Night of the Crane | By @WendyyWolfe

30. Altered State

Gun fire erupted immediately. Lacy's heart was beating out of her chest but, she was relieved to be able to protect herself.

Macenna yelled and Reese flung a round of shots across the parking lot.

Macallan, Dylan, Krisslyn and Lacy tuned in unison to see National Guard troops scrambling for cover as gun fire whizzed all around them. Screams of fear and panic rose in the foggy night air as the people who had been with Basinger bolted in every direction, some making for cover as others looked around in confusion and still others fell to the parking lot beneath the feet of the stampeding groups.

Macenna yelled again hollering for Macallan and the others to follow him as he took cover behind the Humvees with Reese's men.

But Lacy stood transfixed.

From the swirling mist of the humid night, robotic like in movement and staring blankly ahead, they marched.

People who, just weeks earlier had been alive and well. People well known to Brew Town and to her, entered into view on the highway, stepping in sync together.

The sight of it slowed Lacy's heart down to a dull thud in her ears.

Pale and ominous, their lifeless eyes staring but seeing nothing they came. Like dead men walking, their bodies had somehow been repurposed, designed by an unseen enemy to track and kill.

Lacy shook off the dread knot in her gut. She shook off the desire to run, to flee and never look back. To wake up from this nightmare her world had become.

High beam flashlights carried by the National Guard lit up the scene piercing through the heavy fog as they fired on the marching human drones and without warning the reanimates stopped, turned and like puppets on some invisible string, slowly advanced honing in on them as a target.

Lacy did not wait to see what the moment held. It was either run, or fight. She lifted her rifle to her shoulder, took aim, released a slow breath and felt the world fall away from her thoughts as focus took control and she began firing, expertly dropping the cybrids in the front row. From her peripherals, she sensed Macallan next to her and she looked over at him. He nodded and joined her in the onslaught. Soon they were joined by Macenna, Reese, his men and the National Guard took their six, moving deftly to fan out with strategic precision.

They dropped them row after row but soon realized if they didn't fall back to reload, they'd soon be overtaken anyway as there seemed to be no end to the row upon row of this never ending army of lost souls that had somehow been violated and altered to hunt down their own kindred.

The sound of hollering broke through Lacy's distorted thoughts to see Silas Fisher waving madly in their direction.

"Come on!" He shouted hoarsely as his arms flailed in huge circles above his head. "Follow me!"

Lacy looked at Reese and he was nodding. They fell back and the National Guard resumed offensive fire.

Macenna grabbed Lacy's arm and pulled her along. "We're getting out of here!"

"No! We can't just leave all these people Macenna they'll be slaughtered!"

"We aren't leaving anyone Lacy now come on!" Macenna grunted. "Follow Silas!"

Lacy clamped her mouth shut and sprinted after them. A large group of survivors had taken off for the forested land behind the church and Silas Fisher was leading the way. Lacy looked back, her eyes searching the crowd behind her for Krisslyn and Carolyn but she could see them no where. With her heart beating furiously in her ears she screamed for Macallan. He turned to help her but she was stopped in the parking lot looking around frantically.