Z 2134

come.
    The silence stretched until it made Chloe laugh.
    “Fuck you, people,” Keb said with a chuckle. “That was some warrior shit right there.”
    “Yeah,” Chloe said, “You’re a reg — ”
    Her comment was clipped short by a high-pitched scream from the woods behind Keb. That scream was followed by what sounded like at least a dozen more.
    Oh shit!
    Immediately, Liam thought of his gun with no bullets. Not only was he unable to fight the zombies, but should they survive the attack, he’d be exposed, and likely killed for bluffing his way onto their team.
    Without turning, Keb hollered, “What are you waiting for? Attack!”
    Liam ran toward the zombies, two steps behind Chloe and Marcus, hoping Keb would die. He was clearly skilled but a danger to all of them. If Keb dropped, then Liam could “lose” his gun and grab the sword, and do some damage and continue his deception.
    Liam reached the swarm counting nine zombies total, fewer than he feared, but not exactly a light load considering how fast they were moving, regardless of the snow.
    They were nearly surrounded as Liam entered the fray with his fists. Three zombies leaped on Zeb, dragging him to the ground.
    “What the fuck?” Chloe screamed at Liam as she fired a bolt at a zombie coming right at her and took it down. “What in the hell are you waiting for? Shoot the fuckers!”
    “My gun is jammed,” Liam said, the words sour on his tongue. As if to pay for his lie, he ran straight into the swarm, pulled an attacking zombie from Keb’s body, then snapped its neck and dropped it to the snow before diving back inside for another.
    Keb started screaming for help at Liam, mostly profanities, as more zombies piled on top, teeth gnashing. His screams turned to muffled mumbles, then died entirely, drowned by the thunder of ripping flesh and the sloppy, soaking-wet sound of their feasting.
    Liam saw Keb’s sword lying a few feet away on the ground. He grabbed the zombie — a woman with skin, eyes, and hair all the color of freshly bleached porcelain — and shoved her back as he barreled past her, dived to the ground, and grabbed the sword, the handle sticky with Keb’s blood.
    Liam leaped up and ran through the woman’s skull with the sword, then wrenched it down and up, making sure to destroy what was left of her brain.
    Liam killed a second zombie, then spun around to see how the others were faring.
    Keb had managed to kill three zombies before they ended his breathing and chances of making it to City 7. Chloe took two before the crossbow was knocked from her hand. She was fighting another hand-to-hand, but was too timid in her battle and getting pushed back toward the Fire Wall. To Liam’s surprise, Marcus had only managed to kill one, but was now wildly swinging his pipe and keeping the remaining zombies away from Chloe.
    Marcus bashed one zombie’s skull, then immediately moved to the next one, almost as though it was only one motion. He laughed, growled, then ran at another pair of moaners, ducking low and bashing them at the knee. Once the zombies were down, Marcus turned back to help Chloe. He’d failed to finish off the zombies he’d knocked down, however, and seconds after he turned his back on them, they leaped onto him.
    Chloe screamed, running away from two zombies that were grasping at her as she ran defenseless. Liam ran up to her, swinging the sword into the first zombie’s head, killing it in an instant.
    The second zombie ran straight into Liam’s blade, almost as if committing suicide, which made Liam laugh before finishing it off.
    Liam then raced toward Marcus, who was fighting the last four zombies as Chloe retrieved her crossbow. As Liam swung at the creature closest to him, Chloe sent a bolt into the head of a second zombie. By the time Liam was able to get close enough to help Marcus fight the final two zombies, they’d already torn his neck open and were starting to feed.
    Liam felt a flush of anger even though he knew he’d have to kill the giant eventually. Nobody should have to die like that.
    Liam swung hard, the sword splitting the creature’s skull open, then thrust the sword into its brain. Chloe took care of the final zombie, and then they both paused, surveying the dead and scanning the woods for more danger.
    Above them the orbs hovered, watching and recording their every move.
    Chloe screamed out despite the fact that she might call more zombies to them. Liam was gonna tell her to keep it down,