He swung again, and something cracked.
Frankie and Don flinched. Danny squeezed his eyes shut.
Jim swung a third time, and Martin's corpse was still. Jim stuffed the Bible in his back pocket.
A horn blared.
'What the hell?'
Headlights speared them, turning night to day as the Humvee crested the hill and roared toward them.
'Here they come!' Don shouted.
'Run!' Throwing the rock aside, Jim picked up Danny and cradled him in his arms. 'Can you carry Frankie?'
'I can try,' Don gasped.
He hefted her and suddenly collapsed, wincing in pain.
Frankie bit down a scream as fresh agony ripped through her body.
'I can't,' Don breathed. 'My chest ...'
Jim shoved Danny toward them.
'Head for that parking garage. I'll lead them away from here and double back.'
'You're insane.'
'Go!'
'Daddy?'
Jim gave him a quick hug, kissed him on the forehead, and then looked up at De Santos.
'Please-go.'
'Daddy?'
The Humvee bore down on them. More vehicles crested the hill behind it. Above them, Jim heard the dry, rustling flutter of wings.
'Daddy!'
'I love you, Danny.'
Jim charged toward the Humvee.
'Daddy, no! Come back!'
'Let's go, Danny.' Don led the crying boy toward the garage. Frankie limped along behind them, casting one last glance over her shoulder at the ruined flesh that had been the Reverend Thomas Martin.
'Rest easy, preacher-man.'
'Come on, you sacks of shit. Over here!'
Jim waved his arms over his head, running directly toward the onrushing vehicles. The zombies obliged, swerving in his direction and spearing him with their headlights. The Humvee's engine roared hungrily.
Something buzzed by his ear. Jim felt a fresh burst of pain as a razored beak slashed his palm. He lashed out, but the bird darted away and circled around again. He spared a quick glance upward and saw more bearing down on him.
'Come and get it! Supper time!'
Bullets dug into the earth at his feet.
He ran, praying that De Santos and Frankie could get Danny to safety, praying that safety itself existed. A carrion crow pecked at his hand.
In the distance, over the gunshots, he heard a rumble. Thunder? A helicopter? He didn't know and realized that he didn't care.
Let the sky weep.
He knew how it felt.
The entrance to the parking garage yawned before them like a gaping, ravenous mouth. The interior was pitch-black, and all three of them froze in front of it. Danny squirmed in Don's grip, desperately shouting for his father.
'Danny, stop it,' Frankie said. 'You'll lead them to us.'
'I don't care. I want my daddy!'
Don took a step toward the entrance and paused.
'You think it's safe?'
'There's nowhere on Earth that's safe anymore,' Frankie told him.
They walked inside. The parking garage was silent. Frankie heard Don rustling through his pocket, and a moment later, the telltale click of a cigarette lighter. The darkness seemed to surround the flame, as if trying to extinguish it. From far off, they heard gunshots and the roar of motors. Danny cast a glance behind him.
Despite her pain, Frankie knelt down and looked him in the eyes.
