To Be A Champion

Chapter 24: Icebreaker

The walls rumble and crack around us. I have my arms slightly splayed out to keep my balance. The slick, wet ice makes it hard to stay upright.

Amelia sighs dramatically in my headset. "I'd say I blame myself, but obviously, that isn't true."

My husband clenches his jaw, eyes flashing in annoyance. "Amelia, whatever it is you're up to, this isn't the time! Callista, Tom, and I are stuck on a tiny glacier ledge with the laird and his daughter. There are caves behind us filled with zoms, and the only way back to Mor Island is the bridge in front of us, which is currently collapsing!" He lets out a sigh as if to regain his composure. "Well, maybe melting's the better word, but still."

Yeah, still. The ice bridge is melting rapidly, and the walls packed with frozen zoms are quickly defrosting. The cold seems to do oddly well in preserving their bodies. Since they're already dead, it's not really much they'd have to worry about once warmed up again. Once they're out of the ice, they'll come after us just like normal zoms. It'll be a slow shambling speed, but with nowhere to run, we'll be taken out in minutes. There are too many of them for us to even think of fighting off, especially since we have no weapons, thanks to Jones who took ours from us when he captured us. The only one who has a gun is the laird, but his rifle will barely dent the number of zombies coming after us.

"I'm just pointing out that this is all very predictable," Amelia snaps back. It is such a good thing I can't reach through my headset and hit her for trying to get in the last word, as always. "I let your little Abel gang chase Jones to the Far Hebrides to retrieve the Edda and cure Janine's nanite poisoning, and as soon as you're out of my sight, you do something to cause disaster in the UK.

"Red fungus is spreading all over the coast. It drifted down from here the day you arrived. I'm approaching Mor Island on the Undaunted. I see you through my periscope. Is Janine there? Nobody else is answering my coms. Oh, don't mind me; I'm only the prime minister!"

"Right now, the only thing you are is annoying," I reply. "Now, either help us or shut your mouth until we get ourselves out of this."

A dramatic sigh reaches my ears. "Oh, how I've missed you, Five."

The urge to roll my eyes is irresistible. "Sorry to say I can't say the same."

"Lass, can whoever's buzzing in your ear help us?" Laird Reid asks, snapping my focus back to him. "That bridge is collapsing from the far side, and soggy zombies are coming down this way."

Shona points to something ahead, brown eyes wide and frantic. I follow her finger to a gangway that branches off the left side of the bridge. It's made of ice and is melting fast but is still holding for now. It connects the bridge to another part of the glacier. "Look there!"

"Aye. The bridge was built for tourists. That gangway's the path to the guest lodge. Good thinking, lass! Five's friend can rescue us if we can make it across the gangway to the lodge." He bites the inside of his cheek. "Getting to the gangway means using the collapsing bridge, but we've no choice. Everyone, onto the bridge!"

He and Shona take off. Tom and I prepare to follow, but pause at Sam's worried stuttering.

"Wait, what? Onto the collapsing bridge?"

"Darling, come on," I press, grabbing his hand. "We have to go."

"She's right," Tom agrees, cursing when he looks to one of the caves. "There are about a dozen zoms coming out of that cave. We can't stay here."

Sam still has a look of worry on his face. "I-I know, and the laird's run off with Shona, but I'm not sure we're safe with him. I mean, he shot Jones, and it was to protect Shona, but still. Remember the last thing Jones said? 'There'll be no stopping them now.' What does that mean?"