Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
BEN
The deadbolt would hold for now. But with the pressure from the growing crowd pushing on the car, that wouldn’t last forever.
I moved through the pharmacy floor without rushing. There were no infected inside other than the one that we’d killed earlier.
Outside was a different story.
The front windows were covered in shadows. Shapes shifting behind the glass. Pressing hard enough that I knew it was only a matter of time before they made their way inside.
I kept the flashlight low and moved toward the back of the store. There had to be access, a roof hatch, maintenance ladder… something.
Every commercial building had one. You just had to know where to look.
I wandered around the store, gazing at the ceiling until I spotted a narrow alcove behind the counter.
“There,” I murmured.
A ceiling panel was slightly out of place. Maybe there would be access to the air duct.
Not ideal, but possibly workable.
I dragged a plastic bin beneath it and climbed up, pushing the panel aside slowly.
No noise.
No rush.
The last thing I needed was something hearing me from inside… or outside.
The space above was tight and dusty.
I pressed myself upright and secured the panel behind me. After turning off the flashlight, I listened for several minutes. While it was unlikely for an infected to be here, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.
I turned the light back on and started crawling.
Slow.
Measured.
The ductwork creaked under my weight, but not enough to carry. I followed the direction of airflow toward the outer wall. After a few feet, I found it. A vertical maintenance ladder bolted to the wall leading up.
Good.
I climbed the short ladder to the hatch above me. Of course, the damn thing was sealed.
I grabbed my knife from my waist, wedged it into the seam of the hatch, and applied pressure. The metal gave way with a soft pop.
I froze.
Counting to ten in my head, I was relieved when nothing happened.
I pushed gently on the hatch, and it lifted just enough to let in a strip of daylight and sound.
I eased it open another inch and looked out.
The roof was clear, but the parking lot wasn’t. The infected surrounded us on all sides.
Dozens.
Maybe more.
I had to find a way to get them out of here. Scanning the lot, I saw a car near the side of the building angled toward the road.
The driver’s door was hanging open, and it appeared the keys were still in the ignition.
If a car alarm drew them to us, maybe the same thing would draw them away.
I glanced back toward the hatch and thought about the two men inside.
I could get out of this myself and find Taryn. I had prepared for every scenario out there… except this one.
I had months, if not years, worth of food and supplies. My place was as secure as I could make it against any human enemy. “Human” was the keyword. Unless you hit them in the head, they’d keep coming. Going on supply runs or hunting trips would be extremely risky.
I had to face the fact that I couldn’t protect her alone. She was the only thing I had left in this world, and I’d burn it down to keep her safe.
“Shit,” I whispered.
I was going to have to save them. Adrian was brilliant, and if he thought their sickness was different, then I’d trust him… for now.
I stayed low as I crossed toward the edge, boots rolling heel to toe to keep my weight quiet. Gravel shifted underfoot, but the wind carried the sound away.
Below, the parking lot churned with infected.
They pressed against the front of the pharmacy in a slow, restless mass. Some wandered aimlessly while others circled, eyes fixed on the glass as if waiting for something to give.
They weren’t leaving on their own. Which meant I had to move them.
My eyes tracked the side of the building.
There.
A drainage pipe bolted to the wall. Old and rusted in places, but anchored.
It should hold.
Probably.
I crouched at the edge and tested it with one hand. It felt solid enough, so I swung a leg over and started down.
The metal creaked once under my weight.
I froze.
Waited.
Counted.
Nothing reacted, and I felt my heart rate decrease.
I kept going.
One hand, then my foot. Keeping my movements slow and quiet.
Halfway down, the smell hit even stronger if that was possible. Both rot and heat rose from the pavement to greet my nose.
I was close.
Suddenly, an infected shuffled into view beneath me, drifting along the wall. Its head tilted slightly, as if it was listening to something I couldn’t hear.
I stopped moving, barely breathing.
Seconds stretched.
The thing lingered, then turned and wandered back toward the front of the building.
I let out the breath I’d been holding and dropped the last foot to the ground without a sound. I crouched beside the wall and scanned. There was no clear path that I could see. Bodies were everywhere, some moving, some not.
I slipped along the wall, staying tight to the building, using parked vehicles as cover.
The car I’d seen from the building sat about ten feet ahead. I slowly began to move toward it.
An infected stumbled between me and the car. Close enough that I could see the film over its eyes, and the way its jaw hung loose.
It turned slightly.
I moved before it finished, closing the distance between us as I swung my knife in a swift arc and drove it into its temple.
I caught the body before it hit the ground, lowering it gently.
The smell made me gag silently. I dragged it just enough to clear my path, then slid in after making sure the backseat was clear.
The keys jingled, and I stilled my hand.
I stepped out and looked across the lot. The majority of them were still clustered near the front and back of the store.
If I got this right, they’d leave, and I’d be able to save my stepson and his friend. If I didn’t, then Taryn and I would be on our own.
Either way, I’d make sure my daughter survived.
I had an idea and reached into the back seat for the rag I’d seen a moment ago. It was already stiff with dried blood.
I stepped back out of the car, moving quickly. Grabbing a piece of broken glass from the ground, I winced as I stabbed it in my hand.
I didn’t want to use my knife because it was covered in infected blood, and I wasn’t sure if that would make me become one of these things.
I soaked the rag, then dragged it along the pavement, leaving a dark streak from the driver’s side door toward the open lane between cars. Then I opened and closed my hand, causing blood to pool in my palm, and dripped it all over the hood.
More blood.
More scent.
Another reason for them to follow me.
I tore a piece of my shirt and wrapped my hand, then slid back into the driver’s seat and turned the key. The engine roared to life.
Heads snapped in my direction. I slammed the door, shifted into drive, and let the car roll forward. Then I kicked the door open and bailed out.
I rolled across the pavement and under the line of bushes nearby.
I watched as the car picked up speed on its own, rolling straight down the lane.
Infected surged toward it, drawn by the smell of blood and the sound of the engine.
Rising slowly, I cut back toward the building, staying low, weaving between vehicles.
I felt something grab my leg, and I jerked to a stop. An infected, with only its torso remaining, was using it as leverage to pull itself closer, within biting distance.
I pivoted and drove the knife straight through its jaw and into its skull.
Another came from the side.
I shoved it away, feeling fingers scrape across my sleeve, and kept moving.
Don’t stop. Don’t slow down. I kept telling myself.
The horde was moving now, pulling away from the pharmacy and following the car.
Following the blood.
But not all of them. I knew that was a possibility when I came up with this plan.
A handful still lingered near the building. One stood directly between me and the wall.
I didn’t have time to go around, so I took a deep breath and charged. My shoulder hit an infected chest, and we fell hard. Its teeth snapped inches from my face. I drove the knife down again and again until it stopped moving.
Then I pushed to my feet and ran.
I reached the wall and grabbed the pipe, hauling myself up without looking back. My hands slipped, and my muscles burned as I climbed. The pipe groaned under the strain, but thank God it didn’t break. I pulled myself onto the roof and rolled away from the side.
Then I listened before peeking over the edge.
The mass had continued moving. I could still see and hear them, but I’d bought myself some time. I lay there for a moment, catching my breath. I wasn’t as young as I used to be, and even though I stayed in shape, my body was letting me know it.
I pushed myself up, knowing the window I’d bought us wouldn’t last.
I opened the hatch and dropped back inside.
If those two showed any sign of changing, I’d take care of it and find Taryn. I’d wasted enough time.
I made my way back through the duct, faster this time.
Less careful, because time mattered now.
The panel came into view, and I pushed it aside and dropped back into the pharmacy.
Everything appeared the same.
Good.
I moved toward the back room and paused to listen. All I could hear was their labored breathing and a wet cough.
Entering, I saw Lucas open his eyes.
“It’s time to move,” I grabbed his arm and lifted. “Y’all aren’t dying in a pharmacy. My Taryn may need you.”
Adrian’s eyes cracked open at the sound of her name. Both of their eyes were completely clear, if not a little red-rimmed.
Maybe Adrian was right.
Only time would tell.