Siege (As the World Dies 3)

* * * * * Katie felt her grip slipping and Curtis was smiling madly down at her.

“It’s okay, really. It’s fine, let go. ” He kept saying to her.

She screamed again, but felt as if the wind tore it from her lips and dissipated it.

“You’re going to die, Katie,” Curtis whispered to her as he pried her fingers loose at last. He leaned far over her, shoving her back from the rail, her fingers of her other hand beginning to slip. “You’re going to fall and die. ”

The moans of the zombies were closer now and Travis was swearing at Curtis, his voice full of despair.

“You’re going to die, Katie, just like Jenni did. This is the end of your little Thelma and Louise story. No one can save you,” he said softly.

“Hey, fuckface,” Jenni’s voice said sharply.

Katie caught sight of Jenni standing behind Curtis. She looked real. Solid.

When Katie had reached the wall, Jenni had vanished. To see her again, Katie sobbed with relief.

Jerking around, Curtis saw Jenni and his expression was one of utter surprise.

“Why don’t you try fucking with me, asshole?” Jenni taunted.

Abruptly letting go of Katie’s hand, Curtis turned as he straightened.

“You’re dead,” Curtis exclaimed.

“So?”

Katie managed to hold onto the rail for a second with her other hand, but the sudden release of her weight by Curtis let gravity grab her and she half-slid, half-fell down the side of the wall.

Jenni’s eyes flicked toward her friend’s falling form, then she stared Curtis straight in the eye as he turned fully to face her.

“Bang,?

? she said, and grinned.

“Wha-” he managed, then a hole was punched neatly through his brow above his left eye.

He fell slowly to her feet, crumpling like a puppet. Jenni looked up to the sixth floor window and waved to the woman perched there.

* * * * * Juan reached the catwalk just in time to see Katie fall, Curtis turn toward Jenni, and then die at her feet. Startled, he could barely breathe as he stumbled toward the woman he loved.

Jenni waved to someone in the hotel, then turned to see him.

“Loca,” he whispered.

“Hey, baby,” she answered with a wide smile, then said, “Shit!”

And just like that, she swung her legs over the rail and dropped down below.

* * * * * Travis lunged to catch her and Katie fell into his arms and sent them both sprawling. Immediately, they both scrambled to their feet to see the zombies moving ever closer to them. There were now maybe twenty moving slowly, but resolutely toward them. Behind those zombies, more staggered into the light in the street beyond. Their twisted, gnarled bodies were grotesque in their decay.

“They’re early,” Katie said.

“Yeah,” Travis answered, holding her close. “Curtis?”

“I think Jenni has him covered. ”

Travis looked at her sharply. “Jenni? Huh?”