The Secret: A Thriller by David Haywood Young Page A

set of padlocked doors. Through their windows I could see a couple of classrooms before the hallway beyond took a left turn. But I saw no movement in that direction.
    Conclusion: the school seemed to be at least partially built around that courtyard.
    At its north end, my hallway turned west. I shuffled that way. I passed a room that stank worse than the cafeteria. As I went by I heard someone urinating in there…I saw buckets but whoever it was seemed to be using the floor.
    I stopped, considering my options. And then I went in. It was beyond awful, and I accidentally knocked a bucket over, and privacy would have been a good thing. But I felt better afterward.
    And very, very glad to be wearing boots. Even so, I decided this particular pair had officially reached their end of life. Unless something on them was now alive, growing, nourished by— stop it , I told myself, and shuddered. Which I then told myself was okay and actually very manly of me, because nobody saw.
    Around the corner I found another set of double doors. But these didn’t have chains on them—at least on my side. I leaned against the wall, trying to zombify myself in case anyone glanced my way, and watched through the windows in the doors.
    Lots of movement. Just…people, moving normally. None of them even glanced toward me.
    If I just went out there—assuming the doors weren’t locked, and there wasn’t a chain on the other side—could I just keep going?
    But then I saw Tim walk by.
    He seemed okay, except for his bandaged arm, but two armed guards stalked behind him. Were they there to protect him? Probably not, given that I’d seen at least twenty other people walking around freely. And Tim was ignoring them a little too aggressively.
    Whatever freedom of motion my friend had had in this place, it was gone…at least for now. Which explained why he’d just left me in my closet. I’d been wondering why he hadn’t checked on me—unless he had, and I’d still been passed out—but anyway, something had changed for him.
    I shuffled back around the corner, away from the windows, where I could think without having to worry about my expressions giving me away.
    No matter what, I had to get back to Abby and Rebecca. But if I could manage it, I wanted to take Tim with me.
    I owed him that much. And…well, he was a doctor. Abby needed one.
    Unless she didn’t, anymore—but that kind of thinking wasn’t going to help.
    I’d do what I could.
     

Chapter Ten
     
    W hen I got back to the cafeteria both doors were shut. I pulled one open, propping it with an attached kickstand-like support, and trying to make it seem accidental. Yeah…that was totally believable. I was sure.
    Then a cloud of gnats flew out of the room. Nasty—and a couple of wasps followed them. I stepped back warily, but they headed down the hallway towards the non-zombie population.
    Maybe they smelled something good? Or the cafeteria’s stench finally got to be too much for them? If they had a decent escape plan, maybe I should just follow them.
    Inside, I leaned against a wall and closed my eyes to help them adjust to the darkness. A few minutes later, I shuffled over and kicked John’s leg. “Wake up. I need your help with something.”
    He grunted something foul and sat up. “Dude! Trying to fit in, here.”
    “Yeah. C’mon, I’ve got an idea for getting out of this place.”
    He shook his head, then dragged himself to his feet and put his face next to my ear. “Listen, man. I’m going to wait this out. Nobody’s shooting at me in here, okay? Eventually somebody from outside is going to come into town and take over. This mess can’t last forever, you know?”
    I paused. “It’s not just here. I got online for a few minutes the other day. Whatever this is, it was happening in at least three other places around the country. Maybe a lot more by now.”
    He blinked, then looked away and shook his head. “Still. We’ve got crazy people running this town, but if I