Experiment in Terror 05 On Demon Wings (34 page)

and even through al the rage I felt, the hurt and humiliation,

seeing him had fil ed me with a resilience I hadn’t felt in a

long time. Like I had a fighting chance.

Now, he was gone. I had nothing left but questions.

“When did mom and dad live in New York?” I asked with

the last strength I had.

Ada came at sat on the bed. “I don’t know. Maybe when

mom was modeling? You need to sleep, Perry. I’l be right

here.”

I nodded, then slept.

I awoke to the sound of my window being jimmied. My eyes

flew open. It was dark in my room except for my bedside

lamp and I was stil in bed, stil tied to the posts. My

muscles ached and cried from being pul ed in the same

position for so long. I was alone.

Wel , not quite.

The window final y slid open, clattering in the frame. I

froze, unsure of who it was, what it was. Did the winged

demon babies final y come for me? Was it something

worse, like the giant spider?

“Hey, kiddo,” Dex whispered. “It’s just me.”

I heard him hoist himself through the window and land

softly on the carpet. He appeared beside me. Like before,

he crouched down so he was at my level. I moved my head

on the pil ow to look at him.

With blood crusting at the corners of his eye, he gave me

a quick, almost shy smile. I hated how it made me feel. His

smile stil had the ability to make me feel
good
.

“Sweet climbing tree you’ve got there,” he said, nodding

his head at the outside. He looked me up and down,

frowning, then asked, “How are you?”

“How do you think?” I replied, my tongue feeling

sluggish.

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “I know. I’m going to get you out

of here, OK?”

“Where?”

“I said I had a plan. Your parents never gave me a

chance to tel it to them. You just have to trust me.”

My eyes narrowed at him. “How the fuck do you think I

can trust you?”

He winced and rubbed at his thin beard. “I deserve that, I

know. And I don’t blame you. But none of that’s important

right now. Later, yes. Not now, kiddo. Ada was right. You

can’t stay here. Whatever’s inside you, it’s going to kil you.

Sooner rather than later. And a hospital, alone...Perry you

don’t want to die in there.”

My eyes flickered in alarm.

He reached over and stroked my hand gently. His touch

made gooseflesh appear on my arm. “It’s true. I’m not trying

to scare you. In fact, you’re the one who’s scaring me. As

usual. But we have to go. Wil you come with me?”

“You’l have to untie me,” I said in a hush.

He leaned in closer. “I’l risk it.”

“Promise you’l tie me up again after?”

I expected him to have some sexy remark to that. But his

face was stern, washed with determination. “I don’t want to.”

“But you have to. Or I won’t go. I don’t want to hurt you

again.”

“Even though I deserve it.”

“You deserve something. But not that.”

He nodded and took a deep breath. “OK, deal.”

He leaned over me and untied my left arm. He smel ed

the same as ever. Old Spice, Nicorette gum. I tried not to

breathe it in, just in case it messed with my heart a bit. But

it was hard.

My hand came free and I wiggled it as he untied the

other one. He paused before heading down to my legs and

shot me a wry look out of the corner of his eye. He was

waiting for me to attack him.

I smiled quickly. “I’m OK.”

He nodded, and chewing on his lip, he undid the other

two legs. As he worked, I stretched my arms and back and

reflected on how odd everything suddenly was. Here was

Dex, someone I had known in the most personal level

possible and it felt like we were almost strangers. Like we

were starting al over again. It made me a little bit sad. But I

pushed the sadness away because I couldn’t afford to

vulnerable. Not only because it made me more susceptible

to that
thing
, but because I didn’t want to backslide, as

foolish as that was. Dex had just warned me that I might die

because of this but I wanted to hold onto my precious pride.

But what use was pride if you were dead?

When he was finished, he came back to me and gently

slid his arm underneath my back, easing me into a sitting

position.

“Here, up you go. Easy...take it easy.”

My heart pounded in my head and I pressed down on

both temples. His warm hand cupped the back of my head,

supporting me. I pointed at the rope, keeping my eyes shut.

“Tie me up,” I said, grinding my teeth against the pain.

“Right now?”

“Please, Dex.”

He sighed and reluctantly tied the rope around my wrists

and ankles.

“Do it tighter,” I whispered harshly.

He stopped and tilted my chin up so I was looking at him.

I opened my eyes. His eyes were large and searching

mine. I could see my reflection in them.

“What?” I asked. “You saw what I did. Your throat is

practical y blue.”

It was now. Blue and purple and ugly. Al because of me.

“I don’t like this.”

“And I do?”

But he tied my wrists and ankles tighter, stopping just

before the circulation was cut off.

“I’m obviously going to have to carry you,” he said warily.

“Obviously,” I whispered back.

He put his arms behind my back and knees and lifted

me up with little effort. I was right. He had bulked up a bit.

Not that it matters
, I thought quickly, then tried to

concentrate on the task at hand. Mainly, getting the hel out

of Dodge without my parents, or Maximus, or Ada, catching

us. Stil , as I rested my head in the crook of his sweet-

scented neck, I couldn’t help but wonder how I smel ed; my

last bath having been days ago. And that was with spiders.

“You OK, kiddo?” he asked after taking a step.

I nodded and breathed into his neck.

“Here goes nothing,” he said quietly. He adjusted my

weight on him and quickly opened the door with his hand. It

creaked open slowly. The lights in the hal way were on but

the ones on the stairs weren’t. I hoped he wouldn’t fal down

them; we’d both be hurt and we’d be letting everyone know

what we were up to.

He tiptoed (if it’s even possible to tiptoe when you’re

carrying someone) to the edge of the stairs and then

careful y made his way down them. I wanted to warn him to

be extra quiet since Maximus was asleep in the living room

but I didn’t want to open my mouth.

We made it to the hardwood floors and he turned toward

the front door.

Then stopped.

There was someone standing there.

We waited until the figure came forward and the light

from upstairs il uminated them enough.

It was Ada. She was stil in her clothes, having not gone

to sleep yet.

“What are you doing with her?” she hissed.

“I’m taking her. This is part of the plan.”

“Taking her where? You never told me the plan.”

“You guys, shut up.” I hushed them. “You’l wake

Maximus.”

I jerked my head in the direction of the living room.

Dex continued, voice even lower, “I can’t tel you the plan.

When your parents find out what I’ve done-”

“They’l cal the fuzz!” she shot in.

“Exactly. And you’l be gril ed until you tel them the truth.”

“I can keep a secret.”

“No she can’t,” I whispered to him.

He nodded. “See, Perry knows. Just trust me, Ada. You

cal ed me here for a reason, didn’t you? I’m saving your

sister the only way I know how.”

“And how is that?”

“She needs an exorcist.”

Silence fel over us as we sucked on that exotic word:

Exorcist. Dex was taking me to see an exorcist. I know I

had been half-convinced I needed an exorcist this whole

time but when someone else said it, it became
real
. Like

an actual thing you could have done. What did you do

today? Oh I saw an exorcist.

I don’t know if the thing inside me was cowering at the

mention of that but suddenly I was very scared again.

“An exorcist?” Ada repeated after what seemed like an

eternity.

“Yes,” Dex said, his patience being tried. “You know.

You’ve seen the film.”

“Actual y, I haven’t.”

“Wel , you should. It’s very good.”

“Guys,” I whispered again. “Maximus!”

“Please, Ada,” Dex said imploringly. “Just let us go. You

know I’l do anything for Perry. She’s safer with me than with

anyone else.”

His admission tugged at my heartstrings. Only a little. He

was stil a douchecanoe. The douchcanoe who was going

to paddle me to safety.

“My dad wil cal the cops the minute you’re gone,” she

said. “They’l come after you. For, like, kidnapping or

something.”

“I know.”

Ada folded her arms and stuck out her leg in front of her.

“Then I’m going with you.”

“Noooo,” Dex said, shaking his head. “This is nasty

business, little fifteen.”

“I don’t care. There wouldn’t even be a dumb plan if it

wasn’t for me. I’m going with you. She’s my sister and you

need someone to watch over her while you drive. And if you

don’t take me with you, I’m just going to march over to your

little ginger friend over there and-”

“Fine,” he said swiftly. “You can come. But we’re going

now. Right now. Before it’s too late.”

She smiled widely, which in turn made me feel that

bounce of hope again. The thought of going to an exorcist

was terrifying but it was no worse than being possessed. I

just hoped I’d hold on long enough. The thing was always

waiting.

Ada crept quietly to the front door and opened it for us.

With quick feet, Dex jogged down the front steps and into

the wet, cold night. The rain splashed hard against my

cheeks.

With hot breath he whispered into my ear as he ran, “I’m

just around the corner, a few more seconds.”

I heard Ada close the front door quietly, and within

seconds she was running beside us. We left the driveway

and made a turn for the right. Farther up the road was his

black Toyota Highlander. What a sight for sore eyes that

car was.

It was unlocked, so Ada opened the back doors and Dex

gently placed me in the seat. Ada hopped in on the other

side, choosing to ride in the back with me.

Dex got in the front and adjusted the rearview mirror. He

looked at me and then looked at Ada.

“Last chance to get out and live a normal life,” he said.

“Are you kidding? I gave that up for Lent,” she answered

with a rol of her eyes.

Dex started the car and with a powerful purr, we were off.

~~~

“How is she?” Dex asked.

I felt the car rol to a stop and opened my eyes. Dex was

turned around in the front seat, looking at me with concern.

Ada leaned forward until her face fil ed my vision. The only

light came from a nearby street lamp. We had pul ed along

the side of a road, a gas station in the distance. The far-off

roar of cars told me that the highway was close by.

“Perry?” she asked.

“Yes?” I replied groggily. I tried to move in my seat but

found it impossible. I looked down. Forget the rope, now my

arms and legs were bound to me in a layer of duct tape. I

looked like a silver worm.

I looked up at them. “Seriously?”

Dex chewed on his lip for a few seconds and glanced at

Ada.

“Perry, it was real y bad,” she said gently. “We had to

stop at a gas station and buy out their rope and duct tape.”

“They definitely thought we were doing some

kidnapping,” Dex said.

“What did I do?” I tried to adjust myself; the duct tape

was so tight and binding and pinched at my sore skin.

“You broke out of your ropes somehow and opened the

car door. You were about to jump out.”

My mouth dropped open.

“Dex did some
Need for Speed-
style maneuvers; you

fel back in the car before you could. I grabbed you...shit,

you real y need to cut your nails, Perry.”

She rol ed up the sleeve of her striped shirt. There were

long, scraggly scratches on it.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, feeling worse than ever. “I don’t

remember any of it.”

She shrugged. “S’Ok. But we didn’t want to take any

more chances. Now you can’t do anything except bite us.

But a piece of duct tape should fix that.”

I shook my head. “Please don’t. I’l behave.”

But it was a promise that
thing
wouldn’t keep.

I turned my attention to Dex. His face was dark in the

shadows of the car.

“Did I do anything to you?”

“Except for a kil er kick to my chin? Naw,” he said,