Zombie Mountain (Walking Plague Trilogy 3)

Brice broke in. “You’re both wasting time.” He put a hand on Jared’s shoulder, but Jared shrugged it off.

“It will only take a second to check this out.” Jack pointed to the restroom, fighting to keep his voice calm.

Jared wheeled around, gathered as many bullets as he could fit into his pockets from the truck’s glove box.

“Then you’ll only be a second behind me,” He said without looking back. He retrieved one of the hunting knives and headed for the building, and Anna.

Jack stared after him. Jesus, this kid has it bad for my angel. At least she was in good hands with Jared. Reckless hands, granted, but good nonetheless.

Jack reloaded his gun from the remaining ammo and handed Brice a handful of bullets. Jack grabbed the remaining knife from beneath the seat and then headed for the restroom with Brice.

“Let’s see what the hell’s going on in there.”

* * *

The door was padlocked.

“Mike,” said Jack, holding his gun out before him. Brice hovered nearby, watching the back side of the building. “Is that you?”

“Mmmm... Mmmm... mmmm!”

Obviously gagged, a woman moaned, gagged as well. Jack didn’t recognize her voice. It wasn’t Carla.

Jack looked around. Despite misgivings about making too much noise, there wasn’t time for other options. “Stand back, Mike. I’m going to shoot the lock.” He heard shuffling inside the room and pointed the gun down and away, blowing the lock off once he was reasonably certain Mike had moved away from the door.

Brice shined a flashlight inside the restroom. Mike and another woman were up against the wall, turned away from the door. Bound hand and foot. Mike was pissed as hell; the woman was a pitiful, tearful mess. Mike desperately tried to speak.

“Cole’s here,” said Mike, once the gag was loosened.

The agent in black? Shit!

“What’s going on, Jack?”

“You tell me,” said Jack, cutting quickly through the cords. Brice approached the woman to remove her duct tape.

“Don’t do it!” Mike warned Brice, rubbing his head. Jack saw a lump pushing through his blood-matted hair. “That bitch set us up!”

She tried to say something, wiggling closer to Jack with a pleading look.

“Leave her for now,” he told Brice. To Mike, he said, “Tell me quick. Jared’s probably trying to get inside and he’s alone.”

Mike gave a brief rundown of how Julie had lured him and Carla into the restroom, only to be knocked unconscious and locked inside.

“He took Carla,” Mike continued, gingerly touching his head. He winced. “About an hour ago. He said he’d be back for this one.” He jerked his head toward Julie.

“Well, shit.”

“You haven’t been back inside the observatory yet?” Mike asked.

“I told you, we just got here.” Jack was furious. A million questions raced through his mind and a million visions of what had become of Anna. If Cole has laid one hand on her....

Mike was free, and Jack wasted no time.

“Brice, leave her. Come on.”

Halfway out the door, Brice said, “We can’t leave her here, Jack. The crazies will get her.”

Jack lost it. “If this woman is with Cole, she is an enemy! You can’t trust her!”

“She’s alive and still a human being, Jack!” Brice replied, almost as angrily.

He didn’t understand, but there wasn’t time to explain.

“Trust me, Brice,” said Jack, spitting out the words evenly. Leave her.”

The older man hesitated.

“Look. You come with us. Or you can stay with her,” said Jack, his patience evaporated. “I’d rather you come. Either way, I’m leaving.”

Brice shrugged his shoulders, and Jack bolted with Mike behind him. They ran toward the observatory, where Jared was slamming his gun against the thick glass window near the main entrance. He was yelling at someone inside. If that wasn’t enough to attract more zombies, an alarm suddenly sounded from within the great building.

“Ah hell, here goes nothing!”

Jack and Mike sprinted while new arrivals from the undead crowded their path.

Chapter Fourteen

Cole paid no attention to Jared’s pounding. Let him pound, he thought, smiling, let him make some noise, the fool.

Cole had almost finished his tasks. Joe had put up a good fight, no mistake about that. When Joe Carter had let Cole in, and Carla, Joe had taken a huge risk by knocking Cole’s gun away. They’d fought hard, but the devil in the flesh had finally wrestled Joe to the floor. The agent, after all, was a highly efficient killing machine. He easily hogtied the Navy man on the floor.

However, by the time he’d contained Joe, Carla had disappeared. Cole was seething after wasting precious time searching the huge building. When he found her, he gave her a lesson she wouldn’t soon forget. Joe was horrified to see her return with a mean black eye, a fat lip and a serious bruise on her temple. Cole used her own cuffs to chain her to a door nearby.

Then came Anna. Cole wanted both Joe and Carla to witness what he had in mind for the youngster. He tore the boards down and stepped back, ready for anything. He didn’t know whether the girl was still in a mindless rage or regaining her senses. Either way, she might be strong by now.

Anna stumbled out of the dark office, eyes fiery red but not focused on anything. The agent shouted, “Boo!” and she moved toward him, arms outstretched. She let out a guttural sound. Cole knew that response quite well. It meant she was barely human.

She’d ripped out some of her own hair and torn her clothing. She smelled of urine. She might be borderline crazy, but she was still a kid. He subdued her easily enough, although he was concerned by her strength that might continue to increase. He tied her to a steel rail along the wall, not far from where Carla was cuffed at the door. All the while, Anna hissed and snapped at him like an agitated gator. The railing had a few broken screws in the wall mounts. As she snapped at him, drywall dust sifted down. Wouldn’t take much for a crazy to pull it loose. And the girl was already damn strong. Crazy and a little too strong, if truth be told.

“Not sure how long this railing will hold her,” he told Carla and Joe. “I suggest you two keep still and don’t get her riled up.”

Cole got to work on the rest of his plan. First, he tossed all their food out the side door, aiming for the dead crazies. He gathered what clothing they had, jackets, shoes, and anything else they would need, and threw it out as well.