Free Thirteen Roses Book One: Before: An Apocalyptic Zombie Saga by Michael Cairns Page B

out the office and Sam slumped back in her seat. She spun the chair so she could stare out the big window behind her. She could see the river and thousands of people, going about their lives like she wasn't this close to death.  
    She stood and sucked in a deep breath. She couldn't be in here. She couldn't talk to her boss and try and explain why her job didn't matter anymore, why nothing mattered. She grabbed her jacket and ran. Liz called after her and it was probably something caring, something that she needed to hear, but she couldn't hear it, not now.  
    Minutes later she burst out onto the street and sucked in a huge lungful of filthy London air. She could breathe again, as ludicrous as it sounded. Out here she was one among millions, and not one of them knew her, or what was happening to her. She didn't know why that was so important, but it was. She stamped past the yard and glanced at the van parked inside. It had been there when she left yesterday and it was still there. There was something creepy about it, with all the blacked out windows and nasty bumper stickers.  
    Sam set off for the river. It would be clearer there and she could pretend she was on holiday, cruising by the Thames. She used to come here with Tanya all the time. They'd hang out on the South Bank, or laze on the steps of St Paul's. She sniffed and rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand, then looked in horror at the mascara smeared across it.  
    She reached Embankment and headed straight for the railings. As she leaned against them, the phone rang. She stiffened, like the railings had electricity running through them. She struggled to breathe as she pulled her phone from her jacket pocket. She was too hot and she yanked the jacket off as well, not yet daring to look at the phone screen. She didn't need to.  
    She knew it was Tanya.  

Sam Part Two

    She'd only set one personal ring-tone on her phone and that had been for Tanya. And now it was ringing. Screwing up her nose, she looked at the screen and there she was, the photo they'd taken in Hamleys with the giant elephant staring her in the face. She lifted it to her ear and took a deep breath, then pressed answer.
    Tanya was sobbing, mewing into the phone and the sound nearly sent Sam to her knees. Tanya didn't cry, same way she didn't talk about her feelings or admit to being scared of anything.  
    'Tany, was is it, what's wrong?'
    'I miss you.'
    It took a while to come out between the sobs but as it sunk in, Sam staggered back until she found a bench and sat. The tears were for her. The space on the other side of the bed was gaping, a gulf into which she fell every night.  
    'I miss you too.' The tears escaped as the words came out and for a while the only sound was the two of them sharing the one thing they'd never shared before. Sam got control first, horribly aware of the people staring at her and the likely state of her mascara. The last few months had necessitated the exploration of all sorts of waterproof mascara before she'd decided that description was a contradiction in terms.  
    'Where are you?'
    'At the flat. Where are you?'
    'In town. I just had to leave work for a while. There's--'
    'Can you come and see me?'
    'Of course, I mean, yeah, of course. I'll be there in a half hour.'
    The sniffles were drying up and Tanya sounded more like her old self. 'Okay, see you soon.'
    The phone went dead and Sam stared at it. Tanya never said bye when she hung up, but she'd almost forgotten the abruptness. It used to really bug her, not getting to say bye or I love you. As she tucked it into her jacket pocket, she realised she'd just spoken to Tanya for the first time in four months and she hadn't asked about the cancer. Probably just too upset.  
    She set off, ignoring the stitch that formed in her side and the shortness of breath that made her blink and pant as she walked. She was almost at the station when she stopped, distracted by the most amazing scents. The flower stall was in