House after house shot by as the car sped through numerous residential areas. He could see shadows from the headlights, and in his alcohol fueled mind, he saw Ragers racing out from every corner to try to stop him.
He approached the end of the block and had to choose a way to turn as the street quickly came to an end. Simon slammed on the brakes and jerked the wheel, pointing the car to the right. The headlights illuminated at least two light-skinned bodies standing in the street and Simon wasted no time in pressing the gas pedal to the floor again.
As he raced past the two Ragers, something solid hit the car, smashing out his right headlight. Instinctively, Simon slammed on the brakes, causing the car to spin. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as the car spun around, its headlight coming to rest on the pair of Ragers standing in the street.
Simon had to force himself to start breathing again as one of the Ragers stepped forward, his arm rising into the air. Simon’s eyes followed its hand up and noted the pipe that the creature now held high as his voice shrieked in the night air. The Rager shook the pipe then burst into a full-on run toward the car. Simon panicked and reached for the transmission lever, forgetting that the car was already in drive. He jerked the lever down into low and floored it.
The creature raced toward the vehicle and Simon braced for impact. He heard something solid hit the hood, and barely noticed the monster rolling away to the side, the pipe it had held just a moment before jammed into the thin aluminum of the grille.
Simon took the corner at speed and barely realized that the engine was red lining, pushing its rev limiter as he continued to gun the engine. He reached down and gripped the lever, pulling it back into drive and allowing the vehicle to change gears and pick up speed. His heart hammered in his chest as he drove and he watched in terror as the pipe vibrated loose and clattered off of the hood of the car. He turned again near the parking lot and raced through the old residential area, praying that he was finally away from the infected that hunted him.
Once he reached the edge of the residential area, Simon finally slowed the car. He tried to force his breathing back to normal as he turned again and followed a road sign that pointed to the highway. He had little idea where he was but he prayed that the highway would help him to get his bearings.
As he made for the onramp he caught the first scent of antifreeze. He slowed the car and the odor grew stronger. He glanced down at the dashboard and cursed when he saw the temperature gage steadily rising, the needle threatening to enter the red zone.
“Son of a bitch must’ve busted a hose.” He pulled the car to the side of the road and shut off the engine, the silence of the nearly abandoned city deafening him.
He heard something under the hood tink then a hissing sound broke the muffled silence. The sweet scent of hot antifreeze shot out from under the car in a steam cloud just as the fluorescent green liquid began to spatter the pavement below.
Simon cursed and got out of the car, slamming the door behind him. He turned a slow circle, praying that if anything hid in the shadows, he would see it moving in time. He swallowed hard and slid along the side of the car. His hand reached into the passenger window and gripped the bottle of scotch.
If he was going down tonight, whoever ate him would have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.
Chapter 19
Hatcher groaned as he shifted his weight to the other side of his recliner. The spare chair in his office was far more comfortable than the narrow bed in his room and right now he needed every advantage if he planned to get any rest. He nearly jumped when a timid knock came at his door.
He turned his head slightly and saw Trevor pushing the door open. “I’m sorry to bother you Mr. Hatcher, but I wanted to ask a favor.”
Hatcher waved him in. “Forgive me for not standing.”
Trevor held a hand up. “I heard what happened. I wish I’d known you were going after Simon. I would have liked to help.”
Hatcher shook his head. “He may have slipped by us, but I have no doubt you’ll get your chance.” He pushed himself up in his chair further and grimaced at the pain. “What can I do for you?”
Trevor shifted his eyes and seemed to struggle with the words. “I wanted to ask…since it was dark and all…and the kids all seem to be inside for the night…”
Hatcher waved him on. “Just spit it out. We’ll hammer through details if we have to.”
Trevor nodded. “Well, there were some toys left in the yard out there.” He cleared his throat. “Since Patricia is a night owl ‘cuz of the sun and all, I was just wondering…”
“If it would be okay if she played with them.” Hatcher finished for him. He nodded slowly, being careful not to pull anything. “I see no problem with it.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll try to make sure she doesn’t stir up anybody. She’s pretty quiet most of the time anyways.”
Hatcher waved him on. “Have fun.” He grimaced again and slid back into the recliner. “Every kid needs to stretch their legs. It could be good for her.”
Trevor gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I appreciate it.”
“If you need anything else…just let one of the sentries know. They can radio me.”
Trevor nodded. “I’m sure we’ll
