Chapter 12. Real monsters

Raindrops fell and hit the windowsill with force, causing a sound similar to a drum roll. She couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried. Rolling over on her back and opening her eyes, she looked at her watch. 2 a.m. I went down to the first floor, but there was no one there.

Sarah took a cup of hot tea and sat down by the window. It had been raining steadily since that night. A lot of thoughts in my head and nothing is clear. "What will happen to them next? This, what's her name, SIL. Who is she? Why did she save them? What does she need?"

Movement appeared out of the darkness of the corridor. She didn't have to turn around to see him. She could feel him. He was a member of her species. Not as pure-blooded as she was, but it was enough to make her instincts wake up. Here he comes closer, stands undecided. He wants to talk to her, but doesn't know where to start.

- The weather is disgusting... isn't it? - Sarah turned and looked at him. Tall, with gray eyes, ashen hair, smooth boyish face, such an innocent look. - my name is Paul. We were not introduced to each other.

She smiled and tilted her head slightly.

- Yes... my name is Sarah. Nice to meet you. She felt that these words helped him relax a little.

She let him sit next to her. For a while they looked at the downpour outside the window and each thought about his own.

- Do you mind if I turn on the TV? - Paul took the remote control and started switching channels - there's just some kind of tin going on in the city these days.

- What happened?

- Kidnappings, murders, scandals, intrigues, investigations - Paul sighed heavily - in general, no good news.

An old horror movie was being shown on one of the channels. A man is kidnapped by aliens, and later he returned for his son, in a different guise. This movie made her laugh. "So that's how people see aliens? Ruthless, having neither soul nor feelings." When the film was interrupted by the release of breaking news, Paul grabbed the remote control to switch it, but Sarah grabbed his hand and stopped him. Something told her that she would have to learn something important. Something has happened.

"We are interrupting the broadcast to release breaking news. Today, at about 12 p.m., unknown people kidnapped a child. Now you can see his image and some data on your screens. If you suddenly see him, or you know something about his whereabouts, please contact the police. Thank you for your attention."

- Nigel -a quiet voice caught Paul's attention. He looked at Sarah and saw that her eyes had enlarged and a faint blue light appeared in them.

- Who? Do you know this child?

Without explaining anything, Sarah jumped up and took her jacket. Throwing on her hood, she moved towards the exit. Now she felt that he was in danger and needed to be saved. She didn't know where he was or what was wrong with him yet. But it seemed to her that he was still alive. She remembered the house where they had brought him, where she would find out where to start looking. But we need to hurry, time is clearly not on her side right now.

She was about to walk when someone stopped her by taking her hand

- Hey, where are you going? Are you seriously going after this guy?

She pulled her hand away and turned around, her face no longer looking out of the waters of the hood. Grabbing Paul by the throat, she lifted him off the ground and glared into his eyes.

- Don't you dare touch me. Don't try to stop me - she said it as harshly as possible, making it clear that she was not in the mood to bicker.

- How will you look for him? They're looking for you! You need transportation at a minimum, and maximum support - Paul did not try to break free from her grip, but calmly spoke as if nothing had happened.

- I don't need any help! - she let him go - I need to go to a place, a small village, to the south of here. Spring rose. How far is it?

Paul was thinking and calculating something in his head. He didn't want to let her go alone, but he felt that the last thing she needed right now was advice and persuasion.

- If through the forest, then 12 miles. Maybe I'll go with you anyway?

Sarah thought for a moment,

- No, I'll be back soon.

She was as fast as the wind. Her other side gave her quite a few advantages. She was the strongest, the most agile, the fastest, and the most invulnerable. She covered the distance that an ordinary person would run in two hours in twenty minutes.

Stopping at the edge of the forest, she looked around. This is the house, she won't confuse it with anything. Black, shabby, in places collapsed tiles, brick cracked in places. Apparently this woman didn't have anyone to help her keep this house in order. Pausing, she pressed the bell.

There was a whistle. Shuffling, slow footsteps could be heard somewhere inside.

An elderly woman appeared in the doorway, who looked at the girl with eyes full of despair. She covered her face with a handkerchief and couldn't contain her emotions. It was obvious how hard it was for her now.

- Where is he? Who did this? - she was only interested in these two questions right now. She understood. that maybe he should have comforted the unfortunate woman first, but there was no time for that.

The woman couldn't speak. Sobs and soft moans burst from her chest. Shaking her head vigorously, she reached over and pulled some paper out of her inner pocket.

- They threw it. - the only words that this unfortunate woman could utter.

Unfolding a piece of newspaper, Sarah saw crooked letters written with a marker. They were hard to make out, the handwriting was terrible. The person who wrote this had shaking hands.

"Pay back the debt, bitch! Otherwise, you'll get a puppy in parts!"

Sarah sniffed the air. The paper smelled of mold, sweat, drugs, and something else sickly sweet. It was written in a brothel, most likely it was some very old house, the one who wrote the note was terminally ill, and drugs helped him cope with the torment.

"I... beg... you. Bring ... his - getting up from the threshold, she closed the door and her sobs became even stronger. She started screaming in a fit. Sarah touched the door and stood there in silence for a minute. She can't comfort her right now.

Turning around, she moved on. She was trying to make this connection as much as possible. To feel him, as he had with Dean. But now it will take more strength. There was fear, wild fear. Yes, he feels bad now, he wants to go home, he's crying. She could feel those tears on her skin, and she was ready to swear that for every tear of this boy, they would pay a cruel price. She was getting deeper into this connection, it was like going somewhere deep into her mind. She wanted to see, to feel the place where he was. "Yes, yes, I see." The walls are covered with mold and dirt, torn wallpaper, the smell of dampness. It was a very old house, a dark basement, and now she sees it. He is sitting with his arms covered, with a chain chained to the floor on one leg. There is a small window under the ceiling, covered with a metal grille. This is not a hindrance for her. She wants to comfort him, to touch him. It's like she's kneeling next to him and reaching for his hair. Her fingers are ready to touch him. She moves her lips, "Nigel, I'm here. Don't be afraid."

"And I'm going far away," a voice in her head broke the connection she had so carefully built. Unable to restrain a growl, Sarah turned around and fixed her steely gaze on the face of the black-haired woman who stood in front of her with a smirk on her face.

Sarah: "I don't need any help."

The woman sighed and looked away.

- Yes, yes, yes. You can handle everything on your own. I used to think so too.

She's not interested in this empty chatter right now, she's back in touch. Putting her index finger in front of Sil's face, she made it clear that she did not dare to get into her head. But it was unnecessary, the woman did not leave a step and silently watched. This process took a couple of minutes, she now knew everything.

Sarah: "Do you know where it is?"

Sil: "Yes, it's not that far from here. At this rate, we'll be there soon."

It would be another small suburb. But poorer, a real backwater of America. It was clear that only those who cannot afford more affordable housing live here. Tents with homeless people were everywhere. One of them was walking unsteadily down the street. He was addicted to drugs and is now in withdrawal. It wasn't even felt from a distance. The only one who paid attention to the two women who appeared from the direction of the forest and moved towards the house, which stood on the outskirts.

Everyone in the neighborhood knew this house and avoided it. A bad place with terrible people. This whole village wasn't the best place to live anyway, but this particular house was a nightmare. It was hard to tell what was going on there, but everyone advised never to get close. There were many rumors that everyone who pitched a tent next to them, they disappeared and were never heard from again. And then in the forest they found the body of an unfortunate man with a bullet in his head and a large number of wounds and bruises.

The house they needed stood a little apart from the others, it didn't look any different. But it was more unkempt. They walked around him and into the backyard. Everything looked empty and abandoned. There was an old van in the yard. There was a small window next to him at the bottom, blocked by a thick lattice.

Sarah went over and listened, and there were occasional sobs from below. Squatting down, she could see the boy's back through the cracks in the grate.

Sarah: "Wait for me here"

Grabbing the metal bars, she bent and tore them out like a wire. The boy shuddered and backed away. A girl climbed through the window and straightened up and approached him. A black hoodie covered his face, and in the darkness he could only see two shining blue eyes. Hesitating for a second, he jumped up and rushed to the stranger.

- Sarah... - he clung to her and sobbed. - I'm scared.

The boy's leg was clamped by a metal block. A thick chain was welded to it, which came out of the wall. Grabbing her links, she cut them with a flick of her fingers.

Putting her finger to her lips, Sarah picked up the boy and lifted him up to the window.

- Everything is already fine. I'm near. Baby, go to Aunt Carroll, she'll stay with you for a while. I'll come back later, okay?

The boy hugged her tightly around the neck, pressing his face against her. He clearly didn't want to let her go now. She was the only one he knew and trusted in this place right now. It was hard to break those hugs. Handing the boy over to Sil, she looked around the basement once more. It was equipped almost like a laboratory, but it was clearly not intended for genetic experiments.

In the corner there were sacks filled with some kind of parcels. There were sealed boxes nearby. Opening one of them, she saw the equipment. All these things were painfully familiar to her. Abbott used something similar in his laboratory. But these people were clearly not scientists. Looking at the box again, she noticed the government markings. The inscriptions stated that these boxes were the property of the state.

There was a creaking sound from behind, Sarah turned off the only lamp that gave at least a little light and hid in a corner. A man in a torn T-shirt entered the basement, clutching a kitchen cleaver in his hands.

- Come here, boy... Don't be afraid... Apparently your mother is in no hurry to give us the money. I forgot about you. Well, never mind, we'll send her a little reminder now. His nasty low voice echoed through the basement.

Taking a few steps deeper, he locked the door behind him. Swearing profanely and approaching the place where the boy was sitting, he was dumbfounded.

- What the hell. I told you to replace the lamp. Boy, don't be afraid, go to your uncle… We'll... play with you.

Guided by touch, he went in the other direction and grabbing the air with his hand tried to grope the boy, who fortunately was no longer there. But there was something else, much more dangerous, and it was now behind him.

Unlike him, Sarah could see everything perfectly in the dark and was now standing right behind him. She was going through the options in her head, how best to end this thrice-cursed life. He smelled of drugs, AIDS, tuberculosis, hatred mixed with fear. The smell was similar to... to the one on the note. The decision came, of course.

"Where is that little bastard. He must be here somewhere." Muttering to himself, and hobbling in this basement, he could not understand anything. The kid was chained up and couldn't get anywhere. Where is he? He couldn't exactly escape. So he was somewhere nearby, just hiding.

Something rustled from behind, "And here you are hiding," gathering his trembling body into a fist, he turned around and prepared to grab the boy. But that was not the case. There was... something in front of him. It looked like a girl, but when he looked closer, he saw a non-human face under the hood.

- What the! - By raising his hand with a cleaver, he just wanted to kill the joker, who now decided to make fun of him. But the "joker" snatched the cleaver from him. Hitting the skull with the hilt, he knocked it out.

The rest of the drug trafficking gang was on the ground floor in a large room. Sitting at a round table and playing cards, they had no idea that their fun would soon come to an end. Bursting into the room with a cleaver in her hand, Sarah pinned the hand of the scoundrel, who was sitting with his back to the door, to the table, stabbing it with a knife. The second bandit jumped up in horror and stared at the unexpected guest. Sarah smiled– You have a "dead hand", man.

- What do you want? - Grabbing an axe from the wall, he swung it and rushed at Sarah. Dodging the blow, she intercepted the axe and pinned the attacker against the wall. Holding him with the handle at neck level, she pressed harder and harder until the guy began to choke and his adam's apple cracked, crushing his throat. Releasing his body, she allowed him to sit on the ground, after which she swung and split his head open. Blood splattered her face and sweatshirt.

- Who's in charge here? - Turning to the others, she asked this question and looked at the two villains, one of whom was the Boss. The other partner pointed his finger at his Boss, the guy who was trying to pull the knife out of his hand. — Great.

- Who are you? What do you need? He looked at the girl with eyes full of horror. Sarah stood in front of them, took a deep breath and looked at them again– Weren't you taught not to touch other people's children?

- I'm going to kill you, bitch... The one standing against the wall reached for a pistol that was in a drawer. Throwing the axe, Sarah pierced his shoulder and, releasing a long whip from her hand, cut off the lower part of the man's body, sawing it at the level of his stomach. The upper part remained hanging, nailed to the wall with a fire axe.

The remaining Boss screamed in horror – Who the fuck are you? You screwed up! They'll find you and fuck you, you half-assed bitch!

Sarah went up to him and squeezed his jaw with her fingers, silencing him – Save your strength... You'll need them later. Grabbing his head, she slammed the leader's face against the table several times, pushing the chair back a little, she opened his jaw. - Come on, kid, let's see how strong your jaws are!

- Please... no... My teeth - he tried to resist, but the knife in his hand and the edge of the table clamped in his mouth did not allow him to move. Sarah held his head, and then swung and hit him in the jaw, knocking out almost all of his upper teeth. The remains of the teeth flew out and rolled on the table and floor. Sarah pulled the knife out of his hand, allowing the body, which was already unconscious, to fall to the floor.

Taking an axe and grabbing the boss's body by the leather vest, she dragged him out of the room and dragged him to the basement.

The pain in my head was slowly receding and it was already possible to open my eyes. It was dark and nothing could be seen. The attempt to move did not lead to anything either. Looking up, he saw that his arms and legs were tied to a chair. "What the?" His young Boss was also sitting next to him, tied to a chair. He would have been pale and his arm was bleeding profusely, and his entire vest, chest and chin were covered in blood, which bubbled and flowed out of his mouth.

- Boss... boss.. Are you alive? What's happening? - Silence was his answer. After making several attempts to free himself, he realized that it was useless. Whoever tied him up made the sea knots. Which can only be cut.

- Hey! Guys! Over here! Help me! - taking a deep breath, he shouted even louder - Hey! Idiots! A stranger in the house!

A girl entered the basement clutching a fire axe. The man nervously watched her actions. She stopped in front of them and looked at them with a straight face, all her clothes were covered in blood. The boss raised his face and looked at the girl, blood was flowing thickly from his mouth when he tried to speak, and the words were barely distinguishable.

– Please…I beg…Please…We didn't want to hurt him. Just to scare him - he spat out a few remnants of his upper teeth. His partner, tied next to him, was under drugs and the behavior of the Boss seemed to him somehow stupid. He decided to show that he was not afraid of the girl and did not care about her.

- This is a business bitch… She owed us money... nothing personal. -Sarah twisted the axe around her victims, stopping behind the back of the daring gangster, she sharply hit the butt of the axe on arm, breaking it.

– You know, I would let you go... Truth. But there is a problem. How many children have you kidnapped so far? - She took out the note and reread it again. – Did you want to cut the child into pieces and send them to her aunt? And who should I send your stumps to?

The boss began to rock in his chair and try to break free from the ropes. His voice became pathetic and confused. – No, no.…Please... take whatever you want... money, dope…Let's make a deal, we're not monsters, right?

His partner disagreed with him and decided to act more recklessly – Why are you messing with her. Listen up, bitch... a lot of our guys will be here soon, and they'll be happy to have fun with you. - He licked his lips.

Sarah kicked the chair with the gangster tied to the floor. Going to a rack with various construction tools and just pieces of rebar, she knitted a long rod. She usually dealt with her abusers quickly, torture and perversion were not her style. But these bastards managed to awaken real excitement in her. Without saying another word, her hands turned into sharp claws clutching the rebar, and her eyes glowed with rage. Plunging a sharp iron rod into the seat, she impaled this bastard as if on a stake, piercing him from bottom to top, enjoying his screams and reveling in suffering and pain. He was dead now, pierced through and through, the point of steel sticking out of his throat.

- It's a pity…But I'm a monster.

His boss looked at it and laughed. He was shaking with both horror and amusement. It was obvious that the guy had literally gone crazy with fear. Now he knew for sure that there was no chance. When she was done with one, she looked at the Boss.

- Did you write a note? - She stuck a piece of bloody paper on his forehead. Having raised the fire axe, she had already stopped restraining herself and did what she had to do, chopping the scoundrel into pieces and cutting off everything superfluous…

Carroll and Nigel were waiting for her nearby. He heard the screams and turned in the direction they were coming from – What was going on there? Is Sarah in danger?

The woman took him gently by the hand and turned him towards her - Oh, don't worry. They're just playing games.…

Sarah left the house, put her hands in her pockets and pulled the hood over her eyes and approached them. When he noticed her, he immediately rushed to meet her. She scooped him up in her arms. The boy hung on her neck and did not want to let go. Sarah tried not to stain him with blood, but the guy hung on her as if glued.

So together they came back to his house. He didn't let her go the whole way. But it's time to say goodbye. She lowered him to the ground and pointed towards the house.

- It's time for you to go. She's worried about you. He grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes.

- Sarah, thank you... You're the best. - He hugged her again. Sil stood next to her and a smile did not leave her face.

Sil: "Do you like it? So get yourself a baby. Do you have a partner"

Sarah: "Very funny"

- Go ahead. I you too ... you are also dear to me, baby – reluctantly letting her go, he went to the house constantly looking back.

Sarah saw him ring the bell and a woman came out on the threshold. Grabbing the child, she began to kiss him. Now she was crying with happiness. The woman looked to where two figures were standing at the end of the street. She didn't say anything, but you could read a silent "Thank you" on her lips

Grow sat in his office and thought about everything that had happened a few hours ago.

"So what do we have? There have been several more corpses in the last 24 hours. Two of them are young girls. One was found in the woods, the other in his own room. The police were called by the parents, who returned home. The nature of the damage is the same as that of the little girl who was found in the tank at the cafe. Torn bellies and signs of violence. And no leads. Analysis of DNA traces of the attackers. Which could be obtained from the blood of the victims did not give anything. There are no such people in the database. It was like some kind of ghost was doing it.

The last case, from which he had just arrived, stood out from this row. Someone, or something, I don't know what to think anymore, broke into the house and just dismembered four guys. However, they were all involved in the sale of substances. And they found a whole drug lab in the basement."

He no longer wanted to remember what they had found in the basement. The sixth member of the gang was simply pierced with an iron rod from the bottom up. Like a fucking barbecue. Several officers threw up when they saw all this.

There is also no evidence. However, they found something else interesting in the basement. Government-marked boxes. But they didn't have time to study them. The feds came and seized everything.

- Who called them at all? – Grow lit a cigarette – Okay, I don't care.

There was a knock on the door and Leslie's young secretary came to visit him again.

- Hi, Leslie. I hope at least you have some good news?

The girl smiled and placed a folder with new materials on the edge of the table.

- Well, if you can say so. Mr. Philips sent the results of the research. All the girls found were really in a position and for quite a long time. Also, the claw marks don't match any of the local animals.

Grow looked thoughtfully into her eyes and was distracted again. "Damn me. And the case is getting more and more interesting. If they were pregnant, what kind of bastards would do that? The occultists? Perhaps. But he's never heard of them in this county."

- And one more thing. You asked me to remind you, Mr. Grow, that you have to go to the cafe by 11 o'clock today.

Hitting his forehead with his palm, he remembered that he had to go to the cafe and talk to the owner and maybe find those who communicated with this girl in the team. Maybe we can find out something

- Thank you, Leslie. As always, you helped me out.

- Always at your service, Detective – with these words, she coquettishly ran her fingers through her hair - Oh, yes. One more thing. Philips said the same claw marks were found on the rebar.

Grow nodded and waved his hand and moved to the parking lot.

Work at the diner was in full swing. There were quite a lot of people. It seemed that such terrible cases, on the contrary, do not scare away, but attract visitors like a magnet.

The owner of the establishment, a stocky, stout man with a bald spot on his head, was standing at the bar and helping an employee at the checkout.

Grow immediately noticed him and coming closer said in a low voice:

- Good afternoon, sir! Are you Richard, the owner of this cozy nest?

The man broke into a wide, good-natured smile:

- Yes, it's me. What do you want to order? We have some cool new items on the menu. You will definitely like it.

- I'll definitely try it next time. My name is Detective Carl Grow. I'm here about your employee.

The man immediately turned pale and his face expressed sincere regret and compassion.

- Poor thing. She was so kind, always hugging everyone when they met. I've never said a rude word to anyone. She won't hurt men either. What kind of animal did this to her. oh my god. I'm sorry–he wiped away a tear that rolled down his cheek-I don't even know how to tell Carroll about this.

- Carroll? Grow raised his eyebrows at the owner

- Yes, Carroll. She has been working here recently. I moved here from Wyoming. Linda was in constant contact with her. And here she is, by the way.

Grow turned around and saw a very beautiful woman with jet-black hair and piercing green eyes. She walked lightly into the cafe and approached the owner.

- Hi, Richard! Do we have a full landing today?

Noticing Grow, she became more serious and when he looked into her eyes, it seemed to him that she was looking straight into his soul and literally reading him like an open book.

- Who are you? She looked at Growe, then at Richard, who opened his mouth to reply, but was forestalled.

- Carl Grow, ma'am. Detective - at these words, the girl was embarrassed, but kept her face. – Don't worry. I just need to ask you a few questions. I won't keep you long.

They were standing on the corner of the cafe, by that ill-fated container. It was obvious that the woman was restless.

- I can't believe it. Who needs it?

- Did she have any enemies?- Graw took out a new pack of cigarettes and smoked. - Do you mind?

Ignoring his last question, she began to walk in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. It was obvious that she was almost in a state of shock.

- Are you kidding me? Enemies? Linda's. Anyone, but not her. She won't hurt a fly.

Grow shifted his position and leaned against the wall

- Your boss says the same thing.

- No, no, no. Not her. This can't be happening - the girl grabbed her hair and seemed ready to pull it out by the roots.

- Сalm down, Miss Carroll. Ask you. I am investigating this case and I guarantee that all those responsible will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. To tell the truth, we have already had three similar cases.

Carroll calmed down a little and stood in front of the detective and nodded. Growe looked at her more closely. There was something about her that he couldn't understand. Something unusual. She looks like a beautiful woman, and her character seems to be nothing. But the strange feeling did not leave him. Her face was vaguely familiar to him. He began to go through his personal archive of cases in his head, which he had to investigate personally, or where he was involved. During his career, Grow traveled all over the country and had many acquaintances in various fields. He was sure that he had seen her photo somewhere. And it definitely wasn't the cover of an adult magazine.

- Here's my card. If you suddenly remember something important. Give me a call.

After visiting the cafe and chatting with Carroll, he returned to his office and immediately began flipping through the phone book. "Where is this number? He was here somewhere. And here he is." He had one vague guess, it was part of a rather secret piece of information that an old acquaintance of his had told him.

- Hello, I need a Lenox Press! Yes, it's urgent. There was a few seconds of silence and a gruff male voice was heard on the other end of the line. – Hi buddy, glad to hear from you. I need your help.…

A middle-aged man was sitting in an expensive leather armchair in a smartly furnished office, which was as chic and polished as the offices of senators from the White House. Fingers decorated with gold rings with rubies and emeralds clutched a cigar. Standing in front of him was a young man in a business suit, in appearance he resembled a typical "office rat". In his hands, the guy had a stack of reports, reconciliations of accounts, dotted with a huge number of different numbers.

- Sir, I'm sure that someone is forging inventory numbers and stealing equipment from under our noses.

His boss looked at the reports carefully and put them in his desk drawer and praised his subordinate.

- It's really weird. Stealing equipment from a government facility. I'm taking this under personal control. You've done a great job, Hastings. You can be free.

When the guy left the office, another figure came out of the darkness. Tall, fit, with perfect masculine features. Women just adore such people. His short black hair was in perfect harmony with his brown eyes. Sitting down in an armchair as if he were the true master here, the stranger said briefly:

"I hope he won't give us any trouble."

Waving his hand, his interlocutor wearily stretched out:

- Don't worry about that. Hastings is an executive, but a non-initiative person. He won't be a problem.

- We did not receive the equipment.

- I know. A small technical issue. Let's just say there's a problem with contractors. You will have the equipment in the next few days.

Real monsters are not always aliens or fantastic creatures. Sometimes people can be the real monsters.