was nowhere around. There was a landline on a table near the door, but when he lifted the receiver and put it to his ear, he found that the line was dead. Damn it! Well, maybe Harv was down the sidewalk in that little alcove where he thought no one could see him stealing a quick smoke. If so, Mason would tell him what'd happened, then he'd go find a pay phone. If the pay phones were out, he'd flag down a cop. If a cop didn't drive by, he'd grab a cab to the police station. Or maybe he'd just stand on the street corner screaming bloody murder.
He pushed through the door onto the street, and his mind immediately flashed back to when he'd been aboard the airplane. The street was utter chaos. It was like stepping into a movie mid-scene, and the sheer spectacle of it took his breath away. People were running. People were screaming. Others were running and screaming. A woman tore past him, her high heels clicking a frantic staccato on the sidewalk. A man was chasing her, close behind. He had the same bloodied chin, and the same dead eyes as the guy in the flowery shirt. Without thinking, Mason stuck out a foot, and the man tripped over it and fell to the ground. The man skidded to a stop and climbed quickly to his feet, his nose mashed into a bloody pulp and several teeth left behind on the sidewalk, but he ignored his injuries and simply stood there, swinging his head from side to side.
It was just like the guy in the flowery shirt. This madman was listening. Mason hitched his breath in his throat and stood perfectly still. Unless the bastard could hear Mason's heart pounding out a Gene Krupa beat in his chest, he wouldn't find his next victim here. The woman in the heels swiftly disappeared around the corner, and Mason silently hoped she'd make it home.
A fat man across the street wasn't having as much luck. He was on his back, throwing ineffective punches at a face buried in his abundant abdomen and uttering plaintive gurgles that may or may not have been pleas for help. The crazy man he'd tripped picked up on the sounds and suddenly dashed across the street. His threw himself down beside the other lunatic, and Mason suddenly felt like he was watching a scene on Animal Planet where two lions shared a carcass. The two madmen snarled at each other, growling and gnashing their teeth, then they both bowed their heads and resumed to their meal.
A little man raced down the street in the opposite direction. He was stumbling awkwardly, flailing his hands in front of him. There were three people on his tail; two men and a middle-aged woman. Just then, the little man stumbled over a curb and went down. He groped along the ground for a few yards and finally began to climb to his knees, but one of the men was on him just that fast. The creature tore at the man's ankle with his teeth, but the man managed to deliver a solid kick to the assailant's face and clambered back to his feet. Hobbled now, the others were able to close in on him like jungle predators. Mason took a few faltering steps forward, but there was no point in trying to help. The man ran directly into the back end of a parked car, and as he pawed desperately at the obstacle, the others attacked. He fell to the ground under their weight, and the attackers ripped into him like a starving family of hyenas. In seconds, his guts were exposed and hung from his abdomen like a string of fat, greasy sausages.
Suddenly, a car skidded around the corner and roared through the scene. The sound was such that it attracted the attention of every insane creature in the street, and they all rose to their feet and charged headlong at this new sound. A woman came out of nowhere, waving her arms and yelling at the car to stop, but it didn't. It raced past Mason and headed straight down the middle of the road. The three who had taken down the little man ran toward the sound, and the car swerved directly into them. The men fell away to either side, and the woman bounced up and over the hood,
He pushed through the door onto the street, and his mind immediately flashed back to when he'd been aboard the airplane. The street was utter chaos. It was like stepping into a movie mid-scene, and the sheer spectacle of it took his breath away. People were running. People were screaming. Others were running and screaming. A woman tore past him, her high heels clicking a frantic staccato on the sidewalk. A man was chasing her, close behind. He had the same bloodied chin, and the same dead eyes as the guy in the flowery shirt. Without thinking, Mason stuck out a foot, and the man tripped over it and fell to the ground. The man skidded to a stop and climbed quickly to his feet, his nose mashed into a bloody pulp and several teeth left behind on the sidewalk, but he ignored his injuries and simply stood there, swinging his head from side to side.
It was just like the guy in the flowery shirt. This madman was listening. Mason hitched his breath in his throat and stood perfectly still. Unless the bastard could hear Mason's heart pounding out a Gene Krupa beat in his chest, he wouldn't find his next victim here. The woman in the heels swiftly disappeared around the corner, and Mason silently hoped she'd make it home.
A fat man across the street wasn't having as much luck. He was on his back, throwing ineffective punches at a face buried in his abundant abdomen and uttering plaintive gurgles that may or may not have been pleas for help. The crazy man he'd tripped picked up on the sounds and suddenly dashed across the street. His threw himself down beside the other lunatic, and Mason suddenly felt like he was watching a scene on Animal Planet where two lions shared a carcass. The two madmen snarled at each other, growling and gnashing their teeth, then they both bowed their heads and resumed to their meal.
A little man raced down the street in the opposite direction. He was stumbling awkwardly, flailing his hands in front of him. There were three people on his tail; two men and a middle-aged woman. Just then, the little man stumbled over a curb and went down. He groped along the ground for a few yards and finally began to climb to his knees, but one of the men was on him just that fast. The creature tore at the man's ankle with his teeth, but the man managed to deliver a solid kick to the assailant's face and clambered back to his feet. Hobbled now, the others were able to close in on him like jungle predators. Mason took a few faltering steps forward, but there was no point in trying to help. The man ran directly into the back end of a parked car, and as he pawed desperately at the obstacle, the others attacked. He fell to the ground under their weight, and the attackers ripped into him like a starving family of hyenas. In seconds, his guts were exposed and hung from his abdomen like a string of fat, greasy sausages.
Suddenly, a car skidded around the corner and roared through the scene. The sound was such that it attracted the attention of every insane creature in the street, and they all rose to their feet and charged headlong at this new sound. A woman came out of nowhere, waving her arms and yelling at the car to stop, but it didn't. It raced past Mason and headed straight down the middle of the road. The three who had taken down the little man ran toward the sound, and the car swerved directly into them. The men fell away to either side, and the woman bounced up and over the hood,
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