Eric sighed. "Sucks, doesn't it?"
"Oh, yeah."
Eric smiled and began to go through the bags. He handed her some cans of food and a can opener while he searched for the bedding and something for her to wear.
In an hour they were settled in. The comforters from the bed and breakfast were folded over and laid end to end to make a bed for each of them. The king-size pillow would have to be shared and it was set in the middle of the two beds. Stacey stacked some of the bags up at her end of the shelter to keep the wind out and Eric kept the other end open just a bit.
"I didn't think cold beanie weenies could taste so good," Stacey said after a long moment. She sat with her back against the water tank clad in one of his T-shirts and his pajama bottoms. Pepe was curled up on her lap and she gently stroked his fur.
"Yeah. I think it’s the best thing I've eaten in forever," Eric agreed.
He lifted the water bottle he was clutching and sipped the warm water. The moonlight illuminated the world and he could clearly see the outline of the trees and the edges of the town. They were so close now.
"It doesn't seem real," Stacey said. "Any of this."
"I know."
"If anyone told me a week ago that I would be trapped in the community center with zombies for days, then have to run for my life, shoot my undead brother, ride an quad bike with a guy and his dog, and sack out at the top of a water tower, I would have told them they were freaking nuts."
"I had to kill Brandy," Eric said after a beat.
Stacey looked toward him. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
Eric let out a long sigh. "At least she's at peace now."
The young woman nodded and then said, "I have to think that way about Sean, don't I?"
"It makes it easier," Eric admitted. "Better they be at peace then wandering around like that."
Stacey slowly lay down and Pepe curled up behind her back, squeezing between the water tower and her body. He was obviously afraid of the fall.
"I know you're right, but…" She curled up and sighed.
Eric lay down, too. They were head to head, lying in opposite directions. She smelled of baby wipes and it was a strangely comforting smell.
"We'll be okay," he said softly. He believed it now that they were so close to the fort. "We'll find a way to join the others. We'll be safe."
She reached her hand out over the top of the pillow and his fingers closed around it.
It took some time, but finally, they both fell asleep.
Chapter Nineteen
Where It All Goes To Hell
Eric woke up to the sound of gunshots in the distance. Pepe began to bark and Stacey sat up sharply. The steady pop pop pop of small arms was interlaced with the crack of rifles being fired. Eric scrambled to his feet and shoved past the bags in the opening of the tent. Reaching down, he fumbled through the bag he had shoved his binoculars into and moved along the catwalk to try and see if he could get a view of what was going on.
"They must be clearing out the zombies at the fort," Stacey said as she joined him. Pepe was in her arms and his ears were perked up at the sounds in the distance.
The morning light had washed away all the shadows and the town was laid out clearly before them. The downtown area was full of old red brick buildings; several were close to four stories tall. Most appeared to be abandoned. A tall ten-story red brick building towered over the downtown area and the construction site was huddled up against the base of it. Eric could barely make out one area of the fort. What he saw made his heart leap.
A man and a woman were dangling from what looked like a pulley system over the outer rim defense made up of construction trucks. Under them on the trucks was a mass of the undead that were trying to grab them.
"Are they bait?" Eric lowered the binoculars and handed it to Stacey.
She took them and trained them where he pointed. He could see her mouth tense then she handed the binoculars back. "I don't think so. I think something has gone wrong."
Eric returned to gazing through the binoculars at the fort. He tried to figure out exactly what was going on, but the scene was pretty chaotic. The gunshots continued and he could see the zombies toppling over. "I wonder if the zombies figured out how to get in."
Stacey held Pepe closer, snuggling him protectively. The little dog's ears were twitching as he listened to the sound of the weapons firing in the distance. "Eric, if they are getting in where are we going to go?"
Eric looked toward Stacey, hearing the tremor in her voice, and reached out to touch her shoulder gently. With all the grime wiped off her face and her hair hanging around her face, she looked very young and fragile. "We'll be okay. I promise. Somehow we'll find away." He was surprised that he firmly believed his words.
She smiled slightly and nuzzled Pepe. "What's happening now?"
For the next thirty minutes, Eric narrated what he saw. It was hard to tell exactly what was happening with his limited view, but it did seem like the Fort was winning. The zombies that had clustered under the dangling people were wiped out. The woman undid her harness and dropped down out of view while the black man was drawn back and lowered out of sight.
The gun shots died away.
"They’re lifting a blond woman over the wall. She looks unconscious. And they're lifting a man over, too," Eric said.
"Do you think they're bitten?"
"No. Peggy told me it was the bite that was dangerous, so I think they know better than to bring in bitten people. Maybe they got hurt some other way." Eric rubbed his brow and looked toward Stacey. "Let’s get some breakfast than I'll check and see what's up. If it’s clear, maybe we can get to the Fort today."
"Okay. Sounds good," she answered and set Pepe down.
The little dog stayed close to the wall as he trotted back to their tent.
They ate ravioli from a can and drank some water. Pepe munched on the kibble Eric had packed for him. Stacey sat in silence through most of the meal and Eric didn't blame her. Even though they had slept well, they were both emotionally and mentally exhausted. He had to admit he felt the urge to lie back down and sleep. His entire body ached from yesterday and he rubbed his shoulder with one hand.
Stacey's body was covered in bruises and he felt terrible for her. Her expression was rather empty and he suspected she was trying hard not to think about the loss of her father, brother and entire town. He left her to her silence and went back to studying the fort.
The activity was calmer now and it looked like the zombie assault on the fort was over. In fact, everyone he could spot through the binoculars was grinning. Feeling relieved, he moved back to Stacey's side. Pepe was lying on her lap getting his ears scratched.
"I think we should try and go to the Fort. It seems to have calmed down. This may be our best shot," Eric said to her.
Looking up at him, Stacey said, "I'm scared."
"I know. But we need to try and make it."
Leaning forward a little, she peered down at the ground below. It was empty of zombies.
"I just want to feel safe," she said to him, tears in her eyes. "I'm tired of running away."
"I can try and go alone and send them back for you," Eric offered.
"No!" She grabbed his wrist tightly, tears springing to her eyes. "Don't leave me alone! I'll go with you."
"Stacey, if it’s too much for you-"
"No, Eric. I don't want to be alone," she said firmly. "Please. Just let me get my nerve up."
"Okay, Stacey. We'll go when you're ready."
It took her two hours to get her nerves steadied and he let her have the time. There were no more gunshots and every time he checked on the Fort, things seemed calm. Stacey changed into a pair of his jeans and one of his undershirts. He was surprised that she managed to make it look almost cute on her when she rolled up the pant legs and tied the shirt at the waist. Brandy wouldn't have been caught dead looking like that.
"My feet hurt so bad." She pulled on her running shoes and she managed to tie them despite her shaking fingers.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sore from everything. I've never worked out like this before."
"Do you work out?"
Eric looked at her strong arms and powerful legs and then down at his own thin, but mushy body. "Um. Nope."
She laughed a little. "Then I bet you're really hurting."
He couldn't help but blush. "Yeah, well, you're like an Amazon or something. I'm just a mild-mannered engineer."
She motioned to the tent. "Thank God for that."
"I've done much better work than that," Eric assured her.
She smiled and seemed to relax just a tad. "I'm sure you have."
After a little discussion, they decided to leave their camp on the water tower as a precaution and just take what was still loaded on the trailer. Pepe was stuffed into Eric's jacket once again and they slowly descended the long ladder. Eric went first, the revolver tucked into his belt where he could grab it quickly, and Stacey followed him with the shotgun slung over her shoulder.
