Revolution (Collide, #4)(9)

She looked at us all. "They're here."

A Feat of Massive Proportion



Chapter 4


Merrick



"Jeff, she's fine."

"Don't start in on me," he barked back and shifted the crow bar from one hand to the other in agitation and readiness. We waited just inside the back door of the store, the first line of defense for when the bastards arrived. "She's…I'm going to have…" He stopped and looked at me. "There's going to be a baby. Marissa's and mine. I'm going to have two people to look after now." He grinned a weird sort of grimace. "And I just know it's going to be a girl. I just know it."

"How do you know?"

He grinned wider. "That's my punishment."

I laughed. "It sounds like a reward instead."

"What would they say?" he asked seriously and nodded his head toward the heavens. "What would they think of what we've become?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly and sighed. "I can't say they'd be proud, but I hope they would understand at least."

"This time is different," Jeff insisted. "All the other times we came here, it was different. I feel like I've let them down…but I also wouldn't do anything differently."

"You're fine with not going to the After?" I asked. It had been on my mind a lot lately, with death knocking louder on our door every day.

"I…am," he said finally. "I really am. I know that the After is what was destined for us, but I feel like my destiny had changed. Marissa…"

I waved him off. "You don't have to explain to me. I know."

"Are you ok with not going?"

"Yeah, I am, but I would like to have seen it, just one time."

"Yeah, me, too. I'm glad you're still here. Um…where did you go? When you died?"

"I didn't go anywhere," I remembered. It was hard to believe that was all just a few minutes ago. "It was like I was waiting to see if it was real or not before I moved on."

He sighed and jerked, hoisting his crow bar in his hands. "Sense it?"

"Yep," I gripped my stake tighter. "Game time."

We waited. When we heard the crunch of snow under boots, we went for it. We blasted the door open, knocking the Lighter from his feet. The snow was slippery and melting, and the hot air from the blazing sun around us almost made me dizzy. I quickly staked the Lighter. The satisfying lightning shot up, and I hoped that the other Lighters saw so they'd know we meant business.

We looked around, but saw no one. I could still sense them, though.

They're still here.

Yep.

What game is this?

I think we're being ambushed. Above us on the roof, one o'clock.

I didn't turn, we just waited. When I heard his descent, the small cracking of shingles as he pushed from the roof, we both turned, stakes raised. We both skewered him and I had to turn my face away from the lightning since he was so close. But when my eyes reopened, we saw them. It looked like a hundred of them. They came over the roof, they came from around the building side, they came from the sky.

Ok, you can call them now.

Brothers, now. Like right now.

Max, Billings, Daniel and Ryan ran to the door with all of our cavalry in tow. I didn't want this anymore. I was so selfish, but I wanted to live my human life making love to my wife, playing with my daughter, eating with friends, bickering with Danny. I had chosen to give my Keeper life away, and it was worth it, but I didn't want to spend it this way. I didn't want to waste both of my lives.

Even as the thought coursed through me, I still found myself raising my stake and moving forward as they piled out of the store door. I ran to the forefront and Jeff followed me.

"Well?" I said to the waiting Lighters who watched. "What are you waiting for?"

That was all it took and they descended on us rapidly. I just hope we lasted long enough to keep the ones inside safe. That was all I wanted right then.

Danny slapped them on the face as he forced his compulsion on them. He must have told them to play dead because everyone he touched fell to the ground like a lump of coal. And I followed behind him and staked them each in turn. Billings and Jeff were tag-teaming them. Cain was blasting them into the building side and Ryan was trying to get to them before they could get up. It seemed that we had the upper hand.

But thinking or speaking too soon was never a good thing.

"Look!" we heard and saw another wave just like the first; over the roof, around the sides and from the sky.

Waves! Jeff said. They're trying to tire us out!

Well, it's working! I staked another one and groaned at the ache in my shoulder from one of their hits. If they keep the waves coming for something bigger, we won't make it!

What do we do?

Keep fighting. No choice. I'll call Miguel. Maybe a few grenades will make them slow their roll.

What in the worlds does that mean? He glared at me from across a Lighter's back. Why are you constantly talking like Cain and his non-English gibberish?

I laughed. I just mean maybe it'll make them think twice if we have some tricks up our sleeve. Miguel! Grenades, now!

I know I couldn't wait for his reply because there would be none, but I hoped he got the message and was on the way. The Lighters kept coming and we kept staking them and what not, but it wasn't enough. I saw the back store door swing open, but flames were what I saw. Then Miguel with his wolfish grin and swagger. "We improvised a bit!" he yelled and laughed as he threw a grenade, but it was trailed by a flaming rag of some sort that was stuck to it.