Part 24 (2/2)
”Caroline, get back. Let me do this.”
”Get out of here, David. Son, come here.”
”f.u.c.k, no.” The boy's hand moved and the rifle clicked.
Caroline took a step toward him.
David could smell the stark odor of cordite still coming from the rifle.
”Caroline, please please!”
”Come here,” she said, opening her arms.
The boy pushed the rifle into her face. David was behind her. He could not save her now.
”Son, no. No, please,” he said, but his fear reduced it to a dry, barely audible murmur.
Caroline lifted her hand, palm out, as if trying to protect herself from the barrel of the weapon. The two of them remained like that, frozen. David could not see Caroline's face, but the boy's slowly changed, the hardness leaving his eyes and tears appearing at their edges.
”Ma'am, is this the end of the world?”
”It's a big change. Son, tell me, is there a black spot on you anywhere? Under your arm, maybe? On your leg?”
He hesitated. David took a step to one side, trying to get a clear run at the kid. Behind him, Mack was also in motion.
The boy said, ”I got nothing like that.”
Caroline said, ”Give me the gun.”
”No'm.”
”Did the s.h.i.+ps come over your house?”
”Yeah, they didn't stop, we got left here.”
”Son, you have a chance to escape with us. Don't lose it now.”
”I shot 'em all!” His voice broke. ”I'm sorry.” This was followed by a cataract of sobs and the boy ran into Caroline's arms. David had never seen anything quite like it.
Her arm around him, Caroline returned to the building. A security guard quickly scooped up his abandoned weapon.
Two staffers came out with sheets to cover the dead, of which there were four. The wounded, many more, had been taken to the infirmary.
Most of the remaining staff and patients were a.s.sembled in the recreation room. Caroline had gone back to her easel and set it up, Susan having supplied her with paint and a fresh canvas. Mack watched her, and Noonan watched him.
David got up on a chair. ”Patients, you need to get upstairs with the others and stay away from windows. Our security team will get the situation under control, but we need to help them by staying out of harm's way.”
As he watched, the others trooped upstairs, all except Mack and Noonan, and, of course, Caroline. He looked around for Sam, but didn't see him. Katie was still here, so he asked her to escort Mack to his room.
”Aren't we past that?” Mack immediately asked.
”I told you, I want you in the sight of staff, and I can't deal with you right now.”
”I'm not being locked in any G.o.dd.a.m.n room! No way!”
”Just go upstairs with the others.”
”What about her?” He gestured toward Caroline. ”She can't stay down here.”
”She needs to do her work.”
”Let's take her somewhere safer.”
”Mack, you go with the others, or I will lock you down at gunpoint.”
”With what gun?”
He was about to produce it when Caroline whirled away from her painting.
”Stop it! Mack, stop being a fool. Go upstairs where it's safe.”
”What is that thing, anyway? It's no d.a.m.n painting.” He advanced toward her, one aggressive step, then another. David took out the little pistol, which felt mysterious and awful in his hand.
”It's a way out,” Caroline said. ”It's a chance chance!”
”How does it work?”
”If it works.”
”So you're not sure?”
”I'm sure I'm creating a portal. If n.o.body destroys it this time, maybe we can go through.”
”To where?”
”Away from here.”
”There's got to be more to it than that.”
She shook her head-and Mack came yet closer to her. ”Tell me how the G.o.dd.a.m.n thing works works!”
David fired. Across the room, a painting of Amanda Acton, Herbert's wife, dropped to the floor with a resounding crash.
”The next one,” he said to Mack, ”belongs to you.”
Mack still seemed ready to throttle Caroline, and David began tightening his finger on the trigger.
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