“It looks like
there
are
some
warehouses
over
there.”
Pam
pointed
to
her
right. “The
gate
looks
locked,
but
I
can
climb
over
and
see
if
there
is
anything
we
can use.”
“I
don’t
like
this.
We
should
leave.”
The
voice
at
the
back
of
my
mind
talked
again,
telling
me
something
was
wrong.
It
wasn
’t
screaming
yet,
but it
was
very
insistent.
Pam
clicked
her
tongue.
“I’m
sure
it
’ll
be
fine.
We’ll
get
in
and
get
out.
There’s
no
one
here.
They
would
have
attacked
already.”
She
put
the
truck
into
gear
and
got
as
close
to
the
warehouses
as
she
could.
“You
wait
here
and
keep
an
eye
out.
I
’l
l
see
what
I can
get.”
I
stepped
cautiously
down
from
the
truck
and
surveyed
the
surroundings.
The
smell
of
rotting
flesh
permeated
my
nostrils.
I shivered.
I
placed
my
finger
on
the
trigger
of
my
gun.
It
was
quiet.
There
were
no
birds
or
insects,
and
that
worried
me.
Something
splashed
in
the
water,
and
I
spun
to
face it,
my
gun
up
and
ready
to
fire.
A
small boat
with
a
camera
and
motion
controlled
gun
ran
into
the
bank.
I
stepped
forward
to
the
razor
wire
to
examine
it.
A
light
was
affixed
to
the
camera,
and it
flashed
on
and
off
at
random
intervals.
The
gun
spun
on
its
pivot
and
clicked
as
if
firing.
That
explained
the
light
from
last
night,
but
it
didn
’t
make
me
feel
better.
What
was
it
still
tracking?
It
hadn
’t
zeroed
in
on
me,
so
something
else
must
have
triggered
its
sensors.
Maybe
it
malfunctioned.
God,
I
hoped
it
malfunctioned.
I
glanced
back
and
noticed
Pam opening and
closing
doors.
I
turned
to
head
back
to
the
truck
when
the
wire
in
front
of
me
shook
violently.
I
glanced
down
the
length.
The
bodies,
which
I
’d assumed
were
dead,
writhed
and
tried
to
free
themselves.
Why
had
I
assumed
they
were
dead?
Just
because
they
weren
’t
moving?
Maybe
it’d
been
wishful
thinking.
Either
way,
it
was
obvious
they
weren
’t
dead.
I
backed
toward
the
truck.
A
moan
echoed
through
the
deserted
streets.
My
heart
stopped
for a
brief
second
and
I
closed
my
eyes.
Please
tell
me
I
didn’t
hear
that.
I
reopened
them
and
swallowed
hard.
Several
creatures
emerged
from
the
water
and
headed
toward me.
One
of
the
zombies
freed
itself
from
the
wire,
leaving
behind
the
skin
from
the
top
of
its
thigh
to its
ankle,
and
crawled
toward
me.
I
fired
and
the
bullet
hit
it
on
the
top
of
the
head.
Several
other
zombies
were
able to
get
loose
from
the
wire.
Mechanically,
I
lined
up
the
sights
and
rhythmically
pulled
the
trigger.
Pow. Pow.
Pow.
The
creatures
were
down,
but
close
to
twenty
emerged
from
the
water
and
approached
the
fence.
I
holstered
my
weapon
and
flipped
out
my
swords.
As
much
as I
would
have
preferred
to
stay
back
and
shoot
them
from
a
distance,
I
didn
’
t
have
the
ammo.
Plus,
with
them
tangled
in
the
wire,
using
my
swords
would
be
faster.
The
moans
of
the
zombies
reached
a
deafening
level,
and I
was
afraid
it
would
attract
creatures
within
a
two-mile
radius.
I
stepped
forward
and
swung.
It
became
a
pattern.
I
used
my
right arm
first,
then
the
left.
A
small thudding
sounded
as my
sword
sliced
through
their
necks,
followed
by
a
metal
clink
when
my
sword
contacted
the
fence.
It
turned
into a
rhythm.
Thud,
clink.
Thud,
clink.
The
moans
even
took
on
a
musical
tone,
and
a
gruesome
orchestra
echoed
through
the
streets
of
International
Falls. At
one
point,
I
looked
up
and
noticed
Pam
on
the
opposite
end,
her
katana
glistening with
blood.
We
worked
systematically,
making
our
way
down
the
length
of
the
fence.
We
were
both
covered
in
blood
and
rotting
flesh
and
panting
before
we
took
a
moment
to
survey
the
situation.
We’d
both
killed
about
forty
zombies,
but
more
still
poured
out
of
the
river.
“Is there
anything
we
can
use?”
I
called
over
the
melee.
Pam
nodded.
“Yeah
, but
I
don
’t
know
how
we’re
going
to
get
it.
I
couldn
’t
find
the
keys
for
the
gate.”
She
pulled
out
her
gun
and
fired
several
rounds
into
the
horde
of
zombies.