Darker Days

Mom sighed. “If I open it again, will he get out?”

I rolled my eyes. “As if he’s gonna tell you the truth!”

Tony sighed. “Believe what ya want, but no. He can’t escape unless you let him out. Think of it like a one- way traffic jam. When there’s incomin’ traffic, outgoin’ can’t get past. As long as you don’t pop that puppy for any reason other than to stick one of us back in, you’re safe.”

Mom looked from him to Ava. “I don’t suppose either of you would like to tell us where the others are?”

The child sat in the corner, silently sticking her tongue out, but Tony answered, “My lot in life is live and let live. I’ve got nuthin’ against you guys, but I won’t betray my own.”

“Fair enough.” Mom nodded and raised the box. “I apologize in advance—especially if this is painful.”

Again, Tony shrugged. “It’s uncomfortable, but it doesn’t last long. Besides, it’ll give me some time to myself. We all try to keep our distance from each other, but it gets a little crowded in there.” He turned to Lukas. “Good luck, kid. I really don’t have anything against ya. Far as I’m concerned, ya did what ya hadda do.”

And with that, Mom opened the box again. Tony’s reaction was a little different. Maybe because he didn’t fight like Gluttony. Arms spread wide, he leaned his head back and smiled. The light that collected and glowed beneath his clothing was blue. It pulsed several times before rocketing the length of his torso and out his open mouth.

Tony—the real one—fell to his knees, gasping for air. Snapping the box closed and setting it down on the steps, Mom rushed forward to help him, but he waved her off. “I’m okay,” he choked out after a few tries. He climbed to his feet and smiled. Extending his hand, he said, “Tony Vitola—the real deal. Attorney. Nice ta meet ya.”

“What do you remember?” Mom helped him to the cot, then motioned for Lukas to help her pick the other man off the floor. They managed to get him on the other cot, but I wondered how long he’d stay that way. The guy was huge. That little cot wasn’t going to hold him long.

Tony pulled off his suit jacket and said, “Everythin’. From the moment it took me up until it left. I could feel it. Squirmin’ inside. I felt it leave—” He shuddered and sank back onto the cot. With a not so discreet sniff of his shirt, he cringed. “I need a showah.”

“I don’t suppose you could share anything useful?” Mom asked. She didn’t look hopeful, though. “Something that might help us find the others?”

Tony frowned. “Sorry. The one that was in me—Sloth—kept his distance from the others. He wasn’t lyin’ when he said he wouldn’t nark on em, but he didn’t know anyways.”

Lukas came up behind me. “What was it like?”

Tony rubbed a hand across his face and sighed. “I was in town on business. Needin’ a coffee fix, I head down to this town’s sorry excuse of a Starbucks. I make it to the front door and BAM.” He clapped his hands together and I jumped. “Suddenly, I was ridin’ shotgun in my own skin suit. Is that how ya feel?”

Lukas shook his head. “It’s much different for me. How much damage did he do?”

“Not a lot. He was a little like you, I guess. Not really interested in the carnage and chaos the others wanted. Mostly went around turnin’ people into slackers. Didn’t really hurt no one—then again, who knows? Not like he had the chance thanks to you.”

“Well, that’s a relief at least.” Mom sagged against the wall.

“Am I—can I go home? My wife Marie and the kid’ve probably got me dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“Of course,” Mom said. Pushing off the wall, she started for the stairs and motioned for him to follow. “This way.”

“Wait a sec,” I called. “Can I ask what you did? To become viable? I mean, there must’ve been a reason you were infected.”

An odd look crossed his face. He looked away for a moment, and just when I was sure he’d ascend the stairs and say nothing, he spoke. “I was fifteen. My parents went out most Fridays. Usually, they hired this chick Melissa to watch my younger brother Cody, but that night, she wasn’t available. I didn’t wanna do it—I had better things to do.”

Tony tilted his head up, lost in the memory. “I heard him callin’ for me—I heard the splashin’—but I ignored him. Thought he was just tryin’ to bug me. I didn’t feel like gettin’ off the couch to check.” He stared at me. “My parents came home just after midnight and found him in the pool. He drowned because I was too lazy to bother.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lukas grow pale. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, silent. I knew how he felt. What could you say to a confession like that?

But Mom knew what to say. She always did. Stepping close, she put a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle nod. “I’m sorry.”

Tony gave her a thin smile. “It was my fault, and I’ve learned to live with it. Actions—or lack thereof—have their consequences.”

He climbed a few steps and stopped.

“I could feel it, ya know. That box is startin’ to call ’em back.”

“There’s not much time left,” Mom confirmed.

Tony turned to Lukas. “You’re not like me. You’re goin’ back in, aren’t ya?”

Face impassive, Lukas squared his shoulders and nodded.

Tony frowned and gave him a sad smile. Turning to me, he said, “Enjoy what time ya got left. That box? It’s startin’ to hum like the subway durin’ rush hour.”

Chapter Twenty-seven

After Mom sent Greed back to the box and found out where Ava—an eight-year-old girl reported missing by a family in The Ledges—belonged, she’d gone to take the little girl home, giving me the rest of the day off. I figured it had something to do with what Tony said, but I didn’t care. I’d made my choice—to make what little time we had left count—and that’s what I intended to do.

I’d taken Lukas to see the latest paranormal action flick—Time Turners—at the Cineplex. He had his first tub of greasy movie theater popcorn, sat in his first gum-infested movie seat, and made his first trip to second base.

Both of us did.

He pulled away as the lights flickered back on, leaving a chill where his hand had been. Just under the edge of my shirt, above the waist of my jeans. I’d purposely sat us in the back row, determined to get him to kiss me again. After how hot things got in the office, and how ashamed he’d looked afterwards, I was sure it would be a fight. But all it took was my hand resting just above his knee and a simple nuzzle of his neck, and he was hooked. We’d barely seen half the movie.

Around us, moviegoers were rushing the aisle, determined to be the first out of the theater. We stood and joined the back of the line. The credits were still running, and an explosion rocked the screen, catching Lukas’ attention. He jumped, caught off guard by the action, but smiled despite it. “And it’s all fake?”

“Yep,” I said, taking the empty popcorn tub from him and tossing it into the trash as we passed. “They get paid crazy cash to pretend. We get pennies to do the real thing. Go figure.”

“That seems…backward.”

“It’s a crazy world.” I looped my arm around his. “We should hit the ice cream place down the road. They have this frozen cappuccino slushy thing—you haven’t lived ’til you’ve tried it.”

“That sounds great,” a deceptively delicate voice said behind us. “Are you buying? ’Cause I find myself a little short on cash these days…”

Lukas’ expression morphed from happy to holy hell in an instant. “Meredith?” he breathed, whirling around.

“Lookin’ good, Lukas. Real good.” She took a step forward, eyes appraising. “This century’s clothing accentuates your…assets.”

He didn’t answer. Then again, she didn’t give him time. Blowing a kiss, she turned on her heel and bolted in