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Most of the first zombies were still trailing off into the distance in two long columns.

Linda and Bette reloaded their catapult countless times. The discarded junk of the old world flew out over the battlefield, picking up force as it fell to earth and landing amongst the dead with brutal devastation. They would high five whenever they got a particularly gruesome death. Their favorite was a zombie priest who lost his head to a flying toaster oven.

Calhoun, followed by his pack of dogs, ran along the wall activating the traps closest to the fort. If the zombies began to congregate in one area, he would trip a variety of swinging arms made of old telephone lines and lawnmower blades. The big swinging arms were his pride and joy. They’d swing through a group of zombies and obliterate anything they’d hit.

The helicopters, on standby, had one bad moment when confronted with a handful of terrified people demanding to be removed from the fort.

“And go where?” Greta asked calmly.

With no answer to her question, the people had slunk away.

Travis wielded one of the five bazookas the fort had. With Kevin’s help, they loaded it up and sent zombies flying in pieces across the battlefield.

Despite the tension in the air, they found themselves laughing more than once.

Katarina took out the living dead with terrible accuracy. Being a sniper meant she was a little more up close and personal with the undead as they went down. She could see their ravaged faces, their empty eyes, their mutilated forms before her bullet put them down. Every age, every walk of life, every race wandered into view and every single one was put to final rest. Having lived with fear so long, she was startled to feel peace instead.

Instead of feeling rage against them, she felt sorry for them. Every bullet, she realized was a blessing to those creatures. A final exit from their hell.

Yolanda sat in the communication center and listened to teams reporting in and Nerit’s voice steadily giving commands. Next to her sat her own pistol. If there was a breach in the wall, she would fight. And, of course, keep one bullet for herself.

In the opulent ballroom of the hotel, the elderly and children of the fort waited. Despite themselves, they had all watched from the windows as the dead had swarmed toward the fort. They had watched mesmerized as the dead had been met with fierce resistance. Now the battlefield was a ruin.

Smoke filled the air. Fear and hope filled their hearts.

Katie was gagging on the putrid stench as she reloaded her crossbow.

Nothing was moving in her zone anymore. Only a few of the twenty catapults along the wall were still firing, most of those on the east side.

“Is it done?” someone yelled from nearby.

“I don’t have any in my zone,” Lenore called out.

Katie lifted her walkie-talkie. “Hey, what is going on?”

From his point on the wall, Travis could see most of the west side of the battlefield. Only a few severely mutilated zombies were trying to pull themselves along the ground. Kevin craned his neck, trying to look past the smoke.

“This might be it,” Travis said, his voice trembling. His body was shaking as the adrenaline rush left him.

“It might

be,” Kevin said in awe.

“Let’s get the copter up,” Travis said into his walkie-talkie. “Check on the status of the zombies. ”

Lenore glanced over at Bette and Linda as they struggled to get a few microwaves onto their catapult. “It might be done!”

“What?” Linda looked over the wall at the decimated battlefield.

“Babe, nothing is shambling down there,” Bette said in awe.

“Muthafuckin’ zombies are dead,” Lenore said with satisfaction.

“There might be more,” Linda said pragmatically. “We can’t get our hopes up yet. ”

A lone helicopter lifted up over the hotel and swung out over the hills.

Katie sat down in the chair next to her massive crossbow, her arms wrapped around her stomach. She tried not to breath too deeply through the kerchief over her mouth. The smell was unbearable, but the view was amazing. The enormous horde of the dead was not in view. Of course, maybe a second wave was on its way.