kitchen was the dining area itself, a fairly expansive area that took up most of the available space on the floor. Dominated by floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city (parts of which were still lit up, McDaniels noticed) and dozens of tables and long booths, the cafeteria could easily hold almost 300 people. After coming from the brightly-lit kitchen, the cafeteria itself was dark and gloomy, illuminated only by a few lights. Earl turned to McDaniels and Finelly and held one finger to his lips as they walked through the semi-dark area. McDaniels saw why. Sprawled across one booth were two figures beneath coats, their legs and feet visible in the tepid light. Earl’s daughters.
“We’re going to take a quick look around, if you don’t mind,” McDaniels told Earl. He nodded to Finelly, and the big sergeant turned and headed for the far side of the cafeteria, his feet whispering across carpet and linoleum tile alike.
“Sure, go ahead,” Earl said.
McDaniels smiled and nodded, then headed off in the opposite direction Finelly had taken. There wasn’t a great deal to see. The cafeteria had been closed, cleaned, and readied for a working week that would never come. McDaniels checked around for any indication someone other than Earl had been on the floor, and there was nothing to say that there had been. McDaniels slowly walked toward one window and looked out over the city. The windows faced Central Park, and he saw the glow of fire there, and more noxious smoke roiling into the air. It looked to him that one or more of the helicopters at the assembly area had caught on fire, and the jet fuel that propelled them was burning bright and strong. Several buildings in the area still had power, and if he looked hard enough, McDaniels saw survivors had hung signs outside the windows:
4 TRAPPED, PLEASE SEND HELP!
SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, PLEASE HELP!
SOS SOS SOS WE’RE TRAPPED SOS SOS SOS
GOD IS PUNISHING US
Through the windows in some buildings which were still illuminated, figures moved. McDaniels didn’t reach for his binoculars to get a better look. From the shambling, roiling gait most of them exhibited, he knew the figures were deadheads moving about aimlessly in their search for human flesh. Hundreds in the buildings and, when he looked down, thousands in the brightly-lit streets.
He finished checking the rest of the floor, including the restrooms. The lights flicked on automatically when he stepped inside, blinding him momentarily. He checked the stalls and found nothing. On impulse, he checked for running water by waving his hand under the sensor in one of the sinks. Warm water came forth immediately. At least that hadn’t changed.
He rejoined Finelly, who stood near the table Earl sat at. His daughters continued to sleep in the booth across from where the he sat, looking at them with sad, weary eyes.
My daughter, take my daughter!
Again, the image of the woman on the street, clutching the toddler to her chest. If he had reached across Safire and thrown open the door, could he have saved mother and daughter before the zeds got them? If he’d allowed the hard curtain of discipline he hid his emotions behind to drop for just that one instant, could he have made a difference?
My daughter, take my daughter!
Stop it, lady.
Finelly turned and looked at him oddly. “Sir?”
McDaniels realized he’d whispered the last thought aloud. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and waved the comment away.
“Never mind, sergeant.” He looked at Earl. “Earl? The zombie in the stairway?”
Earl nodded. “Yeah... that was Mr. Walsford. He was the CEO. Hard-workin’ cat, always here late at night and early in the mornin’. I went out to the stairway to have a smoke, and all a sudden he comes runnin’ up the stairs lookin’ to eat some brains.” Earl snorted humorlessly. “Course, mine wouldn’t be more’n a snack.”
“You’re a lucky guy,” Finelly said.
Earl shrugged. “Don’t know
“We’re going to take a quick look around, if you don’t mind,” McDaniels told Earl. He nodded to Finelly, and the big sergeant turned and headed for the far side of the cafeteria, his feet whispering across carpet and linoleum tile alike.
“Sure, go ahead,” Earl said.
McDaniels smiled and nodded, then headed off in the opposite direction Finelly had taken. There wasn’t a great deal to see. The cafeteria had been closed, cleaned, and readied for a working week that would never come. McDaniels checked around for any indication someone other than Earl had been on the floor, and there was nothing to say that there had been. McDaniels slowly walked toward one window and looked out over the city. The windows faced Central Park, and he saw the glow of fire there, and more noxious smoke roiling into the air. It looked to him that one or more of the helicopters at the assembly area had caught on fire, and the jet fuel that propelled them was burning bright and strong. Several buildings in the area still had power, and if he looked hard enough, McDaniels saw survivors had hung signs outside the windows:
4 TRAPPED, PLEASE SEND HELP!
SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, PLEASE HELP!
SOS SOS SOS WE’RE TRAPPED SOS SOS SOS
GOD IS PUNISHING US
Through the windows in some buildings which were still illuminated, figures moved. McDaniels didn’t reach for his binoculars to get a better look. From the shambling, roiling gait most of them exhibited, he knew the figures were deadheads moving about aimlessly in their search for human flesh. Hundreds in the buildings and, when he looked down, thousands in the brightly-lit streets.
He finished checking the rest of the floor, including the restrooms. The lights flicked on automatically when he stepped inside, blinding him momentarily. He checked the stalls and found nothing. On impulse, he checked for running water by waving his hand under the sensor in one of the sinks. Warm water came forth immediately. At least that hadn’t changed.
He rejoined Finelly, who stood near the table Earl sat at. His daughters continued to sleep in the booth across from where the he sat, looking at them with sad, weary eyes.
My daughter, take my daughter!
Again, the image of the woman on the street, clutching the toddler to her chest. If he had reached across Safire and thrown open the door, could he have saved mother and daughter before the zeds got them? If he’d allowed the hard curtain of discipline he hid his emotions behind to drop for just that one instant, could he have made a difference?
My daughter, take my daughter!
Stop it, lady.
Finelly turned and looked at him oddly. “Sir?”
McDaniels realized he’d whispered the last thought aloud. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and waved the comment away.
“Never mind, sergeant.” He looked at Earl. “Earl? The zombie in the stairway?”
Earl nodded. “Yeah... that was Mr. Walsford. He was the CEO. Hard-workin’ cat, always here late at night and early in the mornin’. I went out to the stairway to have a smoke, and all a sudden he comes runnin’ up the stairs lookin’ to eat some brains.” Earl snorted humorlessly. “Course, mine wouldn’t be more’n a snack.”
“You’re a lucky guy,” Finelly said.
Earl shrugged. “Don’t know
Similar Books
