Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
They decided to split into two groups, and the sheriff insisted on inserting himself into the plan. Lucia and Gayle both tried to convince him to stay back and protect the rest of the group, but the sheriff ordered it. Demetrius exchanged a glance with Cody, both of them shaking their heads.
Harriettville’s fire chief arrived, a thin and wiry man who introduced himself as Chief Henry Booth.
Chief Armstrong approached Booth and, after a quick conversation, both men put on helmets and headed toward the front line.
Lucia called in the remaining deputies, and Demetrius nodded to Alberti when he arrived.
The deputy straightened his spine and rested his hands on his duty belt.
“Got past me, I see,” Alberti said.
“Sorry about that.”
“Uh huh.”
Alberti lifted his chin in greeting as a female deputy arrived.
Demetrius recognized her from around town, and her name tag read Deputy P.
Rockford. She returned Alberti’s greeting and glanced at Demetrius before listening to Lucia explain the plan.
When Lucia described Bastian, Demetrius heard Rockford whisper to Alberti, “Did she say vampires?”
“Yep,” Alberti said. “I’ve seen it. Took Harvey right off the street ten yards away from me.”
“Jesus.” Rockford blinked, and she cast a nervous glance over her shoulder.
“We’re going to split into two teams,” Lucia said. “Sheriff Grubbs and I will take Demetrius, Oliver, and Dave along the back alley to Margie’s Diner. We believe that’s where Bastian and his group have taken Dr. Zenona Baldwin. Other hostages we’re not aware of may also be there.”
“Why are they coming?” Alberti asked, tipping his head toward Demetrius and the others.
“They’ve done this kind of fight a lot more than either of you, that’s why,” Gayle said.
Alberti gave Demetrius an up-and-down look. Demetrius couldn’t tell from the deputy’s expression whether or not he believed it.
Lucia continued: “Deputy Walsh will take Alberti, Rockford, and Cody along Main Street. We’ll all converge on Margie’s and, once we’re in position, we’ll move in at the same time. Questions?”
“Just a million,” Rockford said in a shaky voice.
“Anything more specific?” Lucia asked.
Rockford and Alberti shook their heads. Sheriff Grubbs stepped in front of Lucia and looked them all over.
“All right,” Grubbs said. “We have a plan. Those of you with firearms, see Deputy Durant for appropriate ammunition. We move out in five minutes.”
As Lucia distributed the last of her silver bullets, Demetrius took Cody’s hand. Through the smoke and harsh smell of burning plastic and treated wood, he could still pick up Cody’s sweat, and it helped slow his racing heart.
“I don’t like us being split up,” Demetrius said.
“I don’t either. But it’s probably for the best.”
“I’m not sure which of us has it worse,” Demetrius said in a low voice. “Me with the sheriff, or you with the green deputies.”
Cody’s smile flicked across his face, there and gone.
He leaned down to give him a firm kiss. It sent heat through him that curled into a tight ball in the center of his chest. When Cody pulled back, his pupils were wide.
Demetrius could feel the warm brush of Cody's breath, coming fast and quiet, against his face.
“Damn, this stuff is intense,” Cody whispered.
“It is.” Demetrius kissed him again, the heat inside him building until Dave cleared his throat. Blushing, Demetrius pulled away, but he kept hold of Cody’s hand. They stared at each other a moment, then shared a small smile.
“Be careful,” Cody said.
“You, too.”
They uncoupled their hands, and Demetrius turned to Dave with a bashful grin. “Sorry.”
Dave eyed him a moment. “Uh huh. Your head in the game?”
“It is.” Demetrius primed his water rifle. “Let’s finish this.”
Demetrius was surprised Sheriff Grubbs took the lead as their party moved along the back alley.
He had expected him to be last in line. As it was, Grubbs directed Lucia to bring up the rear before he moved in front of Demetrius.
Lucia’s expression showed exactly what she thought of the sheriff’s lineup.
But she followed his order, waving Oliver into place behind Demetrius, and Dave behind him.
She gave a thumbs up to Grubbs, and the sheriff set off, moving quickly and quietly down the alley.
To their left were the brick and aluminum-sided rear walls of the businesses.
On their right, the wide expanse of blacktop, a mix of cars and trucks still waiting for their owners.
Demetrius wondered if the people found burned beyond recognition owned any of them.
The sheriff kept a good pace, but Demetrius could hear his labored breathing, and when the sheriff paused and pressed his back against the wall, Demetrius could see the man’s belly hanging over his belt. Despite his physical condition, however, he had obviously been well-trained.
They passed the cut-through to Main Street, and Demetrius caught a glimpse of Cody looking back at him before both groups moved on.
They were behind Bryerson’s Frame Shop now, and the next storefront would be Margie’s.
Grubbs moved past the frame shop’s solid metal rear door, but before Demetrius could get by, it banged open, swinging toward him.
He put out his hands and felt the shock of impact travel all the way up his arms as he stumbled back.
Oliver caught him under the arms, keeping him on his feet.
Out of sight on the other side of the door, the sheriff let out a scream that abruptly cut off.
It was followed by a wet, choking gurgle, and the bright copper penny smell of blood filled the air.
Lucia came up alongside Demetrius. Her expression was grim as she extended one arm to hold him back against the wall.
All of them were out of sight behind the door that still stood open.
A slurping sound drifted out from the other side, and Demetrius swallowed hard as sweat ran down his sides and back.
Lucia met his eyes and gave a single nod before she moved to the edge of the door, her weapon held up.
She resettled her grip on the butt of the gun, then stepped out from behind the door and, a breath later, fired.
Demetrius felt Oliver jump beside him. Seconds later, a spreading pool of thick, dark liquid oozed toward them under the door.
Lucia avoided the stuff as she pushed the door closed, exposing the sheriff where he lay on his back, staring up at the smoke-filled sky.
His throat was a mangled, bloody mess, his uniform soaked with his own blood, and the vampire’s.
All that remained of his killer was a flannel shirt, a pair of jeans, and heavy black motorcycle boots.
“Jesus,” Oliver whispered, staring at the sheriff’s body.
Lucia crouched to pull the gun from Grubbs’s hand and passed it to Demetrius. The grip was coated in blood, simultaneously slick and sticky. After making sure the safety was on, Demetrius used the hem of his polo shirt to clean as much of the gore from it as he could.
“Ready?” Lucia asked.
He ejected the clip, gave it a quick visual check, then slapped it back home. After flicking off the safety, he said, “Ready.”
“Don’t shoot me in the back.” She turned her head toward her mic as she stepped around the sheriff’s body and said quietly, “Sheriff Grubbs is dead. I’m taking lead on group two. One hostile taken out. Stay sharp.”
They were at the rear entrance to Margie’s when Gayle’s whispered single-word response came back. “Copy.”
Demetrius adjusted and readjusted his grip on the gun.
They were all very familiar with the diner’s layout.
The rear entrance opened on a hallway with restrooms on the right and a utility closet on the left.
The hallway led to the dining area near the counter, built-in stools standing in a line along its front.
Kitchen access was through a single swinging door just behind the counter.
“We go in at the count of three,” Lucia whispered. “Demetrius, you clear the bathrooms. Oliver and Dave, stay with me. We’ll pause at the end of the hallway to assess the room and wait for Demetrius to catch up.”
Demetrius wiped sweat from his forehead, feeling the sticky swath of blood he’d left behind.
“Here we go. One, two, three.”
Lucia slowly opened the glass door and, mimicking her bent position, they followed her inside, Demetrius bringing up the rear.
He bumped open the door to the men’s restroom.
The motion sensor inside activated the overhead light.
The room was empty, water dripping slowly from the faucet, but the door for the single stall was closed.
He cocked his head, listening, then stepped farther into the room and pulled the handle. Empty.
He left the men’s room, keeping a hand on the door to close it quietly behind him. Ahead, Lucia was looking around the dark dining room, and Dave and Oliver had their heads turned, watching him. Moving to the women’s room, he took a breath and carefully pushed inside.
The light was already on, shimmering across the pink tiled floor and walls.
His heart pounded harder when he heard quick breathing and whispered shushing sounds.
The air was heavy with the smell of sweat and piss.
No one was in sight, but the door of the accessible stall at the end was closed.
More shaky shushing sounds came from inside it.
He hesitated, wondering if it was a trap, then, steeling himself, crossed the room in two quick steps and yanked it open.
Two young women crouching on the toilet screamed and, squeezing their eyes closed, turned their faces toward each other as they clutched one another tight. Demetrius said in a fierce whisper, “Stop! I’m not going to hurt you. Please, be quiet.”