Rygar fires, a bright blue blast of laser light flashes from his weapon toward the Wolven.Direct hit.
The giant werewolf looking creature doesn’t even flinch as the blue blast disperses around him like water hitting a rock.Does it have some kind of shield?“Are they smart?”Please tell me they’re dumb, stupid animals.
“Very.”Rygar’s single word answer is terrifying.
Out of nowhere, Xandor leaps onto the thing’s back, a wide silver blade slices the Wolven’s head off.Before the creature’s dead body hits the ground, Xandor races after Emily.?
“Madison, go!”Rygar shoves me behind him as another Wolven emerges from between our building and Rosa’s.Rygar fires again, this time with a brilliant blast of white light.?
The monster howls angrily but doesn’t go down, a huge, gaping hole burning in his left flank.?How is that thing still on its feet?
My dad crouches and aims at the Wolven with his silver gun.He fires.Misses.The Wolven roars.Rygar takes advantage of the cover and leaps toward the giant, long blades erupting from his hands and feet.He’s on top of the Wolven, riding it to the ground.When Rygar slices off a leg, a second, larger Wolven emerges from behind the building.Rygar races forward to engage.?
I turn around and remember I have a shotgun and an itty-bitty, tiny, little 9mm handgun at my disposal.?Pellets and human bullets.Not even big bullets.
Might was well try to kill an elephant with a toothpick.All I’ll manage to do is piss one of those things off.?
My dad is there, one hand on my elbow, pulling me toward the store.“Headshot, sweetheart.You can do it.”?He takes Mom’s shotgun from me and I don’t argue, just pull the pistol free and wrap my hands around the hilt.Whole body shaking, I chamber a round, disengage the safety and pray like hell I won’t have to use it.
Why didn’t I listen to him when he tried to tell me to keep up with my membership at the shooting range?I haven’t practiced in months.?
A Wolven leaps out from the opposite side of our building and blocks our path.It tears theStargazer Toursdisplay and tables to pieces in the blink of an eye, and he brought a friend.?
“Watch out!”I raise the handgun, aim and fire, muscle memory taking over as my dad spins and sets his feet.He fires the space gun.The Wolven disappears like a feather devoured by fire, red embers visible around the edges of his body until there is nothing left.Nothing.
Holy shit, that weapon is scary.Is that what Rygar has to face every day?
We got one of them, but the second glares with such evil I swear I can feel my soul die a little inside.
“Not this time, fuckers.”My dad fires the weapon again.This time a strange glow appears around the Wolven, dispersing the energy.The Wolven snarls and I notice it’s wearing a heavy collar with blinking lights.Is that how it’s shielding?
My dad curses.It moves toward us fangs dripping, claws curling and uncurling like it can’t wait to rip our guts out.
“Shit.”He pockets the shiny silver gun and lifts my mom’s shotgun to his shoulder.He fires at point blank range, over and over, until it’s empty.The pellets get through.The Wolven howls.It slows but doesn’t stop advancing.It’s bleeding from too many entry points to count.
Out of shells, Dad follows with his handgun, moving up on the Wolven with every shot.“Go, Maddie!Go!Run!”
A young couple with three small children is huddled on the ground halfway across the street.I sprint to them, grab the oldest child by the hand and scream at them to follow me.I shove?them inside the store and lead them to the coolers.My mom is there waiting to usher them to relative safety.?
“Come on.”She reaches for me, but I shake my head.?
“I can’t.There are still more people out here.”I’m shaking.“And Rygar.And Dad.I can’t leave them.”
She scowls, not liking my decision, but she knows me well enough not to argue.I race back outside.Rygar is standing over the dead body of the Wolven my dad had been fighting.Dad is reloading the shotgun.
I see more terrified people huddled under tables.A pair of teenagers is lying on the ground, too scared to move.
“Go.Get the humans inside.”Rygar gives the order, and we do as we’re told.
Dad provides cover, and we work as a team, gathering as many people as we can.He guards the door as I take them inside and hand them off to my mother.?I’ve delivered my third group when BILL’s voice fills my head.?
B.I.L.L.:?Draco handler located.North-North-East.200 meters and closing.?
Time slows as I run outside and skid to a halt on the sidewalk.My pulse is like a deep, solemn drum counting the beats as I take in the chaos surrounding me.?
Screaming a battle cry, Special Agent Johnson races past me down the center of the street.He’s bleeding, badly, but I can’t determine the source.I follow his movements and see Special Agent Brown farther down the block on the opposite side of the street, near where Emily and her parents crouch in the arched entrance of the post office.Xandor is with them.He’s hurt, part of his helmet is missing, but he’s still on his feet.Thank god.?
Brown is shouting at Johnson, but I hear nothing.It’s like my brain turned off all the sound so I could truly see.?
