one. "Let us in!"

  Park and the kids pounded at the gate, shouting along with her.

  The noise they made echoed around in the dark. Angie heard groans

  approaching them. They were running out of time.

  "Dammit dammit dammit," grumbled Park beside her. She

  could hear the desperation creeping into his voice.

  "Let us in!" yelled Dalton. He shook the gate as hard as his

  small frame would allow. He stopped, staring. Then he pointed inside.

  "Look!"

  Angie stopped pounding on the gate, almost not believing what

  she saw. A young girl stepped into the lone light by the vending station.

  She had a jacket drawn tightly around her, and she looked shaken and

  scared.

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  "You see her, right?" said Dalton.

  "I see her!" said Park. "Hey! You! Let us in!"

  The girl backed away from them, looking at them with wide

  eyes.

  "No no no no!" said Angie, shaking the gate. She pounded her

  palm against the metal. "Let us in! Please!"

  Groans came from behind them. Angie turned to see corpses

  approaching from the darkness. A lot of them. More than the barrels

  had smashed. More than there'd been in the parking lot. More than she

  could even begin to count. If they didn't get inside and get inside now,

  this was it.

  She turned back and shook the gate furiously. "Please!"

  "Wait," said Park, stopping and staring at the girl. He didn't say

  any more. He just kept staring.

  "Let us in!" yelled Dalton, slapping the gate.

  The girl took a cautious step forward, watching them. She

  looked like she was trying to figure out their intentions.

  "Oh my god," said Maylee. "I've got an idea." She let go of the

  gate and fished around in her pockets. She pulled out the cell phone

  she'd shown them earlier. The one with glitter-glue writing on it.

  Maylee held the phone over her head and shouted at the girl.

  "Hey! Is your name Ella?"

  The girl took a step backward, looking confused. She opened

  her mouth, then shut it. She nodded.

  "Ella!" yelled Maylee. "I've got your cell phone!"

  Ella frowned at them. "I lost that!"

  Maylee shook her head. "You left it at home! We've been there!

  I've been texting your sister!"

  "Oh my fuck," said Park, so low only Angie could hear him.

  "Ella?"

  Ella took a step toward the gate. "What?"

  Angie turned to look behind them. More corpses had emerged.

  They were getting closer. The corpses groaned and jerked toward them.

  The smell of their dead, wet flesh was terrible. She turned back to look

  at the girl called Ella. They had no other chance now.

  "Your sister, Lori!" yelled Maylee. "She texted your phone

  when I had it. I've been talking to her. That's how we knew you guys

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  were here!"

  "Ella!" yelled Park. His voice had a hoarseness Angie hadn't

  heard before. "It's Dad!"

  Ella frowned. "Stepdad?"

  Park frowned back at her. "No! Your father!"

  Ella's frown straightened. "Dad-dad?"

  Park nodded.

  "Let us in!" yelled Maylee.

  Ella ran toward them. Groans came from behind. The rain

  picked up, pounding down hard and cold. Angie cast a quick glance

  behind them. In less than a minute, corpses would be close enough to

  bite and kill.

  Ella reached the gate. She looked wet, ragged and scared. She

  glanced at each of them, then saw the corpses coming up from behind.

  "Shit," she said, feeling around in the pockets of her jacket.

  "Tell us about it," said Angie. "Please hurry."

  Ella kept fishing around in her jacket. The corpses groaned

  from behind them. Angie could hear dead limbs being dragged across

  wet pavement. She imagined she could hear dead jaws working, dead

  teeth gnashing together.

  "Hurry!" said Maylee nervously, casting quick glances behind

  her.

  Ella's eyes lit up as she produced a small plastic card from her

  pocket. She stepped to the side of the gate and held the card up to

  something Angie couldn't see. The groans from behind told her the

  corpses were very close.

  There was a click off to the side and the gate came loose. Park

  and Angie almost fell forward from the way they'd been leaning on it.

  The gate swung open at the middle.

  "Hurry!" said Ella, grabbing the gate and swinging it back.

  Angie and Park stumbled through. Angie turned to grab Maylee and

  Dalton. Maylee already had hold of Dalton and was rushing him

  through the opening.

  Corpses were inches away. Those at the front came through the

  gate before they had any chance to close it. Corpses lurched into the

  zoo, biting their rotten teeth at Angie and the others. Rain pelted off

  their rotten skin.

  "Shut the gate!" said Ella. "Hurry!"

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  Park was staring at Ella like he hadn't heard. "Ella."

  Angie whipped her head over to Park. "Not now Parker!"

  Park shot her a look so hateful Angie paused for a second. But

  only a second. "The gate, Parker!"

  Park's eyes said he'd heard her. His face returned to normal and

  he gave her a short nod.

  Angie ran to one half of the gate. Park ran to the other. More

  corpses crowded into the opening. Both Angie and Park pushed as hard

  as they could, but the corpses were coming too quickly to push the gate

  shut.

  "Mom!" yelled Dalton, running over to help her. He leaned into

  the gate, adding a little force but not much.

  Maylee was closer to Park's side. She rushed to join him. She

  gripped the gate and pushed. The corpses groaned and continued

  coming through. With each corpse that appeared at the gate, it became

  harder.

  Ella ran over to Park and Maylee. She pushed. Angie and

  Dalton pushed. The gate didn't budge.

  "It's no good!" yelled Park as the corpses poured between him

  and Angie.

  "Shit!" yelled Angie, realizing he was right. "Everyone fall

  back!"

  Angie let go and pulled Dalton away from the gate. She backed

  up as quickly as she could. Park, Maylee and Ella let go and backed

  away. Corpses groaned and shuffled their way through the gate. They

  bit and hissed and gurgled.

  Angie's stomach dropped when she realized how many corpses

  were between their two groups. She and Dalton were blocked from

  getting to Maylee, Park and Ella.

  "Maylee!" Angie yelled as she and Dalton were forced farther

  back by the crush of corpses. They kept coming. Soon the entire area

  inside the gate would be full of them.

  "Mom!" yelled Maylee. She, Park and Ella backed the other

  way. Maylee swung her bat from side to side, keeping the corpses at

  bay. But Angie knew she couldn't keep it up for long.

  Within seconds the two groups were forced onto different

  walkways, heading into different sections of the zoo. Dalton clutched at

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  Angie's side. Angie could only make out glimpses of Maylee as more

  and more corpses crowded in to block the way between them.

  "Mom!" came Maylee's voice, getting farther and farther away.

  "Maylee!" Angie yelled, knowing it was futile. Her throat hurt

  from screaming. The rain pounded down around them.

  "Get to the Communications Office!" yelled Ella over the mob

  of corpses. "I have friends there!"

  "What?" yelled Angie, not sure she'd heard right.

  "The Communications Office!" came Ella's voice.

  "Mom!" yelled Maylee, almost drowned out by moaning

  corpses and rain.

  Then her voice was gone. All sounds were gone except the

  groans of the dead.

  "Maylee!" Angie yelled one last time. She felt like she could

  cry.

  Dalton gripped her side tightly. "Mom?" he said.

  She reached down to grab his hand. The corpses came for them.

  "We need to run, Dalton." she said.

  They did.

  Nine

  Angie and Dalton ran until the corpses were out of sight. There

  were occasional lights on around the zoo, but not enough to

  comfortably see by. In the dark, the zoo only vaguely resembled the

  place she took the kids every so often. It was always a big deal,

  something the kids looked forward to. Lately, only Dalton looked

  forward to such things.

  Angie stopped and panted in the rain. Dalton stood next to her,

  coughing.

  "You okay, baby?" she said, kneeling down next to him.

  He nodded and sniffed. The rain let up, shifting to a light mist.

  It was better, but still cold.

  "Your foot okay?"

  He nodded, but not very convincingly.

  "Probably be better if we stopped all this running, huh?"

  Dalton nodded. Angie stood and looked around. "We can stop

  soon, baby. I promise."

  "There's a map," said Dalton. Angie looked down to see him

  pointing off to her right.

  She followed his finger and found a map display. One of the

  ones they used on their trips here. To find where the monkey house

  was, or the bird exhibit. Or the lions. Dalton loved the lions.

  "Where did the girl say they were going?" Angie said.

  "The Communications Office," said Dalton.

  Angie nodded. "Come on." She stepped over to the map,

  Dalton limping alongside her.

  There was no light to see by. Angie squinted, trying to make

  out the map as best she could. She located a bright dot labeled You Are

  Here. She put her finger on it.

  "Okay," she said. "So we're here." Dalton nodded next to her.

  Angie squinted harder, studying the map for a long time. Dalton

  studied with her, leaning in close and moving his head side to side,

  scanning the map.

  A man's voice boomed from all directions. "Hello visitors to the

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  Ashton Memorial Zoo."

  Angie jerked back, looking in all directions. She realized the

  voice was coming from speakers set all around.

  "Please try to remain calm," said the man's voice. "We are

  doing all we can to keep you safe."

  Angie snorted and leaned back into the map. "Yeah," she said.

  "Sure looks like it." Then she fell silent, staring at the map. Dalton

  stared with her.

  "Here," he finally said, putting his finger on a different spot on

  the map. Angie looked to where he'd pointed. She made out faint letters

  spelling Communications Office (Employees Only).

  "Got it," said Angie. She scanned up and down the map, tracing

  out a path between the two points as best she could in the dark. It was

  farther than she would have liked, but it would have to do.

  "Okay." She sighed and straightened. "I think I've got it. We

  just need to head..."

  A rotting hand closed on the top of the map display. Angie

  gasped and jumped back, pulling Dalton back with her.

  A bloated old man stumbled from behind the map. A straw hat

  hung sideways on his head. His tongue was gone. Blood coated his chin

  as he worked his mouth at them. A big chunk of skin was missing from

  the back of his right hand. His button-up white shirt was torn and

  bloody.

  "Run, baby," said Angie, keeping hold of Dalton and turning to

  run. She stopped as a group of corpses came stumbling at them from

  the other side.

  "Crap," said Dalton.

  "You got that right," she muttered. She looked around quickly.

  Both paths were blocked, one by the bloated old man and the other by

  the approaching group. To their left was the kangaroo exhibit. There

  was a glass fence but no trench. Dalton had always wanted to climb in

  and pet them.

  "This way," said Angie, pulling Dalton with her. She ran for the

  exhibit.

  "Ow!" said Dalton, limping as they ran.

  "I know, baby, I know," said Angie. "And I'm sorry."

  They reached the glass fence. Angie looked around. No

  kangaroos to be seen. She hoisted Dalton up so he could climb over.

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  "I know this place," said Dalton, looking around. "The

  kangaroos."

  "Yeah, the kangaroos." Angie looked back to the corpses. The

  bloated old man had joined the others and now the larger group was

  approaching. They moaned and bit at them. "Hopefully they're all

  hiding."

  "Are they dangerous?" said Dalton.

  "I have no idea," said Angie. She climbed over the fence and

  dropped down next to Dalton. "But best to stay out of their way. And

  hope those things are too stupid to climb a fence."

  She nodded at the corpses. Dalton looked at them. He bit his lip

  and stepped back. Angie took his hand.

  "Come on," she said. "We'll cut through here and then get to

  that office."

  He nodded. Angie turned and the two of them ran deeper into

  the enclosure. They were about halfway across when Angie stopped

  and turned back.

  The corpses were butted up against the fence. They pawed at it

  and reached for Angie and Dalton. But none looked capable of

  climbing over.

  "Ha!" said Dalton.

  "Yeah," said Angie, grinning down at him. "See? We're gonna

  be okay."

  She turned to lead him the rest of the way through the

  enclosure. She was about to take the first step when a kangaroo hopped

  in front of them.

  "Whoa," said Angie. Dalton let out a little gasp.

  The kangaroo looked at them quizzically.

  Angie smiled and shook her head. "You scared us there,

  buddy."

  The kangaroo ran one paw through the dirt of its enclosure.

  "We're just passing through, okay?" said Angie, blinking in the

  light mist falling all around. "We'll be out of your hair soon enough."

  The kangaroo kept its eyes on them and lowered its head

  toward the ground. Like a cat preparing to pounce. A low keening came

  from its throat.

  "Mom," said Dalton, swallowing next to her. "Do kangaroos

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  make that noise?"

  "I don't know honey," said Angie, her voice almost a whisper.

  She took a step backward, slowly and carefully. Dalton stepped with

  her. "But I think we should go now," she said, "just in case."

  The kangaroo whined at them. It hunkered down on its

  haunches.

  "Now," Angie whispered.

  She pulled Dalton to one side just as the kangaroo leapt. Its

  powerful legs carried it past them in a blur of hair and muscle. It

  landed, skidding in the wet dirt. It turned and hunkered down again.

  Angie pulled Dalton hard and they ran for the other side of the

  enclosure.

  They ran, their feet pounding on the wet ground. Angie was so

  focused on the sound of the kangaroo racing along behind them, she

  didn't see the shape coming in from the left.

  "Mom!" yelled Dalton. "Look out!"

  Angie stopped, skidding in the dirt. Dalton jerked to a halt next

  to her. The shape from the left resolved into a second kangaroo

  pounding toward them, baring its teeth.

  Angie gripped Dalton's arm. She heard the first kangaroo

  pounding closer behind them. She saw the second one draw nearer.

  They both growled.

  Angie pulled Dalton to the side. She spun around just in time to

  see the two kangaroos slam into each other. The first one had built up

  more speed, and the force of the impact sent the second one flying

  backward. It slammed into an embankment built into the dirt of the

  exhibit. Its neck snapped with a sickening "pop." It slumped, dead.

  The first kangaroo turned to Angie and Dalton. Blood trickled

  from its nostrils. It lowered its head and let out the same weird keening

  growl.

  "Mom," said Dalton.

  The kangaroo lunged at them. Angie dodged, pulling Dalton

  with her. Angie spun to face the kangaroo as it righted itself and turned

  toward them.

  Angie took a step back, pulling Dalton along. She was afraid to

  turn her back and run again, but she couldn't just keep dodging forever.

  Dalton reached down and wrenched a handful of grass out of

  the dirt. He flung it at the kangaroo in a gesture Angie would have

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  155

  found comical if she wasn't so terrified. "Leave us alone!" Dalton

  yelled.

  The clod of grass and dirt hit the kangaroo in the forehead. It