by Dia Cole
The tears leaking from her doe-like brown eyes made me feel like a complete ass.
“We can get another collar, okay?”
She jerked her head up. “You just don’t get it, do you? I wear Sasha’s collar to remember her and the senseless reason for her death. I went to jail protesting her killers and their murderous laws, and I won’t stop fighting them no matter—”
I held up my hand. “Can it, Edie. We’ve got bigger problems than Order 1537. People are turning into monsters. That prisoner next to you in line was infected with the Z-virus.”
She cocked her head to the side. “What are you talking about?”
“She had black veins. Cami had those too before she attacked Ronnie.”
Eden shook her head back and forth. “I’m not following. What happened to Ronnie?”
Reed stopped the van at a light and craned his head around. “Lee killed Ronnie this morning.”
Eden inhaled sharply.
I rubbed my temples trying to push back the throbbing headache. “Get your facts straight, Reed. Cami killed Ronnie. Ronnie came back from the dead and tried to eat Reed. I killed the zombie version of Ronnie.”
Eden moved as far as she could toward the window. “You’ve lost your damn mind. You’ve been working too much and sleeping too little. Reed, didn’t I tell you Lee was going to have a nervous breakdown?”
The van shuddered and the engine died.
“Mmm-hmm.” Reed stared down at the van dashboard, his brow furrowing. “Damn it, not now.”
I fisted my hands and said through gritted teeth, “Don’t tell me the van broke down.”
“I won’t tell you, then,” Reed said twisting the key in the ignition.
Nothing happened.
I glanced out the front window and saw we were stopped near the corner liquor store again. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. “Damn it, why did you stop here, Reed?”
He didn’t answer, his focus on the gear shifter.
“What’s going on over there?” Eden asked, tapping on the glass.
I pushed her out of the way and looked through the side window. Across the street, a dozen people shuffled around the parking lot shared by Eros and the sex shop.
The original liquor store mob had doubled in size.
It took me two seconds to recognize Jess in the crowd. A large bald man lurched beside her. He was missing his left arm.
“Oh my God. That’s Max.” I struggled to breathe. My boss was a zombie too.
Eden pressed her face against the window. “What’s wrong with them?”
“They’re zombies.”
A bloody hand slammed against the front passenger window.
“What the hell is that?” screeched Eden.
There was no mistaking the lime-green bowling shirt. “Cal,” I said, staring at the remains of the sex shop owner in horror.
Hunks of flesh were gouged from his face. One eye was missing and the other dangled from the socket.
Oh, God. What happened to him? Horror and guilt stabbed me in the gut.
If I hadn’t asked for his help last night, would he still be alive?
The glass cracked.
“Reed!” I shouted.
Reed tried turning the ignition over again. The van engine made a grinding noise.
No. No. No. This can’t be happening.
The glass shattered. Cal reached inside.
“Get the van moving.”
“I’m trying.” Reed’s panicked words were punctuated by the sound of him twisting the ignition and pounding his foot on the pedals.
Cal clawed in Reed’s direction.
Reed plastered himself to the driver’s door, trying to avoid Cal’s outstretched hands.
“More are coming over here,” Eden shrieked.
Dread filled me as I shot a quick look out the side window.
The sight of the zombie horde lumbering across the street made my knees shake.
Jess was at the head of the pack, her intestines swaying in front of her like macabre tentacles.
I drew the knife from my waistband with shaking hands. Running wasn’t an option with Eden in shackles. “Reed!”
He sounded as though he was praying. He turned the ignition one more time and, surprisingly, the engine warbled to life.
Reed pulled away just as Jess and her zombie crew reached the back of the van.
Thank God.
My relief was short-lived.
Cal clung to the door, his skinny legs dragging on the street.
“Goddamn it.” I sprang from my seat, and moved into the front of the van. I stabbed at his spindly arms. “Let go.” Any sympathy I had for the man evaporated when he gnashed his teeth at me.
“The head. Stab him in the head,” Reed said, through clenched teeth.
I leaned across the seat and stabbed at Cal’s face.
The van jerked to the left as Reed swerved to avoid a child-sized figure lurching across the street.
I nicked Cal’s ear.
He snapped at me. His fetid breath scorched the hair on my arm as I barely pulled away in time.
“Reed, keep the van steady,” I ordered, aiming my knife.
“I’m trying. I’m trying!”
Balancing on the seat, I stabbed Cal in his empty eye socket.
Instantly, he went limp.
There was a nauseating squelching sound as I pulled the knife back.
Reed swerved the van again and Cal rolled onto the pavement.
I stared down at the bloody knife and then at Reed. “How did you know about stabbing it in the head?”
“Watching all those zombie movies ended up being good for something.”
I looked back at Eden.
She was hyperventilating and turning a disturbing shade of purple. “Breathe, Eden. Just breathe.”
She nodded, her fingers digging into her jumpsuit-covered thighs.
I sat down heavily in the glass-covered front passenger seat.
Please, please, please let Duncan be at the house.
11
Eden let out a shaky breath. Her handcuffs jingled as she pushed her hair out of her face. “What the hell is going on?”
I looked over the back of my seat. “All we know is that people are dying and coming back as zombies. It seems to have something to do with the canine flu vaccine.”
She reached for her throat again. When her fingers found the skin of her neck instead of her collar, they fluttered to her lap “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going with Duncan to the mountains,” I said with more certainty than I felt. I wiped the bloody knife on the side of the seat and stuffed it back into my waistband.
Reed turned the van down our street and whistled. “Did Duncan get a black Mercedes?”
“No, why?”
My question was answered when Reed pulled the van up to the sidewalk in front of our house.
Two men in dark suits stepped out of the luxury car parked under the carport.
The shorter of the two men looked in our direction and grinned. Sunshine glinted off his gold front teeth.
Nero.
Chills ran down my spine.
What is Javier’s man doing here? What can he possibly want with us?
Not us, my inner voice revised as the men continued staring at the van.
Me. They’re here for me.
“Stay here,” I ordered Reed and Eden. “I know these guys.” Ignoring their incredulous looks, I opened the van door and stepped out.
Nero’s grin widened as I approached. “Hola, señorita. We’ve been waiting for you.”
I stopped in the middle of the lawn, six feet from the gravel driveway. My gaze bounced between Nero and his partner.
The huge guy crossed his arms over his muscular chest. The action pulled his suit jacket up, revealing the handgun holstered at his side.
I gulped. “Why?” I hated the waver in my voice.
Nero’s smile failed to reach his eyes. The darkness in them mad
e me want to run back to the van. “Señor Diaz sends his regards. He would like to invite you to stay with him for a while.”
“Nnnn-o, thanks,” I stuttered.
“I don’t think you understand. The city is too dangerous now. Señor Diaz will keep you safe.” His tone held a hard edge.
I took several steps back. “I’ll be fine here with my family.”
“They are welcome to come too.” Nero motioned to the huge man and then to the van. “Carlos, bring them.”
Unease spread like poison in my veins. “Leave them alone.”
Ignoring me, Carlos strode over to the van.
I started after him.
Nero made a tsking sound and raised one hand to stop me. His other hand rested on the gun holstered at his waist.
I froze. My mind spun as I remembered all the horrific things I’d heard about Javier’s gang.
How are we going to get away from these guys?
A moment later, Carlos returned with Reed and Eden in tow. He walked them past me, stopping only when he reached the car.
Reed winced under Carlos’s bruising grip.
Eden stumbled behind them in her shackles.
Nero smirked when he caught sight of Eden. “Sometime, I’ll need to hear this story.” His snakeskin boots crunched in the gravel as he walked down the driveway toward her. When he reached her side, he lifted his hand and stroked a finger down her cheek.
Eden flinched, but Nero didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re almost as pretty as your sister, jailbird. Would you like to come stay with us?”
I clenched my hands into fists. “Get the hell away from her.”
Nero’s smile faded. He backtracked across the dead grass and stopped a foot away from me. The flat hard expression on his face matched the deadly gleam in his eye. “You will speak to me with respect, señorita.”
I took a steadying breath. “Please thank Javier for his generous offer. However, I’ll have to refuse his invitation. Now if you don’t mind, we’re going to go into the house.”
Faster than a striking cobra, Nero snagged my arm. “No one refuses Señor Diaz.”
Reed wrenched out of Carlos’s grip. “Get your hands off her.”
My insides curdled. Reed was going to get himself hurt—or killed.
Nero let go of my arm and whipped out a gun. He aimed it at Reed. “What are you gonna do about it?”
Reed froze halfway between Nero and the car. His blue eyes were wide with fear.
My entire body went cold as Reed’s death flashed before my eyes.
Reed held up his hands. “We don’t want trouble. You can have our money. Just let us go.”
Nero’s gaze narrowed. He closed in on Reed. “I don’t want your money,” he spat, and pistol-whipped Reed across the face.
Reed stumbled and fell to the ground with a cry. Blood gushed from his nose, streaming onto the gravel.
Nero pointed his gun at Reed’s bowed head, execution style. “I’ve changed my mind. Only the girls are invited.”
Panic choked me. “Don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want.”
Nero bared his gleaming teeth at me. “Get in the car.”
A familiar voice interjected. “I don’t think so, son.”
I jerked my head to the right to see Duncan limping up the driveway.
His revolver was drawn and pointed at Carlos’s head. “Put your hands up. Now.”
Seeing Duncan, wearing his signature cowboy hat and bolo tie eased the knot in my chest.
Everything’s going to be okay.
Carlos put his hands up and Duncan took his sidearm.
Duncan gave the gun to Eden.
She looked as if she’d just been handed a live grenade.
Duncan pushed Carlos toward the Mercedes. “Now you get into the car.”
With a quick glance at Nero, Carlos slid into the driver’s seat.
Nero laughed. “And here I thought picking up the girl was going to be boring.”
Holstering his revolver, Duncan slowly ambled over to my side. “These kids are with me, son.”
“Don’t call me son.” Nero’s expression hardened and he pointed his gun at Duncan. “You don’t know who you’re messing with, old man.”
Eden raised her gun and aimed it at Nero. “Put your gun down or I’ll shoot.”
Nero glanced back at her. “Shoot then, little jailbird.”
Eden’s hands shook so hard, her handcuffs rattled. “I’ll do it. I swear.”
Nero made a dismissive sound and turned to face us.
Duncan cleared his throat. “Look, son. I already called the cops. I’d suggest y’all get moving before they get here.”
“Fine, we’ll go.” Nero reached over, grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the car. “It seems you have many protectors, señorita.” His breath was hot against my cheek. “Señor Diaz is a lucky man.” His hand came up and cupped my ass.
“Go to hell.” With my free hand, I reached back and grabbed my knife. Not giving him a moment to react, I sliced him across the face and ran toward Duncan.
The sound of a gun safety clicking off had me spinning back around. My mouth dried at the sight of Nero’s gun pointed in my direction.
Reed shouted something, but my focus was on Nero.
Nero wiped away the blood from the superficial cut on his cheek with his free hand. “You’re gonna pay for that. I don’t care if Javier wants to screw you. No one marks Nero Benitez and gets away with it.”
Everything seemed to slow.
My entire focus centered on his tattooed fingers pressing down on the trigger.
Crack.
My muscles froze and, for a moment, time stood still.
Something heavy crashed into my side, pushing me to the ground. Gravel cut into my palms. Ears ringing, I looked up in confusion.
Duncan stood where I’d been standing a second ago. He held a hand up to his chest. A crimson stain spread across the front of his favorite denim shirt.
He’d taken the bullet for me. “Oh no, Duncan!” My chest tightened in pain as if I’d been shot myself.
He looked down at me, gave me a sad smile, and then collapsed.
I scrambled over to Duncan’s side.
Please be okay. Please be okay.
Duncan opened his mouth as if to say something. Blood bubbled out, staining his silver mustache red.
“Duncan,” cried Reed kneeling down on the other side of him. He pressed his hands to Duncan’s chest as if trying to stop the bleeding.
Wet hot tears ran down my face.
How could this happen?
“I’m so sorry. So sorry,” I sobbed.
The sounds of moaning and clicking grew in volume. The horde must’ve followed us.
I should’ve been filled with terror, but all I could think about was the man dying in front of me. Since Gran died, Duncan had been the only support I’d had. Now I was losing him too. Grief tore at me as I shook my head in denial.
Carlos started the car and rolled down the window. “Nero. The dead are coming. We need to go.”
“Give me a minute,” Nero shouted.
Something warm and metallic pressed against my head.
Nero let out a laugh. “Now it’s your turn to die, bitch.”
I looked up at the man pressing a gun against my head. Rage turned my vision red. This asshole killed a great man. With a guttural roar, I knocked Nero’s hand aside. His gun flew into the gravel a few feet from the ratty old couch.
Duncan’s holstered revolver lay near my knee. I drew the gun and pointed it up at the gang member. Without any hesitation, I pressed the trigger.
Bang.
The sound was deafening.
My arm jerked painfully back under the recoil of the gun.
The side of the Nero’s head exploded.
I stared at the gun in my hand.
I’d killed. Again.
I waited for the guilt to hit me. I felt nothing but sadness over the loss of Duncan.
Killing Nero hadn’t changed anything.
Reed froze in place, blinking his eyes as if he couldn’t figure out what’d just happened.
The car door flew open. Carlos held another gun in his hands. It was pointed at us.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Wearing a look of shock, Carlos fell to the ground and lay motionless.
Eden stood behind him, holding the gun outstretched in her shaking hands.
Stunned, I stared at my sister. I wouldn’t have ever thought her capable of killing someone.
Wearing a mirroring look of shock, she stared back at me.
“Good girls,” Duncan gasped.
Wiping the blood from my eyes, I looked down at Duncan. He said something else, but I couldn’t hear him over the ringing in my ears.
The color leeched from his face.
My throat tightened and my eyes burned with tears. “Shh. We’ll call for help. You’ll be okay.” Nero had to have a cell phone. I turned toward his body, but Duncan grabbed my arm.
“Take these,” he said pressing something metal into my hand. He let out a wheeze and his body went still.
I slowly opened my hand to see the dog tags he always wore. Anguish punched me in the gut. Some unknown solider gave his life to save Duncan, and now he’d given his life to save mine. The weight of their sacrifices pressed down on me.
I raised my gaze to the cloudless blue sky above. A scream boiled up inside me. I wanted to shout out the unfairness of Duncan’s death. And all the deaths of the people I’d cared about—Gran, my mother, my older sister, Cami. I gritted my teeth so hard, I tasted blood. A moment later, I bowed my head and slipped the chains over my neck. “I’ll wear these,” I promised Duncan’s corpse.
“Sissy.”
I snapped my head up to see Eden run-hopping over like the fires of hell beat at her back.
“Those things are coming,” she gasped.
Reed finally pulled himself out of his trance. “What do we do?”
I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand and shoved Duncan’s gun into my waistband. “Get in the house. Hurry.”
While Reed helped Eden to the door, I picked up the gang members’ guns from the ground.
We’ll need all the weapons we can get.
The spine-tingling sound of clicking teeth seemed to reverberate all around me.