We each switched on our flashlights. There was nothing waiting for us in the darkness. The four of us quietly began to file up the first flight of stairs. The beams of light cast eerie shadows in the dim stairwell. I could have sworn that each shadow was another corpse, ready to sink its teeth into my flesh. Then it would disappear as my light hit it, almost as if the shadows were ghosts coming through the walls. I needed to stop thinking like this.
It was slow going up the steps. We took each corner as cautiously as possible. BW and Chuck decided that we should clear each floor on our way up so there would be no nasty surprises waiting for us on the way back down. They checked each floor with extreme precision.
Three of us would stand in front of the entrance to the floor while the fourth would face the other direction, waiting for any ghouls that happened to be following us. The middle person in front of the door would open it and quickly step back while the other two aimed, ready to open fire. We would kill anything that happened to be in the hallway and then proceed to open each door on the floor the same way. After checking each floor for the dead, we would secure the door behind us and continue on to the next.
There were very few of them wandering about. Most floors had none. It seemed like a good idea, but I couldn’t help thinking about how much time we were wasting while Ben and the others were trapped on the roof of a collapsing building. When we did find the random wandering corpse, we would make sure to kill and decapitate it. There was no room for error here. I felt confident that we would be able to easily escape the building, once we did whatever it was we came here for.
Every so often, I would look out the window of one of the condos, hoping to see where Ben and the others were. I would have been happy just to have a glimpse of them and know that they were alright. I could tell that Stephanie was thinking the same thing. The other two didn’t say an unnecessary word the entire time. Obviously, they weren’t too worried about the others.
Finally, we made it to the very top floor. It had only been about an hour, but it seemed like ten. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew it had to be important for BW and Chuck to risk their lives to come all of the way up here. Neither one of them opened the door. They just looked back at me. I guess it was my turn to open the door. I was tenser than I have ever been in my life. My hands were shaking with anticipation and fear.
They each too the usual post. One on either side of me and Stephanie in the back. Weapons drawn, expecting an ambush as usual.
I reached out and turned the door knob.
Chapter 17
Looking for more Zombie Fiction?
Click Here for my list of Free and Other Zombie Books