Celeste noticed both Ronnie and the hideous creature at the same time, already slipping her gun out of her bag and removing the safety with an audible click. Its eyes found the brunette, a visible shudder running through the animal. She didn't have Annie's heightened senses, but the smell was still overwhelming.
She raised her weapon carefully, and aimed. Exhale. Trigger pull.
The sound popped through the McDonald's, staccato and matter of fact. The creature squealed, disarmingly human sounding, as the bullet tore through what Celeste thought was its shoulder. But it didn't stop crawling toward her. It was angrier.