Thirteen Roses Book One: Before: An Apocalyptic Zombie Saga by Michael Cairns

invective as she raced towards Soho.  
    She'd seen him there more often than not. It was the biggest, above the YMCA and always packed. Easy place for him to find his next victim. She sniffed as she ran, catching scent of the rain that threatened to wash London out by the morning. That would be fitting. But she'd seen blood in rain, after an accident. It didn't wash away, it just thinned out until the street turned pink.  
    She reached the hostel and bent double, hands on her knees. Her chest heaved and spots appeared before her eyes. She had to get inside, she couldn't be too late. She rang the bell then thumped the door until it was pulled open by an angry looking Mr Jensen. He frowned, lined face growing deep crevices.  
    'Yeah, sorry, I know it's late, please?'
    The creases didn't go away, but he stood back and made room for her. With a grateful smile she slipped past him and surveyed the main room. It was busy tonight but she saw him instantly. He was in a crowd, sat on the arm of a chair, leaning over a boy no older than Ed and saying something that made them all laugh.  
    Her skin crawled and she stopped by the door. Did he deserve to live? He would do it tonight, same as most nights and another boy would be scarred. Ed would stop that. Speaking of which...
    She checked them, one at a time. He wasn't here. Unless he'd already gone to bed. She weaved through the common room, waving at the people she recognised. If she was Ed, she'd call them friends, but that was stupid. No one was friends here.  
    She headed for the dorms. They were separated here so she waited until the coast was clear before she sneaked into the boys'. Ed was there, with his back to her. He knelt in the centre of the room, head bowed and she paused, watching him. What was he doing? Was he praying? She snickered and he jumped and spun round. Tears ran down his snot-covered face and he clutched the knife in both hands.  
    'What are you doing here?' His voice shook.  
    'I'm not doing it.'
    His control shattered and he howled, falling on his face and spreading his arms wide. He looked like he'd fallen from high up and splattered across the dormitory floor. She took a step closer and his fists clenched. She took a deep breath as he suddenly sat up, bringing the knife in towards himself.  
    It all happened horribly fast. The knife twisted until it was aimed at his body and she shouted something. She didn't know what, she was too busy diving at him. The knife moved, flashing beneath the fluorescent strip and she saw it slip through the ragged material of his t-shirt. Then her hand caught his arm and the knife and both of them went flying.  
    He was pinned to the floor beneath her. It would never have happened with anyone else, but he was so slight. The knife slid away from them and bumped into the far wall. She panted. He shook beneath her and she rolled off, thumping onto the floor and looking across at him. His forehead pressed against the cold tiles, snot and tears smearing across them.  
    'I can't do it. I want my mum.'
    She let out a long breath and sat up. He came willingly enough, falling onto her lap and heaving great sobs. The sound broke something inside her and her own tears ran hot down her cheeks, tears she hadn't shed in all the time she'd been on the streets. Something slipped and tore free and a great weight fell away, leaving her floating despite the sobbing boy in her lap.

Interlude

    Two for the price of one. And for only one rose. He hadn't expected the change in her as well. The boy wasn't saved, not how the Office would like, but he was away from the edge, so his job was done.  
    He couldn't count it as two officially. But using her had been a master stroke and he couldn't wait to tell Seph about it. For a week that had started so badly, he was feeling pretty good. He already knew who he was having tomorrow.  
    This one was tricky. He almost always felt sympathy for his subjects. There were always extraneous circumstances