Snatchers (Book 9): The Dead Don't Scream by Shaun Whittington Page A

building, across from where they were staying, some fifty yards away.
    "Holy fuck!" was all that Pickle could muster. But it was more than what came out of Karen's mouth. She stood in shock, her eyes like flying saucers. She had never seen an explosion like it, and they both turned as the flash had temporarily blinded them, the heat being felt on the faces of both shocked individuals.
    "I need to go and get my machete," Pickle announced and glared and Karen. "This is no accident."
    "I need to get mine as well."
    "No." Pickle pointed at Karen and said sternly, "Yer going back in the house."
    "No chance."
    "I'm telling yer, Karen..."
    "Listen," said Karen.
    Pickle stayed still and could hear screams from a distance, coming from their left. Pickle put his hands on his head. "What is happening?"
    "The last time I heard screams like that," Karen took a hard gulp before adding, "was at Vince's camp, when we were attacked."
    "On this camp?" Pickle shook his head. "No."
    "Well, something's happening."
    Leaving Karen standing alone, Pickle ran upstairs, disappeared for a few seconds, then returned with two machetes. "Here. I suppose there's no point arguing with yer."
    Karen took the machete off of him and the pair of them headed down Sandy Lane, and they weren't the only ones that were out. Scores of people came out onto the street, soaked in intrigue at what was occurring.
    It was nearly half past ten.
     
    *
     
    Vince was dreaming. He was on his own, running from the Rotters and making little progress. In the middle of the road was piles and piles of dead bodies, like they used to be by the Lea Hall building, and it was impossible to get by them, so he had to go onto the pavement. The trouble with the pavement that he was on was the stickiness of it. The pavement was soft, almost swamp-like, and the harder he ran, the harder he hit the sticky substance and his feet sank in, making his escape difficult.
    He looked over his shoulder and saw the army of the dead behind, but they weren't as close and he was now gaining ground. Vince looked around, panting like a dog, and couldn't work out where he was. He then passed a shop to his left and recognised it as the shop he robbed many weeks ago when he was at his old camp.
    He now realised he was in Armitage.
    Still on the pavement, his sticky feet made their way to the entrance of the famous Armitage Shanks business, passing The Swan pub to his left, and passed a primary school to his right. It was there he had stitch, and was finding it difficult to run, even with the dead behind him. They were a fair distance away now, so he tried to lightly go through the pain and reduce his speed. The pain seemed to be tolerable.
    His journey had become more difficult as his weary feet began to run up the steep hill, the pavement getting stickier and his pace getting slower. He took a peep over his shoulder and could see the dead now gaining on him. Their speed was poor, but their progression didn't seem to be affected by the pavement.
    Vince puffed and panted, and let out a yell to give him that extra bit of energy to get him over the hill. It seemed to have worked.
    Once he was over, his heavy feet made their way down the road, and a figure in the distance could be seen from an out of breath Kindl. His feet suddenly stopped as his eyes recognised the little frame and he gasped, "Brian?"
    He smiled and tried to run towards his little boy.
    Brian was standing near the bottom of the road, on the pavement, inbetween the Spode Cottage and the Plum Pudding pub. The scores of dead bodies that were scattered along the road were beginning to diminish, and Vince's progression was taking a turn for the worse as his feet were now getting slower.
    "Brian!" he called out once more, flabbergasted at what he could see.
    The harder he ran, the more his feet stuck in the pavement, causing frustration for him. He looked over his shoulder and could see that the herd were getting closer. He looked straight on and tried