Zomb-Pocalypse 2 Read Free Page A

knows what?”
    Ryan’s face falls. “I didn’t think of that,” he says quietly, so quietly I can’t even hear him, but I know what he said from reading his lips.
    “I’ll go first,” Ryan volunteers, his face firming with his resolve. Silas stares at him for a moment and then finally nods.
    The people on the roof are waving like crazy for us to hurry, and Ryan’s first step up the ladder makes my heart dip in fear. Silas grasps the bottom of the ladder to keep it steady. Up on the roof, people lean dangerously over the edge to keep hold of the top of the ladder.
    The zombies, oblivious to it all, or perhaps on purpose, press against the dumpster and howl harder, making the ladder jostle from side to side.
    “Holy shit,” I murmur, stuffing my fist against my mouth to keep from screaming as I watch Ryan get half way up the ladder before it shifts suddenly. Ryan’s footing slips, but he manages to clutch a rung for dear life.
    “Go faster!” Silas shouts up at him, and even through the rain I see Ryan nod. He’s heard him.
    Ryan picks up his pace and quickly reaches the top of the ladder. I hold my breath. This is the most dangerous part. Two bigger men reach over the edge, grasp Ryan by his wrists, and begin to pull him up.
    The dumpster rocks wildly, and I’m forced to kneel down to keep from getting pitched off. I don’t know how Silas stays upright. The metal creaks, protesting the force of so many bodies pressing in, and I accidentally gulp down rain water as my mouth gapes open.
    Silas and I wait, holding our collective breath until we see Ryan poke his head over the top and he gives us the thumbs up. He joins the two men in leaning dangerously over the edge to hold the ladder in place.
    “You’re up,” Silas says to me, and with fear shaking me to my very core, I grip the cold ladder in my hands and start to climb. It’s crazy how much a couple weeks can change you. Before the zombies, I would have laughed in anyone’s face who even suggested I do such a dangerous thing. No one is laughing now though. It’s climb this ladder or die.
    I try to ignore everything, like the fact that there’s a hungry hoard of zombies below me like a rolling sea of restless, rotting flesh. I ignore the fact that I’m climbing a good twenty feet up into the air. The rain beats me in the face as I go, also making the ladder slippery. The ladder itself sways and creaks every time the dumpster gets rocked, but I try to block it all out and focus on putting each foot and hand in front of the other.
    I run out of ladder, but I’m still several feet from the actual top. This gap looked a lot smaller from down below. Up close it’s like the yawning mouth of the Grand Canyon.
    I’m staring at a wall of rough brick, not sure what to do next, when Ryan grabs hold of me. He wraps his hand around my wrist, and I instinctively grip the ladder tighter. I’m still trying to convince myself to let go and trust him when someone I don’t know grabs my other wrist and peels my hand roughly off the ladder. They start to haul me up, my wrists uncomfortably forced to take the weight of my entire body. I feel them pop and creak. For a moment, the crazy idea that the bones might actually snap and send me falling flashes through my mind. When I get a little closer, a third guy grabs me around the waist and helps them pull me over the edge. I only let myself draw a breath as I’m deposited, on my knees, on the sodden roof of the mall.
    I look up and see four people huddled together under an umbrella, staring at me with wide eyes. I ignore them and stand up on shaky legs. I might be safe for the moment, but Silas isn’t. I have to see if Ryan needs my help.
    Ryan is back to being half-twisted over the edge with the other two men, all of them completely focused on Silas down below. I stand far enough away that I won’t be in their way, but I can still see what’s happening. Silas starts his climb, but there’s no one left at the