The Alpha Plague 2 by Michael Robertson Read Free Book Online

card and watched the red light on the reader turn green.  
    Several clicks as the shutter mechanism came to life and the steel barrier rolled up from the top. Made from horizontal strips of brushed steel much like the metal used to protect the towers, the bottom of the shutter lifted from the ground.
    Although the process wasn’t slow, impatience ran through Rhys and he tapped his foot as he waited. He chewed on his lip and scanned the city behind him again. “Come on, this is taking too fucking long.”
    Oscar ran a more languid surveillance of their surroundings and said nothing.
    The sun set on the horizon and Rhys glanced at his watch. Just over an hour had passed since he’d left his boy. He drew a deep breath and exhaled hard.  
    The motors whirred and Rhys cleared his throat as he continued to watch the abandoned city. “Maybe we led every diseased in the city to the car park and they’re still there.”
    Oscar looked back in the direction of the multi-storey and lifted his wide shoulders in a shrug. “As long as they stay there.”
    When Oscar spoke, Rhys watched him to look for any chink in his façade. The response seemed natural but Oscar also seemed well practiced in the art of deceit. When he’d finally worked out Oscar’s angle, he’d be much easier to read. Until then, he’d just have to guess. He didn’t have a brother with Down’s, that much seemed clear. Or if he did, he wasn’t trapped in Summit City, and he wasn’t called Alan. As for Oscar’s injury…
    When Oscar turned back around, Rhys looked away.  
    After a moment of silence, Rhys looked back at him.  
    The big man’s blue eyes narrowed. “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he said and looked down, “why the fuck do you have odd trainers on?”
    Rhys focused on his feet and wiggled his toes. The sweat between them turned the movement slick. The previously new trainer looked far from that now. Both of them had brown stains from old blood and were scuffed from heavy use. A shrug of his shoulders, and Rhys pointed at the new one. “I found this one in a sports shop when I was leaving the city a few hours ago. After putting it on, I realised the other one would be somewhere in the store cupboard, and we didn’t want to hang around to look for it.”
    The look on Oscar’s face said ‘you idiot’, but he kept his response to himself and turned to look at the shutter. It had lifted high enough for them to enter the shop.  
    A deep breath did little to settle the butterflies in Rhys’ stomach, so he pushed through it and ducked under the barrier as it continued to rise. Oscar let him lead the way and followed him in.
    All of the shop’s displays and decor had bike themes. A huge wheel dominated the centre of the space. About two metres wide, it held at least thirty bikes and spun to allow customers to view the stock.
    Although they led to a private area, the stairs in the corner of the shop had been made to look like cogs. The counter rested on top of a large set of replica handlebars. Made from glass, it had been filled with fireworks. Even the cycle clothing hung from hangers hooked over wheels suspended from the ceiling like model aeroplanes. The entire place smelled of oil and rubber.  
    Rhys walked to the back of the shop with Oscar at his side. From the corner of his eye, he caught movement beneath a pile of clothes and raised his baseball bat. Oscar did the same with his axe.
    A girl emerged. Scruffy and no more than about five feet tall, she held a firework in one hand and a lighter in the other. The firework shook at the end of her outstretched arm.
    Rhys stepped forward and then froze when she sparked the lighter at him.  
    “I’ll send this firework into your fucking face if you take another step closer.” Spittle shot from her mouth as she spoke.
    Rhys raised his hands. “Calm down, love, we don’t mean you any harm.”
    “Like fuck. If you didn’t mean me any harm, why the fuck have I been locked in this