A giant cannon was wheeled into the ring by a group of sweating mutants. Excited murmurs ran through the crowd and Cat got the sense that this was going to be the highlight of the show. She sat up straight, eyes bright, looking forward to whatever ghoulish treat the imaginative mutants had lined up next.
Once the cannon was in place, other mutants, who had been standing by the far side of the tent, tugged on ropes and a panel of canvas in the roof was pulled clear, creating a hole. Cat could see through the hole into the stadium outside, where the zombies were still sitting patiently in the stands.
Cat was expecting random undead victims to be shot from the cannon, but instead three living humans were herded into the ring—a man, a woman and an eight-year-old boy. Cat knew that he was eight, because she’d bought him a birthday card with that number on it earlier in the year.
“Behold the Bearmans,” Kinslow told her as the terrified trio were stopped by the cannon’s base. “Mr. Dowling has been holding them back for a special occasion.”
Cat moaned softly and shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks, her impish joy giving way to genuine horror.
“What’s wrong?” Kinslow gasped, feigning surprise. “You don’t know these people, do you?”
“Please,” Cat sobbed, clutching Mr. Dowling and appealing to the clown for mercy. “Please don’t hurt them. They haven’t done anything wrong. Please.”
Mr. Dowling stared at her seriously for a long moment. Then he burped.
Kinslow laughed with vicious delight. “Oh, that’s right, I almost forgot. It’s your sister, her husband and child. I bet you didn’t expect to be reunited with them like this.”
Cat had never truly expected to see Jules, Paul and George Bearman again.
And now she wished she hadn’t.
“How?” Cat cried as the mutants forced her brother-in-law Paul up into the mouth of the cannon. “How did you find them?”
“We have ways and means,” Kinslow purred.
“Let them go,” Cat begged. “Please.”
“No can do,” Kinslow smiled, then pressed a finger to her lips to shush her.
Claudia was operating the cannon. As Kinslow silenced the horrified Cat, the girl called to the crowd to begin the countdown.
“Three! Two! One!” the mutants shouted.
The cannon was fired and Paul went flying through the air… out through the hole in the roof… to land among the hungry, eager zombies in the stands.
Cat saw a ripple run through the area where Paul landed, as zombies bunched around him and tore in. Seconds later they settled back and Cat could almost hear the munching sounds as the lucky few tucked into fresh, hot chunks of Paul Bearman’s brain.
Cat shut her eyes and cursed.
“Nuh-uh,” Kinslow said, pinching her chin. “We won’t continue until you look. We can wait all day and night if we have to.”
“I won’t look,” Cat said. “Not unless you let Jules and George go.”
“If you don’t look,” Kinslow responded, “then we’ll torture them before we fire them from the cannon.”
Cat’s eyes automatically snapped open and she stared at the mutant, appalled. “Why are you doing this to me?” she croaked.
“I’ll tell you soon,” Kinslow promised. “First, Mr. Dowling wants to get involved.”
The clown leaped to his feet, throwing Cat to the ground again. He hurried forward, humming an out-of-tune song. The mutants in the ring were now forcing Jules to climb up into the cannon. George, her little boy, was screaming and reaching out to pull her back, but the mutants were holding him down. Jules was sobbing, yelling out George’s name, telling him to be brave, it was all going to be okay, there was a net outside and they would all be fine.
Cat wanted to call to her sister but she felt too ashamed. She knew they were here because of her. She had no idea why the clown and his mutants were interested in her, but they had obviously targeted her for some sick reason, and her sister’s family was paying the price for their link to her. It was enough to remind Cat of her humanity for the first time in months, and for her to experience the guilt that you are forced to suffer when you willingly embrace the inhuman.
Jules was pushed down into the cannon. She tried to wriggle out, but one of the mutants said something to her–Cat supposed it was a threat to torture her son–and she let herself slide into it with a wretched, heartbreaking howl.
Mr. Dowling patted George’s head as he passed the distraught boy, then shoved Claudia aside–the crowd booed, but in a lighthearted way–and took hold of the control panel. He locked gazes with Cat and squealed shrilly.
“Bombs away!” Kinslow translated.
Then Mr. Dowling pressed the button and Jules Bearman, Cat’s sister, the person she had loved most in all the world since their parents passed on, was fired through the air and out into the stadium to be ripped to pieces by the ranks of living dead in the stands.