The Last HuskyChapter 2

My blood ran cold. The blistering heat of my fever instantly morphed into a layer of freezing sweat.

I forced my shaking legs to stand and stumbled to the apartment door across from ours. I pounded my fists against the wood.

"Mrs. Higgins. Mrs. Higgins, open up, it is Riley. Please, just let me hide inside. I will stay right by the door."

Nobody answered.

But I could hear the panicked, rapid breathing on the other side. I heard the scraping of heavy furniture being dragged to barricade the door.

They heard me. They just did not want to save me.

The dragging footsteps below were getting louder. Closer.

A low, vibrating snarl echoed up the stairwell. It was the sound of a wild beast catching the scent of fresh prey.

Lightning flashed outside the corridor window. In that split second of blinding white light, I saw it. Down on the landing, a humanoid figure with only half a face was twisting its neck to look up at me. Its eyes were a milky, dead white. Its jaw was moving, still chewing on something unrecognizable.

It saw me.

My knees buckled. I almost dropped to the floor. It was over. I was a dead woman walking.

Suddenly, Duke bit down on the hem of my jeans and yanked me violently toward the upward stairs.

"Woof."

He barked. It was short, sharp, and commanded action. He did not charge down to fight. He was dragging me up toward the roof.

My survival instinct kicked back in. Yes. Go up. The infected had stiff, rigor-mortis joints. They were terrible at climbing stairs.

Ignoring the dizzying spin of my fever, I scrambled up the concrete steps on my hands and knees. The snarling below erupted into a frenzy. The zombie began slamming its body against the handrails, accelerating its climb.

I did not dare look back. My lungs felt like they were packed with burning coals.

Sixth floor. Seventh floor.

We hit the top landing. But the heavy metal door leading to the roof was sealed shut with a massive, rusted padlock.

Despair washed over me like a tidal wave. Locked.

The frantic footsteps behind me had already reached the sixth floor.

Duke let go of my jeans and threw his body against the padlock. It did nothing. He whipped his head around and started barking frantically at a pile of discarded renovation debris in the corner.

I looked over. Sticking out of the rubble was a rusted iron crowbar.

I threw myself at the pile, grabbed the cold iron, and jammed the wedged end right into the padlock's shackle. I put the entire weight of my body, all my rage, and every ounce of my will to live into that piece of metal.

Snap.

The rusty metal gave way. The lock burst open. The heavy door groaned on its hinges.

I shoved it open, tumbling out onto the tar roof with Duke right beside me. I kicked the door shut behind us and jammed the crowbar through the door handles, wedging it against the frame.

Bang.

A massive force slammed against the metal from the inside. It was the sound of a skull repeatedly bashing against steel. The door rattled violently. Dust and rust rained down.

I collapsed into a puddle on the roof, gasping for air. The freezing rain poured over me, soaking through my clothes and shocking my fever-hot skin, sending violent shivers down my spine.

I had survived. For now.

But I was trapped on a rooftop. No food. No water. Just an endless storm above and a swarm of monsters below.

I pulled Duke close, huddling under the concrete overhang of the building's water tank to escape the worst of the rain.

Right then, a window opened on the floor below.

Martha poked her head out. From her angle, she could see a corner of the roof. When she saw I was still breathing, a flash of genuine disappointment crossed her face.

Then, she started screaming.

"You little witch. You are still not dead? Are you hiding food up there? I knew it. I knew you were a greedy little rat hiding food while your brother starves."

"Throw it down here right now. Give it to Tyler, or I swear I will curse you to rot in hell."

Her shrill, piercing voice cut through the howling storm. The zombies inside the building heard her. They abandoned the roof door and began throwing themselves against the metal security gate of her apartment.

Terrified, Martha yanked her head back inside and slammed the window shut.

I stared at that closed window with dead eyes. The very last thread of affection I held for my family snapped. It was completely gone.

I stroked Duke's soaking wet fur. "It is just you and me now, buddy."

Duke licked the palm of my hand.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in my head. No, not my head. The voice was coming straight from Duke's mouth.

"System alert. Critical host vitality detected. Infinite Supply Search System has been bound."

I froze. Was the fever cooking my brain?

Duke looked up at me. His bright blue eyes were flashing with an unnatural, neon light. He stood up, trotted over to an abandoned planter box in the corner, and started digging at the dirt.

"System alert. Hidden supplies located. One sealed package of beef jerky. One bottle of mineral water."

I walked over, my legs trembling. I brushed away the wet mud and dead weeds.

A red plastic bag was buried there. Inside, exactly as the voice said, was a thick, vacuum-sealed stick of beef jerky and a fresh bottle of water. Someone must have stashed it up here before the world ended and forgot about it.

My hands shook as I ripped open the plastic. The smell of spiced meat hit my nose. I shoved it into my mouth, swallowing it down in massive chunks barely chewing.

A slow warmth began to spread through my freezing stomach.

I was going to live. I had Duke.