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“But we’re going to save them one way or the other,” Nerit promised. “Here’s the plan...”

19

Are Traitors Worth It?

Emma shoved the hatch to the roof upward. It swung open with a creak. Bright sunlight flooded through the opening and a hot breeze swirled over her upturned face. Feet braced on the backs of the seat benches, she maintained her grip on the rope attached to the handle and gently lowered the door ont

o the roof. Once it was lying flat, she gripped the edges of the hatch and hoisted herself up. The fingerless leather gloves she wore protected her palms, but her fingertips burned against the hot metal roof. She raised her body only high enough to gaze over the top of the bus. Muscles straining, she memorized where the handholds were placed, along with the safety harness attached to a ring bolted to the roof.

Strong hands suddenly gripped her hips, holding her up and giving her arms some relief. Since she’d told Juan she could handle the assignment without any help, Emma was annoyed. She wanted to prove herself to the people of the Fort. Tales of her zombie killing exploits were rapidly spreading, and she wanted to live up to expectations. It was important to show everyone, especially Nerit, that she could work with a team to rescue others.

“I’m climbing up now,” she informed those waiting below.

Hoisting herself onto the hot surface, she quickly grabbed the nearest strap, slid across the roof, got to her knees, and lifted the binoculars Nerit had handed her earlier. Focusing on the figures trapped on top of the restrooms, Emma ignored the undead scrabbling at the small structure. She never paid any attention to zombies unless they were her target. It was too disturbing to see their desiccated faces and wonder what sort of person they had been when alive.

The magnified view told a very sad story. A woman and two men were trapped on top of the building. They were laying flush against the roof, keeping away from the edges. Badly sunburned by the harsh sunlight, the trio used their clothing to protect their reddened skin from the heat radiating off the corrugated metal roof. Emma panned over the surrounding area in an attempt to spot anything that could prevent the bus from moving into a rescue position other than the crashed Durango lodged in one corner. The picnic tables were close enough to the restrooms to make a quick getaway difficult. Arnold wouldn’t have an easy time turning around.

Skidding backward, Emma edged her way through the hatch until she could drop down into the aisle below. The rest of the crew was waiting for her expectantly. Juan looked the most aggravated, gnawing at his disfigured thumb. His green eyes settled on her, undoubtedly nervous for her report on his friends.

“Nerit, it looks like we got two guys and one gal up on that roof.”

“Only three?” Arnold gasped. “Out of all the people that left, there’s only three?”

“That’s all I saw. They don’t look like they’re in good condition. They may have been up there for a few days. The one young blond guy looks pretty burnt up.”

Nerit frowned, the lines in her face deepening with concern. “That sounds like Kurt, Ed’s younger son.”

Juan’s body was literally vibrating with his barely contained anxiety. “What about the girl? What did she look like?”

“Maybe my age. Long, dark hair.”

“Belinda for sure,” Monica said with relief.

“Thank God,” Juan whispered.

Nerit gave Juan a piercing look. “So we’re saving Belinda and Kurt for certain. Tell me what the second man looks like.”

“A middle-aged guy, receding hairline, brown hair, maybe a little bit pudgy in the middle, and fair enough that he looks like a tomato right now,” Emma answered Nerit with a wince.

Juan glanced at Nerit. “Sounds like that new city guy that went with them. I can’t remember his name though.”

“Ted,” Arnold said. “Ted Buck from Fort Worth. He was a lawyer or something like that.”

Nerit brushed her chin-length hair behind one ear while peering out the window toward their destination. “I was hoping all of our regulars had survived. It may be a little bit more difficult dealing with somebody who wasn’t fully integrated into the Fort. I guess in the end it doesn’t matter who he is as long as he follows instructions. Did you spot any obstacles preventing us from pulling up to the building?”

“Other than the Durango and a bunch of zombies, there’s some picnic tables close enough to make it hard to turn around. They’re hidden by the zombies crowding the area.”

“Duly noted,” Arnold said.

“If we can get close enough on the right side, Nerit, I’m certain we can get the survivors onto the top of the bus. My only concern is that they look pretty weak, so I don’t think they’ll be able to do it on their own,” Emma went on.

This news did not go over well with those around her. The people from the Fort couldn’t have believed this would be easy. There were a lot of zombies between the bus and the survivors.

“That makes things harder,” Monica muttered. “I hate roof rescues.”

“I mean, we could always go back and get more people to help us. Right, Nerit?”

“Calling for reinforcements is not an option, Emma.”