The soldier, who she recognized as Corporal Baker, stepped into the stairwell and looked around, up the stairs and finally down.
"I sent them all downstairs," she reported. "It was a lot easier than I thought it would be."
He nodded, then looked to her and reported, "I heard you were dead, Princess."
She shrugged. "Well, I'm a zombie so I guess I kind of am. I don't know, really."
"Did you see the doctors?" he asked.
"I came up here with them," she replied. "They're in the nurse's station lounge on the fourth floor. That door locks and I thought they would be safe there until… We should go get them." Zoe turned and bounded down the stairs, watching her feet as she held her arms out for balance.
Once at the fourth floor, she turned around to see the Corporal and one more soldier following him, then she raised her finger to her lips and whispered, "Shh. They come when they hear a lot of noise."
As quietly as possible, they entered the fourth floor and made their way cautiously to the nurse's lounge, and Zoe knocked three times as she had said she would. She stepped back as the door handle clicked, and greeted in a whisper, "Hi," as Doctor Kavorski peered out.
"Come on," Corporal Baker ordered. "Let's get you up to the secure area. Smith, go make sure it's still clear."
A sinister growl drew their attention and they all turned to see a mad-dog zombie halfway down the corridor, crouched down and staring at them. Another, this one a female, emerged from behind the nurse's station and turned its attention to them, its lips sliding away from its yellow and black stained teeth as it growled as well.
"Those weren't here a few minutes ago," Zoe insisted. When the private raised his weapon, she barked, "Don't shoot at them! The noise will bring the other ones!"
"What are we supposed to do?" the private barked back.
"You guys go on," she replied, her eyes on the closest zombie as she slowly advanced. "I'll keep them busy and catch up when you are upstairs."
"Zoe!" Rachel hissed.
"Just go," the girl ordered as she slowly reached for her gun. "You guys get upstairs and I'll keep them from getting you." She noticed that the zombies had their attention on the people behind her. "You need to go."
"Come on," Baker insisted, ushering the doctors toward the door. "We'll get them to safety and then come back for you, Princess."
"Don't," she countered. "I'll just hold them off and then go upstairs when you guys are okay."
Slowly, and under the watchful eyes of the zombies, the four people made their way to the door, exiting as the private held the door open.
One of the zombies started to charge, and Zoe stomped toward him and shouted, "No!"
The zombie stopped and looked at her with wide, almost solid black eyes.
"You got this, Princess?" the private asked.
"Yeah," she assured. "Just get upstairs."
He nodded to her, then slipped into the stairwell and allowed the door to close behind him.
The far zombie moved abreast of the female zombie, and both looked to the girl before them. Zoe seemed to know to stand her ground, and her hand wrapping around the handle of the revolver fed her courage.
The female zombie's eyes flitted behind Zoe, and the girl's heart jumped!
Drawing her weapon, she swung around, too slow to avoid the big, mad-dog zombie man that slammed into her and knocked her down. Zoe managed to keep her hand on her weapon and directed it to him as best she could as he pinned her to the floor, and she pulled the trigger over and over, spending four rounds as her other hand pushed against his chest. He grasped at her hair, yanking her head over as he roared with some inhuman voice that fed the terror that exploded from her in a scream. Responding to the gunshots, the zombie leapt from her and swung around, hurling her across the hallway and into the wall. She hit hard enough to shatter the sheetrock and break many pieces loose, and they rained down on her as she crumpled face down to the floor.
With a pitiful whimper, Zoe pushed herself up and looked to the big zombie, grateful that he was just crouched there and looking back at her. Between her and him was her gun, and she drew a loud gasp as she realized that it was just out of reach.
The other two moved in on her and she cringed and shrank away, pressing herself against the wall as she rose up on all fours.
Roaring, the big one charged and raised his hands, and Zoe covered her head as he brought both fists down hard on her back and head, sending her down to the floor. Curling herself up, she covered her head as he pummeled her mercilessly like an angry ape. He would jump up slightly as he raised his arms, putting all of his weight into his swings as he brought his fists down onto her over and over, and her body flinched each time he hit her. The blows did not hurt, but the shock radiated out from each impact and she felt them all over.
The attack ended abruptly and he crouched on all fours nearby breathing loudly through his nose.
Slowly, Zoe withdrew her arms and looked up at him.
He roared at her again and she screamed and covered her head. The other male zombie charged forward and brought his fist down on her head, roaring with a more human voice, but inhuman at the same time.
Zoe found herself crying and kept herself balled up on her side with both arms covering her head for long seconds after she was hit the last time. With a little whimper, she hesitantly lowered her arms and looked up at the big one again, and she cringed as he bared his teeth and growled at her. She turned her attention to the other, and he growled at her as well. The female zombie was staying back, just glaring at her as she watched.
The big one lowered his head and sniffed her, and Zoe shrank away as best she could. Clearly he did not like what he smelled and roared again, grabbing her arm and ankle and standing as he spun around, hurling her to the other side of the hallway and slamming her into the wall about four feet up.
Crumpling to the floor again, Zoe just lay there, not daring to move as she expected the worst. She barely moved her head as she turned her eyes to the big zombie again, and saw him just standing there staring down at her. Four holes were in his white shirt around his belly and black red blood oozed slowly from them. Some primal rage was at work in him. This one was not like the others, not even like the mad-dogs, and she was sure the doctors would be very interested in knowing about him. But first, she had to get away, to survive!
The big zombie's lips slid away from his teeth again, and it was clear that another onslaught was coming.
Before he could react, Zoe sprang up and darted down the hallway, stopping after a few running steps to spin around and face him. He was still advancing and she back-pedaled, her eyes locked on his almost solid black eyes as she retreated.
Commotion behind him drew their attention and he swung around, poising himself as a growl escaped him.
Zoe moved to the side, raising her chin as she saw Adrian standing between the door and the nurse's station.
Dressed in black commando trousers, combat boots and a black tee shirt with ZRT in bright white letters across the front, he was brandishing a black bladed machete, and his other hand was curled into a tight fist. Behind him, the other two zombies lay unmoving on the floor.
The big zombie growled again.
One of Adrian's eyebrows cocked up and he raised his hand before him, beckoning the zombie toward him with his finger.
With an infuriated, inhuman roar, the big zombie charged. Adrian wheeled around and slammed his boot hard into the side of the zombie's head, finishing the spin to watch the big zombie stumble past him and fall. Quick to get to his feet, the zombie charged again, only to be met by Adrian's boot a second time, this time right in the middle of the face. With the zombie slightly stunned, Adrian wheeled around as he had before and slammed his heel into the side of the zombie's face, spinning him around.