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the first man said. “And there’s nothing you might have that we want to buy. You should climb back over and go somewhere else.”
    “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves,” McInery finally spoke. “I’m Mrs McInery, this is—”
    “Woah! Keep your hands where I can see them,” the first man barked, stepping forward. The other man followed. Inwardly, Chester cursed. At fifteen paces, they were too close. He wouldn’t draw in time.
    “I was just reaching for my card,” McInery said, her hand frozen above a pocket. Slowly, she reached in and took it out. Holding the piece of paper at arm’s length in front of her, she took a step forward, then another, and another. She walked slowly towards them, until the second of the two relented, took a couple of paces forward himself, and took the card. McInery raised her hands, palms up in front, and started walking backward.
    “Mrs M. J. McInery,” the man read. “The Gideon Project. On the back here it says if the person with this card has been in an accident they should call you. And it’s got two numbers. You’re a lawyer?”
    “No, a philanthropist. I run many charities, but at their heart is one goal, to give people a second chance.”
    “Well, that’s nice,” the first man said. “But here and now there’s no call for—” but before he could finish the sentence, the door opened again and a much younger man ran out. He wasn’t thin, not yet, but judging by his clothing he’d been verging on overweight before the outbreak. A second glance at his face, and Chester put his age at late teens, early twenties, that age when every young man, against all better judgement and regardless of how scraggly the result, attempts to grow a beard.
    “Hana, I… I can’t…” he stuttered. “It’s all gone—”
    “Relax Dev,” Hana, the woman in the all-in-one suit, said, turning to the young man. “What happened?”
    “I don’t know. But Kendra says she need you.”
    “Excuse me,” Hana said distractedly as she walked back inside the building. The young man followed.
    “And I think it’s time you left,” the first of the two men said once the door had closed again. He nodded to the woman. She went back into the building without giving Chester and McInery a second glance. A few seconds later there was a click behind them and a mechanical whir as the gate slid open.
    “Well, goodbye then,” McInery said. “And good luck.”
    Chester nodded to the two men, smiled, and followed her out into the street.
     
    “What do you think?” McInery asked when they were beyond both sight and earshot.
    “Six people. Possibly more.” Chester thought for a moment. “Probably more. Three cameras, one above the door, one above the gate, one in the yard. Clearly they’re watching them. They were armed, and they weren’t scared.”
    “But do you think it’s manageable,” she asked.
    He knew what she meant, and even for her it seemed overly callous.
    “Just for fresh meat? What was it you told me? Always look for the profit. Where’s the profit in storming that place?”
    “Yes, maybe you’re right. It’s been a long day.” She looked up at the sky. The sun was only just beginning to set. “And it’s going to be a longer one tomorrow.”
    “You want to try that hotel?”
    Almost as if on cue, the streetlight in front of them came on.
    “It’s odd, isn’t it?” McInery said. “I would have expected the power to have been cut. But as long as it’s on, we might as well enjoy it. A hot bath and some hot food, perhaps with some cold wine. A bad day always seems better after a good night’s sleep. Yes, I think that hotel is very definitely our next stop.”
     
    They approached the skyscraper from the rear and found the service entrance open. When they stepped inside, it was immediately apparent they weren’t likely to find any food inside, nor wine, nor even a good night’s sleep. The corridors were full of discarded suitcases. Where they weren’t,