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〃Ghost。 Wake up； Ghost； WAKE UP； YOU DUMB…FUCK。〃 Ghost would be worse than useless in your typical barroom brawl； but in mortal danger Steve suspected he could hold his own if he was fully awake。
Ghost blinked and rubbed his eyes； trying to shake off the last shreds of nightmare。 Steve edged closer to the kid； who was still sprawled on the floor staring miserably up at him。 He had enormous street…orphan eyes and that phony dyed black hair that so many kids wore and Steve hated。
〃What's your name； kid？〃
〃Nothing。 I…〃
〃Nothing？〃 said Ghost。 〃Did you send a…〃
Something crashed against the door。 It shuddered in its frame。 The kid looked toward the source of the sudden noise。 Steve reached down； hauled him up by his coat collar； and pinned his arms behind his back。 It must have hurt； but he didn't cry out； he was a tough little kid。 Steve didn't really want to hurt him。 But he would if he had to。 He got a good grip on the baseball bat and pulled Nothing back toward the bed。
The object crashed against the door again…they must be using the big piece of quartz that sat in the hall； nothing else could make that much noise…and Steve saw the doorknob splinter loose from its moorings。 Another crash and the door swung halfway open。 From the er of his eye Steve saw Ghost scrambling up in bed； pressing his back against the headboard。
The two larger figures appeared in the doorway； supporting the smaller one between them。 The entire lower half of the small one's face was a mask of bruise and blood。 His hands dangled at his sides； bloodied； the fingers clenching and unclenching。 When he opened his mouth to speak； Steve saw with grim satisfaction that he had taken out most of the bastard's front teeth。
〃'You hurt my face；〃 said Green…eyes。 Through the mush of blood and ruined tissue； his voice was low and smooth； smoother than it should have been considering how much he must be hurting。 〃I don't like it when people hurt my face。 We're going to tear you up。〃
〃Try it if you want your ugly face smashed in worse；〃 Steve said。 He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt。 To pull this off； he could not show an iota of fear in the presence of these creeps； even though they smelled as if they'd been eating roadkill for breakfast。 Steve jerked his arm tight across the kid's throat。 He saw the light…colored roots of the kid's hair and the tender scalp beneath； and knew that be could bring the Slugger down on it if he had to。
Green…eyes stared at him for a moment； considering。 〃Let him go；〃 he said。 〃If you do； we'll just settle our score with you。 But if I have to take him away from you； I'll rip open your pretty friend and have his intestines for breakfast。〃
〃Yeah； fucker。 I'm real eager to make deals with a bag of pus like you。〃 Steve throttled the kid a little harder and heard him choke； though he had not struggled or cried out。
〃Not 'fucker；'〃 said Green…eyes。 〃Zillah。 Remember the name。 Remember it when you feel my teeth sink into your heart。〃
〃Well； if you're gonna sink 'em into my heart； you better go pick 'em out of the hall runner first。〃 Steve thought he felt the kid stifle a helpless laugh； of all things。 He eased up on the boy's throat a little。
Zillah glanced right and left at his cohorts。 They were poised like springs； like big cats on the prowl。 〃Molochai…Twig…take him down；〃 he said。 〃Save the boy if you can。〃
Steve knew his shaky bargaining chip was gone。 He thrust Nothing as far away from him as he could and started swinging the bat as Molochai and Twig closed in。
One came at him high； one low。 He brought the bat down on a shaggy head and felt it thunk against a cushion of hair。 The owner of the hair staggered but recovered fast。 Then one long pair of arms was wrapped around his legs and one slobbering feral face was pushed up close to his； and he lost his balance and went back onto the bed with both of them crushing him。
Sharp nails raked across his chest； drawing beads of blood。 Sharper teeth sank deep into the meat of his hand； and he screamed and lost his grip on the bat。 It clattered to the floor and rolled under the bed。 In an instant Zillah had darted across the room and retrieved it。
A snorting； snuffling head burrowed in between Steve's neck and shoulder。 The filthy dishevelled hair tickled horribly。 Steve whipped his head around； tried to bring his chin down tight against his chest。 He felt hot drool on his neck。 Teeth found his skin and nipped。
〃Don't do him just yet；〃 said Zillah mildly； and the teeth went away。 One creep had Steve pinned on the bed； sitting on his chest and trapping his arms。 Molochai and Twig were heavy and bulky and amazingly strong； and Steve couldn't catch his breath with the full weight of whichever one it was on top of him。 Ghost hadn't even had time to struggle before the other creep had pinned him。 Steve aimed a useless kick at Zillah； who stepped gracefully away。
Nothing pushed himself away from the wall； flung his arms out in a pleading gesture。 〃Don't hurt them。〃
Zillah snorted and hawked a bright pink gob of blood to the floor。 〃Why not？〃 he said； dangerously quiet。
〃Because they know me。 Ghost knows who I am。 He said so。〃
〃Yesss？〃' Zillah's smashed face convulsed in what might have been a smile。 〃I know who you are too。 You're a pretty little boy who hasn't learned his place yet。 You're a pest who is going to have his throat ripped out in about two minutes if he doesn't SHUT THE FUCK UP！〃 Zillah rounded on Nothing； jabbed him hard in the stomach with the baseball bat。 The boy staggered backward； the wind knocked out of him。
〃I want him to watch；〃 Zillah continued。 He held the bat up； waved its broad end in front of Steve's face。 〃I don't need this； you know。 I could kill both of you with one hand while I jerked off with the other。 But since you used it on me 。 。 。〃
Zillah moved to the head of the bed； stood over Ghost's prone form。 By craning his head back； Steve could just see him。 Zillah shoved the bat into Ghost's face； and Steve's mouth went dry。 〃Such a fine； straight； hard piece of wood。 But so plain。 It needs brightening up； don't you think？。。。with some pretty red GORE？。。。and some silky blond HAIR？。。。and some MAGIC BBAAAINS？〃
Zillah's voice rose to a shriek on the last word； and he raised the bat high above his head。 Steve brought his knees up hard； bucked and arced and thrashed。 But the creep's grip on him did not slacken and the bat was falling； falling 。 。 。
〃NOOOOOO！〃 A black blur was in the air； raincoat billowing like great wings； arrowing straight across the bed and slamming into Zillah。 The bat flew out of Zillah's hands and sailed across the room。 It connected with the window and punched through the glass； and then the Slugger was gone； no longer a factor in the equation。
Nothing's momentum carried him and Zillah straight into the opposite wall。 Zillah took most of the impact。 He slid down the wall and lay against it； dazed； his head bracketed by words in pencil and paint and crayon。 There was a ma…shaped smear of blood on the wall where Zillah's head had hit。 Minute cracks in the plaster radiated from it。
Nothing crouched astride Zillah； still gasping for breath。 〃I'm sorry；〃 he sobbed。 〃You made me kill Laine and I did it。 But not Ghost。 Not Ghost。〃
Molochai and Twig were so surprised by the whole spectacle that they let go of Steve and Ghost。 Steve scrambled up； expecting them to go for him at once。 Instead they bounded across the room to Zillah。
Twig grabbed Nothing and pulled him up by the front of his coat。 Molochai raised his hand to his face。 After a moment Steve saw that he was biting through the skin of his own wrist。 When Molochai's blood began flowing freely； he pressed his wrist to Zillah's mouth。
Steve's hands ached。 He supposed it was an aftereffect of the adrenaline rush。 Later he would realize he had been gripping the bat so tightly that his fingers were still curled in the shape of its handle。
Nothing's teeth clacked together when Twig hauled him up； and he tasted blood again。 The taste reminded him of the potion in the wine bottle； the feast of Laine's blood they had shared。 More than anything he wanted to be back in the van； singing； drinking； on his way to New Orleans。 Going away from here。 Something had gone terribly wrong。
At least Zillah wasn't dead； though he looked as if he ought to be。 He had taken a baseball bat in the face without going down； and Nothing thought he could have taken the blow against the wall too； though it had been hard enough to break someone's neck。 But the two blows so close upon each other had stunned him。 Maybe Molochai's blood would bring him around。 If it did； Nothing didn't know what Zillah would do to him； or to Steve and Ghost。 He had to get them out of here before Zillah came all the way back。
He reached up； grasped Twig's hands； and removed them from the lapels of his coat。 〃You want to waste time fucking with me？〃 he asked。 〃Zillah didn't tell you to fuck with me。 And he's hurt bad。〃
〃Because of you；〃 Twig growled。
Nothing could feel Twig's hands trembling in his grasp； aching to go for his throat。 He knew Twig could kill him in a heartbeat。 'Then save me for him。 Let him punish me for getting him hurt。 He'll be pissed if he es round and you've already sucked me dry； won't he？〃
Now Nothing was sure Twig wanted to rip his throat open。 Molochai would do it if Twig did。 They would kill him and then tear into Steve and Ghost。 Nothing met Twig's eyes and held them。 Twig was wilder and meaner； oh yes； Twig was the badass here。
But Nothing was smarter。
〃Zillah's lying there bleeding；〃 he said。 〃If you won't help me； I'll carry him out myself。 But he'll know what happened。〃
He jerked away from Twig and tensed； ready to fight if Twig lunged at him。
Twig's eyes blazed feral light。
Nothing blazed right back at him。
And Twig's eyes dropped。
Later； Steve would be unable to find the right words to tell Ghost how he had felt in the next few moments。 Ghost got it anyway； of course； but not because of Steve's attempt to describe it。
The atmosphere in the room changed subtly。 It had been electric； dangerous； full of blood and the possibility of murder。 But then something happened。
Steve considered himself much less perceptive than he really was。 What he would say to Ghost later was 〃If even I could feel it； it must have been there。〃 It was as if the kid were putting out pheromones or something。 Something that felt （he would shake his head and laugh a little； saying these words） like the essence of childhood lost。 This was baby powder and cigarette smoke； forgotten toys and eyeliner and torn black lace； nursery rhymes and clank nightclub restrooms haunted by a breath of vomit。 This was the distilled essence of all that was lost forever and all that came to replace it。
I'm twenty…three years old； thought Steve； though he didn't know why。 I'm supposed to be a grown…up。 This game is for keeps。 No one is ever going to e along and make everything all right for me again； because no one can。
Then all at once the strangeness was gone from the room； and there was only the electric tension again。 But it did not feel quite so murderous now。
〃You help me carry him；〃 Nothing told Molochai。 Then he glanced back at Twig。 〃'You go on out and start the van。〃
Twig's eyes flared again； and for a moment Steve thought the kid had pushed it too far。 But Twig just exhaled noisily…Steve smelled rotten blood…and left the room。
Nothing and Molochai got Zillah's arms around their necks and helped him up。 Nothing looked at Steve with wide brimming eyes； trying to smile。 Sadness and pride warred in his face。 〃I didn't let them hurt you；〃 he said。 〃Now maybe you'll believe me。 I never meant for any of this to happen。〃
Now that the fight was ebbing out of him； Steve felt weaker by the minute。 〃I just want you out of here；〃 he said。 〃All of you。〃
〃We're going。 Don't worry。〃 Nothing glanced at Ghost； and his carefully posed expression seemed to crumble a little； but he caught it quickly。
Steve's anger lessened as he looked at the kid。 Scruffy and none too clean； in ragged clothes and that damn phony…lo