Beneath Dark Skies (Rolling Hills Ranch #1)

45. Kenji

FORTY-FIVE

KENJI

THE ATTACK

Day 443

Our heads snap up in unison, eyes darting towards the entrance. The festive atmosphere evaporates instantly, replaced by a wave of fear that grips everyone. People begin to rush outside in a chaotic scramble to see what’s happening.

We push through the crowd, adrenaline pumping, and when we finally make it outside, the sight is horrifying. A handful of zombies have breached the community’s fence line and are attacking Mr. Abel, who’s covered in blood on the ground.

My heart races as I take in the scene. People are running in all directions, some trying to fend off the infected from Mr. Abel with whatever they can grab, others fleeing in sheer terror. I see Eric shoot me an apologetic look, but I just shake my head and incline my chin, telling him to take his pregnant wife and get her away. I see Theo and Adrian beside me, their faces set in grim determination.

Off to the side, I note Trevor standing frozen, that goddamn rake in his hand. He’s useless, as usual, helping nobody. But my mind stutters to a stop before quickly taking off. How did he get out here so fast? I think back to the potluck, trying to recall if I saw Trevor at any point, but I don’t think I did. Granted, I was focused on Theo and Adrian the whole night, but I still think I would have noticed Trevor if he had been there. The situation is only adding to my suspicion about him. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to dwell on Trevor right now.

“Get the weapons!” Adrian shouts, his voice cutting through the chaos. Normally, we all carry something, but during the potluck, the larger weapons are set aside in the barn so they’re not in the way while everyone tries to enjoy themselves. Theo was already moving before Adrian even had a chance to shout, sprinting back outside after grabbing his machete and a hatchet, which he hands off to Peter.

I turn back to face the chaos, my mind racing with fear and regret. This is the last thing we needed—our community is under attack, and I’ve made things worse with Farron. For a moment, I feel a sense of relief that she’s not here right now, that she doesn’t have to deal with this or put herself in danger to protect her family the way I know she would. But there’s no time to dwell on that now. We need to act to protect the community. Our home.

Adrian, Theo, and I converge as we charge into the fray, our blades gleaming in the dim light.

My knife plunges into the neck of a zombie. The putrid stench of decay is overwhelming as the blade slices through its rotted flesh. I rip it free with a sickening squelch, watching as chunks of rotten flesh and blood spill with the movement, spinning around just in time to see Adrian driving his knife deep into the skull of another. Black blood and gore splatter across the ground as we continue to fight, each strike fueled by desperation and raw survival instinct.

Theo doesn’t hesitate either, cleaving through the undead with brutal efficiency. The machete severs limbs with each swing, while the hatchet in Peter’s hands crushes skulls with a wet crunch.

Around us, the scene is wild. Mr. Abel is on the ground, his face twisted in agony as Jay and Todd try to drag him to safety. The air is thick with the stench of these things, the sounds of metal meeting bone and spoiled flesh, and the guttural growls of the undead.

I slash at a zombie’s throat, dark blood spraying across my face, but I don’t flinch. Adrian moves like a machine, every stab and slice precise, his expression hardened with grim determination. We fight with everything they have, each kill a reminder of what’s at stake—this is our home, and we refuse to let it fall.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the last zombie crumples to the ground, head split open from Peter’s hatchet. Silence descends, broken only by the ragged breathing of the survivors.

Still, the damage is done. I look around at the faces of everyone, their expressions relieved but stressed. Theo and Adrian are by my side, bloodied and exhausted but alive. I look up and note that Jay and Todd are okay as well, helping to pull Mr. Abel up to his feet. Peter is pulling Jasper into a hug, the two men glad they’re both safe and alive. Trevor is long gone, but I pin that in my head to address at a later time.

The panic inside my mind subsides, but only for a moment. How did these zombies get in here without causing the perimeter bells to go off? How can we be sure there aren’t more of them somewhere else in the community? Questions flood my mind, each one more troubling than the last.

Immediately, my instincts from my time as a firefighter take over. We need a plan of action. “Todd, can you grab a few other guys and go check to see if there’s any more that made it inside the perimeter? I think everyone will feel better if they know there’s no more of them here.” He gives me a firm nod before nodding to Peter and Jasper, the three of them quickly taking off.

I turn to my new friend, the man I’ve started to see like another brother. “Jay, do you wa?—”

“I’ll take off to go do a perimeter check and see if I can find where the breach was. I’ll get it fixed up tonight and make sure the bell system still works,” he cuts me off, his expression shuttered.

“Are you sure?” I ask him, concerned.

His eyes meet mine, giving me a look that speaks volumes. He can’t do it. After the pain of losing his mother, he’s too frazzled and high on adrenaline to deal with the reality of what may happen to his grandfather right now. I give him a subtle nod to tell him I understand.

I turn back to Mr. Abel, who is barely conscious, blood seeping through his torn clothing. “Mr. Abel,” I say urgently, rushing up to him and getting my arm around his waist. Jay kisses his grandfather on the temple before taking off, his body immediately replaced by Adrian’s, who comes to help support Mr. Abel’s weight on the other side. “Let’s get you to Farron to get checked out and cleaned up, okay?”

He nods, but his eyes are distant and glassy, his expression almost resigned.