Page 21 of Incubus
“Nate, come on,” Jim pressed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Nathan insisted.
“Nathan—”
“It’snothing, okay?”
Jim quieted, but after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Nathan started to realize that Jim probably assumed he was preoccupied with what had happened on Nicollet Avenue. Which, granted, Nathanhadbeen, but that was not what was plaguing him now.
“It’s just…Sasha,” Nathan said. “I mean…he’s only messing with me, right?”
Jim’s look of concern gave way only too quickly to one of brotherly amusement. “Yeah, Nate,” he said. “He’s just messing with you. Why? Has he done something to make you think otherwise?”
Nathan wondered how he would explain the dent he was about to put in his brother’s nose, though it would probably still be worth it.
“Come on, Nate, it’s an act,” Jim conceded. “Because he knows he’s getting to you, that’s all. You can relax.”
Nathan huffed. He felt very foolish about the whole thing. Sasha was obviously just kidding around.
“Of course,” Jim said after a while, “there always is that chance…”
Fratricide was starting to sound very appealing again but, as much as Jim was getting under Nathan's skin, it was these sorts of normal moments that almost made it possible to forget what was going on around them.
“Nate!” Jim suddenly cried out, jerking across the car. “Did you see that?”
Nathan whipped his head back to the apartment, anxious at the thought of something actually happening. He scanned for any sign of movement, but Carol’s window remained dark and still. “Looks like it has for the past two hours. You’re just tired.”
“No, Nathan, I saw something. I’m sure of it.”
“She probably just got up to go to the bathroom.”
“Nathan.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll call Sasha,” Nathan said, quickly pulling out his cell phone and dialing the number Sasha had given them.
Jim stared bug-eyed at Nathan the entire time while the phone was ringing, waiting on baited breath for Sasha to pick up and confirm that it was time for them to move. After well over a minute sitting there with the phone at his ear, Nathan started to wonder if Jim was right.
“No answer. Walter!” Nathan called out.
Walter appeared in his usual place in the backseat. “On my way.”
“You didn’t tell Walter to watch the apartment earlier?” Jim gaped as they hurried from the car to check the alley themselves.
“Idid. He was being clingy,” Nathan defended.
Nathan had loaded one of their shotguns with iron bullets and carried it close at his side. Jim had a handgun, but tucked it away when they found the alley empty. He reached instead to claim Nathan’s ankle blade. Close-combat was looking more likely.
They weren't seals, and there was no way to know how long Sasha had been out of communication, so they did the only thing that made sense. They went straight up to Carol’s apartment.
Gripping the shotgun tightly, Nathan felt the worst kind of déjà vu when they found Carol’s door ajar. He opened his mouth to call for Walter again, but before he could speak, Jim dashed ahead of him into the dark.
"Jim, wait!" Nathan hissed, hurriedly following.
The few street lights outside were not enough to illuminate the apartment. The only thing Nathan could see clearly was the shifting of Jim’s jacket ahead of him. He chased after Jim down the hallway to the bedroom, stopping short when he found his brother halted at the door.
“No…” Jim gasped, clutching at the doorframe.
Once Nathan’s eyes had adjusted enough to see inside the room, he peered over Jim’s shoulder. There was no mistaking the naked body on the bed with eyes glazed over and open.
