Her eyes shifted from one to the next and she cringed slightly, drawing her shoulders up as she asked in a meek voice, "Is Tex or Rachel up yet?"
They took her to the hospital lobby, which was now a staging area for the Zombie Response Team. A dozen soldiers were preparing to go out, checking gear, loading weapons and assembling the equipment they would take with them. A few comfortable chairs remained, but most of the furnishings in the middle of the room had been moved out and replaced with three rows of tables with folding legs, and this is where most of the equipment was laid out. The front of the information desk had weapons lined up across it with the butt stocks on the floor and the barrels held six inches apart by some keepers that had been screwed in place there. It was a strange mix of welcoming comfort and military readiness.
As they stepped off of the elevator and into the lobby, all activity stopped and everyone's attention found them. Zoe was oblivious as she saw the one she was looking for, and she hurried over to him as he picked up an empty magazine to start filling with bullets. Reaching him, she lowered her eyes and shrugged her shoulders up slightly, grasping a lock of hair with one hand that she began twisting in her fingers.
"Hey there, Kiddo," he greeted.
She waggled her fingers at him, still staring at the floor as she said, "Hi. Um, it's breakfast time."
"Oh," he said with a nod. "Well, I ate about an hour ago, so I'm good."
Zoe's shoulders drooped slightly and she mumbled, "Oh. Okay." She turned toward the elevator and padded that way as she said in a low voice, "Bye."
"Zoe," a woman's voice called.
Recognizing that voice as Rachel's, Zoe stopped halfway to the elevator door and turned to see Doctor Caswell, back in black commando gear, striding toward her.
"Maybe you can help us," the Doctor suggested. "Do you want to help?"
Zoe shrugged and said in a meek voice, "Okay." She was still staring at the floor.
Another soldier approached them, one brandishing an M-16, and he looked down to the girl, his eyes narrowing as he snarled, "How do you expect a zombie to be of any help to us? We're supposed to be killing them, not asking them for advice."
Drawing her shoulders up again, Zoe backed away and tried to turn to the elevator, but his gloved hand grabbed her arm and spun her back around.
"Got an appetite for brains, zombie?" he spat. When she just cringed and did not answer, he pushed her back and trained his weapon on her, pressing the muzzle against her head as he barked, "I have a problem with you being here among the living. Maybe I'll fix that."
Rachel ordered, "Lower that weapon and get away from her." When he just looked toward her, her lips drew away from her teeth and she loudly said, "Now, Private!"
"I don't think I take orders from you, lady," he informed.
Sergeant Morris informed from behind him, "You do take orders from me, Private. Now sling that weapon and get back to your detail."
The private withdrew his weapon and turned around. Quite a bit shorter than the Sergeant he squared off against, he still looked up at him without showing any intimidation and countered, "Sure thing, Sarge. We wouldn't want your little moaner girlfriend to get the wrong idea, would we?"
This clearly irritated Morris and he took a step closer, looming over the smaller man as he said in a voice that would remind one of a coming storm, "You got something to say, grunt?"
With a shrug, the private replied, "Not at all, Sarge. I just prefer my women a little more… I don't know, alive. Of course, that jail bait prom age moaner you got—"
Tex poked the smaller man hard in the chest. "You might want to be real careful around me, Junior, or I may just introduce you to some moaners who like it a little rough, if you know what I mean." He took another half step toward the private, forcing him to retreat a step, and he said in a low voice, "You get out of line with me one time and I'll bleed you and leave your ass out there for a little moaner buffet, you get me?"
The fear in the private's eyes was evident, but still he smiled and took a step back, assuring, "Just havin' some fun with ya, Sarge. You know I got your back." With a little laugh, he turned and strode back to the tables with the equipment.
Seemingly oblivious to the exchange, Zoe smiled and pointed to Morris' back as she exclaimed, "Those are my initials!"
Once again, all activity and talking ceased and everyone looked her way.
Her attention stayed on Sergeant Morris as she said, "Z. R. T. Zoe Rebecca Templeton."
One of the other soldiers still checking equipment pointed out, "Well, it's good to know we finally have us a mascot."
Zoe was taken to the conference room by Doctor Caswell and Tex and there they met with the Colonel. When everyone was seated, it was the Doctor who spoke first.
"Okay, Zoe," Rachel started, "we need to know a few things about what happened at the grocery store. You were in there with several other zombies, right?"
Zoe shook her head and corrected, "I was there for a few days by myself. They came in the same day you did and I was really scared."
The Colonel asked, "Did any of them try to attack you?"
Looking down to the table, Zoe tried to remember, then she shook her head. "No sir. They wanted to get to the deli I think. One of them grabbed me but I think he just wanted to move me out of the way. I bumped into one and he just walked around me. I was still pretty scared."
"Zombies won't eat other zombies," Sergeant Morris pointed out, "even pretty little zombies who aren't completely one of them."
Zoe bit her lip and began twisting that lock of hair, a smile on her face as she just stared at the table before her.
"Could be useful," the Colonel concluded. "You think she could recon areas for us before we send in troops?"
Looking that way, Zoe asked, "What does that mean?"
"That means," he explained, "you go in first and tell us what you see, that way if there are any zombies in the area you tell us how many so that we'll know how to respond."
"But what if they're there?" the girl whined.
"They won't hurt you," Rachel assured. "To them, you're just another zombie."
"Is that why I'm all gray?" Zoe asked as a little girl would.
"Yes," the Doctor answered straightly. Folding her hands on the table, she leaned toward her and said, "Look, Zoe. You could really help us, a lot more than you realize. You're the most important thing to happen to our operation since this whole thing started."
"I am?" the girl asked in a meek voice.
Sergeant Morris confirmed, "Sure you are! We've been looking for someone the zombies don't want to bother with, and then you came along. Think you can help us out?"
Her eyes slid to him and that tight smile took her mouth again. Shrugging her shoulders up, she bowed her head slightly and assured, "Okay."
"That's what we're looking for," the Colonel barked. "Okay, Princess. We're sending you in with Sergeant Morris' team this morning. We think there may be survivors in the mall about a mile from here and you're going in to check it out. If you find zombies then we'll want to know where they are and how many. Morris will tell you everything else you need to know on the way there. Now, do you know how to use a rifle?"
She shook her head and answered, "No Sir."
"Have you ever fired a pistol?"
Zoe shook her head.
The Colonel raised his bushy eyebrows. "Combat knife? Slingshot? Can you at least hurl insults?"
The girl just shrugged.
He huffed a deep breath and looked to the Sergeant, shaking his head, then he looked to the girl again and asked, "How about a radio? Can you use a walkie talkie?" When she nodded this time, he leaned back in his chair and grumbled, "Well, I guess that's all you'll need." He looked to Sergeant Morris and informed, "A-Company has already left for the armory to get us more weapons and ammo. I need that mall reconned thoroughly and cleared of any moaners you find, and secure any survivors."