The gate that leads to the entrance of the parking garage has been torn open, left to swing on its hinges. Two people I don't recognize stand outside it, gun barrels pointed inwards. I lift myself out of my crouch against a building that hides me from view, but Ama's hand restrains me.
"Teddy, we need to focus on getting everyone out first."
Shots ring out from somewhere inside the garage. My finger twitches on the trigger, but I nod reluctantly.
"Fine. How do we get in if they'reâoh. Follow me."
I lead her on a detour through an alley until we're out of sight, where I pull aside the sheet of corrugated metal to reveal my secret entrance. Ama passes me her pistol and then drops to the ground, wriggling underneath.
"Okay. We're clear."
I push her pistol underneath and cast a glance around before sliding underneath to join her, moving the metal back in place.
A shot cracks above our heads.
"Shit!" Ama shoves me behind an ancient car just as another bullet smashes the passenger-side window. I raise my arms to protect myself from the rain of glass. Sweat broils on my skin.
I peer over the side of the car and through the decimated window, trying to figure out where our attacker is. From the far side of the garage, there's a flash of movement. A man shifts his rifle barrel around the edge, pointing it at us. I pull Ama closer to the ground as a bullet whizzes overhead again.
"I'll draw his fire."
"Ama, waitâ"
She flashes me a thumbs-up and then dashes for the nearest car, several feet ahead and to the left. I swear, hefting my rifle and pointing it through the window. Bullets skid in her wake, throwing up clumps of concrete. I level my barrel as the man leans out again to get off another shot, then squeeze the trigger blindly. He falls back and out of view, too far for me to tell if the hit was fatal. I hurry to Ama's side.
"Don't ever lecture me for being reckless again, Ama."
She gives me a tight, hollow smile that ends up looking more like a grimace.
"Okay. What do we do?"
Someone shouts something from inside the garage. I crane my head towards the sound.
"Can we get into the garage from the back?"
"Yeah. Should be able to."
"Okay. I'll go in and get people out. I'll bring them to you and you can take them to where Noah and Maddy are. Okay?"
She nods, putting a hand on my arm. My skin burns under her touch.
"Be careful."
I lean in to place a kiss on her mouth. "Yeah. You too."
She gives me a gentle push. I scramble to my feet, adjusting my slippery grip on the rifle I hold. Then I make a break for the backside of the car park, the nearest side to where I am. Hearing voices, I hoist myself over the low wall and immediately press my back to a large crate, peering around the corner.
Two people I don't recognize stroll around the main floor, sticking the muzzles of their guns under tarps and flipping them up to see the contents. I catch snippets of conversation.
"âgood spot."
"Not sure I like this. We don't even know how well-armed they are."
"We're doing fine so far, aren't we?"
They wander towards the far corner and I slip out from behind cover, inching towards the incline that leads to the next level. With their backs turned, I dash up it as quietly as I can, sliding behind the nearest tent before I realize someone's already there.
"Teddy!"
I silence her quickly, raising a finger to my lips. The slender young woman crouched behind the canvas is ashen with fright, brown eyes wide. Her arms are full of medical supplies. A shot rings out somewhere on the level above us.
"Lora. We have to get everyone out of here."
The medic nods, trembling. "The kidsâthere's a few of them still in here, hiding somewhere, or they ran up a levelâand Jonathan, he can hardly move with that crippled legâ"
"I know." I grab her shoulders. "We'll figure it out. Anyone on this level?"
"A few. They pass through, checking the tents. James tried to take one of them by surprise but they shotâthey shot himâ"
I squeeze her shoulders, even though my head is spinning and the same tears that well up in her eyes are choking me. I have to be the one in control.
"Okay. We'll be alright, Lora. Ama is waiting outside through the back, she'll get people outside the fence and find them somewhere safe to hide. But I need your help."
She nods, taking deep, shuddering breaths. "Okay. Alright."
True to her word, someone I don't recognize rounds one of the tents, holding a handgun with deadly expertise. I watch as he kicks aside the tarp of a lean-to, pushing a foot into the heaps of blankets inside before moving on to the next one. With his back turned, I slip away from Lora, moving to hide beneath a tent just behind him. Then I straighten, pointing my rifle at him.
He hears the scrape of my boots on the concrete, whirling around just in time to send my shot whizzing into the metal pole next to him. He swears, trying to fire a shot off at me, but we're already in much too close quarters, so I swing my rifle around and catch him across the face with the butt end of it. His handgun skitters out of his grip, blood pouring from his nose like I've turned a faucet.
I lunge after him, pushing him to the ground and lifting my rifle again, ready to bash his skull into the concrete until it shatters. I'm blinded by crimson.
"Teddy!"
I barely hear Lora's warning shout through my rage, twisting just in time to avoid the slash of a blade. I snatch at the wrist behind it, feeling my skin catch on the edge of the knife and open up as they jerk away from my reach. Blood wells up and spills over the edge, pouring down to my elbow.
I leap up, grabbing their elbow and pushing them backwards, barely avoiding a thrust of the knife. My assailant crumples to the floor, already trying to get up. I plant a boot on his chest and shove him down, then whip my rifle towards him and send a round into his chest. He chokes on his own blood, eyes rolling up as I whirl to face the other man, still on the ground with blood streaming from his nose and lips. He raises a trembling hand, spluttering words through the blood on his teeth. Drops of crimson spray against the yellow parking guides painted on the floor.
I shoot him once in the throat, then empty the rest of my clip into his chest and stomach. The red haze doesn't fade until he stops twitching, and I back away, realizing the puddle of blood has spread to touch the toes of my boots.
Lora straightens slowly, eyes wide.
"Oh, god," she whimpers, a hand over her mouth. I look at the two corpses, adrenaline pulling behind my eyelids. Blood oozes from them, painting the garage floor black, spreading further than I thought it would. Nausea and a strange sense of pride battle each other in my stomach.
I did that.
I did that.
From behind one of the lean-tos, I hear a choking sob. I head towards it, then stop as someone appears from around the corner of it.
It's a young boy, maybe eight or nine. I've gone on scavenging trips with his mother.
Now, his eyes are huge as he stares at me. My chest heaves; the drip of blood from my elbow has trickled down to my hand.
"Hey, Malcolm," I say. "You're alright now. We're gonna help you, okay?"
I take a step towards him and he scrambles backwards. Lora hurries to my side, grabbing my shoulder and then releasing it with a flinch.
"Here, uhâlet me try, Teddy." She kneels in front of him. "Hey, buddy. You're alright. Do you know where your mom is?"
He shakes his head, unable to take his eyes off of me. My skin crawls under his gaze, and suddenly I can feel the stickiness of the blood that coats me.
"Okay. We'll find her. I'm gonna take you outside to Ama, okay?"
He nods and she gets to her feet, taking his hand in hers. She glances at me.
"You're bleeding, Teddy."
My sweat burns in the open wound.
"I know. I'll deal with it when this is over."
She nods. "Okay. Be careful."
"Yeah. I'll see who else I can find."
"Alright. Careful on the lower levelâyou might have to sneak past some guards."
She looks down at the bodies once more and shivers, leading Malcolm out towards the ramp. I step over the man with the knife and move on.