“
Wait up
!
”
Abd yells, trying to catch up with the lumbering strides of the firefighter.
The redhead just moves faster. His steeling green eyes push out all emotion.
They can
’
t expect you to hold their hands,
he justifies
. It
’
s not your responsibility. They
’
ll be fine. You have to get home to Katherine and the kids
…
The frightened looks on the faces he abandoned still flash in Devin
’
s mind. They gnaw at his soul, pleading for him to stay. He washes the thought down with some of Jack
’
s familiar warmth. Devin forces his legs to run. His muscles burn, driving away the pain of this city. He races faster and faster toward the happiness of home.
The inviting picket fence and barbeques with the neighbors
—
cares of suburbia now seem a lifetime away. Paying bills and making sure the kids do their chores, even dealing with the PTA
’
s disdainful looks after punching out another one of Haley
’
s delinquent boyfriends; that world feels like an elusive paradise now. The good and bad of daily life have forever been put into a new perspective.
Abd flies past the distracted man, moving surprisingly fast for his haggard build. Suddenly, the Arab turns and stops. The tip of his twisted metal knife is raised, pointing hesitantly at Devin
’
s chest.
“
When you save a life, you become responsible for it,
”
Abd says,
his shoulders heaving.
Devin slows. The serrated sheet-metal edge sparkles dangerously in the moonlight.
“
Not in my religion, bloke.
”
The fireman stuffs the bottle of whiskey back into his bag.
“
But if you stop me from getting to my family again,
”
his emerald eyes flash,
“
you may just get to meet your precious Allah.
”
“
You could have left everyone to burn back on the plane,
”
Abd says.
“
I did
…
”
His dark sockets lower to the ground.
“
But you didn
’
t, Devin. You
’
re not a bad man. Don
’
t become one just when you
’
re needed most.
”
The fireman cocks the shotgun and levels it into Abd
’
s face.
“
Did you not see what we did behind that grocery store, mate?
”
Devin growls.
“
To protect
the people I care about
, I
’
ll do whatever it takes.
”
“
And if you shoot me down?
”
Abd asks, his body stiffening.
“
What will you tell your
kids
then?
”
Devin
’
s eyes turn to ice. The faint echo of children
’
s laughter begins to drift back to him along the cool night air. There is salvation in the sound, and an ever-present resiliency
,
trying to pull him back from the brink.
“
What lessons are you teaching them,
”
Abd continues,
“
when you abandon those still in your care?
”
The words eat away at Devin like a cancer. His anger and impatience fade, unable to defend his own reasoning anymore. The weapon in his hands trembles lower. He looks down at the bottle of alcohol, a mixture of desire and disgust on his face.
“
You
’
re a blooming nutter,
”
Devin groans, shoving the bottle deeper into his bag.
“
You know that, right?
”
“
I
’
ve been called far worse, my friend,
”
Abd says. His crooked smile shines back the moon
’
s soft glow. There
’
s a fleeting sparkle of enlightenment in the Arab
’
s black eyes.
“
You
’
re the last bloke I expected to make any bloody sense out here.
”
A reluctant grin returns to Devin
’
s face.
“
Well, I
’
m sure the others are a might tossed at me. Let
’
s go see what all the fuss is about.
”
He tips the gun barrel up to his shoulder and turns around. Dozens of indistinguishable masses seem to blur together along the blackened streets. Devin tries to focus his eyes but can only make out shadows in the dark.
The fireman tilts his head, straining to listen. He forces his swaying body to still. An eerie din of metropolitan silence thunders back. Even the occasional cricket call or bird chirp has been erased from existence. The quiet is somehow both violent and serene
—
more unsettling than any graveyard. Only the damned remain
…
The fireman swallows hard.
The sounds of shuffling feet suddenly rush at him. He spins. Echoes bounce off the husks of buildings all around. He levels his weapon, eyes wide with fear.
“
Easy!
”
Chris
’
s voice barks. He escorts two trembling bodies out of the black and into the moonlight. Their weary faces are streaked with tears.
“
Jeez, mate. Now you
’
ve got me jumpy,
”
Devin says. He looks over apologetically to Isabel and Terra, but his gaze quickly crumbles. Their disgust pulses back at him
,
betrayed electricity slashing through the air.
“
I ain
’
t your mate,
”
Chris snaps.
“
Selfish bastard, you don
’
t think we
’
d rather be home?
”
Devin shrinks under the black man
’
s eyes.
Out of nowhere, a whipping slap shoots across the fireman
’
s face, sobering him instantly.
“
I
’
m sorry, alright?
”
Devin defends, turning toward his assailant. His eyes lock on Isabel
’
s.
“
I have my own family to think about! We have no blooming idea what
’
s even going on out there, love.
”
Devin
’
s voice trails off.
“
The whole bloody world could be gone for all we know.
”
“
What if it is?
”
Isabel cries.
“
Right now, we
’
re all each other have.
”
She rubs angrily at her eyes.
“
We can
’
t control a damn thing other than that!
”
Isabel storms away, but suddenly, almost regretfully slows. The Latina looks up into an uncertain face. She pauses for a moment before giving Abd a fiercely grateful hug.
“
Thank you for waiting for us.
”
“
No time,
”
Terra says softly. The words are like wind through the leaves, falling away before anyone can hear them.
“
I
…
”
Abd stutters. He looks uncertainly to Chris. The huge teenager nods his head ever so slightly. The gesture speaks volumes.
“
No time
…
”
Terra whispers louder. Her eyes dart fearfully out to the shadows writhing around them.
“
What, honey?
”
Isabel asks. She gently brushes a lock of the teenager
’
s straight black hair away from her forehead.
Terra
’
s sapphire eyes stare out into the dark. Terror blossoms within them.
“
You see something?
”
Devin asks.
“
You care now?
”
Chris says coldly.
Devin
’
s eyes move across the beating black, uncertain of what they see.
“
How many?
”
Terra trembles next to them. Her voice is trapped inside.
The night is deathly silent as it stalks
…
“
How many did you see?!
”
Devin turns to Chris.
“
I don
’
t know,
”
Chris growls.
“
Just shadows. Moving in the dark.
”
In the distance, a woman
’
s scream pierces the night sky. Several male voices cut off her anguished sounds. The unseen attackers shout and laugh before they begin to ravage her.
Terra
’
s hand shoots out. It digs into Isabel
’
s arm, pulling her tight. The haunted teenager
’
s body quakes.
“
Make it stop,
”
she cries, burying her head deep in Isabel
’
s shoulder. Terra
’
s eyelids snap shut. Clenched veins rise to her temples.
“
Please
…
No
…
”
The scream fills them all with
a frigid
panic.
Chris
’
s eyes dart around, seeing motion now in every shade.
“
Whatever happens, keep moving toward the freeway,
”
Devin says. He lunges ahead and motions them forward into the dark. The fireman loads his shotgun with the shells grabbed behind the blood-stained grocery store. He cocks the weapon before scanning the darkness again.
Chris and the others follow quickly. The black shifts all around them. Sounds continue to grow as they walk.
Terra
’
s head snaps to the right. Footsteps are just behind them. She sees hands stretch out for her through the pitch black, clutching for their next victim.
Abd
’
s blade slashes at the exposed flesh. Dirty arms instantly pull back into the void.
Chris spins, taking Terra
’
s shoulders and forcing her on. The basketball star pushes the women up closer to Devin. He glances out at the swirling darkness. Chris
’
s left hand rifles through the open duffel bag slung over the fireman
’
s shoulder and finds the butt of a flare.
He strikes the red stick on the ground, pivoting and launching it as hard as he can behind them. The glowing missile arcs high into the air and explodes across the concrete. Hundreds of orange, prison-suited silhouettes scatter back into the shadows.
“
Jesus!
”
Isabel screams.
“
One shotgun won
’
t be enough!
”
Chris yells to Devin.
“
Bloody hell! What
’
s close to here?
”
“
There
’
s a sporting goods store another quarter-mile ahead.
”
The fireman nods protectively toward Terra.
“
Stay close to her!
”
Their bodies quickly encircle the girl as Chris strikes another flare. Burning red flickers back from the nightmarish faces of the night.
Burning sparks rain down above Chris
’
s head. His eyes dart around through the crimson smoke. The flare illuminates a shrinking circle of safety around them.
Their bodies move faster and faster, running now through the darkness. At the edges of the scarlet shadow, the contours of innumerable others follow just behind. Ambiguous shapes come into the red briefly before returning again to the black. Orange jumpsuits frame evil eyes, glinting back the color of flame. They spread like wildfire before going dark once more.