Free Werewolf Suspense (Book 3): Outage 3 (Vengeance) by T.W. Piperbrook Page B

they'd killed, licking blood and bone from matted paws. It made him even more grateful to be alive.
    Each minute was a godsend, every breath borrowed. Tom gazed across the room at Sven, who'd pulled out his cellphone and begun shaking it. Tom assumed there was still no service. He considered asking the man for the time, but didn't want to engage him.
    He looked around the windowless room. He wished he had a view of the sky; that would be as good a timepiece as any. The moon was their enemy, and its disappearance would mean a chance at living.    
    It would also give him a bead on what they were up against. Right now, they had no outside visibility. He envisioned the whole town of beasts congregating in the parking lot, growing in number like fans at a rock concert. It certainly sounded like that.  
    A noise at the door distracted his attention.
    Tom's pulse spiked.  
    One of them was right outside.
    He aimed his gun, glaring at the tables and chairs in front of the door as if they might spring to life. He heard a huff of air through animal nostrils, loud enough that it rose above the din. The door rattled—gently, at first, then harder.  
    The survivors gasped in terror.  
    "I told you, man, they ain't gonna leave us alone," Frederick hissed through clenched teeth.  
    "And some of us are defenseless," Sven added. "You motherfuckers don't know what you're doing."  
    A thump rattled the door, and it shook in the frame. Claws scraped the exterior from top to bottom. Tom imagined the door splitting down the middle like a ripped curtain, revealing the beasts on the other side. But it remained locked, standing, and barricaded. Tom drew a bead on it. Sweat leaked from his brow. He let it drip without wiping it.
    The room around him suddenly felt cold and isolated, sealed off from the world that he'd known. Without visibility to what was outside, the beasts could be anywhere. Tom pictured the survivors transported to another place and time. Anything would be preferable to what they were going through. He stared without blinking; certain he saw the outline of a paw. He shook his head to rid his brain of the image.
    The door shook again. One of the stacked chairs wobbled.
    Another creature had joined the first. The two of them batted the door in tandem, knocking one of the chairs loose from the top of the table. The chair fell sideways and clattered to the floor. Sherry screamed, and Rosemary tried to quiet her. But it was no use. The beasts knew they were in here.  
    The only decision was when to enter.  
    The creatures rammed the door. Each successive bang felt like a punch to Tom's stomach, heightening his fear. His joints ached from maintaining his stance; his grip was so tight on the gun that he barely felt his fingers.  
    And then, out of nowhere, something tugged his jacket.  
    Tom spun, so tense that he nearly pulled the trigger. He leapt away from whatever was grabbing him, just in time to see it was Frederick. The man had lifted Tom's spare pistol from his jacket, and he leapt back with murderous intent in his eyes.  
    "Stay back!" he warned.  
    Tom raised his hands in shock, so surprised he didn't have time to readjust his aim. Frederick's hands shook as he aimed the gun. The beasts continued pounding on the door.  
    "Frederick, what are you doing?"  
    "I said stay back!" Frederick hollered again. His eyes were large and manic.
    "Put it down!" Paul yelled from across the room.  
    Frederick turned over his shoulder, waving the gun. The older man ducked for cover. Frederick turned back to Tom, biting his lip.  
    "This doesn't have to—" Tom started.
    "Get out of my fucking way!"  
    Frederick waved the gun again, and this time Tom had the foresight to duck. The black man fired. The bullet ricocheted off one of the chairs on top of the barricade. Frederick fired again, then again, the bullets going wide and clanking into the wall.  
    "Leave us alone, you motherfuckers!" Frederick roared at the beasts.