Ellie picked her way over the joists, holding up the flare. They braced the ladder against a joist and propped it up to reach the ceiling: Ellie held it steady while Madeleine ripped away handfuls of lagging, then gouged and battered the lathing with Ellie’s baton. Ellie winced as the first slate clattered down the side of the roof into the street, but the blackness outside was full of firelight, which should keep the creatures back, even while the flames ate the building below them away. Ernie moved to Ellie’s side, reaching up to pull away the slates, widening the hole until it was on either side of the roof’s central beam.

“Getting fucking hot in here,” said Charlotte.

It was, too; Ellie was already sweating, and Ernie’s and Madeleine’s faces glistened. Julie gripped Phil’s hand to steady him.

“Want any help?” said Milly.

Ernie shook his head. “Anyone else will get in the way.” He grunted, knocking more slates loose. “Just move when you’re told to.”

Ernie focused on one side of the central beam, Madeleine the other. Ellie dragged her sleeve across her forehead: the loft was baking hot now and the smoke was pouring up between the joists ever more thickly. Ellie’s eyes smarted. Charlotte began coughing; then Phil, then Kate.

“Think we’re ready,” Ernie called. He handed Ellie his shotgun, then climbed up and poked his head out through the hole before worming his upper body through. His shoulders flexed, back muscles rippling, and he levered himself out. His boots caught the edge of the gap, kicking another two slates loose, then vanished upwards. After a few seconds, his face reappeared, now upside-down. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Charlotte,” said Ellie: of all the survivors in the loft, the smoke was affecting her the worst. She helped the girl to the ladder; Madeleine guided her up and Ernie reached out to take her arms. For the first time since the attack, the big Pole smiled. “It’s going to be all right,” he said; Ellie couldn’t hear what he said after that, but it was clearly meant to soothe and apparently succeeded.

Charlotte climbed up through the hole, then crawled backwards over it, clutching at the central roof-beam with her arms and legs, so that she was on the opposite side to Ernie. “Next,” he called.

Ellie held up a hand. “Julie, next. Then Milly, then Madeleine. Then you, Phil, and then Kate. You go across after her, Ernie. She’ll need helping. I’ll go last.”

Julie Robinson took a deep breath and climbed, wincing as the ladder creaked under her weight. She was the least agile of the group, but made it onto the roof without incident. Milly muttered to herself non-stop as she climbed the ladder; Ellie was fairly certain it was a prayer.

“Better let me have that,” said Madeleine, reaching for Ernie’s shotgun. “You’ll need at least one hand free.”