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“Katie, don’t fight him! Get help,” he called out to his wife.

Curtis appeared over him again.

“That’s not going to happen,” Curtis hissed.

The knife glittered as he brought it down to stab Travis’ hand.

Instinctively, Travis tried to jerk away, but only managed to lose his grip with his second hand. The blade sliced easily into the back of his hand and he cried out as he lost his grip and fell.

Despite the sheer terror of the moment, he remembered to tuck his body and roll as he hit the ground. The impact was jarring and he immediately tasted blood as he bit the inside of his mouth.

The moan of the zombie was near and he panicked as he struggled to his feet and tried to catch is breath. He sensed more than felt the creature. He struck out with one foot, catching the beast square in its torso and sending it falling to the ground.

Bracing himself against the wall, he looked around desperately for a weapon. To his relief he saw the knife glittering nearby. He moved swiftly to kick the zombie over as it tried to scramble to its feet. Travis darted to snatch up the knife.

“Travis!”

Above him, he could hear the struggle. He looked up to see Katie gazing down at him as Curtis grabbed her from behind.

“Katie, just run! Get help!” Forcing himself to look away from the top of the wall where his wife grappled with Curtis, he reached for the knife.

The low, hungry growl of the zombie made him spin around and he was surprised to see the creature so close. Its gnarled, gray hand reached out to grab him as its teeth snapped together. Circling around it quickly, Travis thanked God for its slowness. He shoved it over as hard as he could. It landed face down and began to claw at the ground. He gave wide berth to the zombie and snatched up the knife.

He fought the urge to look up and see how Katie was doing. He had to kill the zombie before he could even begin to figure out how to get back into the fort and help Katie. The thing was trying to get to its knees and he moved around it and kicked its hip as hard as he could, knocking it over.

Disoriented, the thing writhed on the ground, then its dead eyes found him and it began to try to rise.

A scream from Katie made him look up and the creature grabbed his foot far faster than he would have expected. Its strength startled him and he found himself losing his balance and falling.

Concentrate, dammit, he thought to himself.

Shifting his body weight so he had leverage, he kicked the thing as hard as he could in the face with his boot heel. Its head bobbed back, but immediately, the thing reached for his foot, trying to grip it again. Kicking it again as hard as he could while shoving himself backward, he managed to get to his feet and away from the creature.

It began to try to rise and he rushed forward and planted his foot squarely on its brittle neck. He could feel it give way under his weight as he brought his left hand downward, the knife glittering, and rammed it into the creature’s eye socket. He felt the mush inside give way as the thing continued to grab him. Its teeth champed just inches away from his hand as he leaned all his weight into the knife and felt the knife push further in.

Working the knife back and forth, he finally felt the creature go limp.

Another scream made him look up. Katie dangled from the railing, her blond hair obscuring her face. Curtis was struggling with her, trying to pry her grip lose from the bar.

“Curtis, stop,” Tr

avis shouted angrily, rushing forward, but standing helplessly under his wife. He could see her legs kicking as she tried to get leverage, but she was dangling precariously.

Then it occurred to him that she might be safer with him than up there.

“Katie, drop,” he ordered, preparing to catch her.

Low moans from behind him, made his scalp crawl. Slowly, he turned. At least a dozen zombies were lumbering into the mouth of the alley.

“Don’t drop, Katie!” His voice was harsh and full of fear.

Looking up, he saw her look down toward him, then toward the zombies.

He felt completely and utterly helpless.

* * * * * Katie struck Curtis as hard as she could as Travis fell from view. Terror unfurled within her as she heard the low moan of the zombie below.

Hissing with anger, she grabbed Curtis’ shirt and tried to knee him.