Human Extinction Level Loss (Book 1): Nicole's Odyssey (37 page)

“What are you thinking, Gary?  Is there a door we can ram through back here?” Beverly asked.

The question was answered for her as she rounded the corner and saw that the whole length of the building was an edifice of concrete block.  Midway down was a single steel door. 

“Unless you have a key, we’re not getting in that way, Gary,” Beverly said.

“Pull up parallel to the building, close.  I’m going to go in through the roof,” Gary said.

“The roof?  How-” Beverly’s words were cut off as Gary thumbed back at the bucket lift.

She looked out the back window at the lift then turned and stomped on the gas.  Beverly raced to the back of the building and ran the truck parallel to the wall as Gary instructed, almost tearing her side mirror off before coming to a stop.  She looked to her side and realized she would not be able to open her door because of how close she was to the wall.  She turned and reached for her bolt-cutters, but they weren’t there.  Beverly looked up sharply at Gary.

“Gary, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Someone has to stay down here in the truck.  If the truck is surrounded and we’re both outside we won’t be able to get back in and we’ll never get back to the main building,” Gary said.

“Fine, then let me go!” Beverly said.

Gary shook his head.  “No, Bev, whatever happens, you have to get away from this place.  If I don’t come back out, or if you get surrounded and it starts to look bad, you need to get out of here, okay?” Gary said.

“But what about the locks, Gary?  You need me to cut the locks,” she said.

Gary smiled.  “I’ll be fine.  I’ll just have to use the force, you know, like Luke when he was attacking the Death Star,” Gary said.

Beverly was about to protest further but Gary slipped out of the truck and slammed the door.  Beverly turned in a panic and watched as Gary climbed the back of the truck and hopped into the bucket lift.  Seconds later she heard the whine of hydraulics as the lift began its slow ascent towards the roof.  Movement caught her eye and she looked in the passenger side mirror.  An army of the Dead was running towards the truck.