1 WEEK BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...

Schaefer did it. That son of a bitch was able to convince the British government the incidents down at the lab were not his fault.

He told them everything he discussed with the helicopter pilot. He worked for a secret facility studying the most dangerous diseases on the planet in order to develop new cures and vaccines. Unfortunately, a new virus, one caused by an unknown parasite more prolific and more dangerous than any other, spread throughout the facility, and anyone who was infected by it would be reduced to a feral cannibalistic shell of their former self. Schaefer's colleagues had taken their lives to prevent the infection from spreading, leaving him as the sole survivor to warn the rest of the world.

Every request he had for the government was granted. All throughout England entire cities were quarantined, each one separated from the rest of the world by endless barricades and checkpoints. The British Army was positioned all over London, sometimes conspicuously watching from their towers and vehicles and other times hiding among the crowds remaining vigilant for signs of infection. It was hard to find a street that wasn't crawling with armed guards.

City districts and neighborhoods were blocked off by gates, barbed wire coiling around the tops. The roads were unblocked, which meant traveling around on wheels was still possible, but going out for a midnight walk was nearly impossible since all of the entrances to other neighborhoods were closed off past curfew. Checkpoints were the only way to access the rest of the city, two medium-sized watchtowers on opposite sides of the street connected by a single bridge. Soldiers would pace back and forth on the bridge keeping watch over their designated districts, and no one under eighteen could get past them without adult supervision. Anyone out past curfew or caught trying to trespass the checkpoints would be detained by the authorities.

In the two years it took to bring Schaefer's world to life, the citizens of London had changed, for better or worse. Surgical masks had become a trend among the people, and the British pound was slowly being replaced by Ration Cards, vouchers of various colors and value given out to disperse equal amounts of food per citizen. Propaganda posters lined the walls of buildings, some displaying warning signs of infection along with cartoonish monstrous depictions of the infected and others delivering encouraging messages reminiscent of KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON. Additionally, Londoners and the military began referring to the infected as Deadmen, because it was declared that anyone infected by the parasite was better off dead.

Yet Schaefer had come off as all talk and little action. He built up the Deadmen like indestructible freaks of nature, yet he was the only one who had actually seen them. The only thing that prevented people from assuming he was a delirious madman was when he repeatedly showed off pictures of his deceased former colleagues. No one ever found out he created the "parasite" or that he killed off his colleagues to save his own skin.

But even with the overabundance of deception and security, that didn't get in the way of fun for the twelve-year-old members of the Cod Squad. Once nightfall came, they'd sneak out of the children's home to hang out at the top of the nearest checkpoint tower, known only as Checkpoint Z. Even though the towers were only as tall as a three-story building, it offered some of the best views of the city the kids had ever seen. Just from standing on the small bridge that connected the two towers one could see Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Shard all along the Thames River.

In those last two years, the watchtowers of Checkpoint Z had become a new safe haven for the Cod Squad to both bond and break down. Nika was able to show her more carefree and risky side by willingly sneaking out at night to wander around a borderline-totalitarian city, and her relationship with Aaron composed itself into a powerfully close friendship that the four of them shared equally with each other. The possibilities of something beyond that were always there, of course, but it would remain a normal friendship until the two of them could finally comprehend what the concept of romance was to them.

While Aaron, Jonah, and Nika remained as chummy as ever, it was obvious they were starting to lose Natalya. Nobody knew the origin of her sudden reclusiveness, but she started feeling somewhat alienated when it came to them, like if she was the least valuable player in this little team of friends. It wasn't hard to doubt her. There were times that her words would be overshadowed by the others and forgotten. Sadly, like in most cases, the others weren't aware of what Natalya felt. They only acknowledged the growing distance between her and them, not the reason why she felt so far away.

A similar problem involved their relationship with Mr. Hecox. Ever since the discovery of his weapons stash, the door to the basement had been boarded up with multiple planks and warning signs. Nobody ever bothered to go in there again. In fact, everyone in the house forgot about it in a month; everyone except for Mr. Hecox. His eccentric and cheerful attitude had vanished, and he became a man of few words, sometimes only opening his mouth to say "Good morning", "Goodnight", and"Put that down, that's expensive!" (and he only used that last statement when Jonah almost threw a teacup at a window). In the rare moments he did speak, he often spoke in a low unhinged tone. The shakiness of his voice felt like if he were seconds away from bursting into maniacal laughter, and his suddenly shady nature made him resemble the kinds of strangers he instructed the kids to be cautious of. Even his own wife was frightened by him.

Fortunately, he seemed to be slowly returning to normal as the months progressed. He started having longer, more immersive conversations with Mrs. Hecox and the kids, but he still spoke with that unnerving tone that made being able to trust him a bit of a challenge. But they had to get used to it.

It was a cool April night. One hour and thirty minutes until midnight. Aaron, Jonah, and Nika scrambled to climb out of the foyer window. First Jonah, then Aaron, then the two of them assisted Nika in stepping out and slowly placed her on the ground. She brushed lint off her night gown and coat and followed the boys down the street to their hiding place.

Jonah clicked on his flashlight and aimed it at the pavement beneath them. "Can't believe we've been doing this for over a year," he whispered with a grin. "And no one has laid siege to Cod Castle yet."

Nika snickered at the silly name while Aaron rolled his eyes and turned toward Jonah. "I still can't believe we haven't come up with a cooler name. Seriously, Cod Castle?"

"That sounds like the name of a fish and chip shop," Nika chuckled.

"Speaking of which, I'm getting kinda hungry," Jonah added. "Do you think we could stop by the fishmonger's?"

Aaron and Nika quickly developed looks of discontent. They couldn't tell if he was kidding.

"Nah, I'm just taking the piss," Jonah replied with nervous laughter. "Totally kidding, guys. I swear."

The three of them continued walking down the empty street. The curfew was eleven at night, but the streets of London started clearing up around ten o'clock since everyone was scared of Schaefer's army. Those brave enough to continue wandering the dark streets believed that the only person to fear was Colonel Schaefer himself and his soldiers were just puppets taking orders. And with the streets completely devoid of people, the trio had more elbow room to run around and explore.

Parked cars were lined up in front of the homes, and trash littered the streets. Papers flew away with the wind like birds migrating to a new location. The glow of lamps and TV screens brightened dimly through the curtains covering the citizens' windows. With the streetlights off, those dim little lights along with Jonah's flashlight were the only things illuminating their path. The silence that came down over the kids' section of the city was intimidating since even the quickest movement and the quietest of sounds could be heard blocks away.

Jonah shined his light toward a collection of anti-infection propaganda posters, one of many scattered throughout the city streets. He jumped back out of fear since the poster they caught a glimpse of was the kind with an exaggerated monstrous illustration of a Deadman. Pale skin, colorless eyes, tattered clothes, and drenched in blood. However, his admiration for comic books motivated him to laugh away the fear.

"Got me, mate," he chuckled. "By the way, where's the Cod..." He paused to look at Aaron's look of disagreement with the name before clearing his throat. "Where's Checkpoint Z again?"

"Look up," Nika said.

Jonah raised his flashlight up, and the first thing that came into view was a ladder rising to the top of a watchtower. Jonah moved the light around to uncover the metal bridge leading toward the watchtower's counterpart on the other side of the street. The letters AIS were spray-painted on the side of the tower next to the ladder, short for the Anti-Infection Squad led by Schaefer. The watchtower was tall enough to reach the roof of the three-story shop beside it, but the kids had been there too many times to be scared of heights anymore.

"I'll hold the light for you two lovebirds," Jonah said, extending his arm out to keep the flashlight focused on the ladder. "Going up?"

Nika buttoned up her coat. "Going up," she declared. "And please don't look up my dress."

"Of course," Aaron replied. "Why would we?"

One foot after another Nika made her way up the ladder. Aaron had to punch Jonah in the shoulder to disrupt his wandering eyes. Then Nika finally disappeared at the top of the ladder into the watchtower, and it was finally safe for Jonah to look again.

"Sorry, bruv," Jonah said. "You're the one who fancies her. You should be the first to get a glimpse of—"

Aaron punched him in the shoulder again before making his way up the ladder. Jonah followed behind him, clutching the flashlight in his mouth as he followed his friends up. Aaron and Nika hoisted him into the tower once he reached the top. He picked his flashlight back up, turned it off, and gathered around with his friends to take in the view of the city.

"Remember the view of the city back then?" Jonah asked as he leaned on the tower's railing.

"We didn't have a view of the city back then," Nika replied.

Jonah snapped his fingers. "Bingo, m'lady. So here's one great thing that came out of all this."

"Just one thing, though," Aaron added. "Sure, they've restricted our access to the rest of London, reduced money to nothing but vouchers for food, and have armed guards at every corner...but at least we have a damn watchtower to ourselves."

"Exactly, bruv! You get it."

"I was being sarcastic, you wanker."

"I actually agree with Jonah," Nika chimed in. "Mrs. Hecox always says to count your blessings, and I'd say this view is definitely one of them."

"True that," Aaron replied. "But don't you think it sucks that we can only see the city instead of actually explore it? We're like fish in an aquarium because of that."

"Well, wouldn't it suck even more if you never got to see it in the first place?" Nika asked with a smirk. "You're not out there now, but you know where you want to go, so that's good."

"Y'know, you are really hard to disagree with," Aaron said. "Especially with that smirk."

"What smirk?" She ironically smirked again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You having a face spasm then?" Jonah asked.

Still with the smirk on her face, Nika jokingly twitched her eyes to add to the moment. "Probably, mate. Just comes and goes."

"What is going on?" Aaron asked, and the three of them burst into laughter. The three of them slid down to the metal floor against the railing, still laughing until their sides grew sore.

The three of them concluded their laughter with long gasps for air and settled into their relaxed positions against the railing. Then Nika tilted her head toward Aaron and Jonah and said, "I love you guys. You're the greatest friends ever."

"I love myself, too," Jonah replied, followed by Aaron punching him in the ribs.

"Fine," Jonah added with a chuckle. "I guess I love you guys, too. But not so much Aaron since he's been punching me ever since we got here."

"I think I can live with that," Aaron replied with a grin.

The three of them scooted together and slumped against the railing. Aaron wrapped one arm around Nika and the other around Jonah, and his two friends leaned their heads on Aaron's shoulder in relaxation. The one thing Aaron loved most in the world, besides his shitty drawings, was the feeling of Nika's head pressed against his neck. He could never figure out why her hair was so soft.

"Wow, your hair is soft," Aaron said, brushing his cheek against both Nika and Jonah's hair to leave it ambiguous who the question was directed at.

"Aww thanks," Nika replied.

"No, I was talking about Jonah."

"Aww thanks, bruv," Jonah replied, and the two exchanged a fist-bump while Nika rolled her eyes and chuckled. Then the kids went silent and returned to their comfortable positions, with Aaron regaining his purpose as a pillow.

After a couple of minutes, the three of them fell asleep. Apparently, Aaron's shoulders were that comfortable. The sight of the city lights around them faded into a blur as each of them closed their eyes. None of them even cared how much time was passing nor were they aware of it.

And if it weren't for the sudden appearances of the armed guards, they probably would've spent the night in that watchtower.

"Wake up!"

The kids woke up to the sight of two AIS guards aiming their guns at them. The barrels of their guns were only inches away from their faces. Nika and even Jonah tightened their grasp on Aaron's arms fearfully.

"Ah fuck," Jonah said monotonously. "I can't believe you've done this."

"What do you mean?" Aaron whispered. "You were the one who fell asleep first, idiot."

"Get up!" one of the soldiers shouted. "And put your hands in the air!"

The trio did as they were commanded and jumped to their feet, raising their hands above their heads.

"What are you doing out here past curfew?" the guard asked.

"It's all right, sir," Jonah replied. "We were planning on leaving five minutes before the clock strikes eleven."

"Well, I'm afraid you're two hours too late!" the other guard shouted. "It's 12:30 in the fucking morning!"

"Two hours? What the bloody hell—"

"Shut it!" The armed guard cocked his gun. "Why don't you follow your friends' examples and shut your trap?"

"S-s-sorry."

"Good." As one guard kept his gun directed at the kids, the other unsheathed a baton and started waving it around like a baseball bat. "That was a very bad idea coming out here so late, y'know. Not even the detainment center is open right now, you little shits. You couldn't have come here earlier in the day?"

"But there's no curfew in the middle of the day," Nika said.

"Exactly, lass!" The guard smacked the baton against his palms. "However, it's never too late for an infection test. And do you know what the first test is?"

The three kids shrugged, none of them knowing the answer. And frankly they were too scared to ask.

"Well that's disappointing," the guard mumbled. "The first thing we test is pain tolerance." He snapped his fingers and directed the other guard in Aaron's direction. "Sid, could you show them how it works? Fetch the middle one."

The soldier known as Sid grabbed Aaron by his arm and dragged him closer, Aaron's heart pounding through his chest. He pulled back Aaron's sleeve and kept his arm extended in front of the baton-wielding guard.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jonah asked angrily. Both he and Nika clenched their fists.

"You see, lads," the guard continued, now waving the baton around over Aaron's exposed arm, "one of the easiest ways to get a reaction out of someone...is with a broken arm."

"No, wait!" Aaron shouted. As soon as the guard prepared to take a swing, he clenched his eyes shut.

"Whoa, what the hell?!" the guard yelled, pausing before the baton could collide with Aaron's arm.

They were all blinded by a light shining over the edge of the watchtower. The sounds of footsteps ascending the ladder alerted the group of a newcomer. But the nonchalant humming of the newcomer made it impossible to feel threatened. The hums sounded happy-go-lucky, as if the approaching stranger wasn't aware of the fact three youths were being physically threatened at the top of the tower.

Then the wackiness went up to eleven when the stranger was revealed to be Mr. Hecox wearing a newsboy cap and holding a flashlight. "Evening, gents!" he greeted.

"What the bloody fuck?" the soldier named Sid said.

"Hey, please put the guns down," Mr. Hecox continued as he stepped into the tower with the rest of them. "And get rid of that baton. These children mean a lot to me, y'know."

The baton-wielding guard pushed Aaron away from him. "So you're their father?" he asked.

"Caretaker. I run the children's home down the street. But I love them as if they were my own flesh and blood."

"Are you drunk?"

"I would've asked the same thing," Jonah whispered to the others.

"Not drunk," Mr. Hecox replied, his answer contradicted by his sluggish movements and drowsy eyes. "Just whimsical."

"No kidding," Nika added.

"My arm was almost broken a few seconds ago," Aaron grumbled. "I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"Well, now I can see why these little bastards were able to escape you so easily," Sid said.

"Hey, watch your language, arsehole," Mr. Hecox replied. "I just wanted to make sure my kids were safe. So, if you'd be so kind, we'll be on our way now."

The baton-wielding guard strapped the baton to his waist and unholstered his gun, now setting his sights on Mr. Hecox. "Or how about we just blow all of your brains out right here, right now?"

As Aaron, Jonah, and Nika huddled together for safety, Mr. Hecox clicked his tongue multiple times and stuck his hands into his coat pockets. "Damn it, gentlemen. I was hoping I wouldn't have to ask this, but you've given me no choice."

"Take your hands out of your pockets!" Sid threatened.

"While we're on the topic of blowing brains out..." Mr. Hecox continued, followed by two simultaneous clicking noises. Then the soldiers noticed two pins rolling around the floor beneath Hecox. "The new question is whose brains are gonna make the biggest mess?"

Once everyone around him was done gasping, Mr. Hecox pulled out two grenades, both with their pins missing. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he exclaimed, and he tossed them at the guards.

"FUCKING HELL!" the guards shouted in unison, and they ran to the other tower and climbed down as fast as they could.

Mr. Hecox abruptly twisted toward the children, who were cowering in fear next to the ladder, and whispered loudly, "Hold your breath and close your eyes!"

Then the grenades burst into large clouds of smoke following the sounds of two small explosions, engulfing the checkpoint towers in a thick grey mist. The soldiers had vanished into the night, and Mr. Hecox and the kids were safe and sound.

Once the coast was clear, Mr. Hecox swung his hands rampantly through the air to blow the smoke away, cackling like a little kid the entire time. Then his laughing devolved into coughing once he caught a whiff of his own smoke bombs. His kids were still huddled together in a group hug, all three of them too scared to move.

"All right, lads," Mr. Hecox declared. "You're safe now."

Aaron, Jonah, and Nika didn't let go. They stayed huddled together, shivering as if they were trapped outside on a snowy day. "To be honest, sir," Nika said, "I feel like we're less safe when you're around."

With that, Mr. Hecox let out a long joyous laugh. Not just a simple chuckle. A laugh full of confidence and hope. Through that wild cackle, Mr. Hecox was finally able to prove he was still there for the kids. He was their average, everyday weirdo who'd do anything to protect them.

"You're not really living if you always feel safe," he said. "In fact, you'll never feel more alive than when you're more close to death." He held his arms out and smiled. "Now let's hug this out."

The kids remained fearfully huddled together for a few more seconds, still unsure if their caretaker was sane. Aaron was the first to let go of his friends and enter Mr. Hecox's fatherly embrace, and soon Jonah and Nika joined in, resulting in the best group hug Mr. Hecox had ever felt.

"I love you, lads," Mr. Hecox said comfortingly. "And while I admit you can't live life without getting your hands dirty every once in a while, I would never do anything to put you in danger."

"We love you, too, sir," Nika replied.

"Just outta curiosity, how'd you find us?" Jonah asked.

Mr. Hecox let go of the kids. "Natalya told us you three sneaked out. Then I was out the door before Mrs. Hecox could scold me. And it wasn't hard to find you given the fact Jonah's flashlight is the brightest thing out here."

Jonah blushed. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"And I'm guessing we won't be allowed back here after tonight, right?" Nika added equally as timid as Jonah.

"Afraid so," Mr. Hecox replied. He walked over to the edge of the watchtower to admire the view of the Thames. "But now that I'm here, I can see why this is your favorite hiding spot. The view is breathtaking."

"It's okay, I guess. I'm pretty sure—Ow!" Jonah tried to say before Aaron punched him again in the ribs. "What the hell, bruv?! Do I look like a punching bag?"

"It's definitely something," Aaron told Mr. Hecox before dodging an incoming counterattack from Jonah.

The four of them gathered around the edge of the tower to admire the view one more time before the AIS would ban them entirely from entering and exiting Checkpoint Z. For the rest of the week, they'd have to take detours through Checkpoints X and Y.

And that week would be the last time any of them would ever see London in serenity.