Part 35 (2/2)
Afterward, she slept.
He rose. Downstairs, he found Bobby and Stacey cuddled together on one of the sofas.
”Jessica?” Stacey asked.
”Is sleeping,” Bryan said.
”I'd kind of like to go see Sean, then...” Bobby hesitated, looking disbelievingly at Bryan. ”Stacey's tried to explain it to me.”
Bryan grimaced. ”Bobby, you can get explanations for a lifetime-h.e.l.l, you can live several lifetimes-and still not really understand.”
Bobby nodded. ”I guess everyone needs to get some rest, but then we'll have to start making plans. And...” He barely missed a beat, then looked Bryan straight in the eyes. ”We'll need all the help we can get.”
Stacey smiled. ”A major meeting. Here. Tonight. I'll see to it.”
”I'll be here,” Bobby said. ”I won't fail again, I promise.”
”You didn't fail, Bobby. And next time you'll be prepared. But nothing is going to happen here. I'm almost sure of it.”
”I won't fail again,” Bobby repeated.
Stacey curled her fingers around his hand, smiled grimly as she looked at Bryan. ”We won't fail,” she a.s.sured him.
Bryan shook his head. ”I'm going to need you guys to provide support, and that's not because I don't trust you. But you're only human, like it or not. There's only so much you can do.”
They both looked deflated, but Bobby only sighed and told Bryan, ”Yeah. Sure. We'll make great babysitters.”
Bryan found Sean Canady outside the entrance to the cells.
”How did you know I'd be here?” Sean asked him.
”Hunch,” Bryan said. ”Will you have trouble getting me in?”
”Usually I would have to pull some strings and do a lot of paperwork. But today...I don't think so. Come on.”
Bryan followed close behind Sean as they made their way to the holding cell, filling the cop in on his theory about the final battle.
Sean a.s.sured the guards they pa.s.sed that he could handle things himself, though he shouldn't have been going in alone, much less with Bryan; it was totally against policy. But the guards were spooked. They didn't want anything to do with the entire area where Niles Goolighan was being kept.
Bryan remained out of sight when they first approached the cell. Goolighan grinned at Sean. The kid was covered in blood, His own? The guard's?
”Hey, piggy, piggy,” Goolighan taunted in a singsong voice. ”Come on in. I've the power now, and you're going to die.” ”You're a punk, Niles. Always were, always will be,” Sean said.
Goolighan shook his head. ”No. He kept his promise. He came to me.”
”Who's that?” Sean asked, as if he weren't the least bit interested.
”The Prince of Darkness,” Goolighan said delightedly.
”He's not the Prince of Darkness. Just a punk follower-like you, He's had a little more practice, that's all, and he isn't quite as dumb,” Sean said.
”I'm not stupid. I'm going to be all-powerful. I'm his ally.”
”No, Niles, you may have asked him in, but you're still a punk. Cal talked, by the way. We know all about the Web site, and we know how he gets to you a.s.sholes.”
Goolighan didn't seem to be listening anymore. He was liked a crazed hyena, laughing, chortling. ”I'll be there. I'll be at the great battle. Come on in, pig. I'm going to kill you. Then I'll die and come back and be at the battle when it rages.”
”You'll be the best punk there, I bet,” Sean told him. ”Where will this battle take place?”
”What do you care? You'll be dead. Come on, pig. You can't resist. Get in here and try to kill me.”
”You're right. I can't resist. But humor me, first. Where is it going to be?”
Niles started laughing as if that were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. ”It will be so cool there, in the mists.”
”He'll be waiting below the high tor, huh?”
Niles giggled again. ”Not bad, piggy, piggy. It's the b.i.t.c.h he wants. He's wanted her all along. Wants to kill her. I think once he wanted to f.u.c.k her, but she was like all b.i.t.c.hes, wanting someone else. Some piece of highland s.h.i.+te.” He gave the last the Scottish p.r.o.nunciation, then went into gales of laughter. ”Ah, laddie.” he said, doing a creditable Scottish accent, ”he'll bastion himself in the MacDonnough ruins, that he will. He'll command the valley and the highlands. And then it will end for those who made his life-and death-a h.e.l.l.”
”Great. Thanks,” Sean said, turning the lock, stepping into the cell.
Bryan moved up behind him in the blink of an eye, and Niles saw him for the first time. He roared in sudden knowledge and fury.
Sean stepped back. There was no fight. Not really. Niles was a fool. He attacked Bryan, going straight for him, impaling himself on the small wooden stake Bryan held. He hadn't even needed to thrust it forward.
”I guess I'm going to have to answer a lot of questions,” Sean said when it was over. ”But I've done it before and, G.o.d help me, I'll probably do it again, somewhere down the line.”
They both looked at Niles, crumpled on the floor.
”Rest in peace, you sorry punk,” Sean murmured.
”There was nothing else we could do,” Bryan told him.
”I know. It's just such a waste.” Sean sighed, straightened. ”Let's go.”
This time they were all at the house on Bourbon Street.
They filled the kitchen, and at first glance they might have been any group of friends; Stacey and Bobby had gone to Sean and Maggie's to watch the children, but all the rest were there. Sean was explaining what had happened to Niles Goolighan.
”How did you explain killing him in his cell?” Jessica asked, pouring coffee for herself.
Sean hesitated for a moment. ”I've had to explain far worse,” he reminded her. ”There wasn't a soul who didn't believe he'd attacked me. I said I was d.a.m.n lucky Bryan had a stake on him.”
”A stake?” Jessica said. ”And how did you explain Bryan carrying a stake?”
”Easy. A prop for his lectures,” Sean said.
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