Voodootown

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Squat

Squat set the tip of the metal bat down on the pavement.  He'd been swinging it constantly, but the thralls kept coming and for the first time ever, an object in his hands felt heavy.  Sticks had done a good job taking care of the ones that Midnight threw at them, but every now and then, one of those got too close.  With those thralls, he swung the bat up and brought it down onto the poor flying slaves, slamming it deep into the asphalt.

There was a jagged line of potholes down the street from where they had started.  Each had a squashed thrall stuck in its bottom.

Another group tried to rush up on their left.  Squat waited until they were close then slammed them with the bat.  The thralls flew backwards, stuffing leaking from split seams, and crashed into the line of attackers that just didn't seem to get any thinner.

"How much longer?" he asked Sticks.

He heard two pins fly past his ears and ducked, even though he knew she wasn't aiming for him.

Above them, Midnight dropped the thrall he was holding and put his hand to his ear.  He cocked his head as if he was listening to something, then began to swivel his head.

Squat sneaked a quick look back at Sticks.  She smiled and nodded, then checked the burner phone that hung from her belt.  Flow had said that it was dangerous to use the phone charms because Midnight might pick up on them.  He had said that he would only call them when he had the portal shut down and it was time to run for it.  Their call had to be coming next.

As much as Squat loved pounding these thralls into the pavement, he was very ready to be done for the day.  He had pushed his ability in the past, but had never felt fatigued or sore before.  Flow's charm still seemed like a pretty stupid idea, but at the moment, he was hoping James would put his on.

Another group of thralls got closer and Squat knocked them back into the others.  He listened for the ring of the burner, but didn't hear anything.

Midnight stopped turning, looked down at his thralls and kapos.  "Something is going on.  Go search," the man said.

Dozens of dolls split off from the horde and ran in different directions.  From what Squat could see, none of them wore collars.  He sneered at the traitors.  Some of the others thought the kapos had been forced to capitulate, but Squat didn't believe in that excuse.  No matter what, those dolls with the pins in their chests had chosen to side with Midnight.

Pins flew past him again and two of the kapos tripped, collapsed onto the street.  Squat really did like hanging out with Sticks.  Her priorities were in the right order.

Midnight picked up another thrall and threw it at them.  Sticks hit another two running kapos, and Squat batted the thrall out of the sky as it flew near.  The end of the bat punched down into the street, but an arm twisted around the pole toward Squat.  "Bleagh," Squat said as he pulled the bat up and slammed it down into the ground again.  The thrall on the other end squirmed around the pole and ended up on top as it hit the blacktop.  It squirmed closer to Squat.  "Uh, a little help?"

Sticks looked over his shoulder.  He felt her go tense.  "Son of a..."  More pins went past him.  He lost count after a dozen zipped past his head.  Squat didn't dare move until the flurry was over.

Finally, Sticks stepped up next to him.  The thrall went limp on his bat and fell to the street.  "That's the one that got Bloodhound," she said.

Squat lifted the bat and slammed it down into the incapacitated thrall.  Stuffing sprayed out into the air as he buried the thrall nearly a foot into the pavement.

Smiling, Squat looked up, saw Midnight go quiet again.  The human held his hand to his ear, slowly turned until he faced the utility shed they had all emerged from.  Sticks pulled out her burner phone and gave it a shake.  It didn't ring.  She and Squat looked at each other.  "This isn't good, is it?" he asked.

Midnight dropped his hand away from his ear and stepped toward the utility shed.  He waved one hand and all the thralls and kapos turned and followed him.

Squat stared at them.  "Hey!  Wait!"  Midnight didn't stop.  Then, Squat hefted the metal bat and hurled it at Midnight's back.  A blue glow sprang up when it hit the shield charms and the bat clattered to the ground.  The thralls walked around and over it, left it in the middle of the street.

"That is really not good," Sticks said.