The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(25)

Jenni stood near the top of the stairs waiting. From her expression, Katie knew she was struggling internally.

"We should have gone last night," Jenni whispered.

"In the dark? With those things?" Katie lifted an eyebrow. "Would you really want to do that?"

Jenni sighed and shook her head. "I'm just worried about Jason."

"I know, but we have to take care of ourselves, too, you know."

"I know, Katie." Jenni sighed softly. "I know."

Packing was quick. Ralph being an old pro, he knew what they needed.

Nerit gave them a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks. She seemed especially pensive, but she smiled reassuringly whenever her gaze rested on them.

Katie was busy double-checking the small bag holding their ammo when Nerit came up and laid Katie's phone next to her on the table.

"I found this up on the roof. I thought you may want it," she said in her warm, rich accented voice.

Katie glanced at it and hesitated. "There isn't any service anymore."

Nerit nodded, but flipped the phone open to show Lydia's lovely face smiling up at them. "For her, not the service."

Katie looked at her sharply, her hand closing the phone, but her gaze anxious, waiting.

"She was beautiful. And she loved you. I can see it in her face," Nerit said softly.

Katie's eyes filled with tears for a moment. "She was my life."

Nerit looked past her to Jenni. The other woman was rearranging one of the backpacks with a very dire expression on her face. "But now you are going to take care of her. And her son. I can see it in your eyes. It's what you do."

"Well, I can't say you're wrong. I was a prosecutor. I tried to find justice in the world," Katie admitted.

Nerit took Katie's hand in her old, leather one, and pressed it between her palms. "You are a good person, Katie. Come back safe. I think I want to know you better and make you family."

Katie smiled widely and flung her arms around Nerit in a tight hug.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for us."

"Nuff of that. Sun is climbing. If you are going to round trip it today, gotta start now," Ralph said from behind them.

Nerit let go of Katie and nodded. "I'll be in position." She headed toward the stairs, snagging her sniper rifle off the counter on her way.

Katie stuffed the bag of ammo in her backpack, grabbed the cooler, and followed Ralph.

"Nerit will toss the decoy in five minutes. You head out the back door.

She'll cover from up top. I'll cover from the door. Both of you, keep your eyes sharp and head for the truck."

Katie and Jenni looked at each other and that gaze steadied each other.

They were ready. Backpacks adorned both their backs. Katie slung the cooler by its long strap over her shoulder. Each had a gun in their hand. In Jenni's extra hand she carried another backpack, that she would drop if she had to.

Katie held the truck keys.

A few minutes later a lot of noise erupted in the front of the building. A man's voice talking loudly about the zombie infestation quickly drew the attention of any of the undead milling behind the store. Through a slit in the curtains, Ralph saw most of them head around the side of the building.

"Now!"

Katie flung open the door and ran. The truck was parked under a small carport about 15 feet from the back door, but it seemed an eternity away. She could hear Jenni right behind her, Jack bringing up the rear.

Shots erupted almost immediately. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something drop.

A man came running around the truck, screeching with his hands flung out. Katie raised her gun and fired. It seemed like an almost point blank shot.

His head exploded in a volcano of gore, and he was down. Another shot to her side told her Ralph and Nerit were covering them.

Her finger kept pressing the button to unlock the truck as she ran and finally she heard the singsong sound of the alarm flicking off and the click of the doors unlocking. Jenni reached the truck first and opened the passenger side.

"Jack, in," Jenni ordered and turned to see a woman coming around the side of the building. It was a very old woman, still clutching a cane in one hand, but still running at a surprising speed. The retort of Jenni's gun stabbed her eardrums, but the woman went down. Flinging the extra backpack in, then shedding her own swiftly, Jenni was momentarily clear of any zombies.

Katie reached the truck and started to open the door when someone grabbed her. A baby, on the ground, had her foot.

"Shit!" She flung the cooler into the truck, trying to shake the baby off her foot. There was no way it could ever bite through her boot with its baby teeth, but it was hissing and trying hard to crawl up her leg.

"They're coming around, Katie! Just go," Ralph's voice ordered and she heard the door slam shut to the store.

Katie shook free of the mutilated baby that was maybe eleven months old and slammed her foot down on its head. Using it as a step, she slid in backward, backpack first.

Three zombies were closing fast on her side and she raised her gun and fired. The first one went down, the second spun around as the shot took it in the shoulder, but the third was on her.

At the last second, she managed to raise her gore-splattered foot and slam it into its chest before it reached her. Its hands scrabbled at her pant leg, but it didn't seem smart enough to bend down and bite it. Its eyes were strictly on her face, its hands straining for her. Its face was so mangled she wasn't sure if it was a man or a woman.