Below by Michael Newton

Author:Michael Newton
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing
Published: 2015-04-18T23:00:00+00:00

Tommy was dazed and bleeding, figured he was done for, lying on his back and staring up at specks of light swimming before his eyes. I'm seeing stars, he thought, surprised to find the old saying was spot-on accurate. A galaxy of glowing pinpoints swarmed before him, winking out by handfuls as he shook his head and instantly regretted it.

Get up, he told himself, before they kill you lying down.

He tried to rise, was overcome by dizziness—and then a blinding light eclipsed the spinning nebula of pinpricks, making Tommy raise a hand to shield his throbbing eyes.

"Tommy? Oh God, I'm so, so sorry!"

Rita killed the light before he thought to mention it, then she was kneeling at his side, voice lowered to a whisper. "I thought you were ... someone else."

"Makes sense," he answered softly, thankful he could speak and that he didn't seem to have a broken jaw or shattered teeth. His cheek was swelling, though, and he felt warm blood dripping from a gash there. "Whadja hit me with?"

"A rock."

"Good job."

Still whispering, she asked him, "Do you know where any of the others are?"

He shook his aching head, then realized she couldn't see it. "Sorry, no. I lost 'em."

"Never mind. We need to get away from here."

"Sounds good, but where—"

"Shhh!"

Tommy swallowed back his words, ears straining. Now he heard the sounds Rita had picked up first, likely because her ears weren't ringing from a wallop to the head. Someone was coming. With their scuffle, Rita's flashlight, and the whispering, they'd draw attention to themselves.

He leaned in close to Rita, Tommy's next words barely audible. "Still have that rock?"

Her fingers pressed it to his chest, and Tommy took it from her, turned it in his fingers till a sharp point was protruding from his palm. If he connected solidly with that, the fight should be a brief one.

If he missed....

A flashlight could make up for that. He hissed at Rita, "When I tell you, light him up. Give me a chance to swing, then run like hell."

It startled him when Rita squeezed his shoulder. Warmed him.

Tommy waited, shoulders hunched, hearing the enemy approach—or could it be another member of their scattered team? He didn't want to bash Jared or Hector, much less Jasmine, by mistake. Rita's flashlight could deal with that, and at the same time give Tommy his first glimpse of the hunters who were stalking them.

But did he really want to see them?

Bet your ass, I do.

He waited, trembling, till the footsteps sounded almost near enough to touch. Cocking his arm, the stone clutched tightly for a slashing downward blow, Tommy inhaled and shouted, "Now!"

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