Erin lit a match and ignited one of her torches. Acrid black smoke spiralled towards the ceiling as people stepped forwards to light their own torch from Erin’s. Finally, Jack lit his dad’s and Brad’s. Then he held them out, and they jumped away from the door, grabbed the torches and moved clear.
A series of bangs rattled the cellar door in its frame. It wasn’t going to hold much longer. The heat from the torch warmed Jack’s cheeks. He looked at his dad; felt more for him at that moment than he ever had.
“Let’s get out of here,” Bruce said. He hurried towards the front door, slid back the bolts, opened the door, brandished his torch before him, and then stepped outside.
Chapter 41
Bruce gingerly surveyed the street. The harbour lights threw a sheen of illumination across the surface of the water, making it appear almost picturesque. Shazam’s ears went up and her hackles rose. She bared her teeth, growled.
“Come here. Heel,” Bruce said.
The sound of skittering claws scraping across the ground reached his ears. He turned, looked down the street and saw a number of Fangtooth heading their way. Some ran on all fours, others moved upright. However they moved, they all looked menacing. Lamplight reflected from their teeth, made them appear even longer and sharper.
He counted at least six creatures, but God knew how many others lurked in the shadows.
The torch in his hand flickered, creating misshapen shadows that danced across the walls and the ground.
“Form a circle,” Bruce said.
He felt people gather at his side and back. “Right, we need to move as a unit.”
“Move where?” Zander asked.
“We need to get out of the village. My car’s parked over there and I can get five in with a squeeze. Who else has got a car?”
“And what about everyone else in the village?” Zander asked. “We can’t just leave them.”
“The police will be here soon.”
He noticed the entrance to the cellar door lying open. “What’s with the torches?”
Bruce looked across to see the old man that had spoken to him before. Still dressed in his pyjamas, he leaned against his front door and looked out. An old woman peered over his shoulder.
“Albert, what’s going on?” she asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out, Doris. You get inside; let me deal with it.”
“You get the fuck inside too,” Zander roared. Albert’s expression changed, became indignant. “There’s something dangerous out here,” Zander said.
“Is that you, Zander?” Albert asked. “What’s going on?”
“For God’s sake, man, get the fuck inside and lock your door.”
Albert stepped out into the street. “I don’t know what the meani—”
The word caught in his throat as a Fangtooth scurried from around the side of the house. It looked at Bruce and the torches, hissed, turned and saw Albert.
The old man stood frozen to the spot, his jaw hanging open. He babbled something unintelligible, raised his hands in a feeble attempt to ward the creature off, then screamed as the Fangtooth sank its teeth into his hand, severing it at the wrist. A plume of blood jettisoned from the severed limb, spraying the ground with abstract gore.
“Shit,” Zander said. He broke free from the others and ran towards the creature, furiously waving his torch.
Bruce sensed the unease in the rest of the group. Next minute, Jim broke free. He dropped his torch and pulled out his knife.
“You don’t think I’m gonna let you take all the spoils, Skipper,” he said as he danced across the road.
Brad shook his head. “The damn fool.” He ran after Jim.
Bruce grimaced. They needed to stick together. Safety in numbers.
He watched as Zander parried and thrust with the torch. Bits of burning cloth and sparks fell to the ground. The Fangtooth scuttled back, chomping Albert’s hand as it moved. The firelight appeared to dance in its eyes.
“Albert,” Doris screamed as she ran out of the house. Blood sprayed over her nightgown as she reached her husband’s side. Without hesitating, she started to drag him back towards the house.
By now, the other Fangtooth had reached the group. Bruce and his companions warded them off with the torches. The Fangtooth circled around, snapping at the air with their teeth.
Alerted by the commotion, other people ventured outside. Then the screaming really started.
Bruce saw a small, middle-aged woman open her door to find a Fangtooth on her porch. The creature moved with almost fluid grace, taking a chunk out of her waist with one bite. In a strangely silent manner, the woman grabbed her wound and a length of intestine slopped over the top of her hands to hang down her side. She staggered back, stumbled, and another creature leaped upon her prone body and buried its head in her stomach. Bruce heard its jaw chomping, and he turned away, sickened by the sight.
A young blond-haired boy ran into the street. His mother called him back, but it was too late. A Fangtooth pounced, raking the boy’s back with its claws and tearing out ribbons of flesh. The boy screamed and fell to his knees, the creature on his back. The boy’s mother, heedless of her own safety, ran out and started hitting the creature with her bare hands. Loud sobs burst from her mouth. Another creature loped across, sank its teeth into the woman’s leg, severing her ankle. She collapsed to the ground, still trying to wrestle the creature from her son.
Bruce didn’t know how much more he could take. He wanted to shut his eyes to blank out the horror, but he couldn’t. He had to stay alert.
Terrified faces peered out of windows. Gunshots rang out as some of the villagers took the initiative.
The creatures were in a feeding frenzy. Blood shone from their heads, dripped from their teeth, between which lay strands of human flesh. They attacked indiscriminately, old or young, male or female, it didn’t matter.
Jim jumped onto one of the Fangtooth, riding it like a cowboy. Brad joined in, jabbing at it with his torch. A spine along the Fangtooth’s back pierced Jim’s leg, but he seemed unconcerned. He stabbed it with his knife, raking the blade across the creature’s eyes. The creature roared in pain, which brought a grim smile to Jim’s lips.
Bruce’s torch burned low and he lit his other one from the embers. It wouldn’t last long, and he wondered what he would do when it burnt out. “We need to move faster,” Bruce said.
“We can’t leave them,” Erin cried.
“We’ll come back for them in the car, but we’ve got to move, now.” Four Fangtooth blocked their path. One of them chewed on a man’s carcass, tearing chunks of meat out. Bruce never would have thought human skin could stretch so far. With each bite, the creature shook its head to snap the tenuous strands connecting the flesh to the body.
The Fangtooth reminded him of a cross between sharks and crocodiles, both true carnivores with a penchant for raw meat.
Two of the creatures moved to intercept the group. The nearest Fangtooth lunged for them. Bruce dodged aside, lost his momentum and almost tripped. Shazam growled and snapped her teeth at the creature’s legs, distracting the Fangtooth from her master and allowing him to regain his balance. The Fangtooth dropped down to Shazam’s level, cocked its head and lunged for Shazam’s throat. Bruce felt his heart stop and his stomach sink. A lump blocked his throat, making breathing difficult.
Shazam jumped out of the way, and the Fangtooth’s teeth snapped on empty air. Bruce squeezed out a thankful breath.
Another Fangtooth scuttled across. Shazam ran to intercept it; her agile body and faster legs helping her avoid the creature’s attack. Bruce shoved the torch towards the creature’s face, causing it to rear back, and allowing him to skip past. Although only twenty feet away, the car may as well have been on another continent.