Jenni let herself sniff the air and flinched. “Shit. ”
They all steadied themselves and Charles flung open the door.
Nothing stirred in the room.
Cautiously, they moved into the room, doing exactly what they had done before. The space under the bed was clear. The wardrobe was empty. The bathroom door loomed before them, taunting and terrifying.
The stench was so bad, their eyes were watering.
“I hope I don’t get this room,” Charles muttered, and flung the bathroom door open.
Nothing stood before them, but the toilet with a tidy little white strip of paper across it and an empty clawed tub.
“Where the fuck is it coming from?” Ned exclaimed.
Jenni looked back toward the open door that led to the hallway, then back into the bathroom. “We’re missing something. ”
The zombie stepped out from behind the door and bit into Ned’s shoulder before anyone could even react. Ned screamed in horror and pain and staggered under the dead woman’s grip. Jenni raised her gun immediately and shot both of them in quick succession.
“No,” Charles gasped.
“That was fucked up,” Felix said and wiped his brow. “Shit!”
Jenni was breathing hard, staring at the bodies. Lifting her walkietalkie, she said, “Make sure to check the fucking doors. One was behind a door when we opened it. It got Ned. ”
There was silence, then Nerit’s voice said, “Understood. ”
Jenni wiped a tear away and looked at Charles and Felix. “Let's go. ”
As they walked out, she leaned down and picked up the flashlight from Ned’s slack fingers.
“Second floor clear,” came the announcement over the walkietalkie. “Advance to third floor. ”
***
Katie stood near the stairwell. Her body was shivering. They had been in view of the other teams on occasion throughout the inspection of the second floor, but it had been nerve-wracking. They had found nothing in their rooms. Just pristine rooms ready for guests. There had been one loss on the and it had been on Jenni's team. That terrified her.
Jenni’s team now drew near, with Nerit’s behind them. Jenni looked very pale and she stared up the stairwell with a dark expression on her face.
“You okay?” Katie asked.
“No,” Jenni answered. “This isn’t fun. ”
It seemed like a strange answer, but again Jenni tended to enjoy killing zombies. The losses had been high today and it was taking them all back to the insanity and fear of the first days of the zombie plague. Katie was sure that Jenni was thinking of her lost children. She knew she was thinking of Lydia.
Travis stood nearby. His face had deep lines in it. Katie was sure she looked just as stressed as everyone else.
“Let’s go,” Nerit said, and lead the way.
The other teams would be going up the other stairwell on the other side of the hotel.
Nerit moved easily up the stairs, no signs of her age showing. Katie felt immense affection and respect for the woman. She seemed so in control of herself and the situation compared to the rest of them.
The long stairwell that lead steadily upwards was sterile and painted boring white. The banisters and steps were made of heavy wood and vases of dead flowers adorned tiny tables on the landings. Their footsteps echoed as they moved upwards, making them all cringe inwardly.
“This is scary as shit,” Charles muttered. He was dragging along behind everyone else, his bland features looking more doughy and pale now that he was scared shitless.
Jenni looked back at him. “Don’t be such a wimp. ” Her voice was annoyed and sharp.