The scream that tore through Atlantic City that night was something nobody in the Boardwalk would ever forget.
It was not a human scream.
It was not even close.
The sound came from somewhere beyond the streets and rooftops, huge and sharp enough to vibrate through the walls of every house. It dragged people out of bed. It made children cry before they even knew why. It made guards on the barricades stop and stare into the darkness, trying to understand what they were hearing.
Then the Infected came.
They crashed against the Boardwalk barricades in numbers no one had been prepared for.
The walls Marlon and his community had spent three months building did not hold for long. Under normal circumstances, the barricades could keep scattered Infected out. A few at a time could be handled. Guards could shoot them down, push them back, or lure them away before they became a serious threat.
But the Screamer changed them.
