The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(70)

Running down the stairs, Katie ran into a few other people, all men, who were also on their way out to help fortify the guards. There was a surprising lack of women in the fort and it had taken her awhile to realize this. Most of the women were older and married. It saddened her, but made her feel that she needed to prove herself and pull her own weight.

Juan stood near the back door instructing everyone where to go. One by one, the men spread out to take up positions. Katie found herself to be the last one Juan paid attention to.

"Travis wants us to meet him up on the balcony," Juan said. He looked very tense.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Hey, Loca, we're wanted upstairs," Juan said to Jenni with an evil glint in his eye.

"Bite me, redneck," Jenni answered and made a face at him.

Juan made chomping noises at her.

"I'm so out of this," Katie said, and hurried back into the building and up the stairs.

"Redneck."

"Loca."

"Redneck."

"Loca."

"Redneck."

"Mucha loca."

"Redneck," Jenni said again as they followed Katie up the stairs.

"Are you calling me a hick spic?" Juan asked in his thick West Texas twang.

"No! I'm calling you just a plain ol' hick!"

"Oh, I am so out of this one," Katie said firmly, and walked down the hallway toward the balcony.

Juan laughed and Jenni smacked him.

Katie could tell they were tussling by all the noise behind her, but she decided not to pay attention. It has been clear since she had returned that Jenni and Juan were locked in a highly adversarial battle of the wills.

Stepping carefully onto the rickety balcony, she found Travis looking over the zombies. Because all the guards were visible to the crowd, the zombies were fairly evenly dispersed along the perimeter.

"I don't see a weak spot," Travis said to her.

Katie looked over the perimeter slowly, studying it. "Me neither."

"I'm telling you, they've gotten smart," Juan said, his tone suddenly quite serious.

Jenni timidly stepped out and surveyed the crowd below. "They're just doing what they always do."

"Yeah, but somehow, five managed to get over the trucks." Travis shook his head. "I don't get it."

Katie's gaze swept over the crowd slowly. Something was amiss. She swept her gaze over them again, then saw what it was. All the zombies were going crazy trying to get to the guards, but one zombie, toward the back, was just studying the trucks and the barriers that kept it from its meal of warm flesh. It's just kept swinging its head back and forth.

"Some are thinking, "Katie said softly. She pointed and they all looked out.

"Shit, she's right," Travis grunted with disgust.

The zombie moved slowly to one side to let a small crowd of children through to bang on one of the trucks. It was one of the more stripped down zombies; not much was left on its bones. It's skull-like head once more turned to look at the perimeter.

Kate slipped the safety off her rifle.

The zombie moved resolutely toward one particular truck. It was a large truck full of dirt with cement bags packed tightly under it and between the cab of the truck and the load. It pushed its way toward the crowd, reached up and started trying to open the door.

"Gawddammit!" Juan's voice was almost feral. "Fucking shit! These things are breaking all the gawddamn rules!"

Katie slung her rifle off her shoulder and raised it.

"Katie?" Travis said softly.

"Can't afford for a smart one to survive," Katie answered.

Her finger began to close on the trigger, then she hesitated.

"Travis…"

The zombie, its broken body barely able to stand, gave up the door. It staggered to one side and began to claw at the sandbags, as if to get purchase to lift itself up. Around its neck hung a crocheted purse.

"Yeah?"

"I think that's Laura," Katie whispered.

"Shit."

"Who's Laura?" Jenni asked.

Katie took aim again, sighting the remains of the girl carefully.

The zombie that had been Laura managed to get a good grip and started to pull itself up.

Katie shot it through the head and it fell back.

The zombies ignored the shot and continued to bang on the trucks.

"They're getting smarter," Katie said softly.

Travis looked ill and nodded. "Yeah."

"We have the ammo. It's time to kill them all."

Jenni blinked. "Yeah! They're all corralled! Easy pickings!"

"We can't-" Travis started, but stopped himself. "Okay. In the morning."

"We shouldn't waste all that ammo," Juan muttered.

"It's not wasting it if we are securing our perimeter and our safety,"

Katie answered.

"It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel," Travis sighed.

Jenni had one of the biggest grins on her face Katie had ever seen.

"Yeah, it'll be fun."

"You are so loca," Juan declared.

"Oh, yeah, hick spic?"

"I am so not a part of this," Katie declared and slipped past them into the hall.