[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
. Don't bot-her, he whis-pe-red, I've shut down se-lec-ted por-ti-ons of yo-ur bra-in.You're not go-ing anyw-he-re so-on.Oh and you're al-so ti-ed up, Thor-ne ad-ded al-most as anaf-tert-ho-ught."What the hell are you? Na-te as-ked."I was just abo-ut to ask you the sa-me thing, Thor-ne la-ug-hed. Are you a spe-eds-ter?""A what?"Thorne sig-hed. That's what they used to call cha-rac-ters in co-mic bo-oks that had su-per-hu-manspe-ed.Are you li-ke that? Is that how you got in he-re, kil-led the three de-ad, and got back to me sofast?""If I say yes, are you go-ing to let me go?"Nate's eyes went wi-de. What the hell are you do-ing man? I can fe-el you in-si-de my he-ad!""Getting re-ady to let you go, Thor-ne told him.Suddenly Na-te co-uld mo-ve.He sped up his atoms and vib-ra-ted thro-ugh the ro-pes which heldhis hands and fe-et, snatc-hed the bla-de he'd drop-ped, and fro-ze in pla-ce as he swung it at Thor-ne.The bla-de stop-ped inc-hes from Thor-ne's thro-at.Na-te co-uldn't ma-ke him-self fi-nish the swing.He to-ok a step back and gla-red at Thor-ne."I wo-uldn't try to run off just yet eit-her, Thor-ne smi-led. I'd ha-te to see what hap-pens toso-me-one when they trip if they mo-ve as fast as you do.""What do you want? Na-te de-man-ded."Other than yo-ur word that you're ho-nestly not go-ing to try to kill me aga-in? Let's start with howyou fo-und me.Just what exactly are you do-ing he-re?""I li-ke to get out and ha-ve so-me fun okay? Na-te wa-ved the mac-he-te thro-ugh the air fin-dinghe co-uld mo-ve fre-ely as long as he wasn't thin-king of har-ming Thor-ne. Lo-ok du-de, I just want togo ho-me al-right?Let me go and I swe-ar I won't chop off yo-ur he-ad or co-me af-ter you.""You li-ve aro-und he-re? Thor-ne as-ked shoc-ked that an-yo-ne co-uld ac-tu-al-ly still ha-ve aho-me in the city."It ain't the Ritz but we get by.""We?""Yeah, we, man.What did you think you we-re the last one left and all that crap? Na-te moc-kedhim. The-re are fo-ur of us.We to-ok over one of the lo-cal hos-pi-tals.We li-ve on the tops flo-ors,ma-de it whe-re the de-aders can't get up.It's abo-ut as sa-fe as anyw-he-re can be the-se days." Thorne ca-ught a glimp-se of Na-te's tho-ughts. The pe-op-le you're sta-ying with, they're li-ke us?""You me-an fre-aks? Su-re man, how the hell el-se do you think we've sur-vi-ved?"Thorne felt mo-re ho-les or de-aders as Na-te had cal-led them ma-king the-ir way in-to thewa-re-ho-use. How far is this hos-pi-tal?""Couple a mi-les north of he-re, de-eper in the city.I can ta-ke you the-re if you think you can ma-keit.""How? The city is over-run with tho-se things.The-re's no way we can ma-ke it by them all.""Speak for yo-ur-self.I can get by them easy.As for you, I spot-ted a na-ti-onal gu-ard APCaban-do-ned just a bit down the ro-ad.I bet it still works.""Fine, Thor-ne ans-we-red. Let's mo-ve.You ta-ke the le-ad but don't even think abo-ut dar-tingoff wit-ho-ut me, un-ders-to-od?"Thorne and Na-te crept out of the wa-re-ho-use thro-ugh one of its stre-et ent-ran-ces.They sto-odin the sha-dow of the bu-il-ding with the sun ri-sing be-hind them as Thor-ne to-ok in the sce-ne.Thede-ad mil-led abo-ut.He co-uld see the APC set-ting in the mid-dle of the ro-ad.The-re we-re at le-astthree do-zen of the de-ad bet-we-en him and it and he knew the-re wo-uld be a lot mo-re as so-on asthey saw Na-te and him-self."Hang tight. Na-te told him.With a who-osh no-ise and gust of wind, Na-te was go-ne.Thor-nehe-ard the APC crank up.Its en-gi-ne ro-ared to li-fe and its mas-si-ve whe-els rol-led over one of thede-ad as it bac-ked its way in-to a po-si-ti-on to get tur-ned to-ward the wa-re-ho-use.Na-te mustha-ve kic-ked it in-to ge-ar be-ca-use the ve-hic-le ro-ared its way stra-ight at whe-re Thor-ne sto-odwa-iting.The de-ad we-re be-co-ming ex-ci-ted.Do-zens upon do-zens mo-re of them ca-me out of thesur-ro-un-ding bu-il-dings and al-ley-ways po-uring in-to the stre-et.Thor-ne to-ok aim and dow-nedone of the clo-ser ones with a he-ad shot from his re-vol-ver as the APC pul-led up to him.Na-tele-aned out and wa-ved him over.Thor-ne dar-ted for the co-ver of the ve-hic-le slam-ming its he-avyme-tal do-or in-to the fa-ce of the cre-atu-res as he jum-ped in-si-de.Na-te ope-ned up with thean-ti-per-so-nal mac-hi-ne gun on its tur-ret cut-ting down the de-aders aro-und them. Stop pla-yingaro-und, damn it! Thor-ne yel-led at him."Ain't no ca-use to get ri-led man, Na-te joked. Just hit it al-re-ady."Thorne slid in-to the dri-ver's se-at and the APC plo-wed thro-ugh and over the de-ad as it he-adednorth.Thorne cut the en-gi-ne as they pul-led up to the hos-pi-tal Na-te cla-imed was his ho-me.The-rewe-re tho-usands of de-aders in the stre-ets.The APC roc-ked from the po-un-ding of fists aga-inst its ar-mo-red hi-de."Now what? Thor-ne as-ked."Dude, a lit-tle fa-ith ple-ase, Na-te re-mar-ked. Climb out on top of this thing and I'll get you in.Trust me."Thorne had no cho-ice.He clim-bed up thro-ugh the gun tur-ret out on-to the APC's ro-of lo-okingdown in-to the sea of hungry fa-ces aro-und him.He knew the things we-re go-ing to flip the APC at anymo-ment.Wind blew over him and he felt Na-te's arms aro-und him.The world be-ca-me a blur as he washur-led up-wards.Na-te had dar-ted out of the APC run-ning down the stre-et, dod-ging the de-ad ashe bu-ilt up spe-ed then he-aded back li-ke a stre-ak of light-ning ta-king Thor-ne in his arms.He car-ri-ed him up the si-de of the hos-pi-tal and in thro-ugh a win-dow on the eighth flo-or.Thenext thing Thor-ne knew he was bo-un-cing ac-ross the hos-pi-tal's ti-le flo-or as Na-te drop-ped himand fell to his own kne-es pan-ting.Na-te ap-pe-ared on the ver-ge of pas-sing out.Swe-at drip-pedfrom his black ha-ir and he gla-red at Thor-ne. You we-igh a fre-akin ton du-de, he com-men-ted."One hund-red and se-venty po-unds ac-tu-al-ly, Thor-ne rep-li-ed as he star-ted to get to his fe-etas a hand fell on-to his sho-ul-der.He lo-oked up in-to the fa-ce of a stun-ningly be-a-uti-ful yo-ungwo-man.She had short brown ha-ir cut well abo-ve her sho-ul-ders and wo-re a gre-en dress that wasbre-ath-ta-king.She smi-led at him as elect-ri-city shot thro-ugh his body and his world went black. Thorne awo-ke in a hos-pi-tal bed.His hands and fe-et we-re bo-und to the bed by le-at-herrest-ra-ints.The yo-ung wo-man sat next to him with her hand pla-ced open pal-med on his chest. Na-te told us what you do.Even think abo-ut get-ting in-to my he-ad and I'll fry you to a crisp, she war-ned him.Na-te sto-odoff in a cor-ner of the ro-om.A tall blon-de man sto-od at the fo-ot of the bed lo-oking down atThor-ne
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]