didn’t pull the trigger for fear of hitting Madison who was
shrinking away from the grasping hands of the infected. Lindsey stepped
protectively in front of her little sister, but was knocked aside as the female
lunged and grabbed onto Madison’s arm. Holstering her pistol, Rachel raised
the shovel over her head and charged.
“Get away from her, you bitch!” She screamed as she stepped
in and swung with every bit of strength, fear and frustration she possessed.
The edge of the metal head of the shovel impacted the crown of the female’s
head, crushing deep into her skull and sending her crashing to the floor.
Panting, Rachel looked around to make sure they were safe,
then dropped the shovel and dashed to Madison, folding her up in her arms. The
small girl was crying and wrapped her arms around Rachel’s neck. Holding her
arm out, Rachel gathered Lindsey in and held both of them as they cried. Dog
had killed the female he had fought and quickly sniffed the other two to make
sure they were dead, then sat down facing the open door with his back pressed
against Rachel.
The girls quickly regained a degree of composure and after
giving Dog a quick hug, Rachel stood and drew her pistol. She didn’t want to
walk through the door back into the office. It was one of the last things in
the world she wanted to do, but she needed to know if the sound of the fight
had drawn other infected that were about to attack. Breathing in short,
shallow pants, Rachel walked to the door on the balls of her feet, pistol held
in two hands in front of her just like John had taught her. Reaching the door
she held her breath, carefully peeking around the frame to get a view of the
office.
Nothing moved, so she kept inching forward until she was
standing in the doorway, weapon up and aimed at the front of the office where a
pile of shattered safety glass lay on the floor. Dog came and stood with her,
sniffing the air. Rachel didn’t see anything moving, but when Dog growled
quietly she knew he was smelling more infected. How he could tell the
difference between ones that were approaching and the dead ones behind him in
the garage, she had no idea, but wasn’t about to fail to trust his warning.
“We have to go,” Rachel said to the girls, glancing back at
them to make sure they were ready. “Madison, tie your shoes so you can run
without tripping.” Madison looked down at her feet and back up at Rachel with
a confused expression on her face.
“I’ll do it.” Lindsey volunteered, kneeling on the dirty
floor to tie her sister’s shoes. “But why don’t we just take my daddy’s car so
we don’t have to run?”
Rachel turned and looked at her with her mouth hanging
open. A car. She hadn’t even thought that these people would need a car. Living
all the way out here, of course they would. And the parents had been taken in
their captor’s trucks, so the car should still be sitting here. Getting a
taste of how John felt sometimes when he overlooked the obvious, Rachel smiled
at Lindsey. “Where is it, honey?”
“In back, behind our house. The keys are right there.” She
pointed at a split ring with two big silver keys on it hanging from a nail that
had been partially pounded into the wall. Rachel grabbed them and stuffed them
in her pocket, resuming her two handed grip on the pistol. “Lead the way, Lindsey.”
Holding her sister’s hand, Lindsey went to a sturdy steel
door in the rear wall of the garage and pointed. Leaving Dog to watch the
front, Rachel joined her and undid the heavy deadbolt that secured it. Keeping
the pistol up and ready she turned the knob and gently pulled it open. No
infected were waiting for them so she stepped through, the girls on her heels,
calling Dog to follow. Lindsey kept her grip on Madison and they moved quickly
through knee high weeds, crossing a narrow gravel driveway that led to a small,
rickety shack. Walking around the
shrinking away from the grasping hands of the infected. Lindsey stepped
protectively in front of her little sister, but was knocked aside as the female
lunged and grabbed onto Madison’s arm. Holstering her pistol, Rachel raised
the shovel over her head and charged.
“Get away from her, you bitch!” She screamed as she stepped
in and swung with every bit of strength, fear and frustration she possessed.
The edge of the metal head of the shovel impacted the crown of the female’s
head, crushing deep into her skull and sending her crashing to the floor.
Panting, Rachel looked around to make sure they were safe,
then dropped the shovel and dashed to Madison, folding her up in her arms. The
small girl was crying and wrapped her arms around Rachel’s neck. Holding her
arm out, Rachel gathered Lindsey in and held both of them as they cried. Dog
had killed the female he had fought and quickly sniffed the other two to make
sure they were dead, then sat down facing the open door with his back pressed
against Rachel.
The girls quickly regained a degree of composure and after
giving Dog a quick hug, Rachel stood and drew her pistol. She didn’t want to
walk through the door back into the office. It was one of the last things in
the world she wanted to do, but she needed to know if the sound of the fight
had drawn other infected that were about to attack. Breathing in short,
shallow pants, Rachel walked to the door on the balls of her feet, pistol held
in two hands in front of her just like John had taught her. Reaching the door
she held her breath, carefully peeking around the frame to get a view of the
office.
Nothing moved, so she kept inching forward until she was
standing in the doorway, weapon up and aimed at the front of the office where a
pile of shattered safety glass lay on the floor. Dog came and stood with her,
sniffing the air. Rachel didn’t see anything moving, but when Dog growled
quietly she knew he was smelling more infected. How he could tell the
difference between ones that were approaching and the dead ones behind him in
the garage, she had no idea, but wasn’t about to fail to trust his warning.
“We have to go,” Rachel said to the girls, glancing back at
them to make sure they were ready. “Madison, tie your shoes so you can run
without tripping.” Madison looked down at her feet and back up at Rachel with
a confused expression on her face.
“I’ll do it.” Lindsey volunteered, kneeling on the dirty
floor to tie her sister’s shoes. “But why don’t we just take my daddy’s car so
we don’t have to run?”
Rachel turned and looked at her with her mouth hanging
open. A car. She hadn’t even thought that these people would need a car. Living
all the way out here, of course they would. And the parents had been taken in
their captor’s trucks, so the car should still be sitting here. Getting a
taste of how John felt sometimes when he overlooked the obvious, Rachel smiled
at Lindsey. “Where is it, honey?”
“In back, behind our house. The keys are right there.” She
pointed at a split ring with two big silver keys on it hanging from a nail that
had been partially pounded into the wall. Rachel grabbed them and stuffed them
in her pocket, resuming her two handed grip on the pistol. “Lead the way, Lindsey.”
Holding her sister’s hand, Lindsey went to a sturdy steel
door in the rear wall of the garage and pointed. Leaving Dog to watch the
front, Rachel joined her and undid the heavy deadbolt that secured it. Keeping
the pistol up and ready she turned the knob and gently pulled it open. No
infected were waiting for them so she stepped through, the girls on her heels,
calling Dog to follow. Lindsey kept her grip on Madison and they moved quickly
through knee high weeds, crossing a narrow gravel driveway that led to a small,
rickety shack. Walking around the
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