“I know.”
Jennifer was the girl who once drank half a bottle of tequila in an apple orchard just to find out what it felt like to black out.
Who’d have thought life would throw him so many curve balls that he’d fall out of love with Jennifer Miola? Talk about a quarterback sneak. He’d never seen it coming, yet here it was.
“Friends forever?” Jennifer asked.
“Of course,” Leo said, voice gruff. “We took each other’s virginity, after all. That counts for something.”
Jennifer’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. When she stepped out of his arms, affection swept through him. He felt closer to her than he ever had before.
Then a collective howl lit the night, echoing through the streets of Bastopol. It wasn’t just a random pack going crazy. Dozens and dozens of them were going apeshit.
Something had caught the attention of the zombies.
Chapter 37Hammer to Fall
“WE’RE SCREWED.” DAL and Lena hid inside the open storefront of a downtown furniture store. The windows had been shot out.
Guy’s Electronic Superstore was within eyesight, the big blue-and-yellow neon sign easy to spot.
Between them and the superstore was a street full of abandoned cars, dead bodies, and prowling nezhit. And only fifteen minutes left before Leo raised hell at the high school.
“We’re screwed,” Lena agreed.
Dal studied the street, chewing at his bottom lip. There were more infected than they’d anticipated. Dumb luck had been the only reason they’d made it into the furniture store. The side alleyway door had been left unlocked in the confusion of the invasion.
They were safe for the moment, but Dal could see no clear route to the superstore. Sure, they could try to circle around, but there wasn’t time.
“We have to make our own distraction,” he said. “It has to be enough to draw the zombies, but not enough to draw the Russians.”
Lena gave him a long look before pulling off her backpack. She unzipped it, revealing her Walkman. Nestled next to it was a small portable speaker that attached to the cassette player with a slender wire.
“I brought this as backup plan,” Lena explained. “We can turn it on and leave it to play. It will draw the infected while we slip away.”
God, he loved this girl. He wished he was a better man for her. “Good thinking.”
“Thanks.” Lena pulled the items out of her backpack. “We’re only going to have one shot at this.”
“We should put it in the alleyway where we came in,” Dal said. “As soon as the nezhit are past the front of the shop, we make a run for it.”
Lena nodded in agreement. This was their only option. He just had to hope Leo would stick to the plan and launch his attack at the designated time. Dal and Lena would need every minute to get into position at the superstore.
They crept to the back of the furniture shop with the Walkman.
“Did you bring anything besides Russian language tapes?” Dal asked.
“Of course. I brought Queen.” Lena gripped the cassette player in one hand, the portable speaker in the other. “Freddy Mercury should be enough to get their attention.”
They reached the metal door that led into the alleyway. Dal drew his knife and turned the dead bolt. There was a soft snarl on the other side. A second later, something rammed against the other side of the door.
Shit. They had to get rid of this nezhit before he brought more.
“Get ready,” Dal whispered.
Lena pursed her lips and nodded, one finger hovering over the play button on her Walkman.
Dal braced his leg against the door and turned the knob. The infected slammed into the door, but Dal leaned into it and kept it from flying open. The nezhit went berserk, howling and barking as he tried to force his way through.
Dal jammed his knife through a narrow slit in the opening, aiming for the zombie’s face. The blade slid off the cheekbone and punctured the left eyeball.
The howling and barking was cut off. The zombie died instantly, sliding backwards off the knife. Dal made a mental note that head blows were the most effective way to kill a nezhit. Wish he’d figured that out sooner.
As soon as the zombie was down, Lena dashed forward. She set the Walkman next to the dead zombie, positioned the speaker in the cradle of his arm, and hit play. Queen’s Hammer to Fall blasted out of the tiny speaker.
The reaction was instantaneous. Howls lit the night, a crescendo that crashed over the downtown like a tidal wave. It sounded like they’d snagged the attention of every nezhit in a half-mile radius.
Dal slammed the alley door and turned the dead bolt. He and Lena retreated back to the front of the shop and hid behind a La-Z-Boy.
They peaked over the edge of the couch and watched a huge pack of nezhit lope past, all of them barking and growling. Their attention was zeroed in on the entrance to the alleyway. Freddy Mercury’s voice poured into the night and filled every crevice.
The road to the superstore was clear.
“Come on.” Dal grabbed Lena’s hand. They ran for the bikes.
Chapter 38Statue of Liberty
“WHAT THE HELL?” LEO raced to the edge of the theater roof, pulling out his binoculars. He scanned the downtown, which seemed to be the epicenter of the uproar. Barks and howls assailed his ears.
“It sounds like the zombies are having a riot,” Jennifer said. “What do you see?”
“Nothing. It’s too dark.” He lowered the binoculars, frustration clawing at him.
“That noise is coming from downtown,” Jennifer said. “Dal and Lena are in trouble.”
Leo had come to the same conclusion. “Dammit, guys,” he muttered. “What’s going on down there?”
Jennifer raced to the backpacks they’d left in the middle of the roof. Leo reached her just as she began pulling out bombs.
“Not yet,” he said.
“What are you talking about?” She glared at him like he’d lost his mind. “Dal and Lena are in trouble!”
“I know.” The next
