Read Contagion (Toxic City) for Free Online Page B

ahead of the bomb, and had decided to exact revenge on as many Irregulars as they could before leaving London. If so, it was a good sign, because it confirmed that zero hour was still some time away.
    Of course, he wouldn't have put it past Miller to not even tell many of his soldiers that the countdown had been triggered.
    They hid along the street from the tall office building, listening for danger. Rhali was alert; Jack waited for something to happen.
    “Looks deserted,” Jenna said.
    “That's the way Breezer wants it,” Sparky said.
    “Yeah, but…Rhali said there were loads of survivors coming this way. I thought we'd see some sign of that.” Jenna turned to Rhali, who was leaning against Jack. He propped her up. She was growing tired very quickly, her months of abuse at the hands of the Choppers all too apparent.
    “The upper floors,” Rhali said, nodding. “There are scores of them. And…below us. In the tunnels and the Tube lines. I think there's a way into the basement of the building.”
    “Right,” Jack said. “Well. Front door, anyone?”
    “We're becoming regular visitors to the place,” Jenna said.
    “Yeah,” Sparky agreed. “They should give us season tickets.” His eyes opened wide. “Hope they've got some of those great burgers on the go!”
    “The dog burgers?” Jenna asked. “Ewww.”
    “Dog, cat, rat, don't care what they were. Tasted divine.”
    As they approached the building, a voice called from shadows. “Howdy, Jack. How's it hanging?” The girl walked from the building's lobby, leaned against the door and put one hand on her hip. She grinned.
    “Fleeter,” Jack said, surprised.
    “Come on in. The kettle's on.”
    There were so many questions to ask Breezer—about his plans, how he was calling the Irregulars here, why Fleeter was with him, whether he and Reaper were still in contact. But instead Jack opened their conversation with the bombshell.
    “We know how long it is until Big Bindy blows.”
    Breezer seemed shocked to see them. He blinked as if he had dust in his eye, frowned, turned and walked back through the doors, leaving Jack and the others out on the staircase. They'd come up a dozen floors and were breathing hard. Sparky was almost carrying Rhali.
    “Still a grumpy bastard,” Sparky said.
    “Shall we jump off the roof again?” Jenna quipped.
    Jack shoved the closing door and marched through. The open plan office area beyond was bustling with two dozen people, and the smell of cooking food wafted through the air. Dividing screens were still ranked a few feet in from the windows, and the people kept to the central area, careful not to cast shadows that might be seen from outside.
    “Breezer!” Jack shouted. Heads turned, and a couple of people told him to Shhhh! Jack laughed. “It's not a bloody library!” he said. “He hasn't called you all here to sit down quietly to read. You're all going to die!”
    “Er, Jack,” Jenna said from behind him. Jack raised a hand without looking back. He wasn't sure where the sudden anger had come from, but it felt good to let it flow. Breezer was not the appropriate target—Miller and Reaper were far more suited for that. But right now, he was all there was.
    “Jack, don't,” Rhali whispered behind him.
    “Breezer!” Jack shouted again. The man paused by the dried skeleton of a huge, dead potted plant and turned around. He looked haunted.
    “There's nothing we can do,” Breezer said. “Clinton died this morning. Remember Clinton?” Jack did. The black man sat in a shopping trolley, snatching truths from the air like flies, affected by the same sickness that was taking root in many of London's survivors. Even Nomad had displayed signs, though she'd denied it.
    “It doesn't matter,” Jack said. He breathed deeply, trying to make sense of his outburst. Fear contributed, he was sure, and fury at what had happened here, what London had become. Anger, too, at the monster his father had turned into. “We'll get