“We can’t do that,” Kelly replied. “He’s the only reason you guys aren’t storming this barn right now.”

“That’s not true,” Lucy said. “You’re right. Hell Night hasn’t happened. Whatever you’ve done, you definitely seem to have stopped it. We might be willing to walk away, like you want, but we need our colleague released to us before we can make that decision.”

“Nonsense,” Kelly called back cheerily. “You can decide that right now. You get in your car and drive away. We get in our car and do the same. We let Woodbury go when we have all our friends back. We drop him right at the town boundary.”

“We can’t negotiate like that, Kelly. It’s not how we do things.”

“Oh, Lucy, have you ever really tried?”

There were footsteps now. Lucy stepped into the full beams of the cruisers and walked forward with her hands up. The snow danced crazily in those lights.

“That’s far enough,” Milo said.

Lucy nodded, and took a few more steps before stopping. She wasn’t wearing her demon face anymore. “I just want to talk,” she said. “I just want to sort this out, the same as you. I don’t want either of you getting hurt. I don’t want Woodbury to get hurt, or Ortmann. And I certainly don’t want me to get hurt. That’s my number-one priority, right there. But you’ve got to understand my position. I can’t make any kind of deal with you, no matter how informal, when you have a gun to my friend’s head.”

“We do understand that,” said Kelly, “honest we do. But you have to understand that we can’t exactly trust you.”

“I’ve never lied to you.”

“Your honesty is admirable, Lucy, but let’s not forget that the Desolation Hill Police Department has been facilitating child murder since long before you were born. You’ve looked the other way your entire life. Everyone in that uniform has. Everyone in this town has.”

“We did what needed to be done.”

“That’s a terrible excuse.”

“I know,” said Lucy. “I know it is. But you’ve changed all that. Naberius didn’t get his sacrifice. We don’t know what that means. Do you?”

“We do not.”

“It might mean it’s over,” Lucy said. “If that’s the case, you’ve helped this town break free. No one’s going to want to thank you for that – no one except the kids. And me. Kelly, I give you my word that no harm will come to you if you release Woodbury. I don’t give you my word as a police officer – I know that doesn’t mean anything to you. I give you my word as a human being.”

“You’re a demon, Lucy.”

“Only sometimes.”