Kevin blinked as the gate opened to reveal a large courtyard. A block down, garage doors were open into the bottom half of a building.

A tall handsome man stood with a pregnant blond and an older woman.

Thomas was busy looking around, his mouth slightly open. Greta was still p.i.s.sed over leaving the helicopter, but was looking a bit more impressed than mad now. Valerie craned her head to look up at the top of the wall.

Katarina slid out of the Hummer and Kevin followed. His crew climbed out behind him and they stood in a small, amazed group looking around.

The man walked over to Kevin and held out his hand. "I'm Travis.

Welcome to our home."

Kevin looked around before he slowly took the man's hand. "Kevin Reynolds, glad to be here."

"So, how can we help you?" Travis asked.

Kevin could feel the older woman's eyes studying him intently. He pegged her as former military. She seemed far too keen for a mere civilian.

Probably the Israeli sniper.

"I'm here to negotiate. I was sent by my superiors to ask for you to surrender the fort."

The man's face grew solemn and the pregnant woman's eyes narrowed.

The older woman just looked calm and deadly.

"But I'm here, on the behalf of the people at the Madison Mall and the men under my command to ask for your permission to relocate here and join your town. My superiors, frankly, can go to h.e.l.l."

Travis looked surprised, then said, "Well, then, sounds like we got a lot to talk about."

Kevin smiled slightly. "You have no idea."

Chapter 16 1. The Bridging of Words This world was far different from his own.

As they were escorted out of an area where all the vehicles were maintained and stored in the fort, Kevin could not help but think of the vehicles in the mall's parking lot that could not even venture past the gates where the zombies groaned and wailed. His men would turn on the cars once a week just to make sure the battery didn't die. But here, there was a whole fleet of vehicles that seemed ready to go at a moment's notice.

The only way out of the fort's entry was a staircase that led up over the wall that separated it from the rest of the fort. Levers at the top and bottom of the staircase made it clear the stairs could be collapsed at a moments notice.

"Is this the only way in and out?" Valerie asked.

"When the garage doors are down, yes," the older woman answered. "And those are reinforced."

When Kevin reached the top of the stairs, he found himself looking out over the reclaimed downtown of the small town. He felt tears come into his eyes and fought them back.

All the way from the secured courtyard where the trucks were kept and over the wall into the actual town, Kevin absorbed it all. He noticed how internal walls and gates divided the town up. He took in the guards on the walls and the construction workers. Children ran in the streets, shouting and laughing. Old people sat in a gazebo enjoying the cool air and warm sun. Young people were walking down a sidewalk outside of an old movie theater, talking and sipping sodas. The marquee read "Family Night Tuesday Night. Monster's Inc and Shrek Double Feature." A pack of dogs ran around playing, yelping and carrying on as a cat sat calmly in the sun cleaning its paw.

As they walked, people stopped to look at the soldiers. A few people waved, others just stared. An old man, with navy tattoos covering his arms, gave them a salute. Kevin saluted back.

"Are you going to kill all the zombies, mister?" a little boy called out. He was playing with toy soldiers in the dirt.

"We're working on it," Kevin answered.

They walked past the back of city hall where a woman stood with a little boy, watching them suspiciously. The hotel loomed large and imposing.

When they entered, he glimpsed a young couple was kissing in a corner.

On the wall was a hand drawn poster announcing "Disco Night Friday Night."

This was far removed the mall and he felt a lump in his throat.

A large chalkboard in the hallway announced lunch as "Egg Sandwiches, homestyle fries, and chocolate milk shakes."

"Eggs," Thomas gasped behind Kevin.

Nothing in this world was similar to his. His world was near starvation, mindless tasks to keep people moving, children dying of the flu, and zombies moaning endlessly outside the walls of the mall. It was power struggles. It was h.e.l.l.

To his surprise, a group of people was seated in the hotel lobby with their luggage around them. When they saw him, they all rose to their feet and began to applaud.

"What the h.e.l.l is this?" Valerie muttered.

A middle-aged man rushed over. Kevin saw in his peripheral vision Travis sigh and rub his brow in embarra.s.sment.

"It is so good to see you! We are ready to go! We have all our things," the man said in a torrent of words as he grabbed Kevin's hand.

"Um...why?" Kevin looked at the man clutching his hand and shaking it vigorously.

The man blinked and his grip lessened. "Why what?"

"Why are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. And where to?" Valerie tilted her head and looked at the man curiously.

"To go to your base, of course. Away from here!"

The soldiers laughed and Kevin patted the man's shoulder. "Trust me.

You don't want to leave here. You don't want to go to where I came from."

The people looked confused and began to whisper among themselves.

Then an older black woman said loudly, "We want to go where it's safer!"

"Ma'am, this is about as safe as you are going to get. Trust me. This is heaven compared to where I came from." Kevin turned toward Travis and the blond woman and saw amused expressions on their faces. "Trust me, they don't want to go there."

Travis led him down a hall, past the check-in desk, and into a large office that most likely had belonged to the hotel manager. There was a young man in a police officer uniform waiting along with a man that looked every inch the city official. The woman, who had stood outside of city hall looking suspiciously at them, came around from behind Kevin and took a seat. Travis motioned to the soldiers to sit down as he sat on the edge of the desk. The blond woman slid onto the desk next to him, her legs dangling, watching all of them curiously.

A little nervously, Kevin and his people took up seats in the creaky leather chairs, feeling awkward in their helmets and body armor. Kevin took off his helmet and the others followed his example. Next to him, Valerie shoved her weapon under her chair.

"My name is Nerit," the older woman said. "And this is Katarina. We head up the fort security."

"I'm Peggy. The fort secretary. I deal with making sure the people here are comfortable."

"Curtis, I'm the last cop from the town's force. I a.s.sist in law enforcement.

Bill usually works with me on that."

"Eric, fort planner and engineer," the well-dressed man said.

"Juan De La Torre is in charge of construction, but he is recovering right now in our clinic," Travis said. "Katie, my wife, serves on the fort council.

I'm Travis, the Mayor."

"First Lieutenant Kevin Reynolds," Kevin answered. "I have been serving at the Madison Mall Rescue Center since the first day."

"Valerie. I don't think my rank means much anymore," Valerie, the perpetual smart-a.s.s, said with a grin.

"Thomas. I was a Private," Thomas said with a slight wave.

"Greta. That's my copter out there," came the surly response from the redhead.

"We're taking care of it," Nerit a.s.sured her.

Travis had his arms folded across his chest and looked very thoughtful.

"So, what can we do for you folks?"

"Like I said, we were ordered to come here and demand you surrender the fort to our superiors. But we can't agree with that." Kevin sighed wearily.

"And why are we supposed to believe you?" Katie arched an eyebrow.

Kevin pulled out a letter from his jacket. "This is from Police Chief Bruce Kiel. He was told his daughter is still alive and here at the fort. If she reads this, she'll be able to vouch that what I am saying is true."

The blond woman's face paled and she reached for the letter. "Give that to me."

Travis reached out to lay a calming hand on her shoulder as Kevin handed over the folded bit of paper.

"You're Katie Kiel?"

"Yes," she answered, and unfolded it quickly. She let out a gasp as the familiar handwriting came into view. Covering her mouth with one trembling hand, she read quickly. Tears shimmered in her eyes and she handed the letter to her husband in silence. Travis bundled her up in his arms and read the letter over her shoulder.

"Katie-girl, It's me, Dad. I'm alive and safe in the Madison Mall. Safe for now at least. Your friends Jenni and Bill told me you are alive and doing very well in the fort they came from. They tell me that you are even married and have a little one on the way. It makes me very happy to hear you are okay. I have lived these last months in sheer terror that you died with the rest of the world. Senator Brightman is in charge at the mall and wants your fort. Don't let her have it. The way she treats people is despicable. I would never want her to have any say in your life or the lives of the people around you. Especially in the life of your baby. Listen to Kevin. He's a good guy and know that what he says is the truth. Love you, baby. Your Dad." Travis finished and kissed Katie's forehead, holding her close. She was sobbing loudly and openly with relief.

Nerit stood up and Travis handed her the note. She looked it over. "It is good to know that ones we love survived."

Kevin lowered his gaze. So far, he had not found one survivor of his former life. His family was long gone and he knew it. That is why he wanted to make sure these good people and the people at the mall had a chance.

"So what do you have to tell us?" Travis finally asked.

Looking up, Kevin saw all eyes were on him. He felt old and tired, but knew he had to press on. Where should he start? What should he say?

"I guess I should start at the beginning," Kevin finally said as the images of the first day horror unfolded in his mind and his hand slightly shook as he ran it over the top of his head.

"I woke up next to my wife with the phone ringing. We were being mobilized to deal with civic unrest. Of course, what I didn't know then, was that it was the last day of everything..."

2. Kevin's Story He opted not to tell them how he had reluctantly climbed out of his bed to dress as his wife sat on the edge of the bed talking to him softly in a sad voice. He had just returned from overseas and she had hoped he could make a normal life with his family. There had been plans to see his son play basketball in the early evening followed by dinner at their favorite barbecue dive. Of course, that would never happen.

Instead he had found himself rushing to make it to the base. He took the time to open the doors to the bedrooms of his three children one by one.

Trying hard to control his emotions, he tried not to remember how their skin and hair felt under his touch as he had kissed them goodbye as they slept. He had left his home for the last time, promising his wife that he would contact her as soon as he could. He would never speak to her again.

The briefing at the base had been quick and his orders simple. At a truck stop near a small town a riot had broken out. The local police and sheriff had responded, but were overwhelmed. The military was being sent in to quell the violence and bring it under control. There were rumors it was one of many riots breaking out in the pre-dawn hours in the country.

The convoy of trucks had departed the base, the headlights sluicing through the darkness like a blade. Looking back, Kevin had to admit he had seen some odd things as they traveled out into the hills. At one point he saw two people running down a street at such a quick pace he had thought they must be training for some sort of sprinting event. Now he wondered if they were running to or from something.

By the time they had arrived at the truck stop, which was a small city unto itself, they found a scene out of h.e.l.l. Vehicles were smashed into each other, one truck was overturned, and a fire was spreading inside of the restaurant. But what was worse was the human carnage. There were dead people everywhere, but they weren't lying down. Instead, to his horror, they were running about. As soon as the convoy came into view, it was rushed.

Those minutes were a blur. The sound of weapons being fired, screams, growls, and the horrible chewing sounds filled his ears. Blood had sprayed through the air and he had to wipe it from his face mask. Somehow, they managed to tear a swath of destruction through the horde of undead. But mostly, they only damaged them enough to slow them down. Finally someone had shouted to aim for the head. It wasn't until that moment that Kevin fully realized what they were dealing with. He had seen the armless man running toward him and the woman with an empty chest cavity ripping the eyes out of a soldier, but it had not fully hit him until then.

The soldiers swept through the truck stop, guns firing, bullets ripping apart heads, blood and gore splashing over the pavement and sides of trucks like gruesome artwork. There had been losses as men fell under the onslaught of the zombies. Once they realized what they were up against, the soldiers were more methodical and soon they stood wearily triumphant among the truly dead.

The true horror started when the wounded soldiers suddenly attacked the living. Kevin had fired four bullets into the face of one of his best friends to keep him from attacking him. It was then he discovered a bite was lethal.

Reporting in, Kevin found himself defending what he had seen. Finally, he was told to help the National Guard in the nearby city at the downtown rescue center. As he sat in his truck, covered in blood, his men waiting for his orders, he looked up to see the sun rising over the hills.

Little did he or his superiors realize that the world was already dead.

They had traveled along the back roads toward the city, occasionally stopping to eliminate any zombies or any infected they ran across. Now he realized it was fruitless to eliminate all the bitten, but at the time they had tried to do their best. The number of undead was probably overwhelming at that point, but they didn't know that.

Looking at Katie as he spoke, he recognized her as the woman he had seen with the German Shepard. The two women with their dog in the big white truck had impressed him that morning. They both looked so sh.e.l.lshocked yet determined to survive. He remembered petting the dog and thinking briefly of his family. He had told them to go to the Madison Rescue Center. Yes, there had been others much closer in the area, but that one seemed the farthest away and therefore, possibly the safest.

When the convoy had reached the city, it was like entering the gates of h.e.l.l. The trucks had barreled through snarled traffic, run over raging zombies, smashed through barricades, all in an attempt to save the living.

They had reached the police station just as it was overrun. The police chief and some of his surviving men had leaped from the roof of the police station onto the back of one of the trucks. It was terrifying to see how few people survived. They had met up with what remained of the National Guard and made an attempt to get out of the city. Nearly half of their vehicles and men were lost when waves of zombies filled the roads.

Shattered, overwhelmed, and near panic, the soldiers had fled into the hills. A few had jumped ship at the first sight of an abandoned car to try to go rescue their families. It was tempting to do in the face of so much horror, but Kevin knew their efforts were fruitless. He understood what those men and women did not.

The world was dead. Their families were dead. His own family would have taken refuge in the hospital where his wife worked. There was no hope for them, but he could try to save others.

He had let those soldiers go. The world was ending and every man and woman deserved to make a choice as to their own fate.

So those who remained followed him into the hills. They found their way to Madison, driving through dying towns, and watching with weary eyes as the zombies followed the trucks howling. Bullets had struck down the walking dead, but nothing could alleviate the pain the soldiers felt.

It was the most bitter of any defeat.

They had found the Rescue Center abandoned by FEMA, a few military survivors and townspeople inside, and a locked door in the back barely holding back a horde of undead. Kevin had made the choice to get the people to the mall. All the businesses were closed due to the outbreak spreading so fast so it seemed like a secure location. The high wall around the mall provided them a chance to hold back the undead.

He had stood at the gate of the parking lot and watched the last group of people running from the civic center with the zombie horde behind them.

In his mind, he could still hear his voice shouting orders as he watched the slowest of the survivors be dragged down and consumed. It was a terrible sight, but each person who fell bought a little more time for the ones still running. When the survivors were all inside and the gates shut, Kevin had looked through the bars at the undead snarling at him. He had felt all hope leave him, but he was determined to do his best for the survivors.