Zombie groans sounded in the streets as Albert Newman bandaged his arm. Mayer Hawthorne was sitting by the radio, jotting something down in the notebook he always carried with him. Albert stood up and peered out of one of the broken windows. The zombies below were shuffling aimlessly about, occasionally stopping to sniff the air.
Garbled voices broke through the white noise of the radio. Albert hurried over as Mayer fiddled with the tuner. *...zed...or more...Julie General Hospital. Please send help. We.......survivors...*
"That's not too far from here," said Mayer, glancing at Albert.
Albert looked at his hands. "Think we should make a run for it?"
"We have more chance with a large group than holed up here. Maybe that's where the Boardsies went-- they mentioned heading south."
Albert grimaced and picked up his axe. "Let's get going then."
Albert's coat billowed in a brief breeze as he and Mayer slipped out of St. Matheos', heading through an alley free of zombies. Two pistols were holstered at Albert's belt, and Mayer held a third, along with poor Jerry's baseball bat.
Julie General Hospital was in sight when a zombie stumbled around a corner and right into Albert. Jumping back, Albert lashed out with his axe while Mayer fired twice, taking the zombie down. "They'll have heard that," gasped Albert, scrambling to his feet.
Three more zombies came up through the alley and another four or five shuffled in from the street Julie General Hospital was on. Albert and Mayer broke into a run, knocking aside the dead with axe and bat. There was a crash to the east and Albert changed course as a new flood of zombies shambled around a second street corner. He couldn't hear Mayer yelling any more, and couldn't see him anywhere either.
Albert shook off a grasping zombie hand and bounded up the steps of Julie General Hospital. Thrusting his fire axe through his belt, Albert drew both pistols and kicked the front door open. In the hospital lobby, dozens of bodies lay on the ground, fresh blood seeping from bite wounds and scratches. A smashed radio transmitter lay in the middle of the room.
The body nearest the door began to rise.
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