Werewolf Suspense (Book 3): Outage 3 (Vengeance) by T.W. Piperbrook Read Free Book Online Page A

the bowels of the stores. The street had become a living, breathing entity, watching them and tracking their movements. He held his breath, as if the simple act alone might disguise the purr of the car engine as the vehicle glided through the snow.  
    He prayed they'd pass unimpeded.
    They had no such luck.
    They'd gone another few blocks before Rosemary went rigid. Tom's blood froze.
    In the recesses of the shattered, caved buildings, movement began where there had been none before. The wind hissed, blowing a squall of snow across the hood of the station wagon.
    Rosemary stifled a gasp. Tom looked left and right. A pack of beasts lurked around the edges of buildings and emptied from the interiors of buildings on both sides of the street. A chorus of repressed growls filled the air, bubbling into full-fledged roars. Tom grabbed the rifle from his lap, aiming it out the window. The creatures crept into the road. They moved slowly at first, as if they were emerging from hibernation, testing their balance. And then they ran.
    A handful of beasts loped into the street in front of them, the moonlight illuminating the tips of their claws. Tom tried to adjust the vehicle's path, but there was no getting around them. In mere moments, the road had been effectively blocked. Tom knew how quick the things were. There was no time to turn around.
    "We're trapped!" Rosemary hissed.
    She was right. There was no way to steer clear of the creatures; the station wagon was on a collision course for them. Tom had the panicked, hopeless feeling of outwitted prey.  
    "We'll have to shoot our way through!" Tom yelled.
    Instead of slowing down, he pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The engine groaned and stuck for a second, as if the station wagon was as stunned as the occupants. And then they were barreling forward, directly at the beasts. Tom watched them get closer, his breath stuck in his throat.
    "Hang on!" he yelled.  
    The ensuing collision was like striking a brick wall. Tom jolted as several creatures collided with the grill. Claws shrieked against metal; bodies tumbled over the hood. At the same time, more beasts ran up to the sides of the vehicle, slicing through the opened windows. Tom shot his rifle through the open driver's side, hitting several and sending them back into the street. Even as he fended them off, others took their place. Rosemary screamed as one of the passenger's side windows shattered.  
    The station wagon kept going, fighting through the scrum of beasts. Tom's world became a flurry of gunshots and commotion. He fired. Fired again. His hands came off the wheel as he battled the creatures, ramming the gun barrel out the window and firing. He heard the crack of Rosemary's pistol beside him, her panicked screams punctuating the air. Beasts toppled and fell from the car. For what felt like an eternity, the world was a blur of motion and noise.  
    And then the vehicle was weaving onto the road's shoulder, speeding toward one of the buildings. Realizing where he was headed, Tom yanked the wheel, wrenching the car back on course.  
    Wounded howls filled the night behind them. He looked in the rearview, watching the beasts writhe in the road.
    Tom wiped his cheeks. His face was spattered with blood and remains; the air was thick with the musky scent of the creatures. The car cut through the snow and continued as if nothing had happened.
    Rosemary swiveled in all directions, her pistol drawn to her chest as if she were praying. Her hair was mussed and tangled, her face lit with panic.
    "Are you all right?" Tom asked.
    "I-I'm okay," she managed.  
    They rode for the next mile in silence, glancing over their shoulders. Neither wanted to admit they'd survived the encounter. Saying the words might negate their escape.  

Chapter Ten

    "We need to reload," Tom said.  
    Rosemary nodded. She retrieved the spare ammunition, and Tom walked her through it. He took stock of their location. Barring any more encounters, they were