Free Draculas by F. Paul Wilson, Blake Crouch, Jeff Strand, Jack Kilborn, J. A. Konrath Page A

Barricade yourself and the kids in here as well as you can. Here, I'll trade you." He handed her the bloody hatchet, took back his chainsaw, and turned to go.

    "Randall!"

    He stopped. He'd never heard Jenny so upset before. When he turned and looked at her, she seemed close to tears.

    "I need you here. Please don't leave me."

    She held out her hand to him. He took it, the warmth of her touch penetrating his rough, calloused hands and working its way through his whole body.

    I need you here...

    Did she have any idea what those words meant to him? He felt the start of tears. He blinked them back and managed to speak around the lump in his throat.

    "Okay. I'll stay."

Clayton Theel
    DAMN hospital.

    Clayton Theel, Jr. tossed his cell phone on the passenger seat as he pulled out of the Gulf station. He'd been filling up his Suburban--a feat that required a small business loan at current prices--and had missed Shanna's call. His return call had hit instant voicemail. She had her phone off.

    Sure, he'd pick her up at the hospital. Jenny too. Not a problem. But her voice had sounded a little funny. Prolly just a woman thing. Never knew how they'd react to something.

    He dug the little cube box out of his pocket. He flipped up the top and checked out the diamond sparkle. He
did
know how she'd react when he handed her this and asked her to marry him.

    Then again, maybe he didn't know. Maybe she'd think it was too soon. They'd known each other only six weeks, true, but he had no doubt in his mind that she was the one. And he knew he was right for her. In all the schools she'd gone to, she'd probably never met a man like him. Just wimpy brainiacs and stuffy professors. She dug him almost as much as he dug her. Almost, because no one could be as crazy for anyone as he was for her.

    She might say it was too soon, that he was rushing things, and maybe he was, but he wanted her to know that this wasn't any fly-by-night relationship for him, wanted her to know he was committed. He'd wait. It was only a matter of time.

    All that sparkle had cost him a bundle, but nothing was too good for--

    His phone rang. He snatched it up and said, "Hello, darlin'."

    "Why, Clay! I didn't know you cared!"

    He winced as he recognized the male voice.

    "Sorry, sheriff. Thought it was--"

    "Someone else?" the sheriff said, laughing. "After I gave myself to you?"

    Clay laughed too, despite his discomfort. Sheriff Seward was a good guy, but this stuff wasn't all that funny.

    "What's up, boss?"

    "Got a situation."

    Crap. He wasn't going to call him in, was he? Clay had been planning this weekend, at least the gun-show part of it, for a loooong time. And looking forward to it even more with Shanna coming along. He
needed
this weekend.

    "What's up?"

    "Got a train off the track and on its side, flat across the highway, but we're handling that."

    Good, good. So far, so good.

    "But I got a funny call from the hospital."

    Clay's neck muscles bunched. Shanna was at the hospital.

    "Funny how?"

    "You know that tight-ass, his-shit-don't-stink ER doc--?"

    "Lanz?"

    "Yeah, him. Well, he calls with some story about being terrorized by a monster running loose in the hospital. We're all tied up here, so I was wondering--I mean, I know it's your weekend off, but--"

    "I'll go take a look right now."

    A pause on the other end, surprise most likely. "You will?"

    "Not a problem. Can't have monsters running around Blessed Crucifixion, can we? I'll check it out and call you back."

    No need to tell the sheriff he was headed there anyway.

    "That's damn white of you, Clay. I won't forget this."

    Clay forced a casual laugh. "Damn right, you won't. I won't let you."

    The sheriff hung up laughing. Clay hit END and frowned. A monster at the hospital? What kind of crap was that? Was Lanz on drugs? Well, drugs or for-real monster, didn't matter. Shanna could be in danger.

    He stomped the gas.

    An ambulance sat outside the ER entrance, lights flashing, rear