fangs and claws
#2 of fangs and claws
Okay, I can do this. All I have to do is run somewhere with a flare while trying not to get killed by blood-thirsty animals. Failing only means that the surviving humans in this post-apocalyptic nightmare of Michigan have a much slimmer chance than the thin one we have now... Absolutely NO pressure...
"James, in the event you die, Joseph has asked if he can have your hat." Ames says putting his hand on my shoulder.
"Not a chance." I reply. "I've lived with the hat. I'm dying with the hat. Besides, if anyone was going to get my hat, it would have been Louie. God, I'm going to miss him... Well, give me the flare." I say holding out my hand. He hands me the flare and I can swear he doesn't want to send me into the shit storm again.
That's when he ruins the moment by saying, "If you run like you did the night I caught you with my daughter, then you should be able to outrun the Gypsies (Powerful psychic vampires) and the Hunters (The strongest and most agile werewolves)."
"You're an ass Sarge. See you at the school." I say as I open the truck door, hopping out into the bright sunny morning.
When this first started, we made the mistake of thinking that we only had to worry during the night for the first three days of the first genocide because they only seemed to come out at night. We were partially right. They are most powerful at night and on nights where the moon is full; the vampires will also ignite if exposed to direct sunlight while in their truest form.
Ames' Truck roars to life, and I take a deep breath as it drives off. I start to pace, knowing I can be ambushed at any second. The only weapons on me are a .50 caliber revolver and M37 military shotgun. I had loaded both weapons with new Army-designed bullets. To make them effective against vampire and werewolf alike, they were made from blessed silver. I look at the deserted street and the empty stores thinking to myself "Without people, this is a lot scarier." I hear a chopper and quickly get the flare out. I watch the trees rustle and see the helicopter. Then my heart sinks into my shoes. The Chopper is covered in the slash and claw mark camo pattern... and it's coming straight for me!
"Got to move, got to move. Why am I not running?" I think as I feel rooted to the spot.
"Wait, I'm finally turning. This is most intense adrenalin rush I've ever gotten!"
"YOU CAN NOT ESCAPE! STOP RUNNING!" A voice from the helicopter says over a loudspeaker as my legs and the rest of the world seem to catch back up. Now I seem to be in overdrive as I scream "THE HELL I CAN'T!" as I leave the spot on the street in front of the stores and the elementary school trying to make it to the high school, the extraction point. I see the helicopter fly ahead of me and drop two soldiers and go higher. The two soldiers rush me at speeds that would make Olympic track stars hang their heads in shame, giving me only a few seconds to pull out my shotgun to and pull the...
BANG! Wow my reflexes are getting good. They were three feet away when I shot them. Usually one gets right in my face and...
The helicopter dips and tries to clip me, but I dive out of the way and keep running down Wayne road and see the end of the old golf course. "I'm so close, just a little further." I think to myself. The helicopter dips again, swooping down at me. My legs give out, moving me out of the way in time to see the belly. I see the two symbols that strike fear into the hearts and minds of those who survived the hellish massacre of the second genocide.
I'm screwed. The helicopter flies past me; so I get up and run like I have the devil trying to catch me, which isn't far off from the current situation. I can see a bit of the McDonalds sign across the street from where the High school is. Safety... I pull out my shotgun and fire twice to alert the team that I've been followed by the enemy. Now I see another helicopter, bearing the M.T.C.A.O. (Mythical Threat Counter Attack Operations) squad logo, flying from the direction of the public library. I whip out the flare and light it, screaming, as I finally reach the High School and wave to them. The two choppers spot each other and open fire as I duck behind a car that had, at one point, barreled through a fence and crashed into a tree in the yard of the house neighboring the school. I look over the twisted hood and wrapped bumper to see the M.T.C.A.O. chopper fire a rocket off, nailing the opposing copter right in the canopy and then I duck again. I hear the crash, a second explosion, and the shrapnel bounce off of everything. I look again to see the burning, twisted wreck that was the helicopter chasing me. I come from behind and spot the words "Relocation Transport" under the first logo on my rescuer's vehicle and tears stream down my face.
They land and I run over to them and soon as a soldier comes out I kiss him and hug him tightly. He and the pilots are completely caught off guard by what I do. "You guys can't even begin to know how happy I am to see you!" I say, literally shaking him. "They said the military wasn't doing any more rescue runs and the remaining survivors would be left four dead." I add. I hear metal screech and turn around to find something emerging. The thing walks out of the twisted wreckage as the last scraps of her shirt and mask burn off has parts of her skin melted twisting and contorting her face into a gruesome and grotesque deformity "Damn it, my luck sucks!" I think before she runs up and takes the pilots and the soldier down no problem and then grabs me.
"The Queen and The Pack Leader want to speak with you, and no is not an answer..." She whispers in my ear as she licks my neck. Oh God, it's over. I close my eyes tight and cringe, as I hear her hiss and feel her draw her head back. I hear three gun shots and feel the creature fall away from me then hear the thud... what's going on? Why am I being shaken? I wasn't bitten. Stop pushing my head. Everything's getting fuzzy... dark... so dark...