‘Ooh, I’d like to have seen that,’ said the short boy. ‘A Sonya kebab.’

‘Shut up, Harry,’ said Sonya.

‘Shut up, Harry,’ Harry repeated, mimicking Sonya.

The dogs were still circling the farm, seeming to want to stay close to Scarface, but scared to come too close.

‘We’re screwed,’ said the third boy, who had a bow slung across his back, a bandage over one of his eyebrows and a big bruise covering half his face. ‘We can take our chances with the dogs, the grown-ups, or the Windsor bastards. But either way we are screwed.’

‘We should keep on running,’ said Sonya.

‘We should keep on running,’ Harry repeated.

‘If you don’t shut it I will smash your teeth in, Harry,’ said Sonya.

‘I will smash your teeth in, Harry.’

‘Just shut up, Harry,’ said the third boy, and he glanced at Scarface, not liking what he saw.

‘Instead of being a total jerk, as usual,’ he went on. ‘Why don’t you tell us what you think we should do?’

‘To be honest, I agree with Sonya,’ said Harry. ‘I think we should go on. When those grown-ups get here it’s gonna be well crazy.’

The other girl, who had been quiet up till now, turned to Ella. She looked very similar to Sonya; they could be sisters.

‘We don’t know what to do. Whether to keep on running. Did you see them? The grown-ups?’

Ella nodded.

Sonya was staring into the distance.

‘How long before they get here?’ she asked nobody in particular.

‘Fifteen, twenty minutes maybe,’ said the boy with the bruised face. ‘We can’t keep on running. We can’t get round them. We need to hide.’

Sonya was now looking along the road towards the gate.

‘If you go carefully you can get over the wires,’ said Ella.

Scarface grunted and gave her a look, as if to say, ‘Why are you inviting them in?’

‘They can help us defend the farm,’ she explained, hoping he’d understand.

‘I’m with Isaac,’ said the tallest boy, the oldest-looking one, who had a round face and spots. ‘I say we hole up here. We’re way off our turf and it’ll be dark soon.’

The short boy, Harry, eyed Scarface suspiciously. He was wearing a black North Face jacket that he’d painted with slogans: kill all zombies – ladies’ man – i will eat you.

‘You sure Pizzaface is safe?’ he said.

‘Why would I lie to you?’ said Ella.

‘Why would I lie to you?’ Harry repeated, and Ella felt her face get hot. She wished she hadn’t said anything. Wished she’d just left these kids to look after themselves.

Sonya walked over to the wires.

‘Show us the way.’