Welcome to the End

Chapter 25: The Orchard

After disembarking from the ship, Kevin led the way toward the tree line. Originally in neat rows, the trees had grown wild and untended during the years since the zombies arrived, constricting some of the previously existing pathways and completely choking off others.

Old leaves covered the ground in a crackling blanket of brown. The expedition force Kevin led created a considerable amount of noise because of the brittleness of the dry leaves they walked over.

The disruption they caused while trudging through the leaves made Kevin even more nervous than the silence as it would surely give away their position if anyone or anything were around to hear them. Something was decidedly wrong in this place, and it was starting to wear on Kevin's nerves.

A hundred feet into the thick growth of trees, Kevin caught sight of a medium sized building in the distance. He pointed it out to Isabella.

"Is that what you're looking for?" he whispered.

Isabella squinted her eyes as she looked hard through the foliage. After a moment, she turned her gaze toward Kevin and nodded silently.

Motioning to his people, Kevin instructed them to follow him. The team trailed behind, the nervousness and fear Kevin felt inside showing plainly on each face. The only ones who were able to hide it like Kevin were Isabella and George as the three of them had lived with the threat of imminent death for some time now.

Stationed in what was left of a clearing, having become overgrown like the rest of the orchard, was the gray concrete structure they'd seen from a distance. The glass skylights had been broken years ago by the trees growing inside and pushing their branches up through the clear partitions. Vines draped the walls, and leaves covered the sidewalk encircling the building.

Kevin approached the front door and found it partially open. He waited beside the suspiciously unprotected entry. His heart beat loudly in his ears, and sweat made the grip on his gun tenuous.

In spite of his police training and the years he'd spend fighting the undead, Kevin had never managed to totally overcome his fear when entering an unknown and possibly threatening situation. He'd managed to control it enough to function, but it remained a struggle.

He took a few slow breaths to try and calm down before pushing the door open the rest of the way. The old hinges, unused for so long, squeaked loudly, causing Kevin to wince. He hesitated for a few seconds while listening for any sign the noise had attracted unwanted attention. When he heard nothing, Kevin carefully peaked inside.

A tall and majestic oak resided in the middle of the centrally located lobby, directly behind the front desk where a secretary would greet visitors. The glass top of the desk was covered in dirt and old leaves. The oak, having broken through the skylight allowed in the fresh air from outside, but the thick canopy of leaves blocked all by the occasional shaft of light from reaching the floor.

Carefully moving into the lobby, Kevin kept his bow ready as he approached the front desk. He maintained a safe distance as he circled around to the side where a waist high swinging door blocked the only way in or out from behind the desk. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he found the space behind the desk empty. No scavengers jumped out with knives, and no zombies came staggering toward him with their arms outstretched.

George had gone around the other way to provide cover from a flanking position. His eyes darted around the room, especially toward the tree in the center. The size of the massive trunk allowed for possible ambushes behind it.

Isabella remained at the desk, brushing off some of the dirt and leaves so she could lean on the glass top. Perspiration glistened on her forehead, and her breathing was faster than normal. Still recovering from her injuries, Isabella hadn't really been ready for this excursion, but she wouldn't let weakness keep her from doing her part.