clear.”
Vicky stood up and peered over the wall too.
Rhys flinched when another scream tore through the city. The mob had taken another victim.
“We need to get out of here,” Vicky said.
A quick nod from Rhys, and the pair of them moved toward the exit.
A second later, Rhys grabbed Vicky’s arm. When she looked at him, he pointed to an alleyway across the street. The shadows shifted and groaned. Hundreds of the diseased were packed into the tight space.
The pair ducked back down behind the wall.
“They’re coming our way,” Rhys said. “The streets are too dangerous.” His hushed tones echoed in the hard open space of the car park.
Vicky threw her arms up. “Where else can we go?”
Rhys looked at the red door opposite them. It led to the higher levels.
Vicky shook her head. “No way. Why would I go farther into the car park? We’re trapped in here.”
“At least we have a chance to wait it out if we hide away.”
Although she stared hard at him, Vicky clearly didn’t have an argument. Rhys took her soft hand. “It’s the only way.”
She looked far from convinced.
***
When Rhys pulled the swing door open, the hinges groaned. The sound raced up the cavernous stairwell. The hinges as good as cackled when Rhys pushed the door a little wider.
After they’d both stepped though, Rhys closed the door to the same dramatic response. His voice echoed when he said, “What’s wrong with a bit of fucking oil?”
Vicky scowled at him.
The stone stairwell allowed access to every floor. As damp as the rest of the car park, the eye-watering reek of ammonia hung in the air. With his nose held in a tight pinch, Rhys shook his head. “How many dirty bastards have pissed in this place?”
The dark expression on Vicky’s face remained unchanged.
Each step strained Rhys’ weak legs as he ascended the stairs. Vicky followed behind.
As they climbed, Rhys looked over his shoulder at Vicky. She continued to glare at him and made light work of the stairs.
Once they’d passed level three, Rhys broke the silence. “The good thing about those dodgy hinges is they’re a dead giveaway if we’re being followed. I take the silence as an indication that we seem to have gotten away with it.”
“Let’s not get too cocky.”
Rhys shrugged.
“Where are we going, anyway?” Vicky said.
“Higher ground. If we have a better view of the city, we can plan our route out of here.”
“You do realise we’re going to the topof a multi-storey car park, right? I mean, it’s kind of like hiding in an alley with a dead end. What if they follow us up?”
“Haven’t we just had this conversation? Where else can we go? You heard that scream as clearly as I did. You saw the monsters in the alleyway. It ain’t safe in the city; at least, not if we’re just chancing our luck. We need some sort of plan if we’re going to survive this, and I didn’t want to be formulating it while I waited for that mob down there to get to the end of their alley.”
“We had a plan. Run like the fucking wind until we make it to the one bridge that hasn’t been blown up.”
“That’s easy for you to say.” The more Rhys spoke, the less he could breathe. “I don’t have the running in me.”
“So I have to risk my life because you’re a slob?”
“We’ve got to be smarter, Vicky. This disease is spreading quickly. We can’t outrun it.”
“You can’t outrun it. I can outrun anything if my life depends on it.”
“Alright, love, there’s no need to be so fucking smug about it.”
Vicky looked like she wanted to swing for him.
***
At the top of the stairs, Rhys pulled the door open—quickly this time to bypass any groaning theatrics. He held it wide for Vicky.
For a moment, Vicky didn’t move. With her hands on her hips, she looked between the open door and Rhys.
“Oh, right,” Rhys said. “It used to be polite to let a woman go first. That was before those things lurked behind every fucking
Vicky stood up and peered over the wall too.
Rhys flinched when another scream tore through the city. The mob had taken another victim.
“We need to get out of here,” Vicky said.
A quick nod from Rhys, and the pair of them moved toward the exit.
A second later, Rhys grabbed Vicky’s arm. When she looked at him, he pointed to an alleyway across the street. The shadows shifted and groaned. Hundreds of the diseased were packed into the tight space.
The pair ducked back down behind the wall.
“They’re coming our way,” Rhys said. “The streets are too dangerous.” His hushed tones echoed in the hard open space of the car park.
Vicky threw her arms up. “Where else can we go?”
Rhys looked at the red door opposite them. It led to the higher levels.
Vicky shook her head. “No way. Why would I go farther into the car park? We’re trapped in here.”
“At least we have a chance to wait it out if we hide away.”
Although she stared hard at him, Vicky clearly didn’t have an argument. Rhys took her soft hand. “It’s the only way.”
She looked far from convinced.
***
When Rhys pulled the swing door open, the hinges groaned. The sound raced up the cavernous stairwell. The hinges as good as cackled when Rhys pushed the door a little wider.
After they’d both stepped though, Rhys closed the door to the same dramatic response. His voice echoed when he said, “What’s wrong with a bit of fucking oil?”
Vicky scowled at him.
The stone stairwell allowed access to every floor. As damp as the rest of the car park, the eye-watering reek of ammonia hung in the air. With his nose held in a tight pinch, Rhys shook his head. “How many dirty bastards have pissed in this place?”
The dark expression on Vicky’s face remained unchanged.
Each step strained Rhys’ weak legs as he ascended the stairs. Vicky followed behind.
As they climbed, Rhys looked over his shoulder at Vicky. She continued to glare at him and made light work of the stairs.
Once they’d passed level three, Rhys broke the silence. “The good thing about those dodgy hinges is they’re a dead giveaway if we’re being followed. I take the silence as an indication that we seem to have gotten away with it.”
“Let’s not get too cocky.”
Rhys shrugged.
“Where are we going, anyway?” Vicky said.
“Higher ground. If we have a better view of the city, we can plan our route out of here.”
“You do realise we’re going to the topof a multi-storey car park, right? I mean, it’s kind of like hiding in an alley with a dead end. What if they follow us up?”
“Haven’t we just had this conversation? Where else can we go? You heard that scream as clearly as I did. You saw the monsters in the alleyway. It ain’t safe in the city; at least, not if we’re just chancing our luck. We need some sort of plan if we’re going to survive this, and I didn’t want to be formulating it while I waited for that mob down there to get to the end of their alley.”
“We had a plan. Run like the fucking wind until we make it to the one bridge that hasn’t been blown up.”
“That’s easy for you to say.” The more Rhys spoke, the less he could breathe. “I don’t have the running in me.”
“So I have to risk my life because you’re a slob?”
“We’ve got to be smarter, Vicky. This disease is spreading quickly. We can’t outrun it.”
“You can’t outrun it. I can outrun anything if my life depends on it.”
“Alright, love, there’s no need to be so fucking smug about it.”
Vicky looked like she wanted to swing for him.
***
At the top of the stairs, Rhys pulled the door open—quickly this time to bypass any groaning theatrics. He held it wide for Vicky.
For a moment, Vicky didn’t move. With her hands on her hips, she looked between the open door and Rhys.
“Oh, right,” Rhys said. “It used to be polite to let a woman go first. That was before those things lurked behind every fucking
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