As the Light Dies (76 page)

Shoulder bones snapped and popped loudly, and it fell to the floor beside its leader with its shattered jaw, but seemingly oblivious to any pain they were both up in an instant and pushed their way through the swing door and crossed the threshold in to the kitchen and stood beside the third dog with the broken neck as it clumsily stood back up with its head swinging between its front legs! The noise the three dogs were making was horrendous, it reverberated off the tiled walls all around them as Ann searched through the darkness like a crazy woman, trying in vain to find an exit as she bumped in to cookers and cabinets and tables, sending pots and pans flying.

Gavin swung his wrench again and brought it down like a hammer aiming for the closest do
g’
s head -  the one with the shattered neck. It moved towards him swinging its head like a pendulum as it walked, and despite the damage Gavin had caused, it still snapped its jaw ferociously, and then it lunged at him forcing him back.

His wrench thumped down on its back between its front legs with almighty force slowing it down a little, but that was all. Gavin retrieved the wrench and swung again from the side like he was swinging a baseball bat. He was aiming for the head again but missed completely as it swung out of the way. The dog lunged again and caught Gavi
n’
s shin with its needle sharp teeth, but did
n’
t catch hold of him.

Without being able to flex its neck it could
n’
t turn its head to get a good hold of him so all it managed was to nip him. Gavin yelped, more out of fright than pain and he skipped back a step as the dog lashed out with one of its front legs trying to scratch him with its claws. Gavin kicked out at the dogs other leg and snapped it in two. Then quickly while it was off balance trying to work out how to attack again, Gavin swung his wrench up over his head putting everything he had in to the swing and pulled hard. The head of the wrench landed in the middle of the terror do
g’
s head, just above its little black eyes smashing it down against the cold hard tiled floor where it crunched like brittle honeycomb and he silenced the dog permanently.

One down
,
he thought readying himself for the next-comer.

He saw Dean holding on to Sam again, he was backing up from the one with the shattered jaw.

Shit
,
he thought starting towards him to help, but he was suddenly cut off.

The other Doberman with its protruding collar bone from its collision with the door was coming straight for him baring every single one of its teeth!

“WATCH OUT!”
yelled Ann coming out of the darkness to help holding her cut-off piece of scaffolding pole.

Gavin yelled back
,
“HELP DEAN!”
just as the limping dog pounced at him.

Even though it did
n’
t feel any pain from its shattered shoulder and collar bone, it was slowed down by its injury. As the terror dog leapt through the air its body tilted at an odd angle, pushed off balance because of its useless front right leg. Gavin shifted to his right bringing up his wrench as the monstrous looking dog came down where h
e’
d just been standing, snapping its wild jaws at lightning speed, and without any strength in its wounded front shoulder to hold itself up. It landed off balance and crashed down on to its side smacking its jaw on the floor!

Gavin was ready and before the dog had even come to rest he started to swing his wrench. He brought the heavy, bulbous steel head of the wrench down fast, and a fraction of a second before it hit the dog, the dog lifted its head in a last ditch effort to attack, but it was too late. The dog was too slow, and the head of the wrench crashed down between its jaws clicking against its teeth like a thumb over the bristles of a comb and snapped each and every one of its teeth off as it sunk all the way down to the back of the monsters throat where it separated its lower jaw from its head with an audible pop.

Gavin pulled back his wrench amazed that the dog was still unfazed and starting to get up of the floor, all the time still making that strange noise as its lower jaw flapped uselessly below its snout only attached by skin and fur. Gavin tried a glance towards his brother and Ann but he did
n’
t have time to make out much through the darkness before the dog lunged again.

It half limped half lunged at him, he sidestepped fast as he took another swing, and this time he put the dog down permanently caving its head in like he had with the other monstrous Doberman.

It collapsed to the floor in a heap and stayed there.

Across the room Ann, Dean and Sam were cornered as they tried to fend off the big German Shepherd as it reared up on its hind legs and swiped at them with its powerful front legs now that its lower jaw hung in pieces. It stood as tall as Ann on its hind legs and almost resembled a bear in the darkness. Ann jabbed and prodded at it with her length of scaffold pole and Dean kicked out trying to keep his balance while he held on to Sam. They were only just holding it back.

Gavin raced up from behind the dog, jumped up in the air and drop kicked one of the do
g’
s rear legs snapping it in two! The dog fell to the ground still howling that horrible noise, relentlessly lashing out with its big front paws!

With the dog down Gavin jumped over the dog and stood with one leg either side of it and started swinging. He repeatedly swung his wrench like he was swinging an axe trying to split a stubborn stump of wood, hitting the do
g’
s head dead centre, over and over and over, turning it in to mulch, spraying everything within range with its mutated infected black blood.

“Whoa Gavin
!
Its dead. I
t’
s ok. I
t’
s safe
,”
said Ann reaching out for his shoulder.

Gavin carried on swinging over and over, gasping for air between swings.

Ann tried to get his attention again and patted his shoulder this time but it had no effect.

Dean stepped up and yelled in to his brothe
r’
s ear, telling him that it was ok, telling him to calm down and stop as he grabbed on to his brothers arms trying to stop him. It took some effort but eventually Gavin stopped swinging and he looked up at the other two with wide, confused and wild eyes. He was out of breath and panting. Dean carefully let Sam down and looked at his brother.

“
You ok
?”
he asked.

Gavin nodded once in response and said
,“
You two
?”
glancing at both of them.

“
Yea
,”
said Ann and Dean nodded and said
,“
W
e’
re all ok buddy. Thanks to you. You just kinda lost it there at the end for a minute
.
”

Gavin nodded ashamedly and said
,“I’
m sorry
.
”

Dean shook his head and said
,“
Nothing to be sorry about. You just saved us. I should be sorry! If
I’
d let Sam down I coulda dropped one of those dogs as well, but I just could
n’
t risk Sam, not with his muzzle still on, and that damned Alsatian got me in a corner before I knew...
.”
he stopped talking mid sentence and looked at the other two with wide eyes. They knew what had him on alert, they all heard what sounded like the start of another infected gurgle.

They all froze to the spot moving only their heads to look at the three downed terror dogs and listened. It was
n’
t any of the dogs. It was something else! The sound was cut dead in an instant and they heard nothing but the weather.

They waited in silence listening, but heard nothing. Dean inched forwards and looked through the little circular window back in to the restaurant making sure it was clear, and it was.

“C’
mon
,”
he said
,“
le
t’
s fucking get outa here
.
”

He wrapped Sa
m’
s lead around his wrist a couple of times for a better grip and started to move when Ann said
,
“I’
m
so sorry. I did
n’
t realise the door...
.
”

Gavin stopped her butting in and said
,“
Forget about it. I
t’
s ok
.
”

“
Yea
,”
added Dean pushing back through the swing door
.“
None of us knew that the damn thing swung both fucking ways
!
”

Then he stopped abruptly causing the other two to bump up against him.

“
Wha
t’
s wrong
?”
said Ann.

“
Back up
!”
he whispered
,
“back up, fast!”

He pushed back against them urging them to move and they did, they all backed up, back in to the darkened kitchen
.“
Wha
t’
s wrong, what is it
?”
said Ann.

“
Shush
,”
said Dean holding on to the door to close it quietly.

“
Hold on a sec
,”
he said and he crouched down by Sam and spoke in his ear
,“
Sam boy, I need you to be quiet now ok boy
,”
he said. He got a grumble in response and a half dog nod. Bewildered and wanting to know what was wrong Gavin leaned over Dean while he spoke to Sam and looked through the small circular window
.
“Oh fuck!”
he said.

“What
!
What is it
?”
said Ann.

Dean answered before Gavin had the chance
.“
All the noise from fighting those dogs has brought us some attention
.
”

“What!”
said Ann
,“
but you just checked
!
”

“
Yea, I know, and the
y
jus
t
appeared
!
”

Then as he finished speaking, they all heard the tell-tale sound of crunching glass as it was stood on.

Despite the darkness Dean could tell by their actions and their body language that Ann and Gavin both understood what was happening.

Just beyond the flimsy swing door meandering between the tables and chairs searching for the source of all the noise, was an increasing number of infected people pouring in from outside!

Dean searched for something to wedge the door but it was no good, he could
n’
t see a thing in the darkness and he did
n’
t want to risk making any noise searching for anything either.

“C’mon lets go,”
he said, and started tracing his way along one of the walls, working away from the swing door. He said to the others
,“
There has to be an exit somewhere
.
Has to be!”

He led the way, hurrying along searching for a way out with the others close behind him.

A few seconds passed, and then they all heard the first chair to be knocked over behind them!

It sent chills down their spines and made Ann skip a step.

Dean picked up his pace wanting to get out. He felt Sam pulling eagerly to his right and tugged him back pulling the lead, then he rushed face first in to a new wall going too fast for what he could see or feel. Sam had been trying to lead him. The other two bumped in to him forcing him up against the wall knocking the wind out of him and Dean let out a groan, and instantly the noise coming from the restaurant intensified.

There were more footfalls on broken glass and something was flung across the room, followed by the sound of table and chair legs being scraped across the floor at speed.

“Shit they heard us!”
whispered Ann.

Dean nodded and said
,
“C’mon,”
and he hurried along, walking the wall as fast as he could with his hands outstretched as the noises behind them grew louder! They sounded closer!

“We’ve gotta hurry,”
whispered Gavin and before Dean could say anything he laid his hand on a door handle.

“
Got it
!”
he said.

“Quick. Hurry,”
said Ann with a quiver of fear in her voice.