Ashes and Dust by Jeremy Bishop & David McAfee

Author:Jeremy Bishop & David McAfee [Bishop, Jeremy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Horror
Publisher: Breakneck Media
Published: 2013-12-21T18:30:00+00:00

11

Cash sat behind the wheel of his borrowed car, finishing his warm Coke, and thinking about the meeting he’d just witnessed. He couldn’t hear what was said, but it was the second time he’d seen Charley Wilson and Julie Barnes act like they knew each other better than most people knew, which was not at all. Aside from the conversion of Charley’s house to the new town solar grid, he couldn’t think of any reason a woman like that—sexy and sophisticated—would have anything to do with that deadbeat. He’d known Charley a long time. They’d been friends on occasion, but since Charley’s closest friend became a bottle, they didn’t socialize much, other than the occasional story swap at the Brickhouse.

Normally, his Yankee sensibilities would tell Cash it was none of his business, but now, secrets could get people killed. Still, confronting Charley or Julie wasn’t something he wanted to do alone. Better to fill in Frost or Griffin. Let the law work things out.

He started the car, looking up at the hazy yellow sky. He didn’t like this world. The light made everything look flat. At least, he thought, nothing is trying to—

A scream.

His heart beat faster. In the past, a scream would have been little more than a curiosity. Kids playing. A prank. They rarely meant anything bad. But now... He leaned forward over the wheel, looking out the windshield.

A woman bolted out from behind a house, easily identifiable by her bright pink, plaid flannel shirt. But she moved differently now. There was no swagger. No purposeful shift of her butt. She was running, for her life, heading away from him, down the street toward town. Had Charley snuck out the back and attacked her?

He had his answer a moment later when a ten-foot-long lizard scrambled into the road, its claws clacking loudly over the pavement. It was a blur of black and orange, sporting three eyes on either side of its head and two wide tails that spun as it tried to turn. It slid across the macadam, trying to stop, and slammed into the curb along the sidewalk. But the thing wasn’t fazed. It was quick to its feet again, scrabbling after Julie.

And then—the fuck?—a ball of white hot fire burst from the creature’s mouth, billowing out around its body. The flames fell short of Julie, but the thing was gaining on her quickly.

Cash buckled himself in, threw the vehicle into drive and smashed the gas pedal to the floor. He’d wanted to leave quietly, without Charley noticing him, but if Julie died, they might never find out what the pair had been up to. Tires squealed as the car accelerated, passing the 30-mph residential speed limit in four seconds. Doubling it in another three.

Without her customary heels, Julie was pretty fast. She’d nearly reached Main Street. But she wasn’t going to make it much further. The creature was nearly on top of her. Luckily for Julie, Cash’s car was even closer to the creature. He hit the thing from behind, as it rounded the corner behind Julie.

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