Police rushed toward them, restraining the men who had attacked them. At least, restraining the ones who weren’t dead or badly injured.
Kowalski lowered his gun but had trouble moving one arm and ended up tucking the gun in the waistband of his jeans. Simon did his best to shift enough to look passably human. Then he heard two voices.
Ruthie saying, “Hang on, Lawrence. Hang on. The paramedics are here.”
And Jenni crying, “Crystal? Crystal, wake up! Simon says we have to leave now.”
He stepped aside as men from the ambulance rushed in, guarded by police. He looked at his pack.
Henry had a deep, bloody furrow along his right cheek from the bullet that had struck him when he swatted Simon out of the way. Michael Debany was limping and couldn’t seem to bend one knee. Ruthie was all bloody, but he couldn’t tell if she was wounded or if it was all Lawrence MacDonald’s blood. Merri Lee had bruises already blooming on her face, arms, and legs—and a bone sticking through the skin of one finger on her left hand. Vlad appeared unharmed. So did Jenni and Starr. But Crystal . . .
The back too arched. The feet pointed so hard they were almost curling. The eyes that should have been dark and shining were already dull. And feathers had partially sprouted along her stiff arms.
He looked at the bloody magazines that had fallen around her and thought, This is the vision Meg had seen about Heather. If the human bunny had been working in the Courtyard, she would have come here with the other girls. Would Crystal have lived if Heather had died here?
He didn’t know how much of a prophecy could change and how much was going to happen, regardless of what someone did. All he knew right now was he hurt and he wanted to go home.
<Nathan?> he called.
<Cut from broken glass and hurt from the rocks they threw at me. The monkeys pushed the bus over. Don’t think I can get out. I smell gasoline.> A hesitation. <The police out here are saying they’ll help. They say hurry.>
<They’ll help. Get away from the bus.>
Too much noise. Too much confusion. He felt dull and sick as he watched the paramedics rush MacDonald to the ambulance. He watched police lead the attackers with minor injuries out of the building. And he watched Captain Burke speak briefly to Kowalski and Debany before approaching him.
“Mr. Wolfgard? What can we do for you and your people? You and Mr. Beargard are wounded. So is the Wolf who was in the bus.”
“Our bodywalkers will take care of us,” Simon said. “We just want to go home.”
“Your bus is too damaged to drive, but we’ll get you home.”
“Crystal too.”
Burke nodded. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
He wanted to get away from this place. He wanted a chance to rest and heal. Then he remembered the other part of Elliot’s message. “Tell Lieutenant Montgomery to keep the Lizzy away from the Courtyard. Something bad is going to happen there . . . or has happened.”
“What kind of bad?”
“Don’t know. Meg saw . . .”
“Simon is hurt,” Henry said. “He needs to go home.”
“Captain Zajac and his men also responded to the call for backup. Give me a moment to talk to him; then I’ll make arrangements to get you all home. We’ll need statements from all of you, but that can wait.”
As Burke walked away, Kowalski walked up to Simon and Henry, his arm around Ruthie.