throwing his shoulder against Gibby and sending him off of the roof to fall, limbs flailing, to the street below.
It took a few moments before someone spoke, but finally Klaus cleared his throat.
"Everyone OK?" he asked and received nods in response.
"No thanks to this guy," Vernon said, pointing at Aiden. "Grow a pair of balls, will ya?"
Aiden jumped to his feet.
"You got a fuckin' problem, asshole? I didn't see you jump in and help," he said, walking toward the man, whose girls stood behind him.
"Didn't think I needed to. Thought you were a man. Guess I was wrong," said Vernon, adjusting his worn ball cap with a smirk.
Aiden rushed at him.
"Mother fucker, I'm gonna break your goddamned jaw," he said, but Bobo stepped in between them.
"Brother, take care of this later," he said, looking Aiden square in the eyes. "Don't worry 'bout him right now. We got to get off this roof. Right now. Ain't no time for fightin'"
"Fuck that. Let me kick the shit outta him first, then we can go," said Aiden, trying to step around Bobo.
Bobo grabbed his shoulder and Aiden drew back his fist in anger, threatening him with it.
"Shhh... you don't wanna do that, playah. I ain't the one yo pissed at. Let's take care of business first. When we outta here, I'll help ya kick his ass."
Aiden chewed his lip, fuming.
"All right. Vernon, when we're clear, you and I are gonna go a few rounds," he said, spitting on the roof.
"Fine by me..." said Vernon as Aiden turned to walk away.
"I'm gonna kill that bastard," Aiden said as he rejoined his brother. "You watch him. He'll turn on us as soon as he gets a chance."
"Yep," Conor replied. "He's a problem."
"Jesus. I can't believe what just happened here. Is Gibby really dead? I mean - fuckin' hell!"
"I know. I can't process it. Turned right in front of my eyes and I still can't accept it. Is this really happening right now?"
"Gibby, man. We made fun of him all the time, but... he was cool," Aiden said, shaking his head.
"He was one of us," Conor added. "He may have been a shitty drummer, but he was our shitty drummer."
"Shit..." Aiden said. "Man...I'm worried about Shelby..." he continued, glancing at his phone.
No service.
"I never could get through," he said.
"Hopefully she split when she saw what was happening," Conor said. "Maybe it hasn't reached as far as the suburbs."
"Maybe..." Aiden said with doubt. "But you know what happens in these situations. Assholes see an opportunity and start looting and destroying shit."
Conor did not respond, thinking through the possibilities. Aiden was right. Times like these brought out the worst in people. He could only pray that Felicia and Luke had managed to make it out of town. The frustration of his inability to help them raised a fire inside.
"Come on, brother. These dead fucks aren't killin' us," Conor said as he moved to the door once more. He took the scissors and gripped them tightly in his hand.
"Be careful, man," Klaus said from just behind him.
"Okay, everyone quiet," Conor said, listening intently. After a few moments he turned to them. "I don't hear anything in there. Once we're inside, just head down the steps as quickly and quietly as you can. We can do this. We'll get out, get a vehicle and get at far from this city as possible."
They nodded in unison, hope in their faces.
Conor very slowly pulled the door outward, prepared to slam it shut again at the first sight or sound of a zombie. He leaned forward, scissors at the ready and glanced quickly to either side of the doorway.
Nothing.
He then stepped across the landing to the rail and peered down the stairwell. There were windows on each level that cast thin shafts of light through the gloom. He could see no sign of movement, no figures below. He looked back at Aiden and nodded, then motioned the others inside.
They made far too much noise, feet shuffling, shoes clapping on the tiled floor, someone clearing their throat and covering their mouth upon realizing their
It took a few moments before someone spoke, but finally Klaus cleared his throat.
"Everyone OK?" he asked and received nods in response.
"No thanks to this guy," Vernon said, pointing at Aiden. "Grow a pair of balls, will ya?"
Aiden jumped to his feet.
"You got a fuckin' problem, asshole? I didn't see you jump in and help," he said, walking toward the man, whose girls stood behind him.
"Didn't think I needed to. Thought you were a man. Guess I was wrong," said Vernon, adjusting his worn ball cap with a smirk.
Aiden rushed at him.
"Mother fucker, I'm gonna break your goddamned jaw," he said, but Bobo stepped in between them.
"Brother, take care of this later," he said, looking Aiden square in the eyes. "Don't worry 'bout him right now. We got to get off this roof. Right now. Ain't no time for fightin'"
"Fuck that. Let me kick the shit outta him first, then we can go," said Aiden, trying to step around Bobo.
Bobo grabbed his shoulder and Aiden drew back his fist in anger, threatening him with it.
"Shhh... you don't wanna do that, playah. I ain't the one yo pissed at. Let's take care of business first. When we outta here, I'll help ya kick his ass."
Aiden chewed his lip, fuming.
"All right. Vernon, when we're clear, you and I are gonna go a few rounds," he said, spitting on the roof.
"Fine by me..." said Vernon as Aiden turned to walk away.
"I'm gonna kill that bastard," Aiden said as he rejoined his brother. "You watch him. He'll turn on us as soon as he gets a chance."
"Yep," Conor replied. "He's a problem."
"Jesus. I can't believe what just happened here. Is Gibby really dead? I mean - fuckin' hell!"
"I know. I can't process it. Turned right in front of my eyes and I still can't accept it. Is this really happening right now?"
"Gibby, man. We made fun of him all the time, but... he was cool," Aiden said, shaking his head.
"He was one of us," Conor added. "He may have been a shitty drummer, but he was our shitty drummer."
"Shit..." Aiden said. "Man...I'm worried about Shelby..." he continued, glancing at his phone.
No service.
"I never could get through," he said.
"Hopefully she split when she saw what was happening," Conor said. "Maybe it hasn't reached as far as the suburbs."
"Maybe..." Aiden said with doubt. "But you know what happens in these situations. Assholes see an opportunity and start looting and destroying shit."
Conor did not respond, thinking through the possibilities. Aiden was right. Times like these brought out the worst in people. He could only pray that Felicia and Luke had managed to make it out of town. The frustration of his inability to help them raised a fire inside.
"Come on, brother. These dead fucks aren't killin' us," Conor said as he moved to the door once more. He took the scissors and gripped them tightly in his hand.
"Be careful, man," Klaus said from just behind him.
"Okay, everyone quiet," Conor said, listening intently. After a few moments he turned to them. "I don't hear anything in there. Once we're inside, just head down the steps as quickly and quietly as you can. We can do this. We'll get out, get a vehicle and get at far from this city as possible."
They nodded in unison, hope in their faces.
Conor very slowly pulled the door outward, prepared to slam it shut again at the first sight or sound of a zombie. He leaned forward, scissors at the ready and glanced quickly to either side of the doorway.
Nothing.
He then stepped across the landing to the rail and peered down the stairwell. There were windows on each level that cast thin shafts of light through the gloom. He could see no sign of movement, no figures below. He looked back at Aiden and nodded, then motioned the others inside.
They made far too much noise, feet shuffling, shoes clapping on the tiled floor, someone clearing their throat and covering their mouth upon realizing their
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