OF THE NIGHT ∘ Seth Gecko

06 | Back On the Menu

CHAPTER FIVE
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OUR LITTLE GROUP spreads in order to kill the culebras and I go by myself. I could use a moment alone without all the talking and the arguing that comes from the people around me, but I expect no such thing. I've never had to be a part of big arrests or operations that I could compare in size or importance to our current situation. However, it does remind me of training in the academy and of how they always spoke with us about the absolute worst scenarios we will come across. Nothing in my job was ever as bad as the situations they talked about and this is much worse.

Usually, I let my past in the police make me feel like I was better than others - a little tougher, a little stronger and a little smarter. Now, all of those things mean nothing, because we're dealing with culebras. They might not be too intelligent, but their teeth can cause enough damage on its own.

With a wooden stake in one hand, I stand between two unconscious culebras. I glance several times between them as I roll the stake between my fingers. The only person that I killed before was that culebra earlier. However, these culebras are lying still, harmless and I need to take a moment to remind myself that these aren't just people, they're monsters and a threat to my life. I think about all the deaths I witnessed today because of the culebras to gather up courage and then walk to one of them.

Looking at the claws and thinking of that possibility that the culebra will wake up and attack me does the trick for me. I waste a second on aiming, before moving my arm back and pushing the stake into the man's chest. He makes an awful growling sound but disappears, and I do the same thing with the next one.

Once I'm done, my hand and sleeve are covered in blood. I do my best to wipe it on my jeans and try to make my slight disgust go away, but it only helps with making some of the blood get off. My hand stays red and I sigh. In front of me, I see Scott preparing to kill another culebra. Just like me, he's hesitant at first, but then he moves his weapon around in an impressive way and does what he has to do.

"You have to teach me that once we get out of here," I say with a hint of a smile.

Scott smiles back at me and we get back to where the Geckos and Tanner are. No one talks as we wait for Kate and Jacob to get back and I use the opportunity to enjoy the relatively quiet and calm moment.

"So, this mistress. Is that Santanico Pandemonium?" Seth asks Tanner.

"I don't know. Could be," the so-called-professor replies. "I mean, she sure put the hurt on them bikers. Squashed them like they were little cockroaches."

"Well, unlike you, Professor, my brother here has had a little field research on the subject," Seth says and turns to look at Richie. "So, how about it, Richie? Why don't you tell us all about your little dancing queen?"

Richie simply stares at his brother and I can't help but wonder why he's so apathetic about this. He obviously feels something for her, not necessarily romantic, but we're still talking here about the culebra semi-goddess here.

"Who is she? You told me she led you here," Seth continues and I'm entertained by the thought that he could have been a decent police investigator.

"She wanted me to set her free. By killing her, I think," the younger Gecko finally says.

The answer just raises more questions that I doubt Richie can answer. I mean, if she wanted to be set free by being killed, it either means that she was lying and using Richie's good side against him, or that there is a lot more we don't know about.

"You killing her, or her killing us?" his brother asks.

"I don't know. I could feel her inside my head and she was pulling me close." Richie explains. "And, yeah, I think it was to this place."