Sunshine spun around, a grenade sling half raised. Her eyes locked on the source of the sound, an enormous coyote, its eyes burning like hot charcoal, fur thick and matted, muscles shifting beneath its skin. The animal bared its teeth, a predator sizing her up.
Yet instead of fear, Sunshine's smile grew wider.
Meat, she thought. And plenty of it.
It could all be sold to Bjorn for a handsome profit.
She didn't waste time stalking closer. Her hand flew to the grenade sling strapped across her side. With fluid motion born of countless battles in the previous apocalypse, she hurled it.
The arc was clean, perfect, and a heartbeat later the grenade detonated with a demeaning crack. Smoke and dirt burst into the air. The coyote staggered, whining, stunned but alive.
