The Hungry 4: Rise of the Triad (The Sheriff Penny Miller Series) by Steven Booth, Harry Shannon

least he had the good grace to keep his face blank. One more satisfied grin and Miller would have kicked the man square in the door knocker.
    Scratch and Miller followed meekly. Their walk led them through the lobby to another long, open corridor. They saw tall, lightly tinted windows on either side of them. Dry mountains dotted with green brush and deep blue sea water surrounded the premises. Miller felt herself relaxing, involuntarily responding to the place. A small voice in her head reminded her that the lodge in Colorado had once seemed like a refuge too, but within days it had been overrun by zombies and burned to the ground. And that reminded her once again of having to shoot her ex-husband. Miller shook her head imperceptibly. Her eyes moistened. Once again, she pictured Terrill Lee standing in the smoke and flame with empty zombie eyes, just waiting for the bullet that would free him at last. The image flat out cracked her heart open. I’m a wreck, Miller thought. Why wouldn’t I be after all that has happened? God knows we both need a break…
    Miller snapped out of her reverie. Ramon led them to an immense elevator. Miller took a mental photograph of their location. She had already noted that there were only three floors to this part of the building. Ramon pushed the button. He whistled a bit as they waited.
    “Hey, dude,” said Scratch. “What’s the story here, really?”
    Ramon finally smiled. Miller wanted to sock him. “Everything will be explained at orientation.”
    “Why is all this such a big secret?”
    “It’s not really a big secret or anything,” Ramon said. The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. “It’s just easier to understand if you wait and hear everything all at once at the orientation. We have learned from experience.”
    Scratch cocked his head. “Come on, get real.”
    Ramon stepped into the elevator and held a hand in front of the photoelectric sensor on the door. They followed him into the car. “Well, I can tell you this much. There’s really no catch to being here. People come willingly to the Serenity Center. They just want to get better.”
    Miller studied him, but couldn’t find a trace of irony.
    The elevator rose. Their body odor filled the confined space. Ramon looked Scratch and Miller up and down. Miller was suddenly conscious of her filthy, torn clothing and their generally scruffy appearance. She felt her face redden.
    Ramon patted her on the shoulder. “Sheriff, you two look like you’ve been through a lot. Orientation isn’t for a few hours. Why don’t you just have lunch, take a bath, put on some fresh clothes and maybe take a nap. Maybe even a walk on the beach, just chill out for a while. Later you can ask all the questions you want. Kick back. It will do you some good.”
    The elevator doors opened. They were on the third floor. Ramon led them to door 329. He handed each of them a card key. He stood aside while Miller swiped her card. The door clicked softly, and Ramon pushed the door open. They looked inside. Scratch’s jaw dropped open.
    “Jesus, Penny.”
    Miller gasped. The suite was one huge-assed room. To their left was a dining area with a small blue kitchenette, straight ahead was a sitting area with a couch and chairs, and in the space to the right sat a king-sized bed. Not two queens or doubles, which struck Miller as odd, because it meant that whoever their hosts were already knew that they were sleeping together as a couple. That thought made Miller uncomfortable in a few new and interesting ways.
    Tucked into a corner near the huge bed was a pristine, white-tiled bathroom. Miller could see that it held a glassed-in shower and a very large tub with Jacuzzi jets. Straight ahead of them, past the living area and directly across from the door, was a large balcony with curtains. It overlooked the sea. Two sailboats were crossing from south to north, rolling gently on the distant waves. Miller took it all in, her mind computing everything