Chapter 3

“Throw the food down to your brother right now! If you don’t, I’ll curse you die a horrible death!”

She shrieked into the rain, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.

The zombies were drawn by the noise and started slamming themselves against the security door.

Linda jerked her head back inside and slammed the window shut.

I stared coldly at the closed window.

Whatever tiny bit of warmth I still had left for her was gone.

I ran my hand over Duke’s soaked fur.

“It’s just the two of us now, Duke.”

He licked my palm.

Then a mechanical voice suddenly rang out.

Not in my head.

Out of Duke’s mouth.

“Woof. [Host’s life signs are critically low. Infinite Supply Search System activated.]”

I froze.

Was my fever making me delirious?

Duke looked at me, his blue eyes glowing with something strange.

He got to his feet and pawed at an abandoned flowerpot in the corner of the rooftop.

“Woof. [Hidden supplies detected: one unopened pack of hot dogs, one bottle of water.]”

Still half in disbelief, I walked over.

I pushed aside the mud and dead grass.

A red plastic bag came into view.

Inside was a pack of hot dogs and a bottle of spring water.

Who had stashed this up here and forgotten about it?

My hands shook as I tore open the package.

The smell of meat hit my nose.

I stuffed it into my mouth, swallowing after barely chewing.

At last, a little warmth spread through my stomach.

I could survive.

I had Duke.

It rained all night.

By the next morning, the storm had eased a little.

Curled against Duke’s body heat, my fever had gone down some too.

Duke crouched by the edge of the rooftop, ears pricked, like he was listening to everything happening in the building.

“Woof. [Zombie activity concentrated on the lower three floors. Fifth floor is clear. Survivor movement detected on the fourth floor.]”

I understood.

Someone was coming up.

Before I could react, the metal rooftop door shook under a violent blow.

The crowbar hadn’t wedged it shut that tightly.

A few more kicks, and the door burst open.

Tyler came in holding a machete, with two shady-looking guys behind him.

They were the creeps from the fifth floor, always stealing and causing trouble.

Linda came up last, her face full of spite.

Tyler’s eyes landed instantly on the empty hot dog wrapper by my feet.

They turned red on the spot.

“Mom! I told you she had food hidden up here! Look!”

Linda let out a shriek and rushed over, raising her hand to slap me.

“You heartless little bitch! Your brother’s been starving all day, and you’ve been up here sneaking food behind our backs!

“Do you have any more? Hand it over!”

The two creeps closed in, their eyes crawling all over me.

“Well, damn. Sick or not, she’s still pretty cute.”

I tightened my grip on the crowbar and backed toward the edge of the rooftop.

“That was all I had! It was just one pack. I found it up here!”

Tyler didn’t believe me for a second.

He lunged at me, reaching to search me.

“Bullshit. Take your clothes off. I’m checking for myself.”

Duke shot forward and sank his teeth into Tyler’s wrist.

“Ahh!”

Tyler screamed, and the machete clattered to the ground.

“You mangy mutt! You bit me!”

He stumbled back clutching his wrist. The two creeps exchanged a look, then swung their metal pipes at Duke.

Duke was fast, but he was still just one dog, and he was trying to protect me too.

Thud!

One of the pipes came down hard on his back leg.

Crack.

The sound of bone breaking was horribly clear.

“Awooo!”

Duke cried out and crashed to the ground, his back leg bent at a sickening angle.

“Duke!”

My vision went red. I raised the crowbar and charged.

One of the creeps kicked me hard in the stomach.

My whole body flew backward and slammed into the railing. Pain tore through me, and I doubled over.

Tyler picked up the machete and stalked toward me, his face twisted with hatred.