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Burnt Offerings :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 221 из 286"Let's do it."
Fulton grabbed my arm and gripped it too tight. I stared at him, but he didn't flinch and he didn't let me go. "Do you understand that we could be buried alive down there or crushed to death, or even drowned if there's enough water?"
"Let go of me, Captain Fulton." My voice was quiet, steady, not angry. Point for me.
Fulton released me and stepped back. His eyes looked a little wild. He was spooked. "I just want you to understand what could happen."
"She understands," Dolph said.
I had an idea. "Captain Fulton, how do you feel about sending your people in to a potential deathtrap to save a bunch of vampires?"
Something passed through his dark eyes. "The law says they're people. You don't leave people hurt or trapped."
"But," I prompted.
"But my men are worth more to me than a bunch of corpses."
"Not long ago I'd have brought the marshmallows and wieners for the roast," I said.
"What changed your mind?" Fulton asked.
"Kept meeting too many human beings that were as monstrous as the monsters. Maybe not as scary, but just as evil."
"Police work will ruin your view of your fellow man," Detective Tammy said. She and Larry had joined us at last. It had taken Larry a long time to cross those yards. He was far too hurt to insist on going inside the house. Good.
"I'll go in because it's my job, but I don't have to like it," Fulton said.
"Fine, but if we do have a cave-in, we better get dug out before nightfall, because without the vamp chaperone we'll be facing a basement full of new vamps that may not have perfect control over their hunger."
His eyes widened, showing too much white. I would have bet money that Fulton had had a close encounter of the fanged kind once upon a time. There were no scars on his neck, but that didn't prove anything. Vamps didn't always go for the neck, no matter what the movies say. Blood flows near the surface in lots of places.
I touched his arm lightly. Tension sang down his muscles like a string pulled too tight. "Who'd you lose?"
"What?" He seemed to be having trouble focusing on me.
"Who did the vampires take away from you?"
He stared at me, dark eyes focusing on me. Whatever horrible image was floating behind his eyes retreated. His face was almost normal when he said, "Wife, daughter."
I waited for him to say more, but the silence gathered round us in a still, deep pool made up of all the horror in those two whispered words. Wife, daughter. Both lost. No—taken.
Fulton grabbed my arm and gripped it too tight. I stared at him, but he didn't flinch and he didn't let me go. "Do you understand that we could be buried alive down there or crushed to death, or even drowned if there's enough water?"
"Let go of me, Captain Fulton." My voice was quiet, steady, not angry. Point for me.
Fulton released me and stepped back. His eyes looked a little wild. He was spooked. "I just want you to understand what could happen."
"She understands," Dolph said.
I had an idea. "Captain Fulton, how do you feel about sending your people in to a potential deathtrap to save a bunch of vampires?"
Something passed through his dark eyes. "The law says they're people. You don't leave people hurt or trapped."
"But," I prompted.
"But my men are worth more to me than a bunch of corpses."
"Not long ago I'd have brought the marshmallows and wieners for the roast," I said.
"What changed your mind?" Fulton asked.
"Kept meeting too many human beings that were as monstrous as the monsters. Maybe not as scary, but just as evil."
"Police work will ruin your view of your fellow man," Detective Tammy said. She and Larry had joined us at last. It had taken Larry a long time to cross those yards. He was far too hurt to insist on going inside the house. Good.
"I'll go in because it's my job, but I don't have to like it," Fulton said.
"Fine, but if we do have a cave-in, we better get dug out before nightfall, because without the vamp chaperone we'll be facing a basement full of new vamps that may not have perfect control over their hunger."
His eyes widened, showing too much white. I would have bet money that Fulton had had a close encounter of the fanged kind once upon a time. There were no scars on his neck, but that didn't prove anything. Vamps didn't always go for the neck, no matter what the movies say. Blood flows near the surface in lots of places.
I touched his arm lightly. Tension sang down his muscles like a string pulled too tight. "Who'd you lose?"
"What?" He seemed to be having trouble focusing on me.
"Who did the vampires take away from you?"
He stared at me, dark eyes focusing on me. Whatever horrible image was floating behind his eyes retreated. His face was almost normal when he said, "Wife, daughter."
I waited for him to say more, but the silence gathered round us in a still, deep pool made up of all the horror in those two whispered words. Wife, daughter. Both lost. No—taken.