"What about me?" asked Lilith.
"She'll probably just run off and tell Jason about us if we let her go," said Noah to Gordon.
"Wait," I said. "Lilith isn't working with you?"
"Lilith?" said Noah. "Come on, Zaza. I know she's your friend and all, but she's way too stupid to pull anything like that off."
"Screw you," Lilith said darkly.
I didn't think. I just moved. My hand darted out and grasped Lilith's. I broke out into a sprint, dragging her along.
We ran across the lawn of Rachel Kline's house. Behind us, I heard both Noah and Gordon cry out in surprise.
Lilith and I might have made it, even though she was slowing me down, her breath coming in gasps.
But before we could get off the lawn and onto the sidewalk (where there were cars to hide in, maybe one with unlocked doors and keys inside) a familiar figure appeared in our path.
"Jude!" I cried out in recognition and relief. "We have to get out of here. I'll explain later." I slowed as I approached him, glancing over my shoulder to see if Noah and Gordon were in pursuit.
I didn't see them anywhere.
Confused, I stopped, pulling Lilith to a stop next to me.
Jude ambled over to us, his arms clasped behind his back. "What's going on?" he asked.
"There are these two guys who were chasing us," I said, struggling to catch my breath. "I don't know where they went."
"I don't see anyone," said Jude.
I just shook my head. "We have to get out of here, anyway," I said. "They'll—"
Jude took his arms out from behind his back. He was holding a baseball bat.
"Jude?" I whispered.
He raised the bat over his head. "Sorry, Azazel," he said.
The bat came crashing down.
And everything winked out, like birthday candles that had just been blown out.
Part Two
Is it like this
In death's other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
-T.S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men"
Chapter Ten
To: Edgar Weem
From: Renegade Son
Subject: Big problems
Edgar,
Azazel's disappeared. Jason's gone after her. I don't know where either of them are, and if I find out you've got anything to do with this, so help me.
I still have an email that I could send out, you know. To everyone in the Sons. With all of your secrets, emblazoned for all of them to see.
Get me a secure, untraceable number, so that I can talk to you.
You've got twenty-four hours.
Hallam
"She's not answering her phone!"
The voice was tight with panic. I recognized the voice. I thought.
"Chill out. Maybe she's away from the phone or has it turned off or something."
That was Noah. Noah, my brother. If I could hear Noah talking, everything must be fine.
"She wouldn't be away from her phone right now. There's no way. Something's not right," said the panicky voice. The familiar voice. Who did that voice belong to?
It was dark. It was dark, and my head hurt.
"Noah's right. You've got to calm down. I'm sure she's okay. She's been taking care of herself for quite some time. And she's not a weak woman. She's got spunk, you know?"
Gordon. Both Gordon and Noah? Was it Christmas or something? Had they come home? Was I in my bed, early in the morning, listening to them talk to Mom and Da—
No. Mom and Dad were dead.
And it was dark because my eyes were closed.
My eyes snapped open as it all came back to me. The party. Jude advancing on me with a baseball bat over his head. The pain. The pain in my head had to be because of that.
I wanted to thrash about and scream, but I forced myself not to move so that I could assess my situation.
I was lying on my side in the back of a speeding vehicle. It looked like the interior of a mini-van of some kind. The carpet was gray and mussed. The back seat had been removed. My hands were tied behind my back. My feet were similarly bound. Lilith was lying next to me, also tied up. Her eyes were closed. Maybe she was still out.
I forced my breathing to stay steady and closed my eyes again. I didn't want them to know that I was awake. Maybe if I just listened, I could find out something useful.
"Spunk?" the familiar voice was repeating. It was Jude, of course. "She could still be vulnerable. I'm worried."
"We'll be at her house in fifteen minutes," said Gordon. "Sit tight. We'll check on her."
Her house? Who was this woman they were talking about? Where were we going? I wished I had an idea of how long we'd been travelling. I'd been knocked out. How long did someone stay knocked out, usually? I didn't know. And for all I knew they'd drugged me in some way too. Had I had anything to drink at the party? I couldn't remember, but I did feel very groggy and disoriented.