The City by David Moody Page B

stepped out into the unknown. He continued to go over the plan again and again in his head. It seemed to make sense and he couldn’t think of any alternative. He knew in his heart that it was going to work, but as the minutes slowly ticked by and the inevitable approached he began to doubt himself.
    ‘Make yourself useful,’ Donna said, snapping him out of his daydream. ‘Let’s start getting the lamps together.’
    She turned and walked out of the training room, leaving Paul sitting alone in the darkness. For a few seconds he stayed exactly where he was, suddenly too afraid to move. It didn’t matter how long they’d talked about doing this, now that the time to act had actually arrived he wanted to curl up again and hide. Sensing that he hadn’t followed her, Donna turned back.
    ‘What’s the problem?’ she hissed.
    His mouth was dry and he couldn’t answer.
    ‘I…’ he began, not knowing what he was trying to say.
    ‘Get off your backside and fucking move!’ Donna cursed.
    She waited for a second but still he didn’t move. ‘Now!’ she yelled.
    Paul scrambled to his feet, suddenly feeling pathetic and ashamed but no less frightened and unsure than he had been.
    Donna’s voice also provoked frantic activity out on the landing as the bodies again began to batter against the doors, trying hopelessly to force their way inside.
    The two survivors quickly made their way around the perimeter of the office, collecting the torches and lamps which Donna had placed there the previous evening. They then assembled them on a single desk in the furthest corner of the room, in full sight of the bodies behind the door.
    ‘Got everything?’ she asked.
    Paul swallowed hard.
    ‘Think so,’ he mumbled nervously, realising that they would be making their move within minutes.
    ‘Good,’ she replied. She started to light the lamps and torches but stopped after only lighting four. The creatures outside were banging on the door again with even more force. Their simple, basic interests already aroused by the sound of Donna’s voice moments earlier, the bright light in the corner of the room now seemed to be enough to drive them into a frenzy. She glanced over her shoulder at the movement outside.
    ‘Bloody hell,’ Paul moaned. ‘Christ, what the hell are we doing?’
    ‘What we have to do,’ Donna grunted, returning her attention to the lamps. ‘Now shut up and get on with it.’
    With his hands shaking with nerves Paul lit a match and began to light the gas lamps. The room was quickly filled with more light and with the faintly acidic smell and dull roar of burning jets of gas. The noise on the landing became even louder.
    ‘Shit,’ Paul cursed, ‘listen to them. All we’ve done is light a few lamps and the bloody things are going mad.’
    ‘Good, that’s exactly what we want.’
    ‘Is
    it?’
    ‘Of course it is. The more fired up they are, the better a distraction this is going to be.’
    Paul wasn’t convinced. He returned his attention to lighting the remaining lamps, trying unsuccessfully to blank out the noise coming from outside.
    A couple of minutes later and it was done. The far right corner of the office was filled with bright light and a sudden warmth.
    ‘Okay,’ Donna whispered, stepping back into the shadows again, ‘let’s go.’
    Paul instinctively began to backtrack.
    ‘You’re completely sure about this?’ he mumbled, his mouth dry. ‘But what happens if we get out there and…?’
    She turned and stared at him, her face harshly illuminated from the right. The anger in her face was blindingly apparent.
    ‘Just stop your damn whining and move,’ she seethed. ‘It’s too late to back out now. Get back to the other end and get the bags ready.’
    Relieved to be away from the revealing light he walked quickly away to the far end of the office.
    ‘And keep out of sight,’ she shouted after him. ‘Don’t let them see you. You screw this up and we’re trapped.’
    He didn’t need