The sound of running feet heralded the arrival of another swarm, and Dylan whirled around to face them. They were everywhere, and she hacked and slashed at their faces with her blade. Gore spattered onto her uniform, and she almost fell when her boot landed in a puddle of blood. A set of hands yanked her out of the path of two raging zombies, and she found herself facing one of King’s men.
“This way,” he shouted, pointing to an empty corridor. When she hesitated, he shoved her toward it. “Run!”
Dylan ran, hoping the rest would follow. Within seconds, she found herself lost in a maze of hallways lined by glass-fronted labs. Echoing footsteps caused her to look over her shoulder, and she spotted a group of zombies close on her heels. Their snarls filled her ears until it became her entire world.
Terror spurred her onward, and she flew past the labs. They were all shut, and she didn’t have the passwords or keycards to any of them. Desperation set in, and her breathing sawed in and out of her lungs.
A barrage of gunfire caused hope to flare in her chest, and she slowed. The infected behind her turned to face their new enemy, and more shots echoed through the passage. One by one, they fell, and she huddled against a wall, hoping not to get hit by a stray bullet.
The next moment, Nick was there, hauling her to her feet. His face was red, and he shouted at her in a hoarse voice. “Why did you run away? We always stick together!”
“I don’t know. It was that other guy,” she cried, confusion flooding her mind. What was he going on about? She was told to run.
“Run, there’s more coming,” Nick said, and they sprinted further down the corridor. Suddenly, another group of infected emerged at the far end of the hall, cutting off their escape. Dylan’s heart stuttered in her chest, and she stumbled to a halt. “What now?”
Nick shook his head, his lips pressed together in a thin line. “We fight.”
He began shooting at the nearest zombies, but within seconds, his rifle clicked on empty. “I’m out.”
While he fumbled for a fresh magazine, Dylan pulled out her own gun and began to shoot, but they were surrounded. Just when she thought all was lost, she spotted an open lab. Its door was propped open by a foot while the rest of the corpse lay inside the room. “Over there!”
Sprinting toward the door, Dylan shoved her way inside. Without pause, she grabbed the corpse by its jacket and threw it aside with the kind of strength she didn’t know she possessed. Nick followed, and together they slammed the door shut. The automatic locking mechanism slid into place, sealing them inside the lab.
Dylan backed away from the glass, heaving for breath. Within moments, her vision was filled with the faces of the infected. They hammered on the glass with their fists, threw themselves at it, and even smashed their heads against it, driven mad by the tantalizing flesh that hovered out of reach.
“Can they break through the glass?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. It’s an inch thick. Not your normal household variety,” Nick replied, his face pale.
“Bulletproof?”
“Probably not,” he said.
“Then watch where you’re waving that thing,” Dylan said, pointing to his rifle while holstering her Beretta.
“It’s empty anyway,” he said, ejecting the magazine. He removed a new one from his vest and popped it in with a grim smile. “That’s better.”
“I guess we’d better call for help?” Dylan asked.
“I’ll do it,” Nick said. With the use of his radio, he called Saul and explained to him where they were, and that they were safe for the time being.
“Sit tight. We’ll be there as soon as we can. Over,” Saul replied, and Dylan was glad to hear he was still alive. He’d better be, or Tara will kill me.
Dylan sank onto the nearest counter, her legs trembling. “What did you mean when you asked why I ran? One of King’s soldiers told me to. He shoved me down that hallway. I thought the rest of you would follow.”
Nick shook his head. “They went the other way. I’m only here because I spotted you running off on your own. A stupid stunt if I ever saw one.”
“You know I wouldn’t do that,” Dylan said.
“Wouldn’t you?” he asked. “Because I thought I knew you, but it seems I don’t. Not really.”
Dylan groaned. “Is this because of that kiss?”
Nick didn’t reply. He simply looked the other way, his expression blank.
“You really want to do this now?” she asked, waving at the infected pressed to the glass. “We’re trapped in a glass box surrounded by zombies.”
When he still said nothing, she sighed. “Fine. Let’s do this. Yes, Ethan kissed me. No, I didn’t ask him to. It was as much of a surprise to me as to you.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Nick asked, his voice bitter. “I’ve seen the way you two act around each other. He moons over you, and you do nothing to stop it.”
Dylan gasped. “He doesn’t moon over me. We talk, that’s all. We’re friends.”
“Just friends?”
Red-hot anger flowed through Dylan’s veins, and she jumped up. “You know what? I don’t expect you to believe me, and I don’t care. When this is over, I’m out of here, and you two can fight over my shadow.”
With her arms folded, she turned her back on him. After a while, he sighed and said, “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? Calling me a liar, or being an asshole?” Dylan asked.
“Both,” he said. “I’ll admit it. I’m jealous. I like you, and I thought we had something going. Did I misread the signs? Do you like Ethan more than me?”
Dylan stared at the floor, not sure what to say or
