“Look, we have no fucking clue what is going to happen next,”
Charles started.
“Bad thing to say,” Roger told him quickly. “In horror movies bad shit always happens after someone says something like that. ”
“Like what?” Charles snapped back.
It was then the zombie dropped down from above, hit the banister, and managed to grab Charles’ shirt. Katie had the impression it was missing most of its lower half and the stench was awful. The zombie hit the banister sideways. His body caught for only a moment before it fell over into the stairwell below. Its grip on Charles shirt was firm.
Charles hit the rail and toppled over before anyone could grab him.
Jenni managed to grab his sneaker and it came off in her hand as he tumbled over without even a gasp.
“Fuck!”
Katie and Jenni were the first ones down the stairs, the rest of the groups behind them.
As they rounded the last landing, they came across the zombie and Charles. The zombie had landed headfirst and its skull was split open, spilling curdled brains. Charles lay near him, head twisted about in an unnatural angle. Both were completely stone cold dead.
“I told him,” Roger grumbled.
“Fucking stupid way to go out,” Shane decided.
“I think we found one of the plumbers,” Travis said,and pointed to the name of the plumbing company on the zombie’s tattered shirt.
Jenni stood staring down at Charles' body and slowly blinked. “I hate today. ”
***
They kept going. They had to. Despite their shocking losses, they had to keep going. Too much of an investment of time and energy and lives had been given to taking the hotel and they were determined to finish. Perhaps now they were more cautious, more terrified, and more determined, but they were still in hell.
“I feel like I'm next,” Jenni muttered as she joined Curtis' group.
She felt wobbly inside. Seeing three of her teammates go down so quickly had made her feel very vulnerable. Felix joined Katie's group and she missed his presence.
The process continued. Rooms were searched diligently by almost overly cautious people, then the doors were closed and large checkmarks left on the wood with blue chalk. Room by room was cleared. Then floor by floor was cleared. Jenni moved with graceful ease behind Curtis and his team, watching every shadow. They were now on the fourth floor and there had been no sign of zombies since the one that had killed Charles.
She was feeling claustrophobic and hemmed in by the building and the cap on her head was hot and heavy. With all her heart, she wanted to abandon this endeavor. It was eating at her, making her feel weak and helpless. Their tiny little world had felt so safe until now. The walls around the construction site and city hall had given them a sense of security. Their fort barely took up a one-block radius and it was cramped, but at least livable. Maybe they needed the hotel, but right now she hated it.
Anger was starting to creep up within her. She had actually felt safe and happy the last few weeks. Her relationship with Juan was still evolving, but it was good. He was not quite the knight in shining armor she imagined, but he was sweet and made her laugh. She wanted to bask in it and forget the past. Forget Lloyd, forget the dead children she had failed, forget the beatings, forget the pain…She just wanted peace in this tiny little fortified construction site in this tiny little town.
God, she hated this opulent hotel and its apparent false dreams.
“Fifth floor clear,” Bill's voice said over the walkie-talkie. He was on the other side of the hotel.
Jenni and Curtis looked at each other, and then down the hallway with all its blue checkmarks on the doors.
“It would be nice if it kept going this way,” Curtis said.
Jenni smacked him. “Don't say shit like that!”
“Jinx,” said Jimmy, rubbing his bald head. “Don’t jinx us. ”
“Shit, sorry,” Curtis mumbled.
Katie, Travis, Felix and Roger came around the corner. All four looked just as harried as she felt.
Katie gave Jenni a little smile and squeezed her arm affectionately and it made Jenni smile.