infected. The man in the lead was completely naked; every inch of his gray-black skin was on display for all to see. Burke might have laughed at the sight if the situation hadnât been so damned tragic. In front of him was a man who would never laugh or cry or return to his family. The gas must have reached him in the shower or in the midst of changing and now he was charging around the countryside in flagrante searching for the living to consume. He was already filthy, his skin covered with grime and dirt and what looked to be fleshy remains of some kind or other, though whether animal or human Burke didnât know.
He and his two companions were closing the distance to Burke quickly. Burke tried not to let it fluster him as he brought the gun back up to his shoulder and centered the sights on the lead shredder.
His first shot struck the shredder in the shoulder, knocking it off balance and slowing it down. As it stumbled to regain its footing he fired twice more, putting the last bullet through the creatureâs temple when it turned its head.
One down, two to go.
Burke expected the two remaining shredders to come charging right for him just like the others had and he shifted position to line up his next shot only to nearly drop the rifle in surprise when the creatures broke in opposite directions, putting a row of lampposts between them in the process.
Shit!
It only took a few moments of glancing back and forth, trying to keep his eye on both of them, for Burke to realize that he was facing the impossible. He was going to have to concentrate on one and hope that he had enough time to deal with the other.
Cursing beneath his breath, he took up a position to the right of the nearest lamppost and focused his attention on the shredder to his right.
Burkeâs first shot missed; the shredder slipped behind a lamppost right as he pulled the trigger.
The second shot didnât fare any better as the shredder slipped its head to the side at the last second, allowing the bullet to pass harmlessly over its shoulder.
Burke could have sworn it grinned at him.
Fuck you, you sonofabitch! he thought with a snarling smile of his own as he steadied the barrel of the gun with his mechanical arm, lining up for another shot. He pulled the trigger the moment he had the shredder in his sights once again, but this time he bracketed his first shot with two more, one to either side, just in case the shredder tried the same stunt a second time.
Burkeâs third shot missed, as expected, but as the shredder slipped to the side and opened its mouth to howl at him, the fourth shot entered its mouth and tore right through the back of its skull, sending the shredder crashing to the ground in a twisted tangle of flailing limbs.
Burke didnât waste any time celebrating his victory. He spun around to the other side of the post, his heart hammering with adrenaline as he sighted along his weapon, seeking a target.
The third and final shredder was less than twenty feet away and coming on fast. This close he could see the bits of vegetation and other trash that had gotten caught up in the tangled tresses of her hair as well as the gaping wound in the middle of her face where something had chewed off her nose.
His mind caught on the image and began to worry at it, like a dog with a boneâ Did other shredders do that? Before or after she was one herself, I wonder? âÂeven as he centered the barrel of his gun right on that very spot.
With less than a dozen feet between them, Burke pulled the trigger one final time.
Click.
There was no mistaking what that sound meant.
âSonofaâÂâ
The shredder closed the remaining distance and lunged forward.
Burke reacted instinctively, reversing his grip on the now-Âempty Enfield and shoving its stock into the creatureâs face as hard as he could. His blow struck it right along the bridge of the nose and knocked it clear off its feet.
He wasnât