Chapter 54

  The creature let out a surprised croak as Jessica leapt onto its back. Her hands carved oozing furrows in the creature's rubbery flesh and it flailed, trying to buck her off. They danced back and forth across the top of the bus while gobbets of flesh and ichor rained down. For a moment, it was like watching someone peel a piece of fruit, only Jessica was peeling the monster.

  She bit down on its neck, worrying her head back and forth until a chunk of the pale gray flesh came free. She reached up and sank her fingertips into the gash and started pulling. The creature's skin peeled back with a sound like tearing plastic, exposing oily black muscles beneath. Adam suppressed another gag as Jessica ripped and tore until the creature's head came free. The body collapsed, and she rode it down to the roof of the bus.

  The head dropped to the ground in front of Adam, bouncing once and coming to rest a few feet away. The jaws continued to work despite being barely attached. Its eyes darted back and forth until they found him, and he kicked the head away in disgust.

  Jessica jumped from the top of the bus, landing like a cat in front of him, covered head to toe in brown and black ichor. She spat out a chunk of meat and shivered, wiping her hands on her pants. Adam watched as her inch long claws slowly retracted into her fingertips, leaving the skin pink and fresh.

  "Bananas." Jessica spat again and wiped her mouth. "I fucking hate bananas."

  "What?" Adam asked.

  "They taste like bananas," Jessica said.

  He stared at her and blinked slowly. "You're fucking terrifying."

  Jessica gave him a wink. "I know."

  The radical shift in Jessica's personality sent alarm bells ringing in Adam's mind. She had transitioned from the quiet, haunted woman into a force of pure savagery, leaning into their new abilities with more enthusiasm than even Samantha. He had the uneasy feeling that venting her rage against the creatures they found was the only thing that kept her in check.

  "Adam!" Natalie's voice snapped him out of his trance. He jogged over to where she knelt beside Hector. Samantha stood above her, pulling supplies out of the medical pack, holding them ready for Natalie’s say so.

  “Glad you’re okay,” Adam said.

  Samantha flicked her eyes up at him. “Thanks. That second shot hurt, even through the shield.”

  “Tell me about it,” Hector croaked. He was on his back, clutching at his side and panting. Sweat beaded on his tanned forehead, running off in streams as Natalie gently pried his hands away from the wound. She lifted the blood-soaked shirt and a stream of crimson flowed steadily from the gash, soaking into the pavement.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Natalie glanced up. "Some bandages and stitching aren’t going to cut it. Sam, can you...?"

  Samantha nodded, handing Natalie the supplies and dropping to her knees beside them. "Sorry Hector."

  Hector looked back and forth in alarm and Natalie stuffed a piece of cut leather belt into his half open mouth. She took his hand and looked at him in the eye. "This is gonna hurt. A lot."

  Samantha closed her eyes and raised two glowing fingers, the orange light radiating from her hand like a hot iron. The dry heat made Adam feel like he was standing in front of an open oven. Hector's eyes went wide and he tried to scramble away, but Natalie put her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. He froze, his breath coming in, short, panicked gasps.

  “Help me hold him,” she said.

  Adam knelt down and put his hand on Hector’s other shoulder.

  The sharp scent of charring meat filled the air as Samantha plunged her fingers into the wound. Hector's body locked up, every tendon in his neck standing at attention while he screamed into the makeshift bit. After a moment, Samantha withdrew her fingers, smoke trailing from them as Hector's blood hissed away in scorched rivulets. She shook her hand, wincing as the heat faded.

  Natalie placed her hand over the smoking wound and Hector's eyes widened in surprise, then he exhaled, his body going slack with relief. A handful of seconds later she pulled her hand back, shaking her head as if to clear it. The wound now looked days old, fresh skin beginning to creep over the angry charred edges.

  She dug a bottle from her pack and sprayed antiseptic over the area, the astringent smell going to war with the stench of burnt flesh. Hector grunted in fresh pain and without hesitation she slapped a patch on the wound and sealed it with duct tape. The whole triage took less than two minutes.

  "That really fucking hurt," Hector wheezed, some of his accent slipping through as he sat up, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

  "Don't be a baby," Natalie said, helping him up. "It was just a little blood. You've got a few pints to spare."

  "Not that." Hector pointed at Samantha's still-smoking fingers. "That!"

  Adam stepped closer, frowning. "How are you even alive? I watched that bolt punch clean through you."

  Hector raised an eyebrow, then glanced around, his nose wrinkling when he caught a glimpse of a goo covered Jessica. "Watch."

  He flickered like an old TV image, ghosting a foot to the right before snapping back into place. The sudden movement made Adam's eyes cross as his brain struggled to reconcile the two images.

  Adam blinked until the doubling effect faded. "We really need to start talking about our powers."

  A series of croaking barks echoed down the street drawing everyone's attention. In the distance several more of the creatures scaled the sides of buildings, moving like something between a monkey and a spider.

  "We might've kicked the hornet's nest," Natalie groaned. "That's a whole goddamn tribe." She bent down, snatching up her pack before helping Hector to his feet. The chorus of croaks grew louder, more voices joining by the second.

  "That sounds like a lot," Samantha said.

  "And that sounds like our cue to make scarce." Natalie slung the pack over her shoulder and turned. "Hector, can you run?"

  "Probably not," Hector said. "Does it matter?"

  "Nope," Adam replied.