Broussard stiffened. “I’m sorry, sir, but our mission was to find a viable treatment. Not deal with the aftermath.”
The Chief gave him a tight lipped smile. “I’m not suggesting that it is your problem.” He sighed and sat down on the corner of the desk. “I was really just thinking aloud.” He nodded toward the screen. “We’re going to have our hands full afterward, that’s all.”
Broussard nodded. He shook his head at the images. “Right now, it’s all I can do to keep my hopes up that we are.”
Shooter braked hard around the corner in the housing development then killed the engine to his bike, letting it coast along the narrow street leading to the cul-de-sac. He leaned the bike into the next house’s driveway and parked it in the empty garage.
He quickly pulled the door down then slinked across the street to the waiting hybrid. He slipped in behind the wheel and pushed the start button, letting the car pull away slowly on electric power. He knew that Simon was doped and sleeping off the pills he had been spiked with, but he didn’t want to risk making any extra noise that might wake him or alert him to their leaving.
He cursed to himself as he pushed the little car faster than we wanted, praying the gas engine didn’t kick in until he was far enough away. He already had a story concocted if Simon caught him. They were leaving in search of a pharmacy to raid. He just didn’t want to get put on the spot and have to lie his way out of trouble.
When Shooter saw the entry gates come into view, he mashed the pedal to the floor and listened to the anemic four-cylinder come to life. He took the corner entirely too fast and grimaced as the skinny tires squealed on the warming pavement.
He aimed the car in the direction he’d come from and mashed the pedal to the floor again. “I’m coming buddy. Don’t bleed out on me…”
Sinner extended his arm, the pistol shaking in his grip. He watched as emaciated Ragers poured from the shadows of nearly every building. Their gaunt appearance was even more alarming than the feral look in their eyes.
“Son of a bitch…” he trailed off, his words catching in his throat.
He watched as the bodies parted and a singular form appeared. The creature held a piece of pipe in its right hand, using it much like a walking stick as it stalked through the shadows. It stopped near the body of the fallen Rager and stared at the slowly cooling corpse for a moment.
Sinner felt a peculiar sickening feeling begin to take root in his guts. He pushed himself further up the wall and brought the pistol back to arm’s length. “Don’t think it. Don’t do it…just…don’t.”
The creature with the pipe looked up at him and cocked his head to the side. Its eyes bored through Sinner and he could feel the icy hand of death slowly grip his chest.
“Come on, man. I don’t have enough fucking bullets for this.” He brought the pistol up higher, eyeing down its length. He planted the front site squarely on the creature’s chest and increased the pressure on the trigger. “Don’t make me kill you.”
The Rager slowly raised the piece of pipe until it was hovering over his head. Sinner noted that the other monsters had gathered tightly around; the look in their eyes told him that they were only waiting on this one to give the “go ahead.”
Without thinking, Sinner squeezed the trigger. The shot went wide, dropping one of the Ragers to the side of the leader. Before the shot finished echoing off the surrounding buildings, the creature screamed, shaking the pipe as its screech rose in both volume and pitch.
Sinner felt time slow as the monsters broke loose, charging from the shadows and into the sunlight. He slid back along the wall, desperately trying to reach the stairs. If he could get inside the building, perhaps he could barricade himself away from their charging mass.
He turned and tried to run for the steps. He had the distinct feeling of running in molasses. His movements felt labored and slow even though adrenaline pulsed through his body, pressing him on to escape.
He reached the bottom step and fired blindly into the rushing crowd, not waiting to see if any of the shots connected. He pushed himself up the steps. He was nearly to the top when he felt the first set of hands grip his legs.
Sinner screamed and fell to the landing, rolling to his bad shoulder and firing blindly into the wave of infected bodies streaming up the stairs behind him. He distinctly saw one of the creatures’ heads explode as the 9MM round pierced the frontal bone.
He scrambled madly backward, firing into the wall of red eyed creatures, their teeth gnashing and hands reaching for him. With each Rager killed, two more appeared in the mass of bodies.
He felt the door of the building press against his back just as another set of hands gripped his legs and pulled him, screaming, into their clutches.
Sinner choked on a final scream as he pressed the barrel of the pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger. He turned and stared at the pistol, the slide locked back, as the wave of monsters began to tear at his flesh.
Chapter 13
“Other than the obvious, she seems relatively healthy; underfed, I suppose, as we might expect.” Vicky pulled the stethoscope from her ears and pushed them back into her bag. “Her heart rate is elevated and her breathing is as well, but I think that has more to do with her…condition.”
Trevor gave her a smile and pointed to the rear seat. “Go
