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Peaceable Kingdom: The Angels’ Bower
Fortunato went back into the living room, pacing impatiently, almost unable to bear the thought of what he was about to do to his son. He only had to wait a few minutes. Nighthawk came back through the hole in the wall, leading Blood. He gave him to his handler, and both he and Jerry followed Fortunato back into the bathroom where the boy was burning so hot that no one could approach him. Jerry put a syringe, already loaded with the Trump, by the side of the tub.
“Okay, John,” he said, “you’ll have to inject yourself, but that’s no big deal. You can do it.”
The boy looked at them. Fortunato could read the fear in his eyes. “I know it’s scary,” he said, “but it’s your best hope.” Am I condemning him to a terrible death, Fortunato thought, or saving him from one? He could barely breath. He couldn’t imagine how the boy felt.
“Hey,” John Fortune said, his voice cracking only a little, “I’ve beat worse odds before.”
“That’s right,” Jerry said. “You can do it, kid, I know you can.”
John Fortune reached for the syringe. His hand trembled only a little. He took it in his hand, and the glass melted like snowflakes on a griddle. Fortunato felt something like death pass through him as everyone groaned in anger and frustration.
“There’s only one thing left,” Nighthawk said. He took the glove off his left hand and stepped forward.
Peaceable Kingdom, The Angels’ Bower, courtyard
Dagon growled like a beast. He took a step backwards, and was suddenly among the Allumbrados, claws and teeth flashing. Screams etched stricken expressions on the gunmen’s faces as the Butcher moved through them.
“Dagon!” Ray shouted.
He must have heard, but he paid Ray no attention. The Allumbrados were dead in moments, all of them, and suddenly Dagon turned back into a naked tubby man.
“What the Hell are you doing?” Ray asked.
Dagon smiled. “Turning coats, right?”
“We’ve got to fight this out,” Ray said.
“Do we?” Dagon asked with raised eyebrows. “We tried that once before, and neither of us liked it very much.”
“I liked it enough to try it again.”
“Ah, but I don’t, dear boy.”
“I should kick your ass.”
“Don’t be a dolt,” Dagon chided him. “Don’t you have more important fish to fry? You shouldn’t even be wasting time talking to me.”
Ray ground his teeth in frustration. The bastard was right. “This isn’t over between us,” Ray flung over his shoulder as he rushed back into the Bower’s lobby.
“For now,” Dagon said smiling, “it is.”