~~~
The coarse soap rubbed Henry's skin raw. It felt good to be clean again though, even with the soap's fragrance of something pulled from a musty closest. Putting his handgun in the back of his jeans, he came out of the steamy bathroom to find Jake had pulled a chair up next to Cael. Apparently Jake didn't want to go even as far as the kitchen to leave him alone either.
Warmth pooled in his chest. God, he loved these boys. "Kitchen's supplied with caffeine and sandwich trimmings."
Jake stared at Cael for a while longer, but his stomach must have ruled him out, because he stood up. "Do you want one?"
"That'd be great, son."
Cael's eyes slid open. "Do you think…you could make me one too?"
Jake's entire countenance lit up. "Sure. You feelin okay now, buddy?"
Cael nodded and Henry noticed the kid's movements were no longer stifled from pain.
"You sure?" Jake placed his hand on Cael's head.
Grinning, Cael rolled his eyes. "How come no one ever believes me when I say I'm fine?" He yawned.
Henry took Jake's seat and ruffled Cael's hair. "You're really okay?"
"Mmm-hmm." Cael yawned again. "Headache's barely there. I'm just tired."
"That's the pills working. We'll get you fed, then how does a nice shower sound?"
One eye drooped into a squint. "Gonna let me take one on my own?"
Henry chuckled. "Relatively. Keep the door ajar."
Cael huffed out an annoyed breath and sank down farther on the couch before closing his eyes.
Henry stared at him, grateful beyond reason that it looked like he was going to be okay. They'd dodged a bullet on this one, what should have been a simple job escalating from bad to worse.
Henry cocked his head, studying his boy, putting this quiet moment to memory.
"You know, you favor my uncle," Henry said. He wasn't sure why. It just came out. "My father's younger brother." Henry idolized him, followed him everywhere.
Cael's eyes stole open, looking at Henry beneath heavy lids.
"Name was Mike. Had your coloring, jaw. Your scrawny build."
Cael smiled.
"He was real tall."
"Taller than you?"
"Taller than everyone around him."
Cael's face smoothed, thinking that over. "How come we never got to meet him?"
"He passed on when I was around your age." Mike enlisted as a young skinny kid and came back filled out, packing muscle, almost unrecognizable. Funny how life turned out. Mike left the jungles and swamps of Cambodia in one piece only to step in front of a bullet not twenty minutes from his home. Convenience store robbery gone wrong. He'd saved a young mother. Guess it was the Gillant way, risking their lives to spare others. "Would've made one fine tracker."
"Sorry, Dad."
Henry's brows rose.
"That I never…" Cael's third yawn was so huge it surprised Henry that he didn't hear bones cracking. "…never got to meet Uncle Mike." Dark lashes swallowed brown eyes.
Henry squeezed Cael's arm. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. Rest easy. I'll give Jake a hand with those sandwiches." Grab a coffee too. Forgoing sleep last night was catching up to him.
Henry entered the kitchen and his stomach growled at the sight. "Planning on keepin those to yourself?"
"Was thinking about it." Jake had a spread of the largest sandwiches Henry had ever seen. Rural living had its benefits. Doc Wal's neighbors must have traded produce for soap because the thick homemade bread slices housed thick slabs of roast, meaty tomatoes and crispy lettuce. God love a farming community.
Jake grabbed a plate to take into Cael when the crack of a rifle-shot disturbed the quiet country air. Henry and Jake both drew their handguns and rushed outside as another shot rang out. Doc Wal stood near the barn, shooting up at its roof where at least fifteen gremlins scurried across the slats. "Thought you said you got 'em all."
Henry thought so too. "Must have found another way out of that cave!" Dammit. A gremlin flung himself to the ground, limbs outspread like a flying freakin squirrel. He shot it point-blank, but the nasty just tucked and rolled and scurried into the barn.
Walker ran after it, shouting, "Cover me! Gotta get the horses out!"
Jake kept firing at the beasts climbing down the roof. More were coming from around the side of the barn. Must have made their way through the large pasture, stretching for miles behind the large structure. Henry rushed to the door, trying to cover both Jake and the Doc from the threshold. Walker swung the large eight-foot wide door open and then went about pulling the two frightened and balking horses toward it.
"What about the cow?" Henry yelled.
"Leave the cow!" Doc slapped one of the hinds and the horse bucked and lurched out the door, spurring the second horse to follow, galloping away across the pasture. Several beasties sped off after them. "Cow's been dipped! Gremlins won't touch her."
A brutal realization swamped Henry to his core.
"Dad!" Jake screamed out, his voice almost lost between the shriek of bullets. Henry ran out. Kid had his second handgun out. He was surrounded by gremlins—at least thirty now—hissing and spitting, but not approaching Jake even as he shot into their nearly impenetrable hides. Soap was working, they weren't going after Jake, except…hairless rubbery heads lifted in the air, nostrils widening as they licked the scents upon the breeze, and as one, the beasts squealed and surged toward the clinic. "Dad!" Jake screamed again, features brimmed with a horror Henry never wanted to see on either of his sons again. "Cael never used the soap!"
Ten
Demon Trackers: The Anointed Page 14
