LOSS System: Last Store Standing

All three shots missed.

The bullets tore past the Crag Lynx and buried themselves in the sand behind it, kicking up several bursts of dust.

The sudden gunfire startled the beast. It dropped low, pressing itself close to the ground as a deep growl rumbled in its throat. Its dark eyes locked onto Jack.

Jack kept the handgun raised, sweat gathering in his palm. He gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger again.

Jack fired again and again, but the Crag Lynx kept darting from side to side. It changed direction so quickly that he could barely keep the sights on it.

Then the handgun clicked empty.

Jack pulled the trigger once more, but no shot came. He had emptied the entire magazine without landing a single hit. The Crag Lynx remained crouched nearby, completely unharmed.

Under the tent, Cass and Vane watched in silence. Mort sat rigidly with his fists clenched, his eyes fixed on the beast. With Vane blocking his path, there was no way for him to rush back into the fight.

The Crag Lynx did not attack at once.

The gunfire had clearly made it cautious. It stayed low and began moving in a slow arc around Jack, each step nearly silent against the sand. Its nostrils flared repeatedly, but its attention remained fixed on the handgun in his grip.

Jack turned with it, keeping the empty weapon pointed in its direction. He knew the gun could do nothing until he reloaded, but lowering it now might be all the invitation the beast needed.

Neither side moved closer.

Behind Jack, no one beneath the tent made a sound. Even Mort had stopped struggling. Everyone watched the Crag Lynx circle, waiting to see which of them would move first.

Jack could hear his own breathing. His pulse hammered in his ears, and sweat made the grip of the handgun slick against his palm.

The Crag Lynx took another step, then stopped.

When no more shots came, its posture changed. Its shoulders lowered, its back arched, and its powerful hind legs pressed deeper into the sand.

Jack knew it was about to attack.

He ejected the empty magazine and pulled the loose ammunition from his pocket. The first round went in, followed by the second. His damp fingers slipped on the third, sending it into the sand near his feet.

There was no time to retrieve it.

Jack grabbed another round and forced it into the magazine, never taking his eyes off the beast for more than a second.

Without warning, the Crag Lynx launched itself forward, its hind legs kicking up sand as it crossed most of the distance between them in a single bound.

“Jack, watch out!”

Jack had barely slammed the magazine back into place when dark red fur filled his vision. A foul, bloody stench struck him as the beast opened its jaws, revealing sharp teeth stained dark between the gaps.

Its claws swept down.

With no time to raise the handgun, Jack threw himself aside. The claws missed his shoulder by inches, and he hit the sand hard, nearly losing his grip on the weapon.

The Crag Lynx landed, whipped around with a swing of its heavy tail, and attacked again before Jack could get back on his feet. He rolled away just as one paw slammed into the ground beside his head, carving several deep grooves into the hardened soil.

Another second slower, and the blow would have crushed his skull.

The beast lunged again.

Jack fired from the ground.

Bang!

The Crag Lynx twisted aside, letting the bullet pass just beyond its neck. It landed and changed direction at once, sweeping its claws toward him from the other side.

Jack rolled across the sand again. The claws caught his clothes and tore several long cuts through the fabric but failed to reach his skin.

He scrambled upright and backed away, firing twice.

Bang! Bang!

Both shots missed.

Jack could barely keep the gun trained on the beast. His breathing came faster, and his arms and knees burned from repeatedly hitting the ground.

The Crag Lynx showed no sign of slowing. It stayed just beyond the handgun’s aim, darting in whenever Jack lost his balance and retreating before he could line up another shot.

Under the tent, Mort tried to force himself upright, but Cass shoved him back down.

“You’ll only get yourself killed!”

“And we’re supposed to sit here and watch him die alone?”

Mort struggled against him until fresh blood began seeping through the bandages around his abdomen. Vane stood between him and the fight, dagger in hand, but made no move to let him pass.

Out on the sand, the Crag Lynx lunged again.

Jack fired, forcing it to veer aside, but only a few rounds remained in the magazine. He struggled to catch his breath, and the hand holding the gun had begun to shake.

The beast circled and attacked from the side. Jack barely avoided the first swipe, only for it to change direction and come at his chest with the other paw.

This time, Jack did not retreat.

He steadied himself and raised the handgun.

Mort realized what he was planning.

“Move!”

Jack held his ground.

As the claws swept toward his chest, he twisted aside at the last possible moment, moving the most vulnerable part of his body out of their path. At the same time, he drove the barrel down toward the foreleg supporting the Crag Lynx’s weight.

Bang!

The bullet struck at close range.

Blood sprayed from the Crag Lynx’s front leg, and the beast roared as its support gave way. It crashed into the sand beside Jack—but not before the other paw raked across his chest, tearing through his shirt and into the flesh beneath.

Pain tore through him. Jack staggered back as blood spread across the front of his shirt. Several deep claw marks ran from below his shoulder to his chest, and every breath sent a burning ache through the wounds.

“Jack!”

Several voices shouted from beneath the tent.

Jack ignored the shouts from behind him and forced the handgun up despite the pain tearing through his chest.

The Crag Lynx was already back on its feet several yards away. It held its wounded foreleg off the ground, growling as it glared at him.

Before it could attack again, Jack fired three times.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The beast sprang aside. The first bullet buried itself in the sand, while the second tore a bloody line through its dark red fur. The third missed and struck the dune behind it.

The fresh wound sent the Crag Lynx into a rage. It opened its jaws and let out a deafening roar before launching itself at Jack on three legs.

Jack tightened his grip on the handgun.

One round remained.

The Crag Lynx closed the distance in seconds, its jaws aimed at his throat and its claws reaching for his shoulder.

Jack held his ground and raised the barrel toward its oncoming head.

Everything depended on the last bullet.

Bang!

The shot entered through the Crag Lynx’s open mouth and tore through its skull. Blood and shattered flesh burst from the back of its head, but its body was already airborne.

The dead weight slammed into Jack and knocked him to the ground.