Hollywood Dead (Sandman Slim 10)

Kasabian comes out of the kitchen.

“What are you talking about? I thought we were safe here.”

“We were. And now we’re not. We’re leaving in one minute, so get ready.”

Everybody runs around grabbing things. I go into Howard’s room.

“Get up. We’re leaving.”

He says, “I heard you yelling. What’s wrong?”

“Armed people are coming up the hill.”

“They found me then. I knew Eva and Barron would send someone for me.”

“What makes you think it’s Wormwood?”

He looks at me suspiciously.

“Who else could it be?”

“The faction. I just escaped from one of their cells.”

“You’re lying.”

“What if I’m not? What do you think those faction freaks are going to do to you if they find you?”

He thinks for a minute. Then, “Where are we going?”

“I’m not telling you.”

He frowns but follows me into the living room.

I go back to the window. Whoever is down there is a lot closer than they were a minute ago. I wish I hadn’t used the locator coin at the Golden Vigil’s headquarters. I liked the idea of Abbot finding them then, but I like the idea of his finding us now a lot more.

I check my guns. Both are empty. The knife and na’at won’t work from this distance and anyway, there are too many of them. I pat my pockets. The only thing I come up with is the little crystal Hijruun gave me.

I still have no fucking idea what it is, but I open the window and throw it out as hard as I can.

Someone shoots and the window explodes. More gunshots come through the wall.

I duck and head for the others as they run for the other side of the room.

Before I shadow-walk them out, the gunfire stops and screaming tears through the open window. I run back over and look out.

The side of the hill is swarming with skinless snakes. They’re nothing but slithering lengths of squirming bones, but they have fangs and they’re using them to rip apart whoever was coming up the hill.

I run back to the others.

“Are we safe?” says Kasabian.

“Not even a little.”

I grab his arm and pull everyone into a shadow.

We come out at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Las Palmas.

“Let’s go to the store,” yells Kasabian.