to do any more than anyone else does. Why do you all even keep listening to me?"
She smiled. "Because what you suggest makes sense and we all want to stay alive. But more than that. You seem confident and in this situation that's as important as knowing exactly what to do. Your confidence helps keep the rest of us from panicking."
He snorted. "I could be confidently leading you right over the edge of a cliff. Would that make me a good leader?"
"Sorry, Ari, you'd still be a leader—just not a smart one. You can't deny your nature. There are those who lead and those who follow and you're the former."
"That's a lot of insight coming from someone who doesn't even know me," he muttered.
They fell silent then, lying with their hands linked in the darkness. Lila stared at the shadows cast by sporting goods displays, the cardboard cutout of a grinning fisherman with a custom grip pole, shelving full of soccer and running shoes, baseball cleats and ski boots. What kid didn't fantasize about getting locked into a store and having the run of the place for a night? If this were some kid's movie, they'd be skateboarding up and down the aisles and shooting paintball guns at each other, having the time of their lives set against a pop soundtrack. She choked back her laughter with a snort.
"What?" Ari's sexy, low voice floated to her again.
"Nothing. Nerves. I'm just getting a little giddy."
"You should sleep. We all need to sleep—put this out of our heads for a while."
"It would be easier to fall asleep if you two would be quiet," Mrs. Scheider's crisp tone cut across their whispering.
"Night, Mrs. Scheider," Lila chanted like a Walton child, laughter still trembling in her voice.
Ari chuckled, the sound as warm and comforting as a cup of hot cocoa heating her insides. Lila crushed the attraction that had been nibbling at the edge of her consciousness all day. She was sure it had more to do with their extreme situation than actual feelings. A person would cling to any flotsam after a shipwreck.
"Good night," she murmured to Ari, then pulled her hand from his and turned over on her side. She had barely enough time to think that she'd never be able to fall asleep before oblivion claimed her.
Someone pounding on the door of the store, snapped her awake. Lila sat bolt upright, head whirling, heart pumping and legs ready to run. She blinked away her disorientation and focused on Joe going to open the door. Her first irrational thought was that he'd gone crazy and was about to let the zombies in to feast on them. Ari jumped up from his sleeping bag and ran toward the door. Lila scrambled to her feet and the others did the same. Ronnie whimpered and Derrick shushed her. Lila bent to search for her weapon by her bedding.
Joe opened the door and several people hurried into the store, all of them dark, featureless shapes.
"They're everywhere out there. Jesus Christ! We were lucky to make it here alive." Lila recognized Deb's smoke-roughened voice and relief rushed through her.
"Did any zombies see you?" Ari locked the door behind the newcomers, while Joe peered out the window to make sure they hadn't been followed.
"No. I don't think so, or they would've been on us." Deb leaned her rifle against the wall. "I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go."
Lila turned up the kerosene lamp then joined the group at the door, grabbing Deb and giving her a hug. "I'm so glad to see you. This must be Julie."
"Pleased to meet you," the redhead greeted her and indicated the man with them. "This is Carl. He works with me at Quantus."
Carl was a tall, thin, dark skinned man with slightly bulging eyes and a receding hairline. He nodded. "Hi."
"It's getting worse out there," Deb said. "It's almost like a second wave is going through. The things are everywhere."
Lila shivered. She'd begun to feel a false sense of security here in this place they'd claimed as their own. It had been too easy to convince themselves the zombies had passed on to
She smiled. "Because what you suggest makes sense and we all want to stay alive. But more than that. You seem confident and in this situation that's as important as knowing exactly what to do. Your confidence helps keep the rest of us from panicking."
He snorted. "I could be confidently leading you right over the edge of a cliff. Would that make me a good leader?"
"Sorry, Ari, you'd still be a leader—just not a smart one. You can't deny your nature. There are those who lead and those who follow and you're the former."
"That's a lot of insight coming from someone who doesn't even know me," he muttered.
They fell silent then, lying with their hands linked in the darkness. Lila stared at the shadows cast by sporting goods displays, the cardboard cutout of a grinning fisherman with a custom grip pole, shelving full of soccer and running shoes, baseball cleats and ski boots. What kid didn't fantasize about getting locked into a store and having the run of the place for a night? If this were some kid's movie, they'd be skateboarding up and down the aisles and shooting paintball guns at each other, having the time of their lives set against a pop soundtrack. She choked back her laughter with a snort.
"What?" Ari's sexy, low voice floated to her again.
"Nothing. Nerves. I'm just getting a little giddy."
"You should sleep. We all need to sleep—put this out of our heads for a while."
"It would be easier to fall asleep if you two would be quiet," Mrs. Scheider's crisp tone cut across their whispering.
"Night, Mrs. Scheider," Lila chanted like a Walton child, laughter still trembling in her voice.
Ari chuckled, the sound as warm and comforting as a cup of hot cocoa heating her insides. Lila crushed the attraction that had been nibbling at the edge of her consciousness all day. She was sure it had more to do with their extreme situation than actual feelings. A person would cling to any flotsam after a shipwreck.
"Good night," she murmured to Ari, then pulled her hand from his and turned over on her side. She had barely enough time to think that she'd never be able to fall asleep before oblivion claimed her.
Someone pounding on the door of the store, snapped her awake. Lila sat bolt upright, head whirling, heart pumping and legs ready to run. She blinked away her disorientation and focused on Joe going to open the door. Her first irrational thought was that he'd gone crazy and was about to let the zombies in to feast on them. Ari jumped up from his sleeping bag and ran toward the door. Lila scrambled to her feet and the others did the same. Ronnie whimpered and Derrick shushed her. Lila bent to search for her weapon by her bedding.
Joe opened the door and several people hurried into the store, all of them dark, featureless shapes.
"They're everywhere out there. Jesus Christ! We were lucky to make it here alive." Lila recognized Deb's smoke-roughened voice and relief rushed through her.
"Did any zombies see you?" Ari locked the door behind the newcomers, while Joe peered out the window to make sure they hadn't been followed.
"No. I don't think so, or they would've been on us." Deb leaned her rifle against the wall. "I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go."
Lila turned up the kerosene lamp then joined the group at the door, grabbing Deb and giving her a hug. "I'm so glad to see you. This must be Julie."
"Pleased to meet you," the redhead greeted her and indicated the man with them. "This is Carl. He works with me at Quantus."
Carl was a tall, thin, dark skinned man with slightly bulging eyes and a receding hairline. He nodded. "Hi."
"It's getting worse out there," Deb said. "It's almost like a second wave is going through. The things are everywhere."
Lila shivered. She'd begun to feel a false sense of security here in this place they'd claimed as their own. It had been too easy to convince themselves the zombies had passed on to
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