nearly toppling over. A bone cracked in its leg. “Screw this!” Ortiz yelled, lowered his gun, and raced for the patrol car. He plopped in, slamming the door shut and stared at his deputy.
Howard hopped on the back seat. “Shoot it! Get out and shoot it in the head!”
“What the hell is it?” Miller put the car in reverse.
Howard groaned. “You imbecile. It’s a goddamn zombie!”
“ Will you shut up !” Miller screamed and swung the car around. Kale hit his head as the car spun.
“Let’s go back and warn those kids at Brian’s bar,” Ortiz ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
“You should have killed it,” Howard said.
“For the love of all that is holy, please shut your mouth.” Deputy Miller floored the patrol car, speeding back to the bar. “Otherwise, I’ll turn this around and leave your friends clueless.”
“They aren’t my friends,” Howard retorted.
“I appreciate this, Jimmy. I really do.” Kale pressed his head against the guard. Jeff. Homer. I should’ve never doubted you. I should have never doubted any of this. We are meant to be the saviors of this world. I know it.
“Yeah, well you all better hope I get home in time to make sure Admiral Snuggles and C-Diddy are okay.” Sheriff Ortiz had his pistol out in one hand and the glossy picture of his cats in his other.
They raced along the street for several minutes.
A rush of excitement flushed through Kale, some nerves too, but he ignored any tinglings of anxiety. He knew this was it . Everything in their past had led to this night. Back in high school, a purpose had been created. All he had to do? Reunite his friends. Again.
Sheriff Ortiz glanced at his deputy as they closed in on the bar. “No news from Deputies Tyler and Greene?”
“Nothing.” Miller kept his eyes on the road but then abruptly slammed on the brakes. The bar was clearly in sight but outside the bar stumbled several undead corpses. They ravenously searched for a way in, a way to devour Kale’s friends.
“Well, back to the station, boss?” Miller raised his orange brows at Ortiz.
“We can’t leave them in there.”
“What do we do?”
“In all the time you’ve known me, Jimmy, what makes you think I know what the hell to do right now?”
Miller grimaced and shrugged.
Howard, mimicking Christian Bale’s voice from The Dark Knight , said, “I’ll tell you what we do.”
All eyes landed on him.
ALEC
Vomit hurled from his throat and into a toilet. He rested his face on the cool porcelain bowl, too drunk to care about cleanliness. Nicole, crouching next to him, cringed as she rubbed his back soothingly. “Let it all go.”
Let it go. I must let it go. The past. The vomit. Everything. “You’re the best,” he slurred, his eyes closed. He wiped at his lips. “I wish my friends stayed longer. I wish things were diff—oh no!”
Nicole wiped away the chunks covering his mouth with a tissue once he finished. She stroked his head, running her fingers over his short hair.
“Babe, do me a favor?”
Nicole said, “Sure.”
“Check on Brian for me. He’s a mess.”
“Okay. Call for me if you need anything.” She hiccupped on her way out of the bathroom. Nicole was pretty good about handling her vodka, and Alec wondered a bit resentfully if she was even drunk. He stayed sprawled over the toilet for a few minutes after she left. Nothing more would come out so he eased off the bowl, wobbling back, his legs sore from lying on hard tiles. Cold water from the sink felt life-saving on his face. I’m never drinking again. With a clean finish, he lurched at the door, moving pretty quietly for a drunken stumbler.
Pressed against a wall of the hallway, he sidled out toward the main area of the bar. A cold breeze crawled behind him. Must have left the back door open. He ignored it and, pausing in the hall, he heard Nicole, Brian and the waitress, Erica.
“I almost lost
Howard hopped on the back seat. “Shoot it! Get out and shoot it in the head!”
“What the hell is it?” Miller put the car in reverse.
Howard groaned. “You imbecile. It’s a goddamn zombie!”
“ Will you shut up !” Miller screamed and swung the car around. Kale hit his head as the car spun.
“Let’s go back and warn those kids at Brian’s bar,” Ortiz ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
“You should have killed it,” Howard said.
“For the love of all that is holy, please shut your mouth.” Deputy Miller floored the patrol car, speeding back to the bar. “Otherwise, I’ll turn this around and leave your friends clueless.”
“They aren’t my friends,” Howard retorted.
“I appreciate this, Jimmy. I really do.” Kale pressed his head against the guard. Jeff. Homer. I should’ve never doubted you. I should have never doubted any of this. We are meant to be the saviors of this world. I know it.
“Yeah, well you all better hope I get home in time to make sure Admiral Snuggles and C-Diddy are okay.” Sheriff Ortiz had his pistol out in one hand and the glossy picture of his cats in his other.
They raced along the street for several minutes.
A rush of excitement flushed through Kale, some nerves too, but he ignored any tinglings of anxiety. He knew this was it . Everything in their past had led to this night. Back in high school, a purpose had been created. All he had to do? Reunite his friends. Again.
Sheriff Ortiz glanced at his deputy as they closed in on the bar. “No news from Deputies Tyler and Greene?”
“Nothing.” Miller kept his eyes on the road but then abruptly slammed on the brakes. The bar was clearly in sight but outside the bar stumbled several undead corpses. They ravenously searched for a way in, a way to devour Kale’s friends.
“Well, back to the station, boss?” Miller raised his orange brows at Ortiz.
“We can’t leave them in there.”
“What do we do?”
“In all the time you’ve known me, Jimmy, what makes you think I know what the hell to do right now?”
Miller grimaced and shrugged.
Howard, mimicking Christian Bale’s voice from The Dark Knight , said, “I’ll tell you what we do.”
All eyes landed on him.
ALEC
Vomit hurled from his throat and into a toilet. He rested his face on the cool porcelain bowl, too drunk to care about cleanliness. Nicole, crouching next to him, cringed as she rubbed his back soothingly. “Let it all go.”
Let it go. I must let it go. The past. The vomit. Everything. “You’re the best,” he slurred, his eyes closed. He wiped at his lips. “I wish my friends stayed longer. I wish things were diff—oh no!”
Nicole wiped away the chunks covering his mouth with a tissue once he finished. She stroked his head, running her fingers over his short hair.
“Babe, do me a favor?”
Nicole said, “Sure.”
“Check on Brian for me. He’s a mess.”
“Okay. Call for me if you need anything.” She hiccupped on her way out of the bathroom. Nicole was pretty good about handling her vodka, and Alec wondered a bit resentfully if she was even drunk. He stayed sprawled over the toilet for a few minutes after she left. Nothing more would come out so he eased off the bowl, wobbling back, his legs sore from lying on hard tiles. Cold water from the sink felt life-saving on his face. I’m never drinking again. With a clean finish, he lurched at the door, moving pretty quietly for a drunken stumbler.
Pressed against a wall of the hallway, he sidled out toward the main area of the bar. A cold breeze crawled behind him. Must have left the back door open. He ignored it and, pausing in the hall, he heard Nicole, Brian and the waitress, Erica.
“I almost lost
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