Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)(15)

The Dollar Store was already filling up and Stacey could see people trying to find a place to camp out during the long wait for the hotel to be taken. She hoped the terrible combination of zombie and bleach was gone now.

Peggy, the city secretary, and her little boy, Cody, reached the street just as Stacey did. Cody was crying softly and the sound of his whimpering made Stacey feel even more nervous.

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

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

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

“I cannot wait until this is over,” Ken said, and pouted slightly. His cat seemed to yowl in agreement.

Lenore set Pepe down and held tightly to his leash. Pepe zigzagged back and forth in front of her. “It’ll be done soon enough and we’ll have a nice bed to sleep in tonight.”

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

“Oh, no! I am so not putting up with listening to you talk in your sleep about how hot Daniel Craig is.” Lenore gave him a fierce look. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be back inside the fort helping out Juan? Gimme Cher and get to work.”

Ken handed over his cat, giving her a fake, disdainful look. “You’re so mean.”

“Move it,” Lenore ordered.

Eric stepped out of Ken’s way as the younger man made his way back up over the wall.

“Good luck, Ken!” Eric called out.

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

“He's a gopher for Juan,” Lenore explained. “Like that's hard.”

“Bitch,” Ken sniffed and hurried over the wall.

Lenore grinned.

Stacey laid her head on Eric's shoulder. Her stomach was in knots.

“We’ll be okay,” Eric repeated, but she could see fear clearly in his eyes. They had barely survived coming to the fort. They had hoped their days fearing for their safety were over, but obviously they were not.

“Zombies don't got a chance against this crew. We're tough,” Lenore said in her usual gruff tone. “We're mean. We're nasty. Plus, Ken could talk them to death.”

Stacey laughed and took Pepe's leash when Lenore held it out to her. Pepe danced around her feet, looking up at her anxious.

Together, they walked toward the Dollar Store.

Overhead, the skies opened up.

It began to rain.

3. Check In Time

Nerit took a deep breath and strode up onto the platform overlooking the hotel's designated point of entry. Clad in her old jeans, a button down shirt, and Ralph's hunting jacket, she was warm, despite the cool, damp wind gusting through the small fort. With her yellowish-white hair tied back from her face, her eyes looked keen and intense.

This was something she was good at. She felt like killing.

In Israel, things had been rough when the nation had first arisen. She had fought bravely and with pride. Her almost eerie ability to nail any target from a great distance had given her an illustrious career. It had helped that she had the cool detachment needed to do the job of a sniper. Some had called her one of the most calculating and aloof women they had ever met. In reality, she was just good at her job. There were moments when she was haunted and the nightmares came, but she had always kept herself focused on the greater good. Defending Israel had been her priority. She had done her job well.

But now it was much more personal. She could still kill with skill and cold detachment, but it did not give her nightmares anymore. She was living in a nightmare. What she killed now were not terrorists or enemies of her homeland, but the undead citizens of her adopted country. The country had fallen. The fort was home; the zombies were the enemy.

If the bandits ever came to the fort and tried to do there what they had done to Ralph….

Pressing away thoughts of Ralph, she lit a cigarette and exhaled slowly. She was already in that calm cool place where the world was gray and devoid of anything other than her pulse and breath.

She was elevated above the construction site so she could see easily into the brick pen they had built around the old entrance to the hotel. It was high enough to keep any zombies out, and they had made the old wrought iron gate the doorway into the tiny courtyard. The pen was, essentially, as safe as it could be.

The dark gray clouds continued to sprinkle drops down on their heads, but the almost-black clouds in the distance spoke of a violent storm.

Slipping into position, she enjoyed the feel of the cold metal of her sniper rifle in her hands. Closing one eye, she became one with the gun; the sight became their mutual eye, harsh and unblinking. She could easily see everyone gathering to go in. She could see the bricked up entrance.

She was ready.





***

Travis was not ready for this. He was certain of it. His stomach was in knots and his hands wouldn't stop sweating. Looking around at the people gathered in small tight groups around him, he felt his panic building.