Peggy moaned, probably coming around. Jadee couldn’t look away from the horror taking place on the hood. Mark’s legs kicked out, jerking, but the thing had a firm hold on him. The red drops that had stained the windshield were slowly rolling down the glass, reminding Jadee of bloody tears.

Shocked into action, she struggled to get the gun free from the holster. Her left shoulder hurt, probably from the seat belt. She ignored the pain, glad her right hand wasn’t injured. She tugged the weapon free, realizing she’d have to shoot through the glass to hit the soldier. She paused.

Mark wasn’t moving anymore. The thing just dropped his body and turned.

She couldn’t make out the face of the monster at first. The lights were behind him. He shoved Mark right off the hood, crouched down, and peered inside. That close to the glass, his white face was ghastly with dark veins marring the surface. Blood covered his mouth and chin, running down his throat.

She lifted the gun higher, making sure he could see it.

He hissed and was suddenly gone, jumping off the side of the hood.

That made it worse. She frantically glanced around, looking for the blond. It was just too dark to—

Something slammed into the driver’s side window. The glass held but it was damaged. The thing punched at it again, making a hole.

Jadee pointed and fired three rapid shots. She yanked on the handle, twisted in her seat and kicked the door as hard as she could. It flew open and hit him, knocking him on his ass. She got out fast, keeping her gun on him. “Fuck you.”

He hissed at her, lifting his head. She could make out his face and those fangs. She shot him right in the mouth.

The impact sent him crashing flat to the ground. She swiftly dropped on top of him, straddling his chest, and grabbed his throat with her left hand, digging her nails in.

He choked a little, probably on the blood from the bullet wound through his mouth, rather than from her weak attempt to strangle him. She shoved the gun right below his nose. “Move and I will keep shooting until the top of your head is gone, you murdering bastard.”

He jerked once but held still.

Jadee was terrified. He would heal. She’d seen them do it. One of his fangs was gone though. She’d managed to hit it when she’d shot him. Lavos’s words came back to her. She’d give anything to trade her gun for a sword to behead the bastard. It wouldn’t get up ever again if that were the case.

A loud sound pierced the night, a combo between a howl and some kind of banshee scream. It sent chills down her spine and the thing under her grew totally lax.

“What was that?” She doubted he’d answer her but she still felt the need to ask.

He tried to shake his head, a reminder that she had a firm hold on him. But she was too afraid to let him go. He moved too fast. He could come at her from any angle if he got out from under her. She kept the muzzle of the gun pressed tight to his skin, surprised the primal scream hadn’t made her shoot him. No one could blame her for being jumpy.

The thing under her grabbed her leg and she fired instinctively. The bullet tore into his mouth and he bucked under her. It almost unseated her, so Jadee squeezed her legs as tight as possible around his rib cage and dug her heels a little under his hips. She prayed she had more bullets as seconds ticked by while he began to heal.

“I said not to move, dumb-ass.”

He made a sickening gurgling noise in his throat. She lowered the gun to right above where her thumb split from her fingers, placing it tight under his jaw.

“You don’t have a brain so let’s go through your neck to your spine. That put Victor down for a few minutes. Do you know what you can’t come back from, asshole? Having your head taken off. While you’re out, that’s what I’ll do. There’s a shitload of glass around here thanks to you. Don’t move again.”

She’d have to do something soon. “Peggy?”

The woman groaned from inside the truck.

“Damn it, Peggy!” Her voice rose. “Wake up. I need you.”

“Jadee?”

“Yes. Get out of the truck.”

“I’m hurt.”

The man under her suddenly tensed and grabbed at her again. She fired the gun and he went still, his arms dropping away.

“What was that?” Peggy’s voice seemed a little more alert.

Jadee knew the blond would recover fast. They’d both be dead if Peggy didn’t do what she asked. “I need you to find something sharp, maybe some metal in the front of the engine area.”

Peggy needed to find her something she could use to behead the bastard. It was a disgusting thought but she wanted to survive that bad. She already regretted not carrying a knife or something else sharp enough to cut with.

“Peggy! Damn it, find something sharp and get over here. We’re dead if you don’t.”

“What happened?”

“Peggy! Do what I said!”

It was promising when she heard the passenger door open, since she couldn’t see inside the cab from the ground just next to the engine area, where she’d jumped on the blond creature.

“Hurry, Peggy.”

The thing under her began to recover. She felt his body tense.

“Don’t attack me. I’ll shoot you again,” she warned, just hoping she had another bullet left. She’d lost track of how many she’d fired and she didn’t have another spare cartridge. Otherwise she would have already reloaded just to be certain.

“Where’s Brent? Mark?”

“Find something sharp, Peggy. Hurry up, damn it!”

“Who was that man in the road? Did we miss him?”

Jadee’s frustration swelled. Peggy seemed to be moving around the back of the truck, taking her sweet time.

“Brent! Oh my God!” Peggy wailed. “He’s here! I found him. He’s not moving, Jadee!”

The thing under her picked that moment to buck wildly, and it knocked Jadee off his chest. She slammed into the ground and pulled the trigger just as her other hand tore free from his throat.

The gun clicked but it didn’t fire. There were no bullets left.

I’m screwed.

Pain exploded in the side of her face and she realized he’d smacked her. It hurt like a son of a bitch and she struggled to breathe. It felt as if her cheekbone could possibly be broken.

She expected him to rip out her throat next—but it didn’t happen. Instead a scream rose from Peggy. Either the soldier was going after her or she was freaking out about Brent.