"I can't see him anywhere," said Frank, standing in front of the TV. "He's completely disappeared."
"He must be somewhere," said Bob.
Frank clicked through the security cameras one more time. "I don't see him."
He reset the screen to show the areas nearest the living room and went to sit down. Brian was lying on the couch, propped up against pillows they'd liberated from around the room. He was pale and he winced every time he moved, his eyes were bloodshot and there was an ugly, purple ring around his throat that Frank didn't want to look at, but he was alive. Bob was sitting at the other end, with his leg propped up on the footstool. He was sweating bullets, and his leg looked like he lost a fight with a meat grinder.
Ray was in the big armchair, and Mikey was sitting next to him, replacing the bandages on his hands.
"Jesus," said Frank, and sat on the coffee table. He dropped his head into his hands. "We are not in the best shape we have ever been, guys."
"We just have to make it until the Cardinal calls us," Mikey said quietly, ripping a piece of tape.
Frank shook his head. "Bob needs a doctor now. And who's to say Gerard won't come back and Jedi mind-trick us all into killing each other, anyway?"
"Gerard isn't what's keeping us trapped in here, Frankie," Brian croaked. "It's those creeps outside."
Frank yanked the rosary out from under his shirt and wound it around his fist. He ground the beads against his knee through his jeans. "Ugh."
"I have my kit here," Ray said. "But to work that suppression thing I mentioned I need one of the books we left in the kitchen, the one with the purple rose on the cover."
"I'll get it," Frank said immediately, standing up.
"Are you crazy?" Mikey shook his head. "Frank, if he finds you-"
"If he finds me I won't listen to a word he says," Frank cut Mikey off. Yeah, the thought of that thing out there wearing Gerard's face and touching Frank with his hands made Frank want to throw up - but he would take a million years of that over Gerard speaking to Mikey the way he had before. "These guys are all hurt. They need you to stay and take care of them."
The phone rang, then, making them all jump. Brian reached for it, but Frank went over and plucked it out of his hand.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Iero," said the Cardinal. "Are you all right?"
"Define 'all right'," said Frank, looking around at his friends.
"Are you-"
"When do you get here?" Frank cut him off, because he still didn't want to talk to the guy, even though now it was less because Frank didn't trust him, and much more that Frank had realized that when it came to Gerard, he couldn't trust himself.
"Tomorrow morning," the Cardinal said quietly, after a pause. "In around ten hours from now, I should say."
Brian gestured impatiently for the phone. Frank tossed it over to him and looked at Ray. "They'll be here tomorrow."
"How long do we have?" Mikey wanted to know.
"Ten hours."
Mikey met Frank's eyes and Frank knew they were thinking the same thing. "Get the book," he said, and Frank nodded and headed for the door.
Mikey followed him to make sure it was barred shut from the inside, and Frank crept along the hallway to the kitchen. He felt like there were eyes in the walls, like the air was touching him with spindly, sweaty fingertips, and his heart was banging in his throat as he made his way. There was total silence in the house, and Frank's breathing was loud in his ears as he reached the kitchen and found the book Ray wanted on the table. He grabbed it, turned around, and -
