Darkfall

erupted in sudden violent movement, striking at the empty air or clawing frantically at the sheets.
    He shivered almost continuously. Once in a while, he jerked and twitched as if an electric current had snapped through him; on these occasions, his entire body heaved up, off the bed, and slammed back down, making the mattress springs squeal in protest.
    Deep in a trance, he was unaware of these spasms.
    He stared straight up, eyes wide, seldom blinking, but he wasn’t seeing the ceiling or anything else in the room. He was viewing other places, in another part of the city, where his vision was held captive by the eager pack of small assassins with which he had established psychic contact.
    He hissed.
    Groaned.
    Gnashed his teeth.
    He jerked, flopped, twisted.
    Then lay silent, still.
    Then clawed the sheets.
    He hissed so forcefully that he sprayed spittle into the dark air around him.
    His legs suddenly became possessed. He drummed his heels furiously upon the mattress.
    He growled in the back of his throat.
    He lay silent for a while.
    Then he began to pant. He sniffed. Hissed again.
    He smelled the girl. Penny Dawson. She had a wonderful scent. Sweet. Young. Fresh. Tender.
    He wanted her.
    VIII
    Faye opened the door, saw Jack’s revolver, gave him a startled look, and said, “My God, what’s that for? What’re you doing? You know how I hate guns. Put that thing away.”
    From Faye’s demeanor as she stepped back to let them in, Jack knew the kids were all right, and he sagged a little with relief. But he said, “Where’s Penny? Where’s Davey? Are they okay?”
    Faye glanced at Rebecca and started to smile, then realized what Jack was saying, frowned at him, and said, “Okay? Well, of course, they’re okay. They’re perfectly fine. I might not have kids of my own, but I know how to take care of them. You think I’d let anything happen to those two little monkeys? For heaven’s sake, Jack, I don’t-”
    “Did anyone try to follow you back here from the school?” he asked urgently.
    “And just what was all that nonsense about, anyway?” Faye demanded.
    “It wasn’t nonsense. I thought I made that clear. Did anyone try to follow you? You did look out for a tail, like I told you to-didn’t you, Faye?”
    “Sure, sure, sure. I looked. No one tried to follow me. And I don’t think-”
    They had moved out of the foyer, into the living room, while they had been talking. Jack looked around, didn’t see the kids.
    He said, “Faye, where the hell are they?”
    “Don’t take that tone, for goodness sake. What are you- ”
    “Faye, damnit!”
    She recoiled from him. “They’re in the guest room. With Keith,” she said quickly and irritably. “They were put to bed at about a quarter past nine, just as they should have been, and we thought they were just about sound asleep when all of a sudden Penny screamed-”
    “Screamed?”
    “-and said there were rats in their room. Well, of course, we don’t have any-”
    Rats!
    Jack bolted across the living room, hurried along the short hall, and burst into the guest room.
    The bedside lamps, the standing lamp in the corner and the ceiling light were all blazing.
    Penny and Davey were standing at the foot of one of the twin beds, still in their pajamas. When they saw Jack, they cried out happily- “Daddy! Daddy!”-and ran to him, hugged him.
    Jack was so overwhelmed at finding them alive and unhurt, so grateful, that for a moment he couldn’t speak. He just grabbed hold of them and held them very tightly.
    In spite of all the lights in the room, Keith Jamison was holding a flashlight. He was over by the dresser holding the flash above his head, directing the beam into the darkness beyond the vent plate that covered the outlet in the heating duct. He turned to Jack, frowning, and said, “Something odd’s going on here. I-”
    “Goblins!” Penny said, clutching Jack. “They’re coming, Daddy, they want me and Davey, don’t let them, don’t let them get us, oh please, I’ve been waiting for them, waiting and waiting, scared, and now they’re almost here!” The words tumbled over one another, flooding out of her, and then she sobbed.
    “Whoa,” Jack said, holding her close and petting her, smoothing her hair. “Easy now. Easy.”
    Faye and Rebecca had followed him from the living room.
    Rebecca was being her usual cool, efficient self. She was at the bedroom closet, getting the kids’ clothes off hangers.
    Faye said, “First, Penny