He left silence in his wake.
“Maybe we better pass some laws real quick so Sam can save our butts legally,” Howard said.
“Howard, go get Orc,” Albert said.
“Now you’re giving me orders, Albert?” Howard shook his head. “I don’t think so. Not you or her,” he said, jerking a thumb at Astrid. “You may not think much of me, you two, but at least I know who saves our butts. And if I got to take orders from someone, it’ll be the someone who just walked out of here.”
TWENTY-ONE
14 HOURS, 44 MINUTES
“FIND EDILIO AND Dekka and Brianna,” Sam told Taylor. “Edilio and Dekka to the gas station. Brianna on the streets. We’re going to deal with Zil.”
For once, Taylor did not argue. She bounced away.
He took a deep breath of cold night air and tried to get his head together. Zil. Had to stop him.
But all he could see was Drake. Drake in the shadows. Drake behind bushes and trees. Drake with his whip hand.
Drake, not Zil.
He squeezed his eyes shut. It would be different this time. Back then he’d had no choice but to let Drake take him. No choice but to stand there and endure…and endure…
He noticed Howard coming up behind him. It surprised him a little, until he realized Howard would see it as an opportunity to use Orc for profit.
“Howard? What kind of shape is Orc in?”
Howard shrugged. “Passed out, dead drunk.”
Sam cursed under his breath. “See if you can get him up.”
&
nbsp; He tossed out the orders on automatic. Not needing to think about it. But he still felt like he was in a dream. Not quite focusing.
Drake. Somehow that animal was back. Somehow he was alive.
How was he supposed to fight something that could not be killed? Zil he could handle. But Drake? A Drake who could return from the dead?
I’ll burn him, Sam told himself. I’ll burn him inch by inch. I’ll turn him into a piece of charcoal. I’ll reduce him to ashes.
And scatter the ashes over a mile of sea and land.
Kill him. Destroy him. Destroy the remains of the remains of the remains.
Let him come back from that.
“If I get Orc up, it will cost you,” Howard said. “He’s fought Drake before.”
“I’ll burn him down,” Sam muttered to himself. “I’ll kill him myself.”
Howard seemed to think this was directed at either Orc or him, and scuttled off as quickly as he could without another word.
It wasn’t far to the gas station. Just a few blocks.
Sam walked down the middle of the street. No lights. Silence. His footsteps echoed.
He walked on legs stiff with fear.