GAME ON - GoM 2

15

Ollie smiled at his little cousin on the passenger seat, a pretty six-year-old with high ponytails and a bright smile, excited after riding on her cop cous' F100.

"Ready, Ginny?"

"Yeah!"

"You have your lunch, your bag, everything?"

The little girl nodded, grinning, and stepped out of the truck, running to take Ollie's hand to cross the street. As they head to the school gates, Ollie noticed some faces he'd never seen around before. They look like regular guys, wearing jeans and flannels like everybody else. But they weren't bringing any kid to school, and they're oddly static where they stand. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted more strangers scattered around. All men. He had a bad feeling, especially when he saw them trade quick looks and turn to the school.

He stopped at the gate and patted his little cousin's back to hurry her in. "Have a good one, Ginny! Your mom is picking you up later" he said, patting his pockets for his phone.

He was about to call Claire, but he remembered her phone was gone and she wouldn't get a new one until later that morning. So he called Father Jason, who was getting ready for the morning mass.

Not a minute later he showed up at the guestroom, where Thames and Claire watched over Tom. He was knocked down in bed, and the girl was refreshing his fevered head with a wet cloth. Thames stood behind her, resting against the wall with his arms folded. He saw Father Jason's face and straightened up.

"Ollie just called," said the priest, horrified. "He thinks the demons sent men to the elementary."

Thames turned to Claire. "You stay here with him. I'm taking care of them," he said, his voice sharp and cold, and strode out of the room and the house.

Father Jason met Claire's worried look and his eyes moved to Tom. "How is he?"

"I don't know how anybody can take so much pain," Claire said, troubled. "I can hardly keep what he's feeling from knocking me down."

"God help us bring this to an end soon," Father Jason muttered.

"Amen." Claire replied out of habit, not convinced that there was anybody up there that could or would listen to their prayers anymore.

Outside the school, Ollie rested against the side of his truck, hands in his pockets, nodding hi at his neighbors and watching the men, his gun in the waist of his jeans, under his flannel. He frowned when one of them picked up his phone. Wasn't that man in the woods the night they'd attacked Markus?

The man said two words clearly: "Yes, sir." He disconnected and looked around, at the other men still scattered nearby.

Ollie hung his police badge from his belt and strolled across the street, his hand feeling the butt of his gun beneath the flannel. He reached the school sidewalk as the men started converging toward the gates in no hurry. He looked around. Ten to one, he's doomed. But if he made enough noise before going down, he would get the attention from the people on the street and inside the building. They would keep the runts out of the school.

He stood at the exact spot to block the way in, still trying to digest the thought of those men willing to attack children. And he spotted Thames stalking down the street from the furthest corner, scanning around with a stormy scowl.

The men gathered around Ollie and the one that had taken the call stepped up and tried to brush past him. Ollie wore his official face.

"Excuse me, sir, what business brings you to Bold Peak Elementary?"

The man looked him up and down as the others come closer behind him, turning to Ollie with unfriendly faces.

"None of yours, young man. Now if you'd allow me."

Ollie smiles, poking his badge. "It is my busyness. Bold Peak PD."

The man tried to push Ollie out of his way, but Ollie stepped back and drew his gun, cocking it inches away from the man's face. The others pressed on forward but the man raised his hand, stopping him. People passing by paused to watch the scene, curious. The man held Ollie's eyes without a blink.

"So how's your side, Turner?" he asked softly.

One of the runts coughed behind him, and then another.

"You son of a bitch!" Ollie grunted.

More runts started coughing, but they didn't pay attention.

Until they heard Thames' voice, calm and polite. "Everything alright, Deputy?"

Ollie had the satisfaction of watching the man lose his cool as he turned around slowly, afraid of what he knows he's about to find. The other runts kept coughing harder and some of them bent over, grabbing their bellies or their throats. Thames met the man's eyes, standing among them with an innocent smile. The man tried to retreat. But Thames smiled a little wider and the man's face cracked in a grimace of horrified surprise. He tried to move again, but his body wouldn't respond.

"I'm calling Graham," said Ollie, dialing as he still held the gun to the man's head.

Thames made his way to pat the man's shoulder and he simply crumbled down, unconscious. Thames stood by Ollie and turned to glance around, at the choking runts. He waved his hand slightly, in a casual move, and they started dropping down like flies.

Ollie gawked as he still talked to Graham over the phone. "Now I get why they wanna keep you away from the house," he mumbled, disconnecting.

Thames shrugged. "Yes."

"Graham and the other Deputies are on the way. But we should load a some of them in my truck, 'cause they won't have room for all of them in the cruisers."

Thames agreed. He leaned toward the man at his feet and fished through his pockets, taking his phone.