Part 53 (2/2)
”Keep running!” she yelled.
She dashed straight at the foremost of the creatures. It snapped at her with its tongue. She grabbed the tongue in midair and, holding on to it as hard as she could, she dived beneath the creature's legs.
The bug stumbled and came to a halt, confused. Brianna released the tongue, scooted madly beneath the creature, and came out through its hind legs. She had bought Caine maybe three seconds. No more.
She took aim at the demonic ruby eyes of the next bug, fired at point-blank range, and blew back to the gas station.
She zipped past the panicky guard, who was still busily pouring precious gasoline out on the ground.
Inside what had once been the gas station's mini-mart, Brianna searched frantically through trash and debris before coming up, triumphant, with a blue Bic lighter.
Outside she saw Caine, still barely ahead of his pursuers.
”Get outta here, kid!” she yelled to the guard. ”Ruuun!”
The smell of gasoline was overpowering. It flowed in dark little streams across the parking area, filling seams in the concrete, forming shallow pools in low spots.
Caine raced past, feet splas.h.i.+ng through the gasoline.
Brianna smiled.
The leading wave of the creatures. .h.i.t the gas station, needle-sharp legs stabbing at tiny rivers of unleaded gas.
The fumes filled the air.
Brianna knew something about speed. She knew that the Hollywood thing where people outrun explosions was nonsense. Not even the Breeze could outrun a fireball.
But there was standing around in the middle of a fire, and then there was blowing through it at the speed of sound. There wouldn't be an explosion, not right away.
It should work. Especially with a little cover.
She hid behind a pump and let the first creature draw level. She wheeled, flicked the lighter, and dodged in front of the bug as it ran by.
Whooooos.h.!.+
It wasn't a dynamite explosion. But it was definitely a fireball.
A wave of heat singed her hair and eyebrows. A blast wave of pressure that popped Brianna's ears. But the bug's bulk had s.h.i.+elded her from the worst of it.
The leading creature reached Caine, but he had thrown himself into the air and the fireball, the creature, and Brianna all rocketed past beneath him.
As he fell he flipped the bug over.
Three of the creatures were caught in the fireball. Fire curled their antennae and cracked their brittle sh.e.l.ls.
Two of the creatures were far enough back to dodge around the fire but the heat and the smoke had confused them. They moved away but not fast enough.
The fire crept down the pump hose, down to meet the heavy gas vapor in the ma.s.sive underground tank.
Ka-BOOOM!
Pumps, concrete, shelter, mini-mart, and the creatures exploded in a fireball that made the first blast look like a damp firecracker.
Insect parts, twisted metal, and chunks of concrete rained down.
Only the lead bug was still alive. It lay on its back, kicking in the air.
Brianna sank her knife into its chin, inserted her shotgun, and said, ”When you get to h.e.l.l tell the gaiaphage the Breeze says, 'Hi!'” She pumped two rounds into the creature and its head blew apart like a smashed watermelon.
Chapter Forty-One.
13 MINUTES.
ORC SMASHED HIS bottle against the blue-eyed bug's head. It did nothing. He hadn't thought it would.
The creature swung its mandibles in a wide sweep and caught Orc in the chest. Orc went flying, facedown on the gravel.
He was winded. Not dead, though.
He got slowly to his feet. Why hurry?
”You want me, come get me,” Orc said.
Three of the monsters motored straight for him. Orc threw a wild punch, caught nothing but air, and was facedown again. This time three ropelike tongues had attached to him and he could no longer stand.
Astrid screamed.
”Whatever,” he said, as flas.h.i.+ng mouthparts closed in on him.
Jack had run and bounded along through the night. His goal was Perdido Beach. But his mission, while clear, was not sitting well with him.
How could Sam have told him to throw Little Pete to the creatures? It was crazy, wasn't it? Crazy? Anyway, it had to be wrong, right?
He raced up hills and down. He was not quite tireless, but he was very strong and reveled in that strength now for the first time. Jack felt as if he'd been living behind a curtain, not really seeing what was happening around him.
That had started to change when he found the laptops on the train. Touching live keys again, seeing a monitor glow ... Even though he hadn't had time to do much about it, it was like magic, like the magic touch.
And then, a very different feeling when he had fought. He had used his enormous strength and he had saved Sam's life and Dekka's and Toto's. Him! Of all people: Computer Jack.
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