Free Nano Z by Brad Knight Page A

rodeo arena. He wondered if that was what the rodeo clowns thought when they did their thing. The stakes were higher for him. For he had to worry about keeping someone else alive too. Plus there would be no safety at the top of the walls for him.
    Amber looked around at the large crowd in attendance. To her it felt like a dream, a nightmare. When the gate was slammed behind her she jumped. Mack noticed.
    No matter what happens, she lives. You can die, you’ve lived a life. She’s just a kid. That’s how it goes. The old die so the young can live. Not the other way around. Whatever comes out of there doesn’t touch her.
    Mack stared at the gate opposite the one he and Amber came out of. Behind it he could see something big, something wild. His grip tightened on the lead pipe in his right hand.
    “All bets are final!” exclaimed the voice on the public announcement system. “This is the pit. And what do we do in the pit?”
    “Fight!” yelled the announcer in unison with the crowd.
    The opposite gate opened. At first nothing came out. All Mack and Amber saw was a massive shadow. They heard guttural grunts and heavy exhales. Whatever was waiting to come out was formidable.
    With speed and ferocity, a bull charged out of the darkness. Mack didn’t know what else he was expecting. The announcer on the PA said “The Buuuuuull.” What he didn’t expect was a meat puppet version of the beast.
    The bull was half rotted. Maggots crawled over and squirmed in its open wounds. It only had one eye and it was clouded over. Both of its horns were shiny metal. Almost all the flesh on one leg was missing, revealing grayish muscle and metal bone underneath.
    Mack was the meat puppet bull’s first target. Even with weak legs he was able to dodge its charge. Its horns went straight through the wooden walls like a hot knife through butter.
    If even one of those things hits target I’m fucking done. Mack readied himself for the second charge. Sure enough it came. That time he managed to hit the beast in its head after evading a potential gore. Vibrations went through the pipe, his hand and up his arm.
    What the hell? Is this thing’s whole head metal? Any little bit of confidence that Mack might’ve had left with his failed strike. Then he saw the bull turn its attention towards Amber.
    Making noise and trying to get the bull’s attention didn’t work. There was nothing Mack could do. The bull was already charging at Amber. She had to save herself.
    Amber was scared. She was only a teenager. But she was not helpless. When the bull charged, she waited until the right moment and dodged. As it collided with one of the walls, she came down with her machete.
    Black gooey blood spilt out the large slash wound in the bull’s side. Aside from the consequences of bashing its head against a wall at full speed, it wasn’t fazed. Instead it was angry. And Amber was still the closest.
    This isn’t going to end well. How am I going to take this thing down? Mack was at a loss. That was until he heard the voice of the camo clad man. The fat man watched from the gate along with his cohort who brought Amber to the Pit.
    You want a show chubs? I’m going to give you one you’ll never forget.
    “Hey! Hey! Over here!” Mack yelled and waved his hands around in an attempt to get the bull creature’s attention. It didn’t work at first. The beast was too focused on Amber. So he threw the lead pipe, his only weapon. That worked.
    Bad idea. The bull pawed at the ground with its hooves. After a loud snort, it charged at Mack.
    Mack ran towards the gate where the camo clad man and his companion stood. Just like he planned, the bull followed. Keep on coming. That’s it, an easy kill. All you got to do is catch me.
    He didn’t know if it was his imagination or real, but Mack felt the bull’s breath on the back of his neck. At any second he imagined being gored. In many ways that would’ve been a relief, a blessing. No longer would he have to