Sam Harlan (Book 3): Damned Cold (30 page)

“A party gone wrong, and over a dozen men and women, including some of Monticello and Bement’s most prominent members, burned beyond recognition.” Jodie shook her head. “I’ll have to smooth things over, but it’s nothing a little magic can’t fix.”

“Yeah,” I said, “about that. You saw what magic did to Meriwether.”

“It
wasn’t
the magic,” Jodie said. “That was his twisted desire to help Nicky.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Maybe not. He played with forces he didn’t understand. You catch my drift?”

Jodie frowned. “When I looked into you, I saw pain and death. Don’t take this the wrong way, Mr. Harlan, but when you leave here, don’t return.”

I smiled. It wasn’t friendly. “Yeah, I understand. But I need you to understand something. You so much as even say the word vampire, and I’ll be back. And I’m going to get real mean.” Jodie blanched and started to mumble something, but I raised my hand to silence her. “Take care, Mrs. Rexford. Take all the care in the world, but don’t you ever,
ever
do something that will make me darken your doorstep.”

I left her there, in front of the roaring fire that now consumed the Kormans’ farmhouse, got into the truck with Jameson and Callie, and headed to Saint Michaels Church.

* * *

We cleaned ourselves as best we could in the church’s bathroom, bandaging or gluing our wounds and changing into fresh clothes. I gave Jameson the last of the Tramadol from our medical pack and he collapsed on the couch.

I stopped and inspected his head. The stench of burnt hair and skin made my stomach turn. “You need a hospital.”

“Not around here,” he said, without opening his eyes. “Too suspicious.”

“Can you make it back to St. Louis?” I asked.

He sat up woozily, blinked, and said, “I only have to make it to Springfield. There’s a priest there who can help. He knows the truth. Thank you, Samuel. What you’ve done? It’s more than most would.”

“It’s my job,” I said.

“No,” Jameson said softly. “A lesser man would have quit.” He paused. “You didn’t have to kill Meriwether.”

“I didn’t,” I conceded. “I didn’t take any pleasure in it.”

“I don’t believe you,” Jameson said.

“You don’t?”

The priest smiled sadly. “I think you took a
little
pleasure in it.”

“Could be that you’re right,” I said.

“You shouldn’t have killed him.”

“You think he deserved to live?”

“It’s not our place to judge,” the priest said solemnly. “Murder is a mortal sin.”

I clenched my fists. “I couldn’t risk him making another deal with Haagenti.”

The priest frowned. “Perhaps God will forgive you. I will pray for you.”

I nodded and spoke from my heart. “I’ve never been faithful, but I’ve tried to do right. I’ve fought evil and I’ve sacrificed … so much. I hope He understands.”

“I believe He will,” Jameson said. His gaze roamed around the office and he blinked again. “I miss Ethan.”

I took the seat next to him. “Me, too.” We waited for Callie to finish cleaning up and I finally said, “Patrick? Is Haagenti really gone?”

There was a long moment of silence before Jameson replied, “For now.”

“It sounded like Haagenti held a grudge.”

“It thought it had me all those years ago. After an eternity of tempting humans, it maddened it to think I slipped away.”

“Will it try again?”

“It has all of eternity,” Jameson said. “What do you think?”

I grunted. “It seemed awfully interested in vampires. What if I cross paths with it again?”

“I’ll pray for you,” Jameson repeated sincerely.

Callie entered the office looking more like her old self but was moving carefully and limping heavily.

An intense desire to protect her rose within me and I felt the anger returning. I pushed it back down and turned to the priest. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”

We headed north
on US-105. When we passed the turnoff to the Kormans’ farm, I looked to the west and saw a billowing cloud of smoke still rising to the sky from the burning farmhouse. We continued on to Monticello and I stopped long enough to do a quick search of Meriwether’s house.

I found my toolbox inside his garage. I tossed it in the back of the truck and got in, only to find Callie fast asleep. She was hugging herself tightly and she snorted with every bump in the road. I headed south and pulled through the Hardee’s drive-through, grabbing a cup of coffee and six bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits before taking I-72 to Decatur, wolfing down my breakfast as I drove.

The food was greasy, fattening, and delicious. The coffee was black ambrosia. I thought about waking Callie, but she was snoring softly and I didn’t want to wake her.

I used the opportunity to make a phone call.

Henry answered on the first ring and said, “I’m halfway across South Dakota.”

“Don’t bother,” I said. “It’s done.”

There was a long silence. “You took care of it?”

“Yep.”

“That’s—that’s good, Sam. Jack would have been proud.”

“About that. The demon said something about my family.”

“Jack—”

“It
wasn’t
about Jack,” I said.

Henry sighed. “I don’t think this is the time—”

“You’re not going to tell me you’re my distant grandfather?”

Henry laughed. “We are
not
related, I promise you. Look, it won’t change anything, and—”

“What?” I demanded. “I’m sick of the lies.”

There was a moment of silence before Henry said, “You’ve earned it, I guess. Jack’s family wasn’t targeted by a passing vampire.”

“He wasn’t?”

“Harlans have fought and killed vampires for as long as I’ve been … well, you know. Since I turned.”

After all I had seen and done, I didn’t believe in coincidences anymore. “What makes us so special?”

“There’s a stubborn streak in your family, Sam. The Harlans fight back.”

“That’s it?” I asked.

“Not what you were hoping for?”

“I just thought there was more to it.”

“In all my years, I’ve never anyone like your kin. Don’t laugh that off. It makes you dangerous as hell.”

There was a squeal of tires over the phone. “What’s that?” I asked.

“That’s me heading home,” Henry said. “Alma’s going to be mighty sore with me for taking off in the middle of the night. Call me when things settle down.” The phone went dead as Henry hung up.

My next call was to Billy. “How’s the spirit world?”

“Things are back to normal,” Billy said. “What did you do?”

“Just cleaned up a mess. Killed a vampire. Exorcised a demon.”

The silence on the phone stretched out. “A demon,” Billy finally said. “I’m—I’m not sure I should be talking to you. You’re going to get me killed.”

“It’s all fine now,” I said. “Everything is back to normal.”

“Demons aren’t normal,” Billy said loudly. “A demon that’s powerful enough to disturb the spirit world is the kind of thing that gets people killed.”

“I told you,” I said, trying not to raise my voice, “everything is
fine
.”

Billy barked out a laugh. “I’m a coward, Sam. I know it. You know it. I can’t—”

“You tried, Billy. You could have told me anything and I would have believed it. But you risked a spirit walk for me. You’re
not
a coward.”

When Billy spoke, he didn’t sound quite so freaked out. “Flattery will get you nowhere, white man.”

“Just keep working on your chips,” I said.

“Go fuck yourself,” Billy said, then ended the call.

I continued driving and Callie finally opened her eyes when we were on I-74, well past Bloomington. “Take the next exit,” she said in a tired voice.

I gave her a quizzical glance. “Why?”

“Trust me,” she said.

I took the Goodfield exit, and she directed me to a restaurant on the south edge of town. A few minutes later and she was eating a breaded cod sandwich and I was tearing into a grilled rib-eye sandwich as big as a plate.

“How did you know about this place?” I asked between mouthfuls of bloody rare beef.

“A few of us used to come here,” she said, taking a delicate bite of her sandwich.

“The food’s good,” I said.

“Just wait,” she said. “It’s the pie that makes it all worthwhile.”

She was right.

I’d owned a diner and I knew a thing or two about pie. It was
amazing
. The blueberries in the pie were fresh and large, not the usual sugary mush from a can. “Oh my God.”

Callie licked banana cream from her spoon. “I told you.”

We sat in the south section of the restaurant. The nearest customers, a pair of women in homespun dresses and blue bonnets, were at least twenty feet away. “I’ve been thinking…” I started.

Callie nodded. “I’m sure you have.”

“This was my fault.”

She frowned. “How was
any
of this your fault?”

I told her what Barlow had said, then finished with, “That’s on me. If I hadn’t begged Gloria for help…” I shook my head. “I’ve been fumbling about, making choices without understanding the stakes. I confronted Gloria. That sent Milford to Bement. That’s probably what finally pushed Carlton over the edge. He thought Jodie had captured Milford and he made the pact with Haagenti. Action and reaction.”

“You’ve lost everything,” she said in an angry whisper, “and you’ve fought back. You’ve killed vampires and helped exorcise a demon. Carlton’s deal with the demon was
his
choice. Not yours!”

“I got you kidnapped,” I said, my voice breaking. “They … did things to you.”

“Don’t worry about me. I have faith.” She leaned back in her chair. She looked tired and had dark bags under her eyes, but she offered a small smile and it was like the sun shining on a warm summer day. “You saw the Powers.”

“Powers?”

She nodded. “Those weren’t just
any
angels, Sam. The Powers belong to the second hierarchy of angels. They are God’s warriors, keeping the forces of darkness in check. That should be all the proof you need that you’re following the righteous path.”

* * *

Sister Beulah sat behind her desk at the rectory. She stood as we entered, taking note of Callie’s limp with a raised eyebrow. She held up her hand. “Sister Callie—”

“What is it?” Callie asked.

“I have some bad news,” Sister Beulah said. “Father Lewinheim passed away last night.”

“H—how?” Callie asked.

My heart hammered in my chest. “What?”

Sister Beulah’s eyes narrowed. “Follow me.”

She led us up the stairs to the Father’s room and closed the door behind us. “Edmund passed last night, shortly after supper.”

I swallowed. “There wasn’t anything … funny about it?”

The Sister regarded me coolly, then she blinked and her face softened. “You’ve been through something horrible.”

“There was a vampire,” I started.

“The demon Haagenti,” Callie finished.

Sister Beulah staggered back. “I see.” She sat down heavily on Lewinheim’s bed, an unreadable mix of emotions playing across her face.

“Did he … die peacefully?” I asked.

The Sister raised her head and inspected me, then said softly, “He was an old man. It was his time. He’d seen much. Lived through much. But no, there was nothing ‘funny’ about his death. He died peacefully.”

I let out the deep breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “It’s just … so many things have happened.”

“He was
old
,” Sister Beulah said. “Everyone grows old, boy. Everyone dies. It gives our life meaning.” She stood and handed me the book from the table next to Lewinheim’s recliner. “He wanted you to have this.”

I took it gingerly from her hands. It was a well-worn and dog-eared copy of the Holy Bible. “I’ve never read it.”

Sister Beulah snorted. “Why am I not surprised? Edmund prayed for you, you know. The both of you. Things are going to get harder.”

“Harder?” I asked. “I don’t know how much harder things can get.”

“Things can always get harder, Harlan.” The Sister’s face fell and she said quietly, “It’s the way of the world.”

“What will you do?” Callie asked.

The Sister turned to her. “Does he know?”

“Know what?” I asked.

Callie shook her head. “No, but he can be trusted.”

I glanced between the two of them. “What are you talking about?”

“The Church has fought against vampires for centuries,” Sister Beulah said. “Men can be … weak of body and spirit. Sometimes they need help. The Order helps them when they falter and cares for them when they can no longer fight. I was assigned to watch over Edmund. Now that Edmund is gone, I’ll be moving on to my next assignment.”

“Wait,” I said. “You belong to this Order?”

“As does Callie,” Sister Beulah said.

“As did Katie,” Callie said.

Sister Beulah said nothing and Callie finally broke eye contact.

“Take care of her,” Sister Beulah said to me as she stood and made her way out of the room. “You’ll need each other in the times to come.”

She left us alone in Lewinheim’s room. I sat in the recliner. Without Lewinheim, the room was cold and lifeless. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

As soon as I said it, I realized how dumb it sounded. Callie had known Lewinheim for most of her life. He was the one who had brought the Calahanes to Peoria.

Only, that wasn’t
quite
the truth. Apparently, Katie and Callie were part of an order assigned to Lewinheim. That piece of knowledge cast everything in a different light.

“He was a good man,” Callie said. She took a pad of paper and wrote a note.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I’m having Father Lewinheim’s journals sent to Toledo.”

“
Smart
,” I said. I opened the Bible and fingered the pages. “I guess I should start reading this.”

Callie laughed, and for a moment I forgot about my guilt and worries and all the bad things that had happened.

“It’s your choice, Sam. You’ve got free will.” She stood and nodded to the door. “Let’s go home. It’s a long drive back to Toledo.”

A note from the Author

Dear Reader,

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