Page 286 of Evil Hearts

“I’m flattered,” I chuckle.

This cute side of Frankie is new to me. She’s positively exhilarated. And who can blame her? It’s not every day that you have to burn a body to protect your identity. It also helps that this does technically count as our first date. I’m not opposed.

We both get out of the van and circle to the back. I open the doors of the flower van and we buddy lift the Jane Doe. Frankie may be small, but she is a lot stronger than she looks. I walk backwards carrying Jane Doe’s feet leading the way to the clearing. We lay her down flat in front of the tree that I plan to tie her up on and unzip the body bag. I turned to look at Frankie and smile.

“I have to go get the pine resin from the van. I’ll grab the magnesium rods and the torch while I’m there. I need you to sit with the body just to make sure an animal doesn’t get it first.”

She nods and I run back to the van. My Little Monster listens so well. By the time I get back to the body, Frankie has her sitting upright against the tree and is tying her hands to the other side to make it look like she was bound and struggling. Jane Doe’s head sags forward. Her skin has that polished blue tint to it. She’s been dead for quite some time, but with the accelerantwe’re using the soft tissue will be cooked from her body. No one will know the difference. This plan should work.

We get to work covering the body in pine resin and magnesium. I turned to Frankie and hold out the blowtorch.

“Would you like to do the honors?”

She grins the biggest grin I’ve ever seen her grin. “I would love to.”

That’s my girl.

We set the body ablaze and watch it burn until all the soft tissue is gone and it’s unrecognizable. The stench isn’t something I could ever get used to. I pull my phone from my pocket and bring up Elders Kirwin’s text thread.

Me:

Abomination class reanimation eliminated.

I pull up the camera on my phone, take a picture of the burnt body, and send it to him. The church always has to have proof. I’m sure to include my Torch Tattoo in the picture so he knows it is from me.

Putting my phone away I turned to face Frankie. She takes my hand and hers and smiles at me. I love my little monster.

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