Chapter Nineteen
The final preparations were made and they were good to go, they were only waiting for Winston, Officer Spencer and Officer Malluchi to load their guns and equip themselves with extra clips. Peter walked up the small staircase in front of the doors to greet the crowd. He raised his hands for silence.
"Alright people, as soon as the officers have loaded up their guns and clips we're going to leave. We're going to be running for most of the journey and it will be over a long distance, I strongly recommend that you keep up and if you see anyone who looks like they need medical attention then you should leave them, it will be most likely that they are either suffering from the virus or that they've already turned into one of those zombies out there. If there is anyone present who wants to stay here then please move over to the fountain behind you." No-one moved.
"Alright. Winston, are you guys ready?"
"As much as we'll ever be."
"Right, let's move out people." Peter opened the doors and stepped out into the cold, dead night. The smell of smoke and the sound of fire was everywhere. The Main Gate creaked on it's rusty hinges as Peter opened it using the ring-shaped handle. The slushing of water told them that the ruptured fire hydrant was still spilling out into the street. Peter and Dr. Stern lead he way. Amy and Winston followed. Then Egon, Ray and the newest survivor. Officer Spencer and Officer Malluchi guarded the rear of the group. They had already made their way through the first passage way and were nearing the bus by the Post Office. The footsteps of the group echoed through the Post Office parking lot. The group was exiting the parking lot office when Officer Malluchi and Amy heard a noise.
"Grrrrr."
"What's that?" Peter turned and faced Amy.
"Something wrong?"
"I thought I heard something."
"So did I." A click announced that Officer Spencer's gun was ready to be fired. The group stirred uneasily when a howl cried through the night.
"What is that?" Officer Malluchi's gun clicked as well.
"Get ready to run." Peter opened the door and started moving people through into the construction area. Two more howls cried out. Then a shot from Malluchi's gun.
"Dammit!" Officer Malluchi fired three shots into the dog. It whinned in pain as the metal pierced it's rotted flesh. It fell onto the pavement. Officer Malluchi and peter walked up to the carcass to get a better look at the Hellhound.
"What happened to it?" Officer Malluchi asked, gaging as a foul smell deifted up from the diseased dog.
"The thing 's flesh is hanging off it like it was melted."
"Run!" The civilans started to run through the building following Winston and Dr. Stern. Officer Malluchi fired two more shots into a second dog. It pounced onto Officer Malluchi.
"Aggg." Both cop and dog collapsed onto the pavement. Officer Spencer tired to find a angle which he wouldn't hit his fellow officer. He realised it was too late when he heard a meaty, tearing sound.
"Aaaaagggggg!" Officer Malluchi's body became still as the blood poured out of his jugular. Officer Spencer fired three shots into the second dog and it became still.
"Comeon" Peter shouted at Officer Spncer, they jogged up to the building and pulled the door closed as two more dogs tried to break through the metal door.
"Shit! What are those things?" Amy nearly shreiked.
"They...those things were dogs." The group continued their journey, quicker than before. They hadn't sustained any more trouble until they reached the road outside the City Hall. The survivor who had joined the group last was at the back of the group. Most of them had entered the grounds of City Hall when he was passing the jewelled clock that operated the gates.
"What the?" He turned to see a claw flying at him.
"No! Someone kil......" His sentence ended when the creature's claw sliced through his neck, decapitating him. A small fountain erupted from the stub of his neck and he slowly collapsed to he knees.
"Oh my God!" Amy screamed. The monster's claw swipped at her and Officer Spencer, however it missed her neck and collided with the clock dial. The glass cracked, shattered and sparked as two components needed to open the gate were sliced off of the dial. The gates rumbled closed.
"What..what happened?" Ray asked.
"That thing, it must have smashed the gate controls. The gates won't open as long as that clock dial is broken." The creature let out an unearthly howl and leapt over the gate.
"Oh God, that thing's hunting us!" Officer Spencer and Peter dropped behind the group and grabbed onto the gate leading to the gas station.
"Okay, we're only going to have one chance at this. One...two..." The Hunter roared and charged the gate like a bull.
"Three!" Peter and Officer Stern rammed the gate into the creature as it reached the gate. Thankfully enough the gate connected with the Hunter's head and temporarily dazed the creature.
"Run!" Officer Spencer and Peter sprinted from the gate towards the gas station. Most of the group could bee seen inside the station shop. Ray suddenly gasped and started pointing wildly behind them. Peter turned his head as he passed a wrecked DeLorean ans saw that the Hunter was easily narrowing the distance between them. Peter switched on his proton pack and fied his gun at the Hunter. The Hunter let out a hurt howl as the beam of protons hit it. Peter slowly backed towards the door of the gas station as Officer Spencer fired his gun. The clip fell to the pavement empty and he started to pull out another clip.
"Get inside!" Officer Spencer nodded to Peter and stepped into the shop. Peter was fast running out of options. The creature was nearing him slower than before, but it was now only a few feet away. Peter was now inside the door of the gas station and looked around for anything he could use to stop the Hunter. His gaze settled on a red handle marked "Shutter release."
"Alright ugly, see if you can get through this as easy as that guy's neck." Peter shut off the beam and slammed the shutter release. The Hunter seemed to gain speed but wasn't fast enough to get in before the metal shutter slammed down, covering the door. The group watched the monster claw vainly at the shutter and then roar in annoyance. The creature stared at them with it's beady black eyes, and then move off back towards the City Hall.
"That was too close." Peter breathed a sigh of relief.
The final preparations were made and they were good to go, they were only waiting for Winston, Officer Spencer and Officer Malluchi to load their guns and equip themselves with extra clips. Peter walked up the small staircase in front of the doors to greet the crowd. He raised his hands for silence.
"Alright people, as soon as the officers have loaded up their guns and clips we're going to leave. We're going to be running for most of the journey and it will be over a long distance, I strongly recommend that you keep up and if you see anyone who looks like they need medical attention then you should leave them, it will be most likely that they are either suffering from the virus or that they've already turned into one of those zombies out there. If there is anyone present who wants to stay here then please move over to the fountain behind you." No-one moved.
"Alright. Winston, are you guys ready?"
"As much as we'll ever be."
"Right, let's move out people." Peter opened the doors and stepped out into the cold, dead night. The smell of smoke and the sound of fire was everywhere. The Main Gate creaked on it's rusty hinges as Peter opened it using the ring-shaped handle. The slushing of water told them that the ruptured fire hydrant was still spilling out into the street. Peter and Dr. Stern lead he way. Amy and Winston followed. Then Egon, Ray and the newest survivor. Officer Spencer and Officer Malluchi guarded the rear of the group. They had already made their way through the first passage way and were nearing the bus by the Post Office. The footsteps of the group echoed through the Post Office parking lot. The group was exiting the parking lot office when Officer Malluchi and Amy heard a noise.
"Grrrrr."
"What's that?" Peter turned and faced Amy.
"Something wrong?"
"I thought I heard something."
"So did I." A click announced that Officer Spencer's gun was ready to be fired. The group stirred uneasily when a howl cried through the night.
"What is that?" Officer Malluchi's gun clicked as well.
"Get ready to run." Peter opened the door and started moving people through into the construction area. Two more howls cried out. Then a shot from Malluchi's gun.
"Dammit!" Officer Malluchi fired three shots into the dog. It whinned in pain as the metal pierced it's rotted flesh. It fell onto the pavement. Officer Malluchi and peter walked up to the carcass to get a better look at the Hellhound.
"What happened to it?" Officer Malluchi asked, gaging as a foul smell deifted up from the diseased dog.
"The thing 's flesh is hanging off it like it was melted."
"Run!" The civilans started to run through the building following Winston and Dr. Stern. Officer Malluchi fired two more shots into a second dog. It pounced onto Officer Malluchi.
"Aggg." Both cop and dog collapsed onto the pavement. Officer Spencer tired to find a angle which he wouldn't hit his fellow officer. He realised it was too late when he heard a meaty, tearing sound.
"Aaaaagggggg!" Officer Malluchi's body became still as the blood poured out of his jugular. Officer Spencer fired three shots into the second dog and it became still.
"Comeon" Peter shouted at Officer Spncer, they jogged up to the building and pulled the door closed as two more dogs tried to break through the metal door.
"Shit! What are those things?" Amy nearly shreiked.
"They...those things were dogs." The group continued their journey, quicker than before. They hadn't sustained any more trouble until they reached the road outside the City Hall. The survivor who had joined the group last was at the back of the group. Most of them had entered the grounds of City Hall when he was passing the jewelled clock that operated the gates.
"What the?" He turned to see a claw flying at him.
"No! Someone kil......" His sentence ended when the creature's claw sliced through his neck, decapitating him. A small fountain erupted from the stub of his neck and he slowly collapsed to he knees.
"Oh my God!" Amy screamed. The monster's claw swipped at her and Officer Spencer, however it missed her neck and collided with the clock dial. The glass cracked, shattered and sparked as two components needed to open the gate were sliced off of the dial. The gates rumbled closed.
"What..what happened?" Ray asked.
"That thing, it must have smashed the gate controls. The gates won't open as long as that clock dial is broken." The creature let out an unearthly howl and leapt over the gate.
"Oh God, that thing's hunting us!" Officer Spencer and Peter dropped behind the group and grabbed onto the gate leading to the gas station.
"Okay, we're only going to have one chance at this. One...two..." The Hunter roared and charged the gate like a bull.
"Three!" Peter and Officer Stern rammed the gate into the creature as it reached the gate. Thankfully enough the gate connected with the Hunter's head and temporarily dazed the creature.
"Run!" Officer Spencer and Peter sprinted from the gate towards the gas station. Most of the group could bee seen inside the station shop. Ray suddenly gasped and started pointing wildly behind them. Peter turned his head as he passed a wrecked DeLorean ans saw that the Hunter was easily narrowing the distance between them. Peter switched on his proton pack and fied his gun at the Hunter. The Hunter let out a hurt howl as the beam of protons hit it. Peter slowly backed towards the door of the gas station as Officer Spencer fired his gun. The clip fell to the pavement empty and he started to pull out another clip.
"Get inside!" Officer Spencer nodded to Peter and stepped into the shop. Peter was fast running out of options. The creature was nearing him slower than before, but it was now only a few feet away. Peter was now inside the door of the gas station and looked around for anything he could use to stop the Hunter. His gaze settled on a red handle marked "Shutter release."
"Alright ugly, see if you can get through this as easy as that guy's neck." Peter shut off the beam and slammed the shutter release. The Hunter seemed to gain speed but wasn't fast enough to get in before the metal shutter slammed down, covering the door. The group watched the monster claw vainly at the shutter and then roar in annoyance. The creature stared at them with it's beady black eyes, and then move off back towards the City Hall.
"That was too close." Peter breathed a sigh of relief.