“What am I looking at?” Jack asked his friend as he looked down on the city.

“Across the way, that other block of flats,” Declan said, pointing with one hand through the open window.

Jack narrowed his eyes as he stared at the block of flats nearest to their own, still not sure what he was supposed to be seeing.

“I don’t get-“ His voice cut off abruptly as he saw it. “Oh, crap.”

“Yeah, told ya.”

It had taken him longer than it should have, but he’d finally seen it, there, three floors up. White net curtains flapped in the chill wind that blew through the broken window. Even late in the day, with the sun setting, it was clear to see the damp stain that covered those curtains.

“What happened?” Jack asked, voice low, to avoid spooking the other people in the flat.

“I was watching, mate,” Dec said. “Just keeping an eye on things, like. Anyway, I heard glass break and when I looked over, there was some guy doing his best to climb out through the broken window. One minute he was there, the next, whoosh, disappeared back inside like something had pulled him in.”

“Infected.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Fuck.”

There were lights starting to go on in that block of flats. He ran his gaze up the length of the building, wondering at the people inside. The stairs went from floor to floor allowing anyone to move between them easily.

If there was someone infected inside, then it could easily spill out onto other floors. The main entrance was sealed, much like their own block of flats, which meant the people inside had no way of escaping.

“Do you know anyone over there?” Jack asked his friend, who shook his head mutely. “Go ask the others. Someone in this block must know one of the people that live over there!”

“Why, mate?”

“We have to try and warn them.”

“Yeah, but they won’t be able to do anything. They’ll still be stuck in there.”

Jacks large hands curled into fists and he trembled as the urge to lash out at something, anything, almost overwhelmed him. He felt powerless, useless, but more than that, he felt that if he didn’t try, he would be responsible for their deaths.

“Where’re the soldiers?” he snapped, not looking towards his friend.

“What? Er, I saw them set up by the road on the other side of the flats.”

“Damn, we need to get word to them.”

“How the hell we gonna do that then? We’re locked in here.”

“Could go out the windows on the ground floor.”

“They said they’d shoot anyone they caught outside.”

Jack’s fist connected with the wall with a solid thud and a burst of pain and he grimaced, hating just how helpless he felt.

He wanted, no, he needed to do something. He couldn’t just stand by and watch as the people in that block of flats were killed.

“Sun’s going down,” he said, finally, glancing out the window. “All I need to do is get across to that block and knock on their ground floor windows. Get a message to someone.”

“And if the soldiers come around?”

“Then I’ll hope they don’t shoot me before I can warn them too.”

He left his friends room and strode out of the flat, ignoring the questions called after him. He didn’t bother with the lift, since it had been in almost constant use since the block of flats had been sealed up, and jogged down the central stairwell, taking the steps two at a time.

Jack stopped at the bottom, chest rising and falling as he took in deep breaths, sweat beading on his brow. No matter how fit you might be, he thought, fifteen flights of stairs would take the wind out of anyone’s sails.

The front entrance had been locked up tight, the soldiers taking the time to attach a simple deadbolt to the exterior of the door that slid into a bracket attached to the wall. Not needing to worry about damage to the property, they had effectively blocked it from opening in a simple manner.

Knowing it was pointless to try to force the door open, Jack went along the hall and knocked on the first door that he came to. He waited with little patience until it was opened by a bearded man in a plaid shirt.

“Yes?”

“Hi, I’m Jack from upstairs. I need to ask you for a favour.”

“Who is it?” a voice called from further in the flat. “If it’s Jeremy, tell him we still aren’t done with our list.”

“Not Jeremy,” the bearded man called. “Some guy called Jack.”

There was a muffled sound and a moment later, another man came to the door. His dark skin glistened with sweat and his white t-shirt was soaked through. He flashed a grin as he saw Jack and gestured at his clothing.

“Sorry, mate. Exercising. Pretty much all there is to do besides watch the news.”

“Yeah, no worries. Look, I need-“

“You were at the meeting, yeah?” the man said, interrupting. “I’m Daz, by the way, and this is Alan.”

“Hi,” the bearded Alan said.

“What you needing? We’re putting our list together and will have it for you in an hour if you can wait.”

“I’m not here for that,” Jack said, swallowing back his irritation. “I need to borrow your window.”

The two men looked at him as though he were babbling nonsense and Jack forced back a sigh before nodding in the general direction of the other block of flats.

“Look, we’ve seen something kicking off over at the Ballard Block and I need to climb out through your window and try to warn them.”

“What you seen?” Daz asked, forehead creasing as he stared intently at the other man.

Jack filled him them in quickly, aware that time was moving on. The two men exchanged looks after he’d finished, something passing silently between them and finally, Alan shrugged.

“Fine by me but we’ll close it after you. No offence, but we have to be careful.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Jack said. “Just open it up when I come back, yeah?”

“He will,” Daz added. “Because I’ll be going with you.”

“You bloody won’t!” Alan snapped, turning on the other man. “Don’t you dare even think of it.”

“C’mon, babe. I can’t let him go alone. We’ll be there and back in a couple of minutes.”

“You can argue later, for now, I need to get going,” Jack said before the two men could begin arguing in earnest.

Both men stopped their arguing and turned to stare at Jack for a moment before Daz shook his head as though clearing it of his last thoughts.

“Yeah, sorry, mate. Come in.” He stepped aside and gestured for Jack to enter the flat.

Inside it was sparsely decorated but neat, with plenty of pictures of the two of them smiling in various different locations. Mostly on beaches or hillsides, wearing camping gear and general outdoors type activities.

One picture had Daz grinning widely as he held up a large trout while he crouched beside the river. Clearly, Jack realised, they were people who would hate being stuck inside which was likely why Daz was burning off some energy with working out.

“Through here, mate,” Daz said, gesturing towards one of the bedrooms. “Ignore my gear.”

The bedroom had no furniture in it but had a treadmill and a good number of weights and exercise equipment. Jack nodded appreciatively, realising just how much he missed being able to exercise.

“You’re welcome to use this stuff anytime,” Daz said as though reading his mind. “Used to see you on a morning when you were out running.”

“Oh, I didn’t see you?”

“Nah, wasn’t running, mate. I was on my way to work. Bus driver, you see, which is why I need all this in here.” He patted his flat stomach and grinned. “If I didn’t work out, I’d be twice my size from sitting on my arse all day driving.”

Jack grinned and reached for the window. It was already ajar, likely to air it out while the other man was exercising and raising up quite a sweat. He would have to speak to them about it all the same. With the way those infected people acted, it just wasn’t safe to leave it open.

The window was narrow, barely wide enough to fit through and it had a metal limiter on it that prevented it opening too far. Ostensibly, that was for security but was easy enough to disable from the inside allowing it to open all the way.

His feet hit the grass verge and he sucked in a deep breath of cool evening air. It hadn’t even been that long since he’d last been outside, but he hadn’t realised just how much he had missed it.

“Shove over,” Daz said, pushing through the window behind Jack.

The two men stood for a moment, turning their heads this way and that as they checked the pavement that ran around the block of flats. No one was about.

Each of the blocks was separated by a flat carpark surrounded by grass and a pavement running between each. There was one for each block of flats and the arguments had been long and hard about who could park where.

Feuds had lasted years when people from one block of flats parked in the spaces reserved for the other block. Not to mention those problems caused by visitors to the flats who parked wherever the hell they pleased.

But, right then, the carpark was quiet. The cars obviously hadn’t moved for at least a day and in the early evening’s darkness, there was an ominous quality about them as the two men realised at the same time, that anyone could be hiding between them.

Jack swallowed back his fear and stared up at the block of flats opposite. A short run, a hundred metres across the car park and they would be there, able to bang on a window and raise a warning before rushing back to their own flats.

“Here,” Alan said, sliding a two and a half foot long solid wooden baseball bat out through the window. “Take this.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this you, daft bugger?” Daz asked, taking the bat anyway.

“Protect yourself,” Alan retorted.

“Anything for me?” Jack asked, cutting off what he suspected would be another loud argument.

“Sorry, no.”

Great, he thought before shrugging his shoulders and turning back to his objective.

Crouching low, he set off at a fast trot, towards the closest of the cars, a dark red Renault. He remained low, peering over the side as he swept his gaze across the open space between the three blocks.

Nothing moved out there in the darkness and he breathed deeply of the cold ill, listening as his heart thundered in his chest, fear and adrenaline rushing through him.

His mouth was dry, and he kept his hands clenched into fists to stop them shaking. Daz joined him and gave a quizzical look.

With a jerk of his head, Jack set off again with Daz following along behind. They scurried between the cars, stopping after each one, listening intently and watchful for danger. Still, nothing moved and on they went.

As they reached the edge of the carpark with a little over ten feet to the nearest window on the Ballard block of flats, they slowed their pace, finally stopping at the final car.

Jack couldn’t put his finger on just what it was, but he was sure there was something wrong. The evening air was still with little breeze, but the sky was clear. The streetlights were on, illuminating the world enough for them to see that there was no one nearby, but still, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

“What is it?” Daz asked in a hushed whisper.

“Somethings not right,” Jack replied, equally quietly. “Dunno what, but something.”

Daz cocked his head to the side, listening as he nodded his head slowly.

“Yeah, I get it. No sound.”

“What?”

“We’re in the city, mate. Not had a single night when there’s been silence like this.”

That was it, Jack realised. There was no sound of cars driving on the main road a short distance away. No trucks doing their evening deliveries, no people on their way to have fun in the city centre at the bars and restaurants.

At least he hoped that was what it was, as he looked ahead the flats.

There was a light in the nearest window, and he gestured for the other man to stay as he dashed over towards it, remaining low. He stopped at the wall, looking about to make sure he was unobserved before rising to his feet to press his face against the glass.

Lace curtains blocked his view, but he could see enough to note movement. He licked dry lips and tapped on the glass. Shoulders hunching with every tap as he imagined the sound bringing the soldiers.

No response. He looked back and Daz nodded eagerly, hefting the bat and gesturing for him to tap again.

Jack reached up and rapped his knuckles against the glass, a quick three times and then paused. He pressed his face to the glass, seeing the shadowed figures inside move towards the window.

“Yes,” he said as he realised he had their attention and could finally warn them.

A bloody hand slammed against the glass, right opposite his face and he jerked back as the rage-filled eyes of a woman met his own.

Scratch marks ran down her face and blood covered her mouth and chin. Her dress was torn, exposing her bare breast that had teeth marks and blood running down it. There was nothing in her eyes but madness and fury and as they stared into his, she opened her mouth and howled.

Jack staggered back, unable to tear his gaze away as a second face and then a third pressed up against the glass. More voices took up the call from the next flat over and then from above. The second floor, then the third, the fourth, the fifth.

The voices raised an unholy racket as they howled and screeched their rage, each voice a rallying cry to the others, telling them that prey was nearby.

Hands banged against the windows, open palms and heavy fists. The woman laughed maniacally as she reared back and slammed her forehead against the glass. A crack formed and a trickle of blood ran down from a cut above her eye.

A hand grabbed Jack’s arm and he jerked back, letting out a yelp. Daz reached out again, grabbing and pulling him back towards their own block.

“Come on, for fuck's sake! Run!”

Needing no further encouragement, Jack followed the other man, running at full speed towards the open window where Alan was waving them on, eyes wide as he looked behind them.

The sound of shattering glass filled the air as they reached their own block and Jack risked a glance back just in time to see bodies spilling out of the broken ground floor flat window behind them.

Whatever infection had them in its grip made them either immune to pain or simply uncaring when their bloodlust was up. Several bore lacerations that bled freely, but they rose to their feet and set off running straight towards the two men.

“Get in!” Alan screamed.

Daz went through first, tossing the bat inside and leaping up to grab the window's edge and pull himself through. His feet had barely slipped inside before Jack was clambering up, feet scrabbling against the wall in his panic.

He landed on the floor in a heap, wind expelled in one burst as he hit the floor and he struggled to move as Alan reached out, grabbing the windows handle to pull it closed. His scream echoed through the small bedroom as something grabbed his hand, pulling at him.

Daz was on his feet and his bat jabbed through the window, once, twice and then again and Alan pulled the window shut. He dropped down to the floor as Daz pulled the curtains closed, stepping back and standing, bat held ready as he stared at the windows.

“Think they’ll come in?” Daz whispered quietly.

“No idea, I think… oh, fuck!” Jack exclaimed as he stared at Alan who sat with back against the wall, tears in his eyes as he cradled his hand before him, blood staining his sleeves and a bite mark visible on his skin.