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Brian turns to leave, and I follow him.Well, okay then.I admit I’ve never witnessed Brian do any sort of business deal with anyone, but this was… well, it was something.I’m a little turned on right now if we’re being honest about it.I didn’t expect his name to carry so much weight and power out in the world.How would this guy even know who he is?
“Oh, and Barker?”Brian says, pausing before reaching for the door handle.
“Y-yes, Mr.Sloan?”
“We weren’t here.Remember, discretion is the better part of valor.”
“Yes, of course.My lips are sealed.”He does that weird motion of imaginary locking of his mouth and throwing away an invisible key, which causes the cat to jump off the counter looking for whatever she thinks he threw.
“I look forward to hearing from you,” Brian says.
We’re inside the car before I finally say “What was that all about?”
“What do you mean?I was getting our Krampus costumes.I thought that was what we were doing here.”
“I mean… but you totally Renfielded him.”
He turns in his seat to stare at me.“I what?”
“You know… Dracula’s butt monkey… you completely hypnotized him or something.”
Brian chuckles.“Don’t be ridiculous, Mina.You think a guy like that doesn’t deal with some unsavory types?My name is known in the underworld around here.And after the calling card I left on Halloween night, the fear of the name Sloan has never been higher.”
I find this almost unbearably hot, but I don’t say anything.I couldn’t handle it if he pushed me away again.
When Brian checks the rearview mirror for traffic, I say, “Oh, and how is it that you can just run around telling people your full name like they aren’t going to talk and the police won’t show up at your door?”
He looks at me for nearly a full minute.And just when I think he isn’t going to answer, he says, “In the first place, nobody knows where I live, and I’m careful to keep it that way.Also, Brian Sloan isn’t my real name.”
What?!
But Brian—or whoever he is—just maneuvers the car into the flow of traffic as if he didn’t just pull the pin out of that grenade.
9
MINA
Christmas Eve, 6 pm.
I’m dressed in my normal black murder wear and strapped down with weapons.I’ve successfully fit my Krampus costume into a large black duffle bag, except for the mask, of course.It’s too large and ornate to stuff into a bag.I’ll have to carry it separately.
Also inside the bag are two whips.One is meant for the actual Krampus run—a flogger that can easily be used on people at the event without inflicting real damage.
We got Benjamin to put us on the official Krampus run list under false names along with photos of the costumes and masks we’ll be wearing so we can get in to the staging area of the event.
The family-friendly Krampus parade is going on right now, but by the time we get there, it’ll be the after-hours adult version where everyone in our path is fair game for chasing and whipping.
The rules of the run have been formally announced everywhere so that all attendees know if they don’t want to get hit, they’d better be off the street by nine o’clock.When the downtown countdown clock hits zero and the heavier industrial music starts playing, no one is safe.
These terms have been clearly stated everywhere: In the newspaper, on the website, on the local television news, and on large white signs with red letters clearly posted around the event.This is to protect the city from lawsuits, so no one can come out later and say they didn’t know what was going to happen, claim abuse, and sue the city.I’m not entirely confident it will matter if some Puritan gets a bug up their ass, though.I’m feeling definite Purge Vibes around this event—or maybe it’s just because that’s what Brian and I are using it for… to purge Dante Valentino from this earth before he decides he wants to do the same to us.
The other whip in my bag is a short single-tailed whip with heavy pieces of metal and glass embedded into it.Brian has one as well.We’ll pull these out once we’ve cornered Dante.I’ve still got to grab some dinner upstairs in the cafeteria.I carefully close the door to our dungeon room.
I’m only halfway down the hall when Brian comes down the stairs, and I nearly jump out of my skin.He wears what looks like layers and layers of rags and fur.He has an incredibly intricate demon mask with fur-hair in the back that matches the fur on the rest of the costume.The mask also features huge curled horns and glowing red eyes.
It would be scary enough all by itself, but Brian’s cold dark energy spills out of it, rolling like a rushing wave toward me as he advances.
I take several involuntary steps backward, until my back is pressed flat against the door I just shut.He continues to quietly advance, making a big show of looking me up and down like I’m a meal he’s ready to devour.
