Page 27 of Consumed
So Con did, and even though it was very late, Chief Townsend picked up on the first ring. “What’s up, son?”
Con gave him an abbreviated version of the night’s events. Agent Molina had heard about possible ghosts in the cemetery and, given that they had some downtime anyway, decided to investigate. Con stayed behind due to the potentially rough terrain but became concerned when Isaac didn’t return. Upon investigation, he found Isaac fighting a ghoul, and Con finished off the creature before they sought medical attention. He skipped the hotel-room fight that had caused Isaac to stomp out into the night.
“That’s a lot of unexpected excitement.” Townsend didn’t sound upset. “Good teamwork, though. I’m glad I paired you two up. Will you both be healthy enough to complete your assignment?”
“Yes, sir. Um, Isa— Agent Molina just needs some rest.”
“Very good. You can write this up in your final report. Good night, son.”
After Con put away his phone, he found Isaac staring at him. “You didn’t tell him I was an idiot who failed to follow proper procedures.”
“I didn’t think that was necessary.”
“And you didn’t let on how thoroughly you saved my ass.”
Con shrugged. “Also not necessary.”
“Holy shit, Con.”
Not understanding why Isaac was looking at him that way, Con simply gathered his things. “Do you want to borrow my jacket for the walk to the SUV? The jacket’s dirty, but….”
“It’s fine. In the unlikely event anyone’s out there, they’ll get a free show.”
They said goodbye to the ER staff and, both of them moving slowly, made their way to the parking lot.
* * *
Isaac complained he was hungry, so before heading back to the hotel they stopped at a convenience market. It seemed as if Isaac was seriously ready to go inside—concussion, johnny, and all—until Con threatened to tie him to the passenger seat. That made Isaac laugh and joke about bondage. Blushing hotly, Con hurried into the store.
The clerk was an older woman who didn’t bat an eye over the scarred and smelly man in the dirty suit. She’d probably seen worse. She also didn’t comment on the fact that Con was buying a hundred bucks’ worth of snacks.
Isaac was rummaging through the bags as they backed out of the parking lot. “Twinkies!” he hooted triumphantly.
“The options were limited. I can pick up some real food in the morning.” Which was nearly here. The sky was already beginning to lighten.
“No, this is fine. It never occurred to me that I could buy this shit as a grownup. My parents never let me eat crap like this. Chemicals, refined sugar, blah blah blah.”
“Our parents would have agreed on that point. Also we couldn’t afford expensive junk food. Dad never made much money, and there were ten of us kids.”
Isaac made a choked sound. “Ten?”
“And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ Genesis is big on being fruitful, and my parents took it seriously.”
“Jesus. I’m an only. I used to wish really hard for sibs because we were always picking up and moving, leaving my friends behind. Dunno what I’d have done with so many brothers and sisters, though. Where are you, numerically?”
“Fifth.” Which meant there were always older siblings watching over him, making sure he followed the rules, and younger ones needing to be cared for. His mother had left a lot of the homeschool teaching to him once she realized he had a knack. He hadn’t minded that, but he would have preferred to go to a regular school and interact with people he wasn’t related to.
Isaac munched contentedly while Con drove—considerably slower than he had in the opposite direction—and when they reached the hotel parking lot, Con was exhausted. He didn’t let Isaac carry anything, however, reasoning that doing so would count as physical effort.
The young man behind the desk was still on duty, looking as tired as Con felt. But he perked up and gasped when he saw them. “What happened?”
Con couldn’t help glaring at him. “You were right. There was something nasty in the cemetery.”
“Oh shit! What was—”
“Not now. We need rest.”
The kid nodded vigorously. “Right. Of course. Hey—do you want an upgrade? I’ve got a mini-suite with a sitting area and a balcony.”
