"God my gut hurts, it's gonna be bruised." Paige said.
"Hey c'mere!" Mike said.
The women got to their feet and looked into the vent, it was empty. Dora saw the little man's head pop up at the far end in the office. She wrinkled her face and said, "Shit he wasn't even in the vent yet! You just freaked yourself out. Good thing though, I don't think we could have gotten you out otherwise."
Paige blushed, "I swore I felt something grabbing my legs."
The other two looked at her pants and shoes, expecting maybe a rip or a tear, but her pants looked fine to them.
Shrugging Paige said, "Meh, no big deal, we are out. Let's pound this thing back down and put a bunch of rocks on it."
"The rocks won't hold it." said Mike.
"Duh. The rocks are so if they are all quiet like we will hear them fall off and know they are coming out this way." Dora tapped the side of her head, "I got brains in here, I use 'em too. Try using yours once in a while smart boy."
Mike flushed and Paige rose to his defense. "Are you always this much of a bitch?"
"Only to my friends." Dora smiled, "See? You two are moving up in the world, to have a friend like me."
Shaking her head Paige went to look at the parking lot and try and figure a way to get down from the roof. More infected were coming towards the building all the time, they were slow and they all went into the building when they got there, she could not tell how many were inside. Mike and Dora bent the metal back down into shape and then piled about fifty rocks on top of it, until it started to sag down into the vent, when they were finished they went to stand by Paige near the back of the building.
"We can get down here, make it to my car." Paige said.
"You got a car Mike?" Dora asked, eyeing Paige's dilapidated old beater.
Mike shook his head. "My dad dropped me off for my shift, my clutch is getting fixed."
"Well then I guess we go with Paige's plan. How are we going to do this dear?"
"The dumpster is right there, we can walk on the grease vat, its lid is solid and then climb over the wall and drop down and run to the car."
"Does your car work okay? I mean, in the movies they always run to the car and it doesn't want to start, then there is a big suspenseful scene where it catches at the last possible moment. I would rather do things without the drama if we can."
Paige's lips moved slowly mouthing 'Without the drama' a couple of times, before she shook her head, as if to clear out some random thought, "It got me here today."
"How's the fat? You gonna be able to make the drop and run?"
"I'm fine." Paige answered brusquely, turning from Dora in embarrassment.
Dora reached out her arm and turned back to face her and Mike. "It wasn't an insult. If you can't run you better let Mike or me go and start the car, then pull it closer to the building. I don't want you to hit the ground and crumple. I don't think Mike and I could carry you."
Flushing even deeper Paige looked Dora in the eye and said, "I am fine, it's just bruised."
"Okay, let's do this then." Dora sat her butt on the edge of the building, then rolled over onto her stomach and lowered herself down. She dropped onto the grease container and walked across it to the red metal fence that blocked it from the parking lot view. Mike did the same and Paige came down without any problems. The three of them had not gotten the attention of any of the infected moving towards the building yet. Before they vaulted the gate, Dora held her hand up and turned to Paige.
"Get your keys out."
"What? Why?"
"First, so we know you have them and they are not in your purse inside, and second so you can get the doors unlocked when we get to the car."
Paige fished around in her front pocket and came up with an electronic key for her car. She pressed a button on it and the car's lights flashed and they all heard the sound of it unlocking. Unfortunately some of the infected either saw the lights or heard the sound too, a group of them were shambling towards the car now.
Dora vaulted the fence like a pro and was halfway to the car before Mike or Paige had even gotten over the fence. She pulled open the front passenger door with a yell of "Shotgun!" and had it shut just as the other two were getting down from the fence. Despite the adrenaline surged rush, the infected were far too slow to catch them. Paige slid into the driver's seat the same time Mike scrambled into the back. They both shut and locked their doors and Dora told Mike to lock the other rear door as well. Paige pressed the ignition button and the car coughed to life. Dora noted with some satisfaction that the car had half a tank of gas too.
Both Mike and Paige turned towards Dora and said, "Where to?" at the same time.
Chapter 7
"Pull out of here first, before those guys get any closer. Get onto the street, take a left. We can go crash at my place, it's like a mile away. I don't have any cloths that will fit you Paige, but could scrounge something up for Mike."
"Thanks. Clothing was my first concern." said Paige sarcastically.
"Well it should be, plus we all need showers, we're filthy!"
Mike stammered, "I should call my dad."
"I ain't stopping ya."
Paige, still driving, asked, "Okay where do I go from here?"
"Fairmount Estates. You know the way?"
Paige just looked at her, "You live in a gated community?"
"Yes darling, now speed us along, I wrecked my car and my nerves are just shot this morning. Get me home Paige."
"Rich bitch." Paige muttered under her breath. Dora heard, as she was supposed to and just smiled and nodded.
In the back seat Mike was talking to his frantic father, the conversation was not going well. Mike got off his phone and said, "I need to go home."
"Me first, Mikey. We are almost there now. You can call your dad again after that."
Mike looked out the window and didn't say anything. Paige pulled her car up to the security gate and looked over at Dora for the pin number to open the gate up. Dora smiled and said, "I can't give it out to you. If I did that everyone would have it! You know your face looks very ugly when you do that. I am just kidding of course, just winding you up a bit. The pin is one four three two, which is also my street number, very not clever, right? I am surprised we don't have more robbery's here, I really am. Plus to get out just takes making the motion sensors go off, you could get in by throwing a basketball over the gate and waiting for it to open automatically. Stupid really."
Paige snorted, "Geez do you want to tell me where you hide your spare keys to get in too?"
"Under the stone in my potted plant on the front stoop. I mean, really I could leave the door unlocked, with all the heavy security around here anyway."
They drove about two blocks into the community with Dora calling out directions in a haphazard way, which required a trip around the block to arrive in the correct driveway.
"So. Here we are." Dora looked at Paige, who looked back.
"Yeah, get out." said Paige.
"What?"
"You're home, Mike needs to be brought home, so you need to get out."
"I thought we would stick together during this time of crisis? Don't you dare abandon me Paige Lynn!"
"Paige Lynn? My middle name is not 'Lynn'."
"Oh? You look like a Paige Lynn to me. Anyway the TV said to get into your home and stay there, I thought we could crash here."
"Us? With you?"
"Sure I saved your lives already, so I am useful. Plus I have organic eggs and probably some good beer, oh and a virtual cellar full of very good wine." Roger would hate it if even one bottle were drank, which is why Dora was planning to foist as many off on her guests as she could.