“Over here!” he called, and Tori whipped around, spotting him. As she got close, he inclined his head back to the door. “Emergency exit!” he said.
She adjusted course, and he tore for the emergency door, reaching it just as his pursuers ambled around the corner. He leapt into the air, giving the lead zombie a powerful jump kick to the chest, driving it back into its buddies.
Tori opened the door. “Glad you’re back,” she said.
Zion rushed inside and slammed the door shut. “Me too,” he said.
“We need help!” Missy screamed, arms flailing wildly at the garage door, which was beginning to buckle on the right side from the weight pressing up against it.
Zion raced over, throwing his entire weight into it.
Jack and Harold released the impaler and struck a trio of creatures in the face, the zombies convulsing and falling back as the duo rearmed the weapon.
“Welcome back, Zion,” Jack huffed as he slowly peeled the rebar.
“Thanks,” he replied, as if he wasn’t holding up a buckling garage door. “I miss anything?”
Jack aimed the impaler and shrugged. “Just an impromptu block party,” he replied, and fired, taking out two more zombies.
“It’s hard to see from here,” Tori piped up, pushing her glasses up her nose. “How many are out there?”
Zion cocked his head. “Few hundred by the door, another hundred or so chasing Calvin down the road,” he replied, and at her concerned look, he continued, “Don’t worry, your boyfriend is fine. There’s nothing between him and the interstate.”
She nodded, glancing at the impaler as it fired off again.
“How’s that thing working?” Zion asked.
She clenched and unclenched her fists. “It’s slow, but effective.”
The door popped a rivet on the left side, and the students jumped.
“Slow ain’t gonna cut it,” Zion said. “Any of you have any bright ideas?”
The girls shared a look, seeming unsure.
“Well spit it out,” he urged. “Don’t care how bad it is.”
“Firebomb,” Tori blurted.
Zion shook his head. “Okay, I stand corrected, that is a bad idea,” he replied. “We’re fucked if the building catches on fire.”
“We can make up some high powered fire extinguishers in case things get out of control,” Missy assured him.
Tori nodded. “Just need a ton of vinegar and baking soda and some containers,” she added.
The left side of the door creaked open a little more, and an arm reached in, flailing about.
“Fuck it, I’m in,” Zion grunted, “make it happen. Harold, go with the girls and do what you need to do,” he inclined his head sharply. “Jack, get on the other side of this door!”
Everyone sprung into action, the others rushing off as Jack pressed up against the left side of the door to reinforce it a bit.
Tori led the trio racing up the stairs, stopping at the second floor where the cafeteria was. “Missy, you’re on baking soda,” she said. “Harold, find something we can use for firebombs, I’ll get the vinegar.”
The two followers yelled in the affirmative and burst into the lunchroom. There were a few people cleaning up, apparently trying to keep themselves busy as the battle raged outside, distracting themselves from the carnage.
“Where’s the pantry?” Tori demanded.
One of the works pointed to the back room, and they ran off towards it, ripping through the shelves to find the goods they needed.
“Got the baking soda!” Missy cried and then spotted several plastic gallon milk containers. “And our delivery system!”
Harold pored over the area, looking for something flammable, before finally finding some cheap booze in glass bottles. “Fire bomb is a go,” he declared. “How many do we need?”
“Grab as many as you can carry,” Tori replied, and he grabbed four, cradling them in his arms.
Missy grabbed a stack of dishtowels from the counter, and Tori finally found a couple large canisters of vinegar.
“Got it, let’s move!” she cried, and they ran back out, carrying their goods. The workers gazed after them with confusion, but didn’t say anything as the trio rushed back to the stairs.
They thundered up another flight to the lowest level with exterior windows, finding the first open apartment facing the horde. There were a few older men shooting out the window that startled as the kids entered.
“You two, they need help down in the basement and we need the windows,” Tori gushed, setting down the vinegar.
One of the men furrowed his brow. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
“We’re scientists,” she replied, pushing her glasses up her nose.
He scoffed. “Does this look like a situation that needs science?” He rolled his eyes.
The blonde stepped up, eyes blazing. “Yeah it does,” she snarled, “now get the fuck down to the basement or everyone is going to die!”
He blinked at her, surprise all over his face, and then glanced at his buddy, who shrugged and headed for the door.
Missy gaped at her friend with amazement. “I’ve never seen you like that,” she breathed.
“Don’t have time to be polite,” Tori snapped. “Let’s get to mixing.”
The three of them spurred to action, creating the firebombs and makeshift fire extinguishers. When they had everything in order on the coffee table, Tori handed a few extinguishers to Harold.
“Get these down to Zion, and help them out,” she instructed. “We’ll launch some from up here if it starts getting out of control.”
He nodded and took the jugs, running from the room.
Missy pulled a lighter from her pocket as Tori lifted one of the molotov cocktails. They looked out the window at the mass of creatures below, stretching back along the road about forty yards.
“Where are you thinking?” Missy asked.
Tori pointed. “Figure I will aim towards the back, away from the building,” she replied. “Let’s see how that goes and adjust from there.”
Before they could throw the first one, the window next to them exploded in gunfire. Tori leaned out the window and spotted an older man aiming a hunting
