Sacrifice

'What did they do to Luke?'

'They scared him. They tied him up. All with hoods. Black hoods. They put things in him. Burned. He screamed. They told him to be good, be a good baby. He screamed and screamed until the baby came out. Then he was good.'

'What did Luke do when he was good?'

'Suck.'

'Suck what?'

'Suck… them.'

'Men?'

'Not just men. Women too. And another boy, once. Then they put things in him. He was bleeding.'

'Did he fight them?'

'No. He was scared. Luke had a puppy, Prince. They killed the puppy. Cut his heart out. One of them ate the heart. It was just a little thing, so small.'

'The puppy?'

'The heart. You listening to me or what?'

'I'm listening to you, Toby. How many people were there?'

'Lots of them. All in hoods— they never took off the hoods. They had candles. Candles and smoke. And stuff on the wall too. They always said Satan. Like in church. And a table. A big table. That's what they put Luke on, the table. It had stuff on it, carved. I saw the knife.'

'Did they cut Luke with the knife?'

'No. They put something in him. With wires. When Luke screamed, they'd make it burn so bad inside him. They did it. Every time. They said he had to be a good baby. Good baby. When the baby came to run away, then the baby saw the cameras. Then we could all go.'

'Go?'

'Like…pass out, you know? Go away. It hurt when we came back…tried to go away, far away. We didn't want to come back.'

'When did the other one come?'

'What other one, sister? There's only Luke and the baby Susie. And me.'

'Toby, you're smart, yes? You see things Luke doesn't?'

'Yeah, Luke ain't that smart. He thinks he is…but he don't know some things.'

'Do you know who killed the puppy, Toby?'

'Yeah. Those hoods, they didn't fool me. Voices. I know their voices.'

'Whose voices?'

'Dad. And Mom too, she was there. Dad killed the puppy. Mommy, she was the one who said to be a good baby. Good baby. They had a baby, you know. A little baby. A boy baby. Like us. They wanted a girl baby— I heard them say. It would be good if they had a girl too. Better product. A little girl. Baby Susie. Luke thought, if he was a girl, they'd be nice to him. But I know them. Luke's stupid.'

'Why is he stupid?'

''Cause he don't remember the way I do. He thinks it all started when he was older…if he was a baby, they wouldn't hurt him. Luke was jealous.'

'What did he want?'

'He wanted them to love him,' the voice sneered.

'Tell me about the baby?'

'We made the baby. Me and Luke. What they did to Luke…it's what they do to make babies, so we made a baby. Luke wanted her so they'd love him. Not hurt him. But I knew…I wanted the baby to run away. Take the pain. So we made the baby. But the baby…the other baby, they knew that was the real baby.'

'Toby…'

'Baby.' The voice had no age. I held my hands rigid, had to let the monster come out, let Wolfe see it.

'Who…?' Teresa asked.

'Baby!' The voice was a snarl. Luke's eyes were slitted, muscles jumping in his little face. 'I want the heart,' he said. 'Baby baby baby,' a crooning child's voice. 'I am Satan's child. Me! I am the one…' He launched himself at Teresa, the right fist frenzy-stabbing, low grunts from somewhere in him. I took him down, wrapping my arms around his spasming body, saying his name over and over.

It felt like forever. Then he went rigid against me. I rolled over on my back, the boy against my chest. Let go my hold.

Luke sat on my chest, giggled. 'What are you doing, Burke?' he asked. 'You're always playing.'

133

The air reeked with Luke's scent. Bloody fear. He didn't seem to know, his back to the women in the room.