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John ran toward the foyer, but stopped abruptly when he saw that the doors stood wide open. Crazies were already in, throwing themselves onto those who'd stayed to fight. In their midst stood a man with a short-barreled shotgun. A gunbelt laden with equipment hung around his waist. On the chest of his drenched shirt, a shield gleamed. A police badge. |
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As John watched, the cop shoved the muzzle of his shotgun into the belly of a waitress - Peggy - and pulled the trigger. The blast folded her in half and lifted her feet off the floor. |
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She was still in the air when John whirled around. He glimpsed Steve and Carol dashing for the broken window. |
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Planning to take their chances with the rain. |
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Better that, maybe, than staying to be slaughtered in the restaurant. |
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John rammed through the door into the kitchen. He saw Roscoe running for the alley exit, pulling the naked woman from the tub along behind him. |
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Lynn and Cassy were still by the tub. They both held knives. They both stared at John with terrified eyes. |
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'This is it,' he gasped. 'We're being overrun.' |
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Overrun. Like his firebase. |
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He'd survived that. He would survive this. The same way. But with Lynn and Cassy. This time, he wouldn't be the only one to make it. 'What'll we do?' Lynn asked. |
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'Get invisible,' he said. |
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They looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. |
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