She hiked her rifle on her shoulder and pulled Morgan from the chair.
"There's no place to run," he said.
She pushed him in front of her. "Move. Down the hall."
He shrugged and lumbered down the hallway and around the corner. She stopped him at a door with a sign that read "Roof Access."
Morgan laughed. "This is your plan? What are you going to do, jump?"
She pulled his cuffed hands up, stretching the ligaments in his shoulders. He cried out. "Maybe I'm going up there to push you off. Ever think of that?"
Pulling the door open, she shoved him through. Truth is, I have no idea what I'm doing. But one thing I've learned in the last month is there are always ways out if you look for them.
They reached the roof and the door slammed shut behind them. "Sit," she said.
Morgan sat, cross-legged, watching her with interest, but keeping his mouth shut.
Jen ran to the far corner. No roofs close enough to jump onto. She checked out each corner in turn, with the same result.
I really screwed this one up. Should've made sure I had a escape route when I chose the building. Mark would've done that.
Movement caught her attention. The figure in uniform walked, head down, across the roof of the financial building. It took slow, purposeful steps, and stopped opposite from Jen. She walked to the edge of the roof to get a better look. It lifted its head.
Grant.
Grant's yellow eyes bore into hers. Without a movement or a word from him, the other buildings emptied and the zombies dashed into hers.
Jen unslung the rifle from her shoulder and aimed it at Grant. He stood unmoving, but quivered in her sights as she fought to control her breathing.
It's not Grant anymore. It's Butler's tool.
Banging came from the door. Not much time. She dropped to a knee, propping an elbow on a kneecap to steady herself. She took a deep breath, aimed, and let out half her breath. Faces flashed through her mind: her father, Doc, Chris. Tears welled in her eyes. I'm sorry, Grant. She squeezed the trigger and the bullet went through Grant's left eye and blew his zombie brains and pieces of the shattered helmet across the rooftop. He wavered for a second, then flopped onto his back, disappearing behind the roof's raised edge.
She swallowed. All he wanted was to get back to Kodiak to check on his family.
Zombies in the street stopped in their tracks, then shuffled aimlessly. Many wandered onto the street from her building.
She turned toward Morgan, who sat with his head hung. "Guess you assholes didn't think about someone taking out your leaders," she said. "Pretty easy fix."
Jen keyed the mic. "Uh, Butler. I think your dastardly plan to conquer the world has hit a snag."
The radio remained silent. Jen shoved the mic toward Morgan. "Maybe you better tell him."
She keyed the mic. "Butler, this is Morgan. She shot the leader. All the drones will return to their default behavior."
"What the hell does that mean?" Butler's voice was laced with fury.
"They'll wander around until they spot a meal, or there's some other disturbance," Morgan said.
Jen took the mic. "Not too smart, Butt head. Should've kept your general in the rear, where he was safe."
Morgan's head drooped forward. Time to press the advantage. "How about that prisoner swap? Seems like you're out of options."
Come on, Butler. Come on.
"One hour," Butler said. "Hotel. I'll be there."
"Roger Dodger." Jen switched back to the main radio channel to hear the normal chatter. She grinned at Morgan. "Let's listen in for a while."
Something banged against the rooftop door. Jen pulled her axe. The door rattled with the next blow, and Jen pressed her ear to it. One, maybe two zombies. Better to take them out before they drew a crowd.
Morgan scooted away from the door, his eyes wide.
Jen took several steps backward and laid her rifle on the ground before taking a stance next to the door. Grasping the handle, she took a deep breath. One, two, three.
She swung the door open and four zombies fell onto the roof. She glanced inside and confirmed none remained, so she slammed the door shut and spun to face the threat.
A middle-aged man in a business suit charged her. She swung, but missed his head, the axe biting into his neck and knocking him down.
Two other zombies approached from opposite sides. She feinted at one, using the momentum to bury the axe into the bridge of the other zombie's nose. It stumbled backward, but didn't fall.
Shit.
Morgan screamed. Jen glanced his way. The fourth zombie shambled toward him as he slid his ass across the rooftop.
The businessman had regained his feet and raced toward her, the other two zombies coming at her again from the sides.
On pure instinct, she swung and caught the businessman in the temple at the same time she ducked and spun, causing one of her attackers to rush by and slam into the other one.
The businessman fell to the ground and lay still. The other two attempted to untangle their limbs, but Jen made quick work of them.
Morgan's screams went up an octave. The last zombie had him by the leg and pulled him toward his snapping jaws.
Jen dashed toward the zombie and tackled it just as it lifted Morgan's leg to its mouth. Jen lost her grip on the axe and it skittered away. She jumped to her feet and scrambled for it as the zombie gave chase a few feet behind. Jen leapt for the axe, rolled, and swung it upward, catching the zombie on the chin and ruining its jaw.
It grasped her leg and went for the meal. Jen kicked at it with her other leg, loosening its grip. Jumping to her feet, she swung and split the zombie's forehead. It flopped to the ground.
Panting, Jen stumbled to Morgan, who lay on his side facing away from her.
"I took care of it," she said. "Now you and I need to get ready for the trade."
Morgan rolled over and glowered at her with yellow eyes.
30
Jen kicked Morgan onto his stomach and pulled him up by his cuffed hands. His pant leg rolled up, exposing an oozing bite wound on his ankle. Morgan kicked and twisted, but was no match for her. "You're still a little guy. It's not like the movies where zombies have super strength and shit."
She brought him to the edge of the roof and scoped out the street. A few groups of zombies bunched together and wandered, but most of them had left in search of food.
She pulled him back. "What the hell am I going to to do with you now? Butler will never make the trade."
A pipe ran up the side of the raised rooftop entry, leaving an inch between it and the wall. Jen slammed Morgan into it and removed her belt. She looped it through Morgan's cuffed hands and around the pipe before fastening it tightly.
She stepped back to admire her handiwork. Morgan growled and snapped his jaws, but stayed put. Jen left him and walked down the stairs to the top floor.
The desks she'd piled in front of the stairway door lay askew like a child's blocks. A single zombie rushed out of the doorway and bore down on her. Its silky blonde hair, missing tufts from its bloody scalp, flew in the breeze.
Jen stepped into its path, brought the axe down, and sent the zombie to its rest. She closed the stairway door and restacked the desks.
In one office, she found a huge purse sitting on a desk lined with pictures of children, old people, and cats. Lots of cats. Jen emptied the purse on the desk. A wallet with an ID of a gray-haired lady with deep dimples fell out. Jen left it all and headed for the roof with the purse in hand.
Morgan still struggled against his bonds, and moaned pitifully. "I need to keep you a secret just long enough to make the trade," Jen said. "Then I don't give a shit if he knows you're dead."
She pulled the upside-down purse over Morgan's head. It covered him down to his chest. Morgan stopped struggling and stood silently.
"I've seen you assholes get quieter in the dark," she said, "but I didn't expect this to work that good."
She tuned the
radio to the main military frequency. Chatter erupted from it. "Echo Five to base. Copy we're downtown Spokane. Setting up position as ordered."
Jen looked up and down the street. There. A Humvee idled three blocks away.
She wandered back to Morgan. "Looks like your boss thinks he's smart."
More voices on the radio reported positions. Did he bring his whole army?
All of the signals were strong. They were all around her. Butler had laid a trap.
The distant sound of rotors came from the west. Jen stood on the eastern side of the raised rooftop entry and watched a dot in the distance. She changed the channel back to thirty-two.
"Command One to Jen. Do you read?"
"Copy," she said.
"Approaching the hotel rooftop with your friends. ETA three minutes."
Jen checked her weapons' loads and the rooftop door. Secure.
She scanned the neighboring rooftops for leaders or snipers, but found no sign of either.
The soft thup thup of the rotors got louder as the helicopter grew in size. It approached the hotel building.
Jen keyed her mic. "Two buildings to your right."
She stepped out from cover and waved at the Blackhawk. It changed course and landed on the far side of the roof. Only the pilot was visible. He hit some switches and the rotors slowed. Jen took cover behind Morgan and aimed at the helicopter's door as it slid open.
Butler climbed out, his pistol to the head of a bound and gagged Mark, the visible parts of his face crimson. Zeke jumped down next to them, his legs tied as well as his hands.
Not so dumb. Zeke could probably kick the shit out of him with his hands tied.
"No bullshit," she called out. "I'll put a bullet in his head if I even think you're going to pull something."
Butler pushed Mark forward and Zeke hopped next to him. "I don't need tricks. Once I get Morgan back, he'll work up another helmet. I've got plenty of leaders to send out and I'll have ten thousand zombies out here tracking you down."
Jen pressed the pistol barrel into Morgan's head. He stirred. She let off on the pressure. "Then maybe I should just take Morgan out now."
Butler shrugged, then licked his lips. Son of a bitch wants me to think he doesn't give a shit, but he can't hide it.
"You could do that," he said. "But I'm betting you won't. Your odds of escaping suck, but at least you have a chance if you make the exchange."
And your mad scientist is useless to you now.
Jen cut Morgan's zip ties, praying that he didn't start grabbing at her. "Untie them and we'll send them over at the same time."
A knife appeared in Butler's hand. "Back up to me," he said to Zeke. Zeke hopped backward and Butler leaned down and sawed through the ropes around his ankles, but kept his pistol pressed into Mark's back. "Don't try shit or your buddy here dies."
He cut Zeke's wrists loose and the ninja removed his gag. Butler pointed the knife to a spot twenty feet to his side. "Move your ass."
Zeke sauntered over to the spot and turned back, rubbing his wrists. Of all of us up here, he's got the biggest balls.
Butler freed Mark and shoved him forward. "Let's get this done."
Jen guided Morgan forward while Mark and Zeke walked toward her.
"Not you, girl." Butler pointed his pistol at Mark. "Just the hostages."
Shit. What if Morgan just stands there? She released Morgan's arm and backed away. Mark and Zeke continued toward her, but Morgan didn't move.
"What's wrong with him?" Butler asked. "Morgan?"
"I had to sedate him," Jen said. "He was freaking out and attracting zombie attention, so I found some pills and gave him a couple."
Butler stepped forward, waving his gun at her. "All of you get back."
Jen nodded at Mark and Zeke, and they moved back to the rooftop door.
Butler approached Morgan. "Come on, Morgan. Our ride's waiting."
He pulled the purse off Morgan's head and froze. Jen couldn't see Morgan's face, but Butler's bug-eyed expression told her all she needed to know.
Mark and Zeke looked at her, their eyes questioning. She shrugged. "Morgan got bit."
Morgan sprung at Butler, who pushed him to the side.
Jen knelt into a firing position and put a round in Butler's midsection. He stumbled backward, his arms splayed.
The helicopter started up. Jen aimed at the pilot through the glass. "Shut it down," she yelled.
The pilot ignored her and the rotors sped up. She moved closer. "Last chance," she yelled.
A hand grabbed hers and pulled upward, the pistol aiming to the sky. "No," Mark said. "We don't kill soldiers that aren't trying to kill us."
"Butler," Jen said. Mark released her. She aimed her pistol back at Butler. He teetered on the edge of the roof, a red stain spreading over his shirt. Morgan crept toward him like a leopard stalking its prey.
"This is for Grant, you asshole." Jen squeezed the trigger and the gun fired just as Morgan leapt at Butler. The bullet slammed into Butler's chest and he tumbled off the roof. Morgan couldn't stop his leap and disappeared over the side.
The Blackhawk hovered over the hotel as Jen rushed to where Butler and Morgan had fallen. Butler's body lay across the crumpled roof of a car, his head hanging over the side. Morgan lay unmoving on the sidewalk, a dark red splat on the pavement around his head.
Mark grabbed her arm. "We've got to go. I don't know what's going on, but that damn helicopter is tracking us."
Jen handed Mark her rifle. "You're a better shot than me. I might actually shoot the pilot."
Mark jacked a round into the chamber, took aim, and fired at the helicopter. A crack appeared in the windshield a foot from the pilot. The helicopter spun and raced back in the direction of base.
Zeke ran up, Jen's radio in his hand. "Listen to this."
Broken chatter came from the radio, mostly units reporting readiness and being in position. A voice broke through. "This is Hotel Three to all units. Command One is down. I repeat, Command One is down and unrecoverable. His last orders are to implement Operation Smoke Out. I repeat. All ground and air units are to implement Operation Smoke Out immediately."
Crackles and more broken voices came over the air before one broke through. "Echo Two to Echo teams, let's go get the bastards that killed the colonel."
Mark frowned. "We're in the shit."
Jen let out a mirthless chuckle. "I think we're permanent residents."
"Guys," Zeke said. "Come here."
Jen turned to Zeke, who stood at the roof's edge looking down. "What?"
Zeke pointed to the sidewalk. "I see Morgan, but where's Butler?"
Jen squinted at the empty indent in the car's roof. "Are you shitting me?"
31
Jen looked at Mark. "That son of a bitch didn't damage his head." She stalked toward the door.
Mark grabbed her arm. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Let me go. I'm going to finish what I started."
Mark released her. "We've got bigger things to worry about than your revenge against Butler."
She poked him in the chest. "You didn't have to shoot Grant."
Zeke's mouth dropped open. "You shot Grant? Did you kill him?"
Jen squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the heels of her hands into her temples. "No. I mean, yes. But really Butler did." She opened her eyes and tears raced down her face. "They made him a leader and sent him after me. There were thousands of drones in this building, and Grant stood over there." She pointed at the roof across the road, Grant's body out of sight behind the raised edge. "Only way I could stop them was to take Grant out."
Mark's voice softened. "We didn't know that, but it doesn't change anything. We need to get to Atlanta and brief Dr. Cartwright on the latest mutations."
"He's right," Zeke said. "If we destroy the zombies, that'll mean Butler, too."
Jen bit her lip. It's not like Butler's downstairs waiting for me. "OK. Let's get to the Humvee."
Mark put up a
hand. "Wait." He tilted his head, then ran to the roof's edge. He ducked and clambered back to them.
"Ground troops coming down the road. Humvees, armored carriers, and ground pounders. Looks to be five, six hundred."
"They know where we are." Jen clasped the door handle. "Come on."
Mark ran to her, but Zeke stood, overlooking the street. "You're gonna want to see this."
Jen joined Zeke and her legs almost gave out. Everywhere for two square blocks, the street and sidewalk had filled with zombies.
"How they hell did that happen so fast?" Mark asked.
Jen pointed below. The zombies pushed into their building. "They know we're here, too. Are these damn things evolving again? It's like they don't need Butler pulling the strings anymore."
"Where do we go?" Zeke asked.
Mark raced to the door and opened it. "They're coming up. There's a ton of them."
Nowhere to jump. Can't fight them. And no way down while they're on the stairs.
Jen snapped her fingers. "Why didn't I think of it before? Follow me."
She ran down the stairs to the sixth floor with Zeke and Mark on her heels and dashed into the hallway, stopping at the elevator doors. She tried to pull them apart. Damn doors didn't move. "Help."
Mark and Zeke stepped up and together the three of them pulled the doors open a few feet.
Jen turned on her flashlight and shined it down the shaft. The top of the elevator sat three floors below.
"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" Mark asked.
Zeke stood in the doorway, rocked his arms a few times, and leapt into the shaft, grabbing the cable. Like a natural, he shimmied his way down to the car.
"OK, now you're just showing off," Jen said.
A crash in the stairway nearly stopped her heart. She stepped inside the elevator doors, balancing on the narrow ledge. "Unless you have a better idea, it's now or never."
Mark slid in next to her and shined his light on the cable. "You first. When you get to the elevator car, you can give me light."
Zombie Uprising Series (Book 3): The Citadel Page 14