"If London has fallen then where is even safe?" I ask on a whisper. 

"Nowhere is, but we need to get out as soon as possible. I heard someone at the station say the army were going to bomb the worst hit areas to try and destroy as many zombies as possible." Karina says, her tone light as she tries not to let on the danger of the situation to Roza. 

I take that hint and force my voice to sound as calm and carefree as possible. "What about the survivors, that makes no sense." 

"I think they're just trying to save what they can and god help anyone who is caught up in it all." 

I shake my head, how could everything go downhill so quickly? How did things go from stay home if you're unwell, to literally eating each other?

"My boyfriend is coming to get me, you guys are more than welcome to come too?" I offer.

Karina glances as Roza, who is finally beginning to relax and her eyelids are drifting shut. "If you're sure you don't mind." She says quietly.

"Of course not, we are going to get out of this together." I lean forward and pat her knee somewhat awkwardly.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you." She whispers, cradling Roza closer.

"You owe me nothing." I assure her, "I'm just glad you're both safe now." 

We gulp down our teas in comfortable silence and I check my phone quickly. No more messages from Dec, but with him driving I'm not entirely surprised. 

I consider messaging him to share news of the extra passengers I had collected, but I had a feeling he would mutter something about me being obsessed with rescuing strays. He had stopped being surprised about the wildlife I was constantly rehabilitating a long time ago. 

Although he grumbled about it, I had caught him chatting to a recuperating hedgehog or two in the past. 

"I'm going to grab some bags and check around for food we can take." I whisper as soon as I'm finished.

"Do you want me to-" Karina moves to stand, but I raise a hand to stop her.

"No, no. You just stay here and let that sweet girl rest." I whisper back and she smiles.

I watch her lean back into the seat and Roza snuggles in, apparently barely stirring at the movement. Out of habit I pop each of our cups in the dish washer - not that anyone is going to notice if we don't - and make my way out to the main office again.

It's still quiet out. Quiet as the grave some might say. I shudder at the thought and try not to imagine the fates of my colleagues right now.

At the moment I can pretend that they are all fine and safe in their homes. Not that any of them cared where I was. I feel a spark of annoyance that not one of them thought to check on me in their haste to get out.

The annoyance makes it that bit easier to raid their desks and drawers for the snacks they have hidden there. The rucksack I stole from the IT office is almost full by the time I've reached the other end of the office. So much for those January diets, I grin as I examine the selection of chocolate and crisp. 

I've grabbed a few power banks and bottles of water as well, thinking they might be useful. There's a smug smile on my face about the fact I've managed to actually think ahead for once and I determine that Dec is going to be very impressed with my planning skills.

As I swing the bag up onto my shoulder and make my way home towards the staff room, a noise catches my attention. A low groan that sounds nothing like Karina or Roza. I freeze, my eyes scanning the room until they land on a familiar figure shuffling out of his office. Director of Finance and killer of fun, Amit is moving slower than usual and I drop out of sight behind a desk just as he swings around.

I didn't need the glimpse of his face to confirm what I already knew. Amit was a zombie. A zombie who was trapped in a building with three very normal, very unarmed, humans. My breath caught in my throat as I realised where he was heading and I catch the murmur of a voice in the distance which tells me Karina is speaking. I think she might be singing to soothe Roza. It's sweet, but not actually helpful from a laying low perspective. 

I begin crawling as fast as I can towards the staff room, trying desperately not to make a sound and risk Amit turning on me. My knees are burning from the rough carpet and let out a hiss of pain as my hand catches on a discarded staple. 

I send eye daggers at Tom's desk and hope he knows I am cursing his name right now. Amit has stopped for a second and I hold my breath, realising it was me that had distracted him. He somehow heard me even though I barely made a sound. Does this virus give them super hearing or something?

I can only see his lower legs from where I'm crouched so I shuffle to the end of the bank of desks and peek round. 

Amit's head is turning creepily slowly as he sniffs the air and his limbs twitch uncontrollably, the muscles unable to stay still. Roza's giggle sounds and Amit head jerks forward, as though he is spurred on by the sound.

Unable to risk my slow crawl any longer I jump to my feet and dart between the desks. The movement pulls Amit's attention back to me and he lurches towards me with unexpected speed. Diving through the doors of the staff room, I press my back to them to hold them closed. "Help me block the door." I shriek at Karina who is already putting Roza down and pushing a table towards me before I can finish. 

The door rocks open slightly with the force of a body slamming into it and hands scrabble through the gap, tugging at the bag still on my back and catching on my clothing. I feel a couple of my shirt buttons ping off, but I can't lose focus on keeping these doors closed so I push back hard. 

Roza is crying silently as she watches and I try to give her a reassuring smile. This kid is going to need years of therapy. That is assuming we make it out of this alive.

Amit snarls and the tables blocking the doors rock slightly. "Help me move this." Karina calls and I dive for the vending machine, helping her walk it along the floor to the doors. 

It makes a fizzing electrical sound as the cable is pulled out of the wall, but we don't stop until it's finally where we wanted it to be.

This time when Amit hits the door, it doesn't move and he snarls in fury. Karina and I let out similar noises of relief before she rushes to scoop up Roza.

My eyes scan the room hoping for a way out. The windows that line the wall, overlook a courtyard space and I look down. We are on the first floor. Just high enough that the drop could cause some major damage. 

The only thing I can think of is to use the window ledge to get to the drain pipe and then shimmy down that. I shake my head slightly. Who the hell do I think I am? I'm Brianna Parker, picked last for every sport, ever. Voted least athletic by all my PE teachers. I look at the drop and gulp. How are we going to get Roza down that even.

A glance at her face makes me straighten up, "OK, one moment, I need to send a text. Don't worry, I have a plan." I say with far more conviction than I actually feel.

Brianna: Slight snag in the plan - we won't be in the building. Meet us round by the back gate and I'll explain everything.

Lover boy: Almost there. What do you mean we?

I smile, reassured by the fact he is close and put my phone into my pocket again.

"OK, we need to get out of here and our ride is just around the corner so we need to act fast. I'm going to go out the window and use the drain pipe to climb down. Karina, you'll drop Roza to me and then climb down." I explain slowly, as I begin inching the window open.

The looks Karina gives me is doubtful and somewhat concerned, "You promise you'll catch her?"

I shrug off the bag holding the snacks, "You can drop this to me first so we know I'm in the right spot." 

She still looks doubtful, but agrees anyway and helps me out onto the ledge. My stomach rolls as I glance down at the drop and quickly bring my gaze up to meet hers. Roza still looks scared, "Can you give me some brave girl magic?" I ask her, holding out the hand not gripping the frame. 

She stretches out a hand and pretends to drop something into mine. "Wow, I feel braver already." I grin, and she smiles back.

The door thuds again, making her jump and I note that the vending machine has started to move forwards very slightly. We need to get a move on.

My slow shuffle along the ledge feels like it takes years and Karina gives gentle encouragement every so often. I would probably have felt reassured by the encouragement if it weren't for the fact she kept crossing herself and clearly praying.

My foot slips on a bit of moss and I let out a small squeak, pressing myself as close to the glass as possible. The snarling from Amit is louder now and he has shuffled the blockade forward far enough that I can see his fingers curling around the edge of the door.

With renewed determination I shuffle to the edge and tug on the drain pipe. It groans but doesn't move and I reach to clasp my legs around it. But my too tight pencil skirt clamps my thighs together no matter what I do.

I growl in frustration before ripping the small side slit up to mid thigh and try again. This time it's easier and I begin slowly lowering myself to the ground.

I'm just about to congratulate myself on my impressive athletic prowess when I lose my grip and slide the last section so fast it burns my hands and land in an undignified heap at the bottom.

I groan slightly as I stand, noting the bricks have grazed my already carpet burned knees. With no time to really fuss about the pain I limp over to the bottom of the window. Karina's face is white with terror and I realise Amit is almost in the room with them. 

"Drop her," I urge, "I'll catch her."

Karina drops the bag first as I had suggested and by some miracle I accidentally catch it. Spurred on, she kisses Roza and whispers something to her, before dangling the terrified girl as low as she can. I expect some sort of countdown or warning, but a noise behind her scares her and she releases Roza suddenly.  I catch her tiny body, stumbling slightly back and landing bum first in the vegetable garden. 

Sending a silent thanks that we went for underground vegetables and not the climbers that would be attached to bits of cane, I brush myself down. Roza is shaking violently and clinging to me so I hug her tightly and look up at Karina.

She's already out of the window and on the ledge, trying desperately to tug the window closed behind her. It's a good thought, and one I hadn't even considered. With it shut enough that hopefully Amit won't fit through she begins her slow shuffle and decent. 

Unsurprisingly she makes her way to the ground, significantly more gracefully than I had and when she reaches the bottom, we both look up at Amit. He has broken through the barricade and is snarling and swiping angrily at the empty air through the gap in the window. 

"Mama." Roza cries, wriggling free of my arms and running to Karina who cuddles her close.

I retrieve the snack bag and begin making my way to the back gate to peek out. A screech of tires sounds and I instinctively know that it is Dec. 

"This is us." I call back to Karina who hurries to join me.

A large black SUV slides into view and stops. It is covered in gore that nearly makes me gag, but then my eyes land on Dec, grinning at me from the drivers seat and the world calms and still around us. The world could be shaking and crumbling around us and I'd still be staring at him like some sort of love-sick puppy.

"Get in." He calls out.

We don't need any further encouragement, dashing out into the alley behind the building we scramble into the car and slam the doors shut. From the noises around us, Dec wasn't the only one who noticed us and he puts his foot down, taking off at speed.

I smile at him, relieved to see him and giddy from the adrenaline. He glances sideways and looks over my filthy outfit, with the split in my pencil skirt which now reaches almost to the top of my thigh. "What part of 'stay put' was confusing?" He growls, spinning the wheel so we all slam into the doors.

His turns are violent, but filled with the confidence of years of practise as we roar down the road and somehow avoiding abandoned vehicles and the infected littering the streets.

I smooth my skirt and shoot him a glare, "The part where the angry zombies tried to break in and the finance director tried to eat a five year old." I snap.