Zombies Part 8

When Jace and Kristi told the others of their plan, they looked at them like they were crazy. But Mishelle and her partner cautiously agreed to help.

Kristi hugged Rachel. "I'l be back soon. I'm going to find people that need help. We're going to look for your mom and dad."

Rachel nodded. Kristi started to walk away, but Rachel grabbed her hand. "Can I come to your wedding?"

"What? I'm not getting married, Rachel."

"Suuuure. Can I?"

Kristi shook her head in amusement. "Yes, when I get married." She looked up and met Jace's eyes. From the way he was obviously holding back a laugh, she knew he'd heard. She made a face at him. "Let's head out."

They split into teams again, Kristi and Jace taking the main floor of the Wilk. "Let's go over to the HFAC," Kristi suggested.

"Okay."

It was much easier to sneak past the zombies in a smaller group. Plus, they didn't have to worry about protecting weaponless, frightened people. The zombies are  pretty dumb and unobservant, Kristi thought to herself as they crossed a hallway, easily avoiding a zombie's notice. But that didn't fit with what had happened on the roof. An ambush. Or the zombies' strange ability to find them and swarm over them during the frightening run to the back room. Almost like someone is controlling them and was aware of us then, but isn't aware of us now. No . . . how was that possible? You have too wild of an imagination, she told herself.

They made it to the HFAC, although crawling through the bushes hadn't been a lot of fun. They started with the basement, quietly going down the stairs and knifing any zombies that got in the way. The basement was a veritable maze, but Kristi knew her way around fairly well. As an art major, she'd spent many hours in the HFAC, in class and exploring, and she also was friends with several music majors who had shown her the sound rooms and instruments hidden in the basement.

Kristi and Jace paused on a narrow, curved stairwell, waiting for a zombie to shamble past. "Kristi," Jace whispered. "It doesn't make any sense." Kristi nodded in agreement, immediately understanding what he meant. "Someone has to be behind this," Jace continued. "Must be the same person, or group of people, who created them and started this catastrophe in the first place."

"That would make sense," Kristi said."Except is it even possible that someone could control them? How would they do it?"

Jace shrugged. "Who knows. We have preconceptions about zombies, but those are from video games and might not---in fact, probably are not---true."

Kristi chewed her lip, trying to work out the puzzle. The zombie had left by then, and Jace nudged Kristi to get her attention. They crept down the stairs. Who would do something like this? Kristi wondered. And how do we find whoever did it? We have to stop them.

Jace and Kristi knocked on every locked door they came to and called to anyone who might be inside. Time and time again, there was no answer.

"I hope it's because there's no one in there and not because they're too scared to open the door," Kristi said with knitted eyebrows.

"There's nothing more we can do, Kristi."

Kristi still looked anxious. Jace brushed her cheek with his hand. "At least they'll be safe from the zombies until BYU is cleared out by the army."

"Hopefully that happens soon, or they'll starve. Or die of thirst."

Jace grabbed her shoulders. "They'll get to them in time, Kristi. We can't worry about that. Our job right now is to help those who are in immediate danger. Those we can help."

Kristi nodded slowly and gave his hand a squeeze. "You're right."

They continued on and came to a bathroom, which they entered warily. Zombie! Kristi slashed out with her knife, and Jace, coming in behind her, quickly helped dispatch of the creature.

"Hello?" Kristi called softly.

"Is-is someone there?" a tremulous voice came back.

Kristi followed the sound to a stall door. It was locked. "We're here to take you somewhere safe," she said through the door.

She heard shuffling and feet appeared on the floor. A thump sounded on the stall door---as if the person had almost fallen over and was using the door to steady themselves. "Kristi, is that you?" the voice said as the door finally swung open.

Kristi blinked in surprise. "Ariel!" she'd met the girl at SNS. "Are you doing alright?"

Ariel stumbled out of the stall and Kristi caught her, helping her keep her footing. Ariel winced as she slowly straightened her legs, leaning on Kristi. "I'm a bit unsteady. I've been crouching on that toilet seat for over an hour." Ariel caught sight of Jace as she finished the sentence and flushed in embarrassment.

Kristi grinned. "This is my boyfriend, Jace."

"Oh! Nice to finally meet you!"

Jace shot Kristi a bemused look. "Uh. You too."

"Ariel is a regular customer at SNS," Kristi explained to Jace. She turned to Ariel. "Do you know where your brother is?"

Ariel shook her head. "He usually meets me at 10 after the class I have here in the HFAC. We stop by SNS, and then we go on to the class we have together." She paused, her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "He would've been in his apartment when the zombies came. Probably just waking up."

"Okay." Kristi checked the time on Jace's watch. Only 10:30. She looked at Jace. "There's so many places we need to look."

"We'll just do one at a time."