The twisted faces of the killers1 glared through the curved windshield of the truck. I raised my gun, held it steady as I could. Jamilla and Kyle did the same. The black Ford2 truck kept coming fast, almost as if they were daring us to shoot.
So we fired. The windshield splintered. Bullets pinged off the roof and hood3. The roar of the guns was deafening4 in my ears. The acrid5 smell of cordite filled my nostrils6.
Suddenly, the truck stopped, then shot into reverse. I kept shooting, trying to hit the driver as the target distanced itself, the vehicle backing away, veering7 left then right then left. I took off, running up the hill, my legs leery, as if my shoes held lead weights. I couldn’t let them get away. We’d come too far, gotten too close. These two would kill again, and again. They were madmen, monsters, and so was whoever had sent them on their mission. Jamilla and Kyle were climbing up the steep, grassy8 terrain9 a few steps behind me. The three of us seemed to be moving in slow motion. The pickup10 truck was weaving wildly, its rear end fishtailing. I was hoping, praying that it would flip11 as it climbed in reverse up the steep side of the hill. I heard the grinding of gears and suddenly the truck flew forward. It was coming at us again, picking up speed. I went down on one knee, aimed carefully, and put three shots into the windshield. The glass was blown away. ‘Alex, get out of the way!’ Jamilla shouted. ‘Alex, move it! Now!
Alex!’
The pickup kept coming. I didn’t move away. I put a shot right where I figured the driver had to be. Then another. Then the final shot in my clip.
The big black truck was almost on top of me. I thought that I could feel heat from the engine. My face and neck were in a sweat. I had the irrational12 thought that a vampire13 can only be killed by a stake, fire, or by destroying its domain14.
I didn’t believe in vampires15.
I believed in evil, though. I had seen it enough times to believe. The two brothers were twisted murderers. That’s all they were. I jumped sideways just before the pickup would have run me down. I rushed down the hillside behind the truck. I was hoping it would flip - and then it did! I felt like shouting. The truck bounced heavily on its side, then on its roof - then continued to roll over several times. Finally it stopped, resting on its passenger side, teetering slightly. Black smoke coiled up from the engine. No one got out at first.
Then the younger brother climbed out of one door. His face was streaked16 with blood and soot17. He didn’t speak, just glared at us, and then he roared like an animal. It seemed as if he had gone insane. ‘Don’t make us shoot you!’I shouted at him.
He didn’t seem to hear. He was in a blind rage. Michael Alexander wore long, sharp canine18 fangs19, and they were bloody20. His own blood? His eyes were red.’You shot William! You killed my brother!’ he shrieked21 at us.’You murdered him. He was better than all of you!’ Then he charged - and I couldn’t bring myself to shoot. Michael Alexander was insane; he wasn’t responsible anymore. He kept growling22, frothing at the mouth. His eyes were wild, rolling in their sockets23. Every muscle on his body was tightly flexed24. I couldn’t kill this tortured man-child. I braced25 myself to tackle him. I hoped I could bring him down.
Then Kyle fired - once.
The shot struck him where his nose had been just an instant before. A dark, bloody hole appeared at the center of his face. There was no surprise or shock, just sudden obliteration26. Then he crumpled27 to the ground. There was no doubt he was dead.
I had been wrong about Kyle - he could shoot. He was an expert, full of surprises. I needed to think about that, but not right now. Suddenly, I heard another voice. It was coming from inside the pickup. Someone was trapped. William? Was the brother alive? I approached the overturned vehicle slowly, gun in hand. The engine was still smoking. I was afraid the truck might blow. I climbed onto the teetering wreck28 and managed to pull open a bent29, badly damaged door. I saw William - shot to death, his face a sorry, bloody mask.
Then I found myself staring into the angriest, most arrogant30 eyes. I recognized them immediately. It was almost impossible to shock me anymore, but this was another jolt31.’So you’re the one,’I said. ‘You killed them, and you will be killed,’a voice threatened.’You’ll die. You will die. Cross!’
I was looking at Peter Westin, the vampire expert I’d met weeks before in Santa Barbara. He was cut-up, injured and bleeding. But he was in total control, even with my gun aimed at his face. He was cool and superior, so confident. I remembered sitting across from him at the Davidson Library up in Santa Barbara. He had told me he was a real vampire. I guess I believed him now.
I finally found the right words.’You’re the Sire.’
收听单词发音 |
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killers
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| 凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事 | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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veering
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| n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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terrain
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| n.地面，地形，地图 | |
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pickup
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| n.拾起，获得 | |
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flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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irrational
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| adj.无理性的，失去理性的 | |
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vampire
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| n.吸血鬼 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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vampires
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| n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门 | |
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streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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soot
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| n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟 | |
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canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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24
flexed
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| adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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obliteration
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| n.涂去，删除；管腔闭合 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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