The Book of Death (Bourbon Kid 4)

can hurt you now.’
    Flake’s calming words seemed to
have the desired effect because the look of panic on Beth’s face softened a
little.
    Sanchez considered his part in all
the events. He’d done pretty well. ‘I knew it would all be okay,’ he said,
casually. ‘I wrote the names of the bad guys in The Book of Death the other
day. It seems that if you write someone’s name in that book then pretty soon
they’re history. I should get a medal for this.’
    Beth didn’t seem to hear what he
said, rather annoyingly. She gripped Flake’s hand tightly. ‘What about JD? Did
he come for me? I don’t remember.’
    ‘Who’s JD?’ asked Flake.
    ‘The Bourbon Kid.’
    Flake smiled at her. ‘Oh yeah.
He came after you in a big way. There’s a lotta dead people thanks to him.’
    A tear appeared in the corner of
Beth’s left eye. ‘He killed more people?’ she half stated, half inquired.
    ‘Shot one guy in the dick,’ said
Sanchez.
    Flake stroked Beth’s head again.
‘They all deserved it,’ she added. ‘He did it for you.’
    ‘I know,’ said Beth, wiping away
the tear in her eye. ‘It’s just, you know…’
    ‘Hard to take in?’ Flake
suggested.
    ‘No, it’s not that. I feel kinda
goofy saying this. You’ll think I’m nuts.’
    ‘ Everyone in this town is
nuts,’ said Flake.
    Beth finally smiled. ‘I just
love him when he kills people,’ she said.
    Flake grinned. ‘He killed a hell
of a lot of people, so he must really like you, too.’
    The ground beneath them suddenly
shook and a deafening booming noise filled the air. It sounded like a bomb had
gone off inside the museum. The loud boom was followed by the sound of glass
shattering. A sudden rush of heat burst from the building. It caused Sanchez to
reel back. Smoke was now billowing out of the windows on the ground floor.
    ‘Holy shit! That fire spread
quick,’ he said, raising a hand to cover his eyes.
    Flake took a step towards the
front entrance. ‘Oh God. Who’s still in there?’ she asked.
    Before Sanchez could answer,
Dante and Kacy came rushing out of the front entrance and down the steps to the
street. They both looked shell-shocked. Their faces were covered in black soot.
And Kacy still wasn’t wearing any pants.
    Sanchez nudged Flake. ‘They look
worse than you.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I mean their faces are covered
in black stuff, you know, bit like yours, but worse.’
    Flake sighed. ‘How do you stay
single?’ she muttered.
    Before Sanchez could respond,
Kacy screamed out. ‘Shit! My back is on fire!’
    The back of her sweatshirt had
caught fire and the flames were flickering dangerously close to her hair. Dante
reacted quickly and dragged her to the ground. He rolled her over in the snow
to put the flames out. Flake rushed over to help him pat out some small flames
that were flickering underneath the arms on her sweatshirt.
    Kacy screamed out. ‘Get it off
me. It’s burning!’
    Sanchez hurried over to help
Flake and Dante pull the sweatshirt over Kacy’s head. Fortunately before he got
there they had succeeded in ripping the sweatshirt off and throwing it to one
side. Black smoke still poured from it as it lay simmering in the snow. Kacy
was left lying in the snow in just her underwear.
    ‘You okay?’ Dante asked. ‘Any
burns anywhere?’
    Flake hauled Kacy up into a
seated position and brushed some debris from her back. Kacy began rubbing her
arms. ‘I think I’m okay,’ she said. ‘It’s a good job I’m not feeling the cold.’
    Dante kissed her on the
forehead. ‘You look hot, always.’
    Once they’d come to the
conclusion that Kacy had escaped unscathed from the flames, she stood up and
dusted herself down. Dante slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in
tight, brushing some snow off her chest. Sanchez noticed that her underwear had
gotten rather wet in the snow and was now looking decidedly see-through. Out of
politeness he chose not to mention it.
    Flake looked over at the
entrance. ‘Where’s the Bourbon Kid?’ she asked.
    Dante shrugged. ‘He went after
the museum’s manager. Had a score to settle with him, I think.’
    Beth poked her head around from
the back seat of the car. ‘He’s gone after Elijah Simmonds?’
    Dante nodded. ‘Yeah. He’ll get
him, don’t worry.’
    ‘But what about the fire?’
    Another loud explosion from
inside the museum drowned out everything. Some windows on one of the upper
floors shattered and glass fell down onto the street not far