Chapter 80: Battle At The District Part II

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Battle At The District Part II

Only one person could comfortably pass through at a time.

Penelope immediately understood what Killian was looking at.

"We can funnel them."

Erik nodded.

"Exactly."

Killian looked toward the jewelry store.

They had two choices.

Continue fighting through the open street, where the infected could approach them from multiple directions, or use the wreckage to control how many could reach them at once.

The second option would take them slightly farther from their destination.

It would also keep them alive.

"Through there," Killian ordered.

They moved.

Killian entered the narrow passage first while Erik remained behind long enough to make sure everyone else followed. Ben went next, followed by Penelope and Kai.

The moment the zombies changed direction after them, the advantage became obvious.

They couldn’t follow as a group.

The first infected stumbled into the narrow opening alone.

Killian dealt with it quickly.

The second attempted to climb across the hood of one of the vehicles, only to lose its footing and slide awkwardly across the metal.

Erik shoved it backward before it could regain its balance.

Another took its place.

Then another.

But now they were coming one at a time.

Kai looked behind them.

"Oh, this is much better."

"Don’t get comfortable," Erik warned.

"I wasn’t planning on it."

A zombie reached over the hood of the vehicle toward Ben.

Ben immediately stepped out of range.

He didn’t panic.

He didn’t swing wildly.

He waited.

The creature stretched farther across the hood, unable to reach him without climbing completely over the vehicle.

Ben raised his machete.

One controlled strike ended the threat.

He immediately stepped backward into formation.

Erik saw it.

"Good."

That single word seemed to straighten Ben’s shoulders.

They continued moving.

The jewelry store was getting closer.

Ten meters.

Then eight.

Every step brought them nearer to the massive glass entrance.

Behind them, however, the situation continued to deteriorate.

More zombies had reached the district.

The sound of the earlier fighting, the car alarms, the screams, and the constant noise from the surrounding city had drawn them from neighboring streets.

The narrow passage wouldn’t hold them forever.

Some had already begun climbing across the vehicles instead of trying to squeeze between them.

"They’re spreading out," Penelope warned.

Killian looked back.

She was right.

"Then we move faster."

The formation broke into a controlled run.

They cleared the final vehicle and entered the open sidewalk in front of the jewelry store.

Six meters.

That was all that remained.

A zombie stumbled out from behind a decorative stone pillar.

Erik intercepted it before it could reach Penelope.

Another approached from the opposite direction.

Kai stepped forward.

"I’ve got it."

Ben stayed in the center.

Nobody needed to tell him anymore.

He understood his position.

He watched.

He waited.

And when another infected appeared from behind an abandoned vehicle, Ben was ready before anyone had to warn him.

The group continued forward.

Four meters.

Three.

Killian reached the entrance first.

He grabbed the large metal handle and pulled.

Nothing happened.

He pulled again.

The door didn’t move.

Locked.

Kai arrived behind him.

"You’re joking."

Killian immediately examined the lock.

"Do I look like I’m joking?"

"You never look like you’re joking. That’s why I had to ask."

"Not now," Erik said.

Penelope reached the entrance and looked through the glass.

The jewelry store appeared untouched.

Display cases filled with diamonds and gold stretched throughout the enormous showroom. Emergency lights illuminated the interior, casting a faint glow across millions of dollars in jewelry sitting only a few feet away.

Safety was right there.

On the other side of a locked door.

"We can break the glass," Ben suggested.

"No," Killian answered immediately.

Ben looked at him.

"Why?"

"Noise."

One shattered glass door would announce their location to every infected within hearing distance.

Kai glanced toward the street behind them.

"I feel like they already know we’re here."

"Not all of them."

That shut him up.

Erik stepped toward the lock.

"We need the keys."

"Where exactly are we supposed to find keys?" Kai asked. "Should we check under the welcome mat?"

Penelope suddenly looked toward the street.

Something had caught her attention.

A body lay partially hidden beside an overturned luxury vehicle they had passed moments earlier.

Black pants.

Black shoes.

A dark uniform.

Security.

"Wait."

Everyone followed her gaze.

The man hadn’t moved when they passed him.

Now he did.

Slowly, the security guard pushed himself onto his hands and knees.

His head lifted.

Cloudy white eyes stared directly toward the group.

Then Penelope saw something hanging from his belt.

A ring of keys.

"There."

Erik saw them too.

Kai followed their gaze.

His expression immediately fell.

"No."

Nobody responded.

"No," he repeated. "Absolutely not. There has to be another set of keys."

The security guard was approximately ten meters away.

Unfortunately, he was ten meters in the wrong direction.

Between them and the guard stood several infected.

Beyond him, more were emerging onto the street.

Behind the group, the zombies trapped beneath the security shutters continued forcing their way free.

Their carefully created corridor was beginning to collapse.

Penelope looked at the keys.

Then at the jewelry store.

Then at the approaching zombies.

"We need those."

"We know," Killian said.

"I’ll get them."

"No."

Penelope slowly turned toward him.

Killian wasn’t looking at her.

His attention remained fixed on the street as he calculated the distance, the number of infected, and the rapidly disappearing routes between them.

Penelope frowned.

"I wasn’t asking."

"I know."

That answer irritated her even more.

"Then why did you answer?"

Killian finally looked at her.

"Because you’re not going alone."

Penelope opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Kai looked between them.

"This feels like a conversation we should absolutely have later."

Erik ignored him.

"I’ll hold the entrance with Kai and Ben."

Killian nodded.

That was enough.

The decision had been made.

Penelope tightened her grip around her machete.

Killian stepped away from the jewelry store door and positioned himself beside her.

Ten meters separated them from the security guard.

Ten meters of abandoned vehicles, infected, and rapidly disappearing space.

Penelope looked at Killian.

"Ready?"

"No."

She blinked.

Killian adjusted his grip on his machete.

"But we’re going anyway."

Penelope couldn’t help it.

She smiled.

Then they ran.