Snippet #2359058

Delaney shut her eyes in relief as she slammed the door behind her, then winced at the shriek of scraping metal as Barney eased the Escalade off the people carrier. 'Baseball bat bitch is going to go crazy at you,' she teased, then grabbed at the dash as Barney threw the SUV into reverse and swung it round a corner of parked cars. Her attempt at humour fell flat as they were confronted with the snarl of vehicles clogging the exit in front of them. Worse still, ten or more of the grey-skinned, empty-eyed creatures were banging on car windows and snarling. More were shuffling in their direction, drawn by the revving engines and the blaring horns.

'They must be all over the place,' she gasped. 'If there's this many here, there must be hundreds inside. Caleb and Joe and - we've got to go b- ' Her plea for her band's safety died in her throat as one of the drivers in the jam in front of them rolled down his window and fired a small pistol point-blank into the chest of the creature banging on his window. The creature recoiled back, but regained its balance and staggered up to the car again, grabbing the driver's wrist and sinking its teeth into his hairy forearm. Shots fired wildly as the creature tore ou a bloody chunk of flesh. Two more of the creatures converged on the open window. The screaming driver, his bullets expended, was being dragged through his window. Ahead of him in the queue, the revving grew louder, the honking more urgent. As she glanced around to check all their windows were closed, Delaney was just in time to see a green VW Beetle come up on the left and sideswipe the Escalade, trying to get up a place in the futile traffic jam.

Barney spun the wheel right and stamped the gas. The powerful engine bit down and they lurched out of the queue, jolting to a stop facing the distant perimeter. Delaney was flung into her bodyguard's lap. 'Barney, what the fuck, get us out of here!' she snapped, irritated at her fall and confused at the new direction. She scrambled upright again, and followed his gaze to the chain link fence, then back at him. The grim determination of his furrowed brow revealed his intentions. She swallowed drily and scrabbled over her shoulder for her seatbelt.

Dry dust and gravel spat from the Escalade's wheels as Barney hit the gas again. The acceleration pressed them back into their seats, Delaney turning her head away and watching with slow-motion fascination the bunching muscles of Barney's shoulders as he gripped the wheel. The Escalade bucked into the air as it hit the fence right by one of the supporting poles, breaking the pole out of its concrete footing. Delaney and Barney were thrown forward, then bounced in their seats as the front right wheel hit the ground with a loud metal crunch. With the Escalade stalled by the impact and its flight, utter silence reigned on the dirt-track access road outside the festival site.