"I have three firetrucks on the way. My buddy at the docks is already on his way with some industrial cables. Two of those trucks are going to brace that thing up, and then the ladder truck will get those kids out. Be patient, please!"
I debated ignoring him and doing what I wanted anyway, but his plan sounded plausible. Crossing my arms, I stomped my foot and gave him a pouty, "Fine."
He heaved a sigh of relief and shook his head. "They're going to be fine, Kara."
"They better be, Grendel."
He put his hand on my shoulder, a brief gesture of comfort, and then started shouting for everybody to clear out of the way. Nobody moved. They had gathered in a Ferris wheel-shaped semicircle some distance away, staring in rapt horror and fascination. Several police cars parted the sea of people, and then Grendel had them push them back and to make a road for the fire engines to get through.
Daniel ran up to me and handed me my phone. "It's Karl."
"Hey, kiddo. How you holding up?"
"Not so good. Rynnie's a mess. What's going on?"
"They're bringing in some big ass firetrucks to pull the wheel the other way while they send up a ladder truck."
"Should we try climbing down?"
"Do you think your sister can?"
There was a moment of silence. "No."
"Then just stay where you are and don't move."
"Tell that to everybody else. They're flailing around."
"Make them stop, Baby."
"They're kids, Mom. It ain't gonna happen."
"Hang on. Stay on the line." I walked over to Grendel, orchestrating the entire operation. When he saw my face, he stopped talking.
"What?"
"Talking to Karl. The kids in the other cars are panicking. You might want to put somebody on a blowhorn and reassure them and tell them to stop flailing around."
He nodded to one of his officers, who ran to the trunk of his car and pulled out a shiny new megaphone. Tuning it on, he pulled the trigger twice and nodded when it squelched loudly. The cop ran over to me and tried to give it to me.
"Oh, hell no. I'm not the most reassuring of people. You do it."
He looked at the lieutenant. Grendel rolled his eyes, took it and pointed it up at the kids stuck on the ride. "Everybody!" The megaphone gave a squeal of feedback, and he tried again a little softer. "Everybody! Kids. I need you to sit very still, okay? Shaking and screaming isn't the best thing to be doing right now. We have some firetrucks coming to get you guys. Everything is going to be fine, but I really need you to move as little as possible."
That just caused the screaming to get louder.
I put the phone to my ear. "Karl?"
"That was reassuring. Now they're scrambling over the edges."
He wasn't lying, either. It looked like a third of them thought climbing down two-hundred feet was a better idea. I growled and grabbed the blowhorn from Grendel. "Stop!"
They stopped.
"Sit back down and stay there. Anybody who moves is going to end up a tomato splat on the fucking pavement! Sit your asses down, be still, and we will rescue you in a minute, do you understand?"
There were a few muffled yesses and then silence.
Grendel chuckled as I handed him back the megaphone. "Effective."
All I could do was shrug.
The fire engines showed up and weaved slowly through the part in the crowd. The lieutenant, in conjunction with the very scared looking carnival workers, cleared a path behind the Ferris wheel and started attaching the inch-thick cables that had shown up right after. One flaw in the plan was how to hook them to the center struts almost a hundred feet in the air.
The ladder could go that high, but the weight of the cable was too much for it, and they couldn't brace the ladder against the already unstable ride and pull it up with a winch, either.
"Fuck." Grendel was pissed his plan hadn't worked. I didn't point out that the ladder wouldn't be tall enough to get the kids out of the higher cars, anyway.
"Plan B?"
"Not yet. We'll call you Plan C."
"What's Plan B then?"
"Helicopters."
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Josh. That will blow the whole damn thing over."
"Any ideas?"
"Yes. Let me go the fuck up there and rescue my damn kids."
"What about the others?"
For a moment, I almost said, "I don't give a fuck." Almost. But then I thought about how I would feel if somebody else left my kids to die. I gagged at the emotion that swelled up inside me. "I'll get them down, too." I gulped and fought down the nausea.
He growled in frustration. "There's got to be a way."
"Give me a cable."
"What?"
"Attach one as high as the ladder can go. Then bring it back down, and I'll go up with the second one. When it can't go any higher, I'll climb up the rest of the way."
"They have to be the same height, or it won't work."
"Then send me up for both."
"You won't be able to go any higher, Kara. We're talking thousands of pounds."
"Then we need a thinner cable."
"Anything smaller will snap."
The Ferris wheel groaned behind us. We were out of time. "Grendel. I'm sorry," I said and ran toward it.
"Kara! No!"
We were on the side of the Ferris wheel with the fire trucks. The nearest person, beside the firemen and police, were over a hundred feet away. Even so, there was no way I was going to get away with this without being seen. Especially by the kids and few adults who happened to be on the ride. But we were out of time. I just hoped I could get everyone off before it came crashing down.
I leaped into the air and let my wings burst forth with the usual crackle of bone and the snap of flesh as I flapped down, forcing myself up into the air. Flying up the center column, I didn't stop until I was at the top. Karl and Rynnie stared at me in wonder. As in wondering what the fuck I was doing.
"Mom? What are you doing?"
"Plan C. Come on," I said, and outstretched my arms.
"Take Ryn. You can't carry us both."
"The fuck I can't. Give me your damn hand, Karl."
One wonderful thing about my children was that they listened. Always. Not once in their lives had they been told to, or not to, do something and done it. They both leaned over the edge, and I sighed in relief as I yanked them from the car and slowed the beat of my wings, dangling them beneath me until their feet were on the hard-packed earth below.
They ran toward the firetrucks, but I didn't stop to watch. I didn't want to see the fear on the faces of the emergency workers. Again, I floated up to the highest cars. A blonde teenager was huddled with her younger brother, fear evident on their faces as I hovered in the air beside them.
"Obviously, I'm not here to hurt you. Do you want me to save you?"
They honestly thought about it for a moment before the older one nodded and the little brother reached out for my hand. Again, I lowered them gently to the earth. This time, two of the firemen were waiting with blankets while I launched myself up for the next round. The two teen boys trusted me more than the sister and brother, but I was hot, even though I had wings. Halfway down, we were met by the ladder. Firemen were waiting for me to deliver them, halving the distance I had to travel. One of them even nodded and smiled as I deposited my payload.
When the top was clear, we split up. The ladder went one way while I went the other. We worked in tandem, pulling the kids and adults from the car. Not one of them said anything about my wings or seemed afraid. Probably because the metal of the Ferris wheel was almost in a constant state of rumbling as it slowly tilted farther and farther. At the midpoint of our evacuations, it started wobbling slowly as it started to give way more and more with every sway. We only had a few cars left, but I already knew we weren't going to be in time.
"Climb!" I shouted to the kids in the lower cars as I dropped to the ground and pulled my wings back inside myself. Diving through the met
al framing, I emerged from the other side and pushed against the center strut. The wobbling slowed but didn't stop. There was no way in hell I was going to keep it from falling. Not even with all my demonic strength.
Then Karl appeared next to me. And Ryn on the other side. Then Grendel, a few cops, and all the firemen. Then the crowd broke and people started showing up by the dozens. Everywhere there was a place to hold, hands appeared and started pushing against the weight of several tons of steel reaching hundreds of feet into the night sky.
Surprisingly it was enough for the ladder truck to get the rest of the kids to safety. When they were finished, they yelled, "Clear!"
Slowly, hands started letting go as people ran to the sides of the ride.
"Go," I told my kids. For the first fucking time in their lives, they didn't listen.
That's when I noticed the claws and the rippled flesh of demonic skin on their forearms. Both of them. Karl was shifting just like his sister. I smiled at Karl, turned to Ryn, and gave her one, too. The braces on the corner of the ride snapped, and the wheel wobbled.
"Run!" They let go and turned to run, but I reached out and grabbed their collars, pushing them through the ride to the other side. I started to go when the platform beneath my feet snapped and dropped out from beneath me. Hanging on to the strut, I rode it backward as the wheel toppled over me, pushing me backward to the ground.
Scrambling around the steel girder I stared in horror as something became very clear. The metal in my hands was rippled and blue. Somebody had applied a great amount of heat to it. That's what caused it to break.
"Fuck," I said as I was ripped sideways and smashed into the ground.
The crash that followed seemed to last for hours. Or at least until I lost consciousness.
Chapter 24
The familiar groan of steel rang in my ears like Karen's voice at six in the morning before coffee. I smiled at the sound. It meant I hadn't been ground into demon puree.
My eyes were sealed shut with blood. When I managed to pry them open, the bright sun nearly blinded me. I tried concentrating on the muffled voices around me, but the pain in my everything became the new center of my universe.
The sound of blowtorches, compressors, and the jaws of life lulled me back to sleep. I kept waking and catching flashes of what was happening around me. People were talking to me, asking me questions, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. When I started to finally come to, I realized it wasn't the sun that had blinded me, it was the work lights centered over my crushed body.
"Kara! Mrs. Dell, can you hear me?"
"Yes. Stop fucking shouting. My head hurts."
The EMT chuckled. "I'd ask how you were doing, but it's pretty obvious." He leaned a little closer. "If it wasn't for the wings, I'd be wondering how you were alive. Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."
I nodded and closed my eyes, returning my head to my steel pillow that felt like the most wonderful thing in the world at that moment. "Are my kids okay?"
"Yep. Everybody is. Thanks to you."
"For what?"
"Being the hero we needed."
That was the last thing I wanted, but it sounded better than being set on fire or crucified. Or doused with holy water. It didn't do anything, but it was usually pretty gross. They left that shit sitting out forever. People dipping their fingers in it. Yuck.
My diamond plate blanket was finally cut away, and several girders shifted under the release of pressure. The stabbing pain in my stomach got infinitely worse, and I screeched in pain. Two of the EMTs jumped down into my hole and supported my weight. It alleviated some of the pain, but not all. I felt like a shish kabob. Lifting my head, I saw why. One of the smaller support rails had gone through my left side and was sticking out my right side. I couldn't heal until I got it out.
Everything else was starting to snap back into place. Even the crushed bones in my legs and pelvis were reknitting themselves. "Pull it out."
"We can't. You're impaled on it, and we can't get to the bottom of it. We're going to have to cut it and then pull you off. Once we do, you're going to lose a lot of blood and probably go back into shock. You stay with me, okay?"
"Just fucking cut it and pull me off. My body will fix the rest."
He started to say something else but stopped. "You serious?"
"Yes."
"When this is all over, I would love to have a very long talk with you." He chuckled and motioned behind me. "This is Jimmy. He's going to cut you free with the jaws of life."
"Hi, Jimmy." I gave a little wave without opening my eyes.
"Seriously?"
"Don't worry. She's a tough cookie. Cut her free."
"Yeah, Jimmy. Get me off this bitch."
The compressor off in the distance whined as my skewer rattled as the jaws clamped down on it. Several noises later, there was a snapping sound as the blade bit through, and then the rail fell to the side. My EMT caught it before it fell and tossed it off to the side. "Come on. Let's lift her off."
"What's your name?"
"Cliff."
"Thanks, Cliff."
He got his hands under my shoulder and cradled my head in the crook of his arm as Jimmy grabbed my hip and knee. "Hey, Kara?"
"Yes?"
"This is gonna fucking hurt."
"Yep."
"One, two," and before he could say three, they yanked me off the metal spike. The scream that followed almost made them drop me. As soon as I was free, they set me down gently on the diamond plate floor.
"You weren't fucking kidding."
Cliff pressed several gauze towels over the entrance wound and handed one to Jimmy. "Guys, bring the stretcher over," he hollered behind me.
"Don't bother. Just give me a few minutes."
He gripped my wrist, felt my pulse, and gave up trying to count. My heart was going like a Hitachi on pummel mode, pumping all that wonderful demon blood to all the parts that needed it. I could feel my flesh stitching itself back together under their hands. "Ahhh. That's the good stuff."
"What is?" Cliff looked at me strangely.
"Healing. Nothing feels better. Well, some things do, but we won't get into that here."
He just shook his head. "Grab some water out of the kit behind you, Jim."
A squeeze bottle with an angled nozzle passed over me. Cliff pulled the gauze away, and squirted some on my wound, washing the blood and gore away. "Jesus fucking Christ."
"What?"
"It's almost healed."
"Thank fuck. I'll stick to the holes I have, thank you."
He handed the bottle to Jimmy. Cool wetness splashed my other side, and Jimmy backed up a few feet. "What is she?"
Cliff looked down at me. "What are you?"
"You'll sleep better if you don't know."
He looked back up at Jimmy. "A hero."
Jimmy nodded and moved back to my side. "Thirsty?"
"Is the beer tent still open?"
He looked at the water bottle in his hand, got up, and walked away.
"I'll take that as a no."
"It's four in the morning, Kara. It took us that long to clear the rubble."
"Did somebody take my kids home?"
He laughed and pointed off to the side of the wreckage. There, behind the barrier, was my family. Ryn and Karl were surrounded by Brady, Daniel, and Alana. On this side, sitting on the barrier was Grendel, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It took every ounce of strength I had, but I lifted my arm and waved. I could hear their collective sigh over the sound of the rescue machinery.
"You're all closed up. Come on, let's get you to the hospital."
"Fuck that. I don't want to end up dissected in a lab. It's going to be hard enough to pack my shit and move away before the tabloids show up."
He laughed.
"It's not funny. I like it here."
"Good. Because if you move, the people of this town will find your skinny ass and drag you back."
"Huh?"
; "You can thank Lieutenant Grindel and the chief."
"The chief of what?"
"His boss. The Chief of Bickering PD. You were already a hero to the guys in blue. As soon as the dust settled and we began rescue operations when your kids swore up and down that you were still alive, he cordoned off the area, kept everybody here, and gave a speech about how lucky they were to have such a special person living in their city."
"How'd that go?"
"About as well as you would expect. People were still doubtful until all those kids you rescued told their parents about the angel that had pulled them from the ride."
I gulped and then made a face, the taste of blood still prevalent. "Ugh. Can I have some water?" Then a squirt bottle of beer appeared above my head. "Jimmy, you're my fucking hero." I opened my mouth, and he squirted a heavy dose of hop-flavored painkiller into it. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." He grinned and set the bottle next to my head.
"One last thing?"
"What?" Cliff gave me a concerned look.
"Would you help me stand the fuck up? My ass is frozen."
They chuckled and each took an arm, lifting me agonizingly slowly to make sure I was, in fact, well enough to stand up.
Thankfully, I didn't have to support my own weight. Grendel, Brady, and Daniel were there before I even straightened up. Gently, they pushed the EMTs out of the way and held me for a moment before wrapping me in the biggest hug. When they pulled away and started walking me toward the kids, someone in the crowd started clapping. Then another. Before I got to the barricade, the gathered audience was full-out cheering and screaming my name.
"Demon blushes are pretty fucking cute," Grendel whispered in my ear. "Come on. Let's get you home."
I leaned against him as we walked to his police car, the crowd parting around us. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I'd managed to live sixty years without anybody finding out my secret. Now, the whole town knew. They seemed okay with it, but that was heat of the moment. It was only a matter of time before Uncle Sam or the Enquirer showed up at my door. It would be a cold day in hell before I let that happen.
There was just one more thing I needed to do before we left.
Find the son of a dickwad that could melt steel and put them in a coroner's cooler.
Succubus Soccer Mom: A Reverse Harem Tale Page 23