Dead Life (Book 2) by D. Harrison Schleicher

Chapter 1
                  I started back to the front of the store.  Since Gina's purse was here, she had to be here somewhere.  She wasn't in the back with the security guards and Mary so I hoped she had found a hiding place.  The sweetest sound came over the intercom.
    “Steve, be careful.  The security guard has gone crazy.”
                  I got to the front of the store and got back on the intercom.
                  “Not anymore, he's not.  Where are you?”
                  “I'm in the conference room.  I locked myself in.”
                  “Stay there.  I'm on my way.”
                  I felt pretty stupid.  I should have checked there before I went in back.  The conference room was where the managers' offices were and it was in the front of the store by the pharmacy.  I got to the door and used my keys to open it.  There was Gina.  She dropped the folding chair that she was holding and threw herself into my arms.  We just stood there holding each other.  She was crying.  It was quite the reunion.  We pulled away from each other and I looked her over. 
                  “We need to get out of here.”  Gina sobbed. 
                  “It's okay.  We're safe now.  You didn't get hurt, did you?”
                  “No, I was in the bakery and I heard Mary screaming at the guards.  When I came out to see what was going on, they were wrestling around on the ground.  The little greasy one had the big one down and was trying to bite him.  Mary was hitting both of them with a broom and screaming that she was going to call the police.  That's when the little one got off the big one and stated chasing Mary.  She headed for the back.  Then the big one jumped up and went after both of them.  His face was bleeding and he looked pretty mad.  Then he pulled his gun out, looked at me, and yelled for me to call the police.”
                  “Did you call the cops?”
                  “No, I tried but the phones weren't working.  Let me finish.  That's when I heard gunshots.  It sounded like there were at least nine.”
                  “Who was shooting?”
                  “I don't know.  They were back there and I was in here by then.”
                  “So what did you do?”
                  “I locked the door, grabbed that chair, and stood here waiting for him to come and get me.  I was trapped in here.  The store's locked and I wasn't about to go out there.  I just hoped he wouldn't find me.”
                  That's when she noticed the gun I had strapped to my hip.
                  “Is that the security guard's gun?”
                  “No, it's mine.”
                  “Where's mine?  I want one too.”
                  “I didn't bring one for you.  I'm sorry, I didn't know if you were here or not.  Can you even shoot a gun?”
                  “Of course I can shoot a gun.  My dad taught me how when I was just a kid.”
                  “We'll see about getting you one.  I guess you can have the security guard's gun.”
                  “Did the big one kill the little one?”
                  “That's not exactly what happened.  They're actually both dead and so is Mary.  I had to shoot all three of them.”
                  “They were zombies, weren't they?”
                  “You believe me now?”
                  “When I saw those two fighting on the floor, you were the first thing I thought about.  That with everything I saw on the news before I came to work made me realize you were right.  I'm sorry I didn't believe you.”
                  “That's okay.  I understand.  This is some crazy shit.  Come on, let's