"Holy shit," Roy stammered. "She's coming. Billy, put that kid back." Roy lowered the binoculars. "It fucking worked. Wow."

Jane was walking toward them, her hair rippling and wafting in her wake, the machine gun perched on her swaying hip, like a model walking down some insane post-apocalyptic runway.

"Jesus Lord," Roy said to no one as he watched her approach. "She's a goddamn smoke show."

"Can we eat the other kids now?" Billy asked, pushing the little girl he'd been leading back to the ground, licking drying blood off his fingertips.

"No! For fuck's sake, Jane's got a gun. Bring the kids over here. Line 'em up in front of us so she doesn't start shooting."

Billy mobilized the other zombies, and they hurriedly dragged the kids to the edge of the tree line where Jane could see them. "But we're not really going to trade them, are we?"

"No," Roy scoffed, scrunching up the side of his face. "But she doesn't know that." He pulled up the megaphone. "Alright, hot-stuff, slow it down. I see that gun come up and these kids are getting ventilated."

Jane slowed a touch but kept the gun ready.

Billy shuffled up next to Roy as Jane continued her approach. They both stared at her in awe. Billy slapped his own cheek then turned to Roy. "Well... what should we do? Shoot her?" he asked.

Roy was wondering the same thing. He'd expected this whole affair, since Billy accidentally blew up the Suburban, to take a whole lot longer. He figured they'd try to escape and then he'd have to chase them. It could've lasted days—weeks. Now, with this sudden turn of events, he wasn't quite sure what to do. He was actually feeling a little disappointed. He'd already begun planning his pursuit. His hand, which was ready and poised over his gun belt drooped limply at his side.

"Well? She's getting closer. What do we do?" Billy asked.

"Well..." Roy hesitated. Something had to happen. It can't be over this easily.

Then something happened.

A distant high-pitched rumble caught his ear. It was a sound he'd heard a thousand times before but at the moment, he couldn't place it.

The trees started to creak and whine in an increasing wind.