The Enemy Read Free

gutted the dead animal, leaving the purple-gray entrails in the road to further distract the other dogs.
    He then tied the dog’s legs together with some nylon cord and slung it over Arran’s shoulder.
    “Should we go back?” said Freak.
    “We need to find as much food as we can,” said Arran. “It’s always a risk leaving camp, and it gets riskier every time. The dog’s not enough for twenty of us.”
    Every day a scavenging party left the camp to look for supplies. They searched among the empty houses and apartments for any abandoned cans, packages, and bottles. Each time they had to start their search farther from Waitrose. Al the buildings close by had long since been picked clean. Most days they found nothing, but a lucky discovery could last them a long time.
    They knew it couldn’t last, though. They had already been through every accessible building within a mile of Waitrose, except around Crouch End, which had been destroyed in a fire, and up around the Arsenal soccer stadium, where there was a large nest of grown-ups.
    Sooner or later they would have to move camp.
    But where would they go?
    Arran pushed his hair out of his eyes. His guts hurt. He didn’t real y feel hungry anymore, just sick and tired. He’d grown to hate these streets. The smel of them, the filth everywhere, the grass and weeds pushing out of every crack, the constant fear chewing away at him. He had been happy at first when they’d made him leader, but then it slowly dawned on him that he was responsible for everyone else. If anything went wrong he had to take the blame. That was why someone like Achil eus, who could easily beat him in a fight, was happy not to be in charge. He could show off and suck up the praise, but when a tough decision had to be made, he would sit back, hold up his hands, and let Arran sweat it out.
    It was a warm and sunny spring day. There was a real sense that summer wasn’t far off. Normal y Arran would have enjoyed the sunshine and warmth.
    In the past he had always loved seeing the first green leaves come out on the trees, as if the world were waking up. Now it just meant that the grown-ups were getting bolder. In the winter they’d been too cold and feeble to be much danger, but the change in the weather seemed to give them new courage and strength. Their attacks were becoming more frequent.
    They were hungrier than ever.
    The kids trudged up Hol oway Road. It was ful of memories for Arran—eating at McDonald’s, shopping with his mom, going to the movies. . . .
    He tried to shut the memories out. They only made him feel worse.
    When they came to Archway they moved more cautiously.
    There was a tube station here, a perfect hiding place for grown-ups.
    “Which way?” said Deke.
    “Highgate Road,” said Arran. “We’l work our way toward the Whittington.”
    “Ain’t going in no hospital,” said Achil eus.
    “What’s the problem?”
    “There won’t be nothing in there,” said Achil eus.
    “Maybe drugs?” said Ol ie. “Paracetamol and antibiotics and that.”
    “Doubt it,” said Deke. “When everything kicked off, it would have been the first place to be looted.”
    “We’l take a look anyway,” said Arran. “Just in case. But let’s try the houses around here first.”
    “Ain’t going in no hospital,” Achil eus repeated.
    “What about the swimming pool, then?” said Freak.
    “What about it?” said Achil eus.
    “Worth a look, eh?”
    “Why?” said Achil eus. “You feel like taking a swim?”
    “Nah,” said Freak, “but there was always a vending machine in there.”
    “Never worked,” said Achil eus. “Always stole your money.”
    “Worth a look,” said Freak. “Think about it . . . Mars Bars, chips, chewing gum . . .”
    “Won’t be nothing in there,” said Achil eus. “Not after al this time.”
    “Listen,” Freak insisted. “Far as we know, us and the Morrisons crew are the only kids around. And they never come up here. Al I’m saying is we should