The Dust: Book Two - Pursuit by David H Sharp Page B

vehicle around so she pressed hard on the gas and quickly went up the gears.
    As they neared the village hall the door burst open and out ran Lonny Gold with an astounded look across his sleep wrinkled face. Iris’s instincts were to keep on going in a straight line and to mow the bastard down but she knew that wouldn’t help her passengers. She got as close as she could and then swerved.
    ‘What the fuck!’ Archie Stanton emerged from the hall just as the truck screeched around the bend.
    ‘Shoot the fucking tyres!’ Gold ordered running back inside to get his gun.
    Archie ran into the road and aimed his shotgun, the truck was disappearing fast and moving erratically. He let off a volley and the dust from the road shot up in the air but he was just short of the huge tyres.
    ‘They are shooting at us!’ Hannah screamed from inside the cab.
    ‘I know! Hold on tight.’ Iris weaved the steering wheel trying to make the huge target as hard to hit as she could.
    Lonny Gold ran back into the road and sprinted after the truck firing his pistol. It was useless, there was no way he was going to catch them.
    ‘For fuck’s sake!’ He screamed and ran back towards Archie. ‘You fucking idiot! You were supposed to be watching them.’
    Archie stood there open mouthed, it had all happened so quickly it hadn’t quite registered.
    Lonny soon reminded him and struck him on the side of the head with his hand gun. ‘You've cost us our fucking truck.’ He yelled spittle flying out of his mouth. ‘You useless cocksucker.’ He went to kick Archie as he lay on the ground but thought better of it.
    Some of the women were now standing by the door of the hall wondering what all the commotion was about.
    ‘What the fuck are you lot gawping at?’ He aimed his gun at them and a few of the girls screamed and they retreated back into the village hall. He looked back down to Archie who was wiping the blood from his forehead. ‘Where is that other useless twat?’
    ‘Harry James?’ Archie asked.
    Lonny’s eyes bulged, not believing the stupid answers he was getting. ‘Yes you fucking prick covered cunt, who the fuck do you think I am talking about.’ He wanted to kick the little bastard to death but he knew he would be useful in the near future.
    ‘I don’t know boss, I’m sorry boss.’ Archie cowered at Lonny’s boots.
    Gold looked back up the empty road, that Irish bitch was going to pay for what she had done, that he guaranteed.
    ‘Look, there are people in the road.’ Hannah pointed to a man and little girl waving the truck down.
    ‘Who are they?’ Iris said quietly. She wanted to drive past as she was sure Gold and his two accomplices would be running up the road firing their guns.
    A massive thud and blood on the windscreen made Hannah and Iris scream out loud and she brought the truck to a skidding halt.
    ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’ Iris’s hands were visibly shaking.
    Hannah opened the door to see what had happened. Roger Clough then appeared and tried to get into the cab.
    ‘Get out!’ Screamed Hannah, kicking out at his advancing body.
    ‘What the fuck has happened, have I killed the little girl? Iris felt sick.
    ‘No.’ Roger brought Lou into sight for the woman to see. ‘There was a woman trying to kill us, you ran her over, you save the little girl’s life.’
    ‘Who are you? Where have you come from?’
    ‘Never mind that let us get in, the infected are everywhere and someone is watching us from the bushes.’ Roger jumped on the footplate.
    ‘Alice!’ Lou Pepper could see the little girl crouched down in the foot well.
    Alice said nothing but burst into tears holding her arms out to her friend.
    ‘You know her?’ Iris was surprised.
    ‘Yes from the big house, we met a couple of days ago. What are you doing with her?’ Roger wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing flagging the truck down. He had heard the shooting and the screeching of the tyres and gambled that the truck had been