in front of her, snarling and scraping its claws in the dirt. She heard

  screeching birds overhead and a hundred different growls and roars all

  around. First the commotion had attracted the corpses, now it was

  attracting the animals.

  "Shit shit shit," said Angie, slipping her almost-forgotten rifle

  from her shoulder. The leopard crept forward, snarling.

  It leapt just as she brought the rifle up. The leopard was headed

  straight for her face. She dropped to her knees, moving the barrel up to

  keep it leveled at the leopard's chest. She fired and the dart thudded into

  the leopard's chest as it passed, snarling, over her head. She turned and

  watched the leopard fall onto a woman running up from behind. The

  woman screamed and fell to the ground as the leopard tore and bit into

  her. Red blood shot out across the roaring cat's coat. The cat pulled a

  hunk off the woman and chewed, moving more sluggishly as the dart

  took effect. Angie stood, backed away slowly, then turned and ran.

  A mob of birds swooped from the sky, descending on a group

  of people struggling with a few Keepers who had run down the hill.

  The birds pecked and clawed. The people screamed and gurgled in their

  own blood. Two angry chimpanzees climbed into another exhibit,

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  descending on a family of four who had been rushing up the hill. The

  chimpanzees grabbed the husband and pulled his arms backward until

  Angie heard a sharp "pop." The man screamed. His wife screamed as a

  chimpanzee picked up a rock and hurled it at her head. The rock

  crushed her skull, sending her bloody and twitching into the dirt. Angie

  didn't want to see what happened to the kids. She ran, willing herself

  not to watch.

  * * *

  Park ran across an exhibit, desperate to get to Lori. He'd seen

  what happened. He knew she was probably already dead. He didn't

  care. He had to get to her.

  Darts flew around him, thudding into other people as they

  rushed up the hill. He heard animals screeching and growling. He

  ignored it all. He kept his eyes on where he'd seen Lori fall.

  In an exhibit next to him, a young man screamed as snakes

  crawled up his legs, biting as they went. In another, an older woman

  shrieked as a group of spider monkeys dug and clawed at her eyes.

  Blood and pulp ran down her cheeks.

  A baboon rushed at Park from out of the rain. It beat at the

  ground and grunted in fury.

  "Best get out of my way, monkey," said Park, stomping at it

  through the rain.

  The baboon kept charging. Park ducked aside at the last

  moment, watching it pass him. He unshouldered his rifle and fired. The

  dart thudded into the baboon's back. It spun, howling in rage. It charged

  at Park. Park fired again. A second dart thudded into the baboon's

  stomach. It crumpled, clutching its torso and slowing.

  Park snorted at it and turned back toward the top of the hill. He

  ran on, ignoring the screams and the flying darts.

  * * *

  "Watch out!" screamed Maylee as a fat woman with one eye

  torn and bloody staggered toward Dalton. Maylee rushed over,

  slamming the bat into the woman's mouth. The woman's jaw shattered

  and she fell back, gurgling on her own teeth and bone. Maylee

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  screamed and slammed her bat across the woman's temple. The

  woman's head collapsed inward and she fell.

  Maylee spun on the group of corpses. The group had closed

  around her and Dalton. Most were attacking the screaming Keepers to

  either side. Maylee kept her back close to Dalton, watching for any that

  came too close. She'd already taken out six or seven. She wondered

  how long she could keep it up.

  A loud honking roar blared out through the rain and over the

  chaos. It took Maylee a second to recognize it.

  "Oh shit," she said, grabbing Dalton and pulling him out of the

  path as an elephant burst through the mob of corpses, running for the

  Keepers who were shooting down the hill. It snorted and blew through

  its trunk. Corpses broke and splattered underneath its pounding feet.

  The elephant raced by. Maylee stopped as a corpse drew near.

  It was a young man with a green T-shirt stained dark with blood. His

  eyes oozed with pus and his tongue was swollen and black. He hissed

  and reached for Maylee. Maylee swung her bat upward, cracking him

  under the chin and sending his head snapping back. She heard his neck

  break as she brought the bat up and back down, slamming into his

  skull. His head split and he fell.

  Maylee turned, looking and pulling Dalton close to her. The

  elephant trampled corpses as it struggled to get to the Keepers. The

  Keepers turned to look and screamed, several losing their balance and

  toppling down the hill.

  "Maylee!" came Mom's voice from farther down the hill.

  "Mom!" yelled both Maylee and Dalton in near unison. Maylee

  pulled Dalton behind the elephant and down the hill, avoiding the

  corpses and frantic Keepers as best she could.

  * * *

  Angie climbed into another exhibit, running as soon as she hit

  the ground. She'd heard Maylee and Dalton. She'd called out to them

  and they had responded. People screamed around her. She heard

  corpses groan from the top of the hill. Animals screeched and growled.

  Rain fell, so hard it was almost blinding. She raced through it.

  She stopped when a man stepped into view. Angie's first

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  thought was that it was a corpse. Then she saw the Keeper uniform.

  Then she recognized the wearer.

  "Bitch," said Lee, stomping toward her through the rain. "You

  ruined everything! We had a place of safety and order here!" He

  stopped several feet from her and slipped the rifle from his shoulder.

  Angie unslung her rifle from her shoulder. "Back off, Lee. We

  don't have time."

  "It's the end of the world, bitch," said Lee, pointing the rifle at

  her. "All we have now is time."

  Angie whipped her rifle up and they both fired. Both rifles

  clicked, empty.

  "Fuck," said Lee, tossing the rifle aside and rushing at her.

  Angie brought her rifle up longways, attempting to block. Lee

  wrapped his arms around her waist and drove her down into the dirt.

  She kicked and punched at him. He slapped her across the face.

  "Fucking bitch," he grunted, leaning in close and closing his

  hands around her throat. "Fucking chaos-bringing bitch." He squeezed

  and Angie kicked at the dirt.

  Angie heard noise to her right. She looked and saw a lion

  racing at them from the side. It roared and snarled. Lee didnt see it.

  Lee leaned in closer, whispering into her ear. "Die, you lousy

  bitch! Just die already!" he said. Angie wheezed and coughed.

  She brought her knee up under Lee and pushed him upward.

  The lion drew close and roared. Lee let go, noticing the lion and

  screaming. The lion leapt over Angie, catching Lee in its mouth and

  carrying him off of her.

  Angie clambered to her feet. Lee screamed and the lion ripped

  hunks of him free. It clawed and roared. Angie knew she had seconds

  before it turned on her. She rubbed her throat and ran.

  * * *

  Park climbed over the last fence and reached the top of the hill.

  He looked around, squinting in the pounding rain. Then he saw it, and

  the sight ripped into his chest. Lori lay crumpled and limp in the rain.

  He ran, almost tripping over the many rocks and bushes, to where she

  lay.

  He knelt by her, whispering to himself. "No no no come on

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  fuck no." He looked down at her, cursing himself for having missed the

  years between.

  She coughed, a fine mist of blood spraying into the rain. She

  looked up at him. "Dad?"

  "Lori," he said, lifting her shoulders and cradling her. "Oh god

  Lori I'm so sorry."

  "Don't be sorry, Dad," she said, coughing. Her voice was weak

  and her eyes unfocused. "It's okay."

  "No, Lori, no it's not. You have to know how sorry I am."

  "I do, Dad, I do. And it's okay. I ..."

  Then she was gone.

  She slumped, her eyes empty. Park stared at her for a moment,

  not believing. He bit his lip and clutched her tightly.

  "I'm so sorry," he whispered, his throat hoarse, knowing she

  was gone.

  He sat there quietly. The darts had stopped flying. Corpses

  groaned and people screamed. Animals growled. Park barely heard it.

  Then he heard Gregory.

  "Everyone," he was saying, standing atop one of the highest

  ledges and waving his arms. Park saw a mass of corpses below

  Gregory, reaching and groaning. "Please be calm. We at Ashton

  Memorial will restore order." He still held the gun that shot Lori.

  Several corpses lay near him, bullet holes in their heads. Park knew it

  was the same gun that had also killed Jennifer.

  Park slowly lowered Lori's body and stood. He stomped toward

  Gregory. He slipped his rifle off his shoulder. He considered firing it,

  then shook his head. He noticed a ladder leading up the wall on one

  side of the ledge. He opened the chamber and pulled out a dart. He

  tossed the rifle aside.

  Gregory noticed Park approaching up the side of the ledge.

  "Stay back!" he said, pointing the gun at Park.

  "Better use it quick, son," said Park, climbing onto the ledge.

  Gregory fired. The gun clicked, empty. Gregory dropped the

  gun and raised his hands. "Listen, things have gotten out of hand here."

  Park said nothing. He stepped up to Gregory and grabbed him

  by the back of the head. He shoved the tip of the dart into his throat.

  Gregory jerked in shock. Blood shot out across Park's hand. Park

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  dragged the dart across Gregory's throat, ripping it open. Gregory

  gasped and flailed, clutching at his throat. Blood squirted past his

  fingers, thick and dark.

  Park dropped the dart and let go of Gregory's head. He put his

  bloody palm on Gregory's forehead and pushed him backward. Gregory

  fell into the mob of corpses below. The corpses groaned and bit into

  him. Gregory tried to scream but only managed a wet gurgle as the

  corpses pulled him apart. They dug their fingers into the hole Park had

  made in Gregorys neck. They dug their hands into his torso. He

  bucked and wheezed as they pulled out organs and shoved them into

  their mouths. The corpses chewed and moaned.

  Park watched for a second, rain pounding down around him.

  Then he turned and walked back toward Lori's body.

  * * *

  Angie reached the top of the hill. She looked around in the rain.

  Screams and groans came from all around. Animals growled and

  shrieked.

  "Maylee! Dalton!" she yelled.

  "Mom!" came Maylee's voice.

  Angie looked and saw Maylee and Dalton running toward her.

  Angie ran to meet them. She clutched them both as tightly as she could.

  "I'm sorry, Mom!" said Maylee. "We found out they were

  moving Lori and we couldn't reach you! I wanted to save her."

  "Are you both okay?" said Angie, looking them both over.

  They nodded back at her.

  Angie sighed, feeling a mix of relief and guilt. Guilt because

  she knew Park was somewhere with Lori. And Lori was most likely...

  "You did good, Maylee," Angie said. Maylee looked shocked,

  then nodded. "We gotta get out of here."

  Angie turned and pulled them through the rain, away from the

  chaos and the screaming. A corpse stumbled out in front of her. It was a

  small-framed man with tiny round glasses and exposed bloody ribs. He

  growled and hissed.

  "I got this, Mom," said Maylee. She ran up and whacked the

  corpse across the skull. The corpse fell and Maylee slammed down

  again, breaking the corpse's head open. Maylee looked back at Angie

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  and smiled through the rain. "See. A lot can be whacked in the head."

  Angie shook her head. "Fine, but you both have to be more

  careful."

  Then Dalton was screaming. Angie turned in time to see a large

  man, with a torn business suit and a large blood-stain across his torso,

  grab Dalton's arm. He pulled Dalton's arm to his mouth and bit down.

  Dalton screamed and blood shot out across the man's face and suit.

  "No!" shrieked Angie, turning cold as Dalton jerked away from

  the man, his torn arm bleeding into the rain.

  "Dalton!" yelled Maylee, running at the man. The man was

  backing away, jerking and twitching as he chewed. Dalton fell,

  clutching at his arm. Angie fell with him, dropping to her knees to

  cradle him.

  Maylee slammed her bat into the man's skull. The man

  convulsed, vomiting a thick white fluid. Maylee slammed again and the

  man fell, still, to the ground. Maylee shrieked and kept pounding. Her

  bat clanged against the pavement as she slammed downward.

  Angie barely heard it. She barely saw it. She kept her eyes on

  Dalton. He looked scared and confused, clutching his arm and looking

  at her. Angie gripped him tight and rocked him.

  "Oh god no. No no no no."

  * * *

  Angie knelt on the stone floor, next to Dalton. They'd carried

  him to a nearby faux-cave that was part of a leopard exhibit. Rain

  pounded down outside. Maylee crouched by the door, her bat on her

  knees. She stared outside. The screams, growls and groans had faded.

  Dalton was sweating and staring at the ceiling. Angie mopped

  his head with a rag she'd torn from her shirt. The wound on his arm

  oozed through the makeshift bandage she'd made from part of her

  pants. She wondered how long he had. Hours? Days?

  Maylee crawled over to where she and Dalton sat. Maylee

  looked heartbroken. "How are you doing?" she said.

  "Okay," said Dalton, looking at her and smiling weakly. He

  looked scared.

  Footsteps arrived outside. Angie turned to look. Park knelt

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  down. He had Lori's body over his shoulder. She was bound and

  gagged.

  "Park," said Angie, quietly. "I..."

  "Save it," said Park, adjusting Lori's body on his shoulder. "I've

  got my kid and I'm going."

  "Park, she's..."

  "I know that, dammit. I also know she's going to come back and

  I'm going to have to kill her again."

  Angie was quiet, staring at him.

  He stared back. "I'm done, Angela," he said. "I've seen both my

  kids killed and I dug a man's throat out with my own hands. I'm done.

  I'm taking my kid and I'm leaving. I'll put her down again, then I'll end

  myself. Like I should have done days ago. Thanks for the waste of

  time."

  He stood and walked off, taking Lori's body with him.

  Maylee started to stand. "Parker!"

  Angie grabbed her and shook her head.

  * * *

  Hours went by as they sat in the cave, huddled over Dalton. He

  coughed and sweated, passing in and out of sleep. At Angie's bidding,

  Maylee went outside to find a loaded tranquilizer rifle. She brought one

  back, looking like she could cry as she handed it to Angie.

  Angie sat with the rifle, staring at Dalton. His breathing was

  labored and he looked pale.

  They sat there for hours, silently.

  At some point, Angie fell asleep sitting up.

  She jerked awake as she heard Dalton groan.

  "Dalton?" she said, clutching the rifle and fighting the urge to

  turn it on herself. If it wasn't for Maylee, she would.

  "Mom?" said Dalton. Angie loosened her grip on the rifle and

  rubbed her tired eyes. His color had returned.

  Angie put her hand on his forehead. It felt normal. She pulled

  the bandage from his arm. The oozing had stopped. It looked sore, but

  no different from any of the animal bites Angie had seen back in the

  ER.

  "What's going on?" said Dalton.

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  "I don't know, baby," said Angie. "Maylee!"

  Maylee jerked awake from where she was slumped against the

  cave wall. She crawled over, blinking. She gasped when she saw