D A Novel (George Right) - By George Right Page 0,32

it was possible to judge in the dark.

And the handle of a pistol–most likely the very same–stuck out from an unbuttoned holster.

"E-everything is all right, officer," Tony squeezed out of himself, moving back. But it was too late–the incarnate horror in an uniform stepped towards him. It moved quickly enough, contrary to zombies in movies.

And then the corpse started talking. It was not very good at it because of the condition of its jaws, so it had to help itself, propping up the lower lip with its left hand. Judging by how dexterously it managed to simulate an articulation, it already had had enough time to adapt to this manner of speech.

"You have the right to scream," it said, putting its right hand on the holster. "And it can and will be used against you."

Having heard this version of the Miranda warning, Tony took one more step back. And at the very same time something cold and wet–he felt it even through his trouser leg–touched his leg from behind.

Tony shouted and jumped aside more than two yards; he had not known before that he was capable of such standing side jumps. But the landing was not so successful–under his foot was some slippery rubbish which caused Logan to fall to hands and one knee and tear his palms against the asphalt. In the next instant he understood that, stepping back, had simply bumped into a leaking fire hydrant. But he understood also something more important: the dead cop twisted his head around awkwardly, seemingly having lost his prey.

"His eye!" Despite the nightmarish situation, Logan's common sense nevertheless got into gear. "It isn't connected anymore to the eye muscles, therefore, it can look only in one direction. And, to look around, it has to turn its head... or to turn its eye with its fingers..."

However the policeman, it seemed, had not figured out the last method of seeing and did not notice Tony on the ground. But Logan understood that this would grant him only a short respite. There was no place to hide on this street, so sooner or later this... this thing will manage to see him. And the farther Tony runs, the more likely he is to be seen. He did not know, of course, how accurately the cop in his present condition could shoot... but he had no desire to test it.

Therefore Tony, with a heroic effort, overcame his instinctive desire to get as far as possible from the cadaver. He rushed on all fours directly at it.

Several hours before, even in a ghastly dream, the idea of attacking a policeman would not have come to Logan's mind. But then even in a ghastly dream he could not imagine such a policeman... And no act in all his previous life had demanded even a tenth of such boldness–and not at all because it was necessary to overcome a taboo of a law-abiding citizen...

Tony had flung himself at the cop's boots (they were covered either with dirt or blood), still remaining out of its sight. And then he jumped sharply up right before its face, seized its terrible eye, and pulled with all his might, simultaneously clenching his fist. The sphere of cold slime burst in his hand, like a huge rotten grape.

Logan immediately jumped back, at the same moment fastidiously shaking the lumps of the squashed eye from his palm. The cop's fingers fumbled at Tony's shirt and scratched his shoulder, but could not hold him. Tony ran down the street towards the nearest crossroads, zigzagging from side to side since he wasn't sure that he wouldn't be targeted by sound. But, apparently the blinded cop tried to get back into the car–probably to call for reinforcements–bumped into the half-open door (Logan heard it slam), and then, unable to find the handle, began to punch the glass.

Tony turned at the crossroads and realized that he had already been here, but this time he ran in a new direction.

However, he quickly regretted his choice.

Ahead, blocking the left sidewalk and half of the narrow street, a garbage truck stood. Stood with extinguished lights, without any signs of life. Very recently, of course, such a sight would not have frightened Logan at all and would hardly have drawn his attention. Well, he would have been surprised that the driver had left the truck turned slantwise across the street, abutting its nose against the building at the left and causing an obstruction for both traffic and pedestrians. Though, here and now,