rushed after her. “She’s my little girl. I need to know.”
Tana spun on him. “You need to know? What the hell happens when you finally know and wish you didn’t? What do you do then, Stu?” She waved the light in her fist, creating a crazy mask of shadows on her face. “What will keep you going when there’s nothing left to fight for?”
Her words felt like a slap in the face.
You. You’ll keep me going. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. It was too crazy; he hardly knew her.
Tana crossed her arms, scowling. Finally, she sighed and thrust the radio at him. “Here. Take it. You need it more than I do.”
“What the hell’s gotten into you?” Stu asked, slipping the radio into his coat pocket.
Tana spun toward the door. “Nothing. Hurry up. I need to get back to my child.”
Stu grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. “Go with me. You and Davis. We’ll keep him safe. We have these guns now. Those things can’t hurt us.”
“Screw that! I have two sons, in case you’ve forgotten. I can’t just take off and leave one behind.”
“He’s not the son you knew. You’ve gotta understand that by now. Think of those things that attacked us earlier.”
“Things? They’re people . They’re ill, but they’re not monst—”
Something crashed against the front door.
Brett ran into the living room. “What the hell was that?” He leveled his rifle at the door.
Stu raised his hand. “Quiet. Wait.” He removed the gun from the waist of his jeans and thumbed off the safety.
Suddenly, it sounded as if a dozen pairs of fists were pummeling the door. The hinges creaked, and the wood splintered along the jamb. The security chain rattled.
“Shit,” Tana whispered, bringing up her own gun. “They’re coming in.”
The pounding grew louder, more frantic, and was joined by mad, high-pitched howling.
Stu wet his lips, switched on the laser sight, and waited.
“Bring it on, assholes,” Josh hollered, readying his rifle.
The door imploded, and a half-dozen ragged, frantic figures tore in, howling and twitching, a blur of pale faces and wet teeth glinting in the darkness.
Chapter 16
Trollhättan, Sweden
Tomas tried to focus, but the world dissolved to smears of running paint. He blinked away stinging tears and tried to bring up his hand to examine the side of his head. Someone had bound his wrists. A long length of orange electrical cord snaked snugly around and between both hands.
“What the hell’s this?” He shook his head, and the world slowly swam into soft focus. He struggled to a sitting position. The entire left side of his face was on fire, and he tasted a hint of blood. He ran his tongue along the lining of his cheek, wincing at the sting when he hit a small but deep cut.
Melanie pushed through the crowd and rushed to his side. Sweat shining on her brow, she knelt, her face a mask of worry. She cupped his face in her warm hands. “Tomas? Are you with me?”
He nodded, not altogether sure if he was with her or not. She stroked his cheek, her hand trembling.
“I’m here. I’m all right.” He scanned the room for Christopher and located him in Leila’s arms, his loud crying muffled against his mother’s shoulder. Leila, on the other hand, carried an expression of complete indifference. Her eyes were heavy-lidded; she was obviously drunk.
Melanie placed a bottle of water to his lips, and he drank greedily. Next, she helped him to his feet.
“What’s happening, Mel?” he whispered. “Is Christopher all right?”
“He’s freaking out, as you can imagine. Now, listen. They’re going to send you out into the darkness. With them . You’re going to be sacrificed.”
Tomas swayed, pretending dizziness, and when Melanie wrapped her arms around him to steady him, he pressed his lips against the cup of her ear. “Do you still have it?”
“Yes.”
“Be ready to use it.”
***
Morgan locked his meaty fingers painfully around
Tana spun on him. “You need to know? What the hell happens when you finally know and wish you didn’t? What do you do then, Stu?” She waved the light in her fist, creating a crazy mask of shadows on her face. “What will keep you going when there’s nothing left to fight for?”
Her words felt like a slap in the face.
You. You’ll keep me going. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. It was too crazy; he hardly knew her.
Tana crossed her arms, scowling. Finally, she sighed and thrust the radio at him. “Here. Take it. You need it more than I do.”
“What the hell’s gotten into you?” Stu asked, slipping the radio into his coat pocket.
Tana spun toward the door. “Nothing. Hurry up. I need to get back to my child.”
Stu grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. “Go with me. You and Davis. We’ll keep him safe. We have these guns now. Those things can’t hurt us.”
“Screw that! I have two sons, in case you’ve forgotten. I can’t just take off and leave one behind.”
“He’s not the son you knew. You’ve gotta understand that by now. Think of those things that attacked us earlier.”
“Things? They’re people . They’re ill, but they’re not monst—”
Something crashed against the front door.
Brett ran into the living room. “What the hell was that?” He leveled his rifle at the door.
Stu raised his hand. “Quiet. Wait.” He removed the gun from the waist of his jeans and thumbed off the safety.
Suddenly, it sounded as if a dozen pairs of fists were pummeling the door. The hinges creaked, and the wood splintered along the jamb. The security chain rattled.
“Shit,” Tana whispered, bringing up her own gun. “They’re coming in.”
The pounding grew louder, more frantic, and was joined by mad, high-pitched howling.
Stu wet his lips, switched on the laser sight, and waited.
“Bring it on, assholes,” Josh hollered, readying his rifle.
The door imploded, and a half-dozen ragged, frantic figures tore in, howling and twitching, a blur of pale faces and wet teeth glinting in the darkness.
Chapter 16
Trollhättan, Sweden
Tomas tried to focus, but the world dissolved to smears of running paint. He blinked away stinging tears and tried to bring up his hand to examine the side of his head. Someone had bound his wrists. A long length of orange electrical cord snaked snugly around and between both hands.
“What the hell’s this?” He shook his head, and the world slowly swam into soft focus. He struggled to a sitting position. The entire left side of his face was on fire, and he tasted a hint of blood. He ran his tongue along the lining of his cheek, wincing at the sting when he hit a small but deep cut.
Melanie pushed through the crowd and rushed to his side. Sweat shining on her brow, she knelt, her face a mask of worry. She cupped his face in her warm hands. “Tomas? Are you with me?”
He nodded, not altogether sure if he was with her or not. She stroked his cheek, her hand trembling.
“I’m here. I’m all right.” He scanned the room for Christopher and located him in Leila’s arms, his loud crying muffled against his mother’s shoulder. Leila, on the other hand, carried an expression of complete indifference. Her eyes were heavy-lidded; she was obviously drunk.
Melanie placed a bottle of water to his lips, and he drank greedily. Next, she helped him to his feet.
“What’s happening, Mel?” he whispered. “Is Christopher all right?”
“He’s freaking out, as you can imagine. Now, listen. They’re going to send you out into the darkness. With them . You’re going to be sacrificed.”
Tomas swayed, pretending dizziness, and when Melanie wrapped her arms around him to steady him, he pressed his lips against the cup of her ear. “Do you still have it?”
“Yes.”
“Be ready to use it.”
***
Morgan locked his meaty fingers painfully around
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