SurvivorZ: Grave Harbor

69

PAIGE

One day too late. That solitary thought consumed Paige's thoughts as she rushed to the storeroom to collect her stolen belongings. If she had only bailed out of here yesterday, she would've been miles away from all the gunfire and explosions now tearing up the courtyard.

She headed into the darkened storeroom, searching left and right for the flashlight that she normally kept beside the door. This was not the time to be misplacing things. She had to grab her pack and get the hell out of here.

A bright flash of light suddenly switched on from the corner of the room, catching her in its beam. Paige winced and tried to shield her eyes from the glare.

"Who's there?" she cried.

"It's about time you showed up." The light pulled away from her, illuminating Erica's face in pronounced shadows. The girl smirked and took a drag of her cigarette.

"What are you doing here?" Paige sniffed. The air had a strange smell to it. "Is that weed?"

"Got it off one of the soldier boys." Erica held out the joint to her. "Want a hit?"

"No thanks." Paige moved in the direction of a cabinet at the edge of the room. "Shine the light over here?"

With Erica lighting her way, Paige recovered her loaded pack from its hiding place. The darkness returned as she slipped her arms through the straps and slung it over her back. By then, the beam had lowered to the floor, forgotten by Erica in favor of another suck on her doobie.

"Why are you here?" Paige asked again.

"I was waiting for you. Thought you might want in on this." Erica finished off the joint. "Got tired of waiting. What kept you?"

"Do you have any idea what's going on out there?"

Erica hopped off the desk, wobbling unsteadily on her feet. "Figured it was target practice."

"Those are explosions out there," Paige cried.

Erica merely shrugged.

"God, are you high right now?"

The teenager indignantly blew raspberries. "Hardly."

Paige shook her head. They didn't have time to waste standing around here. "We need to bail."

At that same moment, an ear-splitting explosion shook the entire building, punctuating the urgency of her statement. Dust rained down from the ceiling, floating through the flashlight beam shining between them.

"What was that? It's not more of those fucking crazy-ass zombies, is it?" Erica moaned, shining her torch at the opened doorway.

"I don't know what it is, but it's bad. I'm outta here."

"Wait!" Erica hurried over to her. Her hip collided with a stack of chairs, dislodging them from their perch with a clatter. "Ow! Goddamn shit-fucking chairs. Can't see a fucking thing."

"You're the one with the light," Paige reminded her dryly.

"Whatever, smartass. All I wanted to say was that we should go to the armory first. You know, stock up on guns while everyone else is busy."

Paige considered this for a moment before nodding in agreement. In her panic, the idea hadn't occurred to her, but in light of their current circumstances, it made perfect sense. Whatever the army was fighting, it sounded nasty. She really didn't want to set foot outside without some serious protection.

Erica switched off the flashlight as they ventured out into the moonlit hallway. A soldier ignored them both as he raced past with an automatic weapon in his hands. They watched him go as he passed a group of civilians coming from the other end of the corridor.