Chapter 83: Collecting Treasures

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Collecting Treasures

Ben saw it.

So did Killian.

Killian was too far away.

Erik was occupied.

Kai was facing the opposite direction.

Ben didn’t have time to hesitate. His body reacted before he could think.

The zombie turned toward Penelope but Ben reached it first.

His strike landed before the infected could get close enough to touch her.

The zombie collapsed.

Penelope stared at him.

Ben stared back.

Neither had time to process what had just happened.

"MOVE!" Erik shouted.

Everyone moved.

The group reunited.

Killian immediately reassessed their formation.

"Back to the store."

Nobody needed to be told twice.

They retreated together.

Not running blindly.

Not separating.

Every person watched a direction.

Every person protected someone else’s blind spot.

The jewelry store entrance grew closer.

Five meters.

Three.

One.

Erik reached it first.

"Keys!"

Penelope immediately unwrapped the security guard’s belt from around her wrist.

Then she looked down.

There were at least twenty keys.

Her face fell.

"Oh, come on."

Kai stared.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"They all look the same!"

"Try them!"

"I’m trying!"

Penelope grabbed the first key.

Wrong.

She grabbed another.

Wrong.

Behind them, Killian stepped forward.

"Erik."

"I know."

The two men positioned themselves between the others and the approaching infected.

Kai joined them.

Three people formed a barrier in front of the entrance while Penelope crouched beside the lock.

Ben stood beside her.

"Next one."

Penelope tried another key.

Nothing.

"Next."

Another.

Wrong.

"Why does one man need twenty keys?!"

"He was a security guard!" Kai shouted.

"Thank you, Kai! Very helpful!"

"You’re welcome!"

"I was being sarcastic!"

"So was I!"

"Kai!" Killian and Erik shouted simultaneously.

"Right!"

Kai immediately turned around.

Ben grabbed the keys Penelope had already tested and separated them from the others.

"This one."

Penelope tried it.

Nothing.

"Next."

Ben handed her another.

Wrong.

Another.

Wrong.

The growling behind them grew louder.

Killian stepped backward.

"Faster."

"I’m going as fast as I can!"

Another key.

Nothing.

Penelope’s hands began trembling.

Not from fear.

From frustration.

"Come on."

Another key entered the lock.

It didn’t turn.

"Come on!"

She pulled it out.

Ben handed her the next one.

"Try this."

Penelope shoved it into the lock.

She turned.

Click.

Everyone heard it.

Penelope’s eyes widened.

"YES!"

She yanked the door open.

"INSIDE!"

Ben entered first.

Kai immediately backed toward the entrance.

"Go!"

Erik followed.

Penelope held the door.

Killian remained outside.

"Killian!"

"I’m coming."

A zombie approached from his left.

He avoided its grasp and immediately stepped backward through the doorway.

"Close it!"

Penelope pulled.

The heavy glass door swung shut.

Kai grabbed the handle and helped her.

The lock clicked into place.

Silence.

Nobody moved.

Outside, the first zombie reached the glass.

Its hands slammed against the door.

Then another joined it.

Then another.

Within seconds, dozens of infected crowded outside the jewelry store, their hands striking and sliding across the thick security glass as they searched for a way inside.

But the doors held.

Penelope slowly stepped backward.

Her machete slipped from her hand and landed on the polished marble floor with a loud clang.

Everyone flinched.

Then they remembered.

The zombies were outside.

Ben slowly lowered himself onto the floor.

"I..."

He tried to speak.

Nothing came out.

Kai leaned against one of the display cases, breathing heavily.

"Nobody..." He swallowed. "...ever ask me to go jewelry shopping again."

Penelope stared at him. Then without intended, a laugh escaped her lips.

It started with one laugh. Then another.

Ben started laughing too.

It wasn’t because anything was funny.

In fact, they were exhausted, terrified, covered in sweat and surrounded by zombies.

And somehow...

They had made it.

Erik shook his head, but Penelope could see the faintest smile appearing on his face.

Killian remained near the entrance.

He looked at each person individually.

Erik.

Kai.

Ben.

Penelope.

Nobody was bleeding. Nobody had been scratched. Nobody had been bitten. Everyone was alive.

Only then did the tension leave his shoulders.

Penelope noticed.

She didn’t say anything.

Outside, the dead continued pounding against the glass.

Inside, millions of dollars in diamonds, gold, gemstones, and luxury watches glittered beneath the emergency lights as though the world beyond the windows hadn’t ended.

Penelope finally looked around.

Her eyes slowly widened.

She had been so focused on surviving that she hadn’t truly noticed where they were standing.

Glass display cases stretched across the enormous showroom.

Gold necklaces.

Diamond bracelets.

Gemstones in every color imaginable.

Entire displays filled with precious metals.

Penelope swallowed.

Then a familiar voice suddenly exploded inside her mind.

’HOST!’

Penelope jumped.

Everyone looked at her.

She quickly straightened.

"I’m fine."

’HOST!’

Penelope’s eye twitched.

She knew that tone.

Oh no.

Oddy’s voice practically trembled with excitement.

’TREASURE!’

Penelope slowly closed her eyes.

Of course.

They had nearly died getting here.

And Oddy...

Was having the best night of its life.

’Host, there is so much treasure!’ Oddy exclaimed inside her mind, its excitement making every word sound louder than the last. ’Gold! Diamonds! Gemstones! There is treasure everywhere!’

’I can see that,’ Penelope responded mentally as she tried to catch her breath.

Apparently, Oddy didn’t understand sarcasm.

’Then why are you standing there?’

Penelope opened her eyes.

’Because I just ran through a street filled with zombies.’

’But the treasure is waiting.’

’It has been waiting inside these glass cases for years. It can wait another five minutes.’

Oddy fell silent.

Penelope knew that silence.

It was judging her.

She chose to ignore it.

Outside the jewelry store, the number of zombies pressing against the glass continued to increase. Their hands dragged across the reinforced windows as they followed the sounds coming from inside, occasionally striking the glass hard enough to make Ben glance nervously toward the entrance.

"Are we sure that’s going to hold?" he asked.

Erik had already begun examining the security system around the doors.

"For now."

Ben stared at him. "I don’t particularly like the way you added ’for now’ to that sentence."

"Because I can’t guarantee it’ll hold indefinitely."

"Some things don’t need to be said out loud."

Kai, who had finally managed to catch his breath, nodded in agreement. "I’m with Ben on this one. Lie to us occasionally. It’ll be good for morale."

Erik ignored both of them.

Killian walked along the front of the store, examining the thick glass panels and the metal security shutters installed above them. Although the front doors were reinforced, the constant movement outside had already begun attracting more infected.

They had found temporary shelter.

Nothing more.

"We don’t stay long," Killian said.

Penelope immediately looked at Erik.

"How much do you need?"

Erik finally turned away from the entrance.

"As much as we can take."

That answer surprised everyone except Killian.

Kai slowly looked around the enormous showroom.

"That’s a lot of jewelry."

"I didn’t bring us here for jewelry."

Penelope raised an eyebrow.

"You brought us to the jewelry district, broke through a street filled with zombies, and nearly got us killed entering a jewelry store, but you didn’t come here for jewelry?"

"When you say it like that, it does sound questionable," Kai added.

Erik gave him a look.

Kai immediately raised both hands.

"I’m listening."

Erik walked toward one of the display cases.

Inside were rows of diamond rings arranged carefully beneath the glass. Beside them were necklaces, bracelets, watches, and gemstones that had probably cost more than most people earned in several years.

Erik ignored all of it.

"Gold."

Penelope’s expression changed slightly.

Oddy immediately screamed inside her head.

’GOLD!’