, I had to know who was screaming. Shawn’s words about Jackie and the Polaroids still lingered in my head, and Charlie somehow knew about the bag of serum; no one else could have told him but Sam or Larry. All of that left me with reasonable doubt that Jackie was dead, and if she was alive—even as a hybrid—I had to find her.

Through the fog in my head, I could hear Nick, Lucas, and Val yelling for me. I followed the woman’s voice to a padded room. The tiny window in the locked door was broken, which was the only reason we could hear her. I peeked in, but it was dark to see who it was.

“What are you doing!?” Nick yelled as he caught up with us.

I looked at Claire, and a tear rolled down her face. “I have to know,” I whispered. “Even if I’m dying, I have to know.”

She nodded. “Me too.” She then shot off the lock and swung the heavy door open.

“Dean! Claire!” the woman yelled.

Time stood still. My Jackie was alive, cured, and human. Charlie wasn’t lying. There is a cure! “Jackie?” I whispered.

Chapter 38

Claire wept as she embraced her cousin in a tight hug.

Next, it was my turn. I looked into her beautiful eyes and touched her sweet face, then pulled her into an embrace. I was sure I was on my way to death, thanks to Charlie, but I was relatively certain Jackie wasn’t there to take me to the other side. She certainly didn’t look like the Grim Reaper to me.

“I’m dying,” I said. “Charlie injected me with Anthrax. He’s dead and we don’t have an antidote.”

“What?” she asked, her voice wavering.

How cruel was fate? I’d been mourning Jackie’s death for so long, and then when I finally had her back, it was my turn to leave. Shakespeare himself couldn’t haven written a scene about star-crossed lovers any better. I’d probably get one last kiss from her lips before I slipped away. Then she’d mourn my death. Star-crossed meant unlucky, and I was sure that was me and Jackie’s fate. Maybe we were doomed from the start.

Suddenly, an explosion to the north boomed in the air.

“We’ve got to go,” Lucas said. “We stay in here much longer, we’re gonna be mincemeat!”

I couldn’t stop staring at Jackie’s beautiful face, and then I shut my eyes and let go.

***

When I opened my eyes, Sparkles was licking me. I petted her and tried to make out where I was. Clearly, we were back in the apartment, but I wasn’t lying on my tiny bunk bed. Instead, I was all cozy in a huge, king-sized bed, covered with several soft blankets. At that point, I realized they’d put me in Lucas’s room.

“He’s awake,” Val said, walking to the door.

“Val?” I whispered.

“I’m right here,” she said. “I haven’t left your side.”

So many questions flooded my mind. Fear and panic settled in my stomach as reality set in. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I could barely get the words out. “Did you find any of the scientists? How much time do I have left?”

Nick rushed to my side. “You sure gave us one heck of a scare.”

“Yeah, but...how am I still alive?” I asked. Droplets of sweat rolled down my face, and I knew I was still dying. I was sure my brother would want my last days to be the most comfortable he could make him, and that was probably why they’d put me in those luxury accommodations.

“You’re a survivor,” Asia said.

“I’m so hot,” I whispered. “I know I’m dying from a 106-degree fever. Sugarcoating my death isn’t gonna make me feel any better. If the prognosis isn’t good, I need to know.”

“Nobody’s dying today,” Val said triumphantly.

Nick peeled a couple layers of blankets off of me. “You’re sweating up a storm under all these.”

Kate chuckled. “Sorry. It was freezing in here. In case you didn’t notice, there’s a blizzard out there.”

I glanced out the window and saw tons of snow pouring down. I still couldn’t fathom that I was alive. “You must’ve found the antidote,” I said softly, still in a bit of a fog.

“Nope,” Val retorted.

I bit my lip hard. “Then I am dying?”

“Like I told you...nope!” She held up a small glass vial. “After Charlie injected you, I grabbed this so we’d know what he really gave you. He lied. It wasn’t anthrax.”

“What was it?” I asked.

“Valium. It was all a bluff.”

“So I’m not going to die?” I whispered.

She grinned from ear to ear. “Nope.”

I couldn’t believe I’d survived yet another close call. I’d been given so many second, third, and fourth chances, in spite of all the death and devastation around me. I couldn’t even explain how it felt to survive after thinking I was going to die. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, and I wanted to scream and shout. A million emotions flooded my mind. One thing the zombie apocalypse taught me was how precious each moment was and how easily life could be snatched away. I’d thought my life was over the second Charlie’s needle pierced my skin, but I’d survived again, and I vowed, then and there, to make every day count.

I shot my sister a hard look. “Wait...why didn’t you tell me the second you found out?”

“Because there was gunfire and grenades—not to mention, a building was about to blow up. I tried to tell you, but you collapsed. Lucas carried you out to safety.”

“Yeah, man, and you need to go on a diet or something,” Lucas joked. “Only half a can of tuna for you from now on.”

“Did the building explode?” I asked.

“It’s pretty demolished. Max and his men stuck around to make sure no hybrids survived. What do you remember?”

“Well, the end is fuzzy, but I dreamt I found Jackie, that she was alive. She’d been cured, and she was the most beautiful sight.”

Val smiled and patted my hand.

I continued, “It was the best dream ever. I just wish I didn’t have to wake up.”

“Oh, I guarantee you’ll be glad naptime’s over,” Lucas chimed in.

I raised an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t a dream,” Claire said, letting tears slip down her face.

“What?” I asked.

She grinned widely. “We did it, Dean!” she said, squeezing my hand. “We found Jackie and saved her.”

Right on cue, the door creaked open, and Jackie’s brilliant smile lit up the room.

I was speechless. My feelings were overwhelming and intense, rushing over me like a tidal wave. It was like looking at a calm blue sky after being caught in a seemingly endless hurricane. In that very moment, I could have sworn I heard my dead heart beating again. The person I’d grieved over, the person I’d thought was dead, the person I’d missed so much was standing right there in front of me, alive and breathing, smiling at me. I blinked, and my stomach dropped. She was a vision in a tight black sweater and black jeans, with her dark hair hanging in loose ringlets around her shoulders. My heart beat so hard that it felt as if it would rip through my chest at any moment. I wanted to touch her to make sure she wasn’t an illusion, a mere hallucination like the hundreds of dreams I’d had of her. “Jackie?” I said, my voice wavering.

Sobbing, she ran over to me and hugged me tightly.

I still hoped my mind wasn’t conjuring her up, a side effect of the valium. “Is this...are you real?”

“It’s real, Dean. I’m here, and I won’t ever leave you again. Being back here with you guys is a dream come true. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

My heart pounded as I kissed her. A tear slipped down my face as emotion consumed me. I had so many questions, but they could all wait.

Beyond the fact that we had Jackie back, there was more good news: There really was a cure, and even though Charlie’s vials had been destroyed, there was still hope to fix the serum. We just had to find a scientist brilliant enough to come up with the missing part of the equation, but we now had the advantage of knowing it could be done. Charlie had the power to save those hybrids who so desperately wanted their humanity back, but he refused to afford them that chance. He preferred to selfishly manipulate them, to play God, to use them for his own power- and glory-hungry agenda. Charlie used them for his own personal gain and in the end they were expendable. He wanted Max and Z out of the picture so he could take control and use the people of Fairport as his own personal livestock, so he could perform those sick experiments. Charlie wanted to save the world, at all costs. I was sure Jonathon never would have led us to Fairport had he known Charlie’s true intentions, but I was sure no one knew just how screwed up that lab coat-wearing freak really was.

Still, even after all we’d been through, I didn’t regret coming to Fairport. Jackie was cured, and that was the most important thing.

She held up her hand to show me that the class ring I’d given her adorned her finger. Val had found in the lab and had brought it back to the house, but never in a million years would I have thought she’d wear it again.

“Jackie...” I said.

“Yeah, baby?”

“There’s something...well, I shoulda told you a long time ago. I regret that I didn’t.”

She gazed deeply into my eyes, melting me with her gaze. “And what’s that?”

“I-I love you,” I said with heartfelt intensity.

She smiled. “I know, Dean Walters, and I love you too. I have since the second we kissed in that freezing-cold lake.”

I held her tightly in my arms, never wanting to let go.

I didn’t know what our next step was. It was winter, much too treacherous to travel. The town would rebuild, and Fairport would once again be a safe haven for survivors. Thanks to its unique, invisible zombie shield, it was one of the best places to live until we got our world back. I loved the people there, and it would be difficult to say goodbye when we did have to leave, but I was anxious to get back to my family on the island.

Val saw things a bit differently and had mentioned more than once that Fairport was the safest, best place to wait out the zombie apocalypse. I assumed a lot of that had to do with Max, but she insisted that it was just because the journey would be too dangerous. I couldn’t blame her for that; after all, she’d been bitten on her first attempt to head to the island, and I was sure that had left a bitter taste in her mouth. Looking on the bright side, though, she was now immune to bites and wouldn’t ever have to worry about that again. I couldn’t say the same for most of us.

I wasn’t sure what the future held. All I did know was that Jackie was back in my arms, and I wouldn’t risk her life by taking her to the island where authorities had doomed Val. I’d have to take her to a different island, and I was sure my mom, dad, grandmother, and everyone else would join me wherever I went. I still held out hope that we could enjoy a normal, zombie-free life, and I would never take it for granted again.

Now, we just had to get back...and I knew that would be easier said than done.

To be continued in Book 8: Impact

***

Did you enjoy The Zombie Chronicles book 7?  If so, I’d love for you to consider writing a review. Thank you so much for your support. Even a simple line is greatly appreciated! I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.

Link to Trepidation: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IC7E5ZE

UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IC7E5ZE

NOTE:

When Val came to after being shot, she called for characters you’ve never met. (Kyle, Sammy, and Jenny) You can meet them now! Meet the characters that traveled with Val on her journey to the island in:

Val – Prequel to The Zombie Chronicles

What happened to Val’s friends? How was Val bitten? Why did she leave Philadelphia?

Here’s a sneak peek at the prequel to The Zombie Chronicles in Val. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE

Val: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXY5SI4

UK Val link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IXY5SI4

Books by Chrissy Peebles

***

The Enchanted Castle Series

The Enchanted Castle Series Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ysb6uzIdsEk

Enchanted Castle - book 1

My Haunted Fairytale - book 2

Enchanted Dreams - book 3

The Ruby Ring Saga

The Ruby Ring Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w-eZwPJbA

New Updated Trailer:  http://youtu.be/JJzoHW0xVMI

Eternal Vows - book 1

Eternal Destiny - book 2

Eternal Fire - book 3

Eternal Faith - book 4

Eternal Bloom - book 5

Eternal Flame – book 6

The Crush Saga

The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4

Crush - Book 1

Crash - Book 2

Chosen - book 3

Chaos – book 4

The Hope Saga

The Hope Saga Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9UkY0qiSo

Apocalypse - Underwater City - book 1

Rebel Princess - book 2

Rebel Warrior - book 3

Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/viwT0M8Ms_g

Book 1 - Castaway

Book 2 - Dread

Book 3 - Peril

Book 4 - Outlive

Book 5 - Endure

Book 6 - Persevere

Book 7 - Turbulence

Book 8 - Hope

Book 9 - Termination - The Conclusion

Apocalypse Unleashed Series

Book Trailer for The Zombie Chronicles Series: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70

Val (prequel to the zombie series) Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE

Val - The prequel to The Zombie Chronicles

The Zombie Chronicles - book 1

The Zombie Chronicles - book 2 - Race for the Cure

The Zombie Chronicles - book 3 - Deadly City

The Zombie Chronicles - book 4 - Poisonous Serum

The Zombie Chronicles - book 5 - Undead Nightmare

The Zombie Chronicles - book 6 - Revelation

The Zombie Chronicles - book 7 – Trepidation

Come stop by and say hello!

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chrissy-Peebles-Fantasy-Author/351121651567296?ref=bookmarks

Blog: http://www.chrissypeebles.blogspot.com