own child, but not the loss of Gus. I tried to rationalize my feelings by telling myself that it was only because I didn’t know my own baby yet. Gus, however, I knew deeply. Lost in thought, I startled when Boggs crouched down beside me. I looked at him somewhat blankly.
“Zo, we found a door in the back of the shop. It’s locked, but Nate’s working on getting it open. It looks like it probably leads to the vet’s office. Nate and I want to take you in first, and leave Susan here with the girls and Gus. We only want to move him once.”
“You mean go in to clear the place, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Ok.”
I could hear Nathan fiddling with something metal and hoped it wouldn’t get any louder, knowing the noise would catch the attention of the dead.
“The vet’s office didn’t look too big from the outside. Maybe two or three times the size of this place. So, hopefully it won’t take long.”
Before standing, I held a hand up, silently asking Boggs for help. He took my hand more than willingly, and kept hold of it even after I was steady on my feet.
“Let’s go,” I whispered. I was hesitant to speak at a normal volume.
He squeezed my hand and we walked quickly to the back. Nathan was just finishing removing the door knob.
“Ok, Susan, I want you to block the door once we’re through. You’ll need to push that file cabinet over after we go in just in case the building’s infested. If it’s heavy have Abbey help.”
“Ok, no problem. Just be careful.”
“Alright. Let’s go,” said Boggs.
“Before we head in, keep in mind that gunfire will draw the bastards back here,” said Nate as a warning to me and Boggs. He opened the door then stepped back quickly, lest anything jump out at us.
We were met with lighting much less bright than what was filtering into the smoke shop, and the smell of staleness. All was quiet within, so far as we could tell. Nathan stepped forward, into the building beyond. I followed with a hammer in one hand and my pistol in the other. Boggs brought up the rear. We progressed slowly, letting our eyes adjust to the dim light. We were standing in a hallway that was decorated in hues of light yellow. The floor was shiny tile and pictures of exotic animals were hung on the walls. A cardboard display for dog food was at the far end, where the back of the building would be. I counted four doors in all, each labeled “EXAM 1” and so forth. As we began walking I heard the door behind us shut and the sound of the file cabinet being dragged across the floor. Nathan signaled to us that he was about to open the door to the first exam room. We both readied our ‘silent’ weapons and waited. The door opened inward, revealing a small room that was bathed in darkness. Nathan had a flashlight in hand, and shined it about. There was a metal examination table and a small counter that had a few glass jars full of supplies next to a sink. It was void of any living dead. We repeated this with the other three rooms, which were all copies of the first. Each had a second door against the back wall. Now at the far end of the hall, we were in the lobby. The windows on the front wall were covered in soft beige accordion blinds that were thankfully fully closed. Beneath the window were several cushioned chairs, a coffee table covered in old magazines, and a corner table with a lamp that was shaped like a cat and topped with a soft sage green shade. The lamp was actually quite tacky compared to the rest of the décor. Opposite the seats stood a large curved reception desk. The dark speckled granite counter top held several jars of dog treat samples, advertisements for flea control, and a clipboard with a sign-in sheet. The last entry had been made the day before the dead had risen. 4:30pm, Abraham Baker, dog, Alistair, surgery. I surmised that the dog was named Alistair.
“I’m going to head behind the desk,” whispered Boggs. “You and Zoe should clear the bathroom.”
To the
“Zo, we found a door in the back of the shop. It’s locked, but Nate’s working on getting it open. It looks like it probably leads to the vet’s office. Nate and I want to take you in first, and leave Susan here with the girls and Gus. We only want to move him once.”
“You mean go in to clear the place, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Ok.”
I could hear Nathan fiddling with something metal and hoped it wouldn’t get any louder, knowing the noise would catch the attention of the dead.
“The vet’s office didn’t look too big from the outside. Maybe two or three times the size of this place. So, hopefully it won’t take long.”
Before standing, I held a hand up, silently asking Boggs for help. He took my hand more than willingly, and kept hold of it even after I was steady on my feet.
“Let’s go,” I whispered. I was hesitant to speak at a normal volume.
He squeezed my hand and we walked quickly to the back. Nathan was just finishing removing the door knob.
“Ok, Susan, I want you to block the door once we’re through. You’ll need to push that file cabinet over after we go in just in case the building’s infested. If it’s heavy have Abbey help.”
“Ok, no problem. Just be careful.”
“Alright. Let’s go,” said Boggs.
“Before we head in, keep in mind that gunfire will draw the bastards back here,” said Nate as a warning to me and Boggs. He opened the door then stepped back quickly, lest anything jump out at us.
We were met with lighting much less bright than what was filtering into the smoke shop, and the smell of staleness. All was quiet within, so far as we could tell. Nathan stepped forward, into the building beyond. I followed with a hammer in one hand and my pistol in the other. Boggs brought up the rear. We progressed slowly, letting our eyes adjust to the dim light. We were standing in a hallway that was decorated in hues of light yellow. The floor was shiny tile and pictures of exotic animals were hung on the walls. A cardboard display for dog food was at the far end, where the back of the building would be. I counted four doors in all, each labeled “EXAM 1” and so forth. As we began walking I heard the door behind us shut and the sound of the file cabinet being dragged across the floor. Nathan signaled to us that he was about to open the door to the first exam room. We both readied our ‘silent’ weapons and waited. The door opened inward, revealing a small room that was bathed in darkness. Nathan had a flashlight in hand, and shined it about. There was a metal examination table and a small counter that had a few glass jars full of supplies next to a sink. It was void of any living dead. We repeated this with the other three rooms, which were all copies of the first. Each had a second door against the back wall. Now at the far end of the hall, we were in the lobby. The windows on the front wall were covered in soft beige accordion blinds that were thankfully fully closed. Beneath the window were several cushioned chairs, a coffee table covered in old magazines, and a corner table with a lamp that was shaped like a cat and topped with a soft sage green shade. The lamp was actually quite tacky compared to the rest of the décor. Opposite the seats stood a large curved reception desk. The dark speckled granite counter top held several jars of dog treat samples, advertisements for flea control, and a clipboard with a sign-in sheet. The last entry had been made the day before the dead had risen. 4:30pm, Abraham Baker, dog, Alistair, surgery. I surmised that the dog was named Alistair.
“I’m going to head behind the desk,” whispered Boggs. “You and Zoe should clear the bathroom.”
To the
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