Maybe Dennis wouldn’t have freaked out, though. Maybe he would have believed him if Dan had just told him that Liv had come along by a strange turn of faith and that she didn’t pose a threat in any way.
But Dan is tired. More than that, he’s exhausted. Going into week two of this insane new world is taking a toll on him. He feels constantly uptight, like his mind is constricted, pulling into itself.
He longs more than anything for this whole thing to be over and done with. And hopefully he’ll have that wish fulfilled soon.
Holger’s house is coming up on the right, placed just as Dan remembers it a few hundred yards off the road, halfway hidden in trees. From here, he can tell there’s a light burning in one of the upstairs rooms.
But as he looks at it, the light goes out.
“It’s here, right?” Liv asks, slowing down the van to turn into the gravel lane leading up to the house.
“Yeah. I think you should turn off the headlights.”
Liv turns them off. The road is still just barely visible as a pale band sloping its way in front of them as she drives on slowly.
“So, what’s the game plan?”
“We’ll have to see if there’re any dead ones by the house,” Dan says. “If so, it’ll be more difficult, but still doable.”
“How exactly will you get inside the house?”
“I need to get to a well cover that’s at the far end of the courtyard. That’s a secret way in.”
“Oh, sneaky.”
“Yeah. I told you Holger thought of everything. Anyway, once I’m in, I’ll tell Dennis about you. He’ll agree to let you in too.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“I’m sure he will.”
“Then what if his crazy mom shows up and kills you?”
Dan shrugs. “I suppose you’ll need to be the one talking sense into her, then.”
Liv scoffs. “If she won’t listen to you, I don’t think I’ll have much of a chance.”
Dan looks at her earnestly. “Promise me you’ll try anyway. Promise me that if I die, you’ll try and get her to reverse this thing.”
Liv glances over at him. “Sure,” she mutters. “I’ll try.”
“Good,” Dan says, taking a deep breath as they approach the trees surrounding the courtyard and Holger’s house.
As soon as they see the building, they also see the zombies.
There are a lot more of them than when they left the place—Dan counts at least two dozen, all of them pressing up against the wall, reaching for the windows or scratching at the front door.
“Holy cow,” Liv whispers. “You sure you want to go out there?”
“Stop right here,” Dan says. “We can’t get too close, or we’ll draw them to us.”
Liv eyes him sideways. “I think you’ll draw them anyway as soon as you get out of the car.”
Dan nods. “I’ll just have to be quick. The cover is over there. I’m closer than they are, and they’re not very fast. I’ll have twenty seconds or so before they can reach me.”
“More like ten,” Liv murmurs, looking at the crowd of zombies trying fruitlessly to get inside the house. “I really think this is a bad idea.”
“I think so too, but I don’t have a better one.” He looks at her as he unbuckles. “If you do, I’m all ears.”
“Why don’t we just run them all over? It would take a while, but I’m sure the van could do the trick. We’d just pick them out one at a time, and—”
“And that would wake up Birgit,” Dan says. “In fact, the longer we wait, the greater the risk that she’ll see us. I need to get inside before that happens, or she won’t let me.”
Liv shrugs. “I guess you’re right. So, what, I just wait here?”
Dan nods. “I’ll wave at you from the kitchen window—it’s that one right there. You’ll most likely have to go in the same way I do. Just wait for my signal. Okay?”
“Okay. Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Dan looks over at the zombies, making sure they’re all still focused on the house. Then he closes his eyes briefly, recalling the faces of Dad, Mom and Jennie. It’s not at all hard, they pop up in great detail right away.
I’m doing it for you guys, he tells them.
And then, before he can have any second thoughts, he opens the door and jumps out. The second his feet—only one of which is still wearing a shoe—hit the ground, most of the undead turn around.
FOUR
Iver looks at Leif for several seconds. Suddenly, he’s acutely aware of the distance between them.
“There are many of them below the window,” Agnete calls from somewhere. And when he doesn’t reply, she goes on: “Iver? You still there?”
“I … I’m sorry,” Iver hears himself croak. “When did it happen?”
Leif shakes his head and sighs deeply. “Must’ve been when I fought them. I know it was stupid, but … I had no choice … I mean, they were all over me … I had to hold them back, you know …”
Iver’s thoughts are going a million miles an hour. How long? How long till Leif dies and wakes up again? Could be minutes. Could be a little longer; half an hour, an hour maybe. It’s only a couple of scratches, but that’s enough.
“I’m … I’m really sorry, Leif,” he says again.
Leif sighs deeply. “Yeah, me too.”
“Iver?” Agnete calls again. “You guys all right in there?”
Iver turns towards the door, not really wanting to take his eyes off of Leif. He clears his throat and shakes his head. “No … no, we’re not all right.”
“What does that
