Rhea glanced over her shoulder to peer through the rear window. Both Tasins were now pursuing.
This isn’t working, Renaldo sent.
It is, Rhea countered. If it wasn’t, they’d be chasing us down. Instead, they’re moving slowly. Confused.
Will steered between the next few creatures, all of whom turned to pursue as the SUV passed. Rhea wondered why none of them had yet communicated the strangeness they were sensing to their brethren ahead, or at the very least screeching a warning to be on the lookout. Instead they remained completely silent, acting independently.
Will rounded the bend, squeezing past yet another Tasin. The clearance was very poor: the vehicle very nearly touched the talons of the creature. And as it spun around, Rhea was sure the bioweapon was going to snatch them up. But instead, those antennae merely felt the empty space vacated by the vehicle, and the party drove on untouched.
There were more looted vehicles blocking the parking lanes here, and Will had to very selectively choose his course, lest he hem himself in between the bioweapons and the car frames.
He drove the SUV along the leftmost wall. A car blocked the way. He was forced to turn into the center aisle, but a Tasin was waiting there, so he continued on into the rightmost parking lanes. Unfortunately, there was also a vehicle squatting in their path directly ahead. He couldn’t turn back into the center aisle, because they were driving past the bioweapon at that very moment; the Tasin was turning toward them, feeling with its antennae.
There was no way the SUV could travel between the legs of the bioweapon and skirt beneath its underbelly: because the creature crouched so low, there simply wasn’t enough clearance. The vehicle would only ram into its side.
Will made the split decision to floor it, which Rhea would have done herself. He crashed into the wreckage, sending it careening to one side and out of the way.
The Tasin started screeching frantically. It scrambled forward as fast as it was able in the tight confines, and nearly latched onto the SUV. Will stepped on the accelerator and the tires squealed as he drove into the center aisle.
More Tasins shrieked ahead.
Rhea opened the passenger-side window as Will swerved past the first creature. The next one lunged for them, but Rhea fired at the wireframe mouth with her pistol. The creature screamed and instantly recoiled.
With ancillary support from Rhea, Will pushed the SUV past two more bioweapons like that, dodging those bird-like feet and the talons that tipped them. But then ahead, three creatures stood abreast, blocking the way forward entirely. Their antennae waved energetically as they searched the air in front of them, and their suckers dripped acid eagerly.
“High beams,” Rhea said.
The SUV’s high beams lit up the parking garage, but the creatures held their ground in the blinding light ahead.
“Don’t be afraid to use your pistols,” Rhea said over her shoulder.
Will slowed down, and she used the opportunity to lean out her window. She lined up her pistol with the mouth of the Tasin on the right and squeezed the trigger. Her shot hit its mark.
The creature screamed, backing away, and she targeted the middle bioweapon in the same manner. It, too, backed up, shrieking.
“Take that, Sucker Faces!” Chuck said.
Behind her, Chuck was opening fire at the Tasins in pursuit, buying the slowed-down SUV much needed time.
Rhea continued firing at the three Tasins ahead; Horatio opened the sunroof and joined her. Under their combined attacks, the creatures slinked away; the bioweapon retreat was staggered, and a small gap opened up between them.
“Kind of tight…” Will said when he noticed the opening.
“Now or never!” Rhea said.
Will accelerated, squeezing into the gap between two of the Tasins. The claws of the injured creatures attempted to snatch them up, but the bioweapons couldn’t get a grip and merely jostled the SUV about. One of those talons came dangerously close to cutting off Rhea’s arm at the elbow, and she swung inside, moving away from the window. The claw caught on the interior roof of the SUV near the window and tore away a piece before passing outside.
Close one.
Horatio and the others had pulled inside as well, and they kept low as more claws came in for another pass.
And then the SUV was through; the three creatures receded behind them.
There was only one more Tasin waiting ahead.
Rhea leaned out once more and began firing early, forcing the creature backward. It retreated against one wall, giving Will all the room he needed to pass by.
Chuck and Renaldo continued shooting at the pursuing Tasins behind them. Horatio joined them, firing through the sunroof.
Will took the next bend. Rhea swung her upper body out the window so that she was ready to attack if more bioweapons awaited, but the way forward—as illuminated by the headlamps and LIDAR—proved completely clear.
Will slammed down on the accelerator and Rhea jerked backwards.
“I miss gimbaled wheels!” Chuck shouted.
The Tasins rounded the bend behind them, squealing in pursuit. Rhea joined Horatio, Chuck and Renaldo in firing at the pursuers; thanks to the painful stings bestowed by the pistols, the creatures quickly fell behind.
Will slowed down as he reached the next turn. On the other side there was a clear path all the way to the enlarged exit on the far side of the garage, and Will slammed on the accelerator, jerking the occupants anew. Rhea didn’t mind. She just wanted to get out of there.
The angry Tasins continued to shriek behind them, just out of view past the previous bend. As soon as those in the forefront rounded it,
