Hungry Independents (Book 2) (31 page)

“You should stay here with us.”

Henry probably thought Billy was too small to
enter a fight. Jimmy reached up and patted him on the shoulder.
“I’ll be all right. This isn’t my first rodeo. It won’t be my
last.”

“What’s a rodeo?”

“I’ll tell you about it later.”

Henry nodded and closed the door.

Jimmy left the churchyard and ran in a
straight path for Main Street. He closed on Scout and Dylan as they
finished knocking one of the kids unconscious. Catherine hustled
over and began disrupting whatever controlled the enchanted
boy.

Something heavy fell on him and drove him to
the ground. Grass and dirt filled Jimmy’s mouth and the taste of
blood seeped out from his busted lip. Something grabbed his hair.
His hat laid on the ground in front of him. He turned his head and
looked over his shoulder, since the hand holding him by the hair
allowed it. Jimmy’s corpse held him tight, sitting on his back. The
corpse groaned and then drove Jimmy’s head into the ground, again
and again, until the groaning ceased.

* * *

Jimmy floated out of Billy’s tiny body.
Billy’s head didn’t look right, but neither did the creature that
lifted it one more time and smashed it into the ground.

Instead of floating away, Jimmy held himself
together, familiar with the prospect of being a ghost.

“Hello, Jimmy,” a voice said behind him.

Jimmy turned and found Billy’s transparent
spirit smiling at him.

“I couldn’t believe it when I found you were
inside my body. How cool is that?”

Jimmy shook his head, but smiled anyways.
“Not very, but thanks for letting me borrow it for a while.
Where’ve you been?”

“I’ve been hanging around. Catherine told me
to wait because she was sure something would happen soon and I
might get my body back.”

Jimmy watched his own dead body move off of
Billy’s little dead one, lying face down in the bloody green grass.
Jimmy’s corpse stared down at the body and then looked around. For
what, Jimmy had no idea.

“Sorry, Billy, I think I just killed you.
This is really weird.”

“Yeah, but hey, have you walked through a
wall yet? That’s pretty cool. The first couple of times I thought I
was going to get stuck and that freaked me out a bit, but then you
kind of get sucked out the other side and its okay.”

Jimmy smiled. “I don’t really enjoy it that
much.”

“Uh oh, looks like you’re on the move.”

Jimmy’s corpse shambled over to where Scout
and Dylan stood protectively over Catherine, unaware of the
approaching danger. Jimmy grabbed Billy’s arm, afraid to lose his
little spirit friend.

“Catherine! Look out!”

The little girl lifted her head from her
finished work and assessed the situation. “Scout, Dylan!” She
pointed at Jimmy’s corpse.

“What the hell?” Scout said.

“Jimmy?” Dylan said, with equal disbelief
lighting on both of their faces.

“Famine must have raised Jimmy’s corpse,”
Catherine stated the obvious. The two boys snapped out of their
confusion, returning to fight mode.

“Why the hell would he do that?” Dylan
asked.

Scout circled the walking dead body. Jimmy’s
corpse watched his progress as Scout came around behind him.

“Who knows,” Catherine said. “He probably
just wanted to scare us.”

“I’m pretty freaking scared right now,” Scout
said.

“Me too,” Dylan said.

Jimmy led Billy over to Catherine. “That
thing just killed me. I mean it just killed Billy.”

“I figured that out on my own. I’m glad you
two found each other.”

“Who are you talking to?” Scout asked in a
shrill, un-Scout-like voice.

“Shush!” Catherine returned her attention to
Jimmy, “Now, go get Margaret for me. She’s over there finishing up
with the last of the enchanted boys. I’m going to need her if we’re
going to put you two back where you belong.”

“What do you mean?” Jimmy asked. “I don’t
want to be dead again.”

She stood and wiped dirt off her knees. “You
won’t be dead, silly. This is all part of the plan.”

“What plan?”

She tilted her head at him like he was
simple. “You never pay attention, do you? Hurry and get
Margaret.”

The two spirits flew off. They heard
Catherine order Scout and Dylan to take down Jimmy’s corpse without
killing it.

“Isn’t he already dead?” Scout yelled.

Samuel and Mark were protectively sheltering
Margaret when they found them. Like Catherine said, Margaret had
just finished with the last of the enchanted boys.

“Margaret, Catherine needs your help.”

Margaret looked up in shock and then
understanding. “Oh, Jimmy, what happened?”

“Jimmy?” Samuel said, looking around.

Margaret waved him silent.

“Catherine says Famine raised my body from
the dead. It just killed me. I mean Billy. I mean…”

Margaret stood and wiped dirt from her knees
just like Catherine had done. “Show me.” She waved Samuel and Mark
to follow. “Boys, Catherine needs me. Come on.”

“What about Hunter and Barbie?” Samuel
said.

“What about the fire?” Mark asked.

Margaret smiled at them, grabbed each of
their hands, and started pulling them along. “Everything is going
according to plan.”

Jimmy shook his head as he led the way back
to his body. He glanced down Main Street before leaving and saw
nothing but flames and dark smoke on either side. Hunter was
nowhere in sight. Jimmy succumbed to the plan. Especially if it
meant he might get to be alive in his own body again. Hopefully
that meant without the mottled skin and pale eyes.

Hunter burst through the door onto Main
Street underneath overcast skies. He hoped his silent partner was
about to swoop in for the rescue. Fifteen minutes later, he was
still alone, fighting for his life.

Everybody paired off like a hoedown, leaving
Hunter partnered up with the tall ugly guy at the dance. Scout and
Dylan took one side of the street, glowing like light bulbs with
help from Catherine. Samuel and Mark worked the other side, equally
bright, with Molly backing them up with her new powers. The rest of
the town scattered like ants after the log had been flipped
over.

“We’re having some fun now, huh?” Tommy
swiped at Hunter with his deadly black talons. “You’re going to
watch your town burn as I spill your guts in the street.”

Hunter jumped and dodged, wishing Tommy would
shut up and fight. He’d tell him so if he could find the time to
catch his breath. Barbie protected Hunter’s back and helped guide
kids away from the burning buildings. Tommy sliced open two kids
who ran close by in the confusion. Hunter stepped inside Tommy’s
reach and head butted him in the nose, sending the perv reeling
backwards. Barbie healed the injured kids quickly and moved them
along. It appeared the three saints had an abundant supply of their
miracle stuff working overtime, because none of them had passed
out. Sure would have been nice if someone would get off his angelic
butt and mop this place up.

Tommy returned, holding his nose with one
hand, springing forward and clawing Hunter across the chest with
the other.

Hunter gasped from the jagged rip and rolled
away from Tommy’s second attempt. He scrambled on hands and knees
until he was able to regain his feet. His shirt hung in bloody
shreds, but his wounds closed mere seconds later.

Tommy stalked him with slow determination.
“You’re not getting away. You’re all alone. Nobody will help
you.”

Hunter searched his surroundings, verifying
his solo role against the horseman. Smoke rolled through the
streets, separating him from the others. Barbie had disappeared in
the chaos of the fight. Survival mode kicked in and Hunter decided
the only option was to flee. The wall of smoke would provide the
needed cover for escape. But then what? Who else was trapped here
on the street with this monster? Where would Tommy turn next if he
wasn’t focused on Hunter? Who else would Tommy pervert into his
little band of monsters?

The buildings of Independents burned. The
noise of the flames tearing through the heart of the town rose as
roofs caved in and windows popped under the intense heat. Support
beams gave way and whole buildings crumbled. Hunter coughed from
the black smoke filling his lungs, created by the plumes that
darkened the day.

What he wouldn’t give for some rain.

Thunder rolled and the answer to his silent
prayer arrived. Fat drops pelted him from above, lifting Hunter’s
spirits in the circle of smoke that kept him hidden from Tommy.
Hunter pulled his shirt collar over his nose and ducked down as he
sped in an arc around the monster stalking him. He needed a weapon.
He had his lock blade in one pocket and his Zippo in the other. He
pulled out the knife and flicked it open. He’d creep in close and
hope Tommy didn’t spot him coming.

The rain drove down in a torrent. The smoke
surrendered under the assault, replaced by a rank smelling fog. All
around, the air steamed and hissed as the rainfall doused the
flames. Hunter shuffled sideways, focused on where he thought Tommy
stood in the swirling turmoil.

The smoke cleared, revealing Barbie with her
arms stretched to the heavens. Her dark hair was plastered to her
face and lightning crackled from her fingertips. She had called
down the rain to save what remained of Main Street. Hunter couldn’t
spot Tommy anywhere around.

The rain caused a different kind of hazy
blindness. Shadows moved within the wall of water brought down from
the clouds. Tommy slipped into view with a terrible lustful smile
and raked his claws across Barbie’s back and the other over her
stomach, ripping her open like an orange as bright blood shot out
everywhere. Barbie dropped onto the wet brick pavement.

Hunter screamed, rushing forward. He stepped
on a discarded aluminum baseball bat and skated across it until he
landed on his face. His knife was knocked loose, clattering off,
lost in the fog. He sucked in quick breaths. The bruises and
painful scrapes on his face quickly started healing. He pushed up
as a foot connected with his forehead, flipping him onto his back.
His thoughts spun out of control and threatened to shut down
production all together. He stared into the sky, wondering why the
angel hadn’t come.

Tommy leaned over, with his deadly claws
drumming a steady rhythm on his knee caps. He blocked the cool rain
from Hunter like an unwanted umbrella. His horrible mouth of
pointed teeth smiled down.

“She’s gone, but don’t you worry. You’ll be
following her shortly. I promise.”

Hunter rolled to one side and tried to
stand.

Tommy grabbed his arm and forced him down.
“You’re finished. What did you think was going to happen? You’re on
the wrong side. This world is going to hell, but you won’t be
around to see it.”

Why was this happening? Was there a plan or
was all the crap about angels and saints for nothing? Why didn’t
the angel come? Why didn’t Hunter get the chance to make all this
right?

“Are you ready?” Tommy asked.

“You must be Tommy.”

A flash of silver swung through the storm and
slammed into Tommy’s chest, knocking the horseman backwards. He
fell to the ground, sitting there stunned with a goofy look on his
hideous face.

A tall shadow wielding a baseball bat stepped
over Hunter and hit Tommy again in the shoulder with a sickening
thump.

Tommy howled in pain and fell all the way to
the ground.

Hunter sat up, shaking his head in disbelief.
It looked just like him, but the whole thing was impossible. The
tall guy whacked Tommy two more times before Hunter put together
the voice, the posture, the conviction.
That’s
my
brother
! Jimmy was alive and in his own body. The same
body Hunter had buried months ago. Unbelievable joy swept over him,
healing his spirits as whatever inside of him healed his body. By
the time Hunter reached his feet and took a couple of breaths, he
was fully revitalized and ready to finish the fight.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Jimmy laid
the aluminum bat into Tommy’s body over and over.

The kid that was Tommy the Perv twisted from
the continuous rain of blows, crying out in torment. Jimmy was
relentless. Finally, even Hunter had enough. He rushed over and
grabbed Jimmy’s arms. His brother snarled and broke out of his
grip.

Hunter backed away with his hands out, trying
to calm his brother. “Jimmy, you got him. That’s enough. He’s not
hurting anyone anymore.”

Jimmy panted as if possessed. “You’re right
about that.” He turned his back on his brother and brought the bat
high. “You will never hurt my family again.”

Pain burst through Hunter’s back and
something else took over.

The angel had arrived.

* * *

Instead of blacking out this time, Hunter’s
consciousness was shoved to a corner in the back of his skull. The
angel swept forward with grace and grabbed the downward swinging
head of the baseball bat right before it struck its intended
target. Tommy had no opportunity or will of his own to stop his
impending death, but the angel did. With a jerk, the angel ripped
the bat free from Jimmy’s hands.

“This is not your way, James.”

“Hunter, what are you doing?” Jimmy stopped.
The fury in his eyes cleared and he stepped back. “We can’t allow
him to leave. We can’t let this monster live.”

Hunter felt his head nod and the strange
sensation of his wings folding in on themselves as they settled
upon his back. The voice in control answered, “That is not your
decision. You are not meant to kill. You are meant to lead. This
creature is beaten. I will decide his fate according to our
Father’s will.”