Rampage [BK#1 in Dark Creatures]

New Jersey

My spot in New Jersey wasn't nearly as nice as Queens. All it had were a few pieces of broken sheet metal shoved up against the back of a shed. I had buried my bag of chains in a little hole a few feet away, so those were ready for me tonight.

I'd eaten all of my food on the way here, so restocking was a necessity. There was a little Dollar General down the road. I stood across the street, scouting for any squad cars, but there were none in sight. I grinned. Go time.

The store was quiet, as usual. There was a tall, skinny Canadian stocking the shelves when I walked in. He nodded to me as I passed.

I headed straight for the canned goods section. I estimated I could fit two or three cans on each side of my jacket and walk out without getting caught. But that was just a theory.

I made sure the Canadian wasn't looking, and then I dropped two cans of green beans into my left inner pocket. The Canadian glanced up and I froze, but he didn't look at me. As soon as the man started shelving again, I dropped another two in my right pocket.

"Hey!"

I jumped, dropping a can of sweet corn. A round old woman hobbled towards me, her face flushed with anger. "What do you think you're doing?"

I grinned and waved the can in her face. "Catch me if you can!" And with that, I threw the can in her direction. She screamed as it whizzed right past her head, distracted momentarily.

I ducked into another aisle, knowing the Canadian was already hunting for me on the other side. Maybe if I knocked over a display...

Suddenly I was grabbed from behind and thrown to the floor. "I think you've caused enough trouble today, don't you?"

Groaning, I pressed my cheek to the cold tile, knowing that fighting would just make things worse. "Oh, c'mon. I was just trying to survive."

The cop straddling my back chuckled as he clamped the cuffs around my wrists. "Right. Is that what you told that poor shop owner back in Queens?"

My stomach lurched, and I thought I might puke. "What?"

"Oh yeah," he said, hoisting me to my feet. "We know all about you. Took forever to track you down, connect all the dots, but we did it. All these little robberies across the country. Always food, never money. They all seemed to happen in the general vicinity of each other. Rob one state, rob the next nearest state." He shook his head. "There's always a trail, kid."

I moaned loudly. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me! I wasn't hurting anybody! It was food, man!"

The cop replied by shoving me into a squad car parked behind the store, out of sight from anyone looking from the road.

I could have easily pulled those cuffs apart like a stick of butter, but I knew better. I couldn't risk exposing myself. It was hard enough to control it right now, what with all the adrenaline rushing through my veins in response to the complicating situation.

If I wanted to get out of this with my secret still intact, I'd have to just go with it. No sense in breaking out the fangs and leaving a bag of bones in the driver's seat.

"So, what's it gonna be this time, boys? An old couple? Some hippies? Oh! Maybe I'll get one of those weird families, the ones who are like obsessed with plants and cats and stuff."

The cop who'd arrested me turned around in the passenger seat. "You're not going back to Texas," he said simply.

I frowned. "What do you mean I'm not going back to Texas? I have to. I'm a foster kid until I'm eighteen."

He threw me a pitying glance. "Sorry, kid. It looks like you're stuck in Juvie for now."

"What?" I shrieked. "Juvie? I can't go to jail! Are you guys insane?" I felt the hysteria rising in my chest, along with something deeper, darker. I swallowed, forcing it down. "Do you guys have any idea what a jail will do to me? I can't be surrounded by all those people. You have to tell them to let me go." When neither of the cops in the seats answered me, I started to sob. "Let me go! Let me go, please! Oh, man, you gotta let me go..."