Long, dark hair limply hung over her face. Her skin was sheet white like the dress she wore. There were frills on her gown, and halfway down there was what looked like spatters of mud and blood.
“Help me,” she said again, her hair moving slightly over her lips.
“Ohhell no, I’ve seen this movie,” I said, raising my bat up over my shoulder ready to swing.Not that I needed to. The agents would easily take her out with their guns at close range.
Gregory,however, was still looking aroundthe rest of the store. “She’s trying to distract us.”
Goosebumps raised on the back of my neck and arms. I had the intense sensation of being watched but there was only one little She with the hair over her eyes. My breaths came in short pants even though I tried tobe as quiet as possible.
Something made a scratching sound, and a piece of something fell in my eye. I blinked away what felt like sand. Ever so slowly, I raised my gaze upward. There weretwenty She clinging to the ceiling tiles.
My heart dropped into my stomach. “Fuck nuggets.”
25
The room exploded in gunfire and shrieks.Ihad the flame thrower butdidn’t want to set the ceiling on fireoverhead the agents who were aiming and firing.Plus, I didn’t want to turn the leaping She into human fireballs.
Three of the She jumped on one of the agents, taking him to the ground. His screams instantly turned into gurgled cries as they tore into himwith their nails and teeth,all whilegiggling like a pack of hyenas.Gregory cut through the She like an expert Swordsman, but there were too many.
I resorted to doing what I do best.IpickedSophieup, and ran.Déjà vu hit me as I remembered the first time I'd grabbed her when she was confronted by the soul eater.I’d made it a couple feet when aShe leapt down at us, with a shrill,maniacallaugh.Batman connected with the creaturefrom the side, sending it off the trajectory.Krystanwas righton my heels, protecting Sophie like I knew she would.
“Go back,” Sophiewhined. “Merlin andIcan stop them.”
We ran out of the department store into the open mall. I didn’t have time to explain to her that we needed her for the Shinigami. If she fought the She and passed out after, we’d have no way to defeat the big bad that was lurking somewhere else in the mall.
“What are those things doing here? Are they working with the Shinigami?”Krystanasked.
I shook my head. “The She are scavengers and want to eat the bodies. They aren’t incompetitionwith the Shinigami. They’re here to clean up after its mess.”
Krystanwrinkled her nose in disgust.
Myutilitybeltcrackled,and it took me a minute to remember I had taken a walkie talkie to stay in touch with Phillip.We’d rounded thecornertoaneerilyempty part of the mall. I set Sophie down and grabbed the comm. “Phillip, this isNighthawk. We were attacked by the She. There is a pack of them loose in the mall. What’s your twenty, over.”
Krystan gave me a look of confused disgust. “Nighthawk? Are you serious?”
I frowned at her. “It’s an excellent codename. You couldn’t come up with a better one.”
She rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell out of her head. “Are you trying to keep your real identity asecret,so no one comes and beats you up for using that stupid name? Which I bet is already a trademarked superhero name.”
If it was, I didn’t knowthe comic that had done it. I tried not to squirm under herjudgement but failed. “Yeah well you named your weapon Batman.”
“Batman is the only man I can rely on.”
“Oh please, you are so full of it.”
“Stop fighting,” Sophie said as the comm crackled to life.We glared at each other. It wasn’t a proud moment to be scolded by aseven-year-old.
Phillip’s voice came through the walkie.“Noted.Our end was clear, but there is a body count.We are by the Neiman Marcus. Astrid is doing the ritual to draw the demon now. You need to get herewith Sophie stat.”
“Roger that. Over,” I said.
Krystangave me one more eyeroll. “Well if our business goes under, at least we know you can be a truck driver.” She grabbed Sophie’s hand and began to walk quickly. I took up the rearposition,soSophie was sandwiched between us.
“Keep talking lady. When I’m driving a truck full of twinkies, you bet your ass I won’t share any of my cargo with you.” Falling into our usual banter, I tried to tell myself this was like any other job. Get it, whack thebaddies, and get out.
“The only cargo you’d be hauling that I'd be interested in would be a truckload of firearms. Or ooh, fireworks. That would be fun.”
“Or puppies,” Sophie chimed in.
