"Something went wrong," Carlos said in a slow, controlled voice, "and I think she's turning."
Carlos had less than a second to duck before Shabazz and Rider emptied half a clip each into the kitchen wall behind him. He was immediately forced to fake right to avoid the crossbow stake released by Jose, who was reloading. Before J.L. could reach for the stashed lights, Carlos sent them crashing to the ground.
"Yo!" Carlos yelled, avoiding the onslaught in the close confines while trying not to hurt anybody. "Chill, I'm on your side, remember!"
"Fuck you!" Shabazz shouted. "Kill this mother dead, now!"
Carlos had taken a crouching position on the ceiling. He could smell the compound being flooded by the holy-water sprinkler systems; the heat of UV lights trapping him from a hallway exit was leaving him limited options; he might have to take a body to get out of there. "It didn't go down like you think and I thought you all said she couldn't turn after twenty-one! Why would I bring her back, if I'd meant to turn her? Think about it!"
"She isn't supposed to turn after twenty-one!" Marlene shrieked. "What type of dark energy did you hit her with? I'll climb up there on the ceiling and stake your ass myself for this!"
"Naw, Mar," Mike said, aiming the shoulder cannon in Carlos's direction. "I got him."
Immediately Carlos vaporized and reappeared on top of the gas range. "If you hit me here, we all go up, Mike. We need to talk."
"This is waaaay out of hand, people." Damali shook her head and suddenly laughed. "Carlos is tripping about nothing worth getting all hype about. You all are bugging." She walked away and flopped down in a kitchen chair, leaned her head back, and blew out a long breath of annoyance. "This shit don't make no sense."
The members of the Guardian team cast nervous glances in each other's direction, their gazes settling on Marlene. Carlos glimpsed the bullet-ridden kitchen wall, destroyed cabinets, and shards of glass and dishes. Damali was right, this didn't make any kinda sense梑ut he could understand it.
"Stand down," Marlene finally said, breaking the standoff and breathing hard. "If we kill him, we won't know what we're up against or how she..." Marlene's voice trailed off. "I can't even say it." Her eyes narrowed on Carlos as her tone became lethal. "What did you do to her?"
"Yeah!" Shabazz yelled. "Talk to us, man."
"Fuck talking," Jose said, tears standing in his eyes. "Kill this bastard, finish it, right here, right now!"
"Hold up," Rider said, and pulled his gun barrel back, pointing it to the ceiling away from Carlos. "The only thing that is making sense is that he brought her here."
Mike nodded with Dan and Marlene.
"Speak," Shabazz ordered, his jaw pulsing with rage.
"She bit me," Carlos said, his voice low, shame almost burning the words from his mouth.
For a moment, no one spoke. Jose looked away and folded his arms over his chest. Finally, Rider was the first to break the silence with a full, tension-relieving belly laugh.
"Damn, man, is that all? You almost got yourself smoked in here because we thought she'd really turned." Rider glanced around and watched his teammates begin to slowly relax. "Oh, God help us all. Young bucks. Well..."
But Rider's voice trailed off as Damali brought both hands to . the sides of her head and winced.
"Yeah," Carlos said with more authority in his tone. "Like I said. She bit me. Dropped two inches of fang in my jugular and came away with a coupla quarts. You feeling me?" He glanced at each member of the team, vindicated yet sad that their semi-amused expressions had gone ashen.
"You weren't complaining when - "
"D, that's our business. I ain't going there, not here in front of everyone," Carlos warned. "I just want to ask Marlene why. How could something like this happen?" Even the now-drawn weapons couldn't keep him from materializing in the middle of the kitchen floor and pacing. However, he kept his motions slow and steady as he stopped in front of Marlene, his eyes searching her wise ones for answers. "Mar, you gotta believe me. I didn't mean for this to happen to her."
"Y'all young bloods never do," Marlene said flatly, swallowing hard and fighting back tears. "Everybody drop your weapons. Shit. This is a family crisis. I'll rip his f**king heart out myself with my bare hands if he fangs-up in my presence. Right now we need answers."
Nobody moved as Marlene brushed past them and left the room. The fact that Marlene had cursed, like that, and had pushed a master vampire out of her way without a trace of fear was not lost on a soul in the room, especially not Carlos.
"I knew she would take it hard... but..." Damali said in a far-off tone, her eyes following the path Marlene had taken. "But shit happens."
"You okay, D?" Jose said, his voice strident with worry. He went to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. She touched it and nodded yes, but Jose never drew away from her.
"Look, man, I'm sorry," Carlos muttered, trying to offer Shabazz a truce, even if an allegiance was impossible. But his glance kept traveling back to where Jose stood - way too close to his woman.
"Save it, motherfucker. If Marlene can come up with a cure, then I might forgive you. If not, I will smoke you, if it's the last thing I do."
The expression on Shabazz's face went beyond rage. His gaze was straight ahead, looking past Carlos down the hall in the direction Marlene had gone, totally stoic. Carlos simply nodded. He knew that place where Shabazz was, well past rage and so totally done that there were no words. He'd lived there most of his human existence.