Werewolf Suspense (Book 4): Outage 4 (The Reckoning) by T.W. Piperbrook Page A

hands on the bed, preparing to move it, while Abraham bent down to unlock the wheels. Sally hung next to the children.
    "Fire…" Rosemary suddenly exclaimed from behind them. Tom halted. "A few weeks ago, Jeffrey woke me up. He said he had a dream he was being burned alive. He's never had a dream like that before. Maybe it means something."
    Tom's face lit up as he spun. "Animals hate forest fires. Or any fires for that matter. If these things are more animal than human, maybe we can use fire to ward them off."
    "But how will we do that?" Tabatha interjected. "Start a fire in the hallway? We won't have time. They're already up here. And we'll essentially be filling the hallway with smoke, burning the place down around us."  
    "I have an idea," Kelsey piped up, hope glimmering in her eyes. "We can start a fire in the stairwell. If we can get to the roof, we can set a fire behind us in the landing. Maybe that will keep them from following us. It will buy us enough time until the fire truck arrives."
    "What do we have that will burn?"
    "Remember those canisters of nitrous oxide in the supply room?" A smile crept across Kelsey's face. "We also have canisters of oxygen."  
    Tabatha cut in, "All we need are some alcohol-covered bandages and blankets. The oxygen will accelerate the fire."
    "The supply room is just a few hallways away. We can stop there, then we can loop around to the east entrance," Kelsey said.
    "All that is well and good, but you're forgetting one thing. How are we going to light the fire?" Tom frowned. "Is there a lighter somewhere on the floor?"
    Sally cleared her throat. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. Inside were a pack of matches and an upside-down cigarette. "This is my lucky," she said. "I've been saving it. Maybe it's time to spark it up."

    Silas and Katherine carried armfuls of blankets. Abraham took the axe. Kelsey held Silas's knife, and Sally and Tabatha carried scalpels, the screwdriver, and some scissors. As the most experienced with the beasts, everyone agreed that Tom and Rosemary would keep the guns. As distrustful as Tom still was of Rosemary, having the weapon in his hands made him feel better.
    As he moved the bed from in front of the door, his heart beat maddeningly. He reviewed the path they'd need to take. Get to the supply room. Get to the stairwell. Wait for the fire truck. He tried to simplify things, in the hopes that it would make them sound easier. He tried to convince himself they weren't heading into danger, but escaping from it.  
    Those reassurances wouldn't work.  
    Not only were they heading into the open, but Tom was also leading a group of people he'd grown to care about into the fray, people he was afraid to lose. After unblocking the door, he looked back at them.                                                                                                                
    "Ready?" he hissed, swallowing the lump in his throat.
    The banging in the hallway grew louder. It sounded like the beasts were combing the corridors. With their arms full, the group resembled a family going on a camping trip, or a pack of hikers going on an expedition. Only this expedition was much more deadly.
    "Everyone remember the plan?" Tom asked. A group of nervous headshakes followed his question. "Kelsey and Tabatha will unlock the supply room and get supplies. The rest of us provide cover. Silas and Katherine will stay between us. When we have what we need, we'll head to the east entrance."
    Everyone murmured in agreement. It was time to go. Grabbing the door handle, Tom eased it open and aimed his rifle into the hallway. The hallway was clear in either direction.  
    Looking back at his companions, he hissed, "Let's go!"
    The group filed out of the hospital room, a bundle of fear and nerves. Suddenly they were out in the open and moving. Adrenaline gushed through Tom's body as he glanced down