100-Days-in-Deadland(40)

“Nice catch.”

I coughed and handed him the duffel. “I don’t think I have tits anymore.”

He gave that deep rumble of a chuckle, heaved the bag onto his back, and winced.

“Your shoulder?”

He rubbed it. “Yeah. Twisted it when I threw the duffel.”

He reached out with his other hand and helped me to my feet. We looked over at Jase. He stood there, frozen. The zed in the alley was groaning, reaching up.

I motioned him over with one hand while still holding my bruised ribs with my other. “You can do it, monkey boy.”

He looked down once more and then slowly backed up. With a half-crouch, he rocked back and forth before kicking off. He easily closed the distance and landed solidly on the roof. But his footing gave way, and he kicked out and went tumbling down the side. He grabbed at the roof but kept sliding until he disappeared over the edge.

“Jase!”

Clutch and I moved cautiously down the angled roof to the edge. Jase was on the ground, holding onto his ankle. Instead of the parking lot side, Jase had fallen into the playground. Shit. I scanned the enclosed area but saw no movement.

Jase winced. “My ankle. I think it’s broken.”

“Can you stand?” Clutch asked.

Jase grunted, was able to get to his feet, but he favored his right leg.

“Good. Now, do you see a door in the fence? Or, is there anything around you can use to climb back up here?”

As Jase looked around, I scanned the privacy fence, but found only a gate at one end, and it had a large, shiny padlock on it.

“There’s nothing down here,” Jase said, holding up his hands in defeat.

“Jase, do you see any zeds around?” I asked.

“Not out here. I see some inside, though. Oh, God. They see me.”

“Bloody hell,” I muttered. “I’ll handle this.”

Clutch eyed me. “Cash…”

“He’s injured. I’m not. You can pull me up once we get Jase to safety.” Before I had a chance to think about how dumb the idea was, I shimmied down, holding onto the edge until I had to let go. The drop sent shockwaves up my shins, but I landed without twisting anything.

“Godammit, Cash,” Clutch said from above.

I also heard a small pounding behind me. I turned to see children watching us through a classroom window. They were young, one of the earlier grades, and they were no longer alive. They watched us hungrily, smacking their small hands against the glass.

I hooked my fingers together to make a step. “Climb up, and be quick about it.”

Jase didn’t argue. With a grunt, he stepped into my cupped hands with his good leg. I lifted his weight as high as I could, using my legs. Clutch reached down from the roof. It wasn’t quite enough. Jase stepped onto my shoulder, and then his weight vanished. I looked up to see his legs disappear onto the roof.

Clutch reappeared an instant later. “Now get your ass up here, Cash.”

I jogged around the playground, looking for a jump rope but finding only rubber balls and jungle gyms. I fidgeted with the padlock at the gate, but I had nothing to pick the lock with, not that I even knew how to pick a lock. I tried to jump up to grab the top of the privacy fence, but it was too high. With a sigh, I looked at the windows, each filled with hungry, hollow little faces.

“Is there any rope in the truck?” I asked.

Clutch thought for a moment. “I’ve got tie straps.” He moved. “I’ll come down, and you can go grab them.”

I held up my hand. “No. Then you’ll be stuck down here. Go for the truck.”

Glass shattered, and I jerked around to find a teacher stepping through the now-broken window. I pulled out my new machete. “Get Jase to the truck. I’ll catch up.”

“We’re not leaving,” Clutch yelled back.

I swung the machete, nearly decapitating a teacher with its hands and forearms covered with little bites. “Go. Hurry!” I wasn’t used to the blade, so my aim was off. The second swing killed it. Small zeds tumbled out of the window. A gunshot rang out. A boy in jeans and a sports jersey dropped. Another shot. A girl with pigtails dropped. Several more shots and the rest of the zed kids dropped. The ones still held inside were pounding harder on the glass now, in a frenzy to get out.

I looked up at Clutch to find him reloading. “The shots will draw more zeds to the school,” I yelled up. “Take Jase and get to the truck before the parking lot fills up.”