Once I’d pulled myself up on the roof, I looked down over the edge, watching the zombies below me. They jumped up, reaching for the M, but they never quite made it. Even if they did get it, they would probably only succeed in pulling the sign down on top of them. Max and Stella were still safe in their loft.
I went across the roof to the other side of the building, where the stairs would lead away from the welded doorway. The rickety wooden stairs were still intact, and there weren’t any zombies loitering around them. I’d made enough noise in the front of the store to keep them there looking for me.
The landing at the top of the stairs wasn’t as close to the roof as I’d have liked. I climbed over the ledge and hung on, lowering myself down as gently as I could. I was still several feet from touching the landing, but I had no choice, and I let go, dropping down.
My ankle groaned at me, and I fell onto my back. Wincing, I pulled up my jeans to inspect my leg. The good news was that it wasn’t broke. It still hurt, but I didn’t think it was sprained. It’d just be sore for a little bit, but I could walk it off.
A lone zombie had wandered down the street, and I had to get him before he summoned the rest of the zombies. He hadn’t seen me yet, but it wouldn’t be long before he did.
I stood up quickly, ignoring the pain in my ankle, and I sat on the metal railing of the stairs so I could slide down to the bottom. As soon as my feet hit the sidewalk, the zombie noticed me. He was only a few feet away, and he opened his mouth. All of his teeth were missing, but that wouldn’t stop him from howling.
I grabbed the broken broomstick out of my pants and charged at him. Just as he began to croak out a sound, I swung the stick, and it connected hard with his head. There was a loud crack as his neck snapped, and his head flew off his body.
Before any other zombies came out to play, I turned around and ran. I didn’t want to lead any of them back to where Boden and the others were hiding, so I had to hurry and remember the directions Max gave me. He knew all the best ways to squeeze around town and where to hide if zombies caught sight of me.
When a zombie did give chase, I managed to lose it when I slid between two houses and crawled underneath a porch. Then I was free and clear, running toward the house.
From the outside of the house, there was no sign of them, so I cautiously went inside. The front door had been torn off before we’d gotten there, and I knocked on the wall when I came in.
“Hello?” I called.
“Remy?” Daniels appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down over the box spring. “Boden told us you were as good as dead last night.”
“Well, I’m not,” I said. “I found my brother and another little girl. They’re both doing fine.”
“What about supplies?” Boden yelled from somewhere down the hall. I couldn’t see him, but I could hear him fine.
“They have food, but not much in the way of weapons,” I said. “We can probably take it with us.”
Nolita came and stood next to Daniels. “You’re still planning to come with us? I thought you were set now that you found your brother.”
“We can’t stay here.” I shook my head. “This town is overrun with zombies. We couldn’t survive for much longer.”
Boden came out and pushed the box spring aside, then jogged down the stairs with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He had my messenger bag in his hand, which I’d left here last night before I ran off with Max.
“You really need to start grabbing your own stuff,” Boden said when he handed it to me, but he was smirking.
“Thanks.” I took it from him and slid it over my shoulder. “I’ll work on that.”
“Where’s Max?” Daniels asked, and I shot a look at him.
“What do you care?” I snapped.
Daniels seemed startled by my reaction. He’d been walking down the stairs, but he paused and scrunched up his eyebrows.
“I just … if he’s going with us, I thought he’d be with you,” Daniels clarified.
“He’s in a loft,” I said. “I left him and the girl there when I went to find you. No need for them to face zombies unless they had to.”
“Let’s go get them and get out of here,” Boden said once everybody had come downstairs.
“There’s just one thing,” I said, stopping him as he walked toward the front door. “The building they’re in is surrounded by zombies.”
He sighed. “Of course it is.”
“Fine,” Nolita said. “You go get them and meet us back here.”
“I don’t think I can get them out by myself,” I admitted. “Especially not with the food.”
Nolita had pressed her lips into a tight line, and they twitched when I mentioned food. She might not be willing to risk anything for me or my family, but she needed food to survive, just like the rest of us.
“You say there’s a little girl?” Bishop asked.
I nodded. “Stella and my little brother Max. They’re both just kids.”
“All right.” She nodded once. “I’ll go and help you get them.”
“I’ll go, too,” Boden said. He took off his duffel bag and dropped it to the floor. “The rest of you stay here. If we’re not back in a few hours, then go on without us.”
Bishop gave Teddy a reassuring smile as she handed him her bag. “We will be back. Just hang tight.”
I led Boden and Bishop back the way Max had taught me. When we got to Main Street, we hid beside the closest building we could, peering around the corner so we could watch the store where Max and Stella were staying.
A small cluster of zombies had gathered, but I would guess it wasn’t more than a dozen. I’d faced a lot more than that and come out on top, so I figured that we could handle this. A couple of the zombies had begun to fight amongst themselves, tearing at each other’s clothes and flesh.
“They’re hungry,” Bishop whispered, noticing the same behavior I had.
“I have a few rounds left, but we really are running out of ammo,” Boden said. “I might not even have enough to shoot all the zombies here.”
I stared at the zombies for a minute when it occurred to me. “I have a plan.”
“What is it?” Boden asked.
“Cover me,” I said, then ran out toward the zombies.