J. Knoll - Zoe, Undead

With the school in sight and about two hundred yards away, the Stryker stopped to assess the situation. No movement could be seen, no zombies milling about as they expected.

Sergeant Morris raised his binoculars to his eyes and scanned the front of the two story brick building. Nothing. The school's parking lot had a few cars still parked in it. A few more were out front, and one had apparently lost control, jumped the curb and hit a tree in the grassy, neglected yard area in front of the building. Windows were broken and there was litter blowing about, but no other activity.

"I don't like this," he mumbled.

The driver squinted as he looked toward the school. "You think they left?"

"The moaners?" Tex asked, then he shook his head. "They wouldn't just give up with people still inside. Take us down the street."

The Stryker lurched forward and slowly crept toward the front of the school. Ports on the sides were open and soldiers watched nervously for any movement. Evans still manned the fifty caliber, though he remained low as he watched for any threat.

"Sarge," the driver summoned in a low voice. "Front door."

Tex looked toward it, then raised his binoculars, and he clenched his jaw. "Damn. They barricaded it, but it looks like it didn't hold." He reached for the radio and raised the microphone to his mouth. "Truant to Principal."

"Go ahead, Truant," Colonel Halstead replied over the radio.

"School's been breached," Sergeant Morris informed. "We're going to recon and will advise."

"Stay in contact," the Colonel ordered.

Looking to the driver, Tex ordered, "Back us up to the front door and give us about twenty feet of maneuvering room. And keep the engine running. We may have to bail in a hurry."

"All over it, Sarge," the driver assured.

Tex looked down between the seats where Zoe sat cross legged, staring back up at him. With a nod to her, he said, "Game time, Princess. Let's go."

Inside the school, Zoe stayed at Tex's side, her wide eyes scanning the area as she looked for any movement. Tensions were high and weapons' muzzles swept the hallways as they expected to be attacked from anywhere at any time.

One of the other soldiers nudged Zoe's arm, and when he had her attention he asked in a low voice, "Do you sense any other zombies nearby?"

She glanced about and replied just over a whisper, "I don't know."

"You can't feel them?" he hissed.

"Not if I'm not touching one," was her answer.

Tex snapped, "Snap out of it, Owens. Zoe, have you been here before?"

"Yes," she replied. "My brother went to school here."

"Any idea where a lot of people might have gone to find safety?"

She considered, then strode up ahead and looked down a hallway to the right. Wheeling back to the soldiers she pointed down that corridor and reported, "The cafeteria's that way. I think it's big enough for a lot of people to go. They might also be in the gym."

Another soldier said, "Cafeteria's the better choice. That's where the food's going to be and it's probably more defensible."

"Let's head that way," Sergeant Morris ordered. "We don't find them there then we'll check out the gym. Lead on, Princess."

Zoe walked a few steps ahead of the soldiers, her eyes on where she was going as she tried not to let on how afraid she was. Coming to a tee in the hallway, she looked over her shoulder and pointed to the left, toward the cafeteria.

Tex nodded and motioned with his head for her to move aside.

She backed away and watched as they took up their positions at the corner of the tee that would turn toward the cafeteria, then she heard the faint moan behind her, a moan like someone would make in sleep. Her eyes widening, she slowly turned and looked the other way, peering down the hallway to the right.

There were many, many zombies there, all looking right at her and the soldiers they could see who were ready to assault the cafeteria. They just stood there, but they were ready, and dead looking eyes were intense and wide with anticipation of the feast to come.

A breath shrieked as it stormed through Zoe's open mouth and she backed away from the mob of zombies, and she retreated into one of the soldiers, making him take a step forward to keep his balance.

Keeping his weapon ready, he half turned, his angry eyes finding the girl as he hissed, "Would you watch it?"

Zoe reached behind her and grasped at him, pointing to the mob of zombies as she backed away another step.

He looked and saw them, raising his chin as he saw the threat behind his team, and he barked, "Sarge!"

Morris turned, looked over his shoulder toward him, then down the other hallway. His eyes widened as well, but he did not hesitate a second before he shouted, "Check six! Everybody fall back!"

All of the soldiers swung around, training their weapons on the zombies who started slowly forward, with unsteady, jerky movements.

Zoe retreated behind them, covering her ears as weapons fired with sharp, ear splitting cracks. Most of the rounds were fired with deadly accuracy and burst through the heads of the advancing zombies that approached first. Those that were hit had their heads snap back, and many of their heads seemed to explode from the back as they began to collapse when they were hit. Not deterred, those behind them continued to advance, and louder moans and growls came from them as they quickened their paces.

Sergeant Morris and his men formed a nearly shoulder to shoulder line as they backed away, selectively and accurately firing as they slowly retreated. Zombies fell one after another, but they kept coming.

Backing up along the wall, Zoe watched the carnage in front of her as the soldiers slaughtered the zombies that attempted to attack them. Looking behind her toward the Stryker where three more men waited, she saw a door open and drew a gasp as another zombie pushed his way through it and into the hallway.

He turned, clearly responding to the sound of gunfire, and his dark gray lips drew away from his gray and yellow teeth as he lumbered toward the soldiers from behind.

Panic erupted from the girl and she backed into the wall behind her, wide eyes locked on the zombie that approached the soldiers, her friends. "Look out!" she screamed over the gunfire. The soldiers could not hear her and they were retreating right into the zombie that attacked from behind. Without thinking, she darted forward with speed she did not know she possessed and slammed palms first into the zombie as he grabbed onto one of the soldiers from behind, making him lose his grip.

The soldier wheeled around and watched girl and zombie tumble to the floor across the hallway. He darted out of the firing line, aiming his weapon at the zombie as he shouted, "Get clear, Princess!"

Though tangled with the zombie that struggled to right himself, she managed to pull away and scramble down the hallway, and as soon as she was clear the soldier fired a short burst into the zombie's head.

Seeing another door open, Zoe sprang up and pointed to it, and the soldier responded immediately, charging another few steps with his weapon held ready and aimed at eye level, and when the zombie emerged he sent a short burst into its head and dropped it as soon as it stepped into the hallway.

Looking to the zombie girl, he shouted over the gunfire of his colleagues, "I'll cover the rear. Get outside and see if it's clear."

Zoe nodded as she turned and sprinted to the doors to the outside, and she slammed into them and pushed them open as fast as she could. Stopping halfway to the Stryker, she saw that it had its back end open with two men guarding it from the inside, and she raised her palms to them as they both trained their weapons on her.

"Wait!" she shouted. "It's me!" She half turned and pointed inside. "There are other gray people in there and the guys are fighting with them! I got told to come out and see if there are any more out here."