The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(39)

"That's the old hotel. They were going to open it in a few days," Travis explained.

Katie noted that the first three floors had no windows that opened up onto the construction site. But further up, windows caught the rays of the setting sun lighting them up with a purple and pink glare. Near the top floor the outline of a woman continuously battered herself against the window.

"She busts out the window, she's coming straight down," the Hispanic man decided in a thick West Texas accent.

"Maybe she'll land on her damn head, Juan" Travis said.

Katie narrowed her eyes and looked back at Travis. "The window is cracked."

"She's been working on it for awhile. Since sometime last night. Bet she went to hide up there after being bit and… Well…" He shrugged.

Jenni stepped closer to Travis. "What if there are more up there?"

Katie glanced at the back of the building with the faded advertising for Coca Cola on the back of it. No windows at all on its back end. Just what looked like a back entrance and that was heavily barricaded.

"It'll be raining zombies," Juan said with a laugh.

Then it was raining one zombie. The maid finally broke the tempered glass and shoved her hand through. She worked and worked at it until she pushed herself all the way through and fell. It was a long, graceful sort of fall.

Her blond hair streaming behind her. Her pink and blood colored dress hitching up over her head and shoulders. She landed feet first on the hard packed soil. Every bone in her legs shattered and she crumpled to the ground.

Unable to get up, she began to systematically crawl toward the nearest person.

By now a group of people were standing and watching, mesmerized.

Juan sighed and started to walk toward her with a shovel in one hand.

Katie cocked her shotgun.

"No. No guns. The sound will bring them here if they are out of the school," Travis said.

"Good point."

Katie tried to look away, but couldn't. Juan casually drove the shovel through the head of the zombified maid and the drama was over.

"We need to build a catapult and just toss them over," Juan muttered as he motioned to another man to help him dispose of the body.

Travis laughed. "We just may."

Katie turned and looked at him and slightly smiled. "So…"

"So?"

Jenni hovered near Katie's side, Jason right behind her. Jack looked at Katie curiously.

"Got anything to eat around here?"

"As a matter of fact, there was supposed to be a fund raiser for the local volunteer fire department. There is so much food up in the community dining hall on the second floor of city hall, you're gonna feel like you're in heaven."

Thank God," Jenni said with relief.

"So we're staying," Jason said.

Katie looked at him and then at Jenni. Jenni smiled at her, her gaze flicking to Travis then back to Katie.

"Yeah, we're staying."

"Good. Because we need you here. I feel it," Travis said and he put his arms around both Jenni and Jason. "Now, let's get you food, introduce you to the Mayor and hear your stories."

Katie didn't think Jenni could get any redder or anymore giddy. She followed the little group as they moved toward the city hall not even glancing back once to see Juan and another guy loading the dead zombie onto the arm of the excavator to dump her back among her own kind.

"Besides," Katie mused. "How the hell would we get out of here?"





2. Through a Door Softly





Jenni felt rather special walking with Travis' arm around her shoulders.

His voice was like fine leather against her skin and she felt herself blushing.

Behind her, Katie walked briskly holding her shotgun in one hand and her backpack in the other.

As they neared the back entrance of city hall, Travis said, "Hold a sec" and released his hold on Jenni and Jason. He turned and motioned to Juan.

The Hispanic man, his long, curly hair flowing under his baseball cap, quickly ran over. He was tall, deeply tanned and had the lean muscled build of someone who worked at hard physical labor. His dark hair had glints of red in it and his eyes were a dark green. Tucking his thumbs into his work belt, he looked at Travis expectantly. He looked weary and a little shorttempered.

"We have more zombies on the way. Get the harnesses ready," Travis said.

"Great. It's not like we don't have enough of them out there as it is."

Juan said in his very thick West Texas accent. "Are you sure?"

"They followed the ladies here to Ashley Oaks," Travis assured him.

"They're on their way."

"Well, shit." Juan took a deep breath. His keen eyes flicked to Katie.

"Where'd you pick 'em up?"

"Emorton was overrun. It looked like the whole town was turned. They weren't too messed up so they were fast," Katie answered. "I'm Katie, by the way. This is Jenni and Jason."

"I'm Juan," he answered and shook his head. "We lost a man keeping them off the perimeter before."

"We learned from our mistakes. We need to keep them thinned out or we'll get overrun," Travis said.

"What are you going to do?" Katie glanced toward the barriers then back at Travis.