The Serpent's Kiss

80

Jill slammed on her brakes and swerved to the curb. Derek damn near catapulted through the windshield. Hands flung out in front of him, he bounced hard against the shoulder harness, cursing. Jill fumbled for her cell phone, panic etched across her face. Derek watched, unclear as to exactly why the 21,454 people identification had caused such a strong reaction.

Jill, phone pressed to her left ear, muttered, “Come on, Michael. Answer, dammit!” Her face twisted in frustration. “Michael, it’s your mother. If you’re just out and about, call me immediately. Whatever you do, don’t go to The Palace tonight. Understand? We think there’s going to be… there’s going to be an attack there tonight! Don’t go!”

She violently jabbed off the button, said, “Answering machine,” then punched another number.

Derek pulled out his tablet computer and booted it up. While he was waiting for it to kick on, Jill said, “Dammit, Michael! It’s Mom. If you get this, call me immediately. Whatever you do, don’t go to The Palace. We think The Serpent’s going to attack there again. Understand? Don’t go there. And if you are there, leave immediately!”

Derek’s tablet PC popped on. He picked up a satellite signal and went online. He googled The Palace of Auburn Hills. A concert schedule indicated a sold-out show at eight o’clock at The Palace of Auburn Hills that night. J Slim.

Meanwhile, Jill was clicking through her phone’s address book, scowling. Finally she tried directory assistance and was connected to the Moretti’s number. “Hello! This is… Ann? This is Michael’s mother, Jill Church. Is Michael there?”

Derek glanced away from his computer screen to the taut, frightened expression on Jill’s face. He had a pretty good idea what she was being told and felt an unpleasant tingling feeling in his stomach.

Jill said, “Does Ray have his cell phone… yes. Thank you. Are your parents…” She listened some more.

Derek reached over and gripped her free hand. She at first shot him an annoyed look, then softened to one of gratitude, squeezed back and let go.

“Okay. Now Ann, you need to listen to me very carefully. If Michael or Ray call you, tell them to come home immediately. They have to leave The Palace. Do you… I… no. Thank you.”

She clicked off, her face white. “Michael and his friend Ray went to The Palace for the J Slim concert.” She smacked her palm against the steering wheel. “I told him he couldn’t go! I told him no! Dammit! Why—” She glanced over at the screen of his computer. He was on the official Palace website again. “Is there a number there?” She held up her phone, scanning the computer screen.

Derek turned it so Jill couldn’t see. “Hang on. Take a minute.” His voice was calm, soothing.

“Dammit, Stillwater! My son is there!”

“I know that. Take a minute. Think. What’s going to happen if they start an emergency evacuation of this place? If all of a sudden they come on the loudspeaker and say there’s been a bomb threat or the event’s been canceled, everybody should head for the nearest exit immediately? What is The Serpent — let’s call the prick Matsumoto — what’s he going to do?”

Jill’s eyes grew wide. “Dear God! He’ll—”

”He’ll set it off immediately, that’s what he’ll do! Right. He’ll know the game’s up and he’ll take out as many as he can. But we know what he looks like and we know where he is.” He checked his watch. “And we’ve got slightly less than an hour to get there. How far—”

Jill slammed the car into drive and floored it. “It’s going to be tight.”