the gut.
"Missed!" Dani swore.
The howler pulled the arrow out, then snapped it in two, shrieking in fury.
Shots rang out behind them.
The muerto charged in slow motion. The formation held, Alexis and Beth in front lopping off arms and heads. The two leading horses plunged forward, a wedge of snapping teeth and striking hooves.
Patch grabbed a muerto by the shoulder, shook it like a rat, then flung it a dozen feet. Mist leaped in the air to lash out front and back, sending muerto flying, heads pulping on the pavement, splattering caustic slime everywhere.
Cantering in short strides, the fighting pairs plowed toward the howler, littering the pavement with twitching limbs and headless bodies. Muerto were all around them, clawing at their leather chaps. Beth stayed focused on what was right in front of her. When Mist's teeth crushed the arm of the closest muerto, Beth took it's head off.
The howler waited for them, blocking their way to the bridge.
Patch went up on his hind legs, leaping forward, front legs bashing heads. He did four leaps, clearing the way to the howler. It swiped at Patch's head. He ducked, back on four feet. Alexis swung at it's neck.
It dodged.
Beth had to catch her balance as Mist leaped, hind legs lashing out, to crush muerto heads like pumpkins. The horse landed wrong, a hind leg slipping on slimy pavement. She was unable to catch herself. Her hindquarters slid out from under her. Beth was pinned to the ground with the howler slashing at her face.
Beth swung with all her might, taking off the taloned hand. As the howler recoiled, an arrow took it in the mouth, knocking it backward. It's head splattered clear fluid as it hit the pavement.
Mist scrambled up. She stood with her weight on her front feet. Beth stayed calm only by an act of will. Patch and Alexis covered their left. Dani and Scout moved to cover their right. Bullets from behind them cleared either side of the street.
Beth had no time to look at Mist's legs. She prayed Mist hadn't broken a leg.
"Nothing broken," Julie shouted from behind her. "She's just scraped."
"You all right?" Dani asked as she shot muerto.
"Fine."
Mist gave a little kick, as if testing her legs. Then she picked up a rough march, letting Beth know she was back in action.
"We're back."
"To the bridge!" Alexis took the left hand side of the center line. She let out a blood-curdling Apache war-cry, that others echoed.
"Charge!"
Alexis and Beth surged forward, bowling over muerto, lopping off heads. Dani and Julie shot arrows behind them, the pack horses tight in the center of the formation. The truck was right behind them, the guys shooting behind and beside them.
Beth was only a few muerto away from the bridge when she smelled gasoline. They plowed through the last of the muerto. The bridge was clear. The short iron span was narrow, barely more than one lane. Hooves echoed hollowly, the sound distorted. Mist had a hitch in her stride.
"Take point," Alexis ordered. She swung Patch back towards the truck.
Beth scanned the road ahead. It went up the hill and around a curve. The creek went left, the road right. The bridge was clear - all the muerto in the area were behind them. She was nearly across the bridge when she heard Alexis order a halt.
Beth turned Mist around in time to see David use a soaker gun to spray behind them. Zack lobbed a Molotov cocktail into the mass of body parts. It smashed with a 'poof.' The bodies popped and burned, with a horrendous stench.
Fire was the only way to mop up on the run.
"Is Mist okay?" Dani and Scout were beside them. Dani looked at Mist's hind legs. "She's skinned up."
"She's pretty sore." Beth stepped down to check Mist's legs. Julie was behind Dani, looking sick with fear. "You okay, kid?"
"No." Julie leaned over to throw up.
"I think we can stop here for a minute," Tyler said, standing by Alexis on Patch, looking at Julie with sympathy.
"Not on my account." Julie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand
"Missed!" Dani swore.
The howler pulled the arrow out, then snapped it in two, shrieking in fury.
Shots rang out behind them.
The muerto charged in slow motion. The formation held, Alexis and Beth in front lopping off arms and heads. The two leading horses plunged forward, a wedge of snapping teeth and striking hooves.
Patch grabbed a muerto by the shoulder, shook it like a rat, then flung it a dozen feet. Mist leaped in the air to lash out front and back, sending muerto flying, heads pulping on the pavement, splattering caustic slime everywhere.
Cantering in short strides, the fighting pairs plowed toward the howler, littering the pavement with twitching limbs and headless bodies. Muerto were all around them, clawing at their leather chaps. Beth stayed focused on what was right in front of her. When Mist's teeth crushed the arm of the closest muerto, Beth took it's head off.
The howler waited for them, blocking their way to the bridge.
Patch went up on his hind legs, leaping forward, front legs bashing heads. He did four leaps, clearing the way to the howler. It swiped at Patch's head. He ducked, back on four feet. Alexis swung at it's neck.
It dodged.
Beth had to catch her balance as Mist leaped, hind legs lashing out, to crush muerto heads like pumpkins. The horse landed wrong, a hind leg slipping on slimy pavement. She was unable to catch herself. Her hindquarters slid out from under her. Beth was pinned to the ground with the howler slashing at her face.
Beth swung with all her might, taking off the taloned hand. As the howler recoiled, an arrow took it in the mouth, knocking it backward. It's head splattered clear fluid as it hit the pavement.
Mist scrambled up. She stood with her weight on her front feet. Beth stayed calm only by an act of will. Patch and Alexis covered their left. Dani and Scout moved to cover their right. Bullets from behind them cleared either side of the street.
Beth had no time to look at Mist's legs. She prayed Mist hadn't broken a leg.
"Nothing broken," Julie shouted from behind her. "She's just scraped."
"You all right?" Dani asked as she shot muerto.
"Fine."
Mist gave a little kick, as if testing her legs. Then she picked up a rough march, letting Beth know she was back in action.
"We're back."
"To the bridge!" Alexis took the left hand side of the center line. She let out a blood-curdling Apache war-cry, that others echoed.
"Charge!"
Alexis and Beth surged forward, bowling over muerto, lopping off heads. Dani and Julie shot arrows behind them, the pack horses tight in the center of the formation. The truck was right behind them, the guys shooting behind and beside them.
Beth was only a few muerto away from the bridge when she smelled gasoline. They plowed through the last of the muerto. The bridge was clear. The short iron span was narrow, barely more than one lane. Hooves echoed hollowly, the sound distorted. Mist had a hitch in her stride.
"Take point," Alexis ordered. She swung Patch back towards the truck.
Beth scanned the road ahead. It went up the hill and around a curve. The creek went left, the road right. The bridge was clear - all the muerto in the area were behind them. She was nearly across the bridge when she heard Alexis order a halt.
Beth turned Mist around in time to see David use a soaker gun to spray behind them. Zack lobbed a Molotov cocktail into the mass of body parts. It smashed with a 'poof.' The bodies popped and burned, with a horrendous stench.
Fire was the only way to mop up on the run.
"Is Mist okay?" Dani and Scout were beside them. Dani looked at Mist's hind legs. "She's skinned up."
"She's pretty sore." Beth stepped down to check Mist's legs. Julie was behind Dani, looking sick with fear. "You okay, kid?"
"No." Julie leaned over to throw up.
"I think we can stop here for a minute," Tyler said, standing by Alexis on Patch, looking at Julie with sympathy.
"Not on my account." Julie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand
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