Early the following morning, John was wakened by a rambunctious Rebel who had decided to play a game of nibble nose and face wall-climbing. The furry alarm clock had officially sounded its bell.
John shook his head and pet the squirmy pup as he struggled to open his eyes, and when he did he realized quickly that Harley was no longer by his side.
Stiffly sitting up, John looked to his right to see Edvin, Robby, Taylor and Perez still sleeping under their shared blankets. He was understandably anxious that Harley wasn't there, and given her flight risk tendancies, John scooped up Rebel and crawled out of the makeshift tent to see where it was she had gone.
His body felt stiff and rusty after sleeping on the hard, gravely roof and he let out a grunt as he straightened himself out.
"You sound like a grampa," Harley's voice chimed from the opposite end of the roof where she sat on the foot high ledge, one leg hanging down the wall and the other folded underneath her.
"That's no way to speak to your elders," John teased as he padded over to her.
Harley snorted as she turned her gaze back down to the spot where the Jeeps had been left. Earlier in the morning, she had found some sunflower seeds in her backpack and took to chewing on them and spitting the shells over the edge of the roof so she could watch them fall slowly to the ground. Of course by the time they neared impact she could no longer see them.
As John approached, he placed Rebel on the ground, handed the leash over to Harley and took a seat next to her Polaroid camera, "You're up early"
"You were snoring," She said.
"Sorry," John replied as he looked out over the street, "Screamers have mostly cleared out," he added.
Harley spit a few more shells into the wind, "Yeah, but look at the Jeeps, mate"
John did as requested, squinting his eyes to scrutinize the two vehicles. He scratched the stubble on his cheek and sighed, seeing distinct bullet holes in the roofs and hoods of both Jeeps, "They might still work"
"Maybe," Harley shrugged, "Won't know until we get down there"
"Hope so," John muttered as he looked down at Harley's camera. Beside it lay a single Polaroid and John picked it up to see a snap shot of the Jeeps below and the few Screamers that still stubbornly roamed around them.
Suddenly Rebel stood on his hind legs and looked as if he wanted to climb up onto the ledge to be closer to Harley, but thankfully he was just a little bit too short to make it. Harley leant over and pet him.
"You know, my mum was born here," Harley spoke before going into her bag of sunflower seeds and popping a few into her mouth.
"Your mum was born in Sydney? How'd she end up in Perth?" John asked.
Harley shrugged, "Dunno, but- I heard she moved back here a few years before the outbreak.
"You knew where she was while you were growing up in foster care?" John prodded.
Harley shook her head as she spit out a few shells, "Nah, I didn't have a clue until I ran into this rough lookin' old guy who said he used to know her. Said I looked just like her and that's how he knew I was her kid. Anyway, he told me she was in Perth up until there was a warrant out for her arrest then she high-tailed it outta town"
"What was the warrant for?" John questioned as he leaned over and stuck his hand into Harley's bag of seeds.
"I dunno. Didn't ask," she replied.
John copied Harley, spitting the shells in his mouth over the edge and watching them fall, "Hmm"
It was quiet between them for a few moments as they both soaked up the crisp morning sun. In sharp contrast to the day before, the sky was crystal clear and the heat pouring down on the damp pavement gave the air a pungent, earthy odor that reminded John of London.
"How's the lip?" He asked, seemingly out of the blue.
Harley brought her fingertips up to her cut, "Better"
John moved Harley's Polaroid camera and phototraph onto the ground and scooted himself closer. "Let's have a look," he insisted as he grasped Harley's chin and tilted her head gently upwards.
"It's barely swollen today," he informed upon close inspection.
Harley watched John as he looked her over, his brows nit together in concentration. A nearly indetectable smile hooked itself on the corner of Harley's mouth capturing John's attention. He shifted his focus, looking up into her striking eyes and for just a moment the pair simply gazed at one another.
"Morning," Edvin's voice sounded suddenly, abruptly ending whatever moment Harley and John were about to have.
John dropped his hand and looked to an approaching Edvin, "Morning," he greeted back.
Harley went back into her bag and popped a few more sunflower seeds into her mouth.
"Looks like it's gonna be a hot one today," said Edvin as he made his way to the ledge and looked down to the Jeeps.
"Looks like," John agreed.
○●○
After everyone else woke up, had a bite to eat and packed up their gear, the group was ready to move onward with the mission. It was pointed out that the Jeeps had been inadvertently shot at the day before and everyone shared the same concern as to whether or not they would still be in working order, but as Harley said, they wouldn't know until they got back down there.
"Ready?" Robby asked just as everyone finished throwing on their backpacks.
Edvin led by walking over to the hatch door, "Let's do this," he replied.
Dropping to his knees, Edvin pushed on the hatch door where it fell quickly open, and the drop ladder began its descent into the maintenance room.
Immediately following, the group heard a distinct, raspy hiss coming from underneath them and seconds after that a group of putrid, squealing Screamers appeared at the bottom of the ladder, arms stretched out and flailing wildly.
"Shit!" Edvin swore as he scrambled for his gun.
Everyone else rushed over with their weapons and began to shoot into the hole as no less than twenty Screamers shrieked and clawed at one another to get to the ladder. They weren't coordinated enough to climb properly but with the rabid desperation each of them displayed, some were able to clamber their way up the rungs until the one's behind ripped them down so they could get in front.
"Grab the ladder!" Perez shouted to Edvin.
Edvin was trying his best to pull it back up but the weight of the mob below made it impossible.
John delivered a head shot to the Screamer which had made its way to the third rung and the creature flew forcefully backward into the crowd. It allowed Edvin a split second of time to wrench the ladder back up to the roof where he then pulled the hatch door closed and fell back onto his butt.
"Well, I guess going back the way we came is off the table," Edvin uttered breathlessly.
Perez tucked her hand gun into its holster, "That's the only way there is, Edvin"
"No it isn't," Harley spoke out as she walked back toward the ledge of the roof where she'd spent her morning.
The group understood immediately what Harley was thinking.
"You can't be serious," Perez argued.
The group followed Harley to the ledge, looking down apprehensively.
"All we have to do is get back to the overhang. Can't be more than twenty-five feet down," Robby stated as he crouched and scanned the wall face.
Taylor slipped his backpack from his shoulders and bent down onto one knee, "I've got forty feet of rope"
"So, we're doing this? We're scaling down a building?" Perez questioned looking less than impressed.
Edvin turned to her, "Scared of heights, Perez?"
"It's not the heights I'm afraid of, it's the falling," Perez frowned.
Robby pulled his hat off and brushed his fingers through his hair, "Well, it's either this or we try to fight our way back down to the cafe"
"And that's not really a choice," Edvin added.
Meanwhile, Taylor had already taken his length of rope and made his way back over to the hatch door to fasten it, using the ladder as an anchor point.
"This is gonna be fun," Harley said quietly to John.
Walking with the other end of the secured rope, Taylor tossed it over the edge of the building and everyone looked over, watching it fall.
"God help me," Perez muttered.
The end of the rope hit the overhang below with a padded thump.
After Taylor showed everyone the fastest and easiest way to descend the wall, it was time to take the leap.
Edvin volunteered to go first and did precisely what Taylor had taught. He lowered himself over the edge then carefully wrapped the rope around his feet in such a way that he was able to stand upright on the rope and needed very little arm strength to descend. Shifting his feet slightly, Edvin began an easy slide downward, letting gravity do the work.
Everyone watched, feeling nervous about their upcoming turn. Perez was especially mortified and shifted between anxious nail biting and worried pacing.
Robby put his hand on Perez' shoulder, "You'll do great," he cooed.
Perez took a breath and shook her hands as if they'd become numb, "This is fucked"
"He made it. Who's next?" Taylor said.
"I'll go," Harley offered, barely containing her eagerness.
Both John and Taylor stood by to assist if need be as Harley climbed over the edge. John knew Harley would be fine but it did nothing to quell his anxiety.
"Be careful," he insisted as Harley began to lower herself down, the same way Edvin had.
"Never," she teased.
With the rope wrapped over one foot, under the other and clamped together between the two, Harley had complete control over her descent. She lowered herself down one arms length at a time and landed safely atop the overhang beside Edvin.
He was quick to signal to Harley that she needed to be quiet and pointed to the broken window they'd entered through the day before. Harley looked into the upper level of the cafe, seeing several Screamers at the far end, hobbling along slowly, waiting for stimulus.
Next to come down was John, who appeared to have no issues and landed safely. The same was true for Robby who followed right after.
As the group grew larger atop the overhang, all were briefed on keeping quiet so as not to alert the Screamers inside to their presence.
Perez was next up. The group squinted and shaded their eyes with their hands as they gazed up to where Perez sat nervously on the ledge. They could see Taylor next to Perez, obviously talking her through what she needed to do.
Harley wouldn't admit it but she was quite enjoying Perez' struggle. As long as she didn't slip and fall to her death, Harley felt justified in smiling inwardly about the situation.
After several tense minutes, Perez finally slipped off of the roof and onto the rope. She lowered herself down slowly and had to stop every so often to regain her composure. The group below could see Taylor leaning over the ledge and talking to Perez but none could hear his words of encouragement.
As Perez neared the overhang, Robby and Edvin put their hands up to help guide her down. They could hear her swearing under her breath and jabbering to herself, forcing Harley to crack a smile.
"Nice job, Perez," Robby whispered his praise as her feet touched the bottom and she let go of the rope.
Perez was out of breath and shaking with adrenaline, "Never again," she uttered.
Robby put his finger to his lips, "Sshh," and pointed inside.
Last to join the rest of the group was Taylor, who slid down the rope expertly. It was revealed just before everyone had begun their descent that Taylor had, at one time, been a firefighter, and that was where he learned how to climb rope.
In a hushed voice, Robby spoke, "We gotta move as quick as we can guys. Perez, Taylor- You come with me, see if we can push our Jeep free. You three get into your Jeep but Don't start it until I give you the signal. Be ready"
With that, everyone began quietly climbing off of the overhang and onto the roof of the Jeep. Robby, Perez and Taylor slipped stealthily down to the pavement, where Perez immediately froze, seeing Foss' semi-automatic rifle lying on the sidewalk by itself. There were no remnants of her friend left aside from his gun and a red-stain below it. Robby put his hand on Perez' shoulder, urging her to keep moving. She sucked in a breath of air, grabbed Foss' rifle and walked on.
Harley, John and Edvin slipped into the sunroof of their Jeep one at a time. Edvin got behind the wheel and John sat passenger, letting Harley take the back seat. All three turned around to watch out the back window as the other three snuck to the other Jeep.
Perez hopped up into the driver's seat and put the Jeep into Neutral as Robby and Taylor stood at the rear with intent to push. But given the reeking pile of dead Screamers lying underneath the back wheels, both men had difficulty getting their feet to grip the pavement.
Doing the best they could, Robby and Taylor heaved and pushed the back end of the Jeep with all of their strength, but it wouldn't budge even an inch. They would have to try and start the vehicle if they had any chance of moving it.
Robby walked out from behind the Jeep and signalled to both Perez and Edvin to start the vehicles at the same time.
In unison, Edvin and Perez turned their ignitions. Both Jeeps squealed noisily, but neither one started.
A fierce panic ripped through everyone while Perez and Edvin continued to try and start the vehicles.
"Shit Shit Shit," Edvin chanted as he turned the key back and forth.
Outside, Robby and Taylor could hear as the shrieking of unseen Screamers began to sound. He and Taylor worked frantically to try and push the Jeep, in the off chance Perez managed to get it to start.
Harley watched as the many Screamers inside the cafe began to turn their slimy faces toward the sound of the engines. Guttural squeals echoed through the air, and all of them began to move closer.
With a shock to the system, Harley found herself face to face with an oozing, teeth gnashing Screamer who'd found its way out of the window above the overhang and thrown itself head first into the sunroof of the Jeep. The creature howled as it chomped at the air and clawed at Harley, trying to pull its body into the vehicle. Harley shoved the Screamer, just trying to keep it away from her as it succeeded in scratching her arms until she bled.
Suddenly John's arm appeared from behind the rancid creature and clamped down hard on its neck. Before Harley could blink, Edvin had inserted a six inch blade into the disgusting Screamer's left temple. With its lower body still on the roof the the Jeep, the Screamer's head and arms hung lifelessly between the front and back seats. John and Harley worked together to quickly shove the body back up through the sunroof and Edvin pressed the button that closed it.
Harley's eye caught a smear of blood on John's arm. She reached forward, snatching it midair, "Are you bit?" She asked in a panic.
"It's just the Screamer's blood," John assured as he wiped the smudge away.
Holding onto his wrist with both hands, Harley flipped his arm one way and then the other, making damned sure he wasn't cut anywhere.
"I'm alright," John insisted placing his free hand on hers.
Several thunderous bangs drew Harley back into the present and she looked around to see Screamers falling onto the roof and running themselves into the side of the Jeep.
Edvin pumped the breaks and turned the ignition again and again with no luck, "C'mon!" He roared.
John and Harley turned to watch out the back window and saw a growing mass of Screamers running toward Robby, Taylor and Perez while they fruitlessly tried to get their Jeep going.
"They should probably get out of there," Harley said.
Then, something miraculous happened. Edvin turned the key one last time and the Jeep roared to life.
"Yes!!" He cheered joyfully.
Back at the other Jeep, Perez, Robby and Taylor heard the other engine start and their plan quickly shifted into one of immediate survival.
"Let's go!" Robby shouted as he pulled out his handgun and shot down a fast approaching Screamer. Perez and Taylor followed suit, readying their weapons and moving away from their stranded Jeep.
Once again Screamers began to spill in from all directions like a colony of ants and the trio shot wildly into the growing mass just to get through.
Meanwhile Edvin watched out his rear view mirror as he began to reverse toward them as quickly as he could, taking down one Screamer after another.
Harley passed her backpack with Rebel in it to John and climbed into the center seat up at the front, ready for Taylor, Robby and Perez to get in.
The Jeep met the battling threesome and they wasted no time swiftly jumping into the back and slamming their doors.
"Go go go!!" Robby shouted.