As The World Dies | Book 4 | After Siege

by Frater, Rhiannon

  The runners’ retreat bought the people on foot valuable time. Unfortunately, the freaked survivors splintered apart, some foolishly running toward the Mustang, while others scampered toward the wall.

  “Give them cover! Give them cover!” Katarina yelled.

  Emma wasn’t sure who fired the first shot, but she took the second. She sent a bullet through the head of the runner closing in on the mother and child. She immediately searched for another clear target, but smoke billowing off the corpse and the frantic chaos below made it difficult. The survivors and runners rushed in different directions, making it even harder to tell them apart.

  Another fire trap exploded near the location of the Mustang. This time a living man shrieked in pain and terror as he was engulfed in flames. Nerit and a tall black man, who must be Kevin, emerged from the sports car. Nerit immediately fired a bullet into the head of the burning man, putting him out of his misery.

  “Avoid the marked sections on the road!” a voice shouted over a loudspeaker. “Those are traps! Avoid-”

  The thick smoke from the burning zombie and dead survivor was foul and made visibility difficult. Emma concentrated on tracking the woman holding the child. So far she’d managed to avoid the traps and the zombies. The immolated corpses soon became smoldering ruins, the flames dying out on their blackened flesh. Drawn by the cries of fear and frenzied movements of their prey, the runner pack doubled back and split apart to pursue the panicked people.

  A frightened young black man in an Atlanta Braves baseball cap rushed toward the Mustang with runners rapidly closing in on him. As he darted past Nerit and Kevin, they opened fire with pistols, providing cover.

  “Stay close,” Kevin barked.

  Instead, the survivor dove into the car.

  Nerit shouted after him, “Don’t!” but the car door slammed shut.

  A second later, the car engine roared to life. Yelling, Nerit kicked the side of the sports car as Kevin dragged her aside. The Mustang barreled forward, knocking away the runners trying to scramble onto the hood. The car hit a fire trap a second later, flames licking over the hood. The driver realized his folly and tried to course correct only to hit a razor wire trap. The front tires blew out instantly. Again, it was Nerit and Kevin that saved him when he scrambled out of the car. Resorting to machetes, probably to avoid friendly fire, they hacked through a throng of slower zombies that had arrived from one of the side roads.

  Losing track of the mother in the smoke, Emma swore and barreled out of the hunter’s blind. It was worthless now that the zombies were on a rampage. She ran along the catwalk, the wooden structure trembling beneath her feet, and found a better location. Spotting the screaming woman clutching the small child, relief washed over her. They were nearly past the traps.

  “Stay away from the spray painted areas!” Emma shouted at the frightened woman.

  Sighting a zombie right behind the fleeing survivor, Emma fired. The bullet struck it square in the forehead and it tumbled back into a razor-wire trap. It was instantly sliced apart, pieces of it skittering across the road. Screaming, the woman wrapped her arms tighter around the child.

  “Don’t move!”

  Emma’s shout was subsumed by the screams of both the living and dead. Nerit and Kevin held their ground while the people on the wall attempted to pick off the zombies. The festering bodies on the road threw up black smoke, making visibility difficult. Many of the shots missed their intended targets.

  Another fire trap went off, the heat washing over Emma. It was closer to the wall, and the body engulfed in flames went down in cries that could either be those of the living or undead. Frantic, Emma scanned the area for the woman and child. She spotted them through the haze dangerously close to the razor traps.

  “Don’t move! Stop right there!”

  Constant weapon fire culled the number of runners along with the slower zombies stumbling into the chaos. Emma again lost sight of the woman when another fire trap exploded. Several runners darted away only to be hacked apart by a razor trap. Blood and viscera sprayed the area. Over the noisy mayhem, Emma heard a female voice screaming. Setting one hand on the top of the wall between rods of rebar, she leaned forward to see how far the drop to the road would be if she tried to jump down.

  “Help me! Help me!”

  The woman stumbled out of the haze, her grip tenuous on the struggling child wrapped in the blanket. The thick coils of her hair blew around her head in a dark halo. Twisting around in the woman’s arms, the small child gazed up at Emma.

  “Oh, shit.”

  The little boy was definitely dead. A catcher’s mask secured on his head with duct tape was the only thing keeping him from sinking his teeth into the flesh of the woman clutching him close.

  “Help us!” the woman cried out again.

  A slower zombie emerged from the smoke, its form so emaciated it resembled a walking skeleton. Aiming with her rifle, Emma concentrated on eliminating one threat at a time. Her mind was racing despite her determination to focus. How the hell were they going to deal with a mother desperate to keep her dead son with her?

  Juan emerged from the smoke, swinging a machete to neatly decapitate a slower zombie. “I got them! I got them!” Gripping the woman’s arm, he jerked her past a trap and toward the corner where the makeshift elevator waited. Nerit and Kevin were already on the move with three remaining survivors.

  “Give them cover,” Katarina ordered from nearby.

  Reloading, Emma tried to blot out the dead boy’s eyes peering up at her. He was a little older than Billy, a child who should have a long life in front of him. Instead, he was a zombie, snarling behind a mask.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she whispered.

  Dizzy, her stomach a tight knot, Emma fought the urge to vomit.

  Instead, she concentrated on killing the risen dead.

  5

  All Clear on the Zombie Front

  A few minutes later, the last bleats of the all-clear horn echoed into the hills then fell silent. The zombies were dead and the crane was lifting the survivors into the Fort.

  “You did good,” Katarina said.

  Listening to the whine of the crane, Emma glanced up at the redhead. “I did what I had to.”

  “You pulled through for those survivors.”

  “It’s the first time I’ve saved people. Usually I was putting down zombies. I can’t believe we saved anyone in all that chaos. It went to shit so fast.”

  Katarina hoisted her rifle over one shoulder with a weary sigh. “That’s the reality of the world now.”

  Sitting down on the catwalk, her rifle resting on her knees, Emma stared at the towering hotel. The air smelled like burned flesh and smoke obscured the glaring sunlight overhead. She concentrated on steadying her breathing, her trembling fingers brushing over the warm metal of her weapon. The little boy’s dead gaze haunted her.

  “Did you see the kid’s face?”

  Katarina shook her head. “No. Why?”

  “He’s not alive. They had a mask on him to keep him from biting.”

  The color washing out of her ruddy face, Katarina muttered, “Shit.”

  “He can’t be let inside.”

  “I’m sure he won’t be. Nerit would never let that happen.” After a tense moment, Katarina added, “I’ll check in and see what’s up.”

  The catwalk trembled as Katarina strode away. When she started talking over the walkie-talkie, asking for the status of the mother and child, Emma wasn’t surprised. Paranoia was the standard of the world.

  Emma closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall. Though the little boy had dark skin and eyes, he’d reminded her so much of Billy. He was at that sweet age where children had chubby arms and a round tummy that felt so soft and warm when you held them close.

  “That was intense.”

  Rashmi dropped into a squat next to her and Emma opened her eyes. Ennis and Stacy were down on the other end of the catwalk.

  “To put it mildly,�
�� she replied with a weak smile.

  “You okay?”

  She shrugged. “Just a little PTSD.”

  With a somber nod, Rashmi said, “We all have it. Undiagnosed, but…the nightmares are bloody awful, aren’t they?”

  “I have new content for them now. Those razor-wire traps are scary as fuck, but I gotta say those fire traps being set so close to the wall were a bad idea.”

  “I agree. The smoke was worse than expected,” Rashmi admitted. “I’ll put that in my report when I’m off duty.”

  “Report?” Emma chuckled. “Everything here is so organized. It’s so strange.”

  “Paperwork. It exists even now.” Rashmi flashed a grin at her. “It’s damn annoying.”

  Katarina returned, the walkie-talkie clutched in her hand at her side. “I got word from Juan about that kid. They aren’t letting the mother bring him in.”

  “I can’t believe she thought we’d allow him inside the walls,” Rashmi said.

  Katarina glanced down at the walkie-talkie, her freckled face tense. “Apparently someone told her we have the cure to the zombie virus. She’s been traveling this way for months. All the way from fuckin’ Georgia.”

  Rashmi stood, an incredulous look on his face. “Georgia! Seriously? All that way?”

  “They started with a group of nearly one hundred. They thought the Fort was held by the military and that a lab here had the cure. Altogether, we rescued four. Only four!” Katarina shook her head in disbelief. “They came all this way for nothing.”

  Emma was sick to her stomach. If she’d thought there was a cure for Billy, she also would have lugged him across the country wearing a catcher’s mask. “Why would they think y’all had the cure?”

  Katrina shrugged. “Who the hell knows?” “Disinformation travels faster than you’d expect. Especially when it carries a seed of hope,” Rashmi said. “I heard about the Fort through a ham radio transmission. I only caught it once, but it was the worth the risk trying to get here. Hope is a great motivator.”

  “Hope can get you killed,” Katarina grumbled.

  Emma got to her feet. Holding her rifle with one hand, she gazed at the destruction in the street below. There were so many bodies and the stench of fresh death assailed her. “What now?”

  “We head back and leave the others to finish their scheduled duty,” Katarina answered.

  Somehow, that felt wrong. Like they were abandoning the others.

  “Nice meeting you, Emma,” Rashmi said with a firm handshake.

  It was a small comfort that his hand was trembling. If he hadn’t been affected by the battle, Emma would have been worried.

  Following Katarina back down the ladder, Emma noticed the noise level within the Fort was rising. Workers were trickling out of the buildings and machinery started up in a street nearby. The crane was silent again, having delivered its cargo to safety within the walls.

  As abruptly as the battle had started, it was over.

  The walk back to the inner wall was in silence. Emma didn’t feel like talking and Katarina seemed to be in the same state of mind. When Juan appeared at the end of the block, cowboy hat tilted back on his head, Emma wasn’t surprised. He acted like she was his responsibility. Hands on his narrow hips, he waited.

  She didn’t quicken her stride, for she needed a few more moments to herself. The child in the mask had shaken her to the core. It was only a few days ago she’d seen her sweet little boy’s face twisted into that of a snarling monster and put a bullet through his undead brain.

  “Y’all did good,” Juan called out as they approached.

  Katarina grunted. “That was all sorts of fucked.”

  Juan lifted one shoulder and winced. “Agreed, but we saved some folks.”

  Katarina stopped in front of Juan, her fingers tightening on the strap connected to her rifle. “None of them were Ed’s people, huh?”

  Emma joined them because she had no idea where to go next. It was strange to be out in the open and not fear the undead. The high wall was something that would take getting used to.

  Juan’s jaw set in a hard line and he shook his head. “Nah. The runners weren’t either according to Nerit.”

  “So how did Eddie end up a zombie and at the wall?”

  “That’s a mystery.” Juan shrugged, his gaze forlorn. “At least for now.”

  “I hate mysteries,” Katarina mumbled.

  “Well, we got one on our hands.”

  “How the fuck did Eddie get turned?” Katarina wiped her brow and stared toward the hotel. “We can’t catch a break.”

  “It’s the z-poc.” Juan directed his gaze to the wall.

  “That’s what everyone keeps sayin’. Doesn’t make it any easier.”

  Emma wanted to speak up, but hesitated. It was strange to be part of something bigger than herself. Her voice was just one of many.

  “Once we’ve got our people inside the walls and things settle down, maybe we can send a team out to look for Ed and his people.”

  “That sounds like a fool’s errand to me, Juan. If they ran into the horde, they’re gone.”

  Juan lowered his head so his hat hid his face. “We can hope for the best.”

  “But plan for the worst.” Katarina patted Emma’s shoulder. “I’ll catch you later. I need to get back to my post.”

  With a small wave, Emma said, “‘Later.”

  Silence followed Katarina’s departure.

  The world around Emma didn’t feel real. It was hard to believe she’d woken up this morning in her destroyed Airstream. She’d made a harrowing journey here only to be engaged in a battle against the undead within hours of arriving. Maybe she was passed out in her trailer, dreaming. It would explain just how fucked up everything felt, especially the child in the mask.

  “I want to say that things aren’t usually this fucked up, but I’d be lying,” Juan said after a few seconds.

  Emma shrugged, repeating what he’d said. “It’s the zombie apocalypse.”

  Juan let out a bitter grunt. “Yeah. Still, you just got here and shit has already hit the fan.”

  “I’m used to it. Sadly.”

  “I feel bad about you ending up on the frontlines right away.”

  “Don’t. It’s just how things are now.”

  Juan scuffed the toe of his boot against the asphalt and jerked his cowboy hat off to run a hand through his hair. This was clearly a nervous tick. “It’s got to get better at some point, right?”

  “If we’re lucky.” Emma hesitated then asked, “What happened to that woman and the kid?”

  Juan averted his pretty green eyes, his long lashes casting shadows over his cheeks. “That situation is fucked.”

  Anxious to know what had happened, Emma stepped toward him to catch his gaze. “Clearly. What did you do? What did you say to her?”

  Juan rubbed his bicep. The topic of conversation was unsettling and he appeared to struggle with answering. She suspected the look in his eyes was guilt. It was strangely comforting that he looked as upset as she was over the gruesome situation. “We couldn’t let her bring him inside the wall, you know.”

  Emma cocked her head to gaze up at him. “Right. So...where is she?”

  Sighing heavily, he said, “Outside the wall.”

  “You didn’t let her in?”

  “No, no. I begged her to come inside the walls, but she wouldn’t. Not without her kid.”

  “You’re shitting me.” The words slipped out before she realized it made perfect sense that the mother wouldn’t abandon her child.

  “I can’t say I blame her. She traveled all this way only to find out we don’t have a cure. I don’t know if she believes us when we tell her we don’t have one.”

  Again, Emma thought of Billy and his light-up shoes. When she’d seen those shoes glowing in the darkness of the grocery store, she would have done everything in her power to save him. Instead, she had fired her rifle and put him to rest. “That makes sense. Hope is hard to give up.”


  “We aren’t complete assholes. Nerit gave her a weapon and one of the bugout bags we keep along the wall. The mom is holing up across the street from the Fort in one of the office buildings.”

  “So what are you going to do about her?”

  Juan sighed wearily and shrugged again. “Leave her be until she comes to her senses.”

  Emma pondered the last year of her life and let out a bitter chuckle. “That might not happen. Hope is hard to give up if you’re lucky—or unlucky—enough to still have it. I hoped for months that I would find Billy alive. The night I accepted I wouldn’t have a happy ending, I was inconsolable. It took days for me to sober up.”

  With a weary look, Juan adjusted his cowboy hat on his curls. “We can’t force her inside, Emma.”

  “I agree.”

  “There’s a big ‘but’ hanging on the end of your comment.”

  “Not really. I agree with you. You can’t force her inside. It’s just that the thought of her holed up in an abandoned building with her dead child is heartbreaking. Coming all this way hoping for a cure and there’s not one. Shit. That would have destroyed me.”

  Juan pressed his lips together, nodded, and gazed off past Emma.

  “This world is shit,” Emma declared. “Absolute shit.”

  “I can’t argue with you, but we are trying to make things better for everyone within these walls.”

  Emma understood the complexity of the situation. “Why did she think there’s a cure here? Did she say?”

  “No. She freaked out when we told her we couldn’t save her kid.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Nerit is talking with the others we saved. She wants to find out where the disinformation came from. That group was nearly a hundred people when they started out from outside of Atlanta. They split apart on the way here, but a lot of them died.”

  “I can’t even imagine.”

  “It’s got me worried that maybe there are more on the way from other locations.”