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  Julie inched toward him, tentatively, eyes wide from fear. Cole yanked her forward. He taped her mouth as he had done with Carla and Mike. Cole drew the knots tight, and Julie whimpered as the cords dug into her skin.

  “Shut up,” he told her, after leaning close to her left ear. Then he turned to Carla. “You. You’re coming with me.” Julie admired Carla’s hateful glare that shot venom as he pulled her up by the arm. “I’ve got a fun little job to do, and you’re going to help me.”

  Cole shoved Carla out of the bathroom and locked his other two prisoners inside, steeped in impenetrable darkness.

  * * *

  Joe peered out the front door again. He couldn’t quite see where Julie had taken Carla and Mike, although he knew the restroom she’d mentioned was behind some trees, just out of sight.

  He looked at his watch. Thirteen minutes. Either serious medical attention was needed or trouble was brewing. Maybe Carla had been right. One of the things drilled into your head in the military was to always help a woman in need. Maybe he and Mike had jumped the gun.

  “Shit.”

  Joe glanced in Anna’s direction, where she was still sleeping, presumably, in the office. There was no way he could leave his niece.

  Suddenly, he remembered the radio, kicking himself for forgetting about it. He ran to the dining area and picked it up. Jack was out of reach, but Carla shouldn’t be. Joe pressed the talk button. “Carla? Joe to Carla, do you read me?”

  Silence. But before he pressed the talk button again, a familiar voice erupted from the speaker.

  “She can’t talk right now.”

  Joe froze.

  How? It can’t be....

  But there wasn’t time to process it all. Cole spoke again.

  “Let me in, or she dies.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Had Jack known that his brother was letting their nemesis into the building with a gun trained upon Carla’s head, things might have turned out differently. However, all he had to go by was Jared’s increasing unease. Jared wanted to go back, to race back to the observatory. But Jack dismissed the kid’s antsy pacing as just his being spooked by the eerie atmosphere the zoo had taken on.

  Meanwhile, Jack debated with Brice about the hazards of freeing dangerous animals. “The cats are deadly,” he told Brice. “Somebody could get killed or badly injured. In fact, I’d bet on it.”

  “From what you say, Los Angeles is already overrun with this zombie shit,” Brice replied. “If everyone knows it’s a deadly world out there, surely they’ll be extra careful.”

  “I know, but Brice. Those tigers... the lions, even the rhinoceros, no one could be prepared to meet them on the streets of Los Feliz. Not even you or me.”

  “Who’s out there roaming the streets and parks?” he countered. “No one but zombies. Maybe the cats will do some good, and kill a few.”

  “But....”

  “And what about the orangutans, Jack?,” Brice continued, ignoring Jack’s indignant expression. “Or the apes? We can’t just leave them here alone. That ain’t right. They’ll starve, here, but I’ll bet they’ll find a way to survive out there.”

  Jack couldn’t argue that point. Everyone loved them, especially the zoo staff. They all knew their human-like qualities, and held a special affinity for the gentle giants. But they weren’t always gentle. Or slow. If panicked, well, a human could not escape an ape.

  “Grizzly bears, too. Problematic.” Jack thought this should end the debate, since clearly the dangers outweighed the benefits. The animals were all better off in the zoo, as long as he and Brice came back regularly to feed them.

  Jared, clearly agitated, continued to pace back and forth. He tapped a pencil against the table. Jack still ignored him.

  “Look, Jack,” Brice finally said. “The bottom line is this: I know you mean well, but there’s no guarantees we can get back here safely. And, I’m not leaving any of God’s beasts here to starve to death.” Brice sat back and folded his arms defiantly. “That’s my final answer.”

  Letting them starve had never been Jack’s intention either. He was about to debate Brice again about coming back to feed them as necessary, but realized how impractical it would be.

  “You’re right, as usual,” he finally conceded. “It’s the lesser of two evils.”

  Jared sighed impatiently. But Jack ignored him, intent on resolving the disagreement with Brice first.

  “Okay, we’ll do it your way,” said Jack, finally. “We will do whatever it takes to get you to come with us.”

  “Good.” Brice stood and downed the rest of his coffee. “We’ll take your truck around. Just unlock the cages and gates. Start with the least dangerous. The big cats last. Most of them won’t realize they can get out for a while anyways.”

  “I hope you’re right about that.”

  Jared reminded Jack about the lava rocks, and they loaded a few fifty-pound sacks into the bed. The truck cab was small, so Brice insisted on sitting in back, armed with a loaded tranquilizer gun in each hand.

  “Just in case,” he chuckled.

  * * *

  The trio started with the smaller species, the monkeys, the chimps. As they made their way around, unlocking cages and gates, some of the animals ventured out. Most, however, were unsure and stayed within their safe homes. The elephants congregated around their open gate, trumpeting. The guys left them to decide on their own, whether to venture forth or not.

  Finally, they freed the big cats. Only one of them, a particularly hungry tiger, charged, but Brice was an expert shot. Jack waited for it collapse before re-opening the gate. Knowing the tiger would awaken soon, the guys finished their business at the zoo and got the hell out of there.

  By then, Jared was beside himself with worry to get back to Anna. Jack, too, who drove as quickly as possible to reach the observatory.

  Despite Jack’s attempts to converse with Jared, he remained silent, looking around each bend and curve on the way up. His nervousness increased Jack’s uneasiness and he picked up speed.

  Rounding the final bend that brought the hill to the observatory into view, Jared leaned forward as if this would help speed the truck. Jack couldn’t help chuckling about it, and unfortunately failed to avoid the strip tacks coming up. The tires instantly deflated.

  Thump... thump... thump...

  It almost sent them crashing into the hillside, with Jack fighting to keep the truck on the road. When it skidded to a halt, Jared jumped out first. Scarcely noticing the shredded tires with a glance, he raced up the hill to the observatory.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Jared!” hollered Jack.

  But the kid ignored him, and a moment later disappeared around a corner. Damn, he’s fast! Jack wanted to chase after him, but didn’t want to leave Brice alone either. In his experience, you didn’t go running into trouble, you let trouble come to you. And when it did, you were prepared. And something—or someone—was looking for trouble.

  Whoever laid this damn strip definitely had thrown down the gauntlet.

  For an older guy, Brice still moved well. He was up and over the side and stood next to Jack. They spotted the sprinting figure of Jared running in the direction of the setting sun. Despite being only about an eighth of a mile away from the observatory, neither man could sprint like Jared. The foolish kid had left his rifle in the car, and Jack spotted a few zombies up ahead. Jared paid them no attention, obviously focused on reaching the building’s main entrance. If the undead didn’t get to him, whoever had put out the tack strips was likely waiting nearby.

  The two men almost didn’t hear the zombies creeping up from behind. Brice turned in time to shoot a tranquilizer into one. It did no good.

  “Well, shit,” he said. “I should have known....”

  Jack quickly handed him a spare pistol, and splat, splat splat. Goodbye zombies. More were coming, but from further down the road. They didn’t have time to get them all.

  “Come on,” urged Jack.

 
; “No, you go get Jared,” he said. “I’ll hurry as fast as I can. I can hold these fuckers off.”

  Jack had little choice but to trust him. He threw him a rifle, grabbed the other and prayed Brice would survive.

  Jack ran for the building. Brice followed as quickly as his arthritic bones would let him. Jared had reached the door and banged frantically. Only then did he seem to notice the zombies within close proximity. Jack was too far away to shoot accurately without stopping to aim. And he didn’t want to stop. Not yet.

  At thirty yards he had to take a shot, for the zombies were almost upon Jared. Jack dropped to his knee. Waiting this long endangered Jared, since he could hit Jared just as easily as his assailants. Jack’s hands shook, while seconds of safety melted away. It was now or never.

  Jack took aim and fired and three of the bastards fell. He pulled the trigger again. Click. No more bullets. Son of a bitch. He’d left the box Carla gave him in the truck.

  Jared banged on the door harder.

  Where the hell was everyone?

  “Jared, run!” shouted Jack. Jared turned to him, and Jack waved his rifle in the air. “Move out of the way!”

  Jared ducked in time to avoid the outstretched hands of what had once been a young man—a kid who was now a night walker desiring human flesh. Jared juked another, and sprinted back down the steps and toward the others. They pursued him, but he eluded them with his speed. Jack had a few bullets left in his pistol, but not enough for all of them.

  When Jared finally reached him, Brice was also hurrying to catch up. Still another forty yards away, the zombies pursuing him were falling further behind. They trudged up the road, and hadn’t reached the truck yet.

  “I need bullets,” said Jack.

  “They’re still in the truck?” Jared said, catching on. Shit!”

  “You think you can beat them to the truck?”

  “I’ll have to,” said Jared, before either man could stop him.

  But Jared’s speed allowed him to beat the slow-moving monsters. Although, when he reached the truck, he had to jump inside and roll up the windows.

  “Shit, now what’s he going to do?” Jack lamented to Brice. Meanwhile, two dozen zombies closed in on the pair from all directions. Between the two of them, seven bullets wouldn’t save them.

  But Jared did what the others should have done in the first place. He started the engine and drove through the zombies, flat tires and all. Jack and Brice jumped onto the bed of the passing truck, and Jared shoved the box of bullets through the back window. Brice and Jack loaded as quickly as they could, and started firing.

  It was over in under a minute. Only in the silence that followed did they hear something else—

  Banging, from somewhere. Followed by something else. Muffled sobbing. Coming from nearby.

  “What the hell is that?” worried Jack.

  “I don’t know,” said Brice, pointing to the public restroom. “It’s coming from over there.”

  “You think it’s one of them?” asked Jack.

  “No, the woman doesn’t sound crazy. She sounds scared... maybe hurt.”

  “Shit!” hissed Jack. His heart felt like it would come up through his throat. Was it Carla? He couldn’t be sure. “C’mon,” he said, jumping out of the truck bed and running to the restroom.

  “Wait!” Jared call to them, once Brice joined Jack. “We have to make sure Anna is safe!”

  Anna was indeed top priority. But someone had obviously done some serious planning here; the strip tacks, whoever was held in the restroom, and the pounding on the door to the observatory. Another muffled voice resounded from inside the restroom, this time a man’s.

  “I’d swear that’s Mike,” Jack advised.

  “Who cares?” Jared replied angrily, and then caught himself. “I didn’t mean it like that. But we know they’re likely not in danger of dying immediately. Right? But we don’t know about Anna.”

  “Which is why we have to be smart,” said Jack.

  “I’ve had a feeling all day....” Jared’s voice cracked and he slammed his palms against the steering wheel. “And you didn’t listen. Something’s seriously wrong, Jack It feels like a setup.”

  “All the more reason to be cautious... maybe Mike can tell us what’s going on.”

  “You’re wasting time!” Jared jumped out of the cab, shaking his fist at Jack.

  Brice broke in. “You’re both wasting time.” He put a hand on Jared’s shoulder, but Jared shrugged it off.

  “It will only take a second to check this out.” Jack pointed to the restroom, fighting to keep his voice calm.

  Jared wheeled around, gathered as many bullets as he could fit into his pockets from the truck’s glove box.

  “Then you’ll only be a second behind me,” He said without looking back. He retrieved one of the hunting knives and headed for the building, and Anna.

  Jack stared after him. Jesus, this kid has it bad for my angel. At least she was in good hands with Jared. Reckless hands, granted, but good nonetheless.

  Jack reloaded his gun from the remaining ammo and handed Brice a handful of bullets. Jack grabbed the remaining knife from beneath the seat and then headed for the restroom with Brice.

  “Let’s see what the hell’s going on in there.”

  * * *

  The door was padlocked.

  “Mike,” said Jack, holding his gun out before him. Brice hovered nearby, watching the back side of the building. “Is that you?”

  “Mmmm... Mmmm... mmmm!”

  Obviously gagged, a woman moaned, gagged as well. Jack didn’t recognize her voice. It wasn’t Carla.

  Jack looked around. Despite misgivings about making too much noise, there wasn’t time for other options. “Stand back, Mike. I’m going to shoot the lock.” He heard shuffling inside the room and pointed the gun down and away, blowing the lock off once he was reasonably certain Mike had moved away from the door.

  Brice shined a flashlight inside the restroom. Mike and another woman were up against the wall, turned away from the door. Bound hand and foot. Mike was pissed as hell; the woman was a pitiful, tearful mess. Mike desperately tried to speak.

  “Cole’s here,” said Mike, once the gag was loosened.

  The agent in black? Shit!

  “What’s going on, Jack?”

  “You tell me,” said Jack, cutting quickly through the cords. Brice approached the woman to remove her duct tape.

  “Don’t do it!” Mike warned Brice, rubbing his head. Jack saw a lump pushing through his blood-matted hair. “That bitch set us up!”

  She tried to say something, wiggling closer to Jack with a pleading look.

  “Leave her for now,” he told Brice. To Mike, he said, “Tell me quick. Jared’s probably trying to get inside and he’s alone.”

  Mike gave a brief rundown of how Julie had lured him and Carla into the restroom, only to be knocked unconscious and locked inside.

  “He took Carla,” Mike continued, gingerly touching his head. He winced. “About an hour ago. He said he’d be back for this one.” He jerked his head toward Julie.

  “Well, shit.”

  “You haven’t been back inside the observatory yet?” Mike asked.

  “I told you, we just got here.” Jack was furious. A million questions raced through his mind and a million visions of what had become of Anna. If Cole has laid one hand on her....

  Mike was free, and Jack wasted no time.

  “Brice, leave her. Come on.”

  Halfway out the door, Brice said, “We can’t leave her here, Jack. The crazies will get her.”

  Jack lost it. “If this woman is with Cole, she is an enemy! You can’t trust her!”

  “She’s alive and still a human being, Jack!” Brice replied, almost as angrily.

  He didn’t understand, but there wasn’t time to explain.

  “Trust me, Brice,” said Jack, spitting out the words evenly. Leave her.”

  The older man hesitated.

 
“Look. You come with us. Or you can stay with her,” said Jack, his patience evaporated. “I’d rather you come. Either way, I’m leaving.”

  Brice shrugged his shoulders, and Jack bolted with Mike behind him. They ran toward the observatory, where Jared was slamming his gun against the thick glass window near the main entrance. He was yelling at someone inside. If that wasn’t enough to attract more zombies, an alarm suddenly sounded from within the great building.

  “Ah hell, here goes nothing!”

  Jack and Mike sprinted while new arrivals from the undead crowded their path.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cole paid no attention to Jared’s pounding. Let him pound, he thought, smiling, let him make some noise, the fool.

  Cole had almost finished his tasks. Joe had put up a good fight, no mistake about that. When Joe Carter had let Cole in, and Carla, Joe had taken a huge risk by knocking Cole’s gun away. They’d fought hard, but the devil in the flesh had finally wrestled Joe to the floor. The agent, after all, was a highly efficient killing machine. He easily hogtied the Navy man on the floor.

  However, by the time he’d contained Joe, Carla had disappeared. Cole was seething after wasting precious time searching the huge building. When he found her, he gave her a lesson she wouldn’t soon forget. Joe was horrified to see her return with a mean black eye, a fat lip and a serious bruise on her temple. Cole used her own cuffs to chain her to a door nearby.

  Then came Anna. Cole wanted both Joe and Carla to witness what he had in mind for the youngster. He tore the boards down and stepped back, ready for anything. He didn’t know whether the girl was still in a mindless rage or regaining her senses. Either way, she might be strong by now.

  Anna stumbled out of the dark office, eyes fiery red but not focused on anything. The agent shouted, “Boo!” and she moved toward him, arms outstretched. She let out a guttural sound. Cole knew that response quite well. It meant she was barely human.

  She’d ripped out some of her own hair and torn her clothing. She smelled of urine. She might be borderline crazy, but she was still a kid. He subdued her easily enough, although he was concerned by her strength that might continue to increase. He tied her to a steel rail along the wall, not far from where Carla was cuffed at the door. All the while, Anna hissed and snapped at him like an agitated gator. The railing had a few broken screws in the wall mounts. As she snapped at him, drywall dust sifted down. Wouldn’t take much for a crazy to pull it loose. And the girl was already damn strong. Crazy and a little too strong, if truth be told.