“Missed the garage? Okay, stay behind me and do exactly what I tell you.”
Bryce started walking towards the side door to the garage, which was next to the cabana.
Paige checked out his rear and gave me a “thumbs-up” approval.
I smiled and shoved her forward.
Bryce twisted the doorknob to the garage. “It’s locked. Stand back,” he said. He then lifted his rifle and blasted a hole into it.
“Sorry, I’ll pay you back for that,” he said with a cocky grin. He then kicked the door open and the smell of decay hit us like a sledgehammer. It was also dark, so he grabbed his flashlight and raised the gun.
“Oh, my God, it’s Dan!” screamed Paige.
Zombie Dan was hovering around two Escalades, one a pearly white and the other black. His gray face was sunken and his skin was beginning to rot. He started shuffling slowly towards us, his dried-up lips pulled back in a deathly grin.
Bryce aimed the gun at Dan, wiping away the creepy smile. He toppled to the ground, hard.
“I never liked him,” muttered Paige. “He was really a pompous jerk.”
“Looks like he was alone,” I said, looking around.
“No, someone’s in the white SUV,” Bryce replied, stepping towards the vehicle. “Yep, a couple of females.”
Paige and I rushed over; it was Kristie and Kylie! The windows were up and they were lounging in the front seats. There wasn’t any sign of Allie.
“Mom! Wake up!” Paige cried removing her helmet. She began pounding on the window but neither of them budged.
“Hold on,” said Bryce. He went to the back window and broke the glass. Unlocking the door, he climbed in and shook Kristie’s shoulder.
Kristie’s eyes flew open and she screamed at Bryce, who probably looked like a mad serial killer in his bloody shirt.
Bryce chuckled as he climbed back out of the SUV. “Wow, I’ve never had that reaction from a female before.”
Kristie’s face lit up when she noticed Paige through the window. She removed the iPod earphones she wore and shook Kylie, who was also listening to music, until she was awake. Then she got out. Drawing her arms around Paige, she cried, “Oh, thank God you’re okay!”
“Um, where’s Allie?” I asked in a strangled voice.
“We don’t know,” Kristie said, letting go of Paige. “Dan attacked us and she took off running.”
I heaved a sigh. “Alone?”
“Yeah, I don’t know where she went. I ran after Kylie who ran towards the garage. That’s when Paige disappeared, as well as your sister.”
I turned away and the dam broke. The pain of losing my sister was so great that I couldn’t stop the tears. I knew it would be nearly impossible for Allie to survive on her own in this nightmare. There were so many zombies in the neighborhood and Allie was no match for them. She couldn’t fire a gun or fight them one on one. She definitely wasn’t strong enough.
Bryce pulled me into his arms and held me while I cried. When I finally ran out of tears, I remembered that everyone standing before me had lost someone within the last few hours, maybe even Bryce. I’d never even asked about Bobby.
“I’m sorry,” I hiccupped, pushing Bryce away. “I didn’t even ask about your brother. We’re all going through this, not just me. I’m really sorry.”
He grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. “Bobby’s fine and so was everyone else when I left them at your house.”
“What about my parents? Where they home?” Deep down, I already knew that answer. They were both lost somewhere in this nightmare.
He sighed. “I’m sorry, Cassie; they weren’t around when I got back there. But they’re very capable people from what I’ve heard. Don’t give up on them, okay?”
I nodded slowly.
Kristie walked over and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so sorry, honey. Dan just went nuts and chased us into the garage. I had to lock him out of the SUV so he wouldn’t hurt me or Kylie.”
“It’s not your fault,” I sighed.
“Yes, it is,” Kristie stated and threw up her hands. “You know, I just have the worst luck with men. The first one I married was a jerk and this one turned out to be a psychotic maniac. Anyway, we’ll find her. She got away from Dan. He’s been here the entire time so he couldn’t have hurt her.”
She looked so optimistic that it hit me; she had no idea what was happening in the outside world. “Oh…you don’t know,” I said breathlessly.
Kristie shrugged. “Know what?”
“Show her,” said Paige.
Bryce grabbed his gun and walked back to where we’d come in. He opened the door and motioned for Kristie.