After a few more moments, in which Gan continued to lie there unmoving, Sally snapped her fingers. A door opened and several members of the coven entered, carrying with them a large wooden crate.
As I watched, they lifted Gan’s unconscious form, placed her inside the box, and then proceeded to start nailing it shut.
“The fuck?” I finally asked, totally gobsmacked.
“Last time this happened,” Sally explained with a smile, “I made it a point to ask Nergui for some of that ... what was it called, death worm poison or something ... before he left. Bet you wish you and your meathead roommates had thought of that, eh?”
I could only nod dumbly as the other vamps slapped a shipping label onto the box, one covered in what appeared to be Chinese lettering.
Finally, realization that it was over began to sink in. “I could kiss you.”
“Sorry,” Sally replied. “All out of eggnog. Oh yeah, and I don’t kiss guys who look like you.”
I let the barb slide. She’d earned it.
After a few more minutes of preparation, the box containing Gan was ready to go. The vamps lifted it and began carrying it to the door.
“Hold up!” Sally called. She walked over to a nearby desk, pulled out a big red bow, and placed it atop the crate. “There! Now it’s ready.” She turned to me. “What do you think?”
“Aw, and I didn’t get you anything.”
She walked over and leaned her head against my shoulder. “Not true. You gave me the greatest gift of all.”
“Friendship?”
“No, laughter. Not to mention a paper trail of texts and voicemails in case I ever need to blackmail you again.” She lifted her head and smiled up at me. “Merry Christmas, Bill.”
“Same to you,” I replied with a laugh, before turning toward the exit.
“What are you up to now?” she called after me.
“I think maybe I’ll go spread some more holiday cheer.”
“Going to get shit-faced?”
“Damn straight.”
THE END
Night Stalker - A Tome of Bill Companion Page 14