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Micki smiled。
〃Oh； well；〃 Melissa said； politely excusing herself。 〃Make yourself fortable。 I have a call to make。〃
Micki nodded； and thanked her。 She set off down the hall； heading for a phone。 She had a couple of calls to make herself。
A local one to Gary。
And the other； a very long…distance one indeed。
Gwen laid back and listened to the syncopated white noise that marked the life of her child。 The paper tongue grew longer by the minute。 The little LED heart flashed reassuringly with every beat： hypnotic； lulling。
She stared at it for a long time； afraid to take her eyes away； as if the eternal vigilance were any defense at all。 The room was warm and dark； womblike in effect。 The leaky sink in the bathroom kept up a steady drip 。。。 drip 。。。 drip。
Gwen lay there； unable to sleep； unable to stay awake。
Until eventually simple exhaustion carried her to a state somewhere in between 。。。
A solitary droplet of water； sailing down： a shining； innocent orb。 Atoms held together by ironclad molecular bonds； spinning through space like a jewel； a perfect crystal ball。
The drop fell through a hollowed cathedral of flesh； passed ribs rising up like buttresses； falling toward a still black pool below。
It struck the surface； sending up a spray like a tiny crown； a spray that stayed up； became something not solid and not liquid but other； like a puncture on the surface on the pool。
And from within： the beating of wings。
The hand came next： baby fingers； curled into a fist。 It rose from the wound in the water as if holding a prize。
Slowly the fingers uncurled； revealing a wasp。
It unfurled its wings and took of； flying up into shadows。
Then came a torrent of tiny buzzing bodies。 Spilling through the hole； swarming around the arm。 Filling the empty spaces with an angry insect chorus； rising like stinging angels into the vaulted darkness above 。。。
Heading for the beating heart 。。。
〃Oh God！！〃 Gwen cried； lurching awake。 〃No！〃
She sat up with a start。 Beside her； the fetal monitor was thudding arrhythmically； its numerical LED display jumping and falling； the little heart flashing on and off。 On and off。
On 。。。
。。。 and off。
Melissa had just gotten off the phone with Gwen's doctor。 He agreed with her prognosis entirely； enough so that he felt no major need to see her before Monday。 It was a consideration that clearly owed more to gameside than bedside manner。
She was just ing back with the ginger ale when she heard the first scream。
Melissa burst through the door and beelined straight for Gwen； who lay fetally clutching herself like a woman hugging a medicine ball。 The monitor's warning light fired up； flashing BASELINE PRESSURE OFF SCALE。 The alarm was going off； a nerve…wrenching metallic buzz as the digital readout flashed 158 。。。 140 。。。
Then nothing。
〃Shit；〃 Melissa muttered。 She grabbed the tongue of paper； traced the point where the peaks dropped off。
〃Where's Spike？〃 Gwen cried。
〃Don't worry；〃 Melissa said。 〃It just slipped。〃 She moved the disk； diligently searching。 The sensor plate on the sonogram scraped across the surface of her skin； filling the air with a rumbling white noise； finding nothing。
〃Where IS he？〃 Gwen wrenched； and the disk popped off pletely。
The graph flat…lined。
And the two women began a war of wills。
For Gwen； it was the breaking straw。 A distant；
reasonable part of her brain insisted that the nurse was right； there was a perfectly good explanation for all of it。 It was steamrollered into oblivion by the howling inchoate part that knew beyond all shadow of doubt that something was wrong； her baby was dead and her dreams had died with it； a little sleeping corpse floating inside her； sleeping forever 。。。
〃Hold still； dammit！〃 Melissa said sharply。
〃He's dead！〃 Gwen's hysteria came rolling back。 〃Oh god； he's dead！〃
〃No； he isn't！〃
Melissa's mind was much simpler on the matter。 She pletely refused to accept it。 Babies didn't slip away like that； just drop off the meter like an unchained anchor。 There was almost always a downward slide； and the lack of it on the graph told her it had simply moved； that there was still life in there somewhere。
She just couldn't find it； somehow。
The Taylor woman was losing it fast。 They'd have to sedate her if she didn't level out。 〃Please； you've got to be still！〃 Melissa said； searching with a methodical desperation。
She glanced at her watch。 One minute and counting。 One more and she'd worry； but not until then。 She knew what kind of prenatal gymnastics a fetus could perform； flipping head over heels； changing sides pletely in an eyeblink； damn near anything。
The sensor scratched。 She pressed down hard。
And something pressed back。
Harder。
〃Whoa；〃 Melissa said； watching the surface of Gwen Taylor's ballooning belly distend。 For an instant she could practically see the outline of the child pushing outward in stark； fleshy relief。
Then it receded； and Melissa found her mark。
〃Gotcha！〃 she said； pressing the disk down。
The alarm at last shut off； a loud； steady thudding taking its place。 On the display； the little heart lit up like a prize。
〃You see？ I told you！〃 She steadied Gwen with her one hand and pressed the disk down with her other； making sure that the message got through。 〃Look！ Look！〃
Gwen stopped bawling and looked： sure enough； the heartbeat was there。 She held her breath and listened as the rhythm stayed； rock…steady。
〃He's there；〃 Gwen whispered； the storm clouds abating inside her。 〃He's really there。〃 She smiled a little； laughing through the tears。
While Melissa； relieved； wiped a tear from her smiling eyes。
〃I told you；〃 she said。
Twenty…Five
Gary and Laura sat before the monitor； two different sides of the very same coin。
Gary was in his chair at the console； keeping calm by keeping his attention focused on the technical aspects of the matter at hand。 Laura chain…smoked beside him； a dreadful exhilaration making her features flush and her body tight as an overwound spring。
Fuck the smoke； Gary thought； watching the ashtray fill before him。
They were busy watching reality unravel before their eyes。
〃What the hell is that？〃 Laura asked； starkly disbelieving。
〃That；〃 Gary whispered； 〃is all fucked up。〃
On the screen； Drew's face was blown up and frozen in all its gruesome distinction。 He was leering over the steering wheel and laughing； head bobbing like a demented dashboard ornament。
〃He's wearing a mask 。。。 〃 Laura reasoned。
〃That can't be right；〃 Gary muttered； shaking his head。 He advanced the tape and Drew's head bobbed into three…quarter profile。 〃I mean； look at that。〃 He pointed to the screen。 〃That guy's missing chunks。〃
〃So what are you saying？〃 Laura stood up； started pacing in tight little circles； thinking on her feet。 〃I mean； one way we've got nuts in monster masks dumping hazardous waste in a hijacked truck。 The other way we've got toxic mutant ninja rednecks 。。。 〃
She paused； realizing that even that didn't fall off the edge of her weirdness map。 〃God； I've been in this business too long。〃 She turned to Gary。 〃So what do you think？〃
But Gary wasn't listening anymore。
His attention was focused instead on the screen。 They had passed the end of Mike's camera work； the static blip at which Kirk had stopped the tape before。 On the far side of the wash of snow lay some more footage。
Some very special footage 。。。
The image came back as a reverse POV； mounted on a tripod。 It joggled for a moment； was still 。。。
。。。 and then Kirk came running back into frame； stumbling through the mud and gravel as if the devil was on his ass with a blowtorch。 He whirled； off…center； filled with panic and terror。
〃STOP！〃 he screamed； and tumbled out of frame。
The image blipped； went to snow。
It blipped back 。。。
。。。 and Kirk was there； actually leaping toward the hood of the car； as if escaping the onslaught of a truck long since gone。
〃Wait；〃 Laura whispered。 〃Who's shooting this？〃
Kirk rolled off the hood； walked toward the camera。
〃That little fuck 。。。 〃 Gary hissed； as Kirk's body leaned across the frame； obscuring the lens as he fiddled with the controls。
The camera blipped out again。
〃That prick；〃 Gary said； through gritted teeth。 〃That little mercenary bastard。〃 He felt the hatred percolate up inside； his fists clenching and unclenching arrhythmically。 The image blipped out again。
〃I don't believe this；〃 Laura said； her voice a barely audible croak。
〃I do；〃 Gary countered bitterly。
Laura was about to speak when the screen blipped again。
And they both fell silent。
It was a tight close…up on a hand。 The camera pulled back to reveal it sticking up forlornly out of a muddy track； fingers splayed back and broken like kindling； pointing awkwardly。
The next pickup was a full three…sixty： excruciatingly slow； voyeuristic in its attention to detail。 Gary knew the county medical examiner； and had seen his share of 〃home movies〃…coroner…with…a…camcorder…style reference tapes of autopsies and murders and the occasional bizarro demise。
They all paled as the camera pleted its trip around the world。
It spiraled in on a very dead Mike； held on his crushed and flattened countenance。 His glasses were smashed into sharp little pizza…pie slices that dug into the soft cheek skin。 His upper lip was split clear to his nostril； revealing shattered fulcrum over bloody； prominent teeth。 There was a grin of sorts on his face； the sick little rictus of a member of the studio audience suddenly hauled up and quizzed by the host。
Hi mom。
More shots of Dead Mike came up； all broadcast…quality： Dead Mike obscured by weeds； Dead Mike from a tastefully airable angle； Dead Mike's hand； sticking up like a sad little tree。 Gary turned up the fader on the audio track。
No tears。 No sobs。 No heartfelt outpourings of panic。
Just the ghoulishly methodical attention to detail。
The screen blipped； and the Dead Mike shots mercifully abated。
〃Oh my God；〃 Laura repeated。 She felt suddenly very ill。 This was a man she'd allowed inside her； and the fact of it left her feeling horribly unclean； like there weren't enough baths in the world to scrub the Kirk…scum off her skin。
Gary's reaction was far more basic。
〃I'll kill him；〃 he muttered； punching the controls； rewinding the tape。 〃I'll break that little weasel…assed bastard in half。〃
〃Let's just hold on a second；〃 Laura said。 She was fighting to remain levelheaded here； amidst a Gordian tangle of conflicting emotion。 〃We don't have all the facts in 。。。 〃
〃Yeah； right；〃 Gary cut in； cleaving right through it。 He hit the 〃play〃 button； and Dead Mike came back up on the screen； the slow vulture loop closing in。
〃I think we've got all the facts we need。〃
〃No；〃 Laura said。 〃We don't。〃 Gary glared at her； Laura stood her ground。 She took a deep； quavering breath。 I will not throw up； she thought desperately。 I will not throw up。 〃Look；〃 she insisted； 〃this is getting to me； too； okay？ But there's a larger issue here。〃
〃Name one；〃 Gary snorted and stared。
Laura grabbed the ledge of the console； fighting for internal control。 〃Someone or something is out there。〃 No。 Lines of thought； racing toward each other like colliding freight trains in her skull。 〃It's already killed one man 。。。 〃 I will not。 〃 。。。 and God only knows what's on the back of that truck。〃 I will not 。。。 〃We could have a serious hazard to the munity here。〃
〃Not to mention a hell of a great exclusive story；〃 Gary added bitterly。 He hit the 〃pause〃 button for emphasis； Dead Mike's hand halted in mid…wave。
〃Not to mention；〃 Laura said； her eyes flaring。
。。。 I WILL NOT THROW UP 。。。
Downstairs； the scanner was humming； and the radio beckoned。 Kirk was out there somewhere。 It frightened her to admit it； but if anyone stood to know what was happening； it was him。
〃I'm going to find out what the hell's going on here；〃 she said； abruptly getting to her feet。 〃You do what you have to do。〃
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