"Break it down, brother," a man said.

"Go 'head, Chief!" a woman urged.

Jackson bent closer to the microphone. "I don't claim to know everything about these monsters, but I know they ain't exactly like what you've seen in the movies. They do feed on blood. But these dogs I told you about well, if one of them bites you, you can get sick and change into one of the vampires. And it looks like crosses, holy water, and religious stuff doesn't hurt 'em none, either. The strongest ones can walk around during the day. The only way you can kill them, for sure, is with fire. Guns don't work, wooden stakes don't work, knives don't work. You've gotta burn them to ashes"

Throughout the church, people scribbled notes.

A woman sitting in one of the front pews raised her hand. "Is there a master vampire, like in the movies? Someone has to be responsible for starting it in the first place."

Jackson paused. "Yeah, guess there is one. No one's seen him yet, but we know he's out there. We're gonna find him and take care of him, I promise you.

"But look, everything we said about the virus and what we need to do, that ain't changed. We're asking folks to stay in the house, only come outside for an emergency. Keep your doors locked and your windows shut. Stay away from dogs, and keep your own dogs penned up in the house. We still need you to tell us the folks that've been sick lately, 'cause they're the ones who might change. We're gonna quarantine the sick people at the hospital so we can watch over them, and make sure they don't hurt anyone"

"You gonna burn them up?" a man said. "You said that's the only way to kill 'em, was to burn 'em. My wife's been sick all day. You gonna put her in the hospital and burn her?"

Jackson swallowed. "I didn't say we were gonna do that."

"But that's what you're implying, Chief!"

Jackson stammered, "Now, hold on-"

But more questions and angry shouts pelted him.

"You can't be killing our people, man!"

"Where'd the head vampire come from?"

"We need to set the town on fire! Ain't nothing here, no way!"

"I'm leaving town soon as I get outta here!"

"You're full of s.h.i.t, Chief, you don't know what the h.e.l.l's going on!"

"What about my little girl who's been sick?"

The chaotic energy boiling in the church made Jackson dizzy. People stood in the aisles and pews, eyes bulging, mouths yapping. Other people grabbed the microphones and shouted into them, their voices jumbled together. Some people were beginning to argue with one another. An older woman smacked a younger lady in the mouth. In another pew, two guys were starting to wrestle, knocking over others in the process. Still more people were on their knees at the altar, praying loudly, tears streaming down their faces.

Jackson turned. Even the mayor, physician, sheriff, and pastor were barking at one another.

Pandemonium was what Jackson had feared.

He shouted for order. He hammered the pulpit with his fist.

No one paid him any mind.

So he unholstered his .357 Magnum, raised it skyward, and fired. The gun boomed like a cannon. Chips of wood rained from the ceiling and showered the crowd.

Everyone froze, as if zapped by a magic spell.

"Listen to me!" Jackson said. "We've gotta stay calm and stick together. We ain't got time for no foolishness-'cause just like in the movies, these vampires do come out at night." Now he really had their attention again; he dramatically tapped the face of his watch. "We've got less than three hours till dusk. That ain't a lot a time for us to do what we've gotta do.

"Like I was saying, Doc Green's team is gonna drive around and pick up the folks that're sick and take 'em to the hospital. So you need to put the names of the sick on that list we're pa.s.sing around. Don't keep it secret, I'm warning you. Might wind up with something on your hands that you ain't prepared to handle.

"Next, David Hunter, please come forward."

David rose from a pew in the rear of the church and walked down the center aisle. Astonished murmurings of "Look, that's Richard Hunter's boy" followed him. Jackson, for his part, was pleased with how David handled himself. The kid looked strong and capable, like a born leader.

In front, David faced the audience, hands on his waist, like a man ready to take care of business.

"Hunter is heading up our citizen patrol teams," Jackson said. "Why? 'Cause he knows more about these vampires than anyone in this building. His family fought them before long, interesting story that maybe he'll share with you one day. We need at least twenty volunteers for our teams. If you volunteer, you'll be put in a small group, and at night you'll be either patrolling the streets or put at different locations. We'll keep in touch with walkie-talkies. You'll get more information at our patrol team meeting later. Anyone who's interested, stay here after we dismiss this meeting, and you'll be part of the team. We need you.

"If you ain't volunteering, then we need you to show common sense. We've only got each other. Look out for one another. Stay in the house at night. Run to and from your car if you gotta go somewhere. Don't go nowhere alone. Now, more than ever, we've gotta be true brothers and sisters, hear me? We've only got each other. They ain't sending in no National Guard, or the FBI, and the state and county police probably ain't gonna be much help, either. We've only got each other. But each other's all we need"

Applause broke out. Jackson straightened, a warm feeling spreading through him. David gave him the thumbs-up sign. In the back of the church, Jahlil clapped, too.

If we can keep up this unity, we'll win this, Jackson thought. Sure as h.e.l.l we will. Vampires can't stop a people united.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Reverend Brown. The pastor smiled.

"Well said, Chief," he said.

"Sorry 'bout your ceiling, Reverend,' Jackson said sheepishly.

"You'll find the repair bill in the mail tomorrow," Reverend Brown said, and chuckled. He put his arm around Jackson and leaned closer to the microphone.

"For those who are interested, we're having a night of prayer, praise, and fellowship here at New Life Baptist," Reverend Brown said. "We'll be here from eight o'clock this evening until eight tomorrow morning, worshipping our allpowerful G.o.d. These vampires, these servants of the Devil, will not breach the house of the Lord. You are invited to come here and be safe"

Another wave of applause, and shouts of Amen.

"Anyone who wanna party can come to my place!" a woman cried into a microphone. Jackson recognized her: Emma Mae Taylor. An older woman, she was always throwing wild card parties and playing loud music. A thin, elderly woman tried to s.n.a.t.c.h the microphone out of Emma's hands, and Emma pushed her away. "Shut your mouth, Lillie, I'm just inviting folks. With all the s.h.i.t goin' on here we all need a little sunshine. I'm at 2147 Coldwater Lane, we gonna have chicken and ribs and booze and music and be playing cards all night, so come on by, y'all."

Jackson hastened to get to the mic before chaos broke out again. "Okay, everyone, that's it. Volunteers, please stay behind. Everyone else, go on home. Thanks for coming. May the Lord be with us all."

There was a final smattering of applause, then people began to file across the aisles to the exit doors, chatting all the way. Jackson was pleased to see that a couple dozen people remained seated. They would need all the help they could get. With a strong team, they had an honest-to-goodness chance to win. He would not allow himself to think otherwise.

It was ten minutes to six o'clock. Night would fall shortly after eight.

Time was ticking away.

Chapter 17.

-wenty-eight people volunteered for the citizen patrol teams, not including Nia, Jahlil, and his friend, Poke. The volunteers' bravery impressed David. If he had been in their shoes, he would've been tempted to leave town before dark, an option that, judging from the comments he'd overheard during the meeting, more than a few people had picked.

Nia had come to the front of the sanctuary, to stand beside him. Before the chief had called David to come forward, Nia had returned to the church and told him what had happened at her house. He hated that Morgan had gotten away, but he was grateful that Nia and her mother were not hurt. It could have been much worse. Nia was sure that Morgan would resurface, later, and he agreed. They would have to stay alert for him.

David directed the group to sit in the pews nearest the altar, so he could speak to them without using a microphone. The people were mostly between the ages of twenty and sixty, but there was a nearly equal number of men and women, a nice balance.

He gave the volunteers more details about the vampires they were dealing with, explaining the distinction between "pure" vampires such as Kyle and Diallo, and lower-level creatures such as the vampiric dogs and the mutant people, the valduwe.

He told them how guns could temporarily slow the monsters, but only fire could destroy them. He was pleasantly surprised when one of the volunteers, a bald white man named Mac who owned a grocery store, announced that he had a flamethrower in working condition. "Part of my collection," Mac said with a wink. "I'm a retired sergeant, United States Marines." Everyone else, in addition to having a gun or knife, would be given a plastic water gun filled with a flammable mixture, and a book of matches. They would have a supply of Molotov c.o.c.ktails, too.

David organized the volunteers into seven groups of four members each. They would distribute a two-way, handheld radio to each team.

The a.s.signments followed: one team would patrol the hospital, where the infected people would be quarantined. The second team would patrol the east side of town. The third group would handle the west side; the fourth team, the south side; the fifth group would watch the north side. The sixth group was an emergency response team that would be stationed at police headquarters, and would provide backup as needed. Against Jahlil's wishes, Jackson placed his son and his kid's friend on the backup team.

The seventh and final team would a.s.sist David, Nia, and Chief Jackson on a mission to Jubilee; David was sure to include the war vet who owned the flamethrower in this group. Instead of waiting for the vampires to strike, they planned to take the initiative against Diallo and Kyle. "So we're the suicide mission team," a member joked, and no one laughed.

"We'll be checking in with one another every hour," David said. "At seven o'clock tomorrow morning, we'll regroup at the police station. Plan on staying up all night: take some No-Doz, drink some coffee or Mountain Dew, do whatever you have to do to stay awake. We have to stay alert. You won't believe how fast these vampires and these dogs can move. None of us can afford to lose our edge.

"But let me tell you what the hardest thing will be," David said. "It's going to be fighting someone-maybe hurting someone-that you know, who has become a vampire. It could be your spouse, your child, your parent, your best friend. If you're put in this situation, you have to remember that the one you love who's now a vampire ... they don't exist anymore. You're seeing a monster that only looks like the person you remember. You must absolutely remember that, and be strong. It won't be easy, but you have to protect yourself."

The volunteers nodded, their faces grim. David looked at Jackson, and the chief gave him the "OK" sign.

"If you're bitten, you must let your team members know," David said. "You'll be taken to the hospital and quarantined, and we'll find someone to take your place."

He was quiet for a moment, checking everyone's faces, to make sure his words sank in.

"Does anyone have any questions?" David said. "If so, fire away pardon the pun. We don't have much time until nightfall."

"I've got a question," a young man in an oil-stained Tshirt said. "Is killing these bloodsuckers the first option, or the last resort?"

David looked at Jackson, then at the young man. "Unfortunately, I think it's the first option. Once a human has changed into a vampire, they're lost to us. We haven't found a way to turn them back. We have to do what's necessary for the greater good of the town"

"How long does it take for someone to become a vampire, after being bitten?" a woman asked.

"We don't know, exactly," David said. "So far, it seems to take at least sixteen hours. If the bite comes from the master vampire, though, it takes only minutes. That's why anyone who gets bitten is dangerous to be around, and that's why we have to get victims into quarantine, ASAP."

A middle-aged black man with an afro and dressed in a dashiki raised his hand. "Why did this happen here, brother? This is a small, peaceful town full of G.o.d-fearing folks. Why here?"

"I don't know," David said. "I guess that's how life works sometimes. Ordinary people are called to do extraordinary things. When we beat these monsters, think of all the people we'll save in the long run. It seems to me that if a town is called on to beat back an evil force, that town would need to be full of good, brave folks. So I can turn around your question to ask: Why not here?"

Nia smiled at him, and so did many of the volunteers.

After answering a few questions about logistics, they wrapped up the meeting. Jackson led them into a conference room, where they had stored the team supplies in duffel bags on a long table. Jackson distributed one bag to each team: each contained a radio, a loaded handgun, extra ammunition, a knife, a flashlight, a roll of duct tape, four plastic water pistols filled with flammable fluids, four gla.s.s bottles full of the same lethal mixture, a box of wooden matches, and a first aid kit.

David and Nia had purchased most of the items from a Wal-Mart in Southaven. Jackson donated the firearms from his personal collection and the police department's a.r.s.enal.

"Feel like I'm back in 'Nam," Mac said. He chomped on a cigar. "I knew some weird c.r.a.p was going on in this town. Could feel it in my blood. I can't wait to fire up old Suzie again."

"Old Suzie?" David said.

"My flamethrower," Mac said. "Saved my a.s.s plenty of times."

David could not resist smiling. "My friend, I'm glad you're on my team tonight. We'll need all the firepower we can get"

Mac grinned around his cigar.

The teams left the church. The members would return to their respective homes to pick up any essential items, and would later rendezvous at their a.s.signed post. David's team agreed to meet in front of the police station in thirty minutes, at seven-fifteen, about an hour before sunset.

Plenty of time to take care of business at Jubilee. He hoped.

"How're you feeling?" David asked Nia, as they left the church and crossed the parking lot to his SUV. They were among the last to leave. Jackson and his son had left in the patrol car. Inside the church, Reverend Brown and his staff prepared for the all-night service.

"Honestly?" Nia said. "I've never been so scared in my life."

"Fear is good. It'll keep us alert. I think we've got a long night ahead of us ""

"But if we find Diallo and Kyle at the Mason place, we can end this early."

"I hope we do," he said. "But it would seem almost too easy to find them there. Maybe I'm being a pessimist. Sorry."

"You're only being realistic. We have to be prepared for anything."

He started up the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. He would swing by the house to pick up King, and to get everything he needed for later.

Thick gray-black clouds mantled the sky, giving the false impression that twilight had already arrived. A stiff wind buffeted the vehicle, and the sour odor of an imminent rain permeated the air.

"The thunderstorm is going to hit soon," Nia said. "The timing couldn't be any worse"

"I know," he said. "I wonder how Franklin is doing. I'm afraid to find out"

"I'll call." Nia punched a number into her cell phone.

David's heart pounded. Naive hope tugged at him. He wanted to believe that vampires did not exist at all, and that it was a curable virus, and all they needed to do was discover an effective treatment....

"Ruby, it's Nia," she said. "How is he doing?"

David clutched the steering wheel.

"Oh, he's sleeping?" Nia said. "He hasn't been awake since this morning? I guess that's good news, considering what we were expecting." Nia chatted with Ruby for a couple more minutes, murmured words of comfort, then ended the call.

"Maybe our theory about how long it takes to change into a vampire was wrong," Nia said. "Franklin was bitten over twenty-four hours ago"

"Maybe," David said. "Or maybe he's waiting."

"Waiting?"

"Remember what Pearl told us? She said Diallo would launch an attack on the town. If that's what he's going to do, it would make sense for him to keep his troops quiet until he's ready to go to war, then suddenly hit us with everything he's got"

"Aren't you just full of optimism? Come on, David. Be encouraged."

He shrugged. "Sorry, I'm only trying to consider this from Diallo's viewpoint. He's not a mindless brute, he's a warrior. He's going to have a strategy. We have to keep that in mind. Pearl warned us not to underestimate him, ever"