About a Woman, a Zombie Chronicles Novel

detail did not stop Paige and Mike from firing, even on the move they both scored hits.

'Don't the fuck shoot our people!' yelled Dora.

They are done for, no one can get out of that.' Paige replied calmly.

Dora flicked her light off and turned around to run for the inner gate, Paige and Mike kept up a steady rate of fire while walking backwards behind her. Peter ran past Dora and reached the second gate before she did. A shot rang out from the guard house and Peter fell over backward. A low voice called out from behind the shut gate, but Dora could not make out what it said. Veering to the side Dora worried less about Peter and more about why the gate was not opening.

Reaching one side of guard shack where she could not be easily seen from inside of it, Dora peered up to see what was happening inside the inner gate. On the ground Peter was twisting around in pain, he did not cry out, in the dim light Dora saw he had one hand pressed to the top of his head, with the other he was trying to push himself up.

Inside the guard shack Dora saw Leroy, his back was to the firing slot cut into the shack. The man was yelling up to the rooftop and raising his fist in the air.

'I got her, the bitch is dead, a clean shot into the head baby!' Leroy yelled back at the house where Susan was.

If Susan replied it was lost in the gunfire behind Dora. She had heard enough, there was no mistaking who the 'bitch' was.

'That fucking bastard.' Dora thought, 'and here I was cutting him slack about the sex and all.' She dropped her coffee cup and brought her rifle up, aiming it through the gun slit she fired three shots into Leroy's back. The young man pitched forward and lay on the ground with his feet facing the door. Leroy was not moving and Dora could not see any sign of him breathing either.

Bracing the rifle carefully she put a final shot through his head for good measure. From where she was at Dora could not get a shot off at Susan on the roof, in fact she could not even see the woman at all. Dora could hear the woman's long, loud scream pierce the night, and bullets started peppering the guard shack.

Pulling back and ducking down to below the gun slit level, Dora let go of her rifle with one hand and grabbed Peter's ankle, she pulled the boy towards her and then off to one side of the guard house, making every effort to stay close to the wooden fence that made up most of the second layer of defenses. From where she was at Dora did not think that she could be seen by Susan. However, she could not get over the fence without being seen either, for the moment she didn't want to climb the fence. On the ground by her feet Peter started throwing up.

'Fuck, not good.' Dora said softly to herself.

Looking back out towards Mike and Paige she saw they were slinging their guns and making a run for the gate. Dora dropped Peter's ankle and pulled out her flashlight, she turned it on and covered the end with her hand. Then she flashed the light at Paige and Mike as they ran towards the gate. Paige saw the light and veered towards Dora, grabbing Mike's arm to steer him that way as well. They arrived out of breath and Dora gestured them to silence. Behind them, in the trench a rapid series of shots rang out.

No more shots came from Susan's roof, which was good, Dora knew that while Susan might not be able to see the group, she also knew that bullets could fly through the thin wood of the fence with relative ease. The group had concealment from Susan, but no actual cover.

'Leroy shot Peter. He though it was me, told Susan he 'shot the bitch'.' Dora told the other two.

'Are you sure they were talking about you?' asked Mike.

'Does someone else have the 'bitch' title too? I thought there were no competitors?'

'Mary is a contender.' Mike said, then he realized that Peter had stopped throwing up and was looking at him, 'Well, no offense or anything, Peter. I like her like I like Dora, but you know…' Mike shrugged his shoulders.

'Stop while you're ahead. We gotta move in case Susan decides to shoot up the fence, unless you guys can think of a better idea?'

'Move around the wall a quarter mile then up and over. And hope we don't get shot by a sniper.' suggested Mike.

'No.' Paige said, 'I have a better idea.'

Chapter 29

'Get a couple guys and get over to the North gate.' Paige said into her radio, 'Leroy shot Peter, so we need Mary. Yeah, it's bad. He's still alive right now, so hurry. Leon?'

'Yes Paige?' Leon asked.

'Susan is shooting at us, and there are zombies between the trench and the second fence. So hurry.'

'I am on my way.'

'Watch out for Susan, last we saw her she was on the roof overlooking the guard tower.'

'We will take care of her, Paige. One way or the other. What about Leroy?'

Paige looked at Dora, who shook her head slightly in the starlight. 'He didn't make it Leon.'

'Got it, one less thing to worry about. I'm headed your way now, I will be there in about two minutes, tops.'

Mike asked, 'Are we going to move? Paige and I shot a half dozen slow zeds around the trench, more were headed this way.'

'When they show up, we move. Or if Susan starts firing through the fence. I don't think we should move Peter unless we have to.'

From the other side of the fence they heard rapid footsteps and then a woman started sobbing and screaming, it was Susan by the sound of it.

'Well shit.' whispered Dora.

'Three of us with guns to one of her.' Paige said quietly.

Mike raised his gun, pantomiming firing through the fence. Dora pressed her hand against the barrel, pushing it downward while she shook her head.

'Go by the shack, try and get a bead on her, if she tries to shoot us we shoot first.' Dora said by way of planning.

'I go first.' said Mike, taking point.

Dora moved to move into second place, but Paige strong armed her to the last position, whispering, 'Sick people and head shot kids stay behind.' Peter was not standing or moving, he was conscious and his eyes were as big as saucers, with small pinpoints for pupils. Dora had been taught by Mary to recognize shock and had seen it all too often over the past month and a half from the wounded the guard brought in. Not paying attention to Paige, she followed the woman a few steps to the side of the guard shack, readying her rifle.

'Drop your gun, Susan!' Mike shouted as he leaned around the guard house and pointed his rifle at the woman, who was sobbing over Leroy's body. 'Drop it!'

Paige was aiming through the rifle slot, pointed her rifle in the same manner that Dora had when she shot Leroy. Dora stood up enough to peer through the window of the shed and look at Susan. The other woman's tear streaked face was staring at Mike's rifle, her hand was still on the handle of her rifle, her finger on the trigger. Slowly Susan's eyes slid over to take in Paige and finally Dora. When their eyes finally locked into place Susan started shaking, the trembles went down her face to her neck, then to her shoulder and arm.

'Don't do it!' Paige shouted. Susan's finger tightened on the trigger, she nudged her rifle sideways with her knee and fired off a shot towards Mike, then tried to roll sideways. Mike let out a yell, but got a shot off and Paige fired three times, all of the shots hit Susan. Dora could not tell who had hit Susan in the head, but someone had, the woman simply slumped over her lover's body.

'Fuck. I don't…' Dora started, before realizing that Mike was down. He was clutching his lower leg and softly swearing. Dora and Paige went to him to see how badly he was hurt.