Claimed By Ruin (This is Not a Test #3)

Prologue

Jack

Where would he go next?

I was in the middle of the road and looked left to the west, then right to the east. Both choices had merit, and I knew Evan would be meticulous, just the way I’d taught him.

West meant mountains. Rough terrain, few resources, less people.

That was the way he would go.

I stepped left when I heard it—that inhuman growl that had become the background for what passed as life these days.

Six, maybe seven, of them shambled toward me. I stared east as I buried my knife in the first one’s temple. Kept looking that way for two and three. The black goo made my glove slick.

A shame. I’d have to toss these once I was done.

I spared a second to stare at my ruined glove, then took out four and five. Threw my shoulder into six’s chest, dropped down to jab the knife into its eye socket. Ducked to avoid the spray of blood when I pulled the knife out, and then sliced seven’s throat open.

I crunched its head under my boot as I stood, staring left, right…then left again.

Evan had gone west.

I tossed the dirty glove, scraped my boot on the asphalt until it was some semblance of clean.

Then I started walking east.