Riku and Miko went downstairs and into the apartment's grounds, and there the Land Rover SUV was parked and intact.
Riku got into the driver's seat while Miko slid into the passenger side. They closed the doors, and Riku pressed the brake pedal and then reached for the ignition. The familiar hum of the starter turned over, and the diesel engine rumbled awake. Relief washed over him.
"At least this thing still runs," he muttered.
He shifted the gear, released the handbrake, and the SUV rolled forward out of the covered parking area.
The streets outside were a different world. The silence was heavier than anything they had experienced inside the apartment building. Abandoned vehicles lined the road, some with doors still open. Grocery bags and scattered belongings lay across the pavement. Windows of nearby shops were broken, their shutters half pulled down.
