He reached for his pockets. Tried to find his gun. But fuck. It wasn’t there. He’d dropped it. He’d dropped it and…

  He saw the gun right by the edge of the roof.

  He looked up. Looked up at the woman standing over him.

  And then he threw himself towards his gun.

  Threw himself as fast as he could.

  As fast as his knackered ankle would allow.

  He saw it getting closer. Saw it creeping towards him as he lurched towards it. And for a moment, he thought he had a shot. He thought he might actually get it. He might be able to shoot this bitch before she did whatever the fuck to him.

  And then he felt tightness around his right ankle.

  Yelped.

  Fell face flat onto the roof.

  He winced. Gasped. His leg was on fire. No way he could stand. No way he could get to his gun.

  He felt the woman grab his back. He tried to fight free but she was just too strong. She pushed him towards the edge of the building. Pushed him right up to the edge so he was looking down again. Only this time, he wasn’t looking down on his own terms.

  Which made it fucking terrifying.

  He saw the carpet of death staring up at him. Saw them lifting their flailing arms. Saw their teeth snapping, saw them shuffling further and further along.

  The woman laughed. And he felt something. Felt something warm dripping onto the back of his neck.

  It was only when he saw it falling past him that he realised it was her blood.

  She pushed him further over the edge. And as he dangled there, nothing he could do to fight back, Cody found himself thinking of Sasha and Kelly again. Thinking of Kelly’s fourth birthday. First real birthday she’d been old enough to enjoy. The look on her little face when she’d opened the big white teddy bear Cody had got her. The magic in her eyes.

  “I love you, princess,” he muttered. Tears built up in his eyes, and dripped below.

  The woman pushed him further to the edge. So much so that his whole upper body was dangling over now, threatening to drag the rest of his body down.

  “I love you,” he said.

  He felt his stomach give way.

  Felt his body start to tilt, the weight shifting.

  He felt the woman’s grip loosen.

  And then, he felt himself start to fall.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Riley poked his head around the side of the alleyway and held his breath.

  The midday sun still glowed down on the Manchester Living Zone. But in the shade of the alleyways, you could be mistaken for thinking it was the middle of the night.

  The sounds all added to that sense, too. No human sounds. Nothing but the lurching footsteps of the dead.

  Nothing but the sound of his heavy breathing.

  Of his heart racing against his ribcage.

  He looked across the street. In chaos, just like the rest. Glass was all over the road. What were once stalls had been overturned, spilled onto their sides. A carpet of dead cushioned the tarmac, all headless, all truly gone.

  But beyond them, off into the distance, Riley saw the actual undead.

  The living undead.

  All of them drifting through the MLZ.

  On to their next meal.

  He licked his lips, which were dry and crusty. He did his usual thing, a new thing he’d adapted to on this journey: he inhaled. Not for the smell of decomposition that lingered around the undead. That was a handy trick when you were out in the sticks.

  No. He inhaled for the sweetness of the hybrids.

  The surefire sign that they—whatever they were—were close.

  He didn’t smell anything sweet in this death-laden air.

  So he embraced the butterflies in his stomach.

  Focused on the alleyway at the opposite side of the road.

  Then he ran.

  As he moved closer to the location of Jordanna’s cell, using every free alleyway he could, keeping as quiet as possible, he thought about Cody. He’d been left up there on that roof. Hassan and Riley told him they’d go back for him when they figured out what their next step was going to be.

  But was that really the case? Did they really have any intentions of going back?

  Did Cody realise just how much of a long shot it was saving his life?

  The thought of leaving someone else behind terrified Riley. Made his hair stand on end as he ran across the road, into the next unoccupied alleyway.

  He didn’t want to leave another soul behind. Not again.

  He was about to enter the alleyway when he saw movement at the bottom end.

  He stopped. Froze. Stood still right there in the middle of the road.

  There was someone at the end of the alleyway.

  Someone walking along.

  Someone…

  The smell. That sweet smell.

  Strong.

  More pungent than any rot Riley had ever smelled.

  The smell of the hybrids.

  The surefire sign that those things were amongst him.

  He crouched down. Edged towards the blue metal dumpster right at the alleyway entrance. He tried to hold his breath. Tried to steady his heart. The dumpster wasn’t a great location. Kept him covered from the hybrid, but he was still pretty much on Foundry Lane.

  He was a sitting duck.

  Just waiting for the undead to notice him.

  He swallowed. Curled up into an even smaller ball. He leaned to the side of the dumpster. Peeked through the back of it, along the wall.

  He saw the hybrid clearly now. It was a man. A man he vaguely recognised. Old. Grey. Bearded. Damon? Something like that.

  Damon was laughing.

  Laughing as he rubbed his bald forehead against the metal chainlink fence at the end of the alleyway.

  Rubbing with quite some force.

  Blood pouring down from his wounded scalp.

  Riley looked away. He didn’t want to focus on Damon. He wasn’t a threat. Not yet. He could find a way around him. Go down the next alleyway. Or he could sneak up on him unexpected. He had two bullets left, so he had to use them wisely.

  One thing was for sure. He just couldn’t stay here.

  He just couldn’t—

  A scream.

  A scream from the opposite side of the road. Right over where he’d come from.

  It took Riley a few minutes to process it properly. To truly take it in.

  But when he turned around and looked back across the road, he saw exactly what it was.

  There was a man. Skinny. Ginger. He was dragging himself towards the alleyway. Blood covered his face. His leg had snapped right open.

  Riley saw the change in movement up the road. Saw the creatures up the road stop. Some of them turned around, started to drift back in their direction.

  Towards the screams.

  Towards the struggling man.

  And then Riley noticed something else.

  The rattling of the fence that the hybrid was pressing its head against had stopped.

  Footsteps were echoing down the alleyway.

  Riley kept still. He could use this. Use the scream as a bait to draw Damon’s hybrid out. To lure it away from the alleyway so he could get to Jordanna quicker. Easier.

  This was the perfect distraction.

  This was survival.

  This was…

  He felt a weight in his chest as the terrified man screamed once more. He was a survivor. Just like Riley. He’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tripped, broken his leg, whatever.

  He had just as much right as Riley to be alive right now.

  Riley couldn’t just leave him there to die.

  He heard the hybrid’s footsteps getting closer. Smelled the sweetness thickening in the air. It was almost calming to inhale. Hypnotic.

  All well and good until the hybrid’s shadow stepped past the side of the dumpster.

  Damon’s hybrid staggered towards the ginger man on the opposite side of the road.

  Riley saw his moment. Saw his chance. His chance to escape. His chance to get to Jordanna.

  But no.

  He couldn’t leave anybody else behind.

  Anybody.

  He took in a deep breath.

  Stood.

  And then he walked over to the hybrid.

  Steadied his aim.

  Fired a bullet into the back of its head.

  He saw the blood spurt out. Saw the thing fall out of it, too. The little worm-like creature. He watched it worm away, disappearing up the street like a little parasite.

  And then he saw the creatures getting closer to the screaming man. Saw them noticing the source of the gunshot.

  He didn’t have long.

  He had to get across the road.

  He had to save this man.

  He ran. Ran past the fallen hybrid. Ran across the downed bodies, the smashed glass, the unopened water bottles.

  “Hey,” he said, crouching beside the fallen guy. “Hey. It’s okay. It’s—”

  “My leg,” the man said. “My—my leg it hurts it—”

  “Listen,” Riley said, grabbing the man’s hand. “It’s okay. But you’re gonna have to be quiet. You’re gonna have to just be quiet.”

  The ginger man sobbed. Winced. Did everything he could to fight against the pain.

  The crowd of creatures edged closer.

  “What’s your name?”

  “It’s—it’s Alex.”

  “Alex. Right. I’m—”

  “I know who you are.”

  “Right. Of course you do. Alex, I’m going to get you away from here. It’s not going to be easy, but you’re just going to have to trust me.”

  “My leg. It’s—it’s so sore. It’s—”

  “I know. I know. Which is why you’re going to have to trust me here when I tell you you’re going to die. We’re both going to die. Unless we find a way to fight the pain. Unless we find a way to move. Okay?”

  Tears rolled down Alex’s puffy cheeks. He nodded. Exhaled shakily. “I’m scared.”

  “I know. You’d be mad if you weren’t.”

  Riley put an arm around Alex’s shoulder. Pulled him up.

  Alex screamed. A jet of blood spurted out of his leg.

  Riley thought he saw the eyes of the creatures twinkle.

  “Come on now. Keep the pressure off that leg. Just hop along—”

  “I can’t do it.”

  “You can do it.” Riley stepped across the road. Over towards the alleyway. The shadow of the mass of creatures grew ever closer. “You can do it. I swear you can do it.”

  “I can’t… I… Yes. Yes I can. Yes I can.”

  “Yes you can.”

  They moved a little quicker across the road. Alex screamed every time the weight shifted onto his broken leg. He was fucked. Riley could see that much. He didn’t have any medical expertise. And Hassan was hardly in the best position to be offering medical treatment right now. But he had to try something. He couldn’t leave him behind.

  “Just think of those you care about,” Riley said, as the final few metres approached. The groans of the creatures were loud, deafening.

  “My—my baby,” Alex said. “My Will. My baby.”

  “That’s right. You just think of him.”

  They stepped into the alleyway. Rushed past the dumpster, towards the chain-link fence. And Riley knew right away when the darkness filled the alleyway that the creatures were inside. That they were penned in. Nothing they could do about them.

  “We’re going to have to climb this.”

  “Climb? I can’t fucking—”

  “Hey. You can do anything. For Will. Remember? For Will.”

  Alex looked back at the dead. They tumbled over one another. Raced each other to their prey. They had seconds. Seconds to make it over this fence. To get away.

  And those seconds were fast disappearing.

  Riley thought about the best way to do this. “I… I think I should climb up then drag you over. You could try going first but I don’t think it’ll be much good.”

  “Don’t leave me behind. Please.”

  Riley felt a lump swell in his throat. “I won’t leave you behind. I promise.”

  Riley climbed the chain-link fence. It wasn’t too high. He knew it’d be a decent protection for the time being, provided there wasn’t anything nasty awaiting on the other side.

  He reached the top. Held his hands out. “Quick!”

  Alex winced. He stumbled to the edge of the fence. Stretched up for Riley’s hands. The creatures were just a few metres away now.

  “Come on,” Riley said. “You’ve got this! You’ve fucking got this!”

  Alex grabbed Riley’s hands. “I’ve got this.”

  “For Will.”

  Alex’s hands tightened. “For Will. I’ve got this. For Will.”

  Riley held his breath.

  Pulled with all his might.

  Alex screamed in pain as he hopped up the side of the fence, threatening to pull Riley back over with him as the creatures got within feet.

  “I’ve got this!” Alex said. He laughed a little. A nervous, excited laugh. “I—I’ve got—”

  Riley felt the sudden force against his arms.

  Felt himself lurch over the fence.

  And he didn’t want to let go. He knew what was happening but he didn’t want to let go.

  The creatures grabbed hold of Alex’s legs.

  Stuck their teeth into them.

  Alex looked up at Riley, pale-faced, fear in his blue eyes.

  He screamed.

  He dug his nails into Riley’s palms as the wave of creatures got thicker. They feasted on his feet. On his legs. Ripped away the flesh of his buttocks, sunk their teeth into his torso.

  And they pulled.

  They pulled and pulled and pulled.

  They were ripping Alex apart.

  Ripping him apart down the middle.

  Riley listened to the gargled cries from Alex’s mouth. Watched blood spill out all over the thirsty creatures. But still he held on. He held on ’cause he’d promised he wouldn’t let go. He’d promised he wouldn’t leave Alex behind.

  He wasn’t going to leave him to die alone.

  He’d hold on, right to the bitter end.

  It was only a few seconds later that Alex’s hands went limp.

  Only then did Riley finally, finally let go.

  He dropped down into the alleyway. Backed away from the creature-laden fence. Listened to the sounds of flesh being chewed away.

  “I’m sorry, Alex. I’m so sorry.”

  And then he turned around and he walked towards the cells.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “You didn’t have to come back for me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You know I did.”

  “You’ve put yourself at risk. Nobody puts themselves at risk in times like these.”

  “Well it’s a good job I did, isn’t it?”

  Hassan walked towards the edge of the alleyway. The sky was greying now, clouding over again. There was a bitter chill to the air too, which was weird and sudden. Probably too sudden to be anything external. Some inner change inside him, he knew that was most likely.

  Not to mention the blood crusting on his skin. The sweat dripping down his body.

  He turned and looked at Cody. “We’d better get that ankle checked before we go any further.”

  Cody waved a hand. “Fuck it. Made it this far.”

  “But it’s not far enough. Let me take a look. Please.”

  Cody rolled his eyes. Lifted his black trousers.

  Hassan crouched and took a look at it. He stayed constantly aware of the alleyway exits. Constantly aware of the windows around him. Of the roofs above. “Bruised. Probably sprained. But doesn’t look so bad.”

  “Well it feels fucking awful.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” Hassan said, lowering Cody’s trouser leg. He stood. Nodded. “Not exactly in fit shape to be hopping across roofs anyway. But as sore as it is, walking will ease it. I swear.”

  “I told you; you could’ve gone on.”

  “No,” Hassan said. “No I couldn’t. Not when I saw you dangling over the edge. It’s not fair. You’ve made it this far. Now come on. Let’s get a move on.”

  Hassan stepped around the side of the alleyway. Pointed his gun across the corner. The zombies were on the left, still. The bulk of the thousands from outside had found their way in now. The exit route was much clearer.

  But Hassan knew how it was. All it took was one misstep and the entire crowd would be upon them once again.

  “You totally comfortable just running away from this place?”

  Cody’s words brought a sickly taste to Hassan’s mouth. “We’re not just running away.”

  “That’s what it looks like to me.”

  “You’ve seen how it is. You’re more than welcome to stay behind. But it’s unsalvageable. We’ve hardly seen any survivors. It’s… This place is over. It’s lost. And it’s about time we faced up to that.”

  Hassan walked out of the alleyway.

  “I’m not talkin’ about salvaging this place, Hassan.”

  Hassan felt his mind stop, like someone had hit the brakes on his life even though he was still moving. “Then what’re you on about?”

  Hassan knew exactly what Cody was on about. He was on about Jordanna. He was on about that woman he was supposed to care about. That woman he’d fucking slept with behind Riley’s back. That woman that gave him fluttery feelings right in the core of his chest, as cheesy as shit as that sounded.

  “Jordanna. You really think she’s as much of a threat as that James fella said?”

  “She killed Tamara.”

  “It wasn’t her, man. It wasn’t her.”

  “But regardless—”

  “It’s not my call to make,” Hassan said.

  He found himself raising his voice. He hadn’t intended to. Just it brought it all back. Brought his past back.

  The cries.

  The shouts.

  The screams.

  “When I was in my late teens, I met someone,” Hassan said. “A girl. Tabitha. She was nice. Way cooler than me. Damn, she was the coolest girl I’d ever met.”

  “Sounds sweet.”

  Hassan shook his head as the pair of them walked into another alleyway, walked towards one of the gaping holes in the fences. He kept his gun raised at all times. “She was. Until I had a bike accident and she flew under a truck.”