Frenzy squeezed Rance’s palm together, then applied the super glue to the slice. He held Rance’s hand still for a few seconds, then satisfied that the bleeding was at least stopped temporarily, handed the tube of glue back to Grim, who handed him an ace bandage.
Rance started to pull his hand out of Frenzy’s, but Frenzy held on tight. “You’re going to be handling bodies. Bodies that have been sitting here for days. Seal this shit, you can remove the glue later and let it bleed until you fall over. But let’s not give ourselves sepsis at the moment, huh?”
Rance held his hand still while Frenzy wrapped it.
When he was done, he gave Rance a single nod. “Now. Let’s do this.”
It took hours before they were satisfied that every body on the Gamieyon property had been located and brought to the saferoom beneath the play yard. The last body in was Grail’s. Rance placed him, facing the stairs leading down into the room, and put him back together as much as he could.
When he stepped back to take one last look at the scene, Steve softly spoke to him. “Here.”
Rance looked at Steve and smiled sadly.
Steve held a charred, stuffed lion and a small metal race car in one hand, and a blackened silver hair brush with the bristles burned away in another.
“Perfect,” Rance said, laying the toys that belonged to Grail’s kids and the brush that belonged to his wife against his body. “I’ll make sure they never forget you and are always proud of where they came from,” he added to his vow.
Rance heard Steve’s footsteps as he went up the stone steps, then he followed him up. When he reached the top, he stood at the opening of the safe room, and raised his face to the sky as he lifted his arms and held his hands out to his sides with his palms up. “You are all free. You are the blowing winds, the warmth of the sun on our faces, the rains that wash us clean, the stars dancing for our eyes at night, the birds singing for our ears, and forever in our hearts. We will carry on in your name. All things left undone, will be finished. All those under your care will remain protected, as you will protect us from the other side. Be at peace now brothers and sisters.”
“You will have your vengeance,” Steve added.
“Indeed you will!” Rance growled.
Many of those standing around agreed heartily.
Rance moved away from the opening of the safe room and started returning it to the way it was when they’d found it. The others joined in to make it appear as it had when they’d found it, they didn’t want anyone to know they’d found it and buried all the dead inside it. By the time they finished, you couldn’t tell it had been disturbed. The broken sandbox was atop it, sandstrewn about, toys and play things littering the area. No one that didn’t know it was there before, would know it was there now.
“We’ll come back and seal it permanently. Nobody will be able to open it,” Frenzy said.
Rance nodded.
“That was some powerful shit you said,” Feral said.
“It’s how we send off all our dead,” Rance said.
“Best way I’ve ever seen,” Hail said. “And believe me when I say I’ve seen far too many.”
“Let’s get out of here. Be as careful going out as you were coming in. Be ready,” Frenzy said.
People went in all directions, teams reuniting as they retraced their steps on the way out.
“Never seen anything like that,” Menace said as his team headed back the way they came.
“I want it said at mine,” Savage said.
“Planning on dying soon?” Menace asked.
“Not particularly. But you never quite know,” Savage answered.
Chapter 21
As Frenzy reached the vehicle he arrived in, he stood outside the Suburban and looked around thoughtfully.
“You alright?” Valid asked.
“Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Like what?”
