*
Travis lunged to catch her and Katie fell into his arms and sent them both sprawling. Immediately, they both scrambled to their feet to see the zombies moving ever closer to them. There were now maybe twenty moving slowly, but resolutely toward them. Behind those zombies, more staggered into the light in the street beyond. Their twisted, gnarled bodies were grotesque in their decay.
“They’re early,” Katie said.
“Yeah,” Travis answered, holding her close. “Curtis?”
“I think Jenni has him covered.”
Travis looked at her sharply. “Jenni? Huh?”
*
Nerit saw Jenni wave to her and she smiled briefly, then was on the move again. To get a clear shot of the zombies she had to be in a different location. The fire escape to her left would be perfect. Leaping off the chair, she ran across the room and out into the hallway.
*
Katie clung to Travis as they both began to shout at the top of their lungs for help. A form fell from above and they both ducked slightly as it landed near them.
It was Jenni. She landed on her feet and flipped her hair back from her face.
“Hey, Travis” she called out.
“Jenni,” Travis whispered in shock. With a grin, Jenni walked toward the zombies, her long hair flowing in the night wind. She sauntered up to the determined flesh eaters and her laughter drifted into the night.
“What the hell?” Travis managed.
“She’s back...sorta...kinda,” Katie answered.
*
Jenni’s hair danced around her face as she smiled at the undead approaching her. She understood them now in a way she could not in life. They were desperately sad and terrible, but they were hunger personified and her friends were their chosen meal.
That was simply not acceptable. This was no place for pity or mercy.
“Hey fucktards, why don’t you stop right there and wait for the nice sniper lady to shoot your heads off?” she said, then stepped into the midst of them. The zombies stopped in mid-step. Slowly, they turned toward her, their hands grasping at her arms, face, and neck. The growled in confusion and hunger. They could not grab their delicious prey.
“Good zombies. Now. Bang.”
The first zombie’s head exploded.
*
Holding each other tight, Katie and Travis watched as Jenni walked into the center of the approaching zombies and they gathered around her, grabbing at her hungrily. From the wall, Juan and Peggy stood in shock and stared at the form of the woman in a red sweater, hands on her hips, standing the midst of the zombies as Nerit took them down one by one.
“Get the loading dock open and get them in,” Juan said finally.
“The zombies,” Peggy began to protest.
“She’s got them,” Juan answered in awe. “Loca’s got them.”
*
Anyone who saw it, could barely believe what they witnessed. Others, who were not there, did not believe it at all. But the woman in the red sweater with the long black hair held the zombies at bay as Nerit shot their heads off one by one.
The loading dock doors slid open and heavily armed fort personnel covered the distracted zombies as Katie and Travis ran to safety. The heavy doors clanged shut. Those gathered in the hotel windows and along the wall watched in awe as Jenni walked calmly over the downed monsters, pulling the remaining zombies along with her.
“Jenni!” She turned at the sound of Juan’s voice, her dark eyes smiling up at him. She lifted her hand and blew him a kiss as the zombies clustered around her.
More were coming now. Jenni shoved a few out of her way as she walked, but none could grab her. They followed her relentlessly, moaning with aggravation.
As Jason and Jack joined the group on the wall, Jenni squatted down and looked at the ground.
“What is she doing?” Peggy asked.
“The explosives,” Juan whispered.
“Go, Mom,” Jason said softly, tears in his eyes.
Jenni activated the hidden dynamite under the dirt and blew the zombies to hell.
As the smoke cleared, nothing moved in the mouth of the alley or beyond.
And Jenni, once more, was gone.
Chapter 32
1. The Time of Choice
The lobby was packed with people as word of what had happened between Curtis, Travis, and Katie spread throughout the fort. Katie found herself huddled on a couch with Travis, sipping water and trying to keep her hands from shaking. She wasn’t sure what had happened to Curtis’ body, but a few people kept commenting they should throw him over the wall to the zombies.
Kevin sat nearby with Nerit. He looked utterly shocked that she was up, let alone looking so good.
“This is bullshit,” a man declared. Katie tilted her head to see Ed standing nearby.
“Sorry, folks, but I can’t believe no shit about ghosts. Jenni is dead. End of story. Curtis may have been the Vigilante, but we broke fucking protocol opening the loading dock.”
“Were we supposed to just leave them out there to die?” Peggy exclaimed.
“I’m just saying that this place is going to shit fast,” Ed responded.
“I saw Jenni,” Juan said sharply. “I saw her!” “So did I,” Peggy exclaimed. She was smoking up a storm and was shaking.
“Ghosts are bullshit and if this is what I can expect when the zombies get here, people busting protocol ‘cause someone is in danger, I’m out of here,” Ed said firmly.
“I saw ghosts, too,” Katarina said from near the elevators. “I saw my Mama until Bill and I got engaged. After Bill died, I saw him.”
Voices began to rise up, some agreeing with Ed.
“Ghosts? Give me a break.”
“People are losing it.”
“How many here saw a ghost tonight?” Nerit’s voice broke through the murmuring.
Silence fell over the lobby, then slowly, nearly a third of the room raised their hands.
“So did I. I saw my dead husband. And he told me what Curtis was trying to do. I saw Jenni, too. Now, I may be an old woman, but that only means I’ve lived longer than most of you and I have seen things I cannot explain. The ghosts were here. They came to guide us. But they have all passed on now and it’s up to us to deal with what happens next.” Nerit’s voice was firm and strong. It was a far departure from her frail appearance when she lay in a coma.
“C’mon,” a voice said nearby. “That’s a bunch of bull. You’re sounding as crazed as those Baptists we threw out.”
“Our leadership seems to be under a lot of stress,” a familiar voice said. The former Mayor stood nearby. He wasn’t doing very well health-wise and looked strained.
“I saw Jenni, too,” Travis finally spoke up. “I saw her clear as day. I saw her turn back the zombies coming for me and my wife. If we have the dead walking the earth, why are ghosts so hard to believe in?” “If your ghosts are real, why don’t they just come and save us all?”
Katie couldn’t see who all was talking now. The lobby was packed.