New faces replaced those in the window, and he released another barrage of bullets. They fell away in a spray of blood and brains, but there were more behind them. And more, and more, and more.
Their only hope was to get to the basement, and he prayed they could reach it in time. A quick glance showed him that Amy was on her feet and armed, a determined look on her face. “I’m ready.”
Alex nodded. “Go, I’ll cover you.”
He whirled around in time to see several more zombies crash into the living room. They were pouring in from every direction, a swarm of flesh-eating parasites bent on devouring everything in their path.
“It’s locked,” Amy shouted, her voice rising in a panic.
“Damn it. Check the board,” Alex replied.
He shot at the encroaching infected, fanning out his bullets as he retreated toward the basement. A couple fell, their heads blown away, but more kept coming. Those that passed through the hail of gunfire howled with rage and ran toward them with outstretched arms. He ducked around the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Hurry up, Amy!”
“I’m looking!”
“It’s a single key with a red tag,” Alex answered, taking down three more infected with quick shots.
“Um…let me see. I’ve got it. Come on,” Amy cried.
Alex risked a glance over his shoulder and spotted her silhouette framed in the open doorway of the basement. The lamp shone next to her feet like a beacon, and he ran toward it as fast as he could.
“Watch out!” Amy raised her shotgun and fired off a blast.
The buckshot whistled past his ear, so close he could feel the wind on his skin. A dull thud sounded, and a zombie collapsed right behind him. He twisted sideways and snapped off a couple of quick shots.
“Move it, Alex,” Amy said. “There’s too many of them.”
The infected pressed in from every side, the house a leaky sieve with no end in sight. Amy fired again, and two zombies crashed to the ground at the same time. For some reason, that struck her as funny, and she began to laugh hysterically. “Hey, look! A twofer!”
Alex ignored her and kept shooting, picking off the infected one after another. They piled up in a circle around them, tripping those that came next. That gave him a slight lead, and he closed the gap between him and the basement.
He finally reached Amy’s side, and she yanked him to safety. Two zombies filled the open doorway, and she fired her third and final round into their snarling faces. The blast obliterated their features, and she cried, “Shut it now!”
Alex lunged forward and slammed the door shut. With a deft twist, he engaged the lock. Immediately, the hammering of dozens of fists formed a steady beat in their ears. The infected screeched and howled like banshees, loud enough to burst an eardrum.
He pressed his back to the shuddering wood, arms braced against the walls on either side. “We need to barricade this door, or they’ll break it down. Look for something we can use.”
Amy nodded. “Okay, but we need more light.”
“Make it fast,” Alex said, his entire body straining to reinforce the door.
Amy grabbed the lamp and ran downstairs. She disappeared into the depths of the basement, leaving him alone in the dark.
Alex closed his eyes and concentrated on holding his position. Sweat burst free from his pores and ran down his face. The salt stung his eyes, and his breathing sounded harsh in his ears. He couldn’t believe what had happened, or how quickly it had all gone to hell. “I was so sure we were safe here. So certain we could ride out the infection. Tara was right. There is no riding this out. There’s only a cure, vaccine, or certain death.”
Moments later, Amy reappeared with a glowing lamp which she placed at the top of the stairs. Two more lit the basement below, allowing her freedom of movement. He noticed that her gun belt was once more secured around her waist, though she’d abandoned the now empty shotgun. “Good girl. She’s learning fast.”
Not that any amount of guns could help them now. The only thing they could do if the infected broke through the door was to end it before they were eaten alive. As hard as it would be to kill Amy, he knew he’d do it if it came to that. “I’m sorry, Mom. I know I promised to keep her safe, and I tried. I really tried.”
Amy returned moments later with a crate of canned goods. Her face was strained as she struggled to get the heavy package up the stairs. Her slim arms and legs trembled with the effort, but when he moved to help, she waved him away. “Hold the damn door, Alex. I’ve got this.”
Alex grinned. “Aye, aye, Captain!”
Amy levered the crate onto the landing and pushed it against the bottom of the door. She ran back for another, and another. By the time they had three stacked on top of each other, Alex was able to join her. Together, they created a wall of canned goods and bottled water. A couple of drums of fuel, a heavy toolbox, and some old furniture put the seal on their makeshift barricade.
“I think that’s enough,” Alex said, standing back to look at their handiwork. He wiped his hands on his jeans, heaving for breath. “I feel like a herd of elephants trampled me.”
Amy nodded, collapsing onto the nearest step. “You and me both.”
The hammering on the door had faded into the background, muffled by the barrier they’d erected.
“Do you think they’ll go away?” Amy asked.
“Yeah, I think so. Zombies aren’t very smart, and they should move on if they don’t hear or see anything,” Alex replied, though he wasn’t a hundred percent certain of his
