She heard voices, yelling, and a multitude of feet stomping this way. Many more flashlights shone in their direction. Oh, no. The cold slid beneath her skin and took up residence next to her heart.

The mob was coming.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Nick drew a deep breath and let it out slow. Fear and anger stank up the air. Mobs like this one had gathered outside the hospitals and police stations soon after the plague first broke out. Volatile, pissed off people without a clue. Just like the people at the airport. The situation was about to go five ways to hell. Ros could not be here when that happened.

“Go through the hole,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Liar.” Her voice was slurred and he could feel her leaning against his back. “We stay together.”

“Sweetheart, the hole can only fit one at a time and you know I won’t go first.”

“No. These people will kill you.”

In all likelihood, yes, they would. The mob were well riled up and many were armed. One helpful soul at the front even held a noose, all ready for him. Hard to keep calm in the face of such open hatred.

Lila stood close by, facing down Tom, the muscle-headed dick with authority issues. Fuck, if she’d just appease the idiot a little. Captain Sean, meanwhile, looked about ready to lose it. A tic had started up in his jaw and his eyes were everywhere, taking in everything. Nick had never seen the man so wired. It didn’t give him a good feeling. But then, nothing about this did.

Moaning started up on the other side of the fence and Nick’s blood dropped about a million degrees. He couldn’t send her through on her own. Not now. The situation was f**ked.

“Everyone calm down. Please.” A young woman with dark hair stood to the side. Two of Nick’s old company were either side of her with weapons at the ready. Sheriff Finn stood nearby and appeared every bit as pissed as Nick felt.

“Shut up, Erin. Lila! You will get over here now,” Tom yelled, waving his gun in the medic’s direction.

At which point Sean snapped. “Do not point that at her.”

“I am not going anywhere, Tom.” The woman crossed her arms. “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. This is disgusting.”

The mob gathered around and the moaning picked up in volume. They were making plenty of noise to attract the zombies’ attention. Either side of the fence was fast turning into a massacre waiting to happen. Time to get out before more infected gathered. Inside this town their deaths seemed more certain by the moment.

Nick grabbed Matty’s arm, pulling him closer and pushing Roslyn behind the big man. He’d covered himself in every weapon, as usual. Matty nodded and held onto her elbow, keeping her in place. Ros stumbled against the man’s back.

The yelling continued.

Tom’s face turned beetroot in color and the gun trembled in his meaty hand. “Lila!”

Nick was getting Ros out of there right now. Getting her into a car, and getting gone.

Sean moved to cover Lila.

Tom screamed.

And bang! The first shot was fired.

Lila crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from her neck.

“No!” Sean’s cry carried clear through the night.

Tom turned the gun toward them but a bullet hit his hand, his gun fell and the man cried out in pain. Behind him the crowd roared as panic took over. The bulk of people took flight, but not all. In front of them, Cooper dropped, his blood misting the air. It all happened so fast. The surly prick was dead before he hit the ground, his face and chest torn apart by a man holding a shotgun. Matty aimed his semi-automatic and took out two of the men that had stood beside the still crying Tom. A woman behind them, caught in the chaos, clutched at her arm as blood slipped from between her fingers. An unarmed elderly man slumped to the ground, the victim of friendly fire.

Nick grabbed Ros, taking her down and keeping her covered. Sean cradled the dead Lila not three meters away. He said her name over and over as if he thought he could wake her up. More shots and Matty’s bulk crashed down on top of Nick, nearly flattening him before falling to the side. Nick pushed Ros toward the hole.

“Stop! Stop this!” the brunette yelled while her two guards did likewise. “No more shooting! Cease fire!”

Finn joined her, his face set. Fools. They were just as likely to be shot down where they stood. Blackstone was out of control.

“Leave,” a man said, a rifle in his hands pointing at the ground at Finn’s feet. “You take your people, and you leave. Now.”

“Hang on—”

“You stood with them, Finn. You too, Erin. Go. None of you are welcome here any longer.”

“This is my home,” the brunette, Erin, bit out.

“No,” said the man, his tone of voice absolute. “Not anymore. You made your choice.”

“You can’t be serious,” said Erin.

The man with the rifle looked beyond reason. “Enough! If you’d let them do what they wanted then only one person would have died. Just one, instead of all this. He isn’t even one of us. You’re traitors, all of you. Leave now or you will die.”

A dark-haired man as tall as the captain came forward, leading by the hand the pregnant woman who’d been at the cop shop earlier. “Let’s go, Finn.”

“Are you f**king insane?” the recently ex-sheriff said. “We can’t take her out there.”

“You can and you will. Right now.” The man with the rifle took a menacing step forward and five men backed him up. If people started firing again they would all die.