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“That sucks,” Rune said, and didn’t press it. He didn’t want to know.

Calhoun rubbed his big nose and frowned. “Who’s idea was it to blow up the gawddern fuel tanks?”

“Yours,” Rune answered.

“Gawdammit! Why do people listen to me? I’m freaking nuts!”

“And that, sir, is why they listen to you,” Rune informed him.

Calhoun began to laugh.

Despite the slowly strengthening stench of death, Rune threw back his head and laughed, too.

* * * * * Jason made his way to the makeshift elevator and hoisted his tool bag onto his shoulder. Reggie, a big black guy, nodded to him and helped him onto the pallet platform. Reaching out, Jason took a firm grip on one of the thick cables.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” Jason answered.

Reggie signaled the crane operator and the pallet lifted with a sickening lurch and began to swing toward the edge of the wall.

With a sharp bark, Jack dodged around Reggie and leaped over the empty space between the rooftop and the pallet and landed with a sharp yelp.

Jason reached down immediately and grabbed his collar. The pallet swung sharply and Jack slid across the wood. Holding tight, Jason felt the dog’s weight shift back against him. Tucking Jack securely between his legs, Jason looked down at the startled dog.

“Damn dog. You were supposed to stay with the kids,” Jason chided him.

Jack gave him a soulful look of apology, then looked out over the wide expanse before the fort. He growled low in his throat and his ears slid back.

“I know, boy, I know. They’re coming,” Jason whispered. “I know. ”

* * * * * Rune looked down toward the angrily muttering old man. Calhoun was in a tizzy, obviously trying to figure out what was wrong. Rune leaned over and figured the dim lights on the lid of the metal box was a bad thing.

Tilting his head, he looked out toward the gap.

“Smells worse than you now, Calhoun,” he said.

“Soap is ungodly and unnatural. It poisons you slowly,” Calhoun answered.

“Right,” Rune looked back toward the fort to see the kid running down toward him with the big ol’ German Shepherd at his side. “Here comes your help. ”

Calhoun glanced up to see Jason drawing close. “Good, cause those damn gremlins screwed this up royally. Worse than when the fairies stole all the wires out of my TV. ”

Jason rushed up and fell to his knees beside Calhoun. He immediately began to look through the wires as Jack stood guard beside him, growling low in his throat.

“You know,” Rune drawled. “I always wanted to die a noble death. ”

Calhoun glanced over his shoulder. Beyond the gap, just coming up over the edge of the hill, was a lone zombie. It hesitated as it saw the fuel tanks, then saw what lay beyond and let out a mournful wail. It reached out its gnarled hands and began to limp forward.

“I think he’s hungry,” Calhoun decided.

“Well, boys. Time for me go do the hero thing and probably die. But let it be known to all survivors of the fort that I went out like a warrior!” Rune grinned his toothy grin and got onto his bike.

“What are you going to do?” Jason asked, his eyes huge with fear.

Rune shifted his bag around so he could reach in and grab the grenades easily. “Not sure yet, but it’s gonna be wild. ”

With that the bike lurched forward toward the wide opening.