"Sir, I need your friend to remove her hoodie." The Dollarama employee's gaze jumped from me to the weirdo in pyjamas, unsure of what to make of the curious situation unfolding.

Ignoring their request, Flannel-Pants searched his trouser pocket, growling when the item he retrieved fell to the ground.

"Please, I don't know him." I whipped my head left and right for assistance.

Whispers arose from the teenage group as they hesitated between recording the scene and intervening.

The store clerk frowned. "Sir, what are you doing?"

Flannel-Pants bent down to pick up a black leather box, and I sucked in a sharp breath when he opened it, revealing a silvery disc.

"He's gonna put a Bridge on me. Help!" I sprinted to try to escape my assailant, but he spread his arms, blocking the passage, and I stumbled back into the shop.

"Woah, dude. Bridges caused a hell of a ruckus last week."

"Not cool, man. You could hurt her."

Upon hearing the teenagers' comments, the cashier took my defense. "Sir, step back. Do not touch that girl."

Flannel-Pants discarded the leather case and placed his second Bridge in his hand. I threw a quick glance behind me, pondering if I should shake him off in the aisles or confront him. Before I could make a decision, he lunged, his palm aiming at my face. The store clerk yelped, and stepped in to protect me. The three of us tripped over in a mess of arms and legs.

When they both stilled, I crawled away from them, and accepted the hand offered by one of the teens to get up.

"What's happening?"

"Should we call the mall security?"

"Why aren't they moving?"

My throat constricted with guilt. Was the Dollarama employee okay? They had shielded me--a complete stranger--and were now motionless, sprawled on the floor like a dismantled puppet.

Okay, not motionless anymore.

In sync, Flannel-Pants and they stood up. When they snapped their heads in my direction with vacant stares, I flinched, and dashed away from the store, passing the teenage group and the curious crowds that had gathered in the hallway.

"Remove their Bridges," a voice yelled.

I did not turn to see if the onlookers managed to subdue the zombies. I ran, my heart beat deafening me, and slalomed between shoppers until I found an escalator to the surface.

Fear took me two blocks further and into a back alley. After five minutes spent cowering between dumpsters, I risked a little peep towards the busy streets on both sides. Passers-by filed one after the other, laden down with shopping bags and unaware of my precarious situation.

Energy drained me as the adrenaline stopped flooding my brain. I clasped my hands together to prevent them from shaking, and focused on my breath until it was not shallow anymore.

Once I was again in control of my body, I removed my hoodie to tuck it away between the dumpster, then braided my hair and fashioned it into a low bun, hoping that the cap would be enough to hide both my face and mane. Jaws tightened, I smothered the dread that was weighing on my guts.

"Theo is alright. He's safe. He's waiting for me at the Belvedere." With these assertions in mind, I left the alley and started towards Mount Royal.

When I reached Sherbrooke, the pedestrian red light allowed me a moment of respite. I checked my phone, and exhaled at Amy's reassuring text. She had safely arrived at Aunt Rachana's, and had the household under surveillance. As I typed her an answer, messages from Bahiriya flooded my screen, each more alarming than the last.

Help

Are you there?

Please Leah

911

I'm scared

Are you all right? I replied, brows furrowing with apprehension.

My girlfriend attacked me. She wanted to know where you lived, was her answer. Are you home?

On my way to the Kondiaronk Belvedere. A sense of foreboding again narrowed my throat. Did Victoria assault her in retaliation for my rebellion? I typed away warnings to Idris, Marla, and Matthew, bidding them to stay clear from strangers and to barricade themselves somewhere safe.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when a loud screech, followed by furious honks and a string of curses, rang out in Peel Street. A pedestrian was jaywalking, oblivious to the traffic and to other passers-by. Like the man in Promenades Cathédrale, there was something eerie in the way she moved.

When a fuming cab driver got out of his car and confronted her, she passed him without reacting, which infuriated him even more. He planted himself on her path, motioning towards the traffic light, and she bumped into him, pushing his body with hers as if she did not notice him. His eyes widened at her unnerving behaviour, and he stumbled away to his vehicle with a grunt.

Until she was out of sight, I hugged the traffic signal pole, keeping it between us to try and conceal my presence. When she disappeared behind a street corner, I started again towards the hill, at a brisker rate.

An invisible grip constricted my chest at the idea of not being able to find Theo. Victoria didn't back away from murder when her friend died. Should she lay her hands on her former mentee, would she zombify him, or would she get rid of him to be sure?

I was out of breath by the time I set foot on the Belvedere.

The sunny and cloudless sky had attracted masses of tourists and walkers to the viewpoint. They admired the contrast between the urban skyline and the nature surrounding us, and awed at the chipmunks darting from tree to tree. They grinned, and laughed, and joked, their minds so, so far away from my trouble.

Tears pricked my eyes as I admitted Theo wasn't amongst them. I bit my lip to stifle a sob, and trudged to the low stone wall we had chatted on.

An affable grandpa scooted over to give me some room, and shook an airtight box. "Would you like a prune, my dear?"

"No, thank you, sir." I smiled, and he put it back in his bum bag, then pushed on his hands to try and get up.

Before I could offer my help, the appealing grandpa sitting by his side chuckled, and grabbed his elbow. Together, they counted to three, and heave-ho, got up to their feet to join a group of sightseers back to a coach.

My gaze fell upon the stones they had rested upon. Someone had used a pebble to scribble a symbol. The outline was uncertain, but the general shape was easy to identify.

It was a donut.

I squinted, my heart swelling with renewed hope, and discerned a L and T inside the ring. Below, an arrow pointed towards the forest.

Adrenaline rushed to my brain, sending pulsating thumps in my ears as I followed the indicated direction. The babel of voices was reduced to a distant humming when I passed the Chalet. I thrust into the eerily quiet woods, chanting Amy's injunction like a prayer against serial killers and zombies.

"When in doubt, when in doubt..."

I kicked Theo in the groin when he tapped my shoulder blade, startling me and triggering a most unfortunate reflex.

His knees gave way, and he moaned, flushing from neck to forehead, his eyes bulging with pain and shock.

"I am so sorry! You frightened me. Who the heck hides behind a grove?"

"Someone who's being hunted down?" He grunted, his hands gripping his crotch.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I inquired, crouching down to his level.

"Could you please give me some space? I need a minute or two." He blinked beads of sweat away from his eyes.

"Sure, sure, sure." Without further ado, I scampered away and turned my back to give him some privacy.

In my jeans, my phone vibrated.

At the Belvedere. Where are you?

Starting from the low stone wall, go in the direction of the Chalet, then walk about a hundred yards in the woods. I sent my reply, exhaling with relief at Bahiriya's safe arrival.

"You can come back now," Theo chuntered, the pink on his ears still bright.

We stood in companionable silence, each reassured to see the other in good health--relative good health for him.

"Have you observed strange behaviours on your way up here? People walking in an unnatural way, unheeding the passers-by and traffic?"

He nodded, his lips tightening in a fine line. "No doubt they were controlled by Victoria."

"Why were they unmindful? I've seen videos of berserk attacks, and those were swift and resolved."

"My guess is that Victoria has hijacked all available Bridge users in the Montreal area to hound us. The engine must have difficulty handling all these physical bodies at the same time, in comparison with her usual chirurgical strikes."

His brows knitted together. He patted his jacket, and reached for his inside pocket. "Leah, I--"

A twig snapped near us. We huddled close, and held our breath as a silhouette wobbled in our direction.

"Bahiriya," I cried, striding to hug her.

"Is that Theo?" she asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Leah, wait." His hand brushed past mine.

I turned to him with a quizzical look, frowning at his hardened stare and tense jaws.

Then, something heavy hit my temple and I passed out.

I came back to my senses in the boot of a car.

Crap. This couldn't be good.

A hammering throb demanded my attention on the top of my head. With care, I removed my cap to pat my skull, finding a lump the size of an egg, but no blood. At least, I had that going for me.

Something cylindrical was lodged under my hip. I squirmed to remove it, and grunted as my hand closed on a foldable umbrella. I wiggled it out from underneath and pushed it to my feet. I then explored my jeans pocket, disappointed to find that whoever had locked me down had shown the presence of mind to seize my phone first.

I pushed against the floor and flopped to my belly. The effort triggered the apparition of a swarm of luminous dots, dancing in my field of vision. Combined with the sway of the moving vehicle, they dizzied me, and added giddiness to my already nauseous-self. I pinched my nose blade to focus on breathing, suffocating in the heat of this metallic box. Once the flecks had slowed down to a gentle waltz, I scrambled around in the darkness, finding plastic gloves, paper napkins, and empty grocery bags.

Damn it. Nothing that could be used to pry the boot open, and no glow-in-the-dark release lever. That stupid car had to be as old as Amy's banger.

Tears pooled in my eyes, but I wiped them away with fierceness. Now was not the time to cry. I needed my wits if I wanted to be ready to escape, should the opportunity present itself.

The driver slowed down, sending me rolling against the back seat before I could access the wires of the brake lights. I fumbled to retrieve the umbrella, and while I steeled myself, preparing to strike the instant I would discern an enemy, I counted three slammed doors.

At least three kidnappers. I gritted my teeth. How was I supposed to break free with three freaking opponents?

The boot was swung open and I raised my makeshift weapon the second I made out a human shape.

The umbrella fell from my hands as I recognised her. "Amy?"