The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(30)

Katie glanced at the door and the other boy standing there. He was staring at her with such sorrow it made her wince.

"The door will hold. The others won't," he said simply. He pointed at another set of doors. They probably opened into the mess hall. They were trembling under the onslaught of someone or maybe quite a few people, throwing themselves against it. Heavy kitchen equipment had been piled in front of the door, but Katie knew the boy was right. It wouldn't hold.

Jenni was sobbing to the point she couldn't answer the handsome boy who was cuddling her close.

"Jenni? Jenni? Where are Dad and the boys?"

Finally, all she could do was shake her head "no" and the boy's face crumpled and he fell against her and began to sob.

Katie collected herself, forced her fear down and looked at the other boy.

"What is the situation here?"

He sighed. "My family drove out here to get my sister last night. They got here this morning. All day yesterday people were showing up and picking up kids. Me and Jason and a few other kids ended up here all night. The counselors bailed and left us here, saying our families would get us. Around midnight one of the families showed up, but one of them was bitten. We didn't know that. We thought the mother was just asleep. We were all asleep in the mess hall…you know…to stay together and safe. We woke up and she was eating one of the girls. The one you creamed outside. Jason hit the Mom over the head with a chair and kept hitting her until she was really dead. We ditched the girl out the door before she could…come back."

Katie nodded, but motioned to him to hurry up. Behind her, Jenni and Jason were crying together, holding each other, mourning.

But they didn't have time for that and Katie knew it.

"What we didn't know is that others had gotten bit by her in the scuffle.

Jason and I had come in here to get some food when the screams started. We looked in and saw another attack. But this one was bad. He was a football player before. We…just slammed the doors shut and bolted them. But…" He showed Katie his hand. "I got bit. "

Katie looked sharply at Jason.

"He's fine. We were going to try to escape, but that was when my family got here. But…the girl outside…she bit my Dad. He's over there with my Mom. Dad lost the keys out there in the scuffle. I…didn't…We couldn't leave…" The boy's sad eyes looked at Katie again. "I know we're dead. I watched zombie flicks with Jason. But take my Mom, okay?"

Katie looked back at the door behind her that was being systematically tackled over and over again. Jack sat in front of the door growling low in his throat. She looked at the door to the outside behind the boy.

"I think there are more out there now. From the interstate or maybe from families that didn't make it to safety."

Katie nodded. "We need to leave now."

"Kill me and my Dad first"

Katie looked sharply at the boy.

"Please, I don't want to be…that." The boy looked at the doors to the mess hall, his lips trembling.

Unable to look into his face anymore, Katie walked into the kitchen and found a man and a woman locked in a tight embrace in one corner. Already, he was not looking very well. He was sweating hard and his face looked grayish-green. He had multiple bites on his neck and shoulder. Blood was streaming down his chest. He was fading faster than his son who just had one little bite.

The woman looked up at Katie with glassy eyes and said, "You need to help us."

Katie walked over and looked at the man. He looked at Katie's gun, then at his wife.

"Take my wife with you. Do me and the boy a favor," he said softly. "You better go soon."

Katie hesitated, her brain feeling numb and overwhelmed, then nodded.

"I will."

"I'm not leaving them! I'm not leaving them," the woman shrieked. She was the classic soccer Mom of this area. Blond, short bob haircut, slightly pudgy, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

Katie ignored her and walked over to the big stainless steel sinks. If she was correct, she could see the outside door from the high window over sinks.

Hoisting herself up, she peered out. To her relief, just one zombie was banging on the door. But that didn't mean there weren't more out there.

Jumping down she moved over to Jason and Jenni.

"Listen. Now." Her voice was so authoritative she sounded like her father for a moment. "We're leaving. I need both of you to stop crying right f*cking now!"

They both blinked rapidly at her words and she could see that Jason immediately understood and wiped his tears away. Jenni reluctantly let go of her stepson and stood trembling.

"Okay. Now. Jason's friend is bit. So is the Dad. The mother is fine.

Those who are not bitten, we're leaving now. Before more arrive and the zombie football player busts through those doors." Katie pulled her revolver out of her holster and turned around to look at the man who was looking more and more dead with every second. "I'll take your wife."

He nodded, his fingers pressed tight to his bleeding throat. "Finish me.

And my son. Don't let us…don't let us…Take my wife with you, please."

Katie nodded.

The man kissed his wife and his son threw his arms around his neck.

They all three clung together as Katie approached.