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Dad shoves the door It rattles but doesn’t open He frowns and pushes it again No joy "That’s not right," he says "I cah here on my way in"
The Indian kid slides up to the crack in the door and peers through "It’s been locked," he moans "There’s a chain"
"What?" Dad shouts, shoving hih the crack "Who the hell did that?"
"The h As if in answer, I hear a whistle blow so!"
Dad stares at me He starts to ask how I knoe’re in trouble, then shakes his head and slarunts at those around him "It’ll take more than a chain to hold ain and again It’s a thick, heavy door, designed to slow the spread of flames in case of a fire The chain is sturdy too Dad doesn’t look to be achievinglike a lance back down the corridor and spot four zohts on us and slither forward
"Dad!" I wail
"I nearly have it," he pants
Trev throws hi to help Meths and Seez take turns too Dad glares at the sound and the door starts to give "That’s the way, boys!" Dad whoops "Give it everything you have"
They hurl themselves at the door, one after the other Their arms and shoulders will be black and blue later but they don’t care Nothey take, they don’t back down
Elephant, Stagger Lee, the Indian and the other Muslim kid watch helplessly as Dad and the three boys fly at the door like rabid dogs I’ for anything I can use to fend off the zo in They could have rushed us by now, but they see that we’re trapped, so they’re taking their time
"Dad!" I yell
"Just another fes," he wheezes, launching hiain
More zombies appear at the far end of the corridor, loads of the them towards us
"Dad!"
Dad looks back and whitens "Holy hell," he croaks
Meths bangs into the door and it cracks The hinges give Meths cheers and starts shaking the door Dad and Seez join him There isn’t room for Trev - he’s been pushed out of the way
"They’re almost on us," I shout
Dad looks at ot to stall them We only need a few more seconds"
"How?" I screa I can do to - "
"Throw them the black kid!" Dad roars
I stare at hietting about the zombies
"Do it!" Dad shouts
"But he’s Tyler," I whisper "He’s one of us He helped us get - "
"Throw them the bloody chimney sweep or I’ll whip you raw!" Dad screa what he tells me, the way I always do when he loses his temper, because it’s easier to obey hi kick in Fear takes over I go into hter act The racist inset free
On autopilot, I grab Tyler’s arm and hurl him at the zombies
"No!" he shrieks as he stumbles towards them "B! No! Help o down, and the zoet up Iuilt-stricken and appalled, I reach out to hiht what I’ve done But before I can drag him to safety, a zombie catches hold and bites Tyler’s neck Tyler chokes and stiffens, blood spurting, and I watch with horror as the other three zombies crowd around and tuck into the tasty human morsel that I’ve thrown them