Toby cocked his head slightly. I
wasn't sure he was ready to leave yet. He seemed to be enjoying a
little
rest and relaxation. With a sigh and one last look over his comfortable bed, he adjusted his gown beneath the covers and swung his legs over the edge. He glanced over at the call button one more time. “Can I just see if Nurse Nancy is available to give me one more sponge bath?” He looked at me sheepishly. “I really enjoyed that."
"No.” I glared at my partner. “Pervert." Chapter Chithula's mission seemed oddly cold for being in the middle of the Southern Nevada desert. And more importantly, it was completely empty. The gates, the guards, even the parking lot of used cars in front were all gone. The heavy wooden doors on the front hung open exposing the rotting woodwork inside. Toby, Karl, and I walked right up to the front steps with no problem. Chithula had packed up and disappeared. Which confirmed what Jared told me. Chithula's plan had failed and the Demon had hightailed it out of here before we could call him on it. Although, as I had a lot of time in the trunk on the ride up due to the sun rising, I wasn't certain how we would arrest an Ifrit. I'm certain we could have found a way, but it would have been challenging to say the least. Karl had spent the majority of the ride filling Toby in on Jared's theory, and how Lucas had confirmed it before he died. I felt empty listening to the story from the trunk. We knew who the true villain was, and what his plan was, but we had only succeeded in shutting a small portion of it down. We had identified the last Brimstone operatives who had been copied, and rounded them up. We had even shut down the cloning operation and dispatched Chithula's lieutenant. But this wasn't exactly the ending I, or any of us for that matter, was hoping for. Many questions remained unanswered, and Chithula was gone. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
"What now?” Toby asked. “Can't Chithula just go somewhere else and start again?" Sitting down on the stone stairs, I stared up into the crisp night air. The stars were shining brightly and I could see the bridge of them that made up the edge of the Milky Way. It was beautiful. I nodded without taking my eyes from the sky. “I guess he could." Toby waited, but that's all I had to offer. “That's it?" "I don't think there's anything to be done.” I finally let my gaze fall down to Toby. Toby was easily the most dissatisfied with the conclusion. “But what if he shows up again?" "Then we'll stop him again,” Karl answered, “and kick his flaming ass!" "That sounded very superhero-ish,” I said, then laughed. Karl shrugged. “I stay with the classics."
rest and relaxation. With a sigh and one last look over his comfortable bed, he adjusted his gown beneath the covers and swung his legs over the edge. He glanced over at the call button one more time. “Can I just see if Nurse Nancy is available to give me one more sponge bath?” He looked at me sheepishly. “I really enjoyed that."
"No.” I glared at my partner. “Pervert." Chapter Chithula's mission seemed oddly cold for being in the middle of the Southern Nevada desert. And more importantly, it was completely empty. The gates, the guards, even the parking lot of used cars in front were all gone. The heavy wooden doors on the front hung open exposing the rotting woodwork inside. Toby, Karl, and I walked right up to the front steps with no problem. Chithula had packed up and disappeared. Which confirmed what Jared told me. Chithula's plan had failed and the Demon had hightailed it out of here before we could call him on it. Although, as I had a lot of time in the trunk on the ride up due to the sun rising, I wasn't certain how we would arrest an Ifrit. I'm certain we could have found a way, but it would have been challenging to say the least. Karl had spent the majority of the ride filling Toby in on Jared's theory, and how Lucas had confirmed it before he died. I felt empty listening to the story from the trunk. We knew who the true villain was, and what his plan was, but we had only succeeded in shutting a small portion of it down. We had identified the last Brimstone operatives who had been copied, and rounded them up. We had even shut down the cloning operation and dispatched Chithula's lieutenant. But this wasn't exactly the ending I, or any of us for that matter, was hoping for. Many questions remained unanswered, and Chithula was gone. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
"What now?” Toby asked. “Can't Chithula just go somewhere else and start again?" Sitting down on the stone stairs, I stared up into the crisp night air. The stars were shining brightly and I could see the bridge of them that made up the edge of the Milky Way. It was beautiful. I nodded without taking my eyes from the sky. “I guess he could." Toby waited, but that's all I had to offer. “That's it?" "I don't think there's anything to be done.” I finally let my gaze fall down to Toby. Toby was easily the most dissatisfied with the conclusion. “But what if he shows up again?" "Then we'll stop him again,” Karl answered, “and kick his flaming ass!" "That sounded very superhero-ish,” I said, then laughed. Karl shrugged. “I stay with the classics."