Mike finished. Everyone stepped back to let two construction workers through to unlock the wrought iron gate that opened up into the small courtyard. Travis watched anxiously, feeling sweat starting to trickle from his brow down his cheeks.

The two construction workers gave the thumbs up to Mike and entered the small area. Taking turns with sledgehammers, the two men began to chip away the brick to form a small hole about shoulder high in the wall. The sound of the sledgehammers cracking apart the bricks and the destroyed fragments slamming into the ground filled the hushed silence of the fort. Swinging one last time, the huge construction worker named Jimmy punched through the bricks and cement. As the hard little bits of the wall crumbled away and the dust cleared, the hole stood stark and black against the red wall.

“We’re through,” Jimmy said with a smile.

His partner, Roger, cautiously leaned forward attempting to peer in.

A hand lashed out of the hole. Roger yelled and fell back.

A torn, gray, black mottled face appeared, teeth gnashing, as a zombie tried to push his body through the hole.

People screamed and the construction workers scrambled back.

Terror gripped everyone.

The zombie’s head jerked back as a nice neat hole in the center of its forehead oozed black blood down over its now limp features.

People were shocked, then realized what had happened. A few looked up to where Nerit still was poised for another shot.

The zombie hung awkwardly in the hole, then a skinless hand appeared desperately reaching toward the humans. Struggling to get past the other zombie, the new one grunted and growled until finally the limp body fell away. It thrust its head through the hole.

Again, a nice little round hole appeared on its forehead and it dropped out of sight.

Another face appeared, this one feminine. blond hair clung to the dried blood on its face. Someone screamed in horror, “Natalie!” then the zombie’s head snapped back and she, too, was gone.

They all waited and watched. Travis could feel sweat and rain trickling down the sides of his face.

The hole remained empty.

Bill entered the tiny courtyard, rifle in hand. He flicked on a flashlight, shone it into the room beyond the hole, and gingerly peered in.

“Check the floor,” someone shouted out.

Bill nodded and looked down. “Clear! Inside door appears to be locked.”

Travis took a breath and started walking toward Katie. She looked toward him and gripped her gun even more tightly in her hands.

Jenni glanced at him as he passed, then back at the hole the construction workers were now widening for them to pass through.

Walking up to Katie, Travis gazed down at her intently. “If anything happens to me…”

“I know,” Katie answered. “And you’ll do the same for me.”

He nodded and stood there awkwardly.

Katie stood up on her toes and kissed his rough cheek. Her lips lingered near his ear. “We’ll be okay.”

He breathed in the scent of her hair and skin and looked into her eyes. “We will?”

“Yeah,” she answered, and smiled.

He almost kissed her, but the moment was shattered when Nerit strode past them, smoking her cigarette.

“Let’s go clear it out, children. Time is running out.”

4. Breakfast is Served

“Let’s go zombie killing,” Jenni said with a wild grin of delight.

Throwing her arm around Juan’s neck, she drew him down for a long intense kiss. She let go of him to hug the very surly Jason.

“Loca, be careful,” Juan said softly. His fingers trailed along the nape of her neck lovingly. “Please, don’t be too loca.”

“No worries. Seriously, I’ll be fine.” She gave him a reassuring smile and turned toward her son.

“Mom,” Jason said, his voice cracking. Juan had enlisted Jason as one of his helpers for the day. Jack was on guard duty. The dog's rabid hatred of zombies would come in handy if any got too close to the courtyard.

“It’s okay,” Jenni assured him with a kiss on his forehead. “Just do your job and we’ll swap war stories later.”

“Mom, just don’t be loca. You know, like Juan said.”

“Have a little faith here,” Jenni ordered. “I’m good at this.”

“Maybe a little too good,” Juan teased her.

She rolled her eyes. Leaning over, she kissed Jack on top of his head. “Be a good dog. Take care of the boys.”

Jack whined a little and pawed at her knee.

Jenni’s smiled grew wider as she felt their love pouring over her.

She felt needed, wanted, desired, and important. All the things she had never been before. She wouldn’t let them down.

With a wink, she walked to her two partners in crime. Ashley was a former waitress. She was a frail little thing, but had a determined look on her face. Ned was a former school bus driver. He was tall and a little awkward with his height. Now both were armed to the teeth, looking nervous as hell. Though everyone had been undergoing training, it was Jenni who was in charge. She was the best shot and had the most experience with the zombies. It was hard to know how good a shot some of these people were considering ammunition was used very sparingly, but she was hoping the training sessions with Mike would paid off.

Mike’s group, consisting of Felix and a short man named Charles, was the first into the room beyond the jagged hole in the wall. Nerit’s group followed. She had two construction workers with her, Jimmy and Shane. Shane was someone Jenni hated with a passion. He had attacked Katie when she had shot and killed his brother during one battle with the zombies. Shane's brother had been bitten, but Shane had gone wild. Jenni hated that he was going along.

Jenni’s group moved into the small courtyard to wait. She pushed up on her tip toes to see what was up in the room beyond the hole in the wall. She could see the first groups moving slowly toward the door that would let them into the hotel.

Mike reached out and touched the doorknob. It was covered in dried blood. Gore, dried and black, was splashed on the walls.

“They probably came in here to hide and one of them was bit and turned,” Mike decided.

Cautiously, he swung the door open. Nothing stirred in the hallway beyond. His group moved slowly out the doorway and disappeared.

Nerit’s group advanced across the room, then they too slipped out into the hall.

Jenni lead her group into the small courtyard. The stench from the small room assailed her senses and she sneezed. Drawing up all the bravery she could muster, she stepped into broken doorway into the hotel.

“Shit,” Ned whispered, looking at the dead zombies and the remains of their feeding frenzy weeks ago.

“Don't let it get to you,” Jenni ordered.

She moved across the room, her eyes feeling wide and crazed in their sockets. The gloom was stifling and the stench overwhelming.

The storm was drawing closer and loud booms of thunder filled the room. What a perfect development for this day. Lightening, thunder, hard wind, and rain. It was like a horror movie. She shivered at the thought.

Jenni’s long hair was tied up on top of her head and under a cap. No one was allowed to leave their hair down. It would be too easy for a zombie to snag it. The cap felt itchy and heavy on her head, and she scratched at it awkwardly. Behind her, Ashley held the high-powered flashlight high and illuminated their path.

Stepping into the hallway, Jenni walked slowly, her feet silent on the plush carpet. With a carpet this thick would they hear anything creeping up on them? She didn’t want to think about that too much.

She had a job to do and she didn’t need to freak herself out. It was bad enough just knowing that zombies were in the building. Following the route she had memorized during the many briefings, she headed around a corner and down the hall that would lead into main dining room.

Glancing over her shoulder, she made sure that Ashley and Ned were behind her. She caught sight of Katie and Travis entering the hallway with Roger. She liked Roger. He had playfully put on a red Tshirt and dubbed himself “the red shirt on the away party” in homage to the Classic Star Trek show. It had cracked up everyone at breakfast, but now she was worried. Maybe you shouldn’t joke about death.

“It is a good day to die,” she heard Roger mutter in his best Worf imitation.

Jenni suppressed a smile and continued down the hallway. There were no doors off this hallway. Just pretty gilded mirrors and fancy artwork. An occasional table or chair rested against the wall. It was a fancy way to decorate a very boring hall.

Reaching the dining room, she swung the rifle from side to side, looking all around. The pretty round tables were decorated with a spray of now dead flowers. The china and silverware were laid out meticulously with napkins twisted into the shapes of swans resting on top of the plate. There was no sign of disturbance here. Jenni was rather overwhelmed by the old-fashioned opulence of the room. The hotel had obviously been carefully restored with the hope of luring in high-end clientele.

Moving determinedly toward the kitchen, Jenni took a deep breath and caught the faint whiff of decay.

“Shit!” Jenni exclaimed. “They're here!”