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Each of them ripped one open, stuffing the golden cakes into their mouths, the white filling squishing free. Buckley grabbed two more, and shoved them one after the other, until his face was chipmunk full.

When he finally swallowed, he shook his head and smiled. "Let's get these out of here. I bet the others will want some."

They began stacking Twinkies into their arms and were about halfway done, when a sound intruded upon their gluttony.

"Did you hear that?" Little Rashad asked.

Muffled pounding from deep inside the restaurant.

"There it was again."

Buckley heard it this time. He dropped his cache of Twinkies and snatched his Super Soaker from where it leaned against the counter. "Who goes there?"

Little Rashad had paused in mid-bite. A half-eaten Twinkie poked from his mouth as he stared at Buckley. Several seconds passed as Buckley scanned the back of the store. Seeing nothing, he lowered the weapon.

"What was it?" Little Rashad asked, from around the edges of the confection.

"Dunno. Thought I heard something." Staring at the pile of half-crushed Twinkies on the floor, Buckley sighed and bent down to retrieve them. "Give me a hand. I can't pick up all of-"

The sound of pounding erupted from the back.

Buckley whirled to the sound, his rifle leveled.

Little Rashad gulped the remains of the Twinkie and fumbled with his own rifle. By the fear etched on his face, it was clear that he'd never meant to trade his safety for a golden sponge cake with creamy filling.

"This time I know I heard something," Buckley said. "What about you? Did you hear something?"

Little Rashad nodded rapidly.

Buckley switched the flashlight back on. Holding it over the barrel of the Super Soaker, he panned it across the back of the store. The light illuminated a wall locker, a walk-in freezer and a back door. The light danced back and forth between these three things as Buckley edged slowly forward.

"Who’s there?" he called again.

Creeping only an inch at a time, he arrived at the door to the outside first. Checking it, he discovered that the deadbolt was set from the inside. Nothing could get in that way unless he opened the door, something he didn't plan on doing. He placed his ear to the wood as he panned his light back to where the boy stood at the front of the store. Buckley raised his voice, packing as much authority into it as he could. "Come on, if you’re here, let us know. We’re not going to hurt you."

Nothing.

After several seconds he moved on. Next in line was the walk-in freezer. Checking the door, he saw that the latch was engaged, promising that whatever was inside, if something was inside, was locked inside. He placed his ear against the cool metal of the freezer door, listening for any whisper of noise, any indication that something was inside.

"Olly Olly Oxen Free," Buckley screamed as he grinned at Little Rashad. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Five seconds passed. Just as he was about to pull away, Buckley jerked back as pounding from the other side of the door erupted. He spun, slipping and twisting as he went down in a pile of broken plates and crashing silverware. A brace of pans clattered to the floor with a deafening chorus of rings and clangs. Buckley spun reflexively and fired a burst of water at the metal freezer door. The water dribbled harmlessly to the floor.

Over his shoulder Buckley whispered, "Get Sissy in here."

"I’m here. What’s going on?"

Buckley swung the light to the doorway and illuminated Sissy. She'd come a long way this journey. No longer was she the wilting wallflower. She'd become something else, something more mature. She was GI Barbie, with kung fu grip and ready for combat, crouched in the doorway, sighting along the length of her Super Soaker.

"Find some Maggies?"

Buckley swung the beam back to the freezer door. "I don’t know what I found."

"There’s something in there," Little Rashad whispered. "And it knocks."

Sissy stood straight and began to walk into the room. She lowered her rifle. "Then there's no problem."

Buckley eyed the door. "How do you know?"

"Maggies don’t knock."

Buckley blinked twice, then stood slowly. "Very true."

"Well?" Sissy asked. "Are we going to open it?"

Buckley watched as a Maggie popped free of his trigger finger and fell to the floor. He stomped it. "Yeah. You better cover me just in case, though."

Sissy sauntered over to the island where the dishes had been stacked and took up position. On her knees, she rested the barrel of the Super Soaker across the metal surface, aiming directly at the door. She snapped her flashlight on and set it on the counter beside her, illuminating the latch. "You open the door, Mr. Adamski, and I’ll squirt whatever’s inside. If it’s human, they won’t mind a little salt water. If it's something worse, well, let's hope they have the same aversion to salt as the maggies."

Not sure if he liked the new Sissy, Buckley stepped back to the door. He gripped the latch, careful to leave Sissy a line of fire. He took several deep breaths.

"On my count of three," Sissy said. "Ready?"

Buckley nodded as sweat and a pair of maggies dripped from his forehead. Ignoring them, he remembered the last time they opened a door with someone knocking on the other side.

"One."

Buckley, Samuel and Bennie prepare to open the door. MacHenry holds dead Lashawna. Sally Struthers’ screams can be heard from the other side.

"Two."

Bennie opens the door revealing Sally Struthers, her face a colander of maggie holes. Blood and skin drip from her body as she’s consumed and crazed.

"Three."

Buckley flung open the door and pinned himself to the wall behind it. A tiny creature stood in the doorway, illuminated by Sissy's light. It screamed. Blonde hair and blue eyes, she couldn't have been more than seven years old.

Aiming like a sniper, Sissy squirted salt water directly into the girl’s face. The screaming stopped as the little girl began to gasp for air.

There was no sizzle.

CHAPTER 26

While the little girl named Nikki Oliveri introduced herself to the group, Buckley drank from a gallon jug of salt water. Although his gut was filled to bursting, he had to raise the sodium level of his blood. The maggies were coming fast and furious now. The last thing he needed was to end up like Sally Struthers, his recent memory of her death reminding him of how bad it could get. And thankfully, no one paid attention to him. Instead, all eyes were on the new addition to the group who sat on the curb with Little Rashad beside her, pleased to pass her Twinkies and a warm can of soda. The boy couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

Finally the girl came up for air. "I didn’t think I’d be able to eat again. Everything was rotting and…"

Sissy knelt behind the girl and laid her weapon on the ground. "There, there. It’s all going to be good now. I won’t let you die, honey."

Buckley stared at Sissy in wonderment.

Gert and MacHenry exchanged a private look.

Grandma Riggs hummed an aimless tune to herself.

They all heard the sound of a caddie feeding on a building several blocks away, but couldn't take their eyes of Sissy.