Chapter 82: The Keys

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: The Keys

Back at the jewelry store, Erik stepped backward.

"Ben, behind me."

Ben immediately obeyed.

A zombie had approached from his blind side, hidden behind one of the decorative pillars lining the storefront.

Erik intercepted it before it could get close.

Kai was dealing with another infected several feet away.

Too far.

"Close the gap!" Erik ordered.

Kai immediately retreated.

The three regrouped.

Ben looked toward the street.

"Where are they?"

Erik didn’t answer.

He couldn’t see them anymore.

That concerned him.

Kai noticed his expression.

"They have the keys."

"You don’t know that."

"No."

Kai tightened his grip on his machete.

"But I know Penny."

Erik glanced at him.

Kai gave him a humorless smile.

"If there are keys somewhere out there, she’s coming back with them."

A loud crash echoed from farther down the street.

More growls answered.

Ben looked toward the intersection.

His face changed.

"Erik."

"I see them."

The zombies that had been wandering toward the fallen boutique sign were changing direction again.

The distraction had ended.

And now they were heading toward the jewelry store.

There were too many to count quickly.

Kai stared at the approaching mass.

"So..."

He slowly backed toward the locked glass doors.

"Any chance we reconsider breaking the window?"

Erik looked through the glass.

Then at the horde.

Then toward the street where Killian and Penelope had disappeared.

"Not yet."

Kai tightened his jaw.

"Define yet."

Erik raised his weapon.

"When we no longer have another choice."

The three stood with their backs toward the locked jewelry store.

The dead continued closing in.

Somewhere beyond the abandoned vehicles, Killian and Penelope were carrying the only keys that could get them inside.

And Erik had no idea if they were coming back in thirty seconds or thirty minutes.

They didn’t have thirty minutes.

They might not even have thirty seconds.

"Erik."

Ben’s voice had changed.

Erik didn’t need to ask what he had seen.

The infected were closing in from three directions now, drawn toward the jewelry store by the sounds echoing throughout the district. Some wandered between the abandoned vehicles while others stumbled across the sidewalk, their numbers steadily increasing as more appeared from neighboring streets.

Their backs were already against the glass.

There was nowhere left to retreat.

Erik tightened his grip around his weapon and quickly assessed the distance between them and the nearest infected.

"Stay close."

Kai immediately moved nearer to Ben.

"How close?"

"Close enough that I can reach you."

Kai glanced at him.

"That’s disturbingly affectionate."

Erik didn’t even look at him.

"Kai."

"Right. Serious situation."

Ben would have laughed if he weren’t currently watching several dozen zombies slowly converge on their position.

The first infected reached them.

Erik stepped forward before it could come within arm’s reach, striking quickly before immediately retreating to his original position.

Another approached from the right.

Kai intercepted it.

Unlike earlier, nobody chased the infected anymore.

Nobody advanced unnecessarily.

Every movement was calculated around one simple objective.

Hold the entrance.

That was all they had to do.

Another zombie approached.

Then another.

Ben tightened his grip.

"I’ve got this one."

Kai glanced toward him but didn’t interfere.

Ben waited.

The zombie continued forward with both arms reaching toward him.

Five feet.

Four.

Ben adjusted his stance.

Three.

He moved before it entered grabbing distance.

His machete came down in a controlled strike, and the infected collapsed before it could get any closer.

Ben immediately stepped backward.

He didn’t look down.

He didn’t need to.

Kai smiled.

"Never admire your work."

Ben nodded.

"One becomes two."

"Two become five."

Neither smiled this time.

Because five were coming.

"Erik."

"I see them."

Erik moved forward.

"Together."

The three tightened their formation.

Across the street, Killian and Penelope were having problems of their own.

The narrow alley Killian had chosen wasn’t blocked.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t empty either.

Penelope stopped when she saw the three infected wandering between them and the opposite end.

She looked at Killian.

"You couldn’t have chosen a nicer alley?"

"I’ll keep that in mind next time."

"There better not be a next time."

"There will be."

Penelope frowned.

"I really dislike your optimism."

Killian almost smiled.

Almost.

Then his expression changed.

"Ready?"

Penelope looked at the three zombies.

Then at the belt wrapped securely around her wrist.

"Ready."

They moved together.

The alley was too narrow for wide swings, which made the fight more dangerous. One mistake could send either of them stumbling into the wall, and neither had enough space to maneuver freely.

Killian adjusted immediately.

"Stay behind me."

Penelope frowned.

"I can fight."

"I know."

"Then why—"

"Your machete needs room."

Penelope looked down.

Then at the narrow walls.

Oh.

"Fine."

She stepped behind him.

"But only because that makes sense."

"I know."

The first zombie approached.

Killian didn’t swing.

Instead, he kicked the creature backward, forcing it into the infected directly behind it. Both stumbled into one another, creating just enough confusion for him to step forward and finish the first without allowing either creature within reach.

The second recovered.

Killian moved again.

Penelope watched his back.

Then she saw movement.

"Behind!"

Killian immediately ducked.

Penelope didn’t hesitate.

A fourth zombie had emerged from an open doorway behind them.

She stepped forward before it could trap them inside the alley.

Her machete moved in one controlled strike.

The infected collapsed.

Killian glanced back.

Penelope raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Was that approval?"

"Keep moving."

Penelope smiled.

"That was definitely approval."

"Penny."

"Moving."

They reached the end of the alley.

Killian looked around the corner.

The jewelry store stood less than fifteen meters away.

Between them and the entrance were abandoned vehicles, scattered infected, and the growing horde surrounding Erik, Kai, and Ben.

Penelope’s smile disappeared.

"They’re surrounded."

"Not yet."

"They’re about to be."

Killian assessed the street.

Penelope watched his eyes move.

Left.

Right.

Vehicles.

Zombies.

Distance.

He was calculating again.

"We don’t have time for another route," she said.

"I know."

Penelope tightened her grip around the machete.

"So we go through."

Killian looked at her.

She looked back.

Neither needed to say anything else.

They ran.

Erik heard them before he saw them.

"Left!"

Kai immediately shifted position.

Ben moved with him.

Killian emerged from between two abandoned vehicles.

Penelope was directly behind him.

Kai’s entire expression changed.

"They’re back!"

"And they have the keys," Ben said.

Penelope lifted the belt wrapped around her wrist.

"I HAVE THE KEYS!"

Every zombie nearby turned toward her voice.

Penelope immediately regretted that decision.

Killian looked at her.

She winced.

"That was stupid." she whispered.

"Very." He whispered back.

"I got excited." She stated.

"Run." He replied.

They ran.

Erik immediately understood what Killian intended.

"Open a path!"

The three stopped defending the entrance.

Now they advanced.

Killian and Penelope fought toward them from one direction while Erik, Kai, and Ben fought toward them from the other.

The distance closed rapidly.

Ten meters.

Eight.

A zombie stepped into Penelope’s path.

Killian intercepted it.

Another approached Killian’s blind side.

Penelope moved before he could turn.

Neither spoke.

They didn’t need to.

Six meters.

Erik pushed an infected backward, creating another opening.

"Kai!"

"I see it!"

Kai stepped into the gap.

Ben followed.

Four meters.

The two groups were almost together.

Then an infected emerged from between them.