Part 41 (1/2)
”Break it down, brother,” a man said.
”Go 'head, Chief!” a woman urged.
Jackson bent closer to the microphone. ”I don't claim to know everything about these monsters, but I know they ain't exactly like what you've seen in the movies. They do feed on blood. But these dogs I told you about well, if one of them bites you, you can get sick and change into one of the vampires. And it looks like crosses, holy water, and religious stuff doesn't hurt 'em none, either. The strongest ones can walk around during the day. The only way you can kill them, for sure, is with fire. Guns don't work, wooden stakes don't work, knives don't work. You've gotta burn them to ashes”
Throughout the church, people scribbled notes.
A woman sitting in one of the front pews raised her hand. ”Is there a master vampire, like in the movies? Someone has to be responsible for starting it in the first place.”
Jackson paused. ”Yeah, guess there is one. No one's seen him yet, but we know he's out there. We're gonna find him and take care of him, I promise you.
”But look, everything we said about the virus and what we need to do, that ain't changed. We're asking folks to stay in the house, only come outside for an emergency. Keep your doors locked and your windows shut. Stay away from dogs, and keep your own dogs penned up in the house. We still need you to tell us the folks that've been sick lately, 'cause they're the ones who might change. We're gonna quarantine the sick people at the hospital so we can watch over them, and make sure they don't hurt anyone”
”You gonna burn them up?” a man said. ”You said that's the only way to kill 'em, was to burn 'em. My wife's been sick all day. You gonna put her in the hospital and burn her?”
Jackson swallowed. ”I didn't say we were gonna do that.”
”But that's what you're implying, Chief!”
Jackson stammered, ”Now, hold on-”
But more questions and angry shouts pelted him.
”You can't be killing our people, man!”
”Where'd the head vampire come from?”
”We need to set the town on fire! Ain't nothing here, no way!”
”I'm leaving town soon as I get outta here!”
”You're full of s.h.i.+t, Chief, you don't know what the h.e.l.l's going on!”
”What about my little girl who's been sick?”
The chaotic energy boiling in the church made Jackson dizzy. People stood in the aisles and pews, eyes bulging, mouths yapping. Other people grabbed the microphones and shouted into them, their voices jumbled together. Some people were beginning to argue with one another. An older woman smacked a younger lady in the mouth. In another pew, two guys were starting to wrestle, knocking over others in the process. Still more people were on their knees at the altar, praying loudly, tears streaming down their faces.
Jackson turned. Even the mayor, physician, sheriff, and pastor were barking at one another.
Pandemonium was what Jackson had feared.
He shouted for order. He hammered the pulpit with his fist.
No one paid him any mind.
So he unholstered his .357 Magnum, raised it skyward, and fired. The gun boomed like a cannon. Chips of wood rained from the ceiling and showered the crowd.
Everyone froze, as if zapped by a magic spell.
”Listen to me!” Jackson said. ”We've gotta stay calm and stick together. We ain't got time for no foolishness-'cause just like in the movies, these vampires do come out at night.” Now he really had their attention again; he dramatically tapped the face of his watch. ”We've got less than three hours till dusk. That ain't a lot a time for us to do what we've gotta do.
”Like I was saying, Doc Green's team is gonna drive around and pick up the folks that're sick and take 'em to the hospital. So you need to put the names of the sick on that list we're pa.s.sing around. Don't keep it secret, I'm warning you. Might wind up with something on your hands that you ain't prepared to handle.
”Next, David Hunter, please come forward.”
David rose from a pew in the rear of the church and walked down the center aisle. Astonished murmurings of ”Look, that's Richard Hunter's boy” followed him. Jackson, for his part, was pleased with how David handled himself. The kid looked strong and capable, like a born leader.
In front, David faced the audience, hands on his waist, like a man ready to take care of business.
”Hunter is heading up our citizen patrol teams,” Jackson said. ”Why? 'Cause he knows more about these vampires than anyone in this building. His family fought them before long, interesting story that maybe he'll share with you one day. We need at least twenty volunteers for our teams. If you volunteer, you'll be put in a small group, and at night you'll be either patrolling the streets or put at different locations. We'll keep in touch with walkie-talkies. You'll get more information at our patrol team meeting later. Anyone who's interested, stay here after we dismiss this meeting, and you'll be part of the team. We need you.
”If you ain't volunteering, then we need you to show common sense. We've only got each other. Look out for one another. Stay in the house at night. Run to and from your car if you gotta go somewhere. Don't go nowhere alone. Now, more than ever, we've gotta be true brothers and sisters, hear me? We've only got each other. They ain't sending in no National Guard, or the FBI, and the state and county police probably ain't gonna be much help, either. We've only got each other. But each other's all we need”
Applause broke out. Jackson straightened, a warm feeling spreading through him. David gave him the thumbs-up sign. In the back of the church, Jahlil clapped, too.
If we can keep up this unity, we'll win this, Jackson thought. Sure as h.e.l.l we will. Vampires can't stop a people united.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Reverend Brown. The pastor smiled.
”Well said, Chief,” he said.
”Sorry 'bout your ceiling, Reverend,' Jackson said sheepishly.
”You'll find the repair bill in the mail tomorrow,” Reverend Brown said, and chuckled. He put his arm around Jackson and leaned closer to the microphone.
”For those who are interested, we're having a night of prayer, praise, and fellows.h.i.+p here at New Life Baptist,” Reverend Brown said. ”We'll be here from eight o'clock this evening until eight tomorrow morning, wors.h.i.+pping our allpowerful G.o.d. These vampires, these servants of the Devil, will not breach the house of the Lord. You are invited to come here and be safe”
Another wave of applause, and shouts of Amen.
”Anyone who wanna party can come to my place!” a woman cried into a microphone. Jackson recognized her: Emma Mae Taylor. An older woman, she was always throwing wild card parties and playing loud music. A thin, elderly woman tried to s.n.a.t.c.h the microphone out of Emma's hands, and Emma pushed her away. ”Shut your mouth, Lillie, I'm just inviting folks. With all the s.h.i.+t goin' on here we all need a little suns.h.i.+ne. I'm at 2147 Coldwater Lane, we gonna have chicken and ribs and booze and music and be playing cards all night, so come on by, y'all.”
Jackson hastened to get to the mic before chaos broke out again. ”Okay, everyone, that's it. Volunteers, please stay behind. Everyone else, go on home. Thanks for coming. May the Lord be with us all.”
There was a final smattering of applause, then people began to file across the aisles to the exit doors, chatting all the way. Jackson was pleased to see that a couple dozen people remained seated. They would need all the help they could get. With a strong team, they had an honest-to-goodness chance to win. He would not allow himself to think otherwise.
It was ten minutes to six o'clock. Night would fall shortly after eight.
Time was ticking away.
Chapter 17.
-wenty-eight people volunteered for the citizen patrol teams, not including Nia, Jahlil, and his friend, Poke. The volunteers' bravery impressed David. If he had been in their shoes, he would've been tempted to leave town before dark, an option that, judging from the comments he'd overheard during the meeting, more than a few people had picked.
Nia had come to the front of the sanctuary, to stand beside him. Before the chief had called David to come forward, Nia had returned to the church and told him what had happened at her house. He hated that Morgan had gotten away, but he was grateful that Nia and her mother were not hurt. It could have been much worse. Nia was sure that Morgan would resurface, later, and he agreed. They would have to stay alert for him.
David directed the group to sit in the pews nearest the altar, so he could speak to them without using a microphone. The people were mostly between the ages of twenty and sixty, but there was a nearly equal number of men and women, a nice balance.