Chapter 28

At the house, Sarah puts on a coat while Linda cradles the crying baby. Linda asked, "Where do you think you're going?"

Sarah replied, "To find them. I don't like this."

Linda asked, "What are you talking about? Howard and Tom know what they're doing, they're fine!"

Sarah argued. "Are they?"

Sarah stares at Linda, hinting at the gunshots, when—"Mom." Sarah pauses and sees Max and Mary looking at her helplessly.

Sarah said, "Honey, I'll be right back, I promise. Just lock the door and—"

The door bursts open. Tom and Howard shamble in and slam it shut again, locking every deadbolt and chain. They're trembling from the cold, their skin already frostbitten. Tom yelled, "MAX GET THE FIRST AID KIT! MARY GET YOUR BALLERINA RIBBONS!" The 2 ran to get the stuff.

Linda looked at her husband. "Oh my God. Howard?!"

Howard collapses on the couch. "Oww, ow... I gotta sit, gotta sit—"

Sarah and Linda tried to talk to the men. "Oh my God... Where's Beth? We heard gunshots—"

Tom said, "I'll explain, but right now we need to keep everyone calm and—"

Howard yelled, "GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOWS! Guns, swords, knives, pots, pans, round up whatever you can find—"

Tom got his brother-in-law's attention. "HOWARD! Not. Here." Tom gestures to the frightened kids. Wincing in pain, Howard does his best to calm down.

Linda gasps at his wound. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, what happened out there?!"

Howard grits his teeth, eyes Tom- See? I'm playing along. "Nothin... it's just a scratch."

Linda said, "It looks like something bit –"

Howard shut her up. "It's a scratch. Must've stepped in a bear trap under the snow."

Mary and Max came back with the stuff. Max said, "We don't have bears."

Mary said, "And those weirdos that do traps were jailed years ago."

Linda finally catches on, reading between the lines. "Hey kids, why don't you go to the kitchen and make something to eat?"

Max didn't buy it. "Aw c'mon! You guys just don't want to tell us what's really going on."

Sarah said, "All of you into the kitchen, right now. Aunt Dorothy, will you keep an eye on them?"

Aunt Dorothy asked, "Why me? I never liked kids even when I was one. I only like Mary."

Linda said, "Please."

Seeing the fear in the kids' eyes, Aunt Dorothy's heart starts to warm - just a little. "Alright, alright, I'll show you guys how to make Peppermint Schnapps."

They follow her out. All except Max, who defiantly glares. Tom said, "Max. Go."

Mary tried to talk. "But-"

Tom said, "You too Mary." The twins leave as Tom approaches Omi at the fireplace. "Mom, will you please help them?"

Omi is eerily calm. Stoic. Something tells us she knows more than she's letting on. She nods, then said, "Keep the fire hot." Tom thinks about this as Omi heads to the kitchen. So far from the outside, the only house with any sign of life within was the Engel house.

In the kitchen, lit by candles, Stevie, Jordan, and Howie Jr sit at the table, mesmerized as Aunt Dorothy mixes peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate, then stirs it with a candy cane. "See? A little sugar, a little spice... makes everything nice." She sips it and smiles. Sees them begging with their eyes. "Alright, just don't rat me out." Dorothy lets the kids pass around the mug, each taking a sip. Even she can't help but enjoy this quiet moment with them.

Meanwhile, at the doorway, Max and Mary Max try eavesdropping but only hears hushed whispers. Clanging silverware then turns his attention to Omi sorting through knives and meat cleavers, creating a pile of makeshift weaponry on the counter. A painful cry echoes from the living room. Max and Mary turn back to eavesdropping as Dorothy and the kids follow his lead.

In the living room, Howard writhes in pain while Tom applies antiseptic and bandages to the bite wound. Linda and Sarah are scrolling through Howard's phone, shocked by images of Derek's house. Sarah asked, "But what, who - did all this?"

Howard replied, "Your guess is as good as mine. Thought it might've been some kind of gang thing, but this—" He looks at his wound. "And all the other crazy shit we saw just don't add up."

Linda said, "Could be terrorists..."

Howard dismissed his wife's stupidity. "Yeah sure, maybe they traded suicide vests for rabid tunneling pit bulls - OW! Easy there, Tommy." Tom finishes dressing the wound.

Sarah is pacing. "And... Beth?"

Tom replied, "Nothing. I thought I heard her for a second, but—"

Sarah interjects. "So she's still out there—"

Tom continued. "And we'll find her, I promise, but first I need to make sure you guys are safe—"

Sarah said, "I don't care how long it takes, Tom, but we have to keep looking, maybe pair up and take turns—" Tom pulls Sarah close, and hugs her.

Howard said, "We can't go back out there! You see this?" He showed them his hands. "Took less than four minutes! And besides being subzero, there's someone tearing through all these fancy-ass McMansions, picking everybody off one by one! Hell, your whole neighborhood looks like a goddamn ghost town, Far as I can tell, we might be the only ones left."

Linda started to panic. "We could leave. Squeeze everyone into the truck and—"

Howard told them about the truck. "-Lucinda's gone too. Torn to pieces. Even if she wasn't, the streets are beyond screwed. We can't go anywhere. It's too dangerous. You got it?"

Tom nurses the fire, keeping it hot just like Omi said to. "Howard, how much ammo do you have?"

Howard answered, "Couple shells still loaded. Another dozen in my pocket. Why?"

Tom checks his pistol, only a few rounds left. "I think our best bet is to stay out for now. Board up the doors and windows. And as soon as the weather breaks, we'll go find her." The others aren't as sure, but it's the best plan they have.

Howard said, "Might wanna put out that fire while we're at it, Tommy. Nothing says 'come murder us' like a big cloud of smoke."

Linda and Sarah exchange a nervous look. Sarah said, "They- they already know we're here."

Tom asked, "What do you mean?"

Linda said, "We heard something earlier. Maybe someone walking around. On the roof..." A nervous beat as everyone glares at the ceiling.

Howard told his wife, "I told you we shoulda gone to my brother's."

Linda hates that idea. "Oh sure, Howard, Christmas on a pig farm!"

Howard argued back, "Jesus was born in a barn! He's the least racist brother of my family remember?"

Sarah yelled at them to stop. "Knock it off! What about the kids? What do we tell them?"

Tom answered, "I don't know... the truth?"

Howard said, "Sure. Which version of it?" A sneeze. And everyone turns to see the kids peeking from a doorway. Aunt Dorothy too. All more frightened than ever.

Linda asked, "Hey, how much did you guys just hear?"

Aunt Dorothy said, "Enough."

Linda's kids ran to Linda's arms. Jordan and Stevie asked, "Mom, did someone take Beth? Are they coming for us?"

Linda tried to cover it up. "Don't be silly, Beth is just with her boyfriend and we're all gonna be fine. See? You've got your whole family here. And besides, it's Christmas, right? And nothing bad's gonna happen on Christmas." Linda wishes her words were more comforting. She hugs her kids and then looks at Sarah, trying to hold it together.

Dorothy sits next to Howard and offers up some painkillers. He's surprised by the gesture but takes it. "Welp, guess that cat's outta the bag." Hiding her anguish, Sarah turns to gaze out a raging storm.

Tom approaches, doing his best to console her. "We'll find her honey, I promise." Max, Mary, and Omi solemnly watch their struggling family. While outside, the screeching wind crescendos.