Zombies! (Episode 6): Barriers Collapse by Ivan Turner Page B

out. She'd either have to come clean with him or give up the whole operation. What she needed to ask herself was whether or not this was something she really wanted to continue. After all, was this really going to make a difference? She could already see that she would have to fight an uphill battle in order to present it properly to the public. Peter was so venomous. When he said he wanted to go into these buildings and wipe out all of the zombies, that wasn't just talk. He would line each one up and shoot them all himself if he could. Melissa wasn't much better. Melissa was a woman who'd had nothing but her child and then he had been taken from her. It was a tragedy on top of a tragedy. And now this.
     
    It was about forty minutes later when Peter came back. Abby looked at her watch and saw that it was close to ten. She really needed to get home, which promised to take a long time because of where she was.
     
    "We need to go," Peter said. "Where's Melissa?"
     
    Abby shrugged. "What's wrong?"
     
    "People were starting to take notice. There. Do you see?" He pointed and Abby looked across the street. There, in a third story window, was a wizened face with a curious scowl. "It's only a matter of time before someone comes to investigate. I don't really want to hang around to answer any questions." He looked left and then right. "Not in this neighborhood."
     
    Beckoning for her to follow, he started down the block toward where Melissa had gone. Abby hastily stuffed all of her remaining materials into her bag and followed. They had almost reached the corner when Melissa came bounding around the other side. She looked badly shaken.
     
    "What happened?" Peter asked, grabbing her by the arms to stop her.
     
    She looked at him and shook her head. "Nothing. I was just startled, is all."
     
    "By what?" Abby asked.
     
    "Just a hand. It punched through the window."
     
    "Were you scratched?" Peter asked in a dubious tone of voice. To Abby, it didn't quite sound like concern.
     
    Melissa looked him in the eye and what was reflected there was something indecipherable. "No."
     
    Peter held her stare for a moment, then nodded. "Let's go."
     
    They got into the car and Melissa drove off. As they left the area, Abby could see someone moving slowly down the street. She couldn't really see the person and then they turned the corner. She never noticed the flames.
     
    ***
     
    THE fire spread quickly, consuming old insulation and dried wooden beams. By the time the fire department arrived, there was a genuine blaze. People in the surrounding apartment buildings had filed onto the street.
     
    "I saw some people," one old woman was saying. "They looked like they was hanging signs."
     
    Grant, fully suited and ready to go, hopped off of the truck and looked up at the building. It was old and abandoned, but he was worried there were squatters inside. The condition of the building would make the inside excessively hazardous. Feeling a heavy tap on his shoulder, he turned to see Lemmon pointing up at a top floor window. Grant had to squint, unsure of what he was seeing at first. Then it was clear. There was someone inside.
     
    They signaled the others and then went inside. It was a good bet they'd get reprimanded for the rash action but that was the kind of guy Lemmon was. Grant was normally much more careful. Normally.
     
    The fire had consumed much of the first floor and the smoke was blinding. With their masks in place, they pushed forward. The staircase was nearby and they went up quickly and carefully. Though the smoke had traveled up, it wasn't nearly as thick. The heat, however, was almost unbearable. The flames had broken through the ceiling below in several places giving the building the look of an apartment set in a volcanic cavern. Lemmon pointed upward, indicating the third floor. It was the top floor and where they had seen the shadows. They moved up together.
     
    The third floor was dark but mostly clear of smoke and