Code 61 - Donald Harstad [159]
He snuffled some blood in his nose, grimaced, and said, “Me. Me, and Kevin, and Huck and Melissa.”
“What about Hanna?”
“I dunno,” he mumbled, sniffed, and then sneezed, covering both of us with a fine spatter of blood droplets. “Excuse me.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand.
I had a dilemma. We had to get into the house, and fast. I didn't want to take a chance and leave Sally out here with Toby, in case Dan got by me and came out this way. Yet, I didn't want to have to drag Toby into the house with us, either. I couldn't cut him loose, and have him wandering about, because he wasn't in any condition to be left on his own.
I stood him up. “We're going into the house. Come on.” I started guiding him toward the Mansion, and he actually took two or three steps before it dawned on him.
“No way!” He started to twist, and I was afraid he'd tear his pajamas and break free.
In a moment of inspiration, I grabbed both his arms, and got right back in his face. “I think Dan's out here.”
His eyes widened.
I was lying, but what the hell. It was his turn to be deceived.
I must have been very convincing, because Sally reached for her gun, and started to look behind her.
The three of us hustled across the drive, and up the porch steps. Toby was looking behind us all the way. Good. Sally had her service weapon out, and I pulled mine, as well.
“What did the office say?”
“Borman's on his way up now,” she said. There wasn't a hint of a quaver in her voice. Dispatch training.
“And?”
“They're rounding up everybody they can get,” she said.
Just as we reached the door, I heard an engine roaring up the drive. Borman. We paused on the porch, as he came steaming up the drive, through the gate, and slid to a halt just a few feet from the bottom of the steps. He jumped out, and came running up the steps.
“Whaddya got?” he asked, breathing heavily.
We told him, in about five seconds.
“Now,” I ended, “you shove Toby here in your car, lock the doors and make sure the cage is tight. Then follow us in.”
He didn't even ask a question. That was the way it was supposed to work.
Sally and I entered the house.
As we passed through the main doors, the patter of the rain was filtered out, and the sudden quiet was remarkable. I hadn't realized how much the sound of the rain had pervaded our world outside.
We stood still, the sound of the water dripping from our rain gear making the only noise in the whole, huge house. It was completely dark, and very warm in contrast with the outside temperature.
“Use your Mini-Mag,” I said, “and see if you can find the lights.”
A moment later, the overhead light in the entryway came on.
We looked around. Nothing appeared disturbed. I holstered my gun for a second, slipped out of my raincoat and let it drop to the floor. I pulled my gun again. “Take off your coat,” I said softly. “It'll be quieter.”
I heard her removing it. Silence again. Then, a little bump of a sound, from the direction of the inglenook under the stairs. I glanced at Sally. She nodded that she'd heard it, too. The two of us moved very slowly toward the foot of the stairs, and into the darkness again.
Sally shined her light into the inglenook. Curled up under the wooden bench seat was a body clad in a flannel nightgown. Hanna.
“Hanna,” I said. “You all right?”
She simply stared.
“Hanna?” said Sally.
“Go away,” Hanna hissed.
“Where's everybody else? Come on, Hanna, tell me,” I said evenly.
At that point, there was a noticeable suction in the air as the main doors opened and Borman came in. Hanna curled up tightly, and covered her eyes with her forearm.
“Leave me alone. Go away.”
“Hanna, look at me. Tell me where everybody is.”
She did look at me, but she didn't speak. Then her gaze shifted up, toward the staircase. I didn't know whether she was looking for an escape path, or hoping to see someone start down the stairs.
“Just tell me where everybody is,” I said quietly. “That's all you have to do.”