Waking Up Dead

do, they come here and pound on the ceiling in the main room. It’s directly underneath the gym.”

Jackson shivered at the idea of the waking dead knowing exactly where they were. “The ceiling and walls are metal?”

“They are,” Luke confirmed. “Place is like a giant underground panic room. The generator has enough fuel to keep it going for many more months and the water is funneled straight down from a water butt, which I assume is on the roof of the house. Pure rainwater as well. All I had to do was read the instruction pack someone had thoughtfully provided and turn it all on.”

“It’s perfect.”

“It saved my life. Literally. I was reaching the end of my food stores and having trouble finding safe places to sleep. I don’t know where I’d be without this place. Which is why I’m still here.” He pointed out the shower and a timer on the counter. “It’ll run for one minute before it goes freezing cold. I strongly suggest you make the most of that minute. You’ll find gels and shit in the cabinet. I’ll make some more food for when you get done.”

Jackson reached out and grabbed Luke’s hand. She wasn’t quite sure why she did but it felt like the right thing to do. His palm was calloused. The skin was rough beneath her fingertips and it made her spirits rise. The hand of a man who knew the meaning of real work.

Just like her.

“Thanks for this, Luke,” she said, her fingertips tingling. “I really appreciate it.”

He smiled that smoking-hot smile of his and opened the cabinet. “Strawberry shower gel good for you?”

Chapter Nine

There was a woman in his bathroom. A kick-ass, naked woman, with the most perfect green eyes he’d ever seen. Luke grinned and picked up the Old Spice. He was running low, would need to grab some more before the week was out. Not from the pharmacy though, last time he’d been there they’d almost trapped him. It’d have to be one of the convenience stores—though which he wasn’t sure. He’d cleaned so many out.

His grin became a frown as he looked at the bottle, wondering as he did so if the scent still worked to deter them, because clearly the stuff Jackson had sprayed on the rec-center door hadn’t. Maybe it was too old, the chemicals in it degraded. Luke’s frown deepened as he picked up a washcloth and thought it through.

He rubbed the cloth over the back of his neck, the whiskey on it stinging a little. He was pretty sure the zombie’s teeth hadn’t grazed the skin—the sting was probably because of his open pores—but still, better safe than sorry. A quick swipe over his shoulder too and it was all good.

Jackson had wiggled her little nose when they’d come into the main room and he suspected she was reacting to the mingled smells of Old Spice, whiskey, and man. Yeah, the place could use a woman’s touch. He wondered if she’d be willing to hang around, machete in hand.

Damn, but she could fight. He shook his head and stashed the whiskey and washcloth in the cupboard. He still couldn’t get over her total bad-assness where the dead were concerned. It was no wonder she’d managed to survive for so long. He wondered if the guy, Tye, had taught her or if she was naturally tough. He preferred the second idea, more because the idea of this Tye, whoever he was, had him gritting his teeth. Which was ridiculous, the man was probably dead. Luke had heard him roar as the zombies approached and there was no question they’d have eaten him before he turned—even assuming he would. With their food sources so low the zombies didn’t hesitate like they had in the old days.

Luke made his way into the kitchen area, and grabbed one of his many, many packs of noodles. Everyone liked noodles. Hell, everyone liked anything they could get their hands on these days, including rat, by the sound of it. He smiled slightly and thanked the unnamed bunker builder again. He wondered for just a moment where he’d be if he hadn’t had this hideaway. He was convinced the waking dead worked by following scent. They seemed to know where a human was hiding and what else could explain that but enhanced smell? Maybe in some way it was activated when the higher brain functions decreased. Like going back to the predatory days of old. Then too was their weird aversion to aftershaves. He suspected there was a common chemical in all of them that they disliked. That’d make sense with the whole enhanced smell thing. He’d have to ask Jackson what she’d learned.

At the thought of the kick-ass pixie Luke heaved a completely ridiculous sigh of satisfaction. He couldn’t help it. Finally he’d have someone to talk to. Some company to see him through the long, painful nights. Though he’d admit it to no one, Luke had been lonely. By the time he’d found his bunker he hadn’t seen another person for more than two months. He knew there were people still out there. After all, he was still alive, and more than once he’d thought about abandoning his safe house and striking out in search of those other survivors. Only the knowledge that he had it pretty good already had stopped him.

He wondered how Jackson had found her way from New York—she’d said that was her home town hadn’t she?—and how the hell she’d managed to survive so long. Considered objectively, it was certainly possible. Not everyone who was infected and died came back, and many who had, died all over again in the early days, killed by other zombies, other people, and the army had bombed many areas before they disappeared. These days you’d find a couple of thousand—mostly native residents—in the suburbs, split into their little packs, each with their own stomping ground. It was possible to avoid them if you knew what you were doing. Possible to stay hidden. Though of course Luke had no idea what it was like in the cities, he could only draw on his own experience, there could be millions still there for all he knew. But viewed realistically survival became a harder. Finding food was the number one priority, followed by staying warm and healthy. Having to do that while keeping clear of the packs was a nightmare. Luke had a hard enough time of it in his area, and he had a bunker at his disposal. Jackson sure was something for getting so far…

Well, she’s here with you now. A ridiculous grin spread across his face. It was safe here. She was bound to want to stay. He’d fed her, offered up toiletries and clothes, and could watch out for her. That had to count for something, right?

A few minutes later Jackson returned to the living area, trailing her backpack in one hand, warmly wrapped up in his clothes. The T-shirt came all the way down to her knees and she’d rolled the sweats up several times. His gaze lingered on the sweats a little longer than it should have but he couldn’t help remembering her bare legs. Sure they were covered in bruises and scrapes, and she clearly hadn’t seen a razor in some time, but they were a woman’s legs. All hidden dips and tempting curves.

“That was absolutely amazing, Luke,” she said, giving her head a shake.

Her hair was still damp—there was no hair dryer in the bunker—but if the smile on her face was any indication, she didn’t seem to mind. He smiled right back before spooning some noodles onto her plate and decorating them with a sprig of parsley. Dried stuff but it was the thought that counted.

“Here, eat this.”

She took the plate from him with her free hand and sat down at the small table. “There’s loads here,” she said. “And you already gave me soup.”

Luke grabbed his own plate and joined her. “Thin soup, so your stomach adjusts. Eat a little but go slow.”

Silence reigned as they both chomped their way through the noodles. Luke practically gulping his down, Jackson forking up little bits. After a moment or so, she pushed her half-full plate aside.

“I never thought I’d say this again, Luke, but I couldn’t eat another thing.”

“It’s because your stomach’s shrunk.”

“Yeah.”

She placed her hands on the table and Luke was struck by how small and dainty they were. That image contradicted the one of her severing heads and he shook himself inwardly. The woman and the bad-ass, how to reconcile them?

“I want to thank you for all this,” she said softly. “Sharing your resources and helping me take down the pack.”

Luke grinned and nudged a bottle of water toward her. “Not a problem.”

She took a hefty swig of the water and looked up. Their eyes met and Luke had to take a deep breath. She was so fucking pretty, and he knew it wasn’t just because she was one of the few women left on Earth. Luke was