CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Carl and Wade got up to Mooney’s Bluff well before the sun set. And then they got to work. There were things that had to be done, an assortment of surprises they might or might not ever get to use, but they would have them as ready as they could just the same.

They were just finishing with what they hoped would be a proper concealment of their special surprises when Carl looked over at Wade and cleared his throat.

“So, seems like somebody put a car near your place to the torch. I mean seriously to the torch.”

“Yeah?”

“Sort of fire I figure might be made with one of those little grenades you were nice enough to share out.”

“Weird how that could happen.”

“Yeah. I was just gonna recommend being on the lookout for the sort of maniac that would burn a car into slag.”

“No worries, Carl. I tend to keep my eyes peeled for that sort of thing.”

“I thought you might, what with being a detective and all that.”

Griffin looked around the area instead of answering. Carl did likewise. There were trees but no real shade, and it was hotter than Hell. To their left was a very large pit in the ground, carved out years ago by the Mayhew Granite Company. These days the abandoned quarry was half-filled with water in some of the lower areas, and back in their teen years both of them had gone skinny-dipping there a few times with the appropriate female companions.

Carl looked away for a second as he thought on Tammy back in the day. Best not to think about that. Not to think about her. “Goddamned ghosts are everywhere these days.”

“What’s that, Carl?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged and looked around the area in the other direction. Hills and dirt and kudzu. Everywhere with the damned kudzu. If they weren’t careful that vine really would swallow the entire southeast. He had no doubt of it. “You think they picked this spot for a reason?”

“I think they want their privacy. Want to do this without witnesses.”

“I don’t know, man.” Carl’s lips pressed together. “What was that shit about buried on their native soil? Lots of areas around here where they could put people down if they wanted to start all over again.”

Wade looked toward him for a moment and then did a slow stretch to keep his muscles limber. “Maybe. I won’t go that way.”

“Not on my plans, either. Don’t worry, if they get you and I get away, I’m coming back to take your head off.”

Wade nodded. “Good. I’ll do the same.”

“I’d expect no less. Hell, I figure to keep one of the grenades with me. They go too far with the feeding I’ll pull the pin.”

“You’re getting too damned defeatist, Carl.”

“No. Realistic.”

“Same difference. I intend to walk away from this shit. I don’t intend to leave you behind, either.”

Carl spit. “Not on my plans either, Wade. I’m just thinking out loud.”

“No, you’re giving up.”

“If I was giving up I’d have put a fucking bullet through my head by now, Wade!” His voice was louder than he planned as he looked toward his friend. “I feel particularly like doing myself in, I’ll do it when I have the spare fucking time. Right now I’m a bit too fucking busy.”

Wade shook his head and a slow grin ran across his face for a moment. “Now, see, anger is okay. Just don’t go getting whiny.”

“We’ll see about whiny when this is done. We both walk out of this I’m gonna kick your ass for calling me whiny.”

“I’m not calling you whiny. Just suggesting that you might be heading into that particular neighborhood.”

“I’m having a very bad week, Wade.”

“Aren’t we all?”

“You bury your wife this week?”

“Ex-wife. And no.”

“Well make sure you don’t. It’s not exactly a good time.”

“Save it for the vampires, Carl. Take it out on them.”

“I intend to. And when we’re done I’m still gonna kick your ass for calling me whiny.”

“I got a really big ax, Carl.”

“Ass ain’t looking that small these days either.”

“I really don’t need to have you looking at my ass, Carl. Charon’s a bit on the jealous side.”

Carl looked away and chuckled. He couldn’t keep angry with Wade. Not when he knew his friend was merely telling him the truth of the matter. “I don’t think this is going to end well.”

“It’ll end one way or another.”

“No. I mean this whole thing. I’m not sure if I’m gonna be the sheriff much longer. This shit is getting too messy.”

“It’s a job, Carl.”

“I kind of like the pension plan.”

“Well, I don’t suppose a good 401k would suck.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I really don’t much feel like losing my job.”

“So I guess you better start campaigning.”

“Well, there’s good news on that front.”

“Yeah? How so?”

“Pretty much isn’t anyone else wants to inherit my shit. So far there’s no one making big plans for running against me.”

“See? There’s always a bright side.”

“Wade Griffin, Optimist. It doesn’t have a very good ring to it.” Carl thought about it for a second. “Must be Charon rubbing off on you.”

“Might be.”

“That or your exciting new eau de Garlic cologne.”

“It is a bit smelly,” he agreed.

Carl wandered back to the sack of goodies he’d brought along. There were a dozen or more road flares. He also brought along two sets of night vision goggles. They were still trying to decide if those would be a wise choice when one considered everything else they’d brought along.

Time would tell.

Instead of bothering with those just yet, he reached into the sack and pulled out two bottles of water that hadn’t quite made it to lukewarm yet.

There was a while to wait yet, and killing monsters was thirsty work.