better than a monster? I figured the madman probably was better. He might someday come to his senses.
“I’ve come to tell you something, James,” I said, risking using his first name. “The Preacher and the others mean to build a compound in town, at the old medical center. We’ll build a big fortress out of it, like this place you have here, but on a grander scale. And we need you there with us.”
He stopped scanning for intruders and our eyes really met for the first time. I could see in his face he saw this as a call to duty, and he was troubled by it.
“You remember what happened before, at the school?”
“Yeah, I know. We plan to do it right this time. We want to make a real fortress out of the medical center.
He eyed me doubtfully. “I’ve lived through a lot. Staying in this place on my own has seen me through for years.”
I nodded. “That sounds like a ‘No’.”
He dropped his gaze. I think I had shamed him a bit, and for the first time since I’d met him as a kid, he seemed unsure of himself.
He reached into his pocket then, and pulled out a black, heavy pistol. It had the distinctive shape of a Colt.45. He handed it to me.
“I want you to have this weapon. You like to fight in close, Gannon, and I respect that, I really do. I mean, every soldier has to find his own path to battle in an asymmetric struggle like this. But I know there are times when a bit of range and firepower are extremely useful. Take it from a pro.”
“Yeah, if it goes off,” I said.
He nodded. “That’s got to be the worst thing about this whole business. Unreliable weaponry.”
I half-snorted. Thousands dead, and the worst thing was that your gun might not work. I guess that explained the Captain’s thinking.
I took the weapon and hefted it. After a moment, I nodded. He handed me a box of rounds to go with it. The gun and the bullets each weighed down a coat pocket. The weight of guns and ammo was another reason why I didn’t often carry them. I’d found that just running for it worked really well sometimes. Still, I could have used this weapon earlier today to great effect.
“Thanks,” I told him. I turned to go, and decided to try one more time.
“Ryerson,” I said, eyeing him now, man to man. “You are already in your own prison here. All we’re asking is for you to come join us in our new prison. We need you too, to do your magic, we need your know-how. The people of Redmoor, what’s left of them, need you and me.”
He looked at me a moment, then went back to scanning the horizon like a hunted animal. I wondered right then if he was really the bravest man or the biggest coward in town. Probably a bit of both, but the guy sure knew how to stay alive.
“Okay,” he said finally. “If you guys get it built, and you confirm where the changelings are made, I’ll move into your camp.”
I nodded and left. Behind me, I felt his eyes on my back for a long time.
Eight
I got back to the cabin with only an hour or so to spare before dark. I could have stayed in town or gone to set up camp at the medical center with the rest of them, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about Monika and Vance. I’d already left them alone all day long. Vance moved fast, who knew how things had gone?
When I got there, the Durango was in the driveway, and I felt somewhat relieved. In these new times without phones or any other form of instant communication, sometimes your timing was off and you missed each other. Vance opened the door and poked his head out.
“`Bout time you showed,” he said and waved.
Inside, it took me a moment to realize that Monika wasn’t there. My frown amused Vance.
“Sorry, lover-boy, the Doctor kept her down at the medical center. They really are building it up as a fortress. They’ve got a watch post on the roof and everything. I suppose you heard about it?”
I nodded bitterly, realizing I had chosen the wrong path. I had missed my chance to see her without Vance hanging around.
“Eric Foti is there, with his kids, and Carlene Mitts and that goofy Nick Hackler and the Hentons and the Dagens too. Even old Brigman is there. Remember good old Mr. Brigman from back in school? We both had him for Algebra. He said he had been away for summer vacation, but then his family called him back home and when he got here everyone on his block was already dead and now he’s stuck with us in this one-flea town full of monsters,” said Vance. “Poor bastard.”
“At least he’s alive. That’s about all any of us have got.”
I looked outside. In the distance, I could see the sun would soon set out over the west shore of the lake. I came to a sudden decision.
“Let’s pack up and go join them.”
“Huh? Now? It’s getting late for that, bud.”
“Let’s just do it. We’ve got a hole in our roof and some kind of smart hoofed monster out there. With this map,” I said, handing him the map. “We know what to avoid. We’ll be safer in town with the rest of them as long as we keep everyone away from these lines.”
Vance pondered the map for a moment. “I’ve heard about these, they were running them off on the color copier at the center. I didn’t get my hands on one yet. What do you think of them?”
“I think they might be our salvation.”
We packed quickly, if you can even call it packing. Really, we threw things in the back of the Durango as fast as we could. We thought about taking the generator, I’m sure they could use it down there, but it would take too much work. We decided to leave it until later. We started down the hill with less than a half-hour until dark.
I took the wheel and we rolled out spitting gravel.
Vance kept checking the dying sunlight nervously. “I’m saving one round in here for you in case we buy the farm,” he told me darkly.
“We’ll be okay.”
“Has that girl got such a hold on you already?”
“I don’t know.”
Vance laughed and went back to scanning the road. His rifle poked out the window. The trees flashed by as we negotiated the potholes and sharp turns.
“Well, I like her too,” said Vance seriously after a bit. “I mean, it’s not like there are a lot of choice females running around here.”
I nodded and sighed. It was only natural. “Yeah. We’re twenty-somethings stuck out in the woods without women. “
“So,” he said, delicately. “I guess it’s a free-for-all? The best man wins?”
“I guess,” I said accepting the idea unhappily. “In the end, the girl always makes the choice anyway.”
“At least when she’s a babe,” laughed Vance. He sounded way too happy with our arrangement. He had always been the more confident of the two of us with girls. He probably thought he had it in the bag. I set my jaw, determined to give him a run for his money if we all lived that long.
When we had driven about two-thirds of the way, I saw something in the woods off to my left, toward the distant lakeshore. It was bluish, and it shimmered, or glowed in the trees. Without any ceremony, I killed the Durango’s engine. We rolled to a stop and I pulled it over to the side.
“Gas?” asked Vance.
I pointed into the woods. “Something’s out there.”
“No kidding? There’s always something out there. Let’s get rolling.”
I shook my head. “This something is glowing.”
Vance looked at me as if I had lost my mind. “That is all the more freaking reason to crank that ignition.”
