“Maybe we should just take one of these old trucks. Nothing would stop us then.” Johnny said as they stopped next to the red Pete.
“We need to get up high enough to get a good look around. Might be able to get spotted by one of the herd spotters in town if we can get on the roof.” Bud said, looking around for a roof access ladder. The room burst into a cacophony of noise as the herd of zeds slammed into the garage doors and walls of the store. The noise was so loud that the three men had to scream over it to hear one another talk. Seeing nothing of use in the garage they darted back into the hall. The walls had diamond plate sheets halfway up from the floor and the top half was drywall with posters advertising different products the truck stop sold. Halfway down the hall another hall split off to the right. They three men cut right into the hall which led them into a shower and laundry area. The room opened with shower stalls on the left and a row of stacked washer and dryer combos on the right. At the far end of the room was an emergency exit and next to that a roof access ladder with steel grating wrapped around the outside to prevent someone from falling.
“There!” Bud shouted over the growing noise, pointing a finger at the ladder. The three men sprinted toward the ladder just as the sound of glass shattering filled their ears.
“We have to hurry!” Roosevelt shouted, concern and panic filling his tone. They could hear the zeds pushing in on the steel barricade Bud had pulled down and locked.
“I’ll go up first! Richey gave me the Keys for this whole place and that hatch has a padlock on it!” Bud shouted. The noise from the thin metal garage doors was deafening now and they could barely think. Johnny stepped aside and allowed Bud to start up the ladder, Keys already in his hand. Johnny started up the ladder just as the sound of creaking, bending metal filled the air. The screaming growls of the zeds came next followed by the sound of slapping feet on the concrete floor.
“Go, go, go!” Roosevelt screamed, slapping Johnny’s leg to hurry him up. Bud reached the top and started sorting through the wad of keys in search of the correct one. Johnny was high enough that Roosevelt could start climbing but they were running out of room. Roosevelt made it up a few feet when the first of the zeds slammed into the wall at the end of the hall.
“Hurry up!” Roosevelt shouted again as the infected got their feet under them and sprinted the rest of the way down the short hall. Fingers tore at Roosevelt's legs as he tried to get higher on the ladder but there just wasn’t enough room. Johnny looked down to see his friend kicking mangled faces over and over as they clawed and snapped their teeth at the fresh meat only feet above them.
“What is taking so long!” Roosevelt screamed as the zeds piled up at the bottom of the ladder creating a ramp of undead corpses for the next zeds in line to get higher on the ladder.
“I can't find the right damn key!” Bud yelled down from the top.
“Son of bitch!” Johnny said as the zeds continued to pile into the small area below them.
“Rosie get up here with me!” Johnny shouted down to his friend as he clung to the steel that wrapped around the ladder. It was an extremely tight fit but both men were able to get in the space out of reach from the zeds. The screaming growls crawled up Buds spine as he fumbled with the keys. Sweat dripped from his mustache as he flipped to the next key. He put the key to the lock, and it started to slide in. Seeing this, Bud let out a “Shit yeah! I got it!”
He started to push the key the rest of the way in but his sweaty hand lost grip on the ladder and he let go of the key to stop himself from falling. The key clung to the lock for a long second but gravity finally won and Bud watched in slow motion as the ring of keys fell free from the small lock and pinged off of the ladder rung next to Johnny's head before dropping into the mass of snapping teeth and clawing fingers. Bud stood there in shock as he gazed down at the destroyed faces screaming up at them. It wouldn’t take long and there would be some many of the things piled up at the bottom that they would be able to reach all three of the men on the ladder.
“Tell me that wasn’t the damn keys Bud!” Johnny shouted, looking up at Buds sweaty features. The sheriff didn’t reply. He just continued to stare down at the growing number of zeds below them.
“Bud tell me that wasn’t the goddamn keys!” Johnny screamed louder this time, breaking Buds focus on the infected crowd below.
“I’m sorry.” Bud said, shaking his head with shame.
“I will not be eaten alive because of your dumb ass!” Roosevelt shouted as he pulled his pistol from his hip and aimed it down at the closet zed. He fired a round into the things face, showering the ones below it in brains and blood. Johnny followed suit and together they dropped fifteen more which fell on top of the pile and stopped the zeds advance for the moment. Roosevelt stared at his pistol for a long second and then snapped his gaze up at Bud.
“Shoot the damn thing!” He shouted, pointing up at the small lock. Bud finally
