Kids Never Die

Chapter 18: Smoking Gun

It was getting late and the sun was beginning its descent behind the mountains. The land was peaceful, and all was at rest. But we could not stop. We could not. The fear of being eaten alive in our sleep deterred us from sleeping.

Gavin at the wheel was looking a bit shifty. His head dozed off but he swore that he was awake. After about an hour of his weary eyed driving, I finally told him to get some rest, and I took over the diving.

Morgan had fallen asleep almost instantly as the sun went down. His foot was patched up and for the most part, it had stopped bleeding. And I couldn't seem to grasp the concept, but Morgan had actually maintained perfect hair, through all of this. If anything, his blonde hair looked better now with traces of blood red highlights.
Angela and Nick had been hard at work in the back end of the truck. I wasn't quite sure what they were doing. They had built a wooden frame around the back of the truck in a rectangular shape.

The night fell into the dead silence and the roads became foggy. Josh made sure to follow close behind in his police cruiser. The black tapestry that we call sky, grew ever dark and it was hard to even see the road in front of me.

We drove for hours into the night, and eventually, I, myself grew tired. But I had to pursue on. Fear kept me awake and my blood pressure kept me driving. Every few minutes I would stretch my arm or crack my neck. Just some type of action. Get my blood flowing again.

My left hand ached and every once in a while, throbbed, but I it kept on the wheel. Around two thirty in the morning, the car began to shake and there was a crackling sound. I looked at the fuel monitor and it was just as I feared. The car had broken down. The tank was empty. I pulled over to the side of the road, and quickly jumped out.

Josh pulled his car up behind me. All the girls were in the back sleeping, and Sam rested against Josh. He gently sat her up and left the vehicle.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked.

I shook my head furiously. "Out of gas."
Josh looked around for a second. "It doesn't look like there are any towns in sight."

"We did stock up before." I thought back to the night at the high school.
"But maybe a water bottle full. That won't move us any where."

"We can't stay here. Maybe we can siphon some of mine into your truck."
He looked to his police car. "We've got about half a tank still."

"What could we siphon it with though?" I asked.

"I've got a gas can in the back of the cruiser. Open the hood of your truck and I'll be right back." Josh ran back to his car.

"Wait." I called. "Why am I opening the hood? The gas like is right here."
He was already in the trunk of his car.

"Just do it."

"Okay." My voice was raspy because I was tired and had not had a drink in a while.

I ran around to the front of the truck and popped open the hood. After a moment or two, Josh was also next to me. He handed me a roll of electrical tape. He then took one of the kitchen knives and cut open the valve from the oil line to the engine. Then he cut the opposite end.

"Why'd ya do that?" I asked, confused about why he was cutting up my truck.
He held up the tube he had cut out. "I needed a hose to syphon the gas." He ran back to his car and opened up the small hatch. Then he stuck the tube down the hole. He squeezed the air out of his plastic gas can and then put the hose in the end. As the can expanded, trying to take in air, instead it sucked up the gas.

"Clever." I nodded. "Great work."
There was a cracking sound. A familiar sound. One I had only heard once before. I couldn't remember what though. It was unpleasant none the less.

"This may take a while, and I don't like that sound. You might wanna wake up your boys. Get some guns ready." Josh looked up to me.

I nodded. "Good Idea." I ran back to the truck.

I woke up Morgan first, knowing he had to reload his browning mg. then I woke up gavin and handed him the shotgun.

Sadie stepped out of the car. She leaned against the hood and looked at Josh and I. "What are you guys doing?"

"We ran out of gas. We're doing a quick exchange." Josh reassured her.

"I heard a sound." She said, concerned.

I nodded. "Yeah, us too. We're starting to worry." I reached for the pistol in my pocket, but there was nothing.

"Looking for this." Sadie held up my gun.

"Holy shit. How did you..." I reached in my other pockets. "I had three of those."

She took out all three, added to the one she already had. "And now I have four." She slid two of them over the hood of the car. "How about, I'll watch your ass and you'll watch mine. That shouldn't be hard for you. "She smirked. Then she turned, swiveled her hips, and walked around the car.

"Damn, she's good." Josh nodded.
I grabbed the two guns and pocketed one. The clicking sound intensified and it was wet. Like water dripping over stones. I couldn't remember where I heard this. Josh finished filling up the gas can and ran over to the truck. He began to pour it into the engine. After that, he took the tube out of the can and handed to me, and I used the electrical tape to attach it back to the engine.

I got in the car and twisted the key. The first thing that turned on was the lights. Directly in front of the car was a giant oval shaped head with giant claws extending from it. It let out a deep roar. Gavin pulled out the shotgun and let bursts through the windshield.

"Shit, its a fucking giant ass ant!" He shouted. I threw the car in reverse and backed up. Josh and Sadie weren't even in the police cruiser yet.

The truck slammed into the front end of the police car. Gavin and Morgan were laying waste on the monster, pulling off shot after shot.
Sadie jumped in the back end of the truck and over the top, then she landed on the hood. She stood on one knee and held the two pistols in front of her.

"Aim for the eyes boys. Then hit the antennae" she shouted.
They all did as she said and the giant insect grew angry. Josh ran for the drivers seat of his car. He backed up, then onto the road. I backed up beside him and rolled down my window. He did the same.

"Josh!" I shouted. "Take out the fucking legs! On three. One... "

Sadie interrupted me "Three!"

Josh rammed the three right legs and I the three left. The beast fell to the ground and the two vehicles sped off.
Sadie slid through the smashed windshield and sat between Gavin and I.

"Nice driving" she looked up to me.

"Thanks," I nodded.

She looked at the front end of the car that had been beaten up pretty harsh after hitting the monsters legs. "I was being sarcastic smart one."

Gavin laughed hysterically. I shook my head and watched the black road roll beneath us.