Page 102 of Terror at the Gates

“What for?”

“To stun people,” I said.

He chuckled. “Anyone in particular?”

“You didn’t ask me this many questions when I bought a gun,” I said.

“When Zahariev Zareth gives you a call, you don’t ask questions,” he said.

“I never got that memo.”

“I imagine very few rules apply to you,” he said, shoving his paperwork into a folder.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I expected him to say something about my name. He’d never broached the subject of my family, though he was aware.

“Men are useless in the face of a beautiful woman,” he said. “Something just short-circuits in their brains.”

I raised a brow. “You sure it’s the brain?”

Sam chuckled and stepped away from the podium.

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll hook you up.”

I followed him into his office, which was small and square. Inside, he had a simple metal desk with a laminate wood top. Behind it was a long cabinet with different doors and drawers, each one locked. Sam unhooked a ring of keys from his belt loop and searched through them until he found the one he was looking for.

“How do you know which is which?” I asked.

“A really great memory,” he answered as he unlockedone of the drawers, pulling out a black plastic case and an additional box. He set the items on his desk before closing and locking the drawer again.

“You ever use a stun gun before?” he asked, opening the case.

“How hard could it be?” I asked. “Just point and shoot.”

The corner of his lips lifted, but he soon turned serious as he instructed me, taking the stun gun from the box.

“Cartridge attaches to the front of the gun,” he said. “Squeeze the tabs, and keep your hand clear of the front of the cartridge. There’s a sight at the top and a laser. That’s where the top prong hits. The second shoots below. Turn the safety off, laser comes on, aim for center mass. Trigger.”

As he spoke, he demonstrated.

“What’s center mass?”

“Midsection,” he said. “Got it?”

“Got it,” I said.

Seemed simple enough, though I wasn’t exactly sure whatmidsectionmeant for a demon blob. I was only here because I had a theory, and I needed a stun gun to test it.

I hoped the current from the gun would overwhelm whatever electricity coursed through the demon and kill it. Of course, it was possible the currents would combine and make it stronger. If that was the case, my backup was the blade, which I had in my backpack. I realized it wasn’t the best plan—hunting for demons without knowing for sure what weapons might work against them—but I didn’t really care. It had killed Esther, and I was willing to do just about anything to destroy it.

Sam started packing up the stun gun.

“You don’t have to repack it,” I said, sliding my backpack off my shoulder.

“You planning on using it tonight?” he asked.

“Just leaving prepared,” I said.

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