Chapter 7 : THE HORDE AT THE GATE

It was dark at the resort

Then came the footsteps.

There were hundreds.

Sharon's heart raced. Even though she could no longer see the forest, she could hear it

The swish of branches; the squish of leaves; the guttural growls reverberating throughout the blackness

Michael stood frozen at the gate with Lisa clinging to his arm

"Sharon let us in!"

Sharon looked at him through the darkness

They were the same hands that led her to death in his previous life, the same voice that convinced her that Lisa was more important

All he wanted now was her help.

She almost burst out laughing

Alex came up beside her "Don't open the gate."

"Alex Knight?" Michael asked

"What?"

"You know me?"

"I know of you."

Michael hesitated.

"That's not what I asked."

Michael said nothing

Alex's gaze became icy "Who told you about this place?"

Michael turned away "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You came here with no working phone network, during a blackout, and when the city's roads have been blocked off. So I'll ask you again."

Michael swallowed "Someone sent me the location."

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him "Who?"

"I don't know."

"How were they able to contact you?"

Michael took out his phone "A message."

Sharon felt ice crawl up her spine "Show me."

Michael hesitated before turning the screen towards her

There was only one message

GO TO SHARON'S RESORT. SHE HAS WHAT YOU NEED.

Sharon's stomach twisted. Someone was actively sending people to her.

The footsteps in the forest grew louder

Then there was a scream. "They're here!"

Something smashed against the outer gate and sent it vibrating.

Michael stumbled backwards as Alex yelled "Get away from the gate!"

Several more impacts followed. The gate bent inwards

Sharon looked past the opening and her heart pounded. She knew what was coming

"A horde."

"How many?" Alex asked

"Too many."

"That's not a number."

"It's enough."

A strange smile almost escaped Alex's lips. Even now, she was still annoyingly calm

"Get the vehicles inside." He ordered his men

"What about us?" Michael immediately demanded

Alex turned towards him. "You can stay outside."

"Alex!"

Sharon raised a hand. "Open the gate."

Alex whirled around "NO."

"They'll die."

"They're not OUR responsibility."

Sharon looked at Michael. She remembered his betrayal, his begging, and how Lisa wore her jacket while he drove away

Her jaw tightened. She didn't want to save him.

She didn't want to let these infected tear the gate off while two people screamed outside

"Open the small entrance."

Alex stared at her. "You're serious."

"Yes."

"You trust him?"

"No."

"Then why?"

Sharon met his gaze. "Because I DECIDE who gets to live here."

Something almost akin to admiration flickered in Alex's eyes

"Open it."

The small gate opened and Michael dragged Lisa inside. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Sharon shut it. Something thudded against the other side

Michael fell to his knees; Lisa screamed

Sharon pointed towards the building. "Inside."

Michael stared at her. "Thank you."

Sharon walked past him. "Don't thank me."

"You get one chance." She paused. "If you steal from me; if you lie to me; if you place anyone in this resort in danger - I will make you wish the zombies had gotten you first."

Michael turned white; Lisa looked angry, but neither said anything

A thunderous impact sounded from the main gate. It buckled inwards

Alex barked orders and everyone moved

Sharon ran towards the control room and looked at the security monitors

The forest was swarming. Not twenty or fifty infected - there were hundreds

Something wasn't right.

They weren't wandering aimlessly

They were heading straight for the resort

Sharon's gaze swept the monitors. Someone was guiding them

She turned around and looked towards the main building

There was an explosion.

Sharon turned around and saw the main gate was gone. The infected poured in through the opening. Hundreds of them

Alex and his men opened fire, but there were simply too many

"Fall back!" Alex ordered

Sharon looked around. Her resort was being overrun. The walls wouldn't hold and the security measures weren't enough

She needed something more powerful.

Her Spatial Storage.

Sharon closed her eyes and looked at the endless expanse she had discovered. She had stored various supplies there, but she had never experimented with retrieving objects through the system

She reached out and grasped something heavy. When she pulled it free, Alex's eyes widened

"Where did that come from?"

Sharon ignored him. She raised the weapon and fired. A deafening explosion rocked the area and the front line of infected fell

Alex stared. "What the hell was that?"

Sharon looked at him. "A surprise."

Another wave of infected surged through the broken gate. Alex smiled.

"You really are full of them, aren't you?"

Sharon fired another round

For the first time, they fought back to back. Whenever an infected got close to Sharon, Alex felled it. Whenever Alex was surrounded, Sharon covered him. It was seamless; their movements were like a well-rehearsed dance

After a few minutes, the enemy horde began to thin. The remaining infected slunk back into the forest

Silence returned and the acrid smell of smoke lingered in the air

Sharon lowered the weapon.

Alex turned to face her. "You just saved everyone."

"I saved the resort."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's TRUE."

Alex took a step closer. Their faces were inches apart and his gaze swept over her.

"You're not who you were."

Sharon's heart pounded. "You keep saying that."

"Because I can't stop thinking about it." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "What happened to you?"

Sharon swallowed. "Nothing."

Alex leaned closer. "Then why does it feel like you're always one step ahead of everyone?"

She didn't answer. His gaze lingered on her and, for a brief, terrifying moment, Sharon thought he was going to kiss her

"SHEARON!"

Michael's voice cut through the tension and Sharon took a step back. Alex's expression darkened

Michael came up to them. "There was another message."

Sharon's attention snapped to him. "What message?"

Michael held up his phone. "It says..."

Sharon took the phone from him

THE HORDE WASN'T AFTER THE RESORT

A chill ran down Sharon's spine as another message appeared on Michael's screen

IT WAS AFTER YOU

Her blood ran cold and she looked towards the trees. A human figure stood in the shadows. Watching

Sharon blinked and the figure was gone

Her phone gave off one final vibration

AND ALEX KNOWS WHY.