The Getaway God (Sandman Slim 6)

I grab the 8 Ball, hoping that will slow down the summoning. It responds like it did when the Shonin and I used it on the chop-­shop body. First, it wraps itself lovingly around my Kissi hand. Then it draws Mason’s soul out of his goddamn corpse. I swear the fucker is smiling as it happens. And just like it did with the Qliphoth, it eats Mason’s soul.

The last of the ritual. The Angra’s stooge sets off the summoning, then sacrifices himself so that no one can stop it. A hell of a fail-­safe. And Mason’s last laugh at me.

The building lurches again, harder this time. A steady rumble builds under us. The walls shake and buckle. A hairline fracture rips across the ceiling and rain pours in.

Wells is still standing against the wall where I tossed him. I get a good look at his eyes. He’s possessed. Someone is having a grand old time playing with the Vigil tonight.

“Enjoy what’s coming,” said Deumos. I’m not enjoying it one tiny bit.

Now that it’s eaten Mason’s soul, the 8 Ball isn’t putting out the black light anymore. I sprint back to the Shonin’s lab.

A good part of the ceiling is down. I crawl over beams and broken furniture to the magnetic chamber. The door is blown open, but it looks like it’s basically intact.

I run through the calming breath rituals I used before a fight in the arena, trying to relax my mind. Gradually, the 8 Ball slips off my hand. I close the chamber and lock it.

I need to get to Candy. I start out of the lab when a hand closes on my ankle. It’s the Shonin. He’s trapped under a wooden beam. I crouch and slide it off of him. His chest has caved in and one of his arms has snapped in half and dangles by some dry cartilage. I pull him upright and lean him against the wall.

“You calmed the Qomrama. How?”

“I’m not sure. I did the only thing I could think of.”

He grabs my shoulder with his good hand.

“I know why it likes you. The book told me. You’re not human and you’re not angel. To it you’re the closet thing alive to an Angra.”

“It thinks I’m its mother?”

“Maybe an uncle, which will have to be enough to control it.”

Wells come into the lab. His eyes are clear. He’s back to himself again. I don’t think he’s noticed the blood on his nice suit where he shot the Vigil agents as he broke into Mason’s cell.

“Stark,” he says. “What happened to the Shonin? Did you move the Qomrama? Why?”

“I was trying to save the world again. More than you’ve been doing.”

“Mason is dead in there. Did you kill him?”

“Guess again. You did it.”

Wells loses his balance on the wreckage. Takes a ­couple of steps back.

“That’s ridiculous. You smuggled in a gun.”

He turns to the door.

“Guards. Get in here. Arrest this man.”

“They have you on surveillance putting a bullet into Mason’s skull. You’re fucked. Welcome to my world.”

“Quiet,” he says. “You’re unstable. It was a mistake to ever try to work with you.”

“You might want to start running, Richard Kimble.”

A group of agents comes in, led by Julie Sola.

“Marshal Sola, arrest this man for the murder of Mason Faim.”

“I can’t do that, sir.”