We are experiencing an outbreak of the infection inside the capital. All bridges to the outer cities have been closed to prevent the spread. Do not panic. We are handling it. For the moment, if you are safe, remain where you are. Lock your doors. Do not open for anyone. And if you notice any change in the people you are with, do not hesitate. Do what needs to be done.
"Fuck." Max cursed from the couch.
The broadcast was loud across the whole capital. Every speaker, every screen, the government's voice pushed into every corner of a city that had spent a hundred years believing this could not happen here. The words filled the room and kept going, repeating themselves in the walls and the glass and the quiet that followed them.
Ingrid stood at the window with the curtain pushed behind her, watching the street below. The fabric was cool against her bare shoulder. Her reflection sat faint in the glass beside the dark shapes moving underneath.
