F. Paul Wilson: Infernal

Gia was talking about how Tom had said he had nothing to look forward to but pain and disgrace, while Jack had so much to live for…

Unbelievable… a mercilessly overworked word, but this was truly unbelievable. If Gia had told him that Tom had morphed into an alien from the Crab Nebula, he might have bought it before this wild tale.

But as she spoke it began to dawn on Jack that this was for real. Tom had taken his place.

"And he just disappeared?"

She nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. "He and that thing just… faded away. Jack, I just saw a man vanish into thin air. I still can't believe it."

According to the Compendium , the Lilitongue would return to its place of origin—hopefully a hundred feet underground now—but Tom… where was Tom?

Gia said, "Before he went, the last thing he said was that this was his Christmas gift… that I should wish you a merry Christmas."

Tom? Good God, Tom…

Jack didn't know what to say, or how to feel.

"I can't say I'm not happy to still be here, but this wasn't the way… the price… and to be saved by Tom of all people…"

Gia looked at him. "I know you wanted to fix it yourself. And maybe you did."

"I was out cold."

"Yes, but I gathered from what he said that he was in more than a little trouble, that he'd done a lot of wrong. Maybe his time with you changed him, made it possible for him to decide to do this. Maybe you showed him a different way to act, to behave."

Tom, Jack thought, you never gave me a clue you had it in you. I owe you. Wherever you are, I hope you know that. Thanks, bro.

And then Gia was on Jack's lap, her arms around his neck in a stranglehold, talking through sobs.

"Thank God you're still here. I felt terrible when I saw him fade away. Then I felt this overwhelming joy when I saw you still on the couch. And then this terrible guilt for being glad it was Tom instead of you." She buried her face deeper against his shoulder. "Why did something like this have to happen? Why ?"

Jack had no answer.

But he sensed a design here. He'd lost his father and brother—his closest surviving relatives—in less than three weeks.

But had he been the real target?

Had he been scheduled to go down at La Guardia? If he'd waited to help Dad with his bag, he'd have most likely wound up in the morgue on a neighboring gurney.

And if he'd been the Lilitongue's target, Tom had foiled that little plan at the last minute.

Why him? Why anybody?

And then Joey's dying words echoed through his head:

It wasn't them… it's bigger than them… something else going on.

What else going on?

He hoped he was just being paranoid, but he'd been warned of pain to come. Was this it? Would it stop here?

Or would…

He stared over Gia's shoulder at Vicky. These two precious people… would proximity to him put them in danger?

He closed his eyes and tightened his grip on Gia. Nothing he could do but keep close watch and take it day by day… day by day…