The cold air hit Iyisha's face the second they pushed out to the fire exit.
The straight metal ladder dropped down the side of the building into the alley where some of the men and Malcolm were killing the undead waiting for all of them.
"Watch the missing step!" someone shouted from below.
The warning came while Jerry was already moving. The man going down has his eyes toward the road instead of the ladder under his hands.
"Jerry, look down!" Archie shouted.
Jerry's boot reached for a rung that was not there.
His body dropped.
For half a second, his hands held the side rails. His shoulders jerked hard. His boot scraped against the wall, searching for metal.
Then his grip slipped.
He fell backward off the ladder.
Iyisha's breath stopped.
Jerry hit the street hard.
The sound was flat and ugly. His shoulder struck first, then the back of his head cracked against the concrete. Blood showed almost at once, dark against the ground, spreading from his hairline.
