he would see it.
As the third
creature rounded the side of the Jeep, Shane knew he had to act
quickly. There were people in there, scared people who would
probably not want to find themselves face-to-face with one of the
undead peering through the back.
He lifted the
Walther and fired. An explosion of blood and gore...well, that's
what should have happened. Instead, the gun simply clicked.
Shane couldn't
believe how stupid he had been. He should have checked the gun for
rounds before packing it, and now – because he hadn't –
it was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Without pause, he
raced around to meet the creature at the back of the Snatch. It
grunted, lunged for him, sprayed the front of his jacket with dark,
infected saliva.
The pistol slammed
against the lurker's temple. Shane was glad to see teeth flying out
of the side of its mouth.
Inside
the Jeep, Marla was scrambling to her feet. She
picked up a tyre-iron that she had been keeping a close eye on for
the duration of the journey, though she didn't think she would need
to use it.
Shane hit the
creature again; its head snapped to the side. There was a crunch as
its neck broke; its head dangled loosely now on a pivot.
'Shane, let me take
it!' Terry called as he made his way around to the rear of the
vehicle. Shane was preventing him from getting a clean shot.
'I've got it!'
Shane said. He tucked the pistol into the front of his trousers and
grabbed the lurker's broken face with both hands. He heard Terry
mutter something from behind, but ignored it. The creature grimaced
as if it knew what was about to happen.
Shane put a knee
into the thing's belly and pulled. For a moment, he didn't think
anything was going to happen...
And then it did.
The
lurker gargled as its head came away from the rest of it. The body
fell backwards, hitting the concrete with a meaty thump. Shane
growled maniacally as he realised
he was holding the lurker's head. Marla, staring out the back of the
Snatch, turned the other way, not wanting to see any more.
'Holy shit!' Terry
said, allowing the shotgun to drop to his side. 'That is just all
kinds of wrong.'
Shane tossed the
head aside and wiped his soiled hands on the front of his coat.
Terry stepped up to
Shane, who was shaking with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. 'It's
okay, Shane,' he said, although he wasn't sure if it actually was.
'Can we just get the fuck out of here, now?'
Shane turned. His
eyes were wide – like saucers – and his breathing was so
heavy that Terry could feel the warmth on his face even though he was
a foot away.
'We need to go,'
Shane finally said.
'That's what I just
said,' Terry replied.
'No,' Shane said,
pointing towards the station. 'We need to go right now!'
They
were coming from everywhere. Lurkers, about thirty of them, all
scrambling forward through the snow. They must have been feeding on
something at the rear of the
building. There was a car-wash, just out of sight, and they must
have been otherwise occupied.
Until now.
Terry ran around
the Snatch and practically fell in through the door. Shane was
already trying to start the engine, though his hands were so cold
that he fumbled with the key for what seemed like an eternity before
managing to get it into the ignition.
'Erm, can we go
now?' Jared gasped from the back. He could see out through the mesh;
in fact, they had the best view in the house.
Shane turned the
key and half-expected the Jeep to fail to start, like it always did
in the movies. When it kicked into life first time, he felt as if
something was on their side, something preternatural watching over
them.
'Drive!' Terry
said, winding his window down halfway. Cold instantly filled the
Snatch, For a moment, Shane had no idea what Terry was doing.
Then the old man
levelled the shotgun out of the window, aiming towards the ground,
and the pump which Shane had been using; the fuel was still pouring
out.
'Uh-oh,' Shane said
as he pulled the Jeep away from the
As the third
creature rounded the side of the Jeep, Shane knew he had to act
quickly. There were people in there, scared people who would
probably not want to find themselves face-to-face with one of the
undead peering through the back.
He lifted the
Walther and fired. An explosion of blood and gore...well, that's
what should have happened. Instead, the gun simply clicked.
Shane couldn't
believe how stupid he had been. He should have checked the gun for
rounds before packing it, and now – because he hadn't –
it was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Without pause, he
raced around to meet the creature at the back of the Snatch. It
grunted, lunged for him, sprayed the front of his jacket with dark,
infected saliva.
The pistol slammed
against the lurker's temple. Shane was glad to see teeth flying out
of the side of its mouth.
Inside
the Jeep, Marla was scrambling to her feet. She
picked up a tyre-iron that she had been keeping a close eye on for
the duration of the journey, though she didn't think she would need
to use it.
Shane hit the
creature again; its head snapped to the side. There was a crunch as
its neck broke; its head dangled loosely now on a pivot.
'Shane, let me take
it!' Terry called as he made his way around to the rear of the
vehicle. Shane was preventing him from getting a clean shot.
'I've got it!'
Shane said. He tucked the pistol into the front of his trousers and
grabbed the lurker's broken face with both hands. He heard Terry
mutter something from behind, but ignored it. The creature grimaced
as if it knew what was about to happen.
Shane put a knee
into the thing's belly and pulled. For a moment, he didn't think
anything was going to happen...
And then it did.
The
lurker gargled as its head came away from the rest of it. The body
fell backwards, hitting the concrete with a meaty thump. Shane
growled maniacally as he realised
he was holding the lurker's head. Marla, staring out the back of the
Snatch, turned the other way, not wanting to see any more.
'Holy shit!' Terry
said, allowing the shotgun to drop to his side. 'That is just all
kinds of wrong.'
Shane tossed the
head aside and wiped his soiled hands on the front of his coat.
Terry stepped up to
Shane, who was shaking with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. 'It's
okay, Shane,' he said, although he wasn't sure if it actually was.
'Can we just get the fuck out of here, now?'
Shane turned. His
eyes were wide – like saucers – and his breathing was so
heavy that Terry could feel the warmth on his face even though he was
a foot away.
'We need to go,'
Shane finally said.
'That's what I just
said,' Terry replied.
'No,' Shane said,
pointing towards the station. 'We need to go right now!'
They
were coming from everywhere. Lurkers, about thirty of them, all
scrambling forward through the snow. They must have been feeding on
something at the rear of the
building. There was a car-wash, just out of sight, and they must
have been otherwise occupied.
Until now.
Terry ran around
the Snatch and practically fell in through the door. Shane was
already trying to start the engine, though his hands were so cold
that he fumbled with the key for what seemed like an eternity before
managing to get it into the ignition.
'Erm, can we go
now?' Jared gasped from the back. He could see out through the mesh;
in fact, they had the best view in the house.
Shane turned the
key and half-expected the Jeep to fail to start, like it always did
in the movies. When it kicked into life first time, he felt as if
something was on their side, something preternatural watching over
them.
'Drive!' Terry
said, winding his window down halfway. Cold instantly filled the
Snatch, For a moment, Shane had no idea what Terry was doing.
Then the old man
levelled the shotgun out of the window, aiming towards the ground,
and the pump which Shane had been using; the fuel was still pouring
out.
'Uh-oh,' Shane said
as he pulled the Jeep away from the
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