Nate

Dust hangs in the air making it hard to breathe and even harder to see.

“Oh shit!” We both mumble as about ten figures come through the door. Not like that matters once I see the NTSCU itched onto their shoulders. I growl lowly under my breath. The Night Terrors Specialized Containment Unit or NTSCU for short. They’re the boogeyman for NTs.

They’re all covered from head to toe, not an inch of skin can be seen. From their heavy-duty combat boots, think pants, longs sleeves covered by a vest with many pockets and gas masks. The rest was wrapped with what might be rags or tape of some kind. Probably the latter, the Gov has to protect their shiny toys after all

The NTSCU is a government-sanctioned group on the East Coast. They have made it their mission to hunt down and put down Terrors they think are too dangerous. By dangerous they really mean harming humans. But they never come out of their way, and never this far West.

I chance a second to look at the destruction they’ve caused to the place. They brought the whole wall down. There’s not a shred of hope of fixing the thing. I can only think of one thing as I look down at the mess, My home.

One steps up and points their gun into our direction. “I suggest you surrender and come with us quietly.” I’m not sure what lead them here. My meals and appetite or this witch. Honestly, I don’t care to find out. I shot a look at her. Looking back at the NTSCU, I decide to do something so spur of the moment that it literally came from nowhere. I grab Vanessa’s wrist and run faster than the goons can keep up.

I slide us through the door as shots are fired. I push a metal cabinet in front of the only way out. I yank on her arm and swiftly push her through the door, and quickly slam the door shut. We both duck low as shots are still going until a few seconds later I can hear one of them scream out. “Hold!” Looking around I try to find something, anything to fix the shit storm brewing outside the door.

My eyes land on one of the many steel counters littering the room. Perfect. There’s shuffling closer to the door and one speaks out again. “We will give you to the count of ten to peacefully surround yourselves.” Fat chance. “After that, we will be using lethal forces to take you down.”

I grab the counter and I could push it myself but they could hear and might speed up their mercy.

“One!” I look over at the witch and get her attention with some harsh whispering.

“Hey! Help me with this.” Luckily the witch catches on to the plan and helps me to push the counter in front of the door. “Two!” After I quickly turn all the locks on the door. Now, will this stop them for long? Hell no, but each extra second could save our asses. “Three!”

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Grabbing the witch’s sleeve I drag her towards the very back. I eye the freezer and can’t help but long to grab out least a scrap from one of the bodies. “Four!” Who knows the next time I’ll be able to get a meal. “Five!” I shake my head and reach the back room. I pull her in and crouch down with one of my knees on the stone floor.

Slowly I move the cabinet. It’s big and wooden, leaving scratch marks on the floor. Soon enough it’s moved and I shove her through the whole the new hole in the wall. She tries to stop me but I keep pushing her further inside.

“Wait a second!”

“We don’t have time now get your ass movin’.” I basically growl out the words but she sarts to follow my lead again, and that’s all I can ask for at the moment. I pull the cabinet back in place and start making my way down the hall. It’s dark down here and if not for my enhanced sight I would not be seeing a thing.

I grab her by the arm and once again start pulling her along. I can practically hear the witch hyperventilating next to me. Thankfully she keeps going at the same pace so she has earned a smidge of my respect in that regard. Finally, we get to the exit and she really freaks out when she feels around and doesn’t notice an exit.

Before she can say anything I pull her back and start kicking at the driftwood in front of our exit. Pulling her with me we get outside and our blinded by the sun. I just to pick up the pace. “Come on.” She doesn’t argue and follows my lead.

“Where are we going.”

“Anywhere but here.”

“Do you know the layout.”

“Kinda.” She humphs and doesn’t say another word. This goes on for a few minutes, and just when I think we’re in the clear-bam. The air swishes by my head and a hole embeds into one of the crumbling walls by my head. I chance a glimpse behind me and about three hundred feet away from us is the NTSCU steadily gaining speed. I grab her arm once and again and take off down the street.

I glance at her to make sure she’s still okay and see that she’s keeping. A little out of breath but that’s to be expected. We Bobbies are generally faster than most witches and humans. Vamps and werewolves do have us beat, not that I know from experience. Most of what I know is hearsay and I like to keep it that way.

I’ve worked hard to keep away from other Terrors and it’s worked out pretty okay. At least until now. Maybe this is because I got cocky lately. Hiding out here as though no one will eventually come out here.

Pain erupts on my left shoulder and my steps falter for half a second. The witch looks at me but I just push her in front of me. Now I’m not a nice guy and I don’t do anything because my heart compels me or any other sensical bullshit. I’m living in a world where most people would kill me just for standing in front of them

That shot had my nerve endings trembling in the most painful way, and that’s saying something. Not because I’m a monster and can’t feel but because over the years my tolerance for pain has grown with each new wound I’ve acquired. I know nothing about this witch. Can she take a shot and shake it off? Who knows, and I can’t take that chance.

If she was unable to move on I’d have to carry her. Can I carry her, and still make a good distance? Sure, she looks about the same weight as a sack of potatoes, but it would slow us down and we don’t have time for that right now.

We come to a fork in the road which splits off five different paths. “Farthest one on the left.” I say the directions loud enough for her to hear. I would talk louder but I don’t want the chance the goons behind us can hear. Plus I know she’d noticed how tense my voice sounds and think something is wrong.

She nods her head and quickens her pace. Thank the goddess for her ass miracles We take the turn and come to a section of houses that are still standing. Most of them are missing chunks in places and the closest one has several large cracks and splints going throughout the walls. I guide us to the third house and quickly enter through the front.