There was a long pause, and he smirked at the silence.
“Judging by your silence, I’m going to guess I’m right,” Maddox continued. “So if that’s all, we’ll be on our way.”
He set down the radio, and they began to leave the room. Before they reached the door, the walkie talkie crackled to life.
“Hope you weren’t planning on cutting him out of the cell with one of those little propane cutters,” the Sheriff said, a note of teasing in his voice.
Maddox froze, glancing at Dante and then rushing back to the table to pick up the radio. “And what if I am?” he demanded.
“Then you’re exactly the dumbass I thought you were,” came the pert reply. “We installed steel doors earlier this year.”
Maddox threw down the radio and clenched his fists. “Fuck, fuck, motherfucking fuck,” he snarled.
“Calm down,” Dante said, holding up a hand. “What is it?”
Maddox motioned to the torch attached to his belt. “This thing doesn’t get hot enough to cut through steel.”
“Shit,” Dante replied.
“Judging by your silence, I’m guessing I was right,” the Sheriff echoed Maddox’s earlier words with a mocking tone. “How about we work out a deal?”
The group looked around at each other.
“Let’s hear him out,” Tate suggested, and there were nods all around.
Maddox raised the walkie talkie to his lips. “Okay, we’re listening,” he said.
“Go over to the control pad by the monitors,” the Sheriff instructed. “Punch in twenty-three then the pound sign.”
Dante did so, and it changed one of the screens to an office. Sheriff Brandt stood in there with two other officers.
“Yeah, we see you and your friends,” Maddox said into the radio.
“Good,” came the reply. “This is what I propose. You and your friends get us out of here, and I’ll give you the key.”
The redneck rolled his eyes. “So we’re just supposed to take your word that you have the keys on you?”
Brandt set down the radio and walked closer to the camera, pulling out a set of keys from his belt. He held up the ring, showing off a large key that looked like it was for a jail cell.
“Shit,” Maddox said, shaking his head. “What do you guys think?”
Dante shrugged. “It’s risky, but I don’t see another way,” he admitted.
“Tate?” Maddox asked.
His brother nodded. “I agree with our new friend here,” he said.
Maddox took a deep breath and raised the radio to his mouth once again. “Okay, Sheriff, you got a deal,” he said. “But when we get you out, you and your boys just walk on out of here and leave us be. If you think it’s bad in here, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The whole world has gone to shit and getting out is the best thing for you.”
There was a long pause, and then Brandt finally said, “Deal. Now come get us.”
Maddox tossed the walkie talkie down on the desk in disgust. “Can’t believe I have to help that motherfucker,” he snarled.
“Guessing we can’t trust him to keep his word,” Dante said.
“Oh fuck no, he’s a lying sack of shit,” the redneck replied. “Vindictive, too. One of his underlings made the mistake of treating me with some respect, joking around with me one day. He not only berated that officer in front of everyone, but demoted him to the overnight shift.”
Tate crossed his arms. ‘You think he’s going to screw us?”
“I think it’s hella possible,” Maddox confirmed.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Dante piped up. “In the meantime, we have to worry about those zombies.”
Lily smacked Tate on the arm. “Come on, let’s get those potato guns,” she said.
The two rushed outside, and Ace smacked Maddox on the arm.
“There any other place in here that could have some useful stuff?” he asked.
The dealer thought for a moment before responding. “Couldn’t hurt to look in the chow hall,” he replied. “Weapons are going to be minimal, but there should be some rolling carts.”
Dante nodded. “We can use that,” he said, and then glanced at the monitor. “You two grab what you can and get back. Doesn’t look like any of those things are near the cafeteria. Just stay quiet.”
“What are you going to do?” Ace asked.
“Figure out how we’re doing this,” Dante replied.
The redneck nodded, and the duo rushed out of the room.
Dante moved back to the monitors, focusing on the office with the zombies around it. He thought hard, running through a variety of plans in his head… none of which sounded particularly good.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The five of them stood in the small office at the front, going over the plan. There was a single pushcart in front of them that normally held lunch trays, and two potato guns laying on it.
“Okay, we know how many they have, but they don’t know about us,” Dante said. “I think it’s in our best interest to keep it that way.”
Maddox nodded. “Agreed,” he said.
“He’s going to be expecting you,” Dante continued, pointing at him. “I think Ace and Tate should go with you. At least have the numbers even, which will hopefully deter them from doing something stupid.”
Tate raised his hand. “And if they do decide to do something stupid?” he asked.
“If you can safely take them down, do it,” Dante replied, “but don’t risk it. Lily and I will have your backs.”
Maddox shot Lily a suspicious glare, and she rolled her eyes.
“Don’t worry dumbass, if anybody is going to kill you, it’s going to be me,” she drawled. “And it ain’t gonna be today.”
He nodded, somehow comforted, and went back to focusing on the mission at hand.
Tate picked up one of the potato launchers as the
