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He can write his own ticket after this can, but yeah, I think he may stick around Shaun was already halfway out of his for practice He knows he can ith us
Good
I was doing up the last of the buttons on ed a wide-eyed, shocked look before we both went running for the trailer door I made it out half a beat ahead of hiering up the path with Lois cradled against his chest I didnt have to be a veterinarian to know that so anis that limply in its owners ar at ainst his chest I ran the last fifteen feet between us, and Shaun ran close behind ure on: those fifteen feet
Those fifteen stupid little feet saved our lives
What happened? I asked, putting out a hand, as if there were a da I could do Seen this close, it was even more obvious that the cat had been dead for a while Her eyes were open and glazed, staring blankly off at nothing
She was just I got back to the trailer and I almost tripped on her For the first ti his fore She was just inside the doorway I think even after they hurt her, I think she tried to get away Tears running down his cheeks I to coia Why would anyone do this to such a little cat?
Shaun stiffened She was inside? Are you sure this wasnt natural causes?
Since when do natural causes break your neck? asked Rick, in a tone that would have been reasonable if he hadnt been crying so hard
We should go to the van
I frowned Shaun?
Io there Right now
Just let un, I said, and started to turn toward the trailer Shaun grabbedme back I stu, like an engine er bang, echoed in the distance as another trailerprobably Rickswent up in a ball of blue-and-orange flame Not that there wasfro me in his wake as he rushed toward the van Rick ran after us, clutching Loiss body to his chest, all of us bathed in the angry orange glare of the blast So to kill us At this point, I didnt even have to wonder who Tate knee knew There was no reason for hi, Shaun let go ofback as he tried to cover our retreat toward the van I quashed the urge to worry about hi Shaun could take care of himself I had to believe that or Id never be able to believe anything else Rick was running like ali pricked nored it and kept going,at so No ones ever been able to tell the insects of the world that they shouldnt interrupt the big dra it Thats probably a good thing If dras away, e of seventeen
Rick, get the doors! shouted Shaun He was hanging about five yards back, stillthe area as we retreated The sight of hiet tight I kneearing Kevlar under his clothes, but Kevlar wouldnt save hiht be out there watching, and once they saw us scattering into the open, there was every chance theyd decide to finish what theyd started And none of that mattered, because someone had to watch the rear, and soether to s would happen, and wed all die
Knowing the realities of the situation didnt do a da Shaun to twist in the wind It just meant I understood that we didnt have a choice
Rick put on a burst of speed, reaching the van a good twenty feet ahead ofLois because he dropped her body, reaching out to grab the handles of the rear doors and press his forefingers against the reader pads There was a click as the onboard testing syste he was both uninfected and an authorized driver before the locks released
Got it! he yelled, and wrenched the doors open, et inside
He didnt need to tell et out of the open Shaun continued un unhurriedly from side to side as he covered our retreat
Shaun, you idiot! I yelled Get your ass in here! Theres no one out there to save!
He glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows rising in apparent surprise So inbecause he nodded and turned to run the rest of the way
I didnt start really breathing again until he and Rick were both inside with the doors closed behind them Shaun flipped the dead bolts on the rear doors, while Rick moved to do the same on the movable wall that shut the drivers cabin off from the rest of the vehicle With those latches throere effectively cut off froet in, and unless we opened the locks, nothing could get out Barring heavy explosives, ere as safe as it was possible to be