The First

Chapter 63

Ross laid the weapons across the rooftop facing west. Each loaded gun had the safety catch off and an extra three clips lying next to it. The .50 Tach sniper rifle, with a 5.5-22x56 infrared scope, sat on a tripod; its silenced barrel jutted from the building. The GPS showed Savannah on the move toward him at an incredible speed.

The sun dipped below the horizon. Its multicolored hue blasted up from the Pacific Ocean like blood spatter from a rainbow's slashed throat. Ross lined up the scope of the rifle with the direction of the blip on the iPhone. He set the night sights on and took aim into the distance.

A streak of yellow slurred between two trees about five clicks north by northwest. He clicked the dial to three clicks, just about three-hundred yards from his position. A short clearing between two farmhouses laid to his right. If she stayed at the same speed and direction she'd come into the clearing in about 15 seconds. His finger steadied on the trigger. His chest heaved as he breathed deep and slowly let it out.

Savannah made a hard left in the clearing. Ross shot several times from left to right. He aimed low as he only wanted her wounded. The shots sounded like someone clapping underwater.

The dosed tracer rounds zipped toward their target. He'd have done anything for a spotter at that moment.

Savannah slowed, not losing much momentum, turned and headed straight for him. This time he caught a brief glimpse of the shape of a young woman. Once more, he fired the sniper rifle in her general direction but she zigzagged and avoided every shot. She leaped onto a convenience store, then bounced from building to building one leg at a time, using them like stilts.

The rifle clicked empty. Ross rolled to his right and picked up the 9MM Uzi. Bullets blanketed the rooftops. Hail of lead and serum rained across the small town. If her pattern kept, she'd be landing on the Philomath's only gas station in a matter of seconds.

Ross scooted back to the sniper rifle, reloaded, aimed at the nearest gas pump, and squeezed the trigger. A small fire started at one of the pumps and spread quickly through the others. As Savannah landed on the roof above the gas tanks, they exploded.

He turned away from the flash. When he looked back, the explosion had decimated the small store and entire gas station. Heat blanketed his face. Plumes of black smoke and red-hot flames shot hundreds of feet into the air.

"Holy shit. Thank God the town is evacuated."

He scanned the area with the infrared scope, searching for Savannah.

"You missed," a soft female voice said from behind him.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." Ross depressed the trigger of the Uzi, whipped around and sprayed bullets across the fire station's roof. Some of the bullets had to have hit their target.

Savannah dropped under the onslaught and slithered forward. Before Ross could aim down, she popped up in front of him and snatched the weapon. With her right hand, she tossed the Uzi over the side of the building. Her left hand grasped him around the throat. Her fingernails extended. A flame of pain shot through his collar.

He grunted. "Kill me if you're going to."

A snarl ripped from her and she bore her teeth. "Why would you risk your life like this?"

Ross gagged. "To save ..." He coughed. "... Teagan."

"What about her? Who is she to you."

A rush of heat washed up his face. Her hand clenched tighter around his neck, the bladed fingers sunk a bit deeper until he could barely take a breath. He sipped in air. "She's everyone."