The First

Chapter 53

Guttural snarls ripped from the males. Deep burnt-red eyes bore down on them. Alexa pushed the shotgun out of her face. Ross took the hint and abandoned the use of the weapon.

"Hold on tight." His arm wrapped behind her seat as he concentrated, speeding backward, re-maneuvering through the white water of wrecked vehicles at double the speed.

One of the Trills soared through the air. It landed on the front of the truck.

Alexa screamed.

The hood crinkled and the back tires lifted off the ground. Ellie and Teagan scrambled back to their seats. As the tires hit concrete, the teens bounced against the roof of the car.

"Strap in girls," Ross said.

"Mom. What the hell's..."

"Hold on!" Ross whipped the wheel to the side. The rig spun 180 degrees before it straightened and screeched forward.

The Trill on the hood slid off, landing on the street next to the other one, who gained on them with each long stride.

"Mom?" Teagan clipped her belt on.

"We'll answer questions later."

Ross looked down at the gun again. "Load it. Put the clip in..."

She picked it up like one would a used tissue. Ellie reached between the seats and took the gun before Alexa could stop her. In which case, she would have chastised and reprimanded the child. But Ellie slapped the clip into the gun as if she'd been doing it her entire life.

"There." She handed the gun to Ross.

"Nice. Can you shoot?" He looked at Ellie in the mirror.

"I can hit a target, but I've never shot anything moving before."

Ross handed the gun back to Ellie.

"It's the same thing. Point and shoot."

Teagan grabbed Ellie from behind. "Thank God you're alive." She hugged and kissed her cheek.

"What about you?" Ellie pointed at the bandage on Teagan's face.

"I'm fine."

"Teagan, sit next to Ellie. Ellie? If one gets close...shoot it through the back window." Ross pushed a button and the rear window zipped down.

Thus far Ross had navigated brilliantly through the automobile-littered streets. They whipped around a corner and her mirror hit a parked vehicle.

Ross grabbed her shirt and pulled. A piece of glass from her mirror missed her face by inches through the open window.

"Sorry!"

He was sorry and she was thankful.

One of the creatures touched a foot to the same stationary car and then traveled across the front of the building sideways. Both flew over ruined vehicles and other obstacles like gold medal hurdlers.

Were they not bound by the laws of gravity? Alexa questioned herself.

"They're gaining on us." Ellie had the gun aimed out the back.

"We're almost to the highway." Ross glanced back. "Ellie can shoot them if they get too close. It might give us all a fighting chance."

The SUV veered onto the ramp of Highway 76. An overpass skewed Alexa's vision before the Trills appeared again, having jumped from the top of the overpass. They landed only feet behind them.