Chapter Twelve
Kermit groaned as he shoved away the debris covering him. He hurt in more places than he wanted to consider, but his broken arm screamed the loudest for attention. Grinding his teeth, Kermit told himself he didn't have time for bothersome injuries. He had to check on Mitch.
He sworn he'd bring Mitch back to Marilyn. Now, he was hoping it wouldn't be a corpse he'd be bringing back to her instead.
A noise off to one side drew Kermit's attention and he saw a portion of a denim jacket peeking out from under another pile of rubble.
He forced himself to sit up, and closed his eyes to keep from keeling over. Once he'd steadied his dizziness, he started digging his way down to Jody.
"Jody, can you hear me?" he asked, but his only response was another groan.
"At least, you're alive. And that's something considering that blast."
Thinking about the deafening explosions, he turned to view his handiwork. The first blast had opened a way to the staircase as he had hoped it would.
"Marilyn, you are never going to let me into your house again," he muttered with dismay as he shifted to see the second area and had to put a hand to the ground to keep from falling over.
Squinting, he was relieved to see the portal to hell had been closed with his impromptu detonation, replaced with something more typical following the use of explosives. But TJ, Peter, or Mitch were nowhere to be seen. "Damn. Don't tell me I blew them to smithereens, too," he whispered as he climbed to his feet.
Hugging his broken arm close to him, Kermit staggered to his feet, wobbling widely as he went to their location. Through the haze of fire and smoke, he spotted TJ half laying across Peter and Mitch. Kneeling down, Kermit placed a hand on TJ's back and called his name.
TJ moaned in response and started moving. With TJ's awakening movements, Peter gasped in pain as TJ's stirring weighed upon him.
"Ah, geez," he whispered through clenched teeth.
"Hold on, Peter," Kermit said, "I'll get TJ off of you and Mitch in just a sec."
Peter nodded; his eyes squeezed shut as he waited. Kermit gave him a second glance, noting the grime smearing the young detective's face only made him seem more pale. Kermit moved his hand from Kincaid's back to his arm, wondering how he was going to move TJ without aggravating unknown injuries when Jody knelt beside TJ.
She brushed TJ's blood-matted hair from his forehead. "TJ? TJ, can you hear me?"
He moaned again, but this time, he muttered almost incoherently, "Don't call me, TJ."
Jody smiled despite their situation, and then glanced to Kermit. Together, they gently lifted TJ, turning him onto his back next to Mitch, who was still face down on the ground. Part of Peter's upper torso was draped across her and as TJ's weight was removed, Peter gasped in relief.
Jody leaned close to him. "Peter, where are you hurt?" she whispered.
"Everywhere," Peter joked, then flinched.
Kermit bent closer to Mitch while Jody talked to Peter. The girl was bleeding from cuts and scrapes, but it was her stillness and ash-white skin tones that disturbed Kermit the most. "Mitch, it's Uncle Kermit... Mitch?"
When she still didn't move, he placed two fingers over her carotid artery, relieved to find a pulse and to feel the steady rise and fall of her respirations.
Peter's unexpected groan drew Kermit's attention away from his niece.
Jody scolded him as she held him by one arm, "Peter, be still until we see how badly you are hurt."
Ignoring her, Peter rolled to his side and grunted, trying to catch his breath. He looked up and caught Kermit's gaze. "Tell her we don't have time for playing it by the book," he whispered breathlessly.
The hair on the back of Kermit's neck suddenly stood on end and his gaze darted around the room, searching for signs of attack.
"Kermit, talk some sense into him – " Jody said, gearing up for a contest of wills.
"He's right, Jody, we've got to move and move fast."
Kermit didn't bother to wait to see Jody's incredulous expression. Instead, he shifted his position to check on TJ. He was now semiconscious. Kermit slapped him on the cheek gently to bring him around faster.
"Kincaid, we need to move out. Can you stand?"
There was nothing gentle in Kermit's clipped tone, but it was enough to bring TJ to alertness. He blinked a few times, and then brought a hand to his forehead. His eyes narrowed before he asked, "What the hell did you use? Dynamite?"
Kermit nodded as he took TJ's outstretched hand and pulled him up one-handed. TJ put a hand to his head with the change in position, but quickly shook it off. Jody helped Peter sit up, and Kermit gently turned Mitch onto her back.
The girl was breathing rapidly, but otherwise appeared to be unhurt. Appearances can be deceiving, Kermit reminded himself and again he shivered.
The shock of Mitch's voice hit him like an unexpected jolt of electricity and he stiffened as she said, "You look like someone just walked over your grave, Uncle Kermit."
Glancing down, he saw her half-hooded eyes watching him with the innocence of youth. He resisted the urge to shiver again as he wondered if he was seeing his niece or a demon-possessed version of her.
Putting a hand to her cheek, he said, "How are you?"
"Mom is going to be really mad when she sees what you've done to the house," she whispered as her eyes swept around the room.
Kermit chuckled despite their situation. "Oh yeah, and it isn't going to be pretty."
He brushed his fingers across her cheek again. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Mitch paused, and then shook her head. "I'm just sore... and I don't remember how I got here."
"I'll explain once we get outside," Kermit said as he helped her get to her feet. He wondered how he would even begin to explain the night's occurrences to her in terms Mitch would comprehend.
By that time, the others were standing, too. Peter had his arm around Jody. He looked like he was about to collapse but was on his feet nonetheless. Kermit caught TJ and Peter exchanging nervous glances, both watching Mitch carefully.
Kermit tightened his hold around her shoulder, strangely disturbed by their wariness.
"Let's go," he said, leading the way out of the room.
oOoOoOoOo
As Peter and Jody followed Kermit out of the smoke-filled room, the small fires scattered around were beginning to grow in size and intensity.
Jody tried to support Peter, but her coughing from the smoke forced her to hold her ribs each time she coughed. She managed a weak smile when TJ patted her on the shoulder, his expression dark with worry for her. Peter was worried about her, too, but he was more worried about the two ahead of him.
Kermit and Mitch looked as if they were holding onto each other for dear life while they navigated their way to the first floor. TJ dropped back behind Peter and Jody, purposefully covering their exit. The front door loomed within sight and Peter breathed a sigh of relief with its nearness.
The two had just passed the staircase when the closet door blasted open with a horde of shrieks and skeletal hands stretching forward without warning, clawing their way toward Mitch.
Kermit tried to swing around, putting himself between the grasping hands and his niece, but he was batted out of the way, sliding down the hallway like a discarded child's toy.
Peter reacted faster than Jody, pulling Mitch away from the outstretched ephemeral fingers. He spun her around, pushing her toward Jody. "Take her, Jody, and run. Get out her out of here now!" he shouted.
The words were barely out of his mouth when he felt unholy fingers wrap around his ankles and jerk him from his feet. He went down hard and was being pulled into the portal of the netherworld. With each inch that drew him closer, Peter could feel the heat and despair of hell swelling out to greet him.
This is it, he thought to himself as his fingernails dug at the hardwood floor searching for something to hold onto.
Out of nowhere, a human hand wrapped around his wrist and started pulling him back into his rightful realm. Looking up with grateful surprise, Peter saw TJ, bloodied and battered, but leaning back on his haunches, pulling with every ounce of exertion he had.
The battle began in earnest then. Peter wrapped his free hand around the grip TJ had on his other wrist and pulled toward him, giving it everything he had, even though his ankles felt like the bone was being wrenched from its socket.
Kermit called from the front door, "Kincaid, what can we do to help?"
Through clenched teeth, TJ answered, but never took his eyes off of Peter. "Just get out of here. Whatever happens next, it will be dangerous."
"Kincaid," Kermit said, torn between loyalty and necessity.
"Get Mitch out of here!" TJ ordered.
Reluctantly, Jody and Kermit led a dazed Mitch out the front door and to her mother.
Peter shook his head as sweat dripped from his chin to the floor. "At..least, she's safe... They won't get her..." he whispered.
"They aren't going to get you, either," TJ said, his gaze boring into Peter's.
Peter didn't reply, mostly because he didn't think his odds of survival were very high. In fact, they were probably dropping with each passing moment. The agony of his injured shoulder and ribs were reaching new heights as that side of his body was being stretched painfully taut in a human-versus-demon tug of war.
Just when Peter thought they were losing ground, TJ found strength from somewhere deep inside and Peter was hauled a good foot from the closet entrance. The small bit of headway encouraged him and he pulled himself closer to TJ.
"That's it, Peter, keep it up. We aren't going home without you. So, fight. Fight harder than you've ever fought before."
Not devoting any energy to words or replies, Peter dug in as ordered and their slow path of progress continued until a woman's voice broke through their concentration.
Peter was so startled by her sudden appearance, he nearly lost his hold on TJ. He didn't recognize the voice, but gauging by TJ's visible reaction, the redheaded detective did.
Peter ventured a quick glance over his shoulder and saw a delicate blonde standing among the flames of the portal, reaching a shaking hand out toward TJ. Her face reflected fear and panic, the same thing anyone would experience if they were in her place. She was so close Peter could have touched her with his foot, if both feet weren't tightly held by demons.
"Help me, Thomas, help me!" she cried, tears streaming down her pale countenance.
TJ looked at her, in shock and bewilderment, and it seemed to Peter that he saw the man's heart break into countless pieces. The words TJ had whispered just one day before came back to him in a rush as TJ had tried to explain how he knew so much about demons.
"I know them, Peter. I've brushed against the dark forces. They took someone from me. A girl I loved. One day, I'm going to be able to step over into the darkness and pull her back. Until then, I have to watch and wait and let people laugh at me. Remember, don't call me TJ."
Looking into TJ's horrified expression, Peter knew the woman was TJ's lost love. TJ looked like he was being ripped apart, because in order to reach Lydia, he would have to release his grip on Peter. Seeing the depth of TJ's love for her, Peter whispered, "Let me go. Get her while you can. Just do it."
Lydia interrupted, as if unaware of the drama and conversation going on between the two men, "TJ, what are you doing? Why aren't you helping me?"
Tears started flowing freely down her face as she continued with a trembling voice, "Don't you love me anymore? TJ, please, save me!"
Peter could feel TJ's tired muscles begin to quiver as he fought within himself; duty battling against his heart's desire.
Peter whispered again, "TJ, let go of me and save her. This may be your only chance."
TJ tried to break his gaze away from Lydia, but couldn't. His slumping shoulders were Peter's only sign that he had even heard him.
Before TJ could speak, Lydia started in again. "TJ, darling, I don't know how long I can last in here if you don't save me now," she pleaded.
TJ's eyes squeezed shut.
"Just let go of him. He already told you to. Let go of him and we'll be together again, Thomas. LET GO OF HIM!"
TJ's eyes flew open with Lydia's words. Peter wasn't sure what was happening but he nearly flinched when he saw TJ's expression of guilt and indecision transform into something unexpected in an instant. Angry determination replaced TJ's previous angst so quickly, Peter knew trouble was afoot.
Steely resolution echoed in TJ's next whispered words. "Hang on, Peter. I'm sure you're tired of being a human pull toy and I'm just plain tired of being jerked around."
"But TJ..."
"No buts...That's not Lydia, and I'm not falling for it."
While TJ's expression reflected rage and indignation, his eyes held lingering hints of the internal pain his heart felt. He adjusted his grip on Peter's arm, and planted his feet more squarely positioned for a final move.
"When I make this next pull, I should be able to pull you clear."
Peter nodded as he tried to ignore the physical discomfort flooding his senses. "Thanks, TJ. I mean it, thanks for everything."
TJ nodded once, then gritted his teeth together. "Just pray we make it out of here alive."
TJ released one hand from Peter's arm and slipped it into the duffle bag still slung over his neck. He pulled out an ornate flask, detailed in its markings and religious decorations. He closed his eyes, whispering a quick prayer aloud, and then threw the glass flask into the gateway of hell. It hit the doorjamb just inside the portal to damnation, shattering the flask and everything erupted into fiery destruction.
oOoOoOoOo