down the stairs that represented bike cogs, he listened to Oscar catch the door before it closed.
The big man called down the stairs, “Are you trying to leave me up here or something?”
Rhys stopped and looked up at the man. “No, why?”
“If this door closes, it needs a card to open it from the outside. I’m guessing you still have the card?”
Of course Rhys did. “I’m going to get some of the bigger fireworks—the ones that wouldn’t fit in our backpacks; I think we can use them.”
Oscar stared at Rhys for a moment before he dipped a slight nod. “Okay. I’ll keep the door open while you bring them up.”
A nod back and Rhys continued down the stairs. The big man wouldn’t be easy to shake should he want to lose him. Rhys dismissed the thought and ran over to the handlebar display case. The glass door to the firework cabinet hung open from when they’d filled their backpacks earlier. When Rhys pulled the tray out, his heart raced as he stared at the huge rockets. They were about to make a lot of fucking noise. He then leaned forward and scooped them up.
***
With so many rockets in his arms, Rhys nearly dropped them as he walked up the stairs. He looked up at Oscar, who remained in the doorway staring down at him. A half smile lifted Oscar’s face as he took obvious pleasure in Rhys’ struggle.
Once Rhys reached the top of the stairs, Oscar remained in the doorway so Rhys had to pause until he got out of his way. When Oscar stepped aside, Rhys walked out onto the roof and squinted as the bright setting sun stung his eyes. Whatever game Oscar wanted to play, he could play it by himself; Rhys didn’t have time for his bullshit.
Oscar regarded him with his usual disdain. “So what are you going to do with them? And why didn’t you use the ones in your backpack?”
“Because I might need those for later. These are the ones we can’t take with us.”
The wooden poles attached to the fireworks clattered against the roof when Rhys put them down. His pulse spiked and he dropped into a crouch. The movement tore at his tired leg muscles, but better that than the fuckers below see them.
With Oscar crouched by his side, too, the pair listened to the diseased down below. No worse than usual, the monsters obviously hadn’t twigged as to where Rhys and Oscar were yet.
A glance at Oscar, and Rhys’ heart stopped for a second. Ice ran down his back when he saw a patch of blood had seeped through Oscar’s blue jeans from his right thigh. No wonder he ran with a limp.
When Rhys looked back at Oscar, the big man glared at him. Rhys closed his mouth, took a breath to speak, but said nothing. Had Oscar been bitten ?
Rhys turned away from Oscar and picked up the firework he wanted to use. He then stood up and peered at the horde below. None of them looked up.
While on tiptoes, Rhys walked to the edge of the roof, and the stones crunched beneath his feet.
When he got close enough to both see the mob directly beneath him and for the mob to be able see him, he held his breath and retrieved one of the large plant pots from the edge of the roof. Fuck knows what had grown from it. Whatever it had been, it had long since died. If they’d have had more time, the pots may have served as good projectiles at some point. However, with only three and a half hours left before the entire city went up in flames, they’d need a bigger plan. With a few heavy plant pots and stones as ammunition, they’d be there until the middle of next week.
Rhys grunted as he lifted the heavy pot, still full of earth, and his exhausted arms shook from the effort. As he returned to Oscar with it, he made more noise than at any other point up on the roof.
A vent protruded from the roof by about ten centimetres. Rhys leaned the plant pot against it so the top of it angled out over the crowd.
When he took one of the smaller rockets and stuck it into the earth, Oscar laughed. “Are you out of your gourd? That’s
The big man called down the stairs, “Are you trying to leave me up here or something?”
Rhys stopped and looked up at the man. “No, why?”
“If this door closes, it needs a card to open it from the outside. I’m guessing you still have the card?”
Of course Rhys did. “I’m going to get some of the bigger fireworks—the ones that wouldn’t fit in our backpacks; I think we can use them.”
Oscar stared at Rhys for a moment before he dipped a slight nod. “Okay. I’ll keep the door open while you bring them up.”
A nod back and Rhys continued down the stairs. The big man wouldn’t be easy to shake should he want to lose him. Rhys dismissed the thought and ran over to the handlebar display case. The glass door to the firework cabinet hung open from when they’d filled their backpacks earlier. When Rhys pulled the tray out, his heart raced as he stared at the huge rockets. They were about to make a lot of fucking noise. He then leaned forward and scooped them up.
***
With so many rockets in his arms, Rhys nearly dropped them as he walked up the stairs. He looked up at Oscar, who remained in the doorway staring down at him. A half smile lifted Oscar’s face as he took obvious pleasure in Rhys’ struggle.
Once Rhys reached the top of the stairs, Oscar remained in the doorway so Rhys had to pause until he got out of his way. When Oscar stepped aside, Rhys walked out onto the roof and squinted as the bright setting sun stung his eyes. Whatever game Oscar wanted to play, he could play it by himself; Rhys didn’t have time for his bullshit.
Oscar regarded him with his usual disdain. “So what are you going to do with them? And why didn’t you use the ones in your backpack?”
“Because I might need those for later. These are the ones we can’t take with us.”
The wooden poles attached to the fireworks clattered against the roof when Rhys put them down. His pulse spiked and he dropped into a crouch. The movement tore at his tired leg muscles, but better that than the fuckers below see them.
With Oscar crouched by his side, too, the pair listened to the diseased down below. No worse than usual, the monsters obviously hadn’t twigged as to where Rhys and Oscar were yet.
A glance at Oscar, and Rhys’ heart stopped for a second. Ice ran down his back when he saw a patch of blood had seeped through Oscar’s blue jeans from his right thigh. No wonder he ran with a limp.
When Rhys looked back at Oscar, the big man glared at him. Rhys closed his mouth, took a breath to speak, but said nothing. Had Oscar been bitten ?
Rhys turned away from Oscar and picked up the firework he wanted to use. He then stood up and peered at the horde below. None of them looked up.
While on tiptoes, Rhys walked to the edge of the roof, and the stones crunched beneath his feet.
When he got close enough to both see the mob directly beneath him and for the mob to be able see him, he held his breath and retrieved one of the large plant pots from the edge of the roof. Fuck knows what had grown from it. Whatever it had been, it had long since died. If they’d have had more time, the pots may have served as good projectiles at some point. However, with only three and a half hours left before the entire city went up in flames, they’d need a bigger plan. With a few heavy plant pots and stones as ammunition, they’d be there until the middle of next week.
Rhys grunted as he lifted the heavy pot, still full of earth, and his exhausted arms shook from the effort. As he returned to Oscar with it, he made more noise than at any other point up on the roof.
A vent protruded from the roof by about ten centimetres. Rhys leaned the plant pot against it so the top of it angled out over the crowd.
When he took one of the smaller rockets and stuck it into the earth, Oscar laughed. “Are you out of your gourd? That’s
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