“You good?” He asked, sinking his blade into the back of the skull of a smaller Geek.
“I’m fine,” she told him, looking over her shoulder to be safe. “But I can’t find Booker.”
“I haven’t seen him,” he said with a worried frown. “But I’m sure he’s here somewhere.”
As more and more corpses piled up, that sentiment wasn’t a comfort.
In the distance, an engine revved and for a brief moment, Caitlin believed their luck had truly run out. A goon squad finding them was just the icing on top of the shitstorm they’d found themselves in.
HONK!
Caitlin stalled.
HONK HONK HONK!
“What the fuck,” she breathed, turning in a short circle.
Another Geek stumbled closer and she dispatched it quickly, still frowning at the sounds gaining on them.
From around the corner of the school, one of the stolen Ark buses drove up, barreling towards the gap in the fence.
Realization smacked Caitlin in the face.
“Get out of the way,” she screamed, waving for her friends to move. “Get back!”
The bus didn’t slow as it collided with decaying bodies, either sending them flying or crunching them under heavy duty tires.
“Move!” Caitlin yelled, reaching for the closest person—Donna—and dragging her out of the path of destruction. “Move!”
The driver laid on the horn and tore through the thickest cluster of Geeks. Blood and brain matter coated the ground, turning everything into a grotesque mudslide.
Stopping right in front of the fence gap, the driver’s side door swung open and several gunshots rang out.
Caitlin would recognize that rifle sound anywhere.
Turning his attention to the horde still clawing to get through, Booker swung his weapon over his shoulder and climbed from the door to the roof of the bus.
Joyous relief swirled in her chest as she watched him, but Caitlin didn’t have time to be thrilled for long. There were still dozens of Geeks pinned inside, and the bus was only a temporary fix. They’d need to finish off the herd.
The side door opened, and Caitlin glanced back to see how many other people were able to help.
Carrying a cloth sack in one hand, Sister Agnes aimed a small .22 at any close undead and fired, clearing a swath of space for her to run through.
“Caitlin,” she called. “Here!”
The nun shoved the bag into Caitlin’s hands.
To her surprise, it rattled.
“I thought you could use these,” Sister Agnes said, just before lifting her weapon and firing off several more shots.
It was the first time Caitlin had seen the woman kill anything larger than a troublesome mosquito.
Taking a look inside the sack, Caitlin gasped.
Bullets. Hundreds of rounds. Full clips, as well, and a box of rifle ammo.
“Thank you,” she breathed, grazing the woman’s arm before turning and bolting for the bus.
Booker was firing strategically, trying to buy time not just kill whichever Geek he saw first.
Caitlin stabbed two more through the eyes as she pushed ahead, and once she was within earshot, she shouted for him.
“Booker! Catch!”
Twisting around, Booker grabbed the sack midair, careful not to spill the contents.
With her other hand free, Caitlin began her ascent to the bus’s roof. Hoisting herself up, she scrambled with her feet while Booker continued firing.
“I thought something happened to you,” she said breathlessly as she checked her revolver’s ammo.
“’N I thought you were inside,” he said before squeezing the trigger.
Delirious with adrenaline, Caitlin grinned. “What, and miss all this fun?”
Aiming her own weapon, she blew apart the head of one Geek pushing against the bus door, nearly bending the hinges.
“Could really use a Molotov cocktail right about now,” Booker commented, changing his aim to several bodies moving along the chain link.
Caitlin squatted to open the bag, retrieving the box of ammunition for his rifle.
“Guess this’ll have to do,” she said, holding it up for him.
“Aw, hell yeah,” he exclaimed.
From behind, she heard the bus door squeak and Caitlin spun, ready to take out the brave Geek attempting to climb up to them.
“It’s me,” Nicole called, one filthy hand gripping the edge of the roof as she pulled herself up. “Figured you could use some help.”
Aiding her friend to clear the edge, Caitlin frowned. “Do you even have a gun to shoot?”
From her back pocket, Nicole withdrew a pistol. “Snagged it from Clark on my way out the door.”
“Cae, you take that side of the herd,” Booker ordered, gesturing to the right. “Nicole, stick to my left and keep an eye on that piece of fence there.” He jerked his chin at the wobbly metal. “Dunno if it’ll hold long.”
As the others cleared the Geeks from the courtyard, the trio took their places on the bus roof, and lifted their weapons.
Thunderous shots rang out, layered on top of each other to the point that all Caitlin could hear was gunfire and the resounding tinnitus.
Each row of Geeks crumpled and fell, only to be trampled by their herd-mates.
Blood splattered across the side of the bus as they slaughtered more and more undead.
Caitlin lost count, but by the looks of their ammunition stores, they were nearing seventy Geeks or more.
The mound of corpses grew and grew, the stench filling their noses.
In the distance, two late comers tripped through the weeds.
Glancing at each other, Booker and Caitlin grinned before firing off their final shots.
The silent calm didn’t seem real.
Turning, Caitlin looked out at the courtyard, scanning for any signs of despair or loss.
Bloody, bruised, and exhausted, everyone still stood.
They’d lived. Every single one of them.
A soft rumble of allayed laughter rolled through several of the guys—Alonzo and Edward especially, as they hugged and clapped each other on the backs.
Swinging his rifle onto his shoulder, Booker looked at Caitlin.
“Now, who’s hungry?”
