striking the creature in its hard, pale back. It squealed with pain and turned to face him, vile fluids spilling out of its wound. It charged, opening its maw impossibly wide. Toni slammed into him, knocking him out of the way just as the creature leaped.
Her revolvers sounded one after the other repeatedly as the two of them fell to the ground roughly. The stalker slammed against the broken counter behind them, full of holes and twitching. Toni stood, holding one revolver to its head. She looked back at Jake as he recovered.
“This is one ugly fucker,” she said, blowing its head off.
Jake’s heart was pounding. He thought it was a heart attack at first, but realized there was no pain. It was pleasant, actually. Exhilarating, in fact. He jumped up with a smile, tensing his muscles and lolling his head around.
“That was fuckin’ awesome,” he said.
Toni chuckled, setting her revolvers on the counter and searching her pack for more bullets.
“Damn,” she said. “Two boxes left. I hope the gun stores have magnums.”
“In a town like this?” Jake wondered. “Probably mostly hunting rounds.”
“Indiana has a minimum .357 rule for deer hunting,” Toni said.
“Yeah,” Jake said. “I forgot about that. I don’t do a whole lot of hunting.”
Toni holstered her revolvers, and then came to Jake to look him over. “You alright,” she asked. “Are you hurt?”
Jake looked himself over, seeing nothing but maybe a scuff mark from landing on the rough carpet. “Nope,” he said. “I’m good. Feel pretty nice, actually.”
“Good,” Toni said. “I found some of the herbs. Now I just need something else.”
Jake sat down on the counter as Toni went searching through the meds. After several minutes, and a shitload of cursing, she finally picked up a bottle.
“Bingo,” she said, stuffing the bottle in her pocket.
“What was that?” Jake asked.
“Adderall,” she said. “I feel like gettin’ jacked.”
Jake shook his head.
Just like Dan, he thought with a chuckle.
After continuing down the main drag, Toni took a left at the next stop sign. Another block later, she turned right, slowing down and gliding along the curb. She and Jake looked to the right, where a half-collapsed house stood. A sign was near the sidewalk, knocked over and facing up to the sky.
“This is one of the gun shops,” Toni said.
“It looks like it used to be a house.”
“Probably,” Toni replied, parking the car. “It looks like it’s been hit already. But there should be something left, at least.”
They stepped out of the car with guns drawn. Jake looked around, noticing the pioneer-style architecture of the houses and small businesses on the block. There were log, sandstone block, and other types. It was rather quaint.
He hated it.
“This town reminds of a little Disney World area,” he said. “I keep thinking Mickey Mouse or a dude dressed in peasant clothing is gonna step out and scare the shit out of us.”
“That’s the appeal,” Toni said. “Old pioneer colony shit. I like it.”
Jake shrugged, following her up the sidewalk to the gun shop’s front door. Not that they really had to use the front door; the left corner of the building was partially crumbled, revealing the pegboards of tactical parts that hung on the walls.
The small foyer had a small flight of stairs going up to the main area, and a stairway to the right that led down into the darkness. Toni stepped up to the main floor, and holstered her revolvers after taking a quick look around.
Jake’s eyes were immediately drawn to the shotguns that hung on the back wall, and Toni went to the right, where the handguns and ammo were located. Jake grinned at the shotguns, but was really interested in a particular rifle that hung alongside them. It was a Hi-Point 9mm Carbine; basically a pistol in the shape of a rifle. He had heard about them—good things mostly—but its appeal was more curiosity, not functionality.
In the glass
Her revolvers sounded one after the other repeatedly as the two of them fell to the ground roughly. The stalker slammed against the broken counter behind them, full of holes and twitching. Toni stood, holding one revolver to its head. She looked back at Jake as he recovered.
“This is one ugly fucker,” she said, blowing its head off.
Jake’s heart was pounding. He thought it was a heart attack at first, but realized there was no pain. It was pleasant, actually. Exhilarating, in fact. He jumped up with a smile, tensing his muscles and lolling his head around.
“That was fuckin’ awesome,” he said.
Toni chuckled, setting her revolvers on the counter and searching her pack for more bullets.
“Damn,” she said. “Two boxes left. I hope the gun stores have magnums.”
“In a town like this?” Jake wondered. “Probably mostly hunting rounds.”
“Indiana has a minimum .357 rule for deer hunting,” Toni said.
“Yeah,” Jake said. “I forgot about that. I don’t do a whole lot of hunting.”
Toni holstered her revolvers, and then came to Jake to look him over. “You alright,” she asked. “Are you hurt?”
Jake looked himself over, seeing nothing but maybe a scuff mark from landing on the rough carpet. “Nope,” he said. “I’m good. Feel pretty nice, actually.”
“Good,” Toni said. “I found some of the herbs. Now I just need something else.”
Jake sat down on the counter as Toni went searching through the meds. After several minutes, and a shitload of cursing, she finally picked up a bottle.
“Bingo,” she said, stuffing the bottle in her pocket.
“What was that?” Jake asked.
“Adderall,” she said. “I feel like gettin’ jacked.”
Jake shook his head.
Just like Dan, he thought with a chuckle.
After continuing down the main drag, Toni took a left at the next stop sign. Another block later, she turned right, slowing down and gliding along the curb. She and Jake looked to the right, where a half-collapsed house stood. A sign was near the sidewalk, knocked over and facing up to the sky.
“This is one of the gun shops,” Toni said.
“It looks like it used to be a house.”
“Probably,” Toni replied, parking the car. “It looks like it’s been hit already. But there should be something left, at least.”
They stepped out of the car with guns drawn. Jake looked around, noticing the pioneer-style architecture of the houses and small businesses on the block. There were log, sandstone block, and other types. It was rather quaint.
He hated it.
“This town reminds of a little Disney World area,” he said. “I keep thinking Mickey Mouse or a dude dressed in peasant clothing is gonna step out and scare the shit out of us.”
“That’s the appeal,” Toni said. “Old pioneer colony shit. I like it.”
Jake shrugged, following her up the sidewalk to the gun shop’s front door. Not that they really had to use the front door; the left corner of the building was partially crumbled, revealing the pegboards of tactical parts that hung on the walls.
The small foyer had a small flight of stairs going up to the main area, and a stairway to the right that led down into the darkness. Toni stepped up to the main floor, and holstered her revolvers after taking a quick look around.
Jake’s eyes were immediately drawn to the shotguns that hung on the back wall, and Toni went to the right, where the handguns and ammo were located. Jake grinned at the shotguns, but was really interested in a particular rifle that hung alongside them. It was a Hi-Point 9mm Carbine; basically a pistol in the shape of a rifle. He had heard about them—good things mostly—but its appeal was more curiosity, not functionality.
In the glass
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