Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)(26)

Anger was starting to creep up within her. She had actually felt safe and happy the last few weeks. Her relationship with Juan was still evolving, but it was good. He was not quite the knight in shining armor she imagined, but he was sweet and made her laugh. She wanted to bask in it and forget the past. Forget Lloyd, forget the dead children she had failed, forget the beatings, forget the pain...She just wanted peace in this tiny little fortified construction site in this tiny little town.

God, she hated this opulent hotel and its apparent false dreams.

“Fifth floor clear,” Bill's voice said over the walkie-talkie. He was on the other side of the hotel.

Jenni and Curtis looked at each other, and then down the hallway with all its blue checkmarks on the doors.

“It would be nice if it kept going this way,” Curtis said.

Jenni smacked him. “Don't say shit like that!”

“Jinx,” said Jimmy, rubbing his bald head. “Don’t jinx us.”

“Shit, sorry,” Curtis mumbled.

Katie, Travis, Felix and Roger came around the corner. All four looked just as harried as she felt.

Katie gave Jenni a little smile and squeezed her arm affectionately and it made Jenni smile.

It was good to at least have friends in this world.

“Sixth floor may be a hotspot,” Bill's voice said over the static.

“Roger that,” Curtis answered as the two teams started upwards.

The last person in Curtis group, a short skinny man named Davey, took off his hat and ran a hand over his blond hair. “Anyone else thinking this was a bad idea.”

Jenni, aware of the origins of the plans to take the hotel, glanced back at Travis. “Nah, we need this building. Right, Travis?”

“With one hundred and twenty-five...” he hesitated as it dawned on him the number was now lower “…now inside the site, we need room. Especially because there are people still out there running low on supplies and needing shelter as summer hits.”

Katie nodded in agreement and looked up the stairwell. “We're expanding our little world.”

Davey frowned. “Well, dammit, this new world is a pain in my ass.”

And with that, they started upwards.

The clatter of their heels against the stairs made everyone wince and they all pressed up as close to the wall as they could as they climbed. Eyes set upwards, their lesson had been learned with Charlies' demise.

Jenni hesitated at a window and glanced down. She looked out over the rooftops of the town toward the green hills soaked with the torrential rains. It was beautiful and her breath caught. Looking down, she could see into the construction site quite clearly. From above it looked smaller and being able to see over the walls and security perimeter made it seem vulnerable. There were still undead out there. She could see them.

“Jenni?”

“Coming, Katie.”

The teams split up again, taking separate paths. Moving toward the first door, Jenni felt her stomach tightening. Just four more floors and it would be over.

“Same routine as before,” Curtis said.

Jenni nodded and leaned over and unlocked the door. “Ready?” When the responses were positive, she flung open the door.

The curtains were opened and pale sunlight streamed in illuminating the room. Jenni cautiously stepped in. Davey followed directly behind her. He kicked the door hard and was rewarded with a sharp thud as the door hit the wall with a resounding smack.

Nothing behind it.

Jenni advanced slowly toward the bed and squatted down. Davey took a breath and drew the comforter sharply off of it.

Nothing below the bed.

Behind them, Curtis and Jimmy entered the room.

Jenni moved very cautiously toward the open door to the bathroom and peered in. This room was much bigger and opulent than those below. Everything gleamed and sparkled inside the bathroom, but there was no sign of anything dead.

“Clear?” Curtis looked nervously around the room.

“Wardrobe,” Jenni answered.

Taking a quivering breath, Davey drew near the wardrobe. His tiny frame crouched slightly as he reached out and took hold of the handle. Jenni moved closer, her gun aimed toward the wardrobe, standing across from Davey and near the bed.

“I don't think you should--” Jimmy started.

Davey looked back as his hand rested on the lever just enough for there to be a click. “What?”

The doors exploded outward, knocking Davey to the floor, and tossing Jenni backwards onto the bed. Her gun flew out of her hand, hit the floor and skittered under a chair in the corner. The largest zombie Jenni had ever seen rushed out, stepped on Davey, and rushed toward Jimmy and Curtis at a fast clip.

Jenni rolled as fast as she could over the bed to the other side as the as the zombie ran across the room toward Curtis and Jimmy.

Another form, mostly eaten, barely resembling what had been a human female, slithered out of the wardrobe.

“Davey!” Jenni screamed.

He climbed to his knees only to be confronted by the grisly creature with strips of flesh hanging off its bones. It lunged forward and bit deep into his cheek.

Meanwhile, Curtis shot the enormous zombie in the head, but it just kept barreling forward.

“It's Bubba Wilkins! He has a metal plate in his head,” Jimmy shouted.

“Shit,” Curtis shouted.

Jimmy turned and tackled Curtis out of the hotel room door and slammed the door shut behind them.