Infected by Anthony Izzo Page B

said.
     
    “It beats waiting here. Jerry, how do we get to the roof?” Mary said.
     
    “There's a utility closet on the tenth floor. Hatch in the roof and a ladder going up.”
     
    “We go on the roof now and they break through, there's nowhere to go from there,” Rob said.
     
    Tim came back and handed the keys to Ramsey. “Bad news. I can hear them in the hallway.”
     
    “How close?” Rob asked.
     
    “Hard to tell,” Tim said.
     
    Ryan said, “Maybe they can smell us, or sense body heat. How else would they know to climb the stairs.”
     
    “You're assuming they're mindless,” Rob said. “We just don't know.”
     
    From down the hallway Rob heard pounding at the stairway door. Then the rattling of the door handle. “We need to go higher.”
     
    “They might've already gotten up there. We're better off staying put until we know the chopper's on the roof,” Tim said.
     
    “Bullshit. I'm putting distance between them and myself. Who's with me?” Ramsey said.
     
    “I agree with Jerry,” Mary said. “Ryan?”
     
    “The boss makes sense,” Ryan said.
     
    “You might be trapping yourselves,” Rob said.
     
    “What's the alternative? Stay here and have our brains sucked out?” Mary asked.
     
    The pounding on the door increased, and Rob knew they'd have to make a move soon. He had a bad feeling about them all being trapped, having their skulls cracked open to feed the dead. “I have an idea.”
     
    “Dad,” Kayla said, tugging on his sleeve. “We have to go.”
     
    Even through the door and down the hallway, Rob could hear frenzied shrieks and moans, as if the zombies could sense their prey. They had to move if they were going to make it out.
     
    “We'll have to take the elevator,” Ramsey said, and pressed the button.
     
    The elevator came and the doors opened. They got on, Rob planning on following the others to the top floor before implementing his plan.  They reached the top floor, which was an open floor plan with rows of cubicles. The top floor housed a telemarketing firm, mostly comprised of college kids and housewives looking for extra income.
     
    The others stepped out, and as Kayla started forward, Rob stopped her. She looked up at him, surprised.
     
    “What are we doing?”
     
    “Going back downstairs,” Rob said. “To the basement.”
 
    Ramsey said, “Are you fucking crazy?”
     
    “We're going to try for the van again,” Rob said, holding the door open. “You'll all be trapped up here.”
     
    “Give us the gun then,” Ryan said.
     
    “Not going to happen,” Rob said.
     
    “Dude, give me the gun. There's more of us.”
     
    Ryan took a step forward and Rob leveled the shotgun, freezing the kid.
     
    “You're crazy,” Ryan said. “You're gonna die down there.”
     
    “I'll take my chances.”
     
    “Dad, we should stay.”
     
    “I know what I'm doing,” Rob said, and let the door go. It closed, and he left his co-workers with confused looks on their faces.
     
    Rob pressed the button for the basement, and a moment later they started to descend.
     
    “We can't get to the van, can we?” Kayla asked.
     
    “I'm thinking they've moved away from the big door. There'd be no reason for them to stay outside the door if we left. We could have a clear shot at the van.”
     
    “It's safer up there,” Kayla said.
     
    “There's no guarantee the chopper's coming. If the zombies break through, they've nowhere to go.”
     
    “I don't like the basement.”
     
    “I have the gun,” Rob said.
     
    They got off in the basement, which was silent, except for the hum of the boiler. Rob listened for any sign of the creatures. He crept forward, arm around Kayla. They moved down the first corridor, cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. If that was the creepiest thing they saw, that would be fine by Rob.
     
    They were almost at the turn to head towards the receiving area when he heard something in the hallway behind him. It was a soft shuffling noise and