Scavengers {#Wattys2016}

Chapter Twenty Six

The hound scrapped across the desert having caught a trail. It's gears clicked and synced together as it stared at the ground mechanical nose twitching. It processed the data portraying a visual image as to what it saw back to Andrew's vehicle. 

It was portraying a visual down the ravine path as the group of fugitives entered a cave. Andrew smirked. He finally had them. He had them. It had been several days now and finally his luck had won out. He was seeing them. 

All of them just walking around without a single notion that someone was watching them. That he was watching them. That Andrew was watching them. He continued picking up his pace. His adrenaline was kicking in. He had them cornered. Where ever they were headed. Andrew had them cornered. 

Andrew wasn't really thinking things through nor fully assessing as to what was on the other side so he followed the Hound which he had commanded to wait before perusing further. Of course the Hound. He wanted to get this over with. He had his automatic gun loaded and had set the Hound to the command of ERADICATE. 

Andrew wanted his mother to be safe again. He was so close. Andrew rounded the corner slamming the pedal speeding as the excitement got him. Andrew was angry. He was pissed. 

People screamed as the Hound rushed forward snapping at anything and everything barreling through the crowd. Andrew had nothing going on in his head. He was glaring at the five people who were walking down the steps and following a man. 

He was glaring at us. My heart skipped a beat as my head jolted at the familiar sound of the engine. My mother's face paled and she screamed. 

 "That thing! That's a Pure Hound!", she yelled.

 The Hound with nothing else on it's mind sprung at us crawling up the rock drilling in it's mechanical claws snapping and snarling. Soldiers were rushing around and shooting at it but the bullets just clinked off making nothing but small useless scratches. 

"Go! Go! Go! Down!", yelled my father pushing Scout forward several flights of steps as the Hound cut us off from the top. 

Jordan stared at it backing up quickly firing the gun he had making the Hound jump back. It was a Pure One Gun. The Hound knew through data collection and calculation that it would not make it if it was hit by that. 

Andrew got out of the car about to slam the door shut when automatic fire was directed at him by other soldier's. People screamed ducking as the sand lifted shooting up being rained down on by bullets. Andrew clenched his teeth. His heart was pounding and blood rushing. His pulse was soaring. 

He peeked out from around the car door looking at the hound. He smirked as it sprang at Jordan. 

He fell on his back as it snapped it's jaws onto his arm. "ARRGH!", 

"Jordan!", I cried. 

"Just go---!", I sprung diving as a missile was fired from Andrew's gun. The debris fell down and rock chunks crumbled hitting stands and civilians crying as they got out of the way. 

"Get your mother out of here!", yelled my father's voice. Sammy and my mother Chloe ducked around a dwelling wall getting cover. Sammy pointed the gun firing towards the jeep making Andrew duck. 

Jordan still had the hound snapping at him. He was struggling. punching the face wasn't working and he let out a cry of pain as it's metal claws scratched his legs snarling. 

My head was ringing and ears hurt. "Lisa! Lisa! Get up! Get up!", cried Anna shaking me. Her hand was on my back shaking me hard panicking. I pushed myself up feeling the stone cutting my hands having sharp edges now. Anna stared her face smeared with dust and dirt. Hair rallied up and curls sticking out with no need or care. 

I lifted my head staring at the haze of dust hearing guns go off. Bullets flying. Grenades getting thrown at the jeep but even as it was blasted at. The thing was still there providing cover for that bastard!

I stared at Anna who was gripping my jacket her fingers drilling harder. I stared at Sammy. He had caught my attention. He was signalling to us with hand motions.

'I can get a grenade, can you make it count?', Sammy signed.

'Give me one', I signaled. 

Sammy looked at my mother and then looked around the corner. He jolted back. Andrew shot at him chipping the stone wall. 

"Damn that bastard's gonna get it when Lisa chunks it to his face", muttered Sammy. 

"Sammy don't you dare!", yelled my father at him. 

"Sorry pap's!", yelled Sammy back at him and took his chance as Anna kept Andrew preoccupied by firing her gun. I had one now too picking it up off a soldier's body who was wounded. I crouched firing. 

Sammy rushed jumping over poles and debris diving through the sand rolling and made it to an unused grenade. He chunked it over to Anna who sprinted catching it then tossed it down towards me.

Too far, too far, too far!

I sprung, bit the wire pressed the lever hitting the ground on my shoulder and curve balled  it under the jeep. Andrew felt something tap his back as he sat covering himself. 

Sammy got behind a turned over table and Anna ducked. I turned covering my head with my arms. 

                                                                          -----------BOOM---------