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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 242 из 272Nothing that was human should have made sounds like that.
"Ms. Blake," Stirling said, "you're the law. You have to protect me."
"I thought you were going to see me in court, Raymond. Something about me attacking you and Ms. Harrison with zombies."
"I didn't mean it." He glanced up at the kneeling vampires, then back to me. "I won't tell. I won't tell anyone. Please."
I just looked at him. "Begging for mercy, Raymond?"
"Yes, yes, I'm begging."
"Like the mercy you showed Bayard?"
"Please."
Bettina caressed Stirling's cheek. He jerked like it had burned. "Please!"
Shit.
"We can't just watch," Larry said.
"You have another suggestion?"
"You never give anyone over to the monsters, not for any reason. It's a rule," he said.
It was my rule. I'd believed in it once, back when I'd been sure who the monsters were.
He was pulling the chain out from inside his shirt.
"Don't do this, Larry. Don't get us killed for Raymond Stirling."
His cross spilled out in the open air. It glowed like Serephina's eyes. He just looked at me.
I sighed, and brought out my own cross. "This is a bad idea."
"I know," he said. "But I can't just watch."
I stared at his earnest face, and knew it was true. He couldn't just watch. I could have. I might not have enjoyed it, but I could have let it happen. More's the pity.
"What are you doing with your little holy objects?" Janos asked.
"Stopping this," I said.
"You want them dead, Anita."
"Not like this," I said.
"Would you have me let you use your gun and waste all this blood?"
He was offering to let me shoot them. I shook my head. "I don't think that's an option anymore."
"It was never an option," Larry said.
I let that go; no need to disillusion him. I walked towards Pallas and Bettina. Larry walked towards Ellie and Xavier, cross held outward to the length of its chain, as if that made it work better. Nothing wrong with a little dramatic gesture, but I'd have to clue him in that it didn't really help. But later.
The cross's glow grew until it was like wearing a 100-watt lightbulb naked around your neck. I saw the world as a black circle outside the glow.
Xavier was on his feet facing Larry, but the others had crawled away from their prey, beaten by the light.
"Thank you, Ms. Blake," Stirling said. "Thank you." He grabbed my leg with his good hand, fawning over me. I fought an urge to shake him off.
"Thank Larry; I'd have let you die.
"Ms. Blake," Stirling said, "you're the law. You have to protect me."
"I thought you were going to see me in court, Raymond. Something about me attacking you and Ms. Harrison with zombies."
"I didn't mean it." He glanced up at the kneeling vampires, then back to me. "I won't tell. I won't tell anyone. Please."
I just looked at him. "Begging for mercy, Raymond?"
"Yes, yes, I'm begging."
"Like the mercy you showed Bayard?"
"Please."
Bettina caressed Stirling's cheek. He jerked like it had burned. "Please!"
Shit.
"We can't just watch," Larry said.
"You have another suggestion?"
"You never give anyone over to the monsters, not for any reason. It's a rule," he said.
It was my rule. I'd believed in it once, back when I'd been sure who the monsters were.
He was pulling the chain out from inside his shirt.
"Don't do this, Larry. Don't get us killed for Raymond Stirling."
His cross spilled out in the open air. It glowed like Serephina's eyes. He just looked at me.
I sighed, and brought out my own cross. "This is a bad idea."
"I know," he said. "But I can't just watch."
I stared at his earnest face, and knew it was true. He couldn't just watch. I could have. I might not have enjoyed it, but I could have let it happen. More's the pity.
"What are you doing with your little holy objects?" Janos asked.
"Stopping this," I said.
"You want them dead, Anita."
"Not like this," I said.
"Would you have me let you use your gun and waste all this blood?"
He was offering to let me shoot them. I shook my head. "I don't think that's an option anymore."
"It was never an option," Larry said.
I let that go; no need to disillusion him. I walked towards Pallas and Bettina. Larry walked towards Ellie and Xavier, cross held outward to the length of its chain, as if that made it work better. Nothing wrong with a little dramatic gesture, but I'd have to clue him in that it didn't really help. But later.
The cross's glow grew until it was like wearing a 100-watt lightbulb naked around your neck. I saw the world as a black circle outside the glow.
Xavier was on his feet facing Larry, but the others had crawled away from their prey, beaten by the light.
"Thank you, Ms. Blake," Stirling said. "Thank you." He grabbed my leg with his good hand, fawning over me. I fought an urge to shake him off.
"Thank Larry; I'd have let you die.