Free The New Night Novels (Book 1): Rippers: A New Night Novel by Ashlei D. Hawley

crazies had been alerted by the sound. He grabbed Leland by the arm and pulled him hard.
         “Time to go.” They ran for their lives.
    PART II – THE NEW NIGHT
    Chapter Eleven – Apartment 2B
         Leland and Jameson fled toward the more populated area of the small town. Though Jameson didn’t like the thought of going toward more potentially insane people, higher population meant more buildings to hide in. Jameson wanted to find a place and hole up until he could figure things out.
         Leland began to heave breaths. He wasn’t used to running so much and Jameson was ridiculously fast. He didn’t think he could keep up but every time he faltered, the other man was there to encourage him. Jameson dragged him along a few times.
         “There!” Jameson shouted. He pointed to a squat apartment building surrounded by pine and oak trees.
         Thundering footfalls echoed through the street behind them. Leland could see evidence of the crazy people attacking others the same way the two had at his family party. Windows had been busted through. Doors had been pried open or broken down.
         The insane people Leland saw as they ran were occupied with other things than the two running men. They tore into the flesh of people they’d dragged out of their homes and bathed their faces in the blood pouring from the wounds they created with rending hands and ripping teeth.
         Leland knew he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of the crazy people’s cannibalistic rage. When Jameson pointed out a potential safe area, Leland jumped at the chance to get inside.
         He went for the front door, but Jameson jerked him away from his path.
         “Back!” he shouted as he pointed to the rear of the building.
         Leland didn’t understand Jameson’s decision to go around back until he realized the front door of the apartment building was undoubtedly locked. When they rounded the back side of the building, Leland saw the fire escape ladders that went up to the highest level of the apartments, three floors up.
         It hurt so much to breathe, Leland almost didn’t want to continue gasping for air. Every breath burned into his chest as though he inhaled acidic vapor instead of oxygen.
         “Up!” Jameson roared as he jerked one of the ladders down.
         The first of the crazies rounded the corner as Leland jumped for the ladder. He scrambled up, scraping his palms against the old, rusted metal. Jameson was right behind him, urging him up with his shouts.
         “Go!” Jameson hollered. “Get up! Hurry!!”
         Leland reached the first platform with Jameson hot on his heels. He looked down and saw the infected people had no intentions of stopping or becoming confused by the introduction of the ladder in their path. The first one reached the metal, looked up at Leland, snarled, and then began to climb.
         “Shit!” Leland exclaimed as he reached for the next ladder. “They can climb!”
         Jameson followed Leland up. He tried to watch the infected people as they fought to climb up all at once. They knocked each other back and spit and snapped at one another. They still tried to climb, though, and Jameson knew they would eventually make it up.
         There wasn’t time to barricade whatever apartment they got into. Jameson didn’t want to show Leland anything inhuman, but he knew he didn’t have a choice.
         Two of them had reached the first landing and started up the second ladder. If something wasn’t done, the infected would be up with Jameson and Leland in short order.
         When they reached the second landing of the fire escape, Jameson took the ladder in his hands. With a grunt, he twisted the metal until it snapped off of the landing in his hands. He shoved it down the fire escape. It plunged through the metal on the lower landing, taking two of the infected with it.
         Leland gaped at Jameson. He didn’t