This Would Be Paradise (Book 3)

Chapter 18

We bolted left, towards the opening where the front gate used to be. The infected saw us running almost immediately. Zoe let out a yelp as one made a grab at her. I turned and shot it.

"Use your gun," I prompted.

I should have made her stay inside. She wasn't ready for this. She bit her lip and straightened up, pointing the gun dead ahead. With her covering the back, we made our way down the sidewalk. It was getting brighter the closer we got to the raging fire. More than three condos had been swallowed and soon it would make its way down the rest of the street. I just hoped that it didn't reach Rose's condo before we could round up the infected.

We were popping off rounds, mostly hitting our targets. Zoe could take out more than one at a time with her shotgun. I, on the other hand, had to spend a few seconds aiming each time to avoid wasting bullets.

The infected really seemed to be focusing on Zoe. Any that came at me seemed to give up on me when Zoe was within range. One snuck passed me as I focused on a different infected.

"Zoe, look out!" I screamed as I whirled around.

The thing flew at her, but she was faster than I gave her credit for. She jumped out of the way causing the infected fall to the ground. I lifted the foot with all my toes and brought it down on the growling head. As soon as I hit it, I released the mistake I had made. I fought the urge to yell as pain shot up my leg. I had forgotten about the gun graze wound.

At least I didn't need to do that again. I had caved in its head with the one hit. It must have been really decayed.

"Keep moving."

We returned to back to back formation, taking out the infected. The heat from the fire was oppressive, giving me an idea. For some reason the infected didn't seem drawn to the fire on their own, perhaps we should give them a push in the direction-perhaps literally. It wasn't an elegant plan, and it meant we had to get close to the flames, but it might work.

"Zoe! The fire!"

"What?" she yelled, still focusing on the encroaching infected.

I had never faced so many infected at once. For a brief second, I felt like a cowboy in an old western. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins and it was better than any high I had ever felt. I knew I should be scared, but ... I wasn't. Was that the adrenaline or was it something else? Had I finally cracked?

"Let's push them into the fire!"

She finally turned to look at me. She nodded, but her expression was tight. I didn't need her approval of the plan, I just needed it to work. We gave up going back to back and both sprinted to the inferno. Sweat coated my skin as we got dangerously close. The flames were wriggling in the air like worms breaching dirt. They were getting fatter as they ate away at more of the condos.

We stood our ground. I grabbed the closest infected by the scruff of its already torn shirt and tossed it into the flames beside me. It caught on fire instantly, not letting out a sound. It tried to get up, but the hotness of the fire burned its rotten body faster than it could move. Before it could get up, it sank to the ground. It had worked.

"Zoe, don't touch them. Use your gun to bat them into the fire," I said.

"What? Your way's easier!" she yelled as she took an unsure step backward. The infected had caught up with us.

"I'm immune. You're not. Keep them away from your limbs."

The shotgun in her hands trembled slightly, but she still managed to club an infected that had dared to approach her.