Zombie High Chronicles (Book 1) (12 page)

“Shit, Ember. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Most people would just say thank you,” she says as she stoops low and draws out a small pistol from behind Mr. Tanner’s back. “It’s always the quiet types you have to watch out for.”

She holds it aloft for all to see and the commotion calms slightly, but not enough to regain the former semblance of the calm before a storm. Even though she did save my life her timing couldn’t have been worse.

“Tyrel, do what you can with these kids. Lathan and Sammy, back him up while we are gone. Do not open that door for anyone unless they tell you the password: Cheetos.”

Ember gives me a questioning look at my word choice as I shove her toward the door lock. “Just get us out of here.”

9

Well, that went well...

Leaving a gun behind with Tyrel doesn't make me happy. We will need that extra firepower for whatever waits for us topside but I know if there is another mutiny among those left behind he will need it.

“You got this, Tyrel. Remember just to keep a cool head and a firm hand. Especially when it comes to the teachers. Don’t give them a chance to talk to one another. Spread them around the room and keep the kids away from them. If they refuse to remain quiet gag them. We’ll be back soon.”

Tyrel takes in a long, slow breath. “I’d wager that I’ve got the easier job between us.”

Turning to look at the scared faces around him I know that I’d choose my position any day over his.  Clapping him on the back, I turn away as I hear Sammy apologizing as he uses a zip tie to bind Mrs. Thorpe’s hands. She tries to resist, reaching around to her side but he manages to finally get his sweaty little hands on her wrists and subdues her.

As I wait for Ember to key in the code, I pass out the confiscated handguns from the teachers along with a small handful of ammunition. Each of the teams will have three shots. If even one of them hits their mark I will be amazed.

Within a minute, the door locks hiss open and Flynn carefully opens the door. When nothing tries to shoot at us, he pokes his head out into the stairwell and gives the all clear signal, which just happens to be him shouting “all clear” at the top of his lungs. Wiping my hands over my face to keep myself from throttling him, I become confident that one of these idiots is going to get me killed within the hour, most likely from an accidental bullet to the back.

“Well, that went well,” Vaughn mutters as I close the door behind us and wait for Tyrel to seal us out.  “I blame the hot chick for being impulsive.”

“I have a name, you know?”   Ember flips her hair and places her hands on her hips. “Besides, he
was
pulling a gun on Roan.”

“So maybe he was. Does that mean we just assassinate prisoners now?” I round on her while fighting to keep my voice low as anger spills through me. “What if he really was innocent and was just scared? You might have just put a bullet through him for nothing.”

“Can you honestly tell me that you didn't think he was dirty, too?” When I don’t respond she continues. “This is war, Roan. You of all people should know that. People die. It happens.”

I grab onto her arm as she tries to push passed me. “My rules, remember? You don’t shoot unless I tell you to, got it?”

“Fine.”

“How do you know how to shoot like that anyways?”

She shrugs. “You’re not the only one who knows how to pick up a gun.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Ember. That was a clean kill shot not dumb luck. You didn’t hesitate or show a hint of remorse afterward and your hands aren’t shaking now from shock. This wasn’t your first kill.”

She glances at the guys encircling her and for a moment remains defiant before finally rolling her eyes and turning to look back at me. “My dad was a Navy Seal. He taught me a few things along the way.”

“He taught you how to kill?” Vaughn squeaks.

“He taught me how to protect myself and to know when someone is lying, or stalling in that guy’s case. I’d stake my life that he wasn’t one of us. Just before he stood up I thought I saw him pass a handheld radio to Mrs. Thorpe. If he did that means he had it all night and never used it once. Don’t you think that’s a bit suspicious?”

“So your guess justifies murder?”  I turn to look at Coleman and see the panic in his eyes glossed. It takes only a couple of seconds for him to latch onto the same thought that just slammed into me: the military probably already knows our plan. We are screwed before we ever have a chance to begin.

“Roan, this is bad, man. If they do know…”

“I know.” I place a hand on his arm as he doubles over and begins to suck in shallow breaths. “We’ll figure it out.”

Releasing my hold on him I turn on Ember. “Did you see them make the call?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t.”

I nod. “Alright, everyone. This shit just got real. Chances are we are going to be walking into a trap. Thanks to Ember’s rash actions she may have bought us a few extra minutes. Now I’m not condoning her actions but if she’s managed to save our bacon I’ll consider forgiving her later.”

Like it or not, Ember just moved into the top spot as my biggest asset and she knows it.

“From here on out you are to stay on your partner's ass at all times. You move together as one. Watch out for each other's backs. One sights the other shoots. Choose wisely because we are limited on ammo. And above all else...don’t shoot each other!”

Each guy around me nods in agreement but I can feel the buzz of fear in the air. I’m not exactly winning any awards for best pre-battle speech here but it got the job done.

“Once we clear the foyer and gather the guns, you need to get to your floors and clear them as fast as you can. We’ll hold the entrance until you finish. If anyone gets into trouble, shoot first and ask questions later, got it?”

“I’ve never shot a gun before,” a voice says from somewhere behind Vaughn and I recognize him as one of the unknown students that joined on at Flynn’s pleading.

He looks almost too young to be part of the higher school. He’s got a spread of pimples across his T-zone and a high pitch voice that tells me he’s stuck in puberty.

“Learn quick, kid.”  I turn my back on him and lift my head to look at the door at the top of the stairwell. “Now let's go take back Zombie High.”

The basement door squeaks loudly in the silence of the first floor when I push on it. I wait for the echo to trail off, listening for any sounds of footsteps or shouts. There is nothing. Not even the sound of the guards who are supposed to be manning the front doors. As we emerge near the entrance to the gym, I hold up my hand for the group to hang back inside the safety of the stairwell.

That sensation of something being off returns as I sneak down the hall, keeping the wall pressed to my back. Halfway down the hall I stop to peer into an empty classroom. The windows are still clouded by night’s darkness but brilliant floodlights spill over the grounds.

“What do you see?”

I nearly scream at the sound of Ember’s voice right behind me. “Are you incapable of following orders?”

“Sure. Aren’t you?”

Looking back down the hall I realize that no one has stayed put and I swear under my breath. “I’m working with idiots.”

Ember snickers at my back and pushes me on. I don’t want to move forward, not with a string of potential victims on my rear, but what choice do I have. We need to move before first light when the shift change will happen and I can already see the first few pinpricks of light on the eastern horizon.

“Stay on my ass and don’t move,” I growl back at her and fight against a rebellious grin when I see her look down to check out my ass. Oh, this girl is going to be the death of me.

As we work our way slowly down the hall at a low crouch, I have to admit that considering none of my teams have any practical experience in being sneaky ninjas, they actually manage to remain relatively quiet. Well, that is until Vaughn trips over his shoe lace and face plants, knocking that pimple-faced kid into the wall. It creates a three-person domino effect sprawling out into the middle of the hall.

“Shut your trap,” I hiss just as the first zing of a bullet narrowly misses my ear. Diving to the floor, I pull Ember down with me. “Move!”

Each of the team members dive for cover in doorways, broom closets and two end up wedged behind a metal trash can.

“Not there!” I barely have a chance to yell out to the pimple-faced kid before a bullet pierces through the thin metal of the can and straight through his throat. Blood sprays his partner in the face. He screams and wipes at his face.

“Flynn, grab that kid. I’ll cover you!”  I thumb the safety and lean out from my doorway to lay down cover fire as Flynn dashes across the aisle, hooks his arm around the kid’s throat and yanks him into the open bathroom door. Coated in the dying kid’s blood they slide on their knees to safety.

“We have to move,” I shout back over my shoulder to Ember.

“What about Simon?”

“Who?” It’s hard to hear as another round of ammo hurtles toward us, sending shards of debris raining down in the hall.

“The kid who just had his throat torn out.”

I glance over at him. Blood bubbles from his mouth as his lips open and close like a fish out of water. His body seizes and his eyes roll up into his head.  “It’s too late for him.”

“You can’t just leave him.”

I duck my head back into the doorway, narrowly missing a bullet.  “Where’s the cold-blooded soldier I just saw moments ago?”

“She’s waiting for you to give her the order to start shooting back,” she yells.

“Really? You haven’t taken the hint yet?” I lean out and shoot down the hall. It is too dark to see beyond the streaks of light where the floodlights spill over, putting us at a grave disadvantage.

“Just trying to follow orders, sir,” she snaps then leans out and takes a shot.

I hear a cry of pain from down the hall and grin. She may be a royal pain in my ass but she’s good. Almost too good.

“Cover me!” I don’t wait to hear her snarky retort before I dive across the hall in an attempt to draw the fire away from our scattered group. We are penned down and the only way we can make up some ground is to take it by force.

“Why are they shooting at us?” someone yells. It sounds a bit like Vaughn sucking on helium.

“Because they know that’s what we’re about to do to them!” I yell back and take aim. I fire off five rounds without hitting anyone.

“How many are there?” Austin yells. I grunt as he slams into my side, nearly taking me out from where I crouch in the doorway across from Ember and am forced to roll with him. Grappling for control over my gun, and ignoring the new wave of aches that he’s just inflicted, I returned to my knees.

“Enough.”  I stretch out a hand to help him up.  “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to remain with your partner!”

He holds up his hands and dangling from his fingers I spy the gun locker keys. Reaching into my pocket I realize that he has slipped them from me. “We’re sitting ducks unless we get some firepower, right? I figure we can’t be too far and my partner wasn’t going to risk his life for me. I’m fast, Roan. I just need you to cover me and I can make it.”

I stick my head out into the hallway. “No way. That’s easily a fifteen-foot gap and a hell of a lot of bullets whizzing past.”

He rapidly nods his head. “Yep. I’m aware of that.”

“You got a death warrant or something?”

“I had a whole case back home in my dad’s office filled with first place sprinting trophies. I can do this, Roan.”

I return fire down the hall, sending off three more rounds without a single scream of pain. Dammit!  Where are they hiding at? And how did Ember manage to snag one with her first shot?

Checking my magazine, I shake my head. “I’ve got maybe fifteen rounds left before I’m out and I’ve yet to located the bastards. We can’t risk it.”

“And we can’t stay here either.”  

I look over at him and see a grim look etched into his face. “Let’s face it, if it were just you, you’d make the run. All of us are blinding you, Roan. Stop caring for one second and think. We are out of options.”

He’s right and I know it. I’ve never had to think about anyone else’s well-being before and it sucks. I already lost Simon. I don’t want to lose another one.

“We’ve got one chance at this.”

He nods. “We’ll have a better chance if you hand Ember that gun of yours.”

My fingers twitch against the gun. I should have seen that one coming. Like it or not, she’s pegged them already. I’ve got my pride but I like living a bit more.

“Ember, I need you,” I shout down the hall.  “Flynn give her some cover!”

Austin moves further into the bathroom to make space as Ember ducks down and prepares to make the dash across the hall.

“Go now!”

The instant I see a head pop up halfway down the hall, I aim and fire. A satisfying scream tells me that I’ve finally hit someone.  Flynn pops off two shots and a second later Ember hurls herself into my arms. I drag her back just a split second before the tile behind her explodes when a bullet buries into the porcelain.

“It’s about damn time you groped me,” she rasps and shoves her hair back out of her face.

Austin lowers his gaze as I try to say something in response but the moment is lost as she crawls back out of my lap. “Fourteen left,” she mutters and tosses me her gun as she commandeers mine.

“You sure about this?” I ask Austin, finally coming back to my senses.

“No.”  He glances out into the hall once more. “But I figure I gotta go out somehow and it’s a heck of a lot better than being chewed on by a zombie.”

“What would you say something like that at a time like this? It’s just evil,” Ember snaps and pulls the scope up to her eye.

He clears his throat. “Sorry. I use humor when I’m nervous.”