Spitz shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Hecter said, “We thought everyone else had been killed.”

“We were attacked on the way to the tunnels. Lost about thirty down by the river. Brutal. As you can see, I got in a little scuffle with one of those sons of bitches. Took five men to drag it off and if one of them hadn’t had a machete it would’ve killed us all. I heard the gunshot a minute ago. It’s what drew me outside.”

“One came after us a little ways up the block,” Ethan said. “We thought maybe they’d all gone back into the woods.”

“Oh no. Town’s still crawling with them. I’ve been making house raids within sprinting distance. There’s people still hiding in their homes. I rescued Gracie and Jessica Turner just before dawn. Jim had nailed them into a closet. He isn’t with your group, is he?”

“I saw him last night,” Ethan said. “He didn’t make it.”

“That’s too bad.”

“How are your people?” Maggie asked.

“Three died from their wounds overnight. Two are in pretty rough shape. Probably won’t last the day. A bunch of us are scraped all to hell. Everyone’s freaked out. No food, just a little water from the fountains. We had a teacher in our group and if he hadn’t said to come here, we’d all be dead. No question in my mind. It was war last night.”

“How secure is the basement?” Ethan asked.

“Could be worse. We’re locked in behind two doors in a music classroom. No windows. Only one way in and out. We’ve built barricades. I’m not saying it’s impenetrable, but we’re hanging in.”

A scream erupted several blocks away.

“Better get your asses inside,” Spitz said. “Sounds like whatever you killed had a buddy.”

Ethan looked at Kate, back at Spitz.

“I’m headed for the mountain,” he said. “For Pilcher.”

Maggie said, “If there are injured people, I may be able to help. I was in school to become a nurse back in my old life.”

“We’d love to have you,” Spitz said.

A second scream answered the first.

Ethan said, “Do you guys have any weapons?”

“One machete.”

Shit. He’d have to leave them with someone who could shoot. This group of people needed some form of protection beyond a big knife.

“Kate, you stay with them too,” he said.

“You need me.”

“Yes, but if we both go and get killed, then what? At least this way, you’re the backup plan if I don’t make it back. And meanwhile, you can protect these people.”

Hecter said, like he hadn’t quite fully committed to the idea, “Well, Ethan, I guess it’s just you and me then.”

“Will I be seeing you again, Sheriff?” Spitz asked.

“Here’s hoping.” Ethan grabbed Maggie’s hand, and said, “Bedside table drawer?”