Fighting to Survive (17 page)

Jenni
looked back at the other balcony she had come from. Her gun lay that
way as did the other zombie.

Looking
back at the door quivering before her, she made a choice.

2. Nightmares
Realized

Katie came running
down the hall with Travis and Felix close behind. They had heard the
screams and had immediately charged down the hall. Roger huffed and
puffed behind them as they rounded the corner.

Curtis
and Jimmy stood out in the hall shouting at each other as screams
came from beyond the door.

“
Where
is Jenni?
”
Katie shouted at them.

Jimmy
desperately checked his pockets as Curtis cursed at him.

“
Jimmy
flipped out and shoved me out of the room and shut the gawddamn door.
Jenni is in there. She has a set of keys and Jimmy can
’
t
find his,
”
Curtis responded, his face red with anger.

Jimmy
continued desperately checking his pockets as Katie whirled on him.
“
Jenni
is in there? Screaming? What the fuck were you thinking leaving her
alone?
”

“
I
got it.
”
Roger unlocked the door with their set of keys.

Next to Roger,
Travis steadied himself, ready to fire.

“
That
fucking zombie had a metal plate in his head,
”
Jimmy screamed at Katie.
“
Our
shots didn
’
t
even phase him!
”

“
You
don
’
t
leave people behind,
”
Katie shouted angrily. For a moment, Lydia flickered in her mind.
She fought back the image.
“
We
don
’
t
leave people behind.
”

“
Ready?
”
Roger asked.

Katie
nodded collected herself and readied herself.

Roger
flung the door open.

Something
that had been human was on the floor crawling toward the balcony.
When the door banged opened, it slid around, opened its mouth and
hissed. Katie felt her stomach flip-flop but managed to keep it under
control as she raised her gun and shot the thing in the head.

“
Jenni,
”
she called out cautiously. That thing on the floor could not be
Jenni. Jenni had to still be in here, somewhere, alive.

But
if she wasn
’
t…

Entering
first, Travis right behind her, Katie held her gun up and ready.

If
Jenni were turned, she would have to kill her. Jenni was her friend
and she loved her. It would be only right for her to be the one. But
it was a task she didn't want.

Jenni
couldn
’
t
be gone…

A
shape loomed in the doorway.

It
took a second for her to take in the long black hair. The form limped
into the room and raised its head. Blood poured out of its mouth.

It
was Jenni.

Katie
felt like screaming.

Travis
raised his gun higher.
“
I
’
ll
do it.
”

“
Fuck
no,
”
Jenni choked out.

Katie
hit Travis' arm and the gun went off, the bullet hitting the
chandelier over the bed and sending it swinging.

“
Gawddamn.
”
Jenni spit blood out of her mouth.

Katie
moved slowly toward her.

“
I
thought-
”
Travis started.

“
Are
you bit?
”
Katie had tears burning her eyes. Jenni looked bad. She could feel
chills sliding up and down her spine and her stomach getting tighter.

“
No,
”
Jenni spat again.
“
I
busted my lip jumping to the balcony. Twisted my ankle climbing
over.
”
She shoved her hair back from her face and licked her lips with a
bloodied tongue.
“
Bit
my tongue, too. Juan is so not going to like that.
”

Katie
couldn
’
t
help but laugh. She lowered her gun slowly.

“
Shit,
girl. We thought you were dead,
”
Felix exclaimed from the doorway.

“
I'm
not that easy to kill.
”
Jenni grinned, then got down on the floor and climbed under a chair
to retrieve her gun.

“
You
’
re
fucking lucky she
’
s
still alive,
”
Curtis hissed at Jimmy.

“
Look,
my bullet bounced off the fucker
’
s
metal plate,
”
Jimmy protested.

Katie
walked onto the balcony and looked around. Slowly, it dawned on her
what Jenni had done. Looking down she saw a zombie impaled on a
street lamp and another crawling slowly up the stairs to the front
doors of the hotel.

“
Travis,
”
she said.

He
walked out next to her and looked down.
“
Shit.
”
Lifting his walkie-talkie, he pressed the button.
“
Juan,
get a crew inside the hotel and secure the front door and windows.
We
’
ve
got a crowd gathering.
”

“
Gotcha,
”
Juan said. There was a pause, then,
“
How
is it going?
”

“
We
lost Davey. Almost lost Jenni. She
’
s
fine now. We
’
re
going continue on.
”

Jenni
appeared in the shattered doorway and looked out at them.
“
There
are some in the room next to us, too.
”

“
How
do you know?
”

“
I
was over there, Katie,
”
Jenni answered, pointing to the other balcony,
“
and
they started banging on the door,
”
Jenni pushed her hair back from her face.
“
Damn,
when did I lose my hat?
”

Katie
reached out and touched Jenni
’
s
cheek lightly.
“
I
’
m
glad you
’
re
okay.
”

Jenni
sighed.
“
Well,
I just don
’
t
think I
’
d
make a good zombie. I
’
d
try to hump Juan, not eat him.
”

Katie
laughed and Travis chortled.

“
You
are crazy,
”
Travis said to her.

Jenni
nodded.
“
Yeah,
probably. But it
’
s
probably what keeps me alive.
”

“
I
wouldn
’
t
doubt that one bit,
”
Travis answered.

Curtis
came onto the balcony and looked around.
“
I
say we move on together as a group. Might be slower, but probably
safer now that my group is down to two.
”

Roger
and Felix stood in the room looking down at the skeletal creature on
the ground.

“
You
know, I really don
’
t
want to be wearing a red shirt anymore.
”

“
Just
keep it together, Roger,
”
Felix said.

Jimmy
stood near the doorway, looking pissed, and sheepish at the same
time.
“
It
bounced off his fucking metal plate!
”

Katie
could feel her anger against him building up. He had left Jenni to
die and she couldn
’
t
forgive that anytime soon.
“
Just
shut up, Jimmy.
”

Jenni
limped across the room and looked at Jimmy in the eye.
“
Yeah,
shut up.
”

Katie
followed Jenni out into the hallway and they looked warily at the
next door.
“
So
there are some in that room, huh?
”

“
Yeah,
”
Jenni said as she pulled her hair up out of her face and wound it
around into a bun.
“
Banging
on the window. I didn
’
t
see how many. Could be one or more.
”

Katie
nodded and tilted her head.
“
You
know, for a moment, I thought you were gone.
”

Jenni
sighed.
“
Yeah,
me, too. But I was very determined not to go out like that. If I go,
I
’
m
going down for something big. Very heroic. Not just…not like
that. I
’
ve
really made up my mind on this.
”

Katie
laughed.
“
Yeah,
I can tell.
”

Travis
and Curtis joined them as Roger finally looked away from the dead
female zombie. Jimmy sulked behind them, but at least had shut up.

“
Let
’
s
get this done,
”
Curtis said in a dark tone and moved ahead of them.

Katie
felt her stomach tense and she readied herself once more.

Jenni
unlocked the door.

Curtis
flung it open.

Katie
shot the zombie banging on the window.

It
was that easy.

Katie
entered the room and they systematically checked it. She looked down
at the dead maid for a moment. The woman had been untouched except
for what looked like a bite on her forearm.

“
Why
did you tell Davey not to open the wardrobe?
”
Jenni asked of Jimmy suddenly.