DeadBorn by C.M. Stunich Page B

room as it ricochets off the glass and back at me. Holly bites at her fingernail and nods.
    “ Martin,” she begins and he steps forward, wiping brown curls off his sweaty face. He genuinely wants to be helpful, I can see that. “Why don't you and Dawson bring the stuff in here and set it up by the water fountains. Galen and I will look for the keys and then we'll start boarding up the windows.” Martin grins and gives her a double thumbs-up.
    “ Works for me,” he says as I open the front door and look out at Dawson. He's wiped the tears from his face and has the cat clutched against his chest like he's annoyed with it.
    “ Holly wants – ”
    “ I heard,” he says, interrupting me and standing up. I hold my arms out for the tabby, but Dawson moves past me and puts the cat down on a chair in the lobby. After a few, careful back scratches, she lays down and starts to lick her paw. Dawson stares for a moment and then moves away, grabbing the front door from my hand and pushing it back until it clicks into place and stays open. “Hurry up,” he growls as he starts to lift bags and blankets from the cement. “If one of those fucking things attacks me while I've got pillows in my hand, I'm gonna be pissed.” Martin chuckles which garners a glare from Dawson. I don't think he was trying to be funny.
    “ Come on,” Holly says to me. I follow her back down the hallway, my eyes catching on the gold plates beside the doors. I wonder if any of these people are dead or if they even know that something's wrong with the world. Will they show up for work tomorrow and find us here? As awkward as that situation sounds, I hope for it with every beat of my heart. “All of the offices are locked and I really, really don't want to break anymore windows,” Holly explains as we reach the sea of broken glass and crunch across it to the desk. “Besides, I want to get upstairs. They've got tons of food up there and,” Holly grunts as she pulls open a stuck drawer and frowns at the coffee stains splashed on the papers inside. There are no keys to be seen. She closes it and continues. “They always hold archery classes in the summer. My dad – ” Holly stops talking and just stands there with her fingers gripping a brass handle. I reach out, take her opposite hand in mine and squeeze it gently. There are no words to make her feel better, no gestures warm enough to take away the pain. I know that, but I try anyway.
    “ Want to know something weird?” I ask. Holly doesn't respond, but I keep talking anyway. “I've never played a game of solitaire. Not even once. Not on the computer, not with real cards, never.” Holly finally looks up and a frown crosses her pretty lips. Holly Arget is a self-confessed card game addict, and I know that's a bit of information that even she won't be able to resist.
    “ There better be a deck around here somewhere,” she says as I release her, satisfied that she's been temporarily calmed. “Because that's just not right, Galen.” I smile as I continue helping Holly with the search. I don't believe that we're going to get the chance to play cards anytime soon, but it's a nice thought to entertain. Besides, it's distracted her from her feelings so it's served its purpose either way. She returns to the previous conversation as if nothing has happened. “Anyway, my dad told me that they've got a whole arsenal of bows and arrows on the second floor.” I grin as I open another drawer and find it stuffed full of candy.
    “ Martin oughta love that,” I say, thinking of the T-shirt he's got on. “Any crossbows?” Holly shrugs.
    “ No idea,” she says and her slight smile turns into a frown. “Not that it really matters. It seems like the only way to stop a DeadBorn is to beat it into a pulp.” I say nothing in response to that. It's a hopeless enough statement as is. With their near invincibility, I doubt that we could handle more than one at a time. “Bingo,” Holly says as I look up to