Torchwood's Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse [Prologue]
Prologue
One lovely night in the middle of June
Left then right. Its shadow still lingered on the wall as she turned the corridor, almost human but with an animal's face. Smatterings of blood hit the pavement at intervals, the only other clue that something had come down the alley before her.
The shadow dipped around the corner and Bela followed. The Glock was too light in her hands and she was more used to the fierce kick-back of her Desert Eagle. Nevertheless, the cold metal felt like safety.
Left again. Skidding round the corner, Bela slowed to a halt. The alley was empty, no noise or shadow to tell her where the creature had gone. A newspaper flapped in the breeze but nothing to suggest a route. Just then her earpiece crackled to life.
“I’ve got it!” Jack’s voice shouted in her ear. “On Slough Street moving west. It doesn’t seem to be hiding much anymore.”
Slough Street. Bela pulled up the mental map of Cardiff she had been memorising. It wasn’t complete, not yet, but this was what she did best. Memorise the map, know every twist and turn, every alleyway that can break line of sight, every road that can provide a getaway car.
And there, Slough Street. Now a route. Then Bela was moving, running as fast as she could and swearing under her breath. It had distance on her now, too much distance.
“Where are you?” Jack gasped in her earpiece. “Turn on your GPS. It’s taking Bowen Ave southwest.”
“I’m two minutes behind,” she replied, ignoring his request. She had quickly given up on the GPS after the satellite feed had failed two minutes into her first chase with it. Instead she turned on her mental map again and tried to find a shortcut.
“It’s on Princes Street now.” Jack was back in her ear. “Is this thing taking us in a circle?”
“Maybe,” she said as a beautiful shortcut clicked into place on her map. “But he’s not going to finish it.”
Without breaking her stride she darted to the side, heading southwest instead of straight west. She hit Slough Street at a run, passing through a crossroad and narrowly avoiding being hit by a turning car. Leaving tooting horns and angry voices behind, she slipped once more into the small roads, following Eden Avenue until it spun alongside Waterloo Quadrant and she took the turn.
“He just veered off onto Beach Road, going west again. I can keep up with him but I’m not gaining and we can’t shoot him. Too many eyes, even in the suburbs.”
Bela swore again, her shortcut nullified. Now she was essentially running parallel to Jack and the creature, just two streets over and no intersection between them for too many metres. Any second the creature would turn off Beach Road and she would lose her advantage. Unless...
Quickly Bela sized up her options and smiled when she saw the perfect route. Tucking her Glock back into its holster, she took a sharp turn and vaulted over the nearest fence. She landed in a flower bed, silently apologising to the owners before she took off around the back of the house.
There were no gates or other obstacles around to the back garden and she was able to take the low fence at a steady pace. She landed in the yard of another suburban paradise, now on Victoria Lane, still running parallel to Beach Road.
Through the garden and she was on the road again. For a moment she considered passing between the parked cars but she couldn’t resist the opportunity. Silently hoping that no one was watching, she took the cars at a run and slid across the bonnet of a dark blue Toyota.
She hit the road with nothing more than a slight stumble, feeling immeasurably cooler than she probably looked. Straight ahead of her was a small alleyway leading through to Beach Road. As she sprinted off towards it Jack returned to her ear.
“It’s taking a turn down an alley onto Victoria Lane.” Instantly Bela had her Glock out and pointed ahead of her. Seconds later she swung around the corner and skidded to a half. The creature was no more than four metres ahead of her.
“Stop!” She shouted, aiming at the creature’s head. Ignoring her command, it spun around, only to be confronted by Jack, pounding down the alley from the other end. For a moment the creature looked back and forth between them, then it collapsed in on itself, falling to the ground and hiding its head.
“What took you so long?” Jack asked as he leaned over, panting hard. “And use your damn GPS next time.”
“Not a chance,” Bela smirked. “I know shortcuts that thing wouldn’t even dream of. Besides, your satellite is useless.”
“That’s the government’s satellite.”
Bela rolled her eyes. “Figures,” she muttered. Jack just laughed breathlessly.
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