Part 10 (2/2)

'Uh, no. What weapons?'

'There's another reason we brought you here, Jake. We're quite impressed with your mastery of lasers.'

Gina watched the play of emotions cross Jake's face. Shrugging disinterest at first, then curiosity. 'Are you s.h.i.+tting me? You use lasers?'

Derek grinned. 'We use weapons our own government doesn't even use. Join us, and we'll knock your socks off. No s.h.i.+t.'

'I don't believe you.'

'Gina, tell Jake what happened to the demon I killed out there.'

Gina shrugged. 'Some kind of weapon I've never seen before. He told me to cover my eyes. There was a flash of light. After that, all that was left of the demon was a quivering, smoking blob on the ground.'

'Holy s.h.i.+t!' Jake said, an excited grin sprouting on his face. 'Tell me more.'

'It's pointless to inform you further if we must erase your memory,' Lou said. 'The more knowledge you have, the more difficult it becomes to eradicate.'

Jake chewed his lip and took out another cigarette, looking first to Lou, then to Derek. 'They really took my mom?'

'They really did,' Lou said.

'Join us, Jake,' Derek said. 'We need you.'

Jake nodded. 'I really wanna see those weapons. I'll stay.'

'Excellent!' Lou said, taking Jake's hand. 'You won't regret it.'

Crus.h.i.+ng out his last cigarette, Jake said, 'I need another pack. I'll be back.'

Gina realized she hadn't yet committed, that she was the only one left.

'I'll be back in a little while,' Lou said, slipping out of the tent.

'Gina,' Derek said to her, 'you have some scratches on your neck and the back of your shoulder. Did that demon hurt you?'

'I do?' She touched her neck. 'Oh. No. He only held my hand and then I pulled away. Those probably happened when I was pushed away by one of your hunters. I hit the ground pretty hard. The demon never touched me.'

Derek blew out a breath. 'Good. But still, some of those look pretty deep. Come with me to the first-aid shack. You need a walk and some fresh air anyway.'

He was probably right. She stood and followed him across the beach, grateful for the beacon of his flashlight. Suddenly, the darkness didn't offer the peace it once had. Monsters lurked there now, just as they had all those years ago, the night her mother disappeared.

Oh, G.o.d. Demons were in her house that night.

She shook her head, cleared her mind, refusing to think about it anymore.

The shack was a short distance from the beach, a small, boxy room containing all the medical supplies, one small examination table, and a chair.

'Hop up,' he said, grabbing the kit and setting his weapon nearby.

She slid onto the table and waited, drumming her fingers on the tabletop, feeling every inch of how small this room was with just her and Derek inside. He tore open an antiseptic towel and wiped her face and neck, using slow, tender strokes along her cheek and throat.

'Shook you up pretty bad tonight, didn't it?' he asked as he worked closely.

'Me? No, I'm okay.'

'You don't have to play tough girl with me. I've seen stuff that left me puking in alleys, Gina. And I'm the toughest person I know,' he said with a slight curve of his lips as he straightened and faced her. 'This is some scary s.h.i.+t, and most of it d.a.m.ned unbelievable.'

'Yeah.' She couldn't bring herself to look at him, instead deciding to study her boots.

'I saw my first demon when I was ten years old.'

Her gaze shot to his. 'You did?'

'Yeah. I woke up when I heard a sound in my bedroom, and there it was. Ugly motherf.u.c.ker. Big and nasty and G.o.dd.a.m.n did it stink.'

Eyes wide, she asked, 'What was it doing in your bedroom?'

'Kidnapping my little brother.'

Chapter Nine.

N ow what in h.e.l.l possessed Derek to tell Gina that story? He'd never told anyone about Dominic's kidnapping. The only one who knew was Lou. Maybe it was the lost, lonely-little-girl expression on her face that just tore his guts out. ow what in h.e.l.l possessed Derek to tell Gina that story? He'd never told anyone about Dominic's kidnapping. The only one who knew was Lou. Maybe it was the lost, lonely-little-girl expression on her face that just tore his guts out.

He felt something for her, something way more than he felt for the others, and he d.a.m.n well knew it.

'Demons kidnapped your brother?'

'Yeah.' He opened the antibiotic ointment and spread some on the scratches on Gina's neck.

'Why?'

'h.e.l.l if I know.' Circling around to her left, he adjusted the light to the back of her shoulder and opened a cleansing wipe.

Gina craned her neck to look at him. 'Derek, what happened to your brother?'

'Don't know. Never saw him again.' He swiped away the blood and grit from her wound. It was fairly deep and would need further cleansing.

'Your mom and dad?'

'Dad wasn't around by then. He'dtaken off. Don't know what really happened to him. My mom said my brother died suddenly. She kept telling me I had a bad dream.'

Gina pulled away from him. 'She lied to you?'

'Gina, I can't work on you if you keep moving.'

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