Page 40 of Starved Until Sunset

Lucia’s voice was strained, and she suddenly took off running down the middle of the road. Cody stood and immediately grabbed Demmy by the arm to keep him close. Lucia was looking up at the sky, and Cody saw something with a wide wingspan that blocked out part of the stars and moon glided overhead, high enough to clear the tops of trees. Strong, pale limbs that looked to end in claws gripped Deputy Walsh by the shoulders. She screamed and struck at the claws, kicking her feet as it carried her off.

“The fuck?” Cody repeated.

“Get in the truck,” Demmy shouted. “We can’t lose her!”

“The truck won’t be able to keep up with that,” Cody shouted back.

Lucia pointed toward Deputy Walsh’s cruiser. “Get behind the wheel and follow me!”

“Guess we’re driving a sheriff’s car again,” Cody said, running toward the cruiser, Demmy right behind him.

“What the fuck was that?” Cody said. He got in the car and cursed when his knees hit the steering column. “Am I the tallest person in town?”

“It couldn’t be a Pinesville Devil, could it?” Demmy said. “Not here.”

“Sure flew like one.” Cody slid the seat back, then put the car in gear and drove off after Lucia. “Damn, these cars have pick up.”

“Lucia’s going to make a deputy out of you yet.”

“Deputy?” Cody shot him a look. “Is that a uniform fetish poking its head out of your fantasy closet?”

“Just follow that thing.”

He sped along 118, following Lucia in her cruiser. He didn’t even bother trying to find the switch for the sirens since Lucia had hers blasting. The radio squelched and Lucia’s voice came through. “This is Deputy Durant. I’m in high speed pursuit of an animal that has taken Deputy Walsh. The animal is in flight over the eastern edge of town. Civilians are driving Deputy Walsh’s cruiser behind me to assist. All available units converge on the eastern edge of town. Demetrius, pick up.”

“Oh, shit,” Demmy said, grabbing the mic and pressing the button. “Um, yeah. Hi, Lucia. This is Demetrius.”

“Smooth,” Cody said.

“Shut up,” Demmy said. Then he realized he still held the button. “Oh, shit. Sorry about that. I’m new to this. Hello?”

“Release the button,” Cody said, ducking his head to look up through the windshield. “We still have her in sight?”

Demmy released the button and Lucia’s voice started immediately. “Keep an eye on that thing and tell us where it goes.”

“Got it, I will. Okay.” Demmy powered down his window and stuck his head out. Cody glanced over and saw his thinning hair standing straight up as he squinted against the wind, looking up into the sky. In that moment he looked brave and determined, and it both excited and terrified Cody. At some point, brave and determined was going to lure Demmy into a monster trap he couldn’t fight his way out of, and Cody would lose him forever.

“See it?” Cody asked.

“Yeah.” Demmy pulled his head in and raised the window, blocking out the wind and chill evening air. He pressed the button on the microphone. “Lucia, turn right at the next street. It’s drifting off over the fields.”

“What the fuck is it?” Cody asked.

“The more I look at it, the less I think it’s the Pinesville Devil.”

Demmy’s phone buzzed, and he squirmed to pull it from his pocket. He tapped the decline button and stuck the phone between his legs. “It was Amelia.”

The phone buzzed again, and Demmy looked over at him.

“Answer it. Tell her you’re busy,” Cody said. “Or she’ll just keep calling.”

Demmy accepted the call. “Hi, Amelia. Now’s not a good time.”

Even over the roar of the big sheriff cruiser engine and the sirens on Lucia’s car, Cody could hear her. “We can hear you on the police band radio Isaac Wilkerson has in his condo.”

“Gotta love those seniors,” Cody said. “Put her on speaker.”

Demmy tapped the speakerphone button. “Okay, well, so you know it’s not a good time.”