“Yeah. It’s hackjaws. Time to start your lessons.” 

The color drained from Dakota’s face. He stared at the gun case for a moment before his lips pressed into a thin line of determination. Snatching a jacket from one of the hooks on the wall by the door, he struggled to pull it on over his damp clothing before he took the bag from me. “I did ask for a trial run,” he muttered, taking a breath to steady himself before he looked up at me. “I’ll try my best.” 

“Good.” I turned toward the door again, Carrot at my heels as I held the door open for Dakota, waiting rather impatiently as I snapped, “Let’s go. We’ll have a greater advantage if they're not on our asses.” 

Dakota looked slightly taken aback, but nodded and hurried out into the abandoned tunnel. The crunch of our steps echoing off the walls made him jump occasionally, his gaze glued to the growing light of the tunnel in the distance. Dakota clutched the gun bag tightly as he hesitated at the entrance, his gaze shifting to me, trusting and earnest as he asked, “What do you want me to do?” 

I pointed to the stairs, hurrying up them with Carrot as I looked over my shoulder to ensure Dakota was following. “We need a vantage point. Higher ground gives you an edge. Not only can you see your target coming, but you can stop them faster from getting to you.” 

I hurried back up to the catwalk, taking the cigarette out of my mouth briefly to flick off the ash before returning it to my lips. I took a heavy drag, not looking to see if Dakota was following my long strides. Instead, I scanned the perimeter every few moments while I checked over my gun. The heavy snaps centered me as I moved the components, ensuring the gun was primed and ready to go. 

“You know anything about killing hackjaws?” I asked, finally raising my gaze to stare at him.

He’d fallen behind slightly. Dakota huffed, panting from the rush up the stairs as he shook his head. “I hardly know anything about hackjaws. I try very hard not to get close to those things, much less try to hurt them.” He paused, frowning slightly, before he spoke again. “But in the clinic, you shot that thing in the head, right? Is that it? I’m not sure I can aim that well.” 

I scoffed, glancing at him as I shook my head. My heart was pounding, eyes constantly sweeping the area as I waited; the creatures could appear at any moment. “Most of them aren’t too bright, but they’re fast and ravenous. The mutation makes their skin thick—like armor—so their only weak point is the inside of their mouths.” I blinked at Dakota, calm against the wide-eyed stare he gave me, as if he knew what I was about to say. “That means you have to let them get close…and wait for them to open their jaws, which aren’t always in the same place. You have to be sharp and quick, and most of all…” I outstretched my hands, offering the shotgun for Dakota to take, “steady.” 

He swallowed, looking slightly sick as he absorbed what I had told him. For a moment, he glanced toward the stairs, and I wondered if he would change his mind—give up on the deal he had offered. Then, Dakota’s hands reached out to take the gun; his hands dropped for a moment, blinking in surprise at the weight of the weapon. “Got it,” he said firmly, holding the shotgun awkwardly as he looked down at it in his hands. 

It was painfully clear he had never handled a gun before, but at least he seemed determined as he turned toward the open expanse of city that sprawled out past the tracks. The calm that came over his face was the same intense focus I had seen when he was stitching my wound.  “Fast, and accurate…at least that’s something I’m used to.” 

“Here,” I said, huffing out a sigh as I stepped into position behind him. He was much smaller than I had previously realized, my body nearly encompassing him as I moved my large hands over his slender ones. 

I threaded the fingers of his right hand over the grip and through the trigger guard, his left hand wrapping around the foregrip. “You gotta have the butt firm against your shoulder because it’s got recoil. Don’t want to hurt yourself.” I let go of his hands, pointing to the top of the gun. “You want to use the iron sight to aim, lean forward on the railing to anchor your position. I’ll help you shoot, cuz you gotta be fast.” 

He nodded, and I felt his shoulders tense as he braced himself against the railing. We were both silent as we watched and waited—and it wasn’t long before the tracks were no longer empty. 

Dakota flinched back against my chest as a hackjaw dropped down from one of the nearby buildings, its unnatural limbs absorbing the shock of the fall before it rose up. He shuddered as the hackjaw rooted around the ground for a moment, taking jerky steps as it followed a scent trail—my trail from the night before, traces of blood still on the ground. 

Carrot growled, beginning to bark in warning. 

“I’m not sure I can do this.” Dakota’s voice was a trembling whisper, his grip loosening on the weapon as the hackjaw raised its face, spotting us. 

Dakota tried to step back when it moved forward, but he couldn’t move with me standing behind him, his breaths quickening with panic as the hackjaw caught our scent on the wind and began to rush toward us.

“Yes you can.” I replaced my hands over his, helping him aim as I leaned in and murmured, “Track its mouth, keep it in your sight, wait for it to open its jaws, and then you pull the trigger. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” I meant the words, glancing toward the other gun case Dakota had brought with us. If it came down to it, I could take over, but feeling how solid Dakota’s grip was, I knew I wouldn’t need to. “I’ve got you. You can do this. Just breathe.” 

Dakota matched my even breaths, his nerves seeming to settle as he focused on the hackjaw. I felt his fingers twitch under mine as the creature reared up, its legs bowing out so deep it seemed like they would break. Its head flopped back as muscle and bone split open down its breastbone. Dakota’s breath shuddered for a moment at the grisly sight of a long tongue dangling out of the creature where organs should have been, rows of teeth dripping saliva. 

I felt Dakota hold his breath, focusing intently as he steadied his aim…and then, he pulled the trigger.