Free Territory of the Dead (Book 2): Phase Two: Evaluate by Rose Wynters

the back. Between the three of us, we'd be able to get everything in one trip. Closing the back door, I was bemused to see Kellan lock it. The zombies were pretty smart, though. Maybe they could manage to fumble around enough to eventually make it in.
     
    “What's your plan?” Jayden asked, carrying a cooler with one hand and his pistol in the other. We hadn't seen any zombies, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Especially, when it came to a house. 
     
    Kellan walked ahead of us. He had a satchel thrown across his back with the other cooler in his left hand. Like Jayden, he carried his gun in his right hand. He stopped at the base of the steps, his muscular body prepared for anything.
     
    He waited until we joined him before replying, “We're going to go in and clear the shack, if needed. Hopefully, it's abandoned, though. A gunshot will echo for miles, especially with how quiet it is. I'm sure the zombies are already headed this way. We don't want to encourage them anymore than we already have.”
     
    He set the cooler down on the ground, next to the rickety wooden steps. “While we're doing that, Tabitha, I want you to look and see if you can find a root cellar. I doubt you will, because of the water, but it doesn't hurt to look.”
     
    “Okay, ” I replied, my voice quiet. As much as I hated the thought, it made sense. Underground, it would be a lot harder for the zombies to sense us. I wasn't sure if they had some kind of built-in radar, or if they simply smelled us, but they seemed to be amazingly good at locating those still alive.
     
    Kellan walked up the steps. Crossing the small porch, he stopped at the door. With his pistol held up, he twisted the doorknob. A second later, he was in.
     
    Jayden and I followed him into the small interior. Although old and worn, I was willing to bet that someone lived here, or they had before the apocalypse. It was hot inside, the tin roof heating the little shack like an oven.
     
    The smell of rotted food overwhelmed me. I slapped a hand over my mouth, struggling to hold back my nausea. Jayden frowned and shook his head at the smell, but it didn't deter him from following Kellan. Both of them handled it a lot better than I was able to.
     
    Grabbing the neckline of my t-shirt, I pulled it over my nose and mouth. Tentatively, I inhaled. It didn't help much, but it would be bearable if I remembered to breath through my mouth.
     
    Scanning the floor, I looked for any indication of a cellar. Kellan and Jayden quickly checked the rooms, but they were zombie-free. For once, luck was on our side.
     
    “I don't see a cellar,” I told Kellan, my shirt still over my nose. He pointedly looked at it, but he didn't make a comment.
     
    “We'll just have to make do,” he responded, turning to walk to the other door. It was closed and locked. He quickly inspected it before turning the knob. It held tight. “See if you can find a hammer and nails. I'd like to put some boards over the door and window back here.”
     
    Jayden and I opened every drawer we could find. There were only three rooms in the shack, the living room area, the bedroom, and the kitchen. Jayden finally found a toolbox underneath the bed. Pulling it out, he located the tools Kellan needed.
     
    While we'd been searching, Kellan had brought both coolers in. Through the doorway, I watched him grab the small, rectangular table and walk to the back door with it. We followed him. “Jayden, hold this in place while I hammer. Tabitha, go outside and look for some wood that we can use for the window but don't go very far. If you see anything out of place, get back in here.”
     
    “I will.” I wasn't sure they heard me, though. Both men were focused on securing the back.
     
    I hurried outside, starting my search with the porch. Some of the planks were completely loose. If I couldn't find anything else, we'd have to use those. I hoped I could find something larger, though.
     
    Walking down the steps, I