Black Forest, Denver Cereal Volume 5 (47 page)

“
Go where?” Tanesha
asked.

“
You sent the kids to your
studio, Sandy. Didn’t you?” Jill asked.

“
How did you…?”

“
Saint Jude is on his way
there,” Jill said. “He’s tricked Valerie and Honey to go there. We
have to get there.”

“
What about the guys?”
Sandy asked. “I’ll call Aden and…”

“
You can’t call Aden
because you don’t have your phone. It fell out in the car,” Jill
said. “He won’t answer our calls because he doesn’t know our
numbers.”

Sandy began digging in her bag.

“
We can look for the men
here but we won’t find them. They’ve gone to the Detroit Street
Workshop. I don’t know why,” Jill said. “Do you have your
phone?”

Sandy shook her head.

“
We have to get Saint
Jude. Ourselves,” Jill said. “You, me, Katy, Heather and Mack.
Heather’s on her way to the Salon because she thinks Sandy called
her and asked to meet her there.”

Tanesha and Sandy looked at Jill like she’d
lost her mind.

“
If you don’t believe me,”
Jill said. “Call her.”

Tanesha dialed Heather. While they talked,
Jill turned to Sandy.

“
Seth’s in the hospital,”
Jill said. “I don’t know if he’s going to be all right. Ava’s with
him. Delphie is going to tell you when she gets here. If we leave
now, we’ll miss them.”

“
What happened to Seth?”
Sandy asked.

“
Some toxin something,”
Jill said. “His only chance is if Ava finds an antidote. But she
doesn’t know what she’s doing. I saw her in a lab and… that’s
all.”

“
Oh God,” Sandy said.
“Saint Jude did this?”

Jill nodded.

“
Heather’s going to meet
us at the Salon. She won’t go in until she sees the three of us and
Katy,” Tanesha said. “But she said she got a call from Sandy asking
her to bring Mack and meet her at the Salon.”

“
Crap,” Sandy
said.

“
Mommy?” Katy asked. “Is
it time to go?”

Jill pulled a fleece sweater over her
head.

“
We’re taking the dogs,”
Jill said.

“
Buster is with the kids
at the Salon,” Sandy said. “Where’s Jake’s lab?”

“
Sarah’s in the kitchen
guarding the door,” Jill said. “We’ll get her on the way
out.”

Jill lifted Katy from the bed. She grabbed
her purse and Katy’s jacket. She was halfway across the loft when
she realized Sandy and Tanesha weren’t with her. She could hear
them talking in her bedroom.

“
Are you coming?” Jill
asked. “I can’t kill this guy on my own.”

Sandy and Tanesha jogged to her. Scooter
jumped off the bed and met Jill and Katy at the door. Sarah, Jake’s
Labrador, was waiting on the other side of the door. Without saying
another word, the women, child, and dogs left for Sandy’s
salon.

~~~~~~~~

Tuesday night — 8:35 P.M.

“
It doesn’t look like
anyone’s here yet,” Honey said.

The women peered out of Valerie’s car into
the salon and looked at each other.

“
I bet downtown is a
nightmare,” Valerie said. “We heard on the radio that there was an
explosion.”

“
You’re right,” Honey
said. “They’re probably caught in traffic.”

“
Let’s go inside and wait
for them,” Valerie said. “Colfax has improved but it’s
still…”

“
Creepy,” Honey
said.

Valerie went to the trunk to retrieve
Honey’s wheelchair. She set it next to the car and Honey worked her
way into the chair. The women went toward the salon. Valerie used
the key to open the salon. Honey rolled inside to turn the alarm
off.

“
Should we leave the door
unlocked?” Valerie asked.

“
MJ would kill me if he
found out I was behind an unlocked door on Colfax,” Honey
said.

“
I’ll tell you what. Why
don’t you stay here and let people in? I’ll go start some coffee
and… maybe some hot chocolate.”

“
I bet they’re cold,”
Honey said.

“
That’s what I was
thinking!” Valerie smiled at Honey.

Honey beamed back at Valerie. Valerie gave
her a little wave and went toward the back of the salon. As she
passed, Valerie flipped on the studio’s stereo.

“
We may as well dance
while we wait,” Valerie said.

Laughing, Honey went to the door and
relocked it. She set the alarm to standby in case someone tried to
force their way in. She smiled at her logic. Feeling safe behind
the bullet proof glass that made up the store front, she practiced
some wheelchair dancing in the salon mirrors.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY

Up to us

Tuesday night — 8:40 P.M.

“
There she is,” Dale
said.

Because Seth was gravely ill, the ICU would
only let Lizzie, his daughter, see him. Maresol hugged Lizzie close
and lead her back to where she, Ava and Dale were sitting.

“
How is he?” Ava’s voice
was a deep whisper.

“
They won’t tell me.”
Tears dropped from Lizzie’s eyes. “They say his vitals are good and
he’s in great health but that’s all. That’s all! It’s like no one
knows anything. That Max guy is hovering from bed to bed but
nothing’s going on.”

“
How does he look?”
Maresol asked.

“
Dead,” Lizzie said. “He
looks dead.”

Lizzie cried into her hands. Maresol put her
arm around the girl. They fell silent while Lizzie cried.

“
I just got my Daddy
back,” Lizzie said. “And now he’s…”

Maresol hugged her tight.

“
Why aren’t you out there
making an antitoxin?” Maresol asked Ava. Her voice was harsh and
accusing. “Isn’t that what you do?”

“
Me?” Ava pointed to
herself.

“
I thought you were a
scientist?”

Maresol’s eyes flicked up and down Ava.
Maresol raised an eyebrow as if to say Ava was too lazy to do
anything. Stunned, Ava blinked at Maresol.

“
And you want to marry
him?” Maresol asked. “You won’t even help.”

Ava opened her mouth to say something but no
sound came.

“
Marry?” Lizzie asked. “I
didn’t know you guys were getting married. Oh Ava.”

Lizzie threw her arms around Ava’s
shoulders. Over Lizzie’s shoulder, Ava saw Maresol’s eyebrows rise
in challenge.

“
Sure, just sit there,”
Maresol said.

Maresol crossed her arms and shifted away
from Ava. Ava gaped at the woman’s behavior. Feeling someone near
them, Ava let go of Lizzie and turned to the new person. Ava jumped
to her feet.

“
Any news?” Dale
asked.

“
I’m sorry,” Max
Hargreaves said. “I just got off the phone with the CDC, Interpol
and the FBI. He’s been shot with a toxin that has no known
antidote. Without it, we just wait and hope.”

“
Are they working on it?”
Lizzie asked.

“
They’re gearing up to
start,” Max said.

“
What?” Lizzie asked.
“Starting? They’re just starting?”

“
We’re just collecting
information from the previous attacks,” Max said. “The FBI is
looking for someone they call ‘Blood Splatter Bob’. He ran a team a
few years ago and retired to Denver. No one’s heard from him since.
Any of you know him?”

Unable to help herself, Ava jumped from her
seat.

“
I know who you mean.”
Ava’s words came out as one big croak. She swallowed hard and
nodded.

“
Yeah?” Max’s eyebrows
shot up. “Who are you?”

“
She’s Amelie Vivian
Alvin,” Dale said.

“
You go by Ava?” Max
asked

Ava nodded.

“
They’re looking for you
too,” Max said. “Do you have access to a lab?”

Ava nodded.

“
Do you know Blood
Splatter Bob?” Max asked

Ava nodded.

“
Let’s go,” Max
said.

Before Ava could say good-bye, Max was
escorting her out of the room. Ava turned and raised a hand to
Maresol, Dale and Lizzie. Maresol was making shooing motions with
her hands.

“
How did you know?” Dale
asked.

“
Delphie told me to light
a fire under her butt,” Maresol said. “She says Ava’s our only
chance.”

“
Delphie?” Dale asked.
“Who’s Delphie?”

“
You don’t know Delphie?”
Lizzie asked.

“
She’s a good friend of
mine,” Maresol said.

“
How did she know?” Dale
asked.

“
That’s a long story,”
Maresol said. “When all this is settled, you’d do well to have a
long chat with Delphie.”

Confused, Dale simply nodded.

~~~~~~~~

Tuesday night — 8:40 P.M.

“
Boy it’s been a while,”
Valerie yelled from the back of the salon.

“
I wonder if they’re
coming,” Honey yelled back.

“
We shouldn’t wait.”
Valerie came out with two mugs of hot chocolate. “After all, we’re
eating for two. Four all together!”

She gave Honey a mug. They blew over the top
of their hot cocoa.

“
I love cocoa,” Honey
said.

“
Me too,” Valerie said.
“But if People Magazine asks me, I’ll tell them it’s too full of
sugar. After all, I’m having an…”

“
Organic pregnancy,” Honey
and Valerie said together and laughed.

“
Who comes up with this
crap?” Valerie laughed.

“
Tabloids are crap
manifestors,” Honey said. “Poor Mike. You’re driving Mike
crazy
with your
demands.”

“
He was born that way,”
Valerie laughed. In a mock Russian accent, Valerie added, “Haf you
met his modder?”

Honey laughed. Their focus turned to the
warm cocoa. Honey was about to say something when the smoke alarm
went off in the back. Valerie spun in place and trotted to the
back.

“
What are you making?”
Honey asked.

“
Pizza Rolls,” Valerie
said.

“
Organic,” Honey and
Valerie said together.

Honey heard Valerie laugh.

“
Oooh I love that song,”
Valerie said. “Turn it up!”

Honey cranked the stereo. With her back to
the door, Honey drank her hot cocoa. She was just setting her mug
down when two strong hands grabbed her shoulders. In one swift
movement, the hands lifted her from the chair. Honey screamed and
her mug shattered on the floor. Incapable of turning her head, she
had no idea who held her. She was carried across the salon to the
basement door. The basement door flew open with his kick. A second
before they went hurling down the stairs, Honey caught a glimpse of
herself and the man who carried her.

Saint Jude.

They plunged into the dark basement.

~~~~~~~~

Tuesday night — 8:45 P.M.

“
Sandy?” Nash whispered
into the phone.

“
Yes, honey,” Sandy pulled
the passenger door to Jill’s Lexus SUV.

“
Are you here?”

“
No,” Sandy said. “But
we’re on our way.”

“
Someone’s here. We’d
hoped it was you,” Nash said. “We heard someone come in upstairs.
Women. Laughing. We heard music then it smelled like burned pizza.
And... Wait…”

Nash fell silent.

“
Nash?” Sandy
asked.

“
I think a woman just
screamed. The music is pounding upstairs,” Nash said. “What do we
do?”

“
Nothing,” Sandy said.
“We’re on our way.”

“
They’re
coming…”

The phone went dead. Sandy looked at her
phone. Call dropped. She called Nash back.

Nothing.

“
What is it?” Jill asked
as she turned on Colfax.

“
Saint Jude’s there,”
Sandy said. “I can feel it in my bones.”

“
What did Nash say?”
Tanesha asked.

“
Someone just screamed.
And now I can’t get him,” Sandy said. “Did you see
this?”

Jill nodded.

“
And?” Sandy
asked.

“
Hold on,” Jill said as
the engine roared.

~~~~~~~~

Tuesday night — 8:50 P.M.

“
That’s Honey,” Sissy
whispered. “I’d know her anywhere.”

They heard a pair of heavy feet pound down
the stairs.

“
Shh,” Charlie
said.

Rachel gave a mewing cry. Charlie leaned
down to rock her car seat.

“
Honey helps me with my
nutrition,” Sissy whispered. “She brings me smoothies and makes
sure I eat all of my food and gives me little snacks and… I’d never
be doing so well without Honey’s help.”

Honey screamed again.

“
I have to help her,”
Sissy said.

“
No!” Charlie
whispered.

“
We only open the door for
our Mom and Dad or yours,” Pete’s oldest son said.
“Period.”

Honey screamed. Sissy glared at Charlie.
Before anyone could stop her, she opened the door and ran out into
the open basement.

“
Leave her alone,” Sissy
yelled. “You leave her alone.”