"The kicker is that without new blood our offspring will eventually become inbred. But that problem is several years out before I have to deal with it.
"I should have guessed you'd have an answer. You're always thinking ahead. I like that about you."
"Does that make up for my being an ugly, uncharismatic nerd?"
Kira laughed, a real gut buster. She leaned over and hit me on the shoulder. "No, it doesn't. You're never going to let me live that down, are you? Actually after being around you I've gained tremendous respect for you. It takes an iron will and courage to step up and do the hard tasks others instinctively avoid. Now, handsome, let's get some sleep so we can attempt to get the hell out of here in the morning. I'm missing my daughter, and she's probably thinking all sorts of bad stuff has happened to us."
I awoke early the next morning with a warm body next to me. During the night, Kira had put her covers over mine and snuggled next to me. I was still on my back, and she lay partly on me on my right side. My arm was under her and her right arm was across my chest. Her right leg across my thigh felt natural, like it belonged there. Her warmth was comforting, so I laid still enjoying the closeness and not wanting the feeling to end. A few minutes later her breathing changed, and I felt her move slightly.
"I hope you don't mind that I used you to keep me warm," she said.
"When you laid down, the movement woke me. I'm a light sleeper." She made an effort to rise and I gripped her shoulder and pulled her close. "A few more minutes, okay? I like having you near. I'm attracted to you, and I hope as we get to know each other better a relationship develops between us."
She relaxed and her face nuzzled against my chest. "I'd like that. I'm beginning to like you, handsome. But right this minute, I really need to get up and use the lady’s room."
I moved my hand from her shoulder. "Me too. My bladder is stretched to the limit from all the damn water I sipped yesterday."
After ruefully enjoying a breakfast of hard, dry, snack food and water, we checked outside and didn't see any zombies. Cautiously we made our way back to the first floor. Still there was none of the dreaded smell or moaning. I unlocked the door that would plunge us from safety into the area that had been infested with the undead for the last two days. Outside we checked both directions before letting the door close with little sound. With our backs against the building's brick wall, we slowly crept to the corner. We gripped the straps on the rifles slung on our shoulders tightly as we'd agreed so they wouldn't slip and fall while we ran. I glanced around the corner and saw at least a dozen zombies, I couldn't count exactly how many, at the other end of the huge store. Several milled about slowly and most appeared to be quiet. I turned to Kira. "Let's walk toward the truck casually and hope they don't notice us until we're close to it. When they react, or if more come out the front of the store, run like hell for the driver's door. You get in first and I'll be right behind you.
My M-14 was slung on my left shoulder, the Glock in my right hand. I held the key fob in my left hand against the sling. I guessed we were a little more than two hundred feet from the truck. Even that short distance would seem like a mile if the zombies saw us and gave chase.
We eased around the corner and walked quickly with medium steps straight toward our maroon colored truck. After we'd gone only twenty feet, the undead at the end of the building turned toward us and moaned louder as they moved in our direction. The slow movers shuffled along and began to shriek shrilly. Softly I said, "Now. Run like hell." I stayed in front of Kira but listened for her footsteps close behind me. To our left, more zombies swarmed from the store's front entrance amid shrill cries.
We closed on the truck and I hoped we'd reach it first, but it would be close. If we weren't first, we were dead. From twenty feet away, I hit the fob button and saw the truck's lights flash once. At the fender, I stopped to let Kira pass by me. A fast zombie was twenty feet away. I blasted it twice and it fell. Two more fast ones took its place and they fell to the bullets of my gun. I swung around the open truck door, tossed the rifle butt first to Kira and lunged up and onto the seat. I grabbed the armrest and pulled the door shut with all my strength as Kira screamed. A split second before the door slammed shut, a frail, young looking, recently dead, full bodied, zombie grabbed the edge of the door. The door slammed shut with enough force to rock the truck cab. Above new scratching and pounding noises I heard the zombie's bones crush. Screeching, moaning zombies swarmed the truck, pounding on the sheet metal and the glass. The door held shut
