dk.solesurvivor-第77部分

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then　won't　she　be　safer　with　you？'
　　'If　they're　on　to　you；'　Joe　said；　'then　none　of　us　is　safe　here；　now；　any　more。　There's　no　way　out。'
　　The　lines　slapped　the　house；　slapped　the　house；　and　the　lights　pulsed；　and　Louis　walked　to　the　fireplace　and　picked　up　a　battery…powered；　long…necked；　butane　match　from　the　hearth。
　　The　girl　turned　from　the　window；　eyes　wide；　and　said；　'No。'
　　Louis　Tucker　flicked　the　switch　on　the　butane　match；　and　blue　flame　spurted　from　the　nozzle。　Laughing；　he　set　his　own　hair　on　fire　and　then　his　shirt。
　　'Nina！'　Joe　cried。
　　The　girl　ran　to　his　side。
　　The　stink　of　burning　hair　spread　through　the　room。
　　Ablaze；　Louis　moved　to　block　the　front　door。
　　From　the　waistband　of　his　jeans；　Joe　drew　the　pistol；　aimed　…but　couldn't　pull　the　trigger。　This　man　confronting　him　was　not　really　Louis　Tucker　now；　it　was　the　boy…thing；　reaching　out　three　thousand　miles　from　Virginia。　And　there　was　no　chance　that　Louis　would　regain　control　of　his　body　and　live　through　this　night。　Yet　Joe　hesitated　to　squeeze　off　a　shot；　because　the　moment　that　Louis　was　dead；　the　boy　would　remote　someone　else。
　　The　girl　was　probably　untouchable；　able　to　protect　herself　with　her　own　paranormal　power。　So　the　boy　would　use　Joe…and　the　gun　in　Joe's　hand…to　shoot　the　girl　point…blank　in　the　head。
　　'This　is　fun；'　the　boy　said　in　Louis's　voice；　as　flames　seethed　off　his　hair；　as　his　ears　charred　and　crackled；　as　his　forehead　and　cheeks　blistered。　'Fun；'　he　said；　enjoying　his　ride　inside　Louis　Tucker　but　still　blocking　the　exit　to　the　porch。
　　Maybe；　at　the　instant　of　greatest　jeopardy；　Nina　could　send　herself　into　that　safe　bright　blueness　as　she　had　done　just　before　the　747　ploughed　into　the　meadow。　Maybe　the　bullets　fired　at　her　would　merely　pass　through　the　empty　air　where　she　had　been。　But　there　was　a　chance　that　she　was　still　not　fully　recovered；　that　she　wasn't　yet　able　to　perform　such　a　taxing　feat；　or　even　that　she　could　perform　it　but　would　be　mortally　drained　by　it　this　time。
　　'Out　the　back！'　Joe　shouted。　'Go；　go！'
　　Nina　raced　to　the　door　between　the　front　room　and　the　kitchen　at　the　rear　of　the　cabin。
　　Joe　backed　after　her；　keeping　the　pistol　trained　on　the　burning　man；　even　though　he　didn't　intend　to　use　it。
　　Their　only　hope　was　that　the　boy's　love　of　'fun'　would　give　them　the　chance　to　get　out　of　the　cabin；　into　the　open；　where　his　ability　to　conduct　remote　viewing　and　to　engage　in　mind　control　would　be；　according　to　Rose；　severely　diminished。　If　he　gave　up　the　toy　that　was　Louis　Tucker；　he　would　be　into　Joe's　head　in　an　instant。
　　Tossing　aside　the　butane　match；　with　flames　spreading　along　the　sleeves　of　his　shirt　and　down　his　pants；　the　boy…thing　said；　'Oh；　yeah；　oh；　wow；'　and　came　after　them。
　　Joe　recalled　too　clearly　the　feeling　of　the　ice…cold　needle　that　had　seemed　to　pierce　the　summit　of　his　spine　as　he　had　barely　escaped　the　Delmann　house　the　previous　night。　That　invading　energy　scared　him　more　than　the　prospect　of　being　embraced　by　the　fiery　arms　of　this　shambling　spectre。
　　Frantically　he　retreated　into　the　kitchen；　slamming　the　door　as　he　went；　which　was　pointless　because　no　door　no　wall；　no　steel　vault　could　delay　the　boy　if　he　abandoned　Louis's　body　and　went　incorporeal。
　　Nina　slipped　out　the　back　door　of　the　cabin；　and　a　wolf　pack　of　wind；　chuffing　and　puling；　rushed　past　her　and　inside。
　　As　Joe　followed　her　into　the　night；　he　heard　the　living　room　door　crash　into　the　kitchen。
　　Behind　the　cabin　was　a　small　yard　of　dirt　and　natural　bunch…grass。　The　air　was　full　of　wind…torn　leaves；　pine　needles；　grit。　Beyond　a　redwood　picnic　table　and　four　redwood　chairs；　the　forest　rose　again。
　　Nina　was　already　running　for　the　trees；　short　legs　pumping；　sneakers　slapping　on　the　hard…packed　earth。　She　thrashed　through　tall　weeds　at　the　perimeter　of　the　woods　and　vanished　in　the　gloom　among　the　pines　and　birches。
　　Nearly　as　terrified　of　losing　the　girl　in　the　wilds　as　he　was　frightened　of　the　boy　in　the　burning　man；　Joe　sprinted　between　the　trees；　shouting　the　girl's　name；　one　arm　raised　to　ward　off　any　pine　boughs　that　might　be　drooping　low　enough　to　lash　his　eyes。
　　From　the　night　behind　him　came　Louis　Tucker's　voice；　slurred　by　the　damage　that　the　spreading　flames　had　already　done　to　his　lips　but　nevertheless　recognizable；　the　chanted　words　of　a　childish　challenge：　'Here　I　e；　here　I　e；　here　I　e；　ready　or　not；　here　I　e；　ready　or　not！'
　　A　narrow　break　in　the　trees　admitted　a　cascade　of　moonbeams；　and　Joe　spotted　the　girl's　cap　of　wind…whipped　blond　hair　glowing　with　pale　fire；　the　reflection　of　reflected　light；　to　his　right　and　only　six　or　eight　yards　ahead。　He　stumbled　over　a　rotting　log；　slipped　on　something　slimy；　kept　his　balance；　flailed　through　prickly　waist…high　brush；　and　discovered　that　Nina　had　found　the　beaten…clear　path　of　a　deer　trail。
　　As　he　caught　up　with　the　girl；　the　darkness　around　them　abruptly　brightened。　Salamanders　of　orange　light　slithered　up　the　trunks　of　the　trees　and　whipped　their　tails　across　the　glossy　bows　of　pines　and　spruces。
　　Joe　turned　and　saw　the　possessed　hulk　of　Louis　Tucker　thirty　feet　away；　ablaze　from　head　to　foot　but　still　standing；　hitching　and　jerking　through　the　woods；　caroming　from　tree　to　tree；　twenty　feet　away；　barely　alive；　setting　fire　to　the　carpet　of　dry　pine　needles　over　which　he　shambled　and　to　the　bristling　weeds　and　to　the　trees　as　he　passed　them。　Now　fifteen　feet　away。　The　stench　of　burning　flesh　on　the　wind。　The　boy…thing　shouted　gleefully；　but　the　words　were　garbled　and　unintelligible。
　　Even　in　a　two…hand　grip；　the　pistol　shook；　but　Joe　squeezed　off　one；　two；　four；　six　rounds；　and　at　least　four　of　them　hit　the　seething　spectre。　It　pitched　backward　and　fell　and　didn't　move；　didn't　even　twitch；　dead　from　fire　and　gunfire。
　　Louis　Tucker　was　not　a　person　now　but　a　burning　corpse。　The　body　no　longer　harboured　a　mind　that　the　boy　could　saddle　and　ride　and　torment。
　　Where？
　　Joe　turned　to　Nina…and　felt　a　familiar　icy　pressure　at　the　back　of　his　neck；　an　insistent　probing；　not　as　sharp　as　it　had　been　when　he　was　almost　caught　on　the　threshold　of　the　Delmann　house；　perhaps　blunted　now　because　the　boy's　power　was　indeed　diminishing　here　in　the　open。　But　the　psychic　syringe　was　not　yet　blunt　enough　to　be　ineffective。　It　still　stung。　It　pierced。
　　Joe　screamed。
　　The　girl　seized　his　hand。
　　The　iciness　tore　out　its　fangs　and　flew　from　him；　as　though　it　were　a　bat　taking　wing。
　　Reeling；　Joe　clamped　a　hand　to　the　nape　of　his　neck；　certain　that　he　would　find　his　flesh　ripped　and　bleeding；　but　he　was　not　wounded。　And　his　mind　had　not　been　violated；　either。
　　Nina's　touch　had　saved　him　from　possession。
　　With　a　banshee　shriek；　a　hawk　exploded　out　of　the　high　branches　of　a　tree　and　dive…bombed　the　girl；　striking　at　her　head；　pecking　at　her　scalp；　wings　flapping；　beak　click…click…clicking。　She　screamed　and　covered　her　face　with　her　hands；　and　Joe　batted　at　the　assailant　with　one　arm。　The　crazed　bird　swooped　up　and　away；　but　it　wasn't　an　ordinary　bird；　of　course；　and　it　wasn't　merely　crazed　by　the　wind　and　the　churning　fire　that　swelled　rapidly　through　the　woods　behind　them。
　　Here　it　came　again；　with　a　fierce　skreeeek；　the　latest　host　for　the　visitant　from　Virginia；　arrowing　down　through　the　moonlight；　its　rapier　beak　as　deadly　as　a　stiletto；　too　fast　to　be　a　target　for　the　gun。
　　Joe　let　go　of　the　pistol　and　dropped　to　his　knees　on　the　deer　trail　and　pulled　the　girl　protectively　against　him。　Pressed　her　face　against　his　chest。　The　bird　would　want　to　get　at　her　eyes。　Peck　at　her　eyes。　Jab…jab…jab　through　the　vulnerable　sockets　at　the　precious　brain　beyond。　Damage　the　brain；　and　her　power　cannot　save　her。　Tear　her　specialness　right　out　of　her　grey　matter　and　leave　her　in　spasms　on　the　ground。
　　The　hawk　struck；　sank　one　set　of　talons　into　the　sleeve　of　Joe's　coat；　through　the　corduroy；　piercing　the　skin　of　his　forearm；　planting　the　other　set　of　talons　in　Nina's　blond　hair；　wings　drumming　as　it　pecked　her　scalp；　pecked；　angry　because　her　face　was　concealed。　Pecking　now　at　Joe's　hand　as　he　tried　to　knock　it　away；　holding　fast　to　sleeve　and　hair；　determined　not　to　be