Bits & Pieces by Jonathan Maberry

Author:Jonathan Maberry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

4

The dog found her.

In the deep of night, hours and hours after the thing with the scavengers, she woke from a troubled dream of broken teeth and grabbing hands. She woke to the certain knowledge that she was no longer alone.

Rags was too practiced a survivor to cry out even in terror. Instead she snatched up her knife and put her back to the wall, ready to run left or right, planning her route through the midnight darkness of the museum, certain she could navigate it better than any intruder.

Except she heard it coming.

It, not them. Not the living, not the dead. Not people on either side of that dividing line.

She heard it even though it moved very quietly. The dead are clumsy, and they don’t understand stealth. Scavengers do, but Rags was alert. She was paying attention and analyzing the sounds she heard for reliable meaning.

She heard the dog coming. The faint click of nails on the marble floor. Clickety-clickety-click.

Panic flared in Rags.

That big dog was coming.

For her.

It had followed her here.

That monster of a dog.

Clickety-clickety-click.

The knife in her hand felt so small. She felt small.

That dog had killed five people. Five armed adults.

Clickety-clickety-click.

So close now. Right on the other side of the case behind which she crouched.

Then . . .

Silence.

Rags did not dare breathe.

A single ray of cold moonlight slanted down through one of the high windows. She rose slowly. So slowly, gripping the knife, holding the flashlight in her left hand, thumb on the button. Ready to flick on the light and stab in that moment of blinding surprise.

She tried to remember if dogs could see in the dark. If so, did that make them more vulnerable to sudden bursts of light?

Rags had no idea.

She moved very slowly down the edge of the case and peered around.

What she saw made her freeze into a pillar of ice.

The big dog sat there. Right in the middle of the patch of light thrown down from the window. It was a huge male. Young and strong, but looking starved and a little wild. He sat upright and looked directly at her.

As if anticipating that she would come that way. Hearing, smelling, sensing. Whatever. Knowing.

And . . . waiting for her.

Watching her.

All that fur and muscle and size. Waiting. Like a statue. Patient.

But why? Why did he wait like that? Why not just come after her? If he could find her here, why didn’t he simply pounce on her and do to her what he’done to the scavengers?

Why?

Rags licked her lips and swallowed a lump that felt as big as a rock.

The dog cocked his head at her.

And with a soft, heavy thump-thump-thump, he began wagging his tail. Beating it against the dusty marble floor.

That was how it started.

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