Bunny stared at her expectantly. "And?"
"And I started carrying a gun."
"Wait, back up. You said it was a long story," Bunny accused.
Caroline shrugged. "I lied."
"You lied?"
"I wanted to sound interesting, not helpless, when we were getting ready to look for the dead people wandering around the club," Caroline said with a smile.
"You’re unbelievable, you know that?" Bunny said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Caroline nodded. "I do, and I am."
"Wasn't a compliment," Bunny growled.
"What's your story then?"
Bunny flopped back down on the cot. "I ain't tellin'."
"Cheater," Caroline giggled.
"Hey, you fibbed. No story for you," Bunny stuck out her tongue, getting another giggle from her friend.
"Suit yourself," Caroline said. "I'll get it out of you, sooner or later. I have my methods."
“What are you going to do?” Bunny asked, giving her a snide look. “Torture me?”
“If I have to,” she replied with a wicked grin.
Bunny gave her a dirty look. “I’d like to see you try.”
She leaned down to tickle Bunny, fingers dancing against her sides, making her curl into a ball squealing. Laughing, she wormed her arms in and pushed the other woman away, gasping and panting. Together, they giggled, silently grateful there was still something in the world to laugh about.
Despite her breakdown yesterday, she felt better, and discovered she always did when the raven-haired Caroline was around. Something about the woman’s practicality and humor made everything seem less overbearing. Bunny would never tell her, but she felt more and more like she was depending upon Caroline to keep her sane. A task she was certain wasn’t simple or easy.
Both women turned their eyes up at the low, long, rumble of thunder. A storm had been building south of them since yesterday, moving slowly towards them, and was the first they’d had since the dead rose.
"Think it'll rain much?" Caroline asked.
"Probably," Bunny replied. "But it'll be good."
Caroline nodded slowly. "I better get my ass up and help with preparations for the storm. Laundry to gather, equipment to store, and people to herd."
"Always a party, isn't it?" Bunny asked.
Caroline rolled her eyes at the thought as she stood and moved to the entrance of their tent. "Hey, by the way, you ever do decide you want a warm body to snuggle, let me know. I'm in the market."
Bunny laughed then stopped. "Wait, what?"
Caroline was already gone, though. Bunny grumbled and picked up the radio, hurrying to catch up. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to hear that again. As she stepped out of the tent, another low growl echoed over the city, one that made Caroline stop short ahead of Bunny.
"Hey," Bunny called. "Say that again?"
"Did you hear that?" Caroline asked.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by the heavy roar again, making Bunny stop, a chill running down her spine. "That was thunder, right?"
All around them, people stopped what they were doing, listening for the strange sound again. When it came, Bunny saw people cringe, because it was with certainty not thunder they heard.
She turned, trying to sort out which way it had come from. A deep, long rumble, echoing through the streets. Not thunder, no, she realized. It was something else. Something unnatural.
Something that was coming.
"Bunny!" the radio squawked. "Bunny, it's Marco! Get out of the Park! Get out of the Park now!"
Chapter Nineteen
PANIC ERUPTED as people began to realize something monstrous was drawing down upon them. One or two at first, then by handfuls, the survivors in the Park started to scatter, running to their families, friends, or the illusion of safety from this new terror.
Over the fence, Bunny saw a building a few blocks away shudder, then collapse, falling over like a domino. The awful bellow came again, eclipsing even the rumble of the falling structure, no longer possible to confuse with the thunder of the oncoming storm. Looking at Caroline, she saw her friend standing and staring in horror.
"Caroline!" she yelled, grabbing the woman and shaking her. "Go find Randy and the others. Get everyone gathered up and head for the landing field."
"But..." Caroline whispered.
Bunny shook her again. "There's no time. Go and hurry!"
Collecting herself, Caroline nodded and darted away. Bunny ducked back in their tent and grabbed the few things she felt she might need. Water, weapons, and extra ammunition went in her now trusted and ever-present duffel bag. Outside, she could hear true panic setting in as people began screaming.
"Bunny!" the radio belched. "Can you hear me?"
"I hear you," she said as she stepped out of the tent.
The first drops of rain began to fall, thunder peeling across the heavens. She spared a look up, wondering if God himself was raging against whatever approached. If so, she thought, He was running a bit late to really have a say in this.
"You need to go, right now!" Marco told her.
"Yeah, working on that," she said as she hurried through the camp. "Easier said than done. Where are you?"
"Running," he replied. "Leave everything and get as many people out as you can. You can't fight this."
Spotting Tanner, she waved him down as she asked. "What is this?"
Marco was silent for a moment then said. "Demons."
Bunny stared at the radio in disbelief. Only the sensation of the ground beneath her trembling made her look away towards the north, from where it approached. Lightning flashed, and for a moment, she couldn't help but feel lost, almost paralyzed by the impossibility of it all.
"Bunny?” Tanner asked.
She snapped her head around to look at him, squinting as the rain came harder. "Get as many people as you can rounding up civilians and move them to the Blackhawks. We're leaving."
He nodded, immediately tagging the two
