The ground was dry and their feet scraped on the hard packed earth as they moved aimlessly in circles. Each waited for a crack or an opening to appear which would allow them to make their way inside. Simon worried for a moment that Dodge was right; perhaps some of the zombies out there were actually plotting a way to break through. He pushed that thought aside, finding it too hard to deal with at the moment. In the distance, Simon could see boys silhouetted against the night as they watched the things shambling below. They had bigger guns than before.
Dodge pushed open the door to the first townhouse in a long row. The entryway was warm; the night wind couldn’t penetrate the walls, and it wasn’t cold enough for the chill to work its way inside. They entered a small hallway and crossed to the living room. Dozens of candles flickered around the room, casting barely enough light to see by. Four faces turned to them as they entered. Simon was glad to see three of them. Zeke, Tech, and Tessa smiled up at him.
“Hey.” Dodge sat on an empty couch. Simon glanced at the group before sitting beside Dodge. “Simon, do you know Tommy?”
“No.” Simon shook his head. He recognized Tommy though; he was one of Matt’s crew. Simon thought he was the one Matt punched that morning, which explained why he was with Dodge.
“He has an interesting idea for where we could be safe,” Dodge said. Across from Simon, Zeke pulled the remainder of a blunt from his pocket. “Not right now,” Dodge ordered. Zeke looked confused, but put the blunt away.
“Whatever you say, boss.” Zeke leaned back on the couch, unfazed.
“Where do you think we should go?” Tessa asked, bringing everyone back on task before anything else could be said. Tommy looked at Dodge, as if he needed permission to speak.
“Go on.” Dodge nodded to Tommy.
“Yeah, alright, well,” Tommy started. Under his blond hair, the tips of his ears turned red, apparently from being the center of attention. He was fourteen or so, tall and gangly like most boys that age. “I’ve been doing some exploring around, lookin’ for food or anything interesting really. I was in one of the labs in the hospital building, and I noticed a doorway behind this bookshelf. So I pulled away the bookshelf and took a look. I didn’t open it or nothing, but I was tellin’ Dodge that if the door was hidden behind the bookshelf, then probably it was something special. Like maybe the secret labs or whatever.” Tommy smiled proudly.
“Now I like the principle of the idea,” Dodge began. Tommy’s face fell. “But for all we know it could just be an old closet. If it is something else, then Tommy might have just saved our asses.” Tommy smiled even wider at the praise.
“What if there is a mess of zombies behind there?” Tech asked, not one to let any detail slide unnoticed. He pushed his glasses up his nose. “We might be opening the door to Hell.”
“Princess has a point,” Zeke said with a nod.
Tech scowled at Zeke. “Princess?”
Zeke shrugged and grinned.
Simon shook his head. “But if there were a bunch, we should be able to hear them through the door. Shouldn’t we?” He glanced at Dodge.
Dodge nodded. “Should, unless that door’s as thick as I’m hoping it is. I’m thinking if it was hidden, then it might also be extra strong and meant to keep people out. Of course, like I said, it could just be a closet.”
“But you think it’s something else?” Tessa leaned forward, elbows on her knees and hands clasped, as she waited for Dodge’s response.
“I think so,” he finally said. “I’ve been through that whole hospital and through other parts of this base. I think it was more than any of you knew.”
“It’s a medical base,” Tech insisted. “I mean, I remember my folks bringing me here when I was sick.”
“Okay, so it’s a medical base and that’s it,” Dodge said. “Tell me why there’s such a stockpile of guns then?”
“It’s a
Dodge pushed open the door to the first townhouse in a long row. The entryway was warm; the night wind couldn’t penetrate the walls, and it wasn’t cold enough for the chill to work its way inside. They entered a small hallway and crossed to the living room. Dozens of candles flickered around the room, casting barely enough light to see by. Four faces turned to them as they entered. Simon was glad to see three of them. Zeke, Tech, and Tessa smiled up at him.
“Hey.” Dodge sat on an empty couch. Simon glanced at the group before sitting beside Dodge. “Simon, do you know Tommy?”
“No.” Simon shook his head. He recognized Tommy though; he was one of Matt’s crew. Simon thought he was the one Matt punched that morning, which explained why he was with Dodge.
“He has an interesting idea for where we could be safe,” Dodge said. Across from Simon, Zeke pulled the remainder of a blunt from his pocket. “Not right now,” Dodge ordered. Zeke looked confused, but put the blunt away.
“Whatever you say, boss.” Zeke leaned back on the couch, unfazed.
“Where do you think we should go?” Tessa asked, bringing everyone back on task before anything else could be said. Tommy looked at Dodge, as if he needed permission to speak.
“Go on.” Dodge nodded to Tommy.
“Yeah, alright, well,” Tommy started. Under his blond hair, the tips of his ears turned red, apparently from being the center of attention. He was fourteen or so, tall and gangly like most boys that age. “I’ve been doing some exploring around, lookin’ for food or anything interesting really. I was in one of the labs in the hospital building, and I noticed a doorway behind this bookshelf. So I pulled away the bookshelf and took a look. I didn’t open it or nothing, but I was tellin’ Dodge that if the door was hidden behind the bookshelf, then probably it was something special. Like maybe the secret labs or whatever.” Tommy smiled proudly.
“Now I like the principle of the idea,” Dodge began. Tommy’s face fell. “But for all we know it could just be an old closet. If it is something else, then Tommy might have just saved our asses.” Tommy smiled even wider at the praise.
“What if there is a mess of zombies behind there?” Tech asked, not one to let any detail slide unnoticed. He pushed his glasses up his nose. “We might be opening the door to Hell.”
“Princess has a point,” Zeke said with a nod.
Tech scowled at Zeke. “Princess?”
Zeke shrugged and grinned.
Simon shook his head. “But if there were a bunch, we should be able to hear them through the door. Shouldn’t we?” He glanced at Dodge.
Dodge nodded. “Should, unless that door’s as thick as I’m hoping it is. I’m thinking if it was hidden, then it might also be extra strong and meant to keep people out. Of course, like I said, it could just be a closet.”
“But you think it’s something else?” Tessa leaned forward, elbows on her knees and hands clasped, as she waited for Dodge’s response.
“I think so,” he finally said. “I’ve been through that whole hospital and through other parts of this base. I think it was more than any of you knew.”
“It’s a medical base,” Tech insisted. “I mean, I remember my folks bringing me here when I was sick.”
“Okay, so it’s a medical base and that’s it,” Dodge said. “Tell me why there’s such a stockpile of guns then?”
“It’s a