Heretics book 3 - The Apocryphile Press

322 :: JOHN R. MABRY
Dylan’s face was ashen as he closed the phone. “It was the
Swansons. Ah was supposed to baptize their little girl tomorrow,
Jamie. She’s gone missing. They think she was kidnapped.”
He picked up one of the photos and spoke through
angry and gritted teeth. “Ah’ll bet mah balls Ah know where
she is.”
:: 67 ::
Climbing the front steps, Richard felt dizzy and weary.
“Too much adrenaline, for too long,” he muttered to himself.
He knocked on Mikael’s door and opened it a crack.
“All’s clear,” he called, and opened the door wider.
Everyone seemed to be sitting stock still in stunned
silence—not quite the response he was expecting. “Um...we
should maybe do a banishing, just to be on the safe—”
“No time,” Terry said, finding his momentum. “We have
to move. Now.”
“Dude,” Dylan said, a little shakily, “we know what the
Third Disappearance is gonna be.”
It was a question that had been nagging at Richard for
days. “What? And how do you know?” Wearily, he leaned
on the door frame for support.
“Li’l Jamie—the girl Ah’m supposed to baptize tomorrow—she’s
gone missing. Ah don’t think it’s any accident.”
Richard’s head reeled with the implication. “Children,” he
breathed. “Dane’s going to make all the children disappear?
That’s just crazy!”
“No, it isn’t,” Kat said, throwing a stack of photos in his
direction.
Richard picked up the stack where it landed and studied
the bleary Polaroids.