Free When the Dead by Michelle Kilmer Page A

back and
visit if you want. I hate to admit it but, it was nice to see your ugly faces.”
                “You
don’t mind?” Ben asked.
                “Don’t
bring anyone else and never, ever , let yourselves in again!” Tom
stipulated.
     

Run, Fat Girl
    Ben and
Isobel carried a handgun and two shotguns, plus ammo for everything, to
Isobel’s apartment. They went door-to-door on the second floor to tell the
others about Tom’s offer to rescue Jill. Isobel’s apartment afforded the best
view of the street and the Cooper’s car so everyone gathered there in eager
anticipation for the event. Isobel went out onto her small balcony to get a
better view and to keep an eye out for Tom. They only had to wait a half hour
before he came running around the building. His skills were impressive, using
the trees to stay out of view, moving quickly and silently until he was at the
passenger side door of the car.
    To Tom Vaughn, the lady looked like she was asleep, something he didn’t
have time for. He pounded on the window, startling her from rest. Tom pointed
at the door lock. Jill only looked up at him in confusion. She couldn’t figure
out how she knew him or if she really did.
    Come on Jill , Isobel thought from her balcony, think straight . Unlock the door. Isobel willed for Jill to hear her silent plea. Unlock
it! The dead started moving toward the car. Tom saw this and pointed determinedly
at the lock once again. Jill saw the zombies coming back and shook her head.
Near paralyzed by fear, she just sat there shaking her head no .
    “Hey! This way, come over here!” Isobel started yelling in an attempt to
distract the zombies; buy Tom some precious seconds to alter his plan. They
turned towards the building for a moment but again focused their attention on
Tom and Jill. Tom wasn’t going to die for this woman. He took out a crowbar and
started smashing it against the window. Jill cowered in the front seat,
shielding her body with the blanket she’d slept under. He hit the window until
it broke.
    Tom reached into the hole he’d created, unlocked the door, yanked it open
and grabbed Jill’s wrist violently to drag her out of the car.
    “Snap out of it you bitch!” Tom was closer to death now than he had ever
been, weighed down by an unborn child and its mother’s fear. Some of the
zombies were nearing grabbing distance.
    The baby kicked in Jill’s belly, bringing her into the moment and
awakening Jill’s instinct to survive. She started running, but just as suddenly
as it came it left her and she stopped. She was staring at something in the
distance. Tom followed her gaze and found it resting on the partially eaten
body that was walking straight for her.
    “Do you know him or something?” Vaughn couldn’t tell who it was, or who
it used to be. “That one got pretty mangled, huh?”
                “Austin!” she wailed.
                “Your guy? Holy shit.” Tom wasn’t sentimental
or sympathetic. He was on a mission to rescue her and stay alive, both he
didn’t plan on failing. He yanked her hard, away from Austin’s walking corpse
and they disappeared behind the building.
    Isobel’s heart was racing as she stepped in from the balcony. The room
was silent. No one said anything. Ben and Isobel contemplated going upstairs.
Ten minutes passed, it felt like an hour. And then, a gentle knock at her door.
Markus jumped up to answer.
    “No, I’ll get it,” Isobel said, remembering that Tom wasn’t interested in
the other residents. Isobel stepped out into the hallway and there he was, just
Tom.
    “Oh my god, did she make it?” Isobel asked, wringing her hands from the
anxiety as she looked from one end of the hall to the other; Jill nowhere in
sight.
    “Calm down. She made it just fine. She had to climb slowly, her belly
made it hard to reach the rungs of the fire ladder. But she made it and now
she’s upstairs in her apartment.”
    “With the baby and all