Page 4 (1/2)

"Nohat, Tom?" he demanded, but there was only silence fro to shut up?"

Nothing

Benny glanced down at the girl Could he lift her high enough so that she could grab one of the roots and cli it would use up the last seconds he had and give hiht, he had to try Better to die trying to save a life than share a hideous death down here in the fetid darkness He listened for so

The first of the zombies rounded the previous bend Five of them, with more behind One of the the ravine

Oh no, thought Benny, a fast one Oh God!

It was horribly true Lately some of the zoms they encountered were different Faster, able to run Maybe even sirl down and pushed her behind him; then he drew his knife It was hopeless, but he had to try For the child, he had to try

The zom raced toward him almost as fast as a healthy human could run Its teeth were bared and its hands were outstretched to grab Thirty feet, twenty

Ten Benny gripped his knife with all his strength

TomI need you now, man

And then a voice cried, "BENNY!"

Everyone turned and looked Benny, the girl, the zoms; even the fast zombie slowed to a confused walk as it cast around for the source of the shout

Suddenly so pale and lithe dropped into the ravine There was a fierce war cry and a flash of silver at the end of a long pole, and then the head of the fast zombie leaped into the air and bounced off the wall

"Lilah!" cried Benny

The Lost Girl had found hie of the ravine above Smaller, rounder, with masses of curly red hair and freckled hands that clutched the handle of a ooden sith deadly coed scar ran from her hairline down her cheek almost to her jaw, but it did not mar the beauty of her face Instead it end She looked at the zorinned

"I can’t leave you alone for astupid, can I?" asked Nix Riley

FROM NIX’S JOURNAL

Ever since Tom died Benny seerief? Or should I be worried?

I asked Chong, but for once he didn’t have any answers I think he’s worried too

8

"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH," SAID BENNY, WIPING SWEAT FROM HIS EYES"I was getting bored down here"

He tried to make it sound cool and casual It didn’t

Nix snorted and started to say soure cowering in the shadows behind Benny

"What--? Oh rated into a baffled stairl, as sniffling at the edge of full-blown tears She touched the girl’s cheek and s’s going to be okay now"

A few yards away, Lilah looked over her shoulder to see as going on, and her eyes bulged

"Annie?" sheon around the Benny’s heart Annie was the na to escape from the zombie pits at Gameland, and Lilah had been forced to quiet her when she reani on in Lilah’s head--seeing another little blond-haired girl, here in a pit filled with zoh to Benny; to Lilah itthe ravine--a huge woman ild black hair and a line of bullet holes stitched across her enormous bosom

"Zom!" barked Benny, and Lilah blinked once The shock on her face was gone in an instant as she turned back to deal with the running zom The black-pipe spear she carried flashed out, and the bayonet blade cut through dry flesh and tough muscle Lilah’s face was stone, but Benny wasn’t fooled; heron this mystery, and it was evident in the renewed force hich she sirl’s head at Benny’s empty hands "Where’s your sword?"

"It’s stuck in a zom"

"Stuck in a--?"

Benny pointed at the soldier zoasped

"We have to," Benny snapped

The wall of zoms pressed forward even as Lilah cut away at it

"We can’t," growled Lilah "There are too many"

Nix cupped her hands around her !"

Instead of an answer, a coil of rope fell fro him to his knees

"Heads up!" came the yell a half second later

9

BENNY PULLED THE ROPE OFF HIS HEAD AND LOOKED UP TO SEE CHONG’S head and shoulders leaning over the edge of the ravine, his long black hair hanging straight down

"Hey, Benny," he yelled "Lilah said you were out here practicing your brooding, and--"

"Chong!" Benny barked "Shut up and tie that rope to a tree"

The s’s face "Already done But c’ weird up here There have to be fifty zoms on the other side of the ravine"

"Yeah, well, there are one or tn here, too," Benny gru