John didn't want to screw the man's aim up, but he recognized the need to go. Talking in the soldier's ear, he said, [b]"We need to back up the stairs!"[/b] Glancing up, he saw that they were on the second flight of stairs between the ground and second floor. [b]"We can back away, and block off the stairwell!"[/b] Swinging his cross as a sprinting infected reached him, the satisfying [i]crunch[/i] made the priest's face a little more calm. He had to appear brave, and calm, for his flock. God would provide. The now-lifeless corpse dropped to the ground in front of him, and twitched before stilling. The Sargent had also taken one out, but there were still quite a few still after the marine. Suddenly, a shrieking noise came from upstairs, and several shrill shouts, and terrified screams followed. Looking at Erik, he said, [b]"I'll go see what happened! You stay safe down here!"[/b], and to the marine, [b]"Remember, come back up and barricade the stairwell!"[/b]

Taking the stairs three at a time, John's grip on the cross hadn't wavered since the first infected came through the front window. When the crowd saw him approach, they parted like water, and started babbling about a demon dog, Old Man Jackson getting hurt, and a woman getting totally eviscerated. As he reached the second floor, he saw a rotten-looking dog leaping at a firewoman, who was holding a dull axe. Leaping into action, he swung the cross, halting the dog's forward movement, but not much else. Looking at the firewoman, he said, [b]"Stay on your toes."[/b] As the dog writhed on the ground for a fraction of a second, attempting to regain its footing, John turned to the running people, going back down the stairwell, and said, [b]"Run! Go to the third floor!" [/b] Looking back at the dog, and hearing the gunfire and ghoulish screeches downstairs, he said something to the firewoman that most anyone would be surprised hearing come from a priest. [b]"Let's fuck this [i]bitch[/i] up!"[/b]