Chapter 15
Big Shop of Horrors
Alex
It’s just like at the bridge. Over a dozen zombies careen towards us with only one goal in mind; kill. Only this is worse because it’s night and these zombies are bloody fast thanks to some weird quirk of their biology.
Meaning we need to move. Now.
I gather our stuff off the ground and stand as Rhys barks at us to get moving toward the staff area of the shop. He pushes Ollie toward the staff room, spurring her into movement. Only for her to stop a few seconds later.
“Where’s Theo?” she shouts, her wild eyes darting around the place. “He’s not here!”
“Shit. He’s probably still at the pharmacy grabbing supplies.” I sling my backpack over my shoulder as dread curdles my stomach.
“Ollie, you go with Alex while—”
Before Rhys can finish speaking, Ollie grabs the front of his shirt and drags him into a run toward the pharmacy. “We need to stick together, not split up,” she says before releasing him and sprinting off.
“Stubborn fucking woman is going to be the death of me,” Rhys growls as he races after her.
Agreed, I think as I chase after them.
Behind me are the terrified shrieks of the people who led the zombies to our little safe haven.
One by one, their cries cut off, replaced by the sickening smacks and moans of the zombies.
I glance over my shoulder and immediately wish I hadn’t.
The sight of several zombies chewing on the fallen people sears my eyes as bile burns my throat.
And to make matters worse, several zombies are gaining on us, their movements jerky but fast.
Shit.
“Theo!” Ollie shouts as she darts down an aisle with Harlow in tow. “Where the fuck are you?”
“Here!” Theo’s reply is faint.
The tension I’ve been subconsciously holding loosens at the sound of his voice and I breathe out a sigh of relief. Thank fuck he’s still alive.
Rhys and I follow Ollie as she careens across two more aisles before finally coming across Theo. He’s standing next to the shelving, staring at us with furrowed brows as he shoves packets of tablets into his bag.
“Where’s the fire?” he jokes, only for the blood to drain from his face when he glances behind us. “Oh fuck. Never mind.” He snaps his backpack closed and throws it onto his back before grabbing Ollie’s elbow and dragging her down the aisle. “There’s toilets over here we can hide in!”
Hiding in supermarket toilets isn’t all that appealing, but with the infected horde breathing down our necks, it’s our only option.
Theo leads the way, towing Ollie behind him as we dart through several aisles, dodging the flailing limbs of zombies and discarded food and debris from the chaos.
One zombie latches onto Rhys, dragging the ex-SAS officer to the side with its superior strength.
However, a quick stab to the head with my knife has the creature collapsing to the ground.
Rhys nods in thanks before we scramble after the other two.
Only for me to get tackled from the side by not one, but two zombies.
They’re on me before I can react, clawing at my arms and torso as they scramble to bite, their eyes casting an eerie glow over us.
The stench of rot is overwhelming, making my eyes water as bile burns my throat.
I block one open maw with my knife; the blade digging into the zombie’s mouth, but not deep enough to kill it.
The other uses that as an opportunity to grasp my head, fingernails biting into the skin of my skull as its fingers tangle in my hair.
“Alex!” Rhys shouts as several more footsteps echo towards me.
I cry out as the zombie wrenches my head painfully to the side and fire scorches down my spine.
I struggle against it, but the bloody thing is strong and all it does is cause more pain as it yanks my face closer to its yellow teeth.
More inhuman moans and groans resonate somewhere behind me, growing louder by the second.
I’m centimetres from the open mouth of the zombie, its foul odour clogging my nose as it stares at me with glowing, hungry eyes.
Its teeth graze the skin on my left cheek and I shout out in both shock and horror.
However, before it can break skin, the lights in its eyes die and it slumps.
A second later, it’s shoved away and I’m hauled to my feet.
“Move!” Rhys barks at me, giving me a savage shove toward Ollie and Theo, who’ve just reached the toilets.
I stumble, shell-shocked, but a slap to the back of my head from Rhys gets me moving.
Deafening gunshots explode behind me, but I don’t dare look back and instead force myself to run to the toilet door.
I make it just in time as more zombies break through the glass windows to my left and immediately beeline toward me.
I throw myself through the door, Rhys following seconds behind me.
He slams the door closed, only for it to jerk open again.
Several hands burst around it to claw at us as the moans from the zombies grow louder.
With a curse, Rhys shoves his entire weight on the door.
It closes slightly, but there’s still a gap and more zombies are piling onto it, desperate for their next meal.
“Fuck, help me with this,” Rhys orders.
I hurl my bulk at the door. It creaks ominously beneath my weight as I drive as much as I can into the thing until it clicks closed.
As soon as it does, Ollie rushes forwards and locks the door, sealing us in the pitch-black room.
The only sounds are our panted breaths echoing off the tiled walls and floor and the disgruntled groans of the zombies outside the door.
The adrenaline that flooded my system dissipates, leaving me a trembling mess.
I slide down the door to sit on the floor, breathing heavily and not caring that the toilet floor is probably disgusting.
The only thing I can think about is how damn close to death I was.
If Rhys hadn’t killed that zombie when he did…
Behind me, the door shudders as the zombies pound and claw at it. The lock and hinges creak in the darkness, a reminder that the only thing between us and a horrifically painful death is a piece of wood hanging perilously on metal.
I swallow hard as my stomach clenches. I press myself up against the door, using my body weight to help keep it closed.
The sound of movement in the darkness catches my attention and there’s a metallic click before light floods the room. I hiss and slam my eyes shut, the sudden brightness causing my battered head to throb.
“Alex? Are you okay?” Theo asks, his voice to my right.
I crack open an eyelid to see him crouched at my side, a frown on his face as he studies the side of my head. “Yeah, I’m okay, I think,” I croak, my throat raw and dry.
He examines me for before nodding curtly. “Good. I don’t see a bite on you anywhere, just a lot of scratches. We’ll need to get those tended to. Last thing we need is for you to get an infection.” He leans back and rifles through his backpack.
Above me, Rhys breathes out a sigh of relief. “Thank fuck.” He bends down and offers me a knife. “You dropped this, by the way.”
It takes a moment for me to realise that he’s handing me the knife I’d shoved into the zombie’s jaws to stop it from munching me.
I don’t remember dropping it, but then again, I don’t remember anything aside from the feel of the zombie’s teeth scraping against my flesh, so close to breaking skin and ending my life…
I shudder and take the knife. “Thanks,” I say, my voice gruff from forcing my panic and fear down. I need to keep it together and stay strong, not just for my best friends, but for Ollie, too. I don’t want her thinking I’m weak and useless like my father did.
Just the thought of that man and his harsh words and fists is enough to make me grind my teeth.
“Here.” A metal canteen is shoved at my face.
Glancing up, I find Ollie standing over me. Her face is pale and her brow is furrowed with concern as she hands me the canteen with a trembling hand. Harlow is stuck to her side, panting, while Ollie clings to the thick fur on the scruff of her neck.
“Thanks,” I say, my voice still rough as I take it and gulp down some water. The cool liquid soothes the rawness of my throat. I drink a little more before handing it back to her. “Is everyone else okay?”
“We’re fine, Alex,” Theo says as he sets about cleaning the scratches marring the side of my face and arms. “You were the only one in immediate danger.”
“Although princess sure tried, cutting me off by dragging me through the shop like that,” Rhys grumbles.
“Oh fuck off, Rhys.” I can practically feel her eye roll. “I knew what you were going to say, and we both know that splitting up in that situation was a bad idea.”
“That’s not your call to make.”
“And it’s not just yours, either.”
Rhys growls in frustration.
I don’t have to look up to know that he’s glaring daggers at Ollie.
I’m starting to see why he threatened to tie her up with how much she winds him up.
But I’m not convinced that it isn’t at least a little sexually motivated.
The thought sits like a stone on my chest, sparking a flash of hot jealousy that I tramp down.
There’s no point getting jealous over something that hasn’t happened yet. Besides, I have no claim over Ollie and she doesn’t seem interested in changing that anytime soon.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rhys’s hands flex, almost like he’s trying to hold himself back as the two stare each other down. I share an amused look with Theo. We both know he’s resisting the urge to grab Ollie, put her over his knee, and spank the stubbornness out of her.
“I understand your reasoning,” Rhys grinds out. “But that was still dangerous. I need you to not cut me off like that and trust me and my experience when I’m about to give you an order.”
Theo holds my head still as he tends to my wounds, so I can’t see Ollie’s expression, but I can feel the tension thickening in the air each second she stays silent. And then she sighs.