“I don’t think it’s big enough,” Agnete says.
“We just need to make it a little bigger.”
There’s a sound from the door as one of the dead people throws himself at it. The hinges rattle in a way Iver doesn’t care for one bit. The door is very thin, something you could kick down without too much difficulty.
It’s already starting to give way; it won’t hold forever.
“I think we need to get to the bathroom,” Iver says. “All three of us. The door in there is sturdier. Plus, there’s water in there. We’ll be able to make it for days.”
Agnete just nods.
Iver pulls over the night table, steps onto it and looks through the air duct. The wall—as he hoped—isn’t too thick. Removing the lattice, he’ll only need to make the hole about twice as big. It should be doable, even without any tools.
He glances over at the door as another one of the undeads thrashes against it.
The only question is, will he make it in time?
NINE
Dan runs for the well cover, ignoring the mild jolts of pain from the foot not wearing a shoe as the gravel digs into the sole.
He’s running parallel to the front of the house, and out of the corner of his eye he can sense how the group of undeads are coming towards him like a wave.
He ignores it as best he can, reaching the well cover and crouching down. He fumbles for the handle, which is hidden below a plate that slides sideways. And only then does it strike him that he’s relying blindly on the fact that Dennis has unlocked the cover from inside. If not, then Dan will be in big trouble.
But the cover gives way as soon as he pulls the handle, tilting upwards, and Dan’s heart is filled with relief.
Then Liv calls out: “Dan! Watch out!”
Dan darts a look back at the van to see her head poking out the window, one arm flailing wildly. Dan looks back at the zombies, but the nearest one is still several yards away.
“No, over there!” Liv shouts, obviously making an effort to keep her voice down.
Dan follows her pointing finger and gasps as he sees three figures coming around the garage. They’re much closer to him; too close for him to make it down the ladder before they reach him. Dan gets back up to his feet and backs away from the open well.
This is bad, he thinks, as the zombies close in on him from two angles now. If I lose this chance, it’ll only get more difficult …
So, instead of heading for the van, Dan runs around the trio from the garage, drawing them away from the well while closing in on it himself.
It’s working!
But the horde from the house is now very close, and the move he just made has completely closed him in, with no way to escape and only ten paces between him and the deads.
He wastes no time, throws himself at the opening, gliding across the gravel, ignoring the pain from it, and climbs down the ladder. He reaches back up for the cover, fumbling to lift it.
The zombies are over him, the closest ones dropping to their knees and reaching for him as he pulls the cover frantically, closing it halfway. He almost makes it, but then an arm shoots down the opening, groping for him.
Dan gives off a yelp and almost loses his grip on the ladder. He moves down another couple of steps, holding on to the cover awkwardly, trying desperately to pull it shut, but the zombie with its arm pinned isn’t intent on letting him do it.
I can’t close it, Dan thinks, straining to keep the cover in place while ducking out of reach of the arm. The choir of moans is coming down through the opening, and more hands are being squeezed through now. He can hear the zombies fighting for the best position up there, some of them stepping on the cover, making it move. I need to let go and make a run for it …
He looks down. There are only three more rungs on the ladder, and he can make the jump. But as soon as he does, it means letting go of the cover, and the zombies will shove it aside in a matter of seconds and come spilling down after him.
He has no choice, though.
On the count of three …
Just as he begins counting, grinding his teeth and holding the cover in place for another second, he can hear the sound of an engine. His first thought is that Liv has started up the van and is bolting on him.
But then the sound grows louder, approaching from overhead, and Dan looks up.
Through the opening he can see some of what’s happening. The hands reaching for him are suddenly torn back, as something big shoves the zombies out of the way. Dan lets go of the cover and ducks down as the sound of the engine grows deafening. The undercarriage of the van moves in over the opening like an eclipse.
Then the van stops and the engine is shut off.
Dan stares up at the underside of the van for another second. The sound of the zombies is still there, but a little farther away now. He can imagine them clambering around the van now parked right atop the well cover.
What a clever idea, a thought pops into his head. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
“You okay down there?”
Liv’s voice, muffled from inside the van.
“I’m fine,” Dan calls back in a hushed voice. “Thank you.”
Then he pulls the cover in place, hearing it click, and the darkness closes in on him completely.
TEN
He’s been driving for less than half an hour when he hears it.
The sound of a helicopter.
William looks up at the sky, which is already turning from black to dark blue, but he can’t see the helicopter at first.
He stops the car and leans forward to look properly.
