“Are you still there? Amber? Do you think I’ll be okay? This town, it heals us after every Hell Night, in the hour after sunrise. Those who aren’t dead, I mean. Heals us right up. But I … I don’t know. I think you’ve hurt me too bad. I can’t feel anything.”

She cracked one eye open. “So?” she asked. “You shot me. Tried to kill me.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Benjamin said. “But during the day I’m a different person. You know that. I’m a good person. I’m already old, for Christ’s sake. I can’t be old and crippled, too. You can’t do that to me.”

She couldn’t just lie here. Milo was out there. And Kelly. Amber started crawling.

“Are you still there? Amber?”

“I’m here,” she said.

“I’ll help you,” said Benjamin. “I’ll fight with you against the people who have come to hurt you. The whole town will fight by your side.”

“Hush now,” Amber said as she reached him. She prodded his leg. “Can you feel that?”

“I … I’m not sure. Are you touching me? I can’t feel anything. I’m numb. I can’t even wiggle my fingers or toes.”

“That’s probably a good thing,” Amber said. She tugged his pants leg up, revealing a red, surprisingly hairless calf. She opened her mouth wide, and tore out a chunk with her fangs.

“What are you doing?” Benjamin asked. “What was that sound?”

Amber chewed, blood running down her chin, and swallowed. It was so good. It was so frikkin’ good. She tore out another mouthful of meat.

“Are you … what are you doing? Amber? Are you … are you eating? What are you eating? What is there to …?”

He faltered, went quiet, and as she was on her third mouthful he started screaming.

Amber stood up. She took off her jacket, let it fall. She lifted her sodden top, ran a finger over the bullet hole in her belly. It was closing up nicely. The same with the wounds in her chest and leg. Her arm, too, was mending. No pain anymore – just that pleasant feeling of warmth. The blood was sticky, though. Her hands and face were caked in it, and it drenched her clothes.

She opened the door into Benjamin’s farmhouse, went to the sink and splashed herself with water. She didn’t mind the cold. She washed her hands and face and her happy little smile stayed where it was. When she looked up, she saw the keys to Benjamin’s truck, right there on the windowsill.

Well, all right then.

Chapter 48

WHAT FIRST TIPPED VIRGIL off to the possibility that something bad had happened at the bunker were the two dead bodies lying in the middle of the road.

He swung the Sienna round, parked it on the hill heading down. In case they needed to make a fast getaway.