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not a single trace of her sister. The tree, though, had been split a few feet up from when lightning had hit it during one of the summer’s violent storms. Now she was able reach her little hands between the gaps and pull up. The branch on which she found herself extended out and up for about ten feet. This perch gave her a fantastic, sweeping view of most of the yard. Even better, it afforded her the opportunity to get a better look at the mountain range beyond the walls.
    The dead, while still out of view, could be heard even clearer from here as well. Was this what it was like being one of the watchmen? The thought both scared and intrigued Alicia. While she was terrified of the monsters out there, the serenity of the distant outside world made her yearn for something she’d never truly known: freedom.
    “Hey, squirt,” said Kimberly from below. “Aren’t you supposed to be looking for me or something?” She smiled and crossed her arms.
    “I couldn’t find you,” Alicia answered as she climbed down. “Where were you hiding?”
    “If I told you that, then where would I hide next time, huh?”
    Alicia giggled. She turned toward the mountains. “I wanna hide out there one day.”
    Kneeling, Kimberly hugged her little sister. “We’ll be out there sooner than you think.”
     
    ***
     
    Jared slapped in a fresh magazine, chambered a round, and shot three-round bursts into the growing horde. The hangars must have been teeming with the rotting pus fucks , he thought as five of them collapsed. Jonathan had retreated to Mark to ensure his safety, and his assault rifle sounded to be spewing out lead like a teen that’d drank more than their share.
    As he focused on another pair that dashe d from inside the first hangar, Jared couldn’t help but wonder why these things had waited until they started fueling to reveal themselves. I mean, it’s not like the chopper’s got a stealth mode. Anything could hear us coming from a damn mile away.
    T he two running dead dropped, a baker’s dozen trampling over them.
    When the rifle clicked, Jared reached for his last mag and was yanked to the side. Trevor was saying something, but the ringing in his ears made it impossible to hear. The pilot ran back to his seat, and Jared saw Mark and Jonathan doing the same. The nozzle from the refuel truck was on the pavement; he stepped over it and hopped into the cabin.
    Jared’s heart was beating so fast that his chest was beginning to hurt. He lowered his head and took in a deep breath. As he released it, the helicopter lifted off the ground. A glance toward Jonathan showed the man pointing to Jared’s left. He was shouting something, but again Jared couldn’t hear. Mark pushed him back, aimed one of his Berettas out the cabin door and fired. Jared turned in time to see a dead woman slide out and onto the runway.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    Jonathan Redman, a mid-thirties widower, proud father, and master mechanic, found his confidence in surviving this mission dwindling with each passing second. Mercy Hospital seemed to house all the dead in the damn city. As the helicopter flew past and circled around the towering building, innumerable fists pounded against the hospital’s windows. Some of the dead were even forced out of the cracked and broken panes and plummeted to the streets as the hordes grew agitated.
    “How the hell are we going to survive this,” he muttered.
    Trevor laughed from the seat next to him. “Told you this would be a suicide mission, didn’t I?”
    Jonathan released a breath and shook his head. “Seems like everyt hing’s a suicide run these days, huh?” He took another look at the building. Not one room appeared void of the dead. “How in the hell are we going to take what we need from in there?”
    “Um,” Mark stammered behind them, “I’ve actually been working on a plan for that.”
    Trevor and Jonathan glared at each other for a moment and then looked