“He says he’ll make me his queen. I have to go.”
I made a move for her but only got about a foot before I wasn’t able to move anymore. I was frozen in place, crystalizing from the bottom up.
A black shape formed behind her, growing in the moment, something so large and dense and malevolent that it seemed to take up all the space in the room, in the world, the universe. A flash of white teeth, coming for her.
Run, I screamed in my head. Ellie did not. She smiled in awe and stuck her hand out to touch the beast, it disappearing into the blackness.
Then she screamed and yanked her hand out. It was covered in blood.
Run, Run, Run.
And she did.
She tried.
She turned and tried to run but fell to the sheets.
The black beast descended on her. It grabbed her by the legs, swallowing them whole with that inky darkness.
Ellie screamed for me, fear taking over her eyes, her fingers desperately grasping the satin sheets, trying not to be taken.
The beast dragged her back and devoured her until there was nothing left but the abyss.
And there wasn’t a single thing I could do about it.
When I came to, for one split second, I thought I was back in Sins & Needles, lying on the floor of my tattoo parlor. I thought maybe everything had been a dream and I hadn’t tortured anyone for information or ignited someone’s face on fire or was on the run from the law. I thought maybe none of it happened and I was Camden McQueen again, a good boy. Weak, but good. There was a sense of relief in that.
Then my eyes started to focus on the ceiling and I realized that I wasn’t in a tattoo parlor, I was in a veterinary clinic. I could smell the urine and chemicals and fur, hear the twitterings of various animals. Some woman was leaning over me with a stethoscope in her ears.
“He’s awake. Hello, Camden, I’m Carlotta Valdez.”
I blinked hard and tried to sit up but she pushed me back down with a firm yet delicate hand.
“You’ll be alright, just take it easy. You’re heavily sedated. Gus didn’t know what to do with you, poor man was a little crazy. You’re really lucky, that bullet didn’t hit any arteries. The wound was pretty clean. You’ll heal up nice.”
I closed my eyes, feeling the wooziness sweeping over me. “Where is he? Where am I?”
“You’re in my clinic. Normally I treat dogs and cats but business is a little slow on Fridays, so I made an exception.”
I opened my eyes again and looked at her closely. She was in her mid-thirties, pretty good looking actually. Large nose though it suited her face, good bones, nice, gentle eyes. Her hair was dark and gathered in a tight bun. She seemed trustworthy but I guess it didn’t really matter if she was or not because I was lying on a cold table used to treat ailing pets and felt like I had enough drugs in me to bring down a horse.
“Hey,” I heard Gus’s low voice from beside me. I turned my head to the side and gave him a small smile. He looked like he’d aged ten years, the lines around his eyes deeper. “How does it feel knowing you were shot by the Mexican police?”
“Like I’m on drugs.”
Gus smiled and looked over me at Carlotta. “So am I his nurse now?”
She grinned and tapped her clipboard with her pen. “Yes, you certainly are. Camden will be a good patient I’m sure. He’s much more agreeable than some of the cats I treat. You’ll have to keep him hydrated and his arm needs to stay in the sling for a few weeks.”
“Fuck,” I swore. Being disabled wasn’t going to help me in the long run. I needed to get to Ellie and for that every part of me had to work. The blackness that took her still haunted me.
“I’m sorry,” she said, not sounding very sorry. “But you’ve been shot. So that’s what happens. Be glad that cop wasn’t trying to take your head off, because he could of.” She sighed and looked at Gus, her eyes soft. “I really wish you weren’t doing this, especially with him banged up. It’s too dangerous.”
“We’ll be careful,” Gus said.
Her lips twisted wryly. “I don’t think you’ve been all that careful thus far.”
Gus patted my good arm. “Camden is a lot stronger and smarter than he looks.”
“I’m sure he is. The glasses help.” She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a business card. “I know you have my number already, but here’s my email. Keep me updated. Let me know how he is and if I can do anything to help.”
“You’ve done enough already, Carlotta, thank you.” Gus put his hand behind my shoulder and began to push me up. “Slowly now, Camden.”
I couldn’t move any slower. I felt like I was pushing through quicksand. Once I was up straight, the room spun around until it slowed. Hell, these were some drugs. I was sure my eyes were rolling around in my sockets.
Carlotta appeared by my side with a glass of water and held it to my mouth. “Just a little bit.”