Page 3 of Heathens

“See, it’s great news! We don’t even need to blow up the front door,” I boast, puffing out my chest.

As we crawl through the window, my eyes quickly adjust to the dark, taking in the scene and assessing for any potential threats. It’s the most benign place in the world, maybe a little distressing for humans, but not for us. The only mildly notable aspect is the pungent stench of bleach.

So it turns out Rene’s hidden gem is an old hospital. There’s graffiti on the walls and floors, a wheelchair abandoned near a stairwell and some gurneys that have been toppled over as though everyone here left in a hurry. I spot bloody handprints on the wall that wouldn’t seem out of place in a horror attraction, and the underlying smell of piss and shit, unfortunately, explains the bleach.

“Where’d the kid say to go?” Theo asks.

“Up,” I reply curtly.

Dark stains look to be nearly consuming the peeling white paint on the ceiling. It looks like blood, but it’s too old to tell from a look.

“Up. That’s all you got?” Theo scoffs.

I light up a cigarette and take a long drag.

“Well, the building only has two floors, Theo. It’s up or down– and give the kid a break. You think you could communicate complex ideas with half your teeth missing?” I grin. “I was quite happy with simple answers at that point.”

“You didn’thaveto pull out his teeth, we would have gotten it out of him.”

I shrug.

“I know, but it’s so muchfunwhen they scream. Gives me a little…” I shiver, exaggerating the motion.

Theo lets out a heavy sigh. I can tell he’s already tired of my theatrics.

But that’s only the half of it. I get a kick out of killing Rene’s lap dogs whenever I can find them. I’d take down every single one of them if I could get away with it, but he’s been especially quiet lately. Some people are saying he’s skipped town, but I don’t buy that for a second. He’s got nothing to gain from leaving, and everything to lose. He’s planning something. I just don’t know what it is.

“Found a stairwell!” Luke calls from the end of the hall.

Not yet, at least.

Luke reaches the top of the stairs first, listening at a door before signaling the all-clear. He tries the handle, but it’s locked, so he leans back and kicks the entire thing off of its hinges.

“Atta boy, Lukie!” I shout, stepping through the threshold into an expansive, and surprisingly clean laboratory.

There are notes scattered around the counters, formulas written in chalk on the walls, and some kind of dark liquid in beakers and small vials. Scanning the rest of the room, I quickly spot a large black bag on the floor and freeze.

“Dom, I fuckin’ told you, it’s a trap!”

Looks like Theo’s seen it too.

“You don’t know what it is,” I snap back.

“I don’t? Because that looks like a bomb to me. How about you?”

I shrug.

“And we’re immortal, so it’s no big deal.”

“Not technically immortal, though.” Mateo counters.

Luke points at his best friend, nodding, with big puppy dog eyes.

“Immortal or not, I don’t want to spend the next three days looking like someone ran over a Big Mac with a tractor!” Theo exclaims.

I ignore Theo, turning to Luke and giving him a quick nod.

“Alright, open it.”

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