They let the seconds pass, the engine's idle the only sound. A faint creak came from somewhere inside—wood shifting, or maybe metal racks settling. Both men froze.
Paolo's hand drifted toward the battered baton wedged between his seat and the door. "That didn't sound like a rack."
Eli didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the shadow at the far end of aisle three—something that hadn't been there a moment ago.
Paolo's knuckles whitened around the battered baton beside him.
"Take it easy in there, man… and watch your ribs," Paolo muttered, voice tight but trying to keep things light.
Eli nodded once and slid out of the car, stepping carefully over shards of glass and debris. Senses sharp. His right hand wrapped around his arnis stick, left hand tight on the knife, keeping his shoulders low as he moved just far enough to clear the bumper. The air inside was stale, tinged with the smell of old rot and wet cardboard.
It stepped forward, slow, twitching, into the dusty light filtering through the broken front. The thing was worse than anything they'd seen yet. Lankier, its limbs roped with thin, jittering muscle. The jaw hung half-unhinged, teeth showing in a slick grin it couldn't close. The eyes were nearly white, only faint smudges of color swimming inside. It moved as if pulled by invisible strings, jerking between stillness and sudden motion.
The creature's head tilted. Its breathing was a ragged rasp, each inhale hitching before it dragged the next one in.
Eli edged along the side of an aisle, eyes darting for any other movement. His steps were deliberate, weight kept on the balls of his feet. The creature twitched once, then blurred into motion.
Its arms swung wildly, claws slicing the air. Eli dropped low, twisting to avoid a swipe that shredded a snack display behind him with a sharp crash.
It came fast—too fast for its jerking frame to seem possible. Eli twisted aside, bringing the stick down hard into its shoulder. There was a crack, the thing stumbling but not falling. It hissed, a wet sound from its torn throat, and spun toward him again.
Another lunge. Eli caught the swipe high with the stick, the impact jolting down his arm. He jabbed the creature's ribs with the other end, buying just enough space to pivot. It didn't slow—its speed was broken up in bursts, almost like it was skipping forward in pieces.
When it lunged again, aiming for his side, Eli pivoted away and struck low with the stick, forcing its head to turn just enough. The opening was small, but he took it.
His knife hand snapped up, driving the blade into the side of the creature's head, just above the hinge of its jaw. A wet crunch rang out. Without letting go, he dragged the edge downward, the steel ripping through cartilage and muscle before tearing out at the neck.
The creature convulsed violently, muscles spasming uncontrollably as warm, dark blood sprayed across Eli's arm and face. The creature gurgled, twitching once before collapsing in a sprawl of bone and sinew.
The coppery smell filled the air.
Eli wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand, but the metallic taste lingered on his tongue.
The act of killing sat heavy in his chest.
Eli stepped back. His breath was steady, but the color had drained from his face. He didn't blink, didn't speak, just kept his eyes locked on the corpse as if waiting for it to rise again.
In the back of his mind, a voice whispered—a memory he tried to push away.
"Softness had no place in a man. One day, you'd have to prove yourself, learn to fight."
The words annoyed him, unbidden and stubborn.
He'd been trained to keep people alive, not carve into them—no matter how monstrous they'd become. His grip on the knife trembled once before he forced it still.
From the car, Paolo had gone pale too. His knuckles were still tight around the baton, but his mouth was pressed into a thin line. When Eli looked over, Paolo glanced away, swallowed, then forced a smirk. "That was… yeah… that was something. Made me want to throw up—but it was cool. You're good at this."
Eli wiped the blade on his pants, not quite meeting Paolo's eyes. "Doesn't feel like it."
Silence returned, except for the steady hum of the engine. Eli scanned the rows for movement—nothing yet.
Paolo straightened a little in his seat. "Keep the car blocking the entrance. If something else comes, at least it won't be from behind."
Eli nodded, eyes still moving. "Quick sweep. In and out."
"And maybe pray there's nothing in the freezer," Paolo said with a dry laugh.