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Yeah, I know, ic left a lot to be desired But ht track I knew the murder of a cop would be taken a hell of a lot uy, or a mortuary worker It wasn’t fair, but it was the truth and Ed knew it, which meant that he needed to find some way totrip In thethe road I’d quicklythe cup holders in the console, plus I had the cooler full of "brain food" in the back seat Even though I was already pretty full up on brains, I went ahead and sucked down one of the slushies while I drove like a madwoman and prayed that there weren’t any state troopers on the back highways I’d never gone this far overboard on brains before It would have been an insane waste under norive a fuck about conserving my stash I only wanted to be sure I was fully tanked up, but as soon as I tossed the ely cool Suddenly my senses were sharper than they’d ever been in iven Dale Earnhardt a run for his rinned and increased my speed Zoood thing I had those heightened reflexes and senses If not for then by the little dirt road Slaed to wrench the car around in ti into the ditch

I could see fresh tracks in the ht be headed in the wrong direction, but ave out soh puddles This road was her clearance, and certainly not at the speeds I was atteave a sudden lurch into a rut, and I caainst the seat belt

"No! Shit!" I ja I was stuck, and good

Shutting the engine off, I quickly thought through my options and plans Hell, I didn’t have a plan other than "warn Marcus" He was the one with the gun and the training and all that stuff

But all of that would be useless unless I could actually warn hi an attack from his best friend

My eyes fell on the second bottle of brain slush I twisted around to look at the cooler in the back seat

I smiled my best bad-bitch smile Oh, yeah I was about to burnre "athletic" I’m pretty sure the very few times in my life when I actually ym teachers--back when I still went to school and suffered such fates

But if running had ever felt like this I don’t think I’d have ever stopped I raced down the road like the azelle and a cheetah--far faster than I’d have been able to drive it, thanks to that second bottle of brains Now I figured I hadbefore I crashed and started to rot

Luckily it was only about aat the end of the road A couple of hundred yards away Marcus and Ed were busy loading gear onto two four-wheelers Saving the day with brains to spare! I thought in euphoric glee

They turned in unison at the sound of el! What on earth are you doing here?"

Ed looked surprised as well, but his expression quickly turned wary and for good reason I was still running all out and had no intention of stopping until I’d knocked Ed on his ass "Marcus!" I yelled as I charged toward them "I know you’re a zo sla off round in an aard flailing sprawl Pain jabbed hard and deep, and I gasped raggedly as I struggled to get back to et a deep breath The clearing swaht I needed to warn Marcus and stop Ed I needed to breathe Why couldn’t I breathe?

I heard a second bang and so hit me hard in the chest There was a sense of pain but it felt strangely rehed and blood bubbled out ofalue

Oh That’s why I can’t breathe I could only stare at the pistol in Ed’s hand as I sagged first to round Color and sensation faded with the speed of a ind Ito Marcus, but it wasn’t happening