Free Escape by T.W. Piperbrook Page B

on a door in back. If they could reach it, they’d have a chance at escape.
    His daughter made it to the door first. She tried the handle, and to his relief, the door swung open. Her and Sandy raced into the darkness beyond.
    Dan was right on their tail; a second later he was through the doorway. He slammed the door and fumbled for the lock. Without power, the room was pitch black, and he slid his hands frantically around the door’s surface while bodies slammed the other side.
    Finally he found a bolt at the top and slid it into place.
    He turned to locate the girls, but could see nothing in the darkness.
    “Quinn? Sandy?” he hissed.
    He felt a hand tap his arm, and he jumped before realizing it was his daughter.
    “I can’t see anything, Dad. I’m scared.”
    The pounding on the door had increased in volume, and he could barely hear her whispered words.
    “It’ll be ok, honey. We just need to find the back entrance.”
    He took hold of her hand and led her deeper into the darkness, holding out his pistol at arms length. From the other side, he felt Sandy take hold of his arm.
    He bumped something with his waist, and he grabbed onto it, determining that it was a shelf. He slid his hands along the smooth edge and followed it toward what he hoped was the back of the store.
    Sweat poured down his face in droves. In the enclosed space they were in, the air was thick and humid. The stench of rotting food clogged his nostrils, and he held his breath to avoid the smell.
    When they reached the end of the shelf, he struggled for balance, his feet crunching unseen objects. Finally his hand hit a wall, and he felt around it until he located the outline of a door.
    He was still searching for the handle when the door behind them crashed inwards. Light flooded the room, and when he looked back, he saw a tangle of bodies plowing toward them.
    “Let’s go!” he shouted to the girls.
    He found the handle and threw the door open.
    A second later they were in the open air, the sun shining down upon them as they raced across an empty parking lot.
    Quinn still clenched his hand, but Sandy had taken the lead, sprinting several steps ahead of them.
    “Sandy!” he shouted. “What’re you doing?”
    The girl forged ahead as though she hadn’t heard him, her shoes slapping the pavement. He yelled for her again. Finally she glanced back.
    “Follow me!” she cried.
    Dan felt Quinn’s hand slipping from his fingers. Despite his attempts to pull her onward, she was having trouble keeping up. A crash erupted from behind them.
    The creatures had made it outside.
    He kept his eyes glued to Sandy, watching her hurdle a distant curb. Beyond it was a brick building with four metal exit doors. Dan recognized the rear entrances to a small shopping center. The girl was heading right for them.
    To his surprise, rather than aiming at one of the doors, she was heading in the direction of a green metal dumpster. The top was open and folded to the side.
    If the girl were to hurl herself inside, she’d immediately be trapped.
    “Sandy—no!” he shouted.
    Behind them, the things were narrowing the gap. Footsteps drummed the asphalt; hungry cries escaped into the air. Every few seconds Dan heard the crash of the door they’d left through, repeatedly pounding the wall as a new surge of creatures passed through it.
    He had no idea how many of the things were in pursuit, but judging by the noise alone, it sounded like an army.
    Sandy had reached the dumpster. Dan watched in dismay as she vaulted up the side, clung to the edge, and then pulled herself up and over.
    He risked a glance over his shoulder. The road behind them was a stampede of bodies. A few of the creatures had set their sights on the dumpster.
    “Sandy! Get out of there!”
    He screamed the girl’s name, but she didn’t respond.
    Dan was starting to outpace Quinn. He could feel her lagging behind, stretching his arm like a piece of rope. For a split second he wished he could carry