Raymond glared at Merrick and sat back in the van as they waited for the others to come back from the patrol. The night was eerie and quiet. The Deadheads were all inside the building.
“Ok, just spit it out. Where’s Jace?”
Merrick shrugged. “Exploring I reckon. Don’t rightly know, Boss.”
“There isn’t much that happens around here that you don’t know, Merrick.”
Merrick chuckled. “Got by me this time.”
Raymond made a noise and stared out into the gloom. His eyes narrowed. “He went back to wherever it is he comes from didn’t he?”
The black man shrugged. “He didn’t say.”
“It’s forbidden, Merrick! You know that as well as anyone else here.”
“Seems to me nothing is forbidden,” Merrick pointed out. “Who made these rules, Raymond?”
The leader looked frustrated. “If he took a demon back with him we could all suffer the consequences.”
“You don’t know that. None of us know. Jace ain’t that stupid, Raymond. He probably just wanted some time to himself. You know how these Newbies can be?”
“Like the girl?” Raymond asked with an angry scowl. “Don’t think I didn’t notice she was missing too and suddenly showed back up.”
“Like I said, these damn Newbies got to see for themselves what is what. You don’t worry. Jace will be back.”
Raymond looked relieved when Drea and McNeal came running with the two Newbies they saved that night. Murdock was opening up on the group of three Deadheads with a sawed off shot gun that chased them from the abandoned building.
Drea and McNeal ushered the two shaken newcomers into the back of the van before Murdock tossed a couple grenades and leapt inside and they sped off. The explosion made the man grin widely.
The two newcomers were a young girl of possibly twelve and a middle aged man. Both were dazed and in shock. Raymond climbed into the back as Merrick drove to brief the two Newbies.
“Welcome to Oblivion,” he told them as he met their startled gazes. “As you might have guessed; you’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Drea rolled her eyes at Raymond’s words. McNeal grinned.
“Where are we?” the young girl asked in a horrified whisper.
“A skip and a jump short of Heaven, sweet pea,” Raymond replied with a sad look. “Drea will be answering any other questions you might have.”
“I have an early morning meeting,” the businessman said and Raymond chuckled as he saw the blood on the man’s dress shirt. He’d been shot. A bullet hole was visible where his tie hung down.
“You’re not going to make it,” Raymond told him and grinned. “And no, you can’t call your secretary to reschedule.”
The man looked outraged. “Now look here, I need to call my wife!”
“No phones down here, buddy. Don’t you listen?” Raymond asked with a sigh. “No wonder somebody shot you.”
The man looked down at his shirtfront and appeared dazed to see the blood there. He looked back at Raymond quickly.