Page 73

Glancing over the side of the bus and past the crumpled guardrail, she contemplated the steepness of the hill and the possibility of scaling it. The trees jutting out of the hillside might help slightly with the climb, but the incline grew sharper further down. One wrong move would result in a deadly fall. The harness attached to the roof could be used to lower the injured, but they'd have to move fast to avoid being spotted by the zombies. Otherwise, the undead would hurl themselves down the incline after the living. The chances of escape going that way weren't good, especially with wounded people. Emma killed the idea, not even bothering to bring it up to Nerit.

Walking was another option. Slow zombies could be outpaced if everyone was healthy and capable of maintaining a brisk walking speed or light jog. She doubted the people they'd rescued could do either and discarded that possibility as well.

Which just left the one option. Finding a way to get the bus unstuck. Another glance at Juan revealed he hadn't had success yet and was scouring the area for something to use to wedge under the tire. Monica lingered at his side, weapon drawn and ready.

“Find anything?” Emma called out, impatience getting the best of her.

“Trying. Everything is too small, too rotted, or too big,” Juan groused.

“Zombies are coming! We need to go now!” Ted yelled. “Stop wasting time!”

“We're dealing with it! Stop blocking the back door. Get inside!” Monica shouted back.

“We should just leave on foot!”

“I said to get back inside, Ted! Don't block the doorway!”

“We can go now! The coast is clear heading down the road,” Ted persisted.

Juan poked around a tree, testing some of the fallen branches. Without looking up, he said, “You wouldn't make it, Ted. You're dehydrated and can barely stand. Shut up and do what my cousin told you.”

“But I-”

Emma slammed her foot down on the metal roof.

Ted yelped, obviously startled by the sound.

Juan flashed a grin at Emma and returned to his task. Monica trailed behind her cousin, casting scornful looks at the back of the bus. Ted was probably lingering in the doorway. Emma wondered if he was foolish enough to attempt to run.

Kicking at the brush, Juan muttered in Spanish. The brittle sticks and dead leaves skittered across the blacktop. His frustration was evident as he flung away yet another rotted branch.

Squatting down, Emma scrutinized the area. The asphalt was crumbling along the shoulder, but those pieces were too small. There were spots where deep fissures cut the road into jagged slices further down the road in the shadow cast by the peak of the hill.

“Hey, Juan! What about that area?” Emma pointed to a section beneath a canopy of gnarled juniper trees. “It's badly cracked. Maybe you can pull up a chunk?” “Thanks, Em! I'll check it out!”

Juan jogged toward the location with his cousin. It made Emma uneasy that they had to venture so far away from the bus. Watching the swaying shadows beneath the trees lining the blacktop further down the road, Emma reached for her firearm.

The noise of Nerit's sniper rifle firing caught Emma's attention. The true threat of the moment, the small herd that had followed them down the hill, closed in on the bus and the front line of zombies was in range. With the sun looming behind the herd, it was hard to get a headcount, but it was large enough to push the bus over the edge of the road if they were allowed to get close enough. She wished they could just leave instead of sticking with the bus.

Nerit fired once more.

A zombie collapsed to the ground.

“Emma, I could use some help,” Nerit stated.

Plucking the bag of ammunition off the roof, Emma hurried to Nerit's side and concentrated on picking off the front edge of the herd heading their way. Although her shoulder started to ache after the first rounds, Emma only hesitated when she had to reload.

After a few minutes, Nerit said, “I can handle this now. Watch the other side of the road. All this noise might draw more to us.”

“You got it.”

Emma gathered her stuff and hurried to the rear of the bus. The heated metal was burning through her soles. The sun was higher in the sky, sunlight blazing against her skin. Wiping her face, she wished they could get the hell out of the area and soon. The blistering heat wasn't helping her nerves. Down the road, Monica gave Juan cover while he pried a chunk of the asphalt free with a three foot long branch. It was thick and sturdy, but the end was rapidly splintering apart. Emma was uneasy. Even though the immediate area was clear, Monica and Juan were in a vulnerable position.

Lifting her gaze toward the top of the hill looming over their heads, Emma shivered despite the swelling heat. The treetops swayed, obscuring Lookout Point. How many more zombies were looming up there? Were they all marching toward the bus?

“Got it!” Juan triumphantly hoisted a huge chunk of asphalt off the road. It was the size of a concrete

brick and he struggled to carry it back to the bus.