by Kris Norris
“Neither did we.” He glanced at Colby again then lowered his weapon. “But I’m willing to take the risk if you are.”
She drew a sharp breath, her hands wavering slightly when a shot sounded in the distance followed by shouting. She looked off to her right. “There are more of you?”
Colby pushed to his feet, swinging his rifle off his back. “Damn, that’s Barrett. And if he’s making that much noise, it can’t be good.”
Darcy took off running. The woman stared at Colby for a moment then cursed, following the other man across the roof. Their footsteps fell in sync as they raced to the other side, stopping at the edge. Colby skidded in behind them, drawn to the man limping down the narrow corridor between the fence and the building. A mass of pale flesh moved behind him in a nauseating line.
Darcy growled, holstering his gun as he reached for his rifle. “Fuck. We gotta move. Now, Colby!” The report echoed off the side of the walls as the closest zombie fell in a pool of blood.
The woman jumped, hitting Darcy across the shoulder. “Are you insane? You’ll only draw more of them.”
“You didn’t seem to have any issues firing off a few rounds over by the fence.”
“I didn’t think I had any backup, and besides, the noise doesn’t echo down there like it does up here. A few more pops from this rooftop and we’ll be surrounded.”
He spared her a quick glance before dropping another one. “We’ll deal with that later. Right now, Barrett’s safety is all that matters.”
She looked skyward as if searching for divine help before shaking her head. “I agree, but there’s more than one way to help your friend.”
Darcy killed a third then stared at her. “One more effective than plastering their brains all over the sidewalk?”
“And when fifty more show up then another fifty?” She looked at Colby. “Come on. There’s another way down. We can cut your man off and head for the tower before they reach us.”
Colby grabbed her as she tried to dart past him. “Tower? What tower?”
“Move now, ask questions later.” She pulled her arm free and took off, her boots clicking on the asphalt.
“Fuck! Darcy, cover Barrett’s ass but don’t fall behind.”
Darcy nodded, unleashing another bullet. Colby ran, catching sight of the woman as she ducked behind an old air-conditioning unit. He picked up his pace, rounding the unit only to stop as the girl jumped, clearing a small gap and landing on an adjacent roof.
“Jesus Christ! Where the hell are you going?”
She didn’t stop, just raced off again, heading for the other end of the roof. He slapped his hand against his leg then ran, clearing the gap and landing on the other side. He heard Darcy’s footsteps behind him as he took off again, nearly bowling her over when he dashed around the side of another large air vent.
He grabbed her shoulders to prevent taking them both to the ground as he stared at the rope strung around her waist and down her leg. “What the fuck is this?”
She inhaled roughly, one hand fisting around his shirt as she fought to steady herself. The tips of her fingers brushed across his skin, sending a jolt through his chest and straight to his cock, stiffening the damn thing against his pants. He clenched his jaw, knowing she could feel his dick harden against her leg as he held her close. Her eyes widened in surprise as he released her, taking a step back.
He took a steadying breath. “I know what you’re thinking but…” He shook his head. “It’s common for men—”
“We can talk about your erectile issues later. Now are you with me or not?”
“Guess that depends on whether this will save Barrett’s ass or get yours killed.”
She flashed him a smile as she backed up to the edge. “I’m hoping for yes to the first and no to the second. Wait until I reach the ground. It’s not safe for more than one on the rope at a time.”
“Wait…”
He lunged at her, but she jumped off the side, rappelling smoothly down the rope.
“Fuck! That girl has more balls than sense.”
A chuckle sounded behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder at Darcy.
Darcy nodded after her. “Sounds like the woman of our dreams. You go next. I’ll cover you.”
Colby grunted then wrapped the rope around him, following the path down. He landed next to her on the pavement, the sound of groans and thunderous footsteps deadening the impact of his feet on the cement. He untangled the line and moved back, joined by Darcy a few moments later.
The man swung his rifle against his shoulder, motioning to the far bend. “We can grab Barrett at that end of the corridor, but god only knows where we’ll go after that. The Hummer’s in the other direction, and I have no idea if the path’s clear or not.”
“We’ll worry about that once Barrett’s safe.” Colby grabbed the woman’s arm as she tried to dart past him again. “Would you stop running for one bloody second? Now I realize you’ve survived here—without us—for a long time, but so help me god, we did not fight our way in here searching for survivors only to watch the first one we’ve found in months get herself killed. Now either you stay behind me or I swear I’ll toss you over my shoulder and carry you.” He hardened his stare. “Barrett first then you can tell us about this tower.”
She clenched her jaw but nodded, pointing at the far corner. Colby rushed ahead, slowing as he neared the edge. He pressed his back against the wall, swearing when Goldilocks popped out into the lane, signaling Barrett to hurry.
Colby grabbed her arm and pulled her back, checking Barrett’s progress before turning to her. “Do you have a death wish?”
“We need to know what we’re dealing with. Hiding won’t help your friend.”
“And getting yourself mauled in front of him will kill him just a quickly as the fucking zombies. I said stay behind me, and I meant it.”
Something flashed in her eyes, but he couldn’t tell if it was irritation or gratitude. He turned toward Barrett, dropping two more zombies behind him.
She tugged at his arm. “You’re going to draw the entire horde if you keep shooting that gun.”
“He needs more time.”
“No, he needs not to have to face a hundred of those things once he joins us.”
Colby stared down at her. “A hundred?”
“That’s just a small group. The main horde’s on the other side of the building…the same direction we need to go. We won’t make it to the tower if they block us off.”
“Then we’ll try for the Hummer.”
“Maybe—”
“Fuck!” Darcy joined them at the corner. “Bad news, bro. There’s another group coming in from the other end of this corridor. We need to move, or they’ll block us in.”
Barrett closed in on them, grabbing the arm Colby stretched out toward him. The man all but fell against Colby’s side, blood streaming down his leg. The sight stopped Colby’s heart. God, if Barrett had been bitten…
“Don’t look at me like that.” Barrett punched Colby in the chest. “I cut it jumping through a damn window when they cornered me in one of the other rooms.”
“Can you run?”
“What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing, Colb?”
Colby smiled. Barrett couldn’t be too far gone if he could still joke. “We’ll head for the Hummer. Try to get out and around them at the other end.”
They took off, Colby shouldering most of Barrett’s weight as they ran in the other direction.
Darcy darted ahead, peeking out before waving them back. “There’s too many, too close.”
Colby looked back over his shoulder. The other group stood at the junction, looking around before staring at them. He clenched his jaw, not sure which mass to fight through when the woman shouted at them. He turned in time to see her slamming her shoulder against a door. There was a loud screech then the slab gave way, swinging inward. Shadows filled the view beyond, and he sighed in relief when Darcy caught her before she could step through
.
She tugged against his hold. “It’s fine. I have the key.” She held up a small ring with several keys dangling together. “Hurry, before they get here.”
The men charged the doorway and ran inside. Darcy grasped the handle, closing it as the first group reached the threshold. Scarred fingers tried to wrap around the frame, only to land in a heap on the floor as Darcy shoved the door closed, cutting them off. Small wedges of light scattered across the floor from the occasional window, filling the room with a dull glow. Colby looked at the girl, not sure whether to thank her or put her over his lap.
She pointed across the room. “Through here. There’s another door on the same side as the tower. But we’ll have to be quick. With all that racket, they’re sure to keep moving…keep hunting.”
Colby caught her arm. “Can’t we just wait here until they’re gone?”
“And chance a group of them hasn’t broken a window and found another way inside? Trust me, the only safe place is up where they can’t follow.”
“I thought you said it was fine.”
She shrugged. “It’s better than outside. Besides, I have the feeling you wouldn’t have risked it if I’d suggested otherwise.”
“You are something else, sweetheart.” He pointed forward, following her through a maze of hallways until they reached another door. He stopped beside her, motioning for Darcy to check the window off to their left.
“There’s a mass off in the distance, past some kind of structure.”
The woman nodded. “That’s the tower. There used to be an airstrip here, and the old control tower is still standing. Our group barricaded the doors and stacked a bunch of vehicles along one side for when we need to get out undetected. There’s a ladder on this end that provides entry to the cab on top when we’re in a hurry. So far, the Gray haven’t been able to breach the building.”
Colby laughed in absurdity. “You expect me and my men to trap ourselves in a tower in the middle of a god damn open airstrip? Why on earth would anyone with any kind of sanity do that? It’s got to be the worst idea I’ve ever heard of?”
She crossed her arms on her chest, jutting one hip out slightly. “Would you rather go back and face your fans?” She sighed her impatience. “Look. We tried making a go of it in the buildings, but sooner or later a group of the bastards always found a way in. This is the safest place. I’m the one who’s been living here. You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“Trust is a luxury, sweetheart. One we don’t have much of these days.” Colby released a ragged breath. “Fine. We can’t stay here. We’ll head for this tower, but mark my words…as soon as it’s safe enough to leave, we’re out of here. Period.”
Her mouth twitched ever so slightly, but she nodded, looking over at Darcy. The man gave her the ‘all clear’, and she unlocked the door, yanking it open. A loud metal hiss filled the air, and she cringed as she cleared both sides then took off, running swiftly across the open pavement. Colby followed after her, carrying Barrett as much as he could while Darcy pulled up the rear, his attention focused behind them. They’d covered half the distance when Darcy jogged up beside him.
“There’s a huge group on our tail. We need to move faster.”
Colby grunted and picked up the pace, feeling Barrett’s bad leg drag slightly. The man moaned but tried to help, limping faster. The girl had raced ahead and now stood waiting at the side of the tower.
She looked in both directions, her fear clearly written across her face. “I thought you guys were Marines or something. Get the lead out!”
Barrett mumbled something under his breath, making Colby smile. Their new member certainly had a way about her. Shots rang out behind him as Darcy started dropping the creatures closest to them.
The woman moved aside, granting him access as she swung her gun to her chest, joining Darcy in the assault. She nodded for him to climb, and he growled in frustration. This wasn’t going at all along the lines he’d envisioned. He muttered obscenities under his breath as he shuffled Barrett over his shoulder and began climbing, willing his feet to move against the added weight. More shots echoed across the open space, and he knew the rest of the horde was on their way.
He moved faster, watching as Darcy shoved her toward the ladder. It looked as if she muttered something to him but started climbing, catching them quickly. Darcy kept firing as he inched up the ladder backward, trying to keep the mass at bay. Colby heard the woman curse before she reached into her jacket pocket.
“Flashbang!”
Her voice sounded above the howling wind and growling voices, and Colby had just enough time to wrap one arm around a rung before the world erupted in a flurry of bright light and deafening sound. His head throbbed from the noise as the flashbang exploded, burning the zombies closest to it and knocking the others down. Darcy groaned but started climbing again, shaking his head when their gazes clashed. Colby sighed and resumed his ascent, cresting the tower’s ledge a few moments later. He placed Barrett on his feet just over the rail, watching as the man tried to steady himself against the side only to slide down the wall and onto his ass. More blood pooled at his feet, drawing Colby’s attention. He vaulted over the railing and knelt at Barrett’s side. The man attempted to push Colby back when he reached for the wound, but Barrett only succeeded in making his breath hiss out through his clenched teeth.
The girl stopped beside them, tapping Colby on the shoulder. “Let’s get your friend inside.” She opened a door and disappeared.
He glanced at Darcy. “Give me a hand.”
Darcy double checked the ladder then swung his rifle out of the way and took Barrett’s other arm, wrapping it around his shoulder. The two men shuffled through, easing Barrett down against the inside wall. The man grimaced but managed to push himself back a bit. Colby smiled and turned, his smile fading as he stared into the barrel of a rifle. His gaze met hers as her lips curled slightly at the corners.
She nodded at them. “Now, where were we?”
Chapter Two
Abby Brennigan stared at the three men before her, her heart hammering in her chest, her pulse throbbing in her head. Emotions she couldn’t quite make sense of whirled inside her, dimming her vision slightly at the edges. She didn’t know if she was scared or relieved, but either way, she was determined to get some answers before letting them take one step closer to her.
The guy called Colby narrowed his eyes, his gaze dropping to the rifle then back to her. His mouth tightened at the edges, but he kept his expression neutral as if it was natural to have a gun pointed at his chest.
Colby relaxed his shoulders, lifting a brow at her. “Was it something I said?”
Something akin to a giggle threatened to burst free, but she managed to crush it. She shook the gun at him, wanting him to know she wasn’t amused. “I told you before that I didn’t survive this long by being careless. Now before I welcome you properly inside, I’ll need you boys to do one tiny thing for me.”
“And that would be?”
“Strip.”
His eyes rounded momentarily before he glanced at the other man standing behind him—Darcy, she’d heard them call him. Darcy cracked the slightest of smiles as his gaze traveled the length of her body. The sheer intensity of it heated her skin until she felt a drop of sweat bead on her brow. God, no man had looked at her like that in a long time, if ever, and she couldn’t stop from shifting her feet as she tried to squeeze away the sudden ache between her legs.
Colby smiled, raising his hands out to the side as if attempting to soothe her fears. “Now, sweetheart. As much as we’d love to follow through with that line of thinking, I believe Barrett’s leg needs tending to, first.”
Abby shook her head. Men—always thinking with their dicks. Though she had to admit, just the thought of being held by another human being more than appealed to her…that’s if they were still human.
The notion sobered her sudden arousal, and she smirked at him. “I’m not inviting you all for a round of s
ex, you asshole. I want to make sure none of you are…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, the idea too repulsive to consider. God, if they’d been infected…
Colby’s smile faded as his expression turned serious. “We’re not infected.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t take your word on that. Now strip. Down to your skivvies, gentlemen.”
He crossed his arms on his chest. “I assure you. We’re human.”
“I have no doubts that you are, but…let’s just make sure you’ll still be that way at dawn.”
Colby looked at Darcy again then sighed. He unclipped the guns at his waist and swung the rifle off his shoulder, placing them carefully on the floor. Then he reached for his jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders, laying it beside the weapons. He fisted the hem of his T-shirt and lifted it over his head, placing it on top of his jacket.
Abby watched, her breath growing tight in her chest as each man’s body was slowly revealed. Smooth skin over rippling muscles filled her view as Darcy and Colby shucked off their pants before turning to help Barrett out of his. The man winced as they drew the material over the wound, dropping the fabric on the floor. Their arms strained at the biceps, the strength mirrored by the firm press of their thighs. But it was the matching bulges between their legs that finally stole her breath. Long and thick, their cocks pressed against the confines of their underwear, threatening to rip the tight cotton at the seams.
Colby cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to his face. The smile gracing his lips made her face heat, and she immediately wanted to smack the smug grin off his mouth. That or claim it with hers.
He held out his arms. “Satisfied, or should we get completely naked?”
Her gaze fell to his crotch again.
He sighed. “Like I alluded to before. The adrenaline.”
“Right.” She forced herself to swallow. “Turn. Slowly.” She held up her hand when Colby and Darcy moved together. “One at a time.”
A rough chuckle lit the air, though she couldn’t tell which one of them had laughed. Her gaze clashed with Colby’s, and he nodded at her, holding his hands at his shoulders as he turned, giving her plenty of time to scan his body. Though he’d obviously been injured during his lifetime, there weren’t any new wounds to suggest he’d been compromised. She studied the hard planes and angles, finally dragging her gaze back to his face as he stopped again, his eyebrow arched in question.