He scratched his chin. “I’ve been thinking about that nonstop.”
At that moment they heard a cart down the hall, its wheels squeaking as it moved along.
“I think Joel is coming.” She said, glancing around the corner of the dining room door.
Joel had parked the cart in front of the dining room door. “I’ve been gathering the cans of disinfectant, air freshener and anything else he could find to use for mini flame throwers. I think I’ve wiped out the janitor closets, though. I think I’m going to check in the basement.”
“I’ll go with you,” Julie said. “You may need an extra pair of hands if you find a lot of cans.”
“Take your phones,” Rob said. “We may as well try these things out before we’re in a situation where we really need them.”
She followed Joel down the hall, knowing his task of gathering cans was just a way to keep his mind off everything else. If the dead got inside the place, the cans wouldn’t be enough to save them from death.
“Let’s look for the cans and get back up here,” He said. “It’s creepy downstairs.”
“Don’t be such a chicken,” she said as they started down the stairs and into the dark at the bottom of the steps. “Is there a light switch down here, somewhere?”
He turned on the lights with the switch at the bottom of the stairs, illuminating the large basement. They walked over to the door with the black sign that read “Storage Room” in white letters. He walked in and returned with a smile.
“Jackpot!” he exclaimed looking at the shelving unit filled with aerosol cans of various flammables. “It’s an arson’s dream.”
“Is that what you wanted to be when you grew up?”
“Who says I’ll ever grow up?”
“Yeah, typical guy.”
They began tossing the cans out of the small room and into the center of the floor. She was amazed at how many they’d found. Whether or not they would be of any real help remained to be seen.
“How are we going to get all these upstairs?” She asked.
“There’s a small elevator over there,” He said. “We can toss the cans in there and take them all up at once.”
Julie looked along the wall, feeling a chill as she took in the sight of the spider webs and the layer of dust. She noticed a big metal door on the far wall.
She pointed to the door as Joel came out of the room. “What’s that over there?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Let’s check it out.”
They went over to the door and Joel pulled it open slowly, peeking around slowly to what was behind it. She waited with growing impatience as he continued to look around beyond the metal door.
“It’s a little hallway,” he finally said. “There is a door at the end. I bet that goes to the outside.”
“Open it and see,” Julie said.
He walked down the hall and cracked the door open just enough to look beyond. After looking around for a moment he closed the door gently and walked back to the basement. She waited for him to close the inner door before questioning him.
“Did it lead outside?”
“Yeah, and the coast was clear,” he said, sounding as though he could hardly believe it. “There wasn’t a corpse in site. It leads right to the woods.”
“We better tell the sheriff,” she said, a glimmer of hope entering her thoughts. “We may have just found a way out of here.”
They loaded the last of the aerosol cans into the elevator and headed up to find Rob.
* * * *
Rob had opened the door a little and looked around to make sure there were no dead roaming about. He was glad to see that there were not even any footprints around on the ground out here. It appeared that the dead hadn’t realized there was a back yard to this place.
The parking lot was on three sides of the building, but the back yard was where they kept a tool shed and a small garage for the lawn tractor and the weed whacker. He noticed there was a fence on either side of the back yard where the parking lot connected.
“What do you think?” Joel asked.
“I think you should have called me down here with your new phones,” Rob said. “We were going to try them out. It would have saved you a few steps.”
“Sorry,” Joel said. “I have to get used to having it on me.”
“What do you think of the way out?” Julie asked.
“I think if we go into those trees, about a hundred yards to the other side is old man Brenner’s place,” Rob replied thoughtfully.
“Who’s old man Brenner?” Julie asked.
“He’s a guy who has a motorboat,” Rob answered.
“No shit?” Joel asked.
“No shit,” Rob confirmed. “If we push that boat into the water, we can head out of town by way of the river and the dead won’t be able to get to us. With all the rain we’ve gotten, the river is up pretty high, and it’s fairly wide, as well.”
“I like the sound of that,” Joel said.
“His boat is not very big, but we should be able to pile in if we don’t mind being in tight quarters for a little while.” Rob thought out loud. “I think we should get everyone together and leave just before it gets dark. The lights inside the hotel may keep them occupied while we get away.”
“Some of us can use the cans and lighters to burn up any of them we come into contact with,” Joel added.
“I think we may have just gotten the break we need,” Julie said. “All we have to do is get through the trees and we will be home free.”
“I’m going to go call Sargent Perkins and tell him our plan so they can watch for us when we reach them,” Rob said and headed for the stairs. “We may get out of this alive, after all.”
* * * *
Helen stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. She walked out to the bed and slipped on the bathrobe Emily had gotten out of the shop downstairs for her when they brought her up to the room last night. She looked in the mirror to make sure the assault she had suffered had not left any damaging marks on her face or any visible area of her head.
She ran the brush through her hair, working out the tangles, glad she was no longer finding blood in her hair. She thought about whether or not she would be able to run if they had to make a break for it. She was feeling better after the shower, but she still got a little dizzy if he moved too fast. There was still a dull throb in the back of her head, but she would take some aspirin when she went to get her drink.
“Feeling better?” her mother asked her as she came out of the bathroom.
“Much better,” Helen said. “I feel pretty lucky to be alive.”
“You’re extremely lucky. Thank God that boy was paying attention.”
“I’m feeling a little hungry, too. I think I may see if there is anything to munch on while I’m down there.”
“Do you want me to come down with you?” her mother asked.
“No thanks, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be down shortly. While you were asleep, the sheriff said we were meeting in the dining room for some announcement.”
She walked outside the room, looking down to see the spots of blood staining the carpet. She had left the mark of her attack splattered here and there and no amount of cleaning would erase from the floor or her memory. Even though she did not remember the actual attack, the knowledge of what happened would stay with her.
She saw the fire extinguisher still lying on its side next to the wall where Margie had discarded it. She thought about how lucky she was not to suffer permanent damage from the metal against her skull.
She started down the stairs toward the dining area, noticing that the place seemed quiet, even though it was still daylight. She was sure there would be people wandering about downstairs, smoking cigarettes and passing the time with any conversation they could muster. The place was quiet as a tomb.
She turned the corner into the dining room and was surprised to see Joel sitting at a table. She was not sure what to say to him
, the man who had saved her from death, but she took a deep breath and headed over to the table to talk to him.
Joel was drinking a cup of coffee and looking over the notes again when she approached. He didn’t seem to hear Helen walk up until she was standing over the table, looking down at him.
“Mind if I sit down?” she asked.
“Sure, please, have a seat.”
“Why do you keep reading that book?”
“I am trying to find anything I may have missed that could help us with this situation. Right now, I’m debating about whether or not to burn the fucking thing.”
“Can I ask you something and get an honest answer?”
He looked up at her, setting the notebook down. “Of course.”
“We’re going to die in this hotel, aren’t we?”
He smiled at her for a moment before answering. “Actually, we’re getting out of here tonight.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Rob walked into the dining room, seeing that almost everyone was already seated and talking while they ate. He smiled at Rita as he picked up a plate of food and filled a cup with coffee. He was glad to see everyone had responded to his request that they all meet. He was surprised to see that Rita had made sandwiches and coffee for the group. No one had seemed to have much of an appetite since this whole event had started.
“You must be right in your element here,” he said.
“Are you saying women belong in the kitchen, Sheriff?” she teased.
“Not at all,” he said, stammering when he realized how it sounded. “I just meant because you worked in the diner for the last few years.”
“At least I’m able to make myself useful,” She smiled. “We’ve all been at our wit’s ends without anything to do here but watch the dead outside.”
“Where is Julie?” he looked around the dining room. “I wanted everyone here.”
“She and Joel aren’t here.”
“I sent Joel to get some rest. He hasn’t slept since this started and I may need him. Did she go with him?”
“I guess so.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “They already know what I wanted to discuss.”
“What are you planning to discuss?”
“Well, I think we may have found a way out of here.”
Her eyes lit up. “Are you serious?”
“I think so. I want to let everyone know so we can all be ready tonight.”
“Did I hear you right, Sheriff?” Doctor Blake asked. “We’re getting out?”
The entire room fell silent as everyone seemed to have heard Doctor Blake. Rob signaled them all to remain calm and remain seated.
“We found a back way out of here down in the basement,” Rob said. “We can get to the woods that way and then to the Brenner place. There is a motor boat there and we can get it into the water where the dead cannot reach us. Then we just ride on out of town.”
“What about the dead getting into the back yard?” Lorraine asked.
“The back yard is fenced off,” Rob assured her. “I am surprised we didn’t find it before.”
“I never go down there,” Emily said. “It was too creepy down there for me.”
“Same with me,” Ron agreed. “I have never been down there.”
“Well, we are all going out that way tonight,” Rob said. “It is our best chance of escape. That’s why I wanted you all here. I think we owe a big thanks to Rita for preparing the sandwiches. With everyone rested up and fed, we can remain alert and watch each others’ backs.”
“I thought I was never going to see my wife and kids again,” James said. “This is the best news I have heard since we got here.”
“Eat up everyone, then get packing.” Rob smiled at the faces all looking at him. “Make sure you all got your phones and have them charges, in case we get separated. This evening, we leave.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The sound of the glass breaking woke Joel up from his sleep. Sitting straight up in bed, he glanced around in the dim light. He tried to still his breathing, listening for any other sounds. It was quiet for the moment, but he had an uneasy feeling he couldn’t shake. He looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was only six-thirty. He had only been asleep for about half an hour.
“What’s wrong?” Julie asked beside him, still half asleep, but stirred from her slumber by Joel’s movement.
He’d nearly forgotten she was there. She had walked to the room with him to make sure he went to bed and ended up staying. She seemed to cling to him lately, both of them unsure they would be alive from one day to the next. He found he didn’t mind it at all. In fact, he liked having her around more. This was his indication that his perspective was changing, and possibly hers.
“I thought I heard something, that’s all,” he whispered, rubbing her arm gently in an attempt to reassure her everything was fine.
“Should we go check it out?” she asked, suddenly awake and sitting up next to him.
“No, you should go back to sleep.”
He smiled at her as he got out of bed and walked to the window, attempting to keep her calm. He pulled back the curtain and looked outside at the mass of the dead, gathering closer to the building than they had been. He tried to look off to the side at the door, but it was out of his line of view. He could see the dead in the parking lot, but he could not see the ones closer to the building.
“I think I might take a quick look in the lobby,” he told her as he turned away from the window to find her standing next to the bed.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
“I’m going downstairs with you,” she said.
“I would feel safer with you in here behind a locked door.”
“And I would feel better if I can watch your back.”
“Just be careful,” he warned as they headed out the door.
They walked down the hall slowly, trying to keep their feet from making any noise on the floor. They started toward the lobby and the sound he’d heard before.
“Do you want to let the sheriff know?” She asked.
“I want to check the lobby before we get them stirred up,” he said. “I want to make sure I am not just hearing things.”
They crept into the entryway to the lobby, Joel peeking around the corner before entering. What he saw brought him to an abrupt halt, holding his breath as he pulled himself back behind the wall. He moved slowly, trying not to make a sound. His mouth was dry and he tried to swallow, praying it was a dream, but he knew deep inside that this was real.
“What’s wrong?” Julie whispered.
“They’re in,” he whispered back. “They broke the glass Door and they’re getting into the lobby.”
Her eyes widened. “Can we push them back and seal the door up again?”
“There are too many of them,” he said. “We have to get to the office and warn Rob and James. We have to get everyone to safety.”
“Are we going to be able to get away from here?”
“I don’t know.” He answered as he looked around for anything helpful.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her bolt to the opposite wall, stopping in front of the fire alarm. She opened the plastic guard and yanked the handle down. The sound of the bells was so loud it was sure to alert everyone, warning them that there was danger.
“Damn good thinking!” Joel said.
“Let’s get to the others,” She said, grabbing his hand. “Hopefully, the alarm will throw the dead off.”
They ran down the hall toward the office, trying to keep their footsteps as light as possible. They were almost to there Joel saw more of the dead coming from the other end of the hall, shuffling along toward them.
“Where did they come from?” Julie asked, her voice nearly cracking in fear.
“They must have come down the hall on the other side of the lobby,” Joel said. “We need to get to the stairs. Getting off this floor is the only chance we have.”
Th
ey saw Reverend Brighton and Doctor Blake emerge from the office, looking past them at the mob of zombies moving toward them. There were more of them joining the group that Joel and Julie had seen only seconds ago. Behind them, he could hear the others coming up the hall.
They were blocked in from both sides.
Ahead of them, they saw James an Emily bolt out of the office, looking down both sides of the hallway. James had his gun drawn, though Joel knew it would do no good against the horde of the dead now surrounding them.
“Emily, call Rob,” James ordered before looking to Joel and Julie. “Where did they get in?”
“They got in through the lobby door,” Joel said. “They broke the glass.”
“Rob’s getting everyone ready,” Emily hollered at them, snapping her phone shut and ending a call to the sheriff. “He said they are already on their way here from the other hallway. He said to take the fire stairs to the second floor. From there, we can take the elevator to the basement.”
“Why go up the stairs first?” Joel asked.
“To keep the dead from seeing us go down the stairs here,” she said. “He’s hoping it will buy us some time when we get down there.”
They ran through the door to the fire stairs and began their ascent, taking the steps two at a time. Joel saw Rob and Helen already on the stairway near the second floor, followed by Jane, Hannah, Lorraine and Rita. Helen was standing at the door when Joel finally arrived.
Joel got to the door and ran through, trying to help anyone who may have already reached the second floor. He watched as the dead flooded the second-floor hallway, overcoming Ron and Bill, tearing into their flesh with their teeth and ripping off chunks of bloody tissues. Bill tried to struggle free, crawling slowly across the floor with three of the zombies on top of him, shredding his back and sides. Bill screamed in agony, blood leaking out of his mouth and running down his chin as one of the dead tore deep into his back and puncturing his lung. He fought only a few seconds more before he finally stopped moving.
Ron was up against the wall, the dead tearing at his abdomen and causing his intestines to spill out of the gaping hole and down the front of his pants. He tried to hold his inside up off the floor, but the dead were biting his arms and shoulders until he finally dropped his entrails and fell forward. He coughed up blood onto the carpet before he finally ceased his breathing.
Threshold Series (Book 1): Threshold Page 18