as soon as he released it, they'd be on him before he could draw another. He had to get out of there. He had to move. Now!
With agonizing slowness, he lifted one foot off of the ground and inched it forward. He lowered it as far in front of him as he could and settled it to the ground as softly as he could. One of the creatures flicked his head toward the whisper of sound and Mason froze. Several harrowing seconds passed before the creature finally snorted its frustration and turned back to the crying baby, and Mason moved again. He shifted his weight onto the forward foot, raised the other, brought it forward, settled it to the ground, and shifted his weight again.
Now, he was clear of the alcove, but he was nearly face to face with the man with the lacerated forehead. He was close enough to look directly into the crazy blank eyes and smell the metallic tang of blood dripping down the man's face. The man's eyes flicked down and settled on Mason's chest, and for one horrible moment, he thought the creature might have actually heard his pounding heart. His lungs were burning, but he forced himself to remain absolutely still as the creature gaped his way, snarling uncertainly. Several eternal seconds passed, then the creature finally returned its attention back to the wailing baby, and Mason moved again. He took a single step to the side, away from the creatures, and then the worst thing that could possibly happen, happened.
The crying stopped.
Shit!
Mason froze in place, close enough to reach out and touch the two madmen. Both creatures looked stupidly up at the silence as if waiting for it to resume, then they ceased their growling, lowered their gazes to the ground, and held perfectly still.
By now, Mason knew what they were doing. They were listening. Listening for any sound that might be a dinner bell. With Mason close enough to smell the rancid stink of their breath, they were listening. And as soon as he moved, they would pounce.
This time, he didn't hesitate. He lunged forward and shoved the wounded man back as hard as he could toward the other, and without waiting to see if he'd been successful or not, he ran. He heard a crash from behind, and a pair of insane bestial howls, and he ran for his very life. Then there came a flurry of scuffles and a growling and a pounding of footfalls behind him, and he knew that it had all been for nothing. They were both after him, and quickly gaining. There was no way to disguise the sound of his shoes striking pavement, so he didn't even try. He ran as fast as he could, panting heavily and tearing headlong down the sidewalk. He'd bought himself a second or two, but they were close now, and still gaining. Twenty feet, by the sounds of it, maybe less. Mason was in decent shape, but his strength was already ebbing. Those creatures were fueled by pure adrenaline and rage and would never tire. They'd keep after him until they had him. How could he hope to…….
Idiot! They're blind!
Without missing a beat, Mason cut across the street. The madmen followed and continued to gain, but Mason headed straight for a line of cars parked on the far side of the street. He leapt onto the hood of a big sedan, pounded across it in two steps, and jumped to the sidewalk on the far side without breaking stride, then he heard muted thuds behind him and chanced a quick look behind. Both men had run headlong into the far side of the sedan, and now they bumped along the side of the vehicle like moths against a lampshade as they followed the sound of his retreated footfalls,.
He had eluded two, but the street was full of wild things. Another appeared directly in front of Mason, attracted to the tumult, and Mason stopped in his tracks, looking about himself in desperation. There was nowhere to hide, no way past the madman, and now there were two other crazies tearing toward him from the rear. He was quickly running out of real estate. They would be all be on him in seconds. He had to move!
The car
With agonizing slowness, he lifted one foot off of the ground and inched it forward. He lowered it as far in front of him as he could and settled it to the ground as softly as he could. One of the creatures flicked his head toward the whisper of sound and Mason froze. Several harrowing seconds passed before the creature finally snorted its frustration and turned back to the crying baby, and Mason moved again. He shifted his weight onto the forward foot, raised the other, brought it forward, settled it to the ground, and shifted his weight again.
Now, he was clear of the alcove, but he was nearly face to face with the man with the lacerated forehead. He was close enough to look directly into the crazy blank eyes and smell the metallic tang of blood dripping down the man's face. The man's eyes flicked down and settled on Mason's chest, and for one horrible moment, he thought the creature might have actually heard his pounding heart. His lungs were burning, but he forced himself to remain absolutely still as the creature gaped his way, snarling uncertainly. Several eternal seconds passed, then the creature finally returned its attention back to the wailing baby, and Mason moved again. He took a single step to the side, away from the creatures, and then the worst thing that could possibly happen, happened.
The crying stopped.
Shit!
Mason froze in place, close enough to reach out and touch the two madmen. Both creatures looked stupidly up at the silence as if waiting for it to resume, then they ceased their growling, lowered their gazes to the ground, and held perfectly still.
By now, Mason knew what they were doing. They were listening. Listening for any sound that might be a dinner bell. With Mason close enough to smell the rancid stink of their breath, they were listening. And as soon as he moved, they would pounce.
This time, he didn't hesitate. He lunged forward and shoved the wounded man back as hard as he could toward the other, and without waiting to see if he'd been successful or not, he ran. He heard a crash from behind, and a pair of insane bestial howls, and he ran for his very life. Then there came a flurry of scuffles and a growling and a pounding of footfalls behind him, and he knew that it had all been for nothing. They were both after him, and quickly gaining. There was no way to disguise the sound of his shoes striking pavement, so he didn't even try. He ran as fast as he could, panting heavily and tearing headlong down the sidewalk. He'd bought himself a second or two, but they were close now, and still gaining. Twenty feet, by the sounds of it, maybe less. Mason was in decent shape, but his strength was already ebbing. Those creatures were fueled by pure adrenaline and rage and would never tire. They'd keep after him until they had him. How could he hope to…….
Idiot! They're blind!
Without missing a beat, Mason cut across the street. The madmen followed and continued to gain, but Mason headed straight for a line of cars parked on the far side of the street. He leapt onto the hood of a big sedan, pounded across it in two steps, and jumped to the sidewalk on the far side without breaking stride, then he heard muted thuds behind him and chanced a quick look behind. Both men had run headlong into the far side of the sedan, and now they bumped along the side of the vehicle like moths against a lampshade as they followed the sound of his retreated footfalls,.
He had eluded two, but the street was full of wild things. Another appeared directly in front of Mason, attracted to the tumult, and Mason stopped in his tracks, looking about himself in desperation. There was nowhere to hide, no way past the madman, and now there were two other crazies tearing toward him from the rear. He was quickly running out of real estate. They would be all be on him in seconds. He had to move!
The car
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