13 Nightmares by Dennis McDonald

Author:Dennis McDonald [McDonald, Dennis]
Language: eng
Format: azw
Publisher: Dennis McDonald Books.LLC
Published: 2014-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

5

“The sad this is Smitty was probably ten times smarter as a squid-head than he ever was as a human,” Sheriff Turley said and turned to walk down the grocery aisle of the deserted store to where the shotgun rested some fifteen feet away. Frank watched with a detached sense of reality as the sheriff picked up the gun and checked to see if it was loaded. The cowboy boots of the tall man echoed on the floor tiles as he returned with the weapon.

“What’s your name, son?”

“Frank Nolton.”

“Well Frank, it’s like this, do you know how to fire a shotgun?”

“I used to hunt with a twelve-gauge when I was a teenager.”

“Good.” Turley handed him the gun. “It’s sawed off so you just have to point and pull the trigger. I’ve got more shells for it in my car.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you telling me this?”

“You’ve just been deputized, Frank.”

“Deputized?” He looked down at the shotgun in his hands.” What the hell is going on?”

“By now, you’ve probably realized Omega has got a major problem. I destroyed the bridge this morning in hopes no one from the outside would come into town today.” The tall lawman began reloading his Winchester with bullets from a gun belt around his waist. “How did you get here?”

“I crashed my van into the creek bed and walked into town. I didn’t come alone. There was a young woman with me. Those things took her and she needs our help.”

“Forget about her. She’s probably already infected. I guess you know this town is overrun with an ungodly alien presence.”

“I’m not giving up on Kayla.” Frank shook his head. “We’ve got to do something, sheriff.”

“We’re going to kill every last one of those unholy abominations that have ruined my town.”

There was the crunching of broken glass toward the wrecked entrance to the store. A young man stood in the blinking lights of the police cruiser. Wearing blue jeans and a tee-shirt with Boston University logo, he looked like a hippie college student from the seventies, complete with shoulder-length brown hair and scraggly beard. Over one shoulder, he hefted a backpack.

“Are we done with all the shooting?” the young man asked. “Guns scare the hell out of me. Can I come in now?”

“Come on,” Turley said. “I want you to meet Frank Nolton. He killed one of the squid-heads.”

“Cool.” The young man motioned with a wave. “I’m Wes Corbin.” He placed his backpack on a checkout counter and studied Frank for a moment. “Man, it’s a pleasure to meet a fellow human in this fucked-up town.”

“Wes is an expert on what is going on in Omega. Found him online.”

“Sheriff, you better get to your car radio. The highway patrol wants to speak to you immediately. I stalled them as long as I could,” Wes said.

“Fill Frank in on everything. When I come back, we move.”

Sheriff Turley walked out of the wrecked front of the store as Wes unzipped his backpack. Sliding out a slim laptop, he placed the computer on the shelf and switched it on.

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