The leading wave of the creatures hit the gas station, needle-sharp legs stabbing at tiny rivers of unleaded gas.

  The fumes filled the air.

  Brianna knew something about speed. She knew that the Hollywood thing where people outrun explosions was nonsense. Not even the Breeze could outrun a fireball.

  But there was standing around in the middle of a fire, and then there was blowing through it at the speed of sound. There wouldn’t be an explosion, not right away.

  It should work. Especially with a little cover.

  She hid behind a pump and let the first creature draw level. She wheeled, flicked the lighter, and dodged in front of the bug as it ran by.

  Whooooosh!

  It wasn’t a dynamite explosion. But it was definitely a fire-ball.

  A wave of heat singed her hair and eyebrows. A blast wave of pressure that popped Brianna’s ears. But the bug’s bulk had shielded her from the worst of it.

  The leading creature reached Caine, but he had thrown himself into the air and the fireball, the creature, and Brianna all rocketed past beneath him.

  As he fell he flipped the bug over.

  Three of the creatures were caught in the fireball. Fire curled their antennae and cracked their brittle shells.

  Two of the creatures were far enough back to dodge around the fire but the heat and the smoke had confused them. They moved away but not fast enough.

  The fire crept down the pump hose, down to meet the heavy gas vapor in the massive underground tank.

  Ka-BOOOM!

  Pumps, concrete, shelter, mini-mart, and the creatures exploded in a fireball that made the first blast look like a damp firecracker.

  Insect parts, twisted metal, and chunks of concrete rained down.

  Only the lead bug was still alive. It lay on its back, kicking in the air.

  Brianna sank her knife into its chin, inserted her shotgun, and said, “When you get to hell tell the gaiaphage the Breeze says, ‘Hi!’” She pumped two rounds into the creature and its head blew apart like a smashed watermelon.

Plague, Chapter 40