Part 20 (2/2)

She had told him about torturing a half-dead, how she had pulled the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's fingers off, and slowly, almost imperceptibly, he had come around. He'd never actually said it was alright, but he had stopped insisting she stay behind quite so strongly. It was as good as she was going to get, she knew.

They had to stop for gas outside of Lancaster. When the jumping, swaying truck finally came to a stop the ensuing quiet and calm shocked Caxton right out of

her own head. She climbed out of the Granola Roller to stretch her legs and then leaned against the side of the vehicle with Captain Suzie while DeForrest

pumped the gas. He had to unbolt a layer of armor from the truck's side to get at

the gas tank. Inside the gas station the attendant watched them with dull eyes as if he saw state troopers in full combat gear every morning. Eventually Caxton

realized he was asleep, sleeping sitting up in his chair. They were probably the first customers of his s.h.i.+ft.

DeForrest froze, suddenly, even as Caxton was thinking about waking up the

attendant to get some snacks. The ART guy let go of the nozzle and stepped

away from the pump. He looked at Captain Suzie and without a word pointed up

at a line of trees across the highway. ”Over there,” he said.

”Can you confirm his sighting, Caxton?” Captain Suzie asked. Fear stuck icy knitting needles into her heart. ”Confirm... what?” she asked.

She scanned the dead trees for the broken faces of half-deads, the shocking

white skin of vampires, even just for movement of any kind. Then she noticed

flecks of darkness, like pieces of shadow, swooping and darting among the trees. A smile lifted her face a little and she turned around, shaking her head. The

ART behind her had dropped to shooting crouches, their weapons up and at their

shoulders. They were deadly serious. They were terrified, and they were all

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