Jen looked at the zombie in the next cell staring at her. "What do you think, Red? Can I trust Randy?"
Red stared.
Jen sighed. "Never thought I'd say this, but I miss Zeke's rambling stories."
Jen sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What the hell time is it?"
Rising, she scanned the room. The zombies were still prone in their beds where she'd told them to go. Should've told them to close their eyes, too. They'd look less creepy.
"Red," she said, "stand up and keep me company."
Red rose, slack-jawed, and faced Jen.
Jen laughed. "My bestie is a flesh-eating corpse."
The hallway door opened and Randy entered, followed by a different guard.
"About time," Jen said. "I ordered room service an hour ago."
Randy carried a tray into the cell and the guard locked him in. Jen sat on the bed and lifted the plate cover. "Bacon and eggs." She licked her lips. Just the smell made her less hungry.
Randy stood, his hands going into his pockets, then back out and clasped in front of him.
"What are you so nervous about?" Jen said with a mouthful of eggs. "Told you I don't bite."
"Once you've eaten, I need to get a sample," he said.
Jen laughed. "Don't give me one of those little cups. I've been sitting here overnight with no bathroom."
Randy removed blood collection supplies from his pocket. "Blood sample." He looked at Red, and then at the other zombies still in bed.
"What are they doing?"
Jen downed a glass of orange juice and let out an ahh. "Don't know. Maybe they're tired."
She stood and walked to the cell door. "How about a bathroom break? I'm about to burst."
The guard grunted and removed the padlock. With a baton ready to strike, he pulled the door open. "In the lab. Nice and slow."
Jen took her time walking to the lab. What would Randy do if I could take this guy out?
She entered the lab with the guard a few steps behind. The door closed behind him. "Bathroom's in the back."
Jen's eyes scanned the room. Need something. A weapon. A diversion. Something.
She shuffled into the bathroom and closed the door. The guard's foot stopped it. "It'll stay open."
"Bullshit, you creep. You get off on seeing the zombie girl pee?"
The guard's face reddened. "It'll stay open two feet wide. I won't see you, but you also won't be able to pull any funny stuff."
Jen sighed. No help in here.
Minutes later, she approached the cell door. Randy stood inside, his arms crossed. "Ready for the sample?"
The guard pressed closer behind Jen.
Oh, shit. I've got it.
She glanced at the zombies. Blink your eyes.
The zombies blinked their eyes.
Yes!
She stepped around the cell door, leaving the guard on the other side.
As loud and as fast as you can, attack the guard.
The eight zombies sprang to the bars with a roar, pulling and reaching for the guard. His eyes went wide and he took a step back, ready to defend himself.
Jen grabbed the cell door and slammed it into the guard, striking him on the chest and jaw. He stumbled backward, dropping the baton and covering his broken jaw with his hands.
Scooping up his baton, Jen charged him. He reached out for her, but she ducked and raked the baton across his kneecaps. The guard howled and collapsed. Jed swung the baton and clipped his forehead, knocking the back of his head into the concrete floor. He lay still.
Jen scrambled to her feet, ready for an attack from Randy, but he hadn't moved.
The growling and clambering continued. "Stop," Jen said. "Everyone quiet."
The zombies went still, their empty yellow eyes gazing at her.
Randy's jaw dropped. "Holy shit. They listen to you?"
Jen knelt next to the guard and checked his pulse. Still alive. Good. She rustled through his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. "Did you make the call to Wayne and Zeke?"
Randy nodded. "I talked to Wayne. He said they were still in Boston and it would be easy to slip away. Said they'd be gone within the hour."
"Thanks, Randy."
"No problem. He also said they'll be coming to get you."
Jen chuckled. "They know me. I'm not the damsel in distress type that's going to wait to be rescued."
Randy smiled. "That I've figured out."
She went to Red's door and tried three keys before she found the one that opened her padlock. Before opening the doors, she made eye contact with each of the zombies. She pointed at Randy. "He's off-limits. Do not harm him."
Randy pulled his cell door closed. "Not that I don't trust you."
Jen let Red out and she shambled to a position behind Jen. Within minutes, Jen had all eight zombies freed. I could just escape, but then Cartwright would come after me. Need to keep that from happening.
"Hand me your security badge," Jen said.
Randy unclipped it from his belt and stuck it through the bars. "What are you going to do?"
Jen squinted her eyes. "Time to pay Cartwright a little visit."
28
The elevator doors opened on the second floor. Jen pointed at two zombies, an older woman with a shredded chest and a twenty-something man with the skin peeled from one side of his skull.
"Chase anyone you see," she said. "You harm no one. Just keep running and causing chaos."
The zombies dashed out of the elevator and down the hallway. A chorus of shrieks reached Jen as the doors closed.
When they opened on the third floor, Jen picked out two more zombies. She pointed to the left. "The Security Office is just down there. Take it over. Break every piece of equipment in the place. Go."
The zombies raced from the elevator and the doors closed.
After having sent zombies out on the fourth floor, Jen was left with two: Red and a muscular bearded man with a chunk of meat missing from his shoulder.
She pressed the button for Cartwright's floor. "You two will follow me."
The doors slid open and Jen stepped out. Soft music played from the speakers and she strode down the carpeted hallway to Cartwright's reception area. Cindy sat behind her desk and looked up as Jen walked in. "What are you—" The zombies appeared behind Jen. Cindy wrenched a drawer open and pulled a pistol.
Jen ducked. "Get out of here."
Cindy's shot took the top of the muscle man's head off and he dropped to the floor. She took aim at Red, but the zombie disappeared into the hallway.
Clenching the baton, Jen rushed Cindy and drove her to the floor, knocking the pistol from her hand. Jen wrenched Cindy's arm behind her and pulled her to her feet. Pushing Cindy toward Cartwright's office door, Jen said, "Open it."
The door opened into an empty office. "Damn," Jen said.
She pushed Cindy into a chair. "Move and I'll kill you."
She strode into the reception area and picked up Cindy's gun from underneath her desk before returning to Cartwright's office. "Where is she?"
"I don't know," Cindy said.
Jen aimed the gun at Cindy. "You're her assistant. You know, all right. Where is that bitch?"
Cindy returned Jen's glare, but said nothing.
"The bitch is right behind you," Cartwright said.
Jen spun and Cartwright stood in the doorway with a revolver pointed at her.
Jen lowered her gun. "Still looking for your ruby slippers?"
Cartwright gestured to Cindy. "Come with me. This facility is compromised. The outbreak is spreading rapidly."
Cindy walked over to Cartwright. "Where are we going?"
"To the roof. I have a helicopter coming."
"I thought they were all in the west," Jen said.
Cartwright shrugged. "Executive privilege. The president kept one for emergencies and he's sending it here."
"Are we taking her?" Cindy asked.
"Definitely," Cartwright said.
Jen jutted out her j
aw. "I'm not going with a whacko like you."
"Whacko?" Cartwright said. "Is it insane to want peace and order in the world?"
Jen spat on the floor in front of Cartwright. "By taking away everyone's free will? You bet your ass it's insane."
"No matter," Cartwright said. "It's inevitable, and you're going to help make it happen quicker."
"Like hell."
Cartwright cocked the revolver's hammer back. "I'd rather you're alive for my studies, but undead should work as well."
Red sprinted into the room, colliding with Cindy and slamming her into the wall. Jen raised her gun and shot at Cartwright in one motion. A piece of doorway trim splintered and Cartwright ducked into the hallway.
A high-pitched screech pierced Jen's eardrums. Red clamped onto Cindy's neck and tore her throat out. The scream broke into a gurgle as Cindy slumped to the floor.
"No time for a snack," Jen said. "If we don't stop Cartwright now, we may not have another chance."
She raced out the door.
29
Jen raced into the corridor. Gunshots and shouting echoed from both ends. A flash of movement caught her eye. The stairway door slammed shut. Jen ran to it with Red on her heels. Several fresh zombies rushed past them, one of them leaping onto a fleeing technician. He hit the floor, his blood soaking into the carpet as the zombie tore at his back.
Innocent people are dying. What the hell have I done?
Jen flung the stairway door open and caught a glimpse of movement above. Cartwright had a head start.
Taking the steps two at a time, they reached the next floor just as the door opened and a flood of humans rushed in, knocking her and Red down. Zombies poured in after the humans, chasing them down the stairs.
Jen rubbed the back of her head where it had banged into the wall. Got to get Cartwright.
A zombie streaked up the stairs and stopped in front of her.
Cindy.
All undead but Red and Cindy, stand down. Do not attack anyone.
Jen struggled to her feet and stared into Cindy's yellow eyes. "I don't know if that worked or not, but it's the best I can do."
Cindy stared back.
"Take us to the roof to find Cartwright, but don't get too far ahead of us."
Cindy ran up the stairs.
Jen gestured to Red. "Let's go."
Breathing heavy, she ran up the stairs, keeping Cindy in sight. More refugees passed them going down the stairs, but Cindy and Red ignored them as they followed Jen's directions.
Cindy waited at the top of the stairway. Jen caught up with her and bent over with her hands on her knees. Her chest heaved and her heart slammed her chest. "Top floor," she gasped.
Jen pushed the door open and stepped into a quiet tiled hallway. A corridor stretched ahead and another to the right.
Jen held the door open. "Get in."
The two zombies lumbered in and stopped.
Jen listened. "It's like the outbreak hasn't hit here yet."
A gunshot echoed down the corridor and a piece of the doorframe behind Jen exploded. Jen ducked.
An armed guard knelt in a room at the end of the hallway with a pistol propped against the door frame. He shot again, and the bullet buried into Cindy's shoulder.
Jen took cover around the corner. "With me."
The zombies followed.
Sticking her gun out, Jen fired off three blind rounds. The guard answered in kind.
"Who's betting Cartwright went that way?" she said. She peered farther down the corridor they hid in. "I wonder if there's a back way."
Footsteps came from the direction of the guard. Jen popped her head out and back in. A barrage of gunshots replied. Three more guards had made their way halfway down the corridor and another stayed back providing supporting fire. Where the hell did those other guys come from?
She fired two more blind rounds then peeked around the corner. The guards returned fire and Jen barely pulled her head back in time. They're holding position. Too far away for us to rush them. But if I can get one of them on our side...
"Girls, when I tell you, I want you to run out into view, pause, then run back here."
Jen ejected the pistol's magazine and checked the load. Five rounds. With one in the chamber, that's not much. She slapped the magazine back in. "Got to make them count."
She moved as close to the corner as she could without being seen and turned to face the wall so when she stepped out into the hall she would face them. Squatting, she held the pistol in two hands and took a deep breath. Don't rush.
"Now, girls. Go."
The zombies ran past her and Jen leaned to the left and stretched out, landing on her side.
Bullets flew by and some hit solid wood and some smacked into undead flesh.
Take your time.
Lining up the sights on one of the three guards, she took a deep breath, then let half of it out. She squeezed the trigger.
The bullet hit the guard in the throat. He clutched his neck and fell over.
Jen was already aiming at the guard at the end of the corridor.
A bullet chipped the tile next to her, shrapnel cutting her cheek. She ignored the sting. Girls, do the same thing again.
The guns that were aimed at her swung toward the zombies as they exposed themselves to gunfire again. Jen concentrated on her target. With only half his body in the open, her aim had to be true.
Just as she squeezed the trigger, the first guard she shot rose, snarling, his yellow eyes gleaming. He attacked his two companions from the rear.
The pistol recoiled and Jen's target at the end of the corridor dropped his gun and grabbed his shoulder. She sent a follow-up shot, but missed as he rolled out of sight.
"Attack, girls."
The two guards had turned to face the threat from behind and realized too late they were surrounded. One of them wrestled with the zombie guard while the other shot wildly at Red and Cindy. Red pounced on him and tore open his shoulder with her teeth. Cindy tackled the other guard and chewed on his arm while the zombie guard went for his throat.
"Everyone to me."
The three zombies shuffled to Jen's side. I wonder how many I can control at once? Butler can do millions, but he goes through his leaders.
As she crept down the corridor to the open doorway, the other two guards rose. "Fall in with the others," Jen said.
She paused at the doorway and peeked inside. It was a large stock room with cabinets, a sink, and cleaning equipment. A trail of blood ran from the doorway to thick metal stairs that led to an upper level.
Can't see the whole thing. Someone could be up there.
Keeping her pistol pointed upward, she dashed to the stairs and pointed at one of the guards. "You first. Go quickly."
The zombie raced up the stairs and Jen followed.
The upper level was bare except for another stairway with a sign next to it that read "Roof Access."
"Could be a nice place for an ambush." Jen chewed her lip. "Go to be careful. I don't know how many guns she has up there."
A distant muffled sound caught her ear. Sounds familiar.
The sound came closer. Thup thup thup.
Time's up.
30
Jen sprinted up the stairs. "Let's go."
A guard stood in front of the roof door, his pistol aimed at her. Jen swung her barrel toward him and stopped.
"Mark?"
"Stop there, Jen," Mark said.
Red stepped next to Jen as the other zombies crowded her from behind on the stairs. Mark's eyebrows rose.
"Cartwright was right," he said.
"Right about what?" Jen said. "What'd she tell you?"
"That you're not the Jen I know and love. That you're...different."
Jen sighed. "Some things are different, but I'm still the same person who fought all those battles at your side."
Mark shook his head. "That Jen never had her own zombie army."
"OK, smart-ass. That part's different, but it's s
till me."
Mark looked from Jen to the zombies and back. "Why would she tell me that if it isn't true?"
Jen tilted her head and listened. The helicopter had to be just overhead. "Because she's been lying to us since the beginning. She's the cause of this shit. She and her co-conspirators have been working on a way to control people."
"Put the gun down," Mark said. "I don't want to shoot you."
Jen jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "You do and I won't be able to save you from them."
Mark remained silent. He's processing what tactical advantages and disadvantages he has.
Jen took a step toward him he pointed the gun from her chest to her head. "Stop."
"Shoot me in the head?"
"Least I can do for who you were."
Jen gritted her teeth. "Look, asshole, I'm still me, and you're wasting time. Cartwright's going to get away."
Mark's eyes narrowed.
"Just step aside and get out of here," Jen said. "Get your family out and far away."
Another sound outside. Something hitting the roof? The helicopter has landed. Out of time.
"How can I prove to you I'm still me?"
Mark shrugged.
"How about that I haven't sicced these guys on you?" she asked.
Mark paused, then said, "You know I'll shoot you first, so you won't take the chance."
Dammit, you stubborn ass.
Precious seconds ticked away. Faces and events with Mark flashed through her mind. When they first met in her room. Talking on the roof and finding out his pain. Her saving his ass. Him saving hers. Zeke. Doc. Doc.
That's it.
Jen straightened. "Mark, if I'm not telling you the truth, I'll eat a bug."
Mark's expression remained unchanged, then his shoulders relaxed a little. He gazed into her eyes. "Jen?"
"It's me. A little fucked up, but you know me well enough to know that's a normal state for me."
Mark licked his lips, then straightened and lowered his gun.
Jen pointed at him. "Not only are you not to harm him or his family, but you will protect him from others. Human and zombie."
"Will that really work?" Mark asked.
"Who the hell knows? Move aside."
Mark stepped to the side.
Zombie Uprising Series (Book 4): The Hybrid Page 13