“That’s a good point,” Ricky said. “If he’s our Renfield, then why is his house boobytrapped for the creatures that he serves?”
“That’s easy,” Amber said. “There was a kid in my high school who kept pet snakes. He had a bite mark on his arm one day. He said that everyone who has a pet snake knows they’re going to get bitten eventually. Even if he serves those things, Romeo would be smart to not completely trust them.”
“Yeah,” Ricky said. “What you suggested before—are you up for jogging?”
Amber answered by taking off ahead.
# # #
They slowed as soon as they saw the road where it crossed the train tracks up ahead.
Ricky paused to check the map one more time. Amber used the opportunity to pace slowly and catch her breath. She loosened the straps on her pack.
“What?” she asked. “Did you come up with a plan?”
Ricky shook his head.
She looked towards the horizon. They didn’t have all that much time before the sun would be down. They had to find a safe place, or at least a place that they could defend.
“Look for a building,” she said. “They’re little boxes on that paper map. We’re going to have to find somewhere to go if we can’t decide on how we’re going to take on that Libby guy.”
Ricky folded the map under his arm and looked at his phone again. She didn’t have to look over his shoulder to know that he didn’t have any signal. If he did, he would have said something.
“Ricky, unless you know for sure where this guy is precisely, we’re just going to have to approach the house and look. Either that, or…”
His eyes went wide.
“I don’t know where he’s at right this second, but I know where he’s going to be,” Ricky said.
“How?”
“Come on. We don’t have much time.”
Ricky jogged towards the road and Amber followed. He darted off into the woods at the sound of a vehicle and they crouched down until it passed.
“That was him,” Ricky said.
“I couldn’t even see the truck,” she said.
“Yeah, but the sound of the tires. I would bet anything. Plus, we heard him slow to turn on his road.”
“You’re crazy. That person might have been able to help us. Why did I follow you?” Amber said.
Ricky pushed out of the bushes and ran to the road. Amber paused in the middle, looking one way and the other. If she had seen a house—somewhere that might have a working telephone—she might have gone to it. There was nothing.
Once they went down the side road, Ricky cut through the woods again. Before she could ask where they were heading, she caught a glimpse of the house up on the hill. They were circling it.
“You mind letting me in on your plan?” she asked.
Ricky went a little farther before he stopped and used some trees for cover. They snuck up even closer. She could see the back door of the house.
“His dog,” Ricky said. “I think his name is Albert. Romeo is very protective. He’s going to take his dog out back to do his business before sunset. I’m sure of it.”
“Let me see that map.”
Ricky dug it out and handed it to her.
“Okay,” she said. “If you see him, do what you have to do. I’m going to circle around this way.”
Ricky followed her finger on the map and nodded.
“Good idea.”
Twenty-Nine: Ricky
The sun was getting lower and lower. Ricky began to doubt his plan as it dropped below the trees and the light began to soften. There was no sign of activity from the house. Along the east edge of the lawn, the forest came to within twenty yards of the place. That’s where Ricky was hiding—crouched behind a rock and leaning out to watch the place. There was a light on in the living room. Ricky checked his phone—he had ten minutes until sunset. He couldn’t risk getting trapped outside after dark.
Creeping towards the place, crunching through the last of the melting snow, he froze when he heard the sound of the groaning hinge on the screen door. Albert slipped out and ran to sniff at the bushes near the corner of the house. Ricky bolted from his hiding place and darted left so he wouldn’t be seen through any of the back windows.
Albert spotted him. The dog’s ears perked up and he froze.
“Albert!” Ricky whispered.
As soon as Albert heard his name, the dog turned and sprinted for the back door. Ricky was a half-dozen paces behind as they ran along the size of the house. Albert ran up to the door, tail tucked between his legs, and scratched at the metal.
When it opened, Ricky heard the old man’s soft voice.
“That was quick. Did you do everything you…”
That was all that Romeo Libby managed to say. Albert slipped through the widening gap of the screen door to press through Romeo’s legs.
Ricky was right behind him, throwing the door open the rest of the way and rushing into Romeo, shoving him backwards into the kitchen. The old man hit the counter and twisted. Ricky had to catch him so he didn’t fall to the floor. Their momentum carried them down anyway and Ricky pushed Romeo so he wouldn’t fall on him.
When they landed, Romeo tried to twist away. Ricky grabbed his wrists and saw the thing in Romeo’s hand as it emerged from his pocket. There was just enough time to see the blue light and hear the crackle before Ricky’s body was electrified and stiffened by the jolt from the stun gun.
It zapped through him, making his jaw clench and his legs go rigid.
Ricky spasmed on the floor for a moment and then the electricity was gone. He felt his body frozen in tension as Romeo wriggled free.
Thirty: Amber
To work her way around the north side of the house, Amber had to plunge deeper into the woods than she expected.
