“About ten more minutes until the drawbridge into Zone C.” Digging a wet towelette out of her bag, she cleaned her icing-covered fingers. “Do you think that one will be down too? If so, what’s our strategy?”
The memory of yesterday’s terrifying, zombie-swarmed jump into dark water flashed through her thoughts, and she shivered.
With a flick of his forefinger, he set the temperature in the vehicle even higher. “Scout out the situation ahead of time as best we can. Wait and hide if we see the pack nearby. If we don’t—”
“Drive like hells for the other side,” she finished for him.
“Exactly.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I’ll stay on the shoulder, as close to the guardrail as possible. Which is what I should have done last time.”
“Max.” She reached over to rub his bunched shoulder muscles. “Please be patient with yourself. Neither one of us knows what we’re—Stop!”
When he stomped on the brake pedal, cursing, the smell of burning rubber filled the SUV. She wrinkled her nose but kept her eyes trained on the roadside.
A dozen tween girls in green uniforms stood in a loose cluster near a stretch of forest. They were sitting ducks. Shit.
As soon as the car juddered to a halt, she flung open the door and ran.
“Edie!” Max shouted behind her, sounding deeply unhappy. “Wait for—”
“All of you need to find immediate shelter,” she called as she approached the group. “There’s been another breach, and we haven’t been able to sound the alarm! The zombies could be anywhere!”
No screaming. No scattering. For fuck’s sake, why weren’t the kids evenreacting?
One of the taller girls, her hair arranged in neat box braids and twisted into a bun, moved smoothly in front of the others. Her expression calm, she watched Edie approach without any noticeable surprise or alarm at the news of the breach.
“We’ll be fine.” She offered a serene smile. “The zombies are already over the bridge and inside Zone C.”
Presumably because everyone in Zones A and B was eitherdead or holed up somewhere out of reach and the creatures had moved on in search of fresh food. Even so—
“There could be stragglers.” Edie skidded to a stop in front of the girls and frantically scanned the area. “We need to locate a house or some other sturdy structure nearby. Preferably one with access to food and water so you’llstayfine until this clusterf—” After considering her audience, she rephrased. “This cluster of…unfortunateness…is over.”
Climbing into the trees would serve as a temporary solution, but eventually—
“Woman, you can’t just run off.” Max had reached her side, and he was eyeing the humans before them in suspicion and obvious disfavor. “Not without waiting for backup.”
“Clearly, I can.”
Now that she was closer, she recognized the distinctive uniforms. These young women were Girl Explorers, complete with badge-studded vests, and the taller girl must be a troop spokesperson of some sort.
“We’re attempting to get word of the breach to authorities outside the Zone, since our internet and cell coverage is down,” Edie told her, then frowned. “I assumed that was true here too, but maybe it’s not. Have you been able to—”
“We have no way of contacting anyone outside the Zone either. We’ve been trying since this morning, when the first zombies arrived,” the leader said, answering Edie’s question-in-progress. “I’m told the door through Wall Four is closed, at least for now. Since the sirens haven’t sounded, we figure it hasn’t been breached yet, and the creatures are still contained within the Zone.”
Edie nodded. “We think that too.”
“I’m Riley, Lead Explorer for Troop 3874.” The girl stepped forward and offered Edie a firm, confident handshake. “We appreciate your concern for our safety, even though it’s unnecessary.”
Nearly twitching with anxious impatience and biting back the urge to argue—because really, the Girl Explorersshouldbe finding shelter,pronto—Edie played along instead. Perhaps a little friendly persuasion could save the girls, even though their instinct for self-preservation had entirely failed them.
“I’m Edie.” When she laid her hand on Max’s forearm, his muscles there flexed distractingly. “And this is—”
“A vampire,” the troop leader said. “Interesting.”
Edie sucked in a shocked breath. How in the world could Riley have figured that out upon first meeting him? Three years as his neighbor, and Edie had never even considered the possibility. And oddly enough, the remaining players in their little tableau barely reacted to Riley’s statement. The other Girl Explorers simply nodded, as if she’d merely confirmed what they already suspected.
Was there some telltale sign of vampirism Edie should have known about from the start?
Apparently Max had similar questions, because his stare narrowed slightly as he studied Riley. “You’re human. How did you know that?”
