CHAPTER 6
THE HEART OF BARROW

　
TONIGHT　
　

　　NOT LONG AFTER HER HUSBAND had left for the Utilidor, her sister had stopped by the station to pick up Gale so they could go home, but not before reassuring Freya that their parents had made it to the airport on time and didn't miss their flight. Freya was relieved that they hadn't been late, knowing that their parents would never be able to survive the dark month.

　　After the two had left, Freya joined Ben and Jake in their game of Risk and was losing terribly to her brother-in-law, who had begun to tease her relentlessly seeing as she was the one who taught him how to play this game when be turned thirteen three years ago, and it wasn't long before she received a worrying phone call from the Warden family on the outskirts of town.

　　Adam Warden was quite worried about his wife, Brenda, who was well into her third trimester and could go into labor at any moment. Freya had warned them months ago, when it was still safe for Brenda to travel airborne, against remaining in Barrow during the dark month, but they had insisted upon it, saying that they wanted her to deliver their third baby just as she had with their first two children. And while Freya was touched by their words and honored to bring another Warden into this world, this did not ease her concern for the woman and her unborn child.

　　The moment Freya got off the phone, she turned back to face the two boys as they sat there waiting for her to come back to the game, and she sighed. After explaining the situation to them, Freya kissed her son on the forehead and said that she would be back soon, and that when she returned, she would finish playing the game with them.

　　Freya scrambled to grab her purse and winter clothing from her husband's desk, as well as a fresh cup of coffee that Helen had recently brewed when the pair had run out and were craving more for the long night ahead. She threw on her jacket, pulled the beanie down over her ears and quickly left the station, praying that this wouldn't be the moment Brenda Warden would go into labor. And that if it was, that it wouldn't be a challenging one, for she wouldn't have anyone to help her with the delivery.

　　Freya made a quick stop at her office in town, grabbing everything that she might need incase Brenda happened to be going into labor and hurriedly putting her gear into the trunk. Then she got back inside and continued driving, narrowing her eyes on the road and flipping on the windshield wipers as it started to snow some more.

　　When she finally arrived at the Warden home on the edge of town, Freya parked and stepped out into the snow. She grabbed her gear from the trunk and locked up before making her way up to the front door and knocking thrice with her gloved hand.

　　In seconds, the door opened up and she was met with the worried expression of one Adam Warden.  He sighed in relief at the sight of her and immediately opened up the door even wider so she could enter. "Oh, thank the heavens, Doc. I was beginning to worry."

　　"I apologize for the wait," Freya said as she wiped her boots off on the welcome mat, getting some snow everywhere. "The roads are a little rough tonight after what happened with Malekai."

　　"What happened to Malekai?"

　　"He was plowing the roads when something happened to the brakes on the treacher," Freya  explained as she shed her coat, which Adam took and hung on the rack. "Long story short, the roads are going to be a bit rough until he can get the brakes fixed."

　　"That's terrible," Adam said. "He's okay, though, right?"

　　Freya nodded. "Yeah, he's okay. Thankfully nobody got hurt in the accident." She took off her beanie, throwing it on the kitchen counter along with her car keys, and sighed. "Now, where is Brenda? How is she doing?"

　　"She's upstairs in the bedroom," Adam replied, pointing to the stairs. And before he could mention how his wife was doing, they could hear someone moaning in pain from upstairs followed by a small voice offering encouraging words.

　　With a nod, Freya kicked off her boots, grabbed her bags from the floor, and headed for the stairs with a worried Adam in pursuit. She glanced over her shoulder when she reached the top of the stairs, waiting for Adam to show her where to go, and after he motioned toward the door on her left, she walked over and gently pushed it open.

　　Freya glanced around the room once before her eyes focused on Brenda, who was sitting on the bed with her back up against the headboard. Her eyes were closed and she was smoothing her hands over her large stomach while taking deep breaths. Her two children, Ellie and Matthew, were sitting next to her on the bed, trying to comfort their mother as she remained in obvious pain.

　　"Hey, Brenda," Freya greeted with a warm smile.

　　The woman instantly opened her eyes and smiled through the pain. "Hey, Doc. Thank you for coming so quickly."

　　"Of course," Freya replied, setting her bags down at the end of the bed and taking out what she needed for an examination. As she pulled on a pair of latex gloves, she looked over at the children and offered them both a smile. "I see you have an excellent support system with you. Have you both been taking good care of your momma for me?"

　　Matthew, the oldest at only six, nodded his head as a smile crept onto his face. "Uh-huh," he shyly replied.

　　"You're such a big helper," Freya told him, which caused the boy to look down at his lap with a shy smile. "Do you think you can do me a favor, young man?"

　　He looked up and nodded excitedly.

　　Freya smiled. "Do you think you can be a big boy and watch your sister in the other room for me while I take care of your momma and your baby brother?"

　　Adam crossed the room and helped his children down from the bed. "Doctor Oleson is right," he said, setting five-year-old Ellie on the floor and guiding them both toward the door. "Why don't you guys go play downstairs while we see how momma and the baby are doing, okay?"

　　"Okay, daddy," Ellie said.

　　Matthew took his sister's hand and then the two left the room. Adam left the door open all the way so that they could hear the kids and make sure they were okay. Once she knew the kids were downstairs and could hear them playing, Freya turned to Brenda and began the examination.

　　"When did the pain start?"

　　"I've been having some discomfort all day," Brenda explained. "At first, I thought it was just stress because of the dark month, but then it got worse as the day went on."

　　"She got in the shower after dinner," Adam said. "I was doing the dishes when I heard her calling out for me. Her pain got worse, so I helped her get dressed and then called you."

　　"Oh, I hope we didn't disturb your plans with Eben," Brenda frowned, feeling guilty. "I know you both usually go on a date tonight."

　　"You didn't disturb anything," Freya reassured. "This is my job, you know that. I was happy to come right over when you called me. I'm here for you and your family whenever you need me, Brenda."

　　"Thank y⎯⎯"

　　Brenda's words were lost when an unbearable pain consumed her. She reached out, grabbing hold of Freya's arm and her husband's hand as she breathed deeply for a moment and then leaned her head back against the headboard.

　　"Can you scoot down for me?" Freya asked. "I want to do a quick examination, if you wouldn't mind."

　　"Sure," Brenda nodded, glancing briefly at her husband, who helped ease her into a comfortable position. She then spread her legs apart and gripped Adam's hand as Freya began examining her cervix.

　　After a moment, Freya pulled her hands away and began taking off the latex gloves. "Well, good news, you're not in labor. I think what we have here is a strong case of Braxton Hicks contractions amplified by stress."

　　Brenda nodded, letting out a breath of relief, for she still had two and a half weeks left until her due date and had been praying that she wouldn't go into early labor. "Oh, thank the heavens. I had thought . . ."

　　"I know," Freya said, patting the woman's knee in a comforting manner. "But don't worry, everything looks great, Brenda. I would highly recommend a calming environment and a lot of rest, though. You don't want to overwork yourself right now."

　　"Okay," Brenda nodded.

　　"I'll come back tomorrow afternoon to see how things are going," Freya told them as she got to work cleaning up her gear, putting everything back inside the bag. "But as I said, these are just Braxton Hicks contractions. They're going to leave you in some discomfort for a while, but if things start to change, just give me a call."

　　"We will," Adam said.

　　"Thank you, Freya," Brenda said. "We really appreciate you coming out here, even if it was a false alarm."

　　"You're welcome," Freya replied with a small smile. "Now, get some rest, Brenda. And please, try not to put so much stress on yourself."

　　"I'll make sure she doesn't leave this bed," Adam promised.

　　Brenda gave her husband a look. "I will have to stretch my legs at some point. You know how restless I get."

　　"I know that," Adam said. "But you ain't leaving this room. You need your rest for both you and the baby."

　　"Honey, the kids . . ."

　　"The kids will be fine," Adam assured, kissing his wife's knuckles. "You know that my mom is always willing to help us around here. I'll give her a call in the morning so she can help you around the house while I'm away at work."

　　Brenda hesitated.

　　"That's a wonderful idea," Freya said. "I know that it will be difficult, but you must get your rest and not strain yourself right now, Brenda. You're in a very delicate condition and we don't want you to go into early labor due to stress."

　　"Okay," Brenda conceded. "Call your mother."

　　"Well," Freya sighed, hands on her hips. "I best be on my way. But I will see you both tomorrow afternoon, okay?"

　　Brenda nodded and leaned up against the bed, stretching out her arms. Freya smiled and hugged the woman back. "Thank you again, Freya."

　　"Of course," Freya replied, stepping back.

　　"I'll walk you out," Adam kindly offered, walking over and picking up the bags from the end of the bed so Freya wouldn't have to carry them downstairs. 

　　"Thank you," Freya said, following after him.

　　When they got downstairs, Adam dropped her bags by the door as she waved goodbye to the kids, who were playing with some Legos in the living room. Then she sat down at the kitchen table and started pulling on her snow boots and tied up the laces.

　　"Doctor Freya," a small voice said.

　　She looked up from her boots and found Matthew standing in the kitchen. "Hey, little man," she greeted. "What can I do for you?"

　　"Is momma and my baby brother okay?" Matthew asked.

　　Freya glanced at Adam once before looking back at Matthew and offering the worried six-year-old a smile. "Your momma and your little brother are gonna be just fine. They're just a little uncomfortable right now. But you have nothing to worry about."

　　"Okay," Matthew responded.

　　She could tell the boy was still worried, and she sighed. "I have a job for you, though, if you're up for it?"

　　Matthew perked up. "Really?"

　　"I'm gonna need a young man like yourself to look out for your momma for me when I'm not here," Freya told him. "She is gonna need lots of rest and she'll probably feel a little lonely too, so maybe you can go in and sit with her for a little while every day, to make her feel better. Do you think that you can do that for me, Matthew?"

　　"Uh-huh," he nodded. "I'll protect momma and my baby brother for you, Doctor Freya."

　　Freya smiled, reaching out to ruffle his dark hair. "Thank you, little man," she said. "Now go on, go play with your sister."

　　Matthew nodded and hurried back into the living room, where his younger sister was still playing with their Legos.

　　"He adores you," Adam said once his son had gone and it was just the two of them again.

　　Freya finished lacing up her boots. "He's a good kid. You got very lucky with those two."

　　"Thanks," Adam smiled. "So how are Eben and Ben? Is he working tonight?"

　　"Yeah," Freya nodded, rising to her feet and taking her coat from his outstretched hand. "It's gonna be a long night for Eben this year, unfortunately. Lots of calls and disturbances from all over town. I'm not even sure he'll be coming home tonight, if I'm being honest. But they're both doing good."

　　"I'm glad to hear," Adam said. "About them doing good, I mean. But I'm really sorry to hear about Eben. Hopefully, things will settle as the night goes on and he can get some rest. I know how busy this month is for him."

　　"I hope so, too," Freya sighed.

　
━━━━━━
　

　　THE IKOS DINER WAS MORE than just a place to eat. It was the main bar and was as close to the center of the community as anywhere else in town. One could say that it was like the heart of Barrow, Alaska, for there was never an empty seat in the entire building. Lucy Ikos was always serving someone with a kind smile and making small talk with her customers, right up until closing time and sometimes even longer.

　　When the sun shone over Barrow, workers and their families would come to eat or share a drink together at the diner, for it felt like a second home to them. During the thirty days of night, when the town plummeted into the darkness and the days grew longer, those made lonely by the Dark had found solace at the diner and in the company of Lucy Ikos. The woman always made everyone in town feel safe and welcomed at her diner.

　　But now, the heart had a murmur.

　　They got strangers in Barrow from time to time, of course. Mostly transient oil workers that would drift in and out of town, and sometimes even someone from the Fire Marshal's department that Stella would work with when she was in town. But they never had strangers at this time of the year. And certainly never a stranger like this one.

　　The man had walked in a half hour ago, stinking something awful and looking as though he wasn't accustomed with personal hygiene whatsoever. His stench was so awful that Lucy had to step into the back room when he had taken a seat at the counter so that she wouldn't be sick. She also took that moment to put in a call down at the station, for she knew trouble when she saw it and this stranger was exactly that.

　　When she emerged from the back room, Lucy made her rounds at the tables, asking her customers if they knew who he was as she served them their dinner and got them refills on their beverages, but nobody, not even one person in the entire room, seemed to recognize him. And that scared her.

　　Who was this stranger? Most importantly, Lucy thought to herself, how did he get to Barrow?

　　Within ten minutes of his arrival, Lucy knew that she had to do her job. She walked up to him at the counter with her pen and pad, prepared to serve him as she waited for Eben to get here. Unsurprisingly, he asked for whiskey and then rum, but she had to keep repeating herself, saying that alcohol was illegal this month.

　　"No whiskey? No rum?" His voice was as slimy as his hair, and when he spoke even in a whisper, she could smell his breath and fought the urge to be sick once more.

　　"I told you, alcohol's illegal this month," Lucy repeated herself. "You're not from 'round here, so there's plenty you don't know. Folks have a hard enough time in the Dark without booze making it worse."

　　"Booze always makes things better," the Stranger responded.

　　"Ask me if I'm surprised you think that."

　　The man looked her dead in the eyes and his stare sent a shiver down her spine. Lucy gulped, averting her gaze and looking down at her pen and ped. He glanced at the name tag pinned to her apron before speaking. "Forget the liquor, Lucy. Bring me a bowl of raw hamburger."

　　"You can only get meat two ways around here, mister, frozen and burnt."

　　The Stranger sighed heavily through his nostrils and shook his head, looking down at his hands grimy placed on the counter, his hair obscuring his face. Lucy took that moment to glance around the diner at her customers. Some people had hurried and left when the stranger had first arrived, but some had stayed out of curiosity.

　　Lucy glanced at the door and anxiously bit her lip. Come on, Eben, she thought. Please hurry and get here already. Please. Please. Please. This is going to turn into a real shit storm⎯⎯

　　"You won't bring me what I want to eat," the Stranger whispered, voice gritty and dangerous. "What I want to drink." He looked up from the counter to stare Lucy down. "What kind of hospitality is this stinking shit-pit of a town able to offer?"

　　Lucy stared the man down for a long moment, and her heart started racing when she saw the dangerous gleam in his haunting eyes. Then he suddenly lurched forward and took her back the wrist. Lucy gasped, dropping her pen and pad. But before anything else could happen, a shadow towered over them.

　　"That's enough, pal," Eben barked. "Leave the woman alone."

　　The Stranger hesitated at first. He kept his grip on Lucy firm before releasing her a moment later. She grabbed her wrist with her other hand and brought it up to her chest as she backed away, frightened, trembling. Then he slid off the barstool and stood to his feet, turning around to face Eben. The Sheriff was six feet tall, but he had a good four or five inches on him easily.

　　After glancing at Lucy once to make sure she was okay, Eben looked back at the man standing before him, and sized him up with one glance. The Stranger was scruffy, hair greasy and tangled. He was unkempt and smelled something awful. The stench made Eben's eyes burn. His coat was stained with what appeared to be blood. And there was a confident look in his eyes, accompanied by a sly smile that crept onto his cracked lips.

　　"Time to hit the road," Eben told him.

　　"Now what's wrong with a man wanting a little fresh meat? A drink or two?"

　　"I'm sure Lucy already told you that no one drinks around here in the Dark. Not townsfolk, not strangers."

　　"That so?"

　　Eben nodded, and the Stranger chuckled. The sound wasn't pleasant, and he tried to shrug off the tingle that shot down his spine when he heard it. When he smelt the foul breath in his face. He could hear the door open up behind him, but Eben didn't turn around around see who had arrived or who it was that had just left. His eyes remained on the Stranger, who stood there glaring at him with that fucking smile.

　　"If you refuse to leave," Eben said quietly, "I'll escort you out of here myself."

　　The Stranger stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and Eben's hand inched closer to his gun. "I'd like to see that," he challenged.

　　"I would, too," said another voice.

　　The Stranger tensed and his eyebrows shot up in surprise when he felt the barrel of a gun against the base of his skull. Eben didn't have to look over the man's shoulder to know that it was Stella Keaton on the other side of that barrel. He noticed Billy standing behind her, his own weapon not yet drawn, but his fingers brushing over the holster just in case something happened.

　　"But then," Stella continued. "Lucy'd have to clean up after Eben kicked your ass. It's more trouble than you're worth."

　　The Stranger's lips pressed into a thin line and his muscles remained tense as he stood there against the barrel of the gun. Eben briefly glanced at Stella and gave her a look that said, What the hell are you doing?!

　　Stella only nodded at him before looking at the back of the Stranger's head again. "Not a fucking breath," she said.

　　And that is when all hell broke loose.

　　In the blink of an eye, the Stranger turned around with a cry and went for Stella, who stumbled backwards. But Eben was quick. He roughly grabbed the Stranger by his arms and slammed him down against the counter, holding him there as he struggled, and there was a chorus of gasps that sounded throughout the diner.

　　When the man struggled, Eben pulled on his arm, causing him to cry out as it bent awkwardly. That is when he slapped the cuffs on, tightening them until he heard a sharp intake of breath, brow furrowing when he noticed the bite marks on the man's coat and wrists. Bites that resembled that of a dog. Or dogs, if this was the person responsible for the gruesome scene down at the Riis kennel.

　　He nodded at Stella as she holstered her weapon. "Fire Marshal's office let you carry that?"

　　Stella shrugged with a smirk. "Funny thing, I never asked them."

　　Eben glanced at Billy, who looked less terrified now that he had the Stranger in cuffs and Stella had put her gun away. "My able deputy could have helped, I'm sure."

　　Billy shifted on his feet. "Yeah, but . . . well, Eben, it's Stella. I knew she could handle it, you know?"

　　"Go home to Peggy and the girls, Billy," Eben told him. "Been a long day."

　　"Longer night to come," The Stranger said, letting out an airy giggle.

　　Eben glared down at him, twisting his wrist and making him suck in a sharp breath. "Shut the fuck up. You're already in enough trouble." He glanced at Stella. "So, you missed your plane?" She nodded. "That sucks. Where are you gonna stay?"

　　"Billy said he and Peggy could put me up."

　　"Well, it'll be good to have you back in town for a while, Stella," Eben told her. "We miss you around here."

　　"I know," Stella said, looking away.

　　"Well, I need to get him to the station," Eben said. "Give us a call, Stella, we'd love to have you over for dinner sometime."

　　"Eben, Stella, can you take this outside?" Lucy asked. "Right now I want this guy somewhere I can't see or smell him."

　　Eben looked at Lucy apologetically and offered her a smile, before glancing around at her customers. "Carry on, folks," he said, lifting the Stranger up from the counter and ushering him toward the door.

　　"Carry on, folks," the Stranger mocked.

　　"Pal, I've had a bad day and you're really grabbing my shit," Eben said with a shake of his head, his frustration with this guy beginning to settle in.

　　The Stranger tittered and then nodded towards the door, a hint of a smirk playing on his cracked lips. "After you?"

　　Eben silently shoved him out the door and guided him through the snow and toward his 4x4. He opened up the back door and shoved the Stranger inside, slamming it shut afterwards. He then turned, finding Stella walking out of the diner and toward them.

　　"Maybe I'll tag along," Stella said.

　　He shrugged. "If you want."

　　They both got inside the 4x4 and Eben started the engine as Stella turned on the air conditioning and blasted the heat to warm them up some. The drive was silent for a little while before Eben spoke, glancing at the prisoner in the rearview mirror.

　　"Haven't seen vandalism like this in a long time," he said. The Stranger remained silent, staring down at his knees in a daze.

　　"Don't you and Billy know how to take care of this town without me?" Stella asked with a teasing smile.

　　In the old days, before Stella had moved out of town for a majority of the year, they had worked together as a team, the three of them. But now that Stella wasn't around anymore, the work load got heavier with only two people down at the station. Eben was glad to have her back in town for a while. With all the recent disturbances, he and Billy were going to need all the help they could get.

　　"I think somebody screwed with the brakes on the treacher," Stella told him.

　　Eben glanced in the rearview mirror again, waiting to see if the man reacted to what Stella had said. But he didn't. His head was still down, hair obscuring his face. "Hell of a day," he said.

　　"Just you wait," the Stranger said in a rough voice.

　　"Keep it shut," Eben warned. Just you wait? What the fuck was that supposed to mean? He glanced beside him at Stella and noticed that she was just as confused as he was.

　　No more words were spoken between them until they reached the station and Eben had slammed the bars in the Stranger's face. It was only a small holding-cell, but unfortunately Barrow didn't have anything more so it would have to do for now. He just hoped they wouldn't have to keep him locked up for the entire month given how the cell was part of the main room where all their desks were located. That would only make things more uncomfortable for them.

　　Once he was locked up, Eben turned to face his son and brother. Ben was already embracing Stella in a big hug while Jake lingered behind so he could greet her next. Helen remained seated, but she wore a big smile as she stared up at the blonde.

　　"It's good to see you, too, bud," Stella said to Ben as she took a step back.

　　"What are you still doing here?" Jake asked. "I thought you were going to the airport?"

　　"I was, but I missed my flight," Stella explained. She glanced at Ben and ruffled his hair. "So it looks like you're all stuck with me for a while."

　　Ben grinned.

　　Stella looked around. "Where's Freya?"

　　It was then Eben noticed that his wife wasn't here. He hadn't realized that before, too focused on getting the prisoner locked up in the holding-cell, but now he searched every inch of the room and frowned when he didn't see her anywhere.

　　"She got a call from Adam Warden," Helen said. "Something about Brenda and the baby. I'm not sure what else. She left not long after you, Eben."

　　"Did she say when she was going to be back?" Eben asked, a tinge of worry in his voice. He didn't want his wife out there right now. Now with all the calls he was getting.

　　"She didn't say," Helen replied. "But if Brenda is going into labor, I wouldn't count on her coming back anytime soon."

　　Eben sighed and crossed the room to sit down on the edge of his desk. He pulled off his beanie and shrugged off his jacket, throwing it over the back of his chair. God, please be safe out there, he thought.

　　"You wanna play with us Stella?" Ben asked, motioning to the board game that was spread out on a table.

　　Stella shrugged. "Sure, why not? I've got nothing else to do right now."

　　As the three of them sat down to set up a new game of Risk, Eben walked over to the holding-cell to try and get some answers. "You don't work at the refinery," he said. "You'd have been seen flying in. So when did you get here? What form of transportation did you use?"

　　The Stranger remained silent, head down, eyes glued to the floor. Eben could have sworn he saw his lips twitch back into a smirk though, which irritated him.

　　"We've got a long time to figure this out," Eben said in response to the silence he received. "They won't be coming to take you away for a month. Plenty of time locked in there. People watching you eat, sleep, and shit. Must say, doesn't appeal much to me, but I'm prepared to do it."

　　The Stranger looked up from the floor and straight at Eben, raising a skeptical eyebrow in his direction. Then that arrogant smirk returned and Eben had to fight the urge to open up the cell and wipe it off his face as he clenched his jaw and fist. This man was beginning to piss him off.

　　After a long moment, the prisoner looked away, lowering his head to stare at the ground again. His shoulders began to shake as he laughed, and Eben clenched his jaw and walked away to his desk. He opened up the drawer and tossed the keys inside, but it jammed as he went to close it. With furrowed brows, Eben reached down to move whatever was in the way and pulled out a clear bag filled with pot. His eyes widened.

　　"Jake?" Eben called, motioning his brother over. The Stranger laughed some more, having noticed the bag. He threw him a glare but that didn't shut him up. He looked at his brother again. "What the hell is this?"

　　Jake looked down at the bag sitting on the desk. "Pot," he said nonchalantly. "It helps with her cancer."

　　"Freya said it would ease the pain, and she's right, it does," Helen said. "I didn't want to tell you, I've got a little greenhouse at home, Eben. Didn't want you arresting me." She smiled to cover up her fear and embarrassment as she awaited his reaction. She could tell that her grandson was bothered that it was Freya's idea.

　　"Pain," the Stranger whispered. "You don't know what pain is."

　　Eben ignored the prisoner and looked at his brother, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned up against his desk. "Now I know why you wanted to go live with Grandma."

　　"Nooooo, I just thought you guys outta have privacy," Jake said. "I know you and Freya have been trying for another kid and I just . . . I didn't think you'd want me around."

　　"That isn't true," Eben said. "Ben loved having you around. We all did. You didn't have to leave. Our home is your home, and you're always welcome there."

　　Before Jake could say anything, the lights flickered and then went out completely. Barrow often experienced power outages, but they never lasted as long as this and they were always unpredictable, lasting five seconds at the most. But the lights never came back and that scared Ben, who had a known fear of the dark.

　　"Dad?" he called out through the darkness.

　　"I'm right here," Eben reassured. His eyes adjusted to the darkness after a moment and he watched as Ben held onto Stella out of fear. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning down to kiss his head. Eben offered the boy a small smile that he hoped would make his son feel better.

　　"Oh, criminy!" Helen exclaimed as they could hear her frantically clicking the buttons on mouse and tapping on the keyboard. "Computer's down."

　　Stella walked over, Ben attached to her side, and she started helping Helen try and restart the computer in any way she could think of. But everything she did failed to work.

　　"Power surge?" Eben asked.

　　"No, I don't think so."

　　"I'll call Gus," Eben said, reaching for the phone at his desk. "He's fallen asleep again, I expect." He started dialing the number but stopped when he realized that the phone wasn't working either. Weird.

　　"It's okay, Ben," Stella said reassuringly when she saw how frightened the boy looked.

　　"But what about Mom?" Ben asked. "She's still out there."

　　Eben lowered the phone and closed his eyes for a moment, trying not to think about how his wife could be stuck out there now that the power was out and there were no street lights. But before he could reassure his son that Freya knew what to do and would be okay, his grandmother beat him to it.

　　Helen reached out and pulled the boy into her lap, wrapping her arms around him in a hug and pressing a kiss to his temple. "It'll be okay. Your mom will be back soon. She knows how to handle the dark."

　　"You didn't call yet?" Stella noticed.

　　Eben turned to look at her and shook his head. "Phone's dead, too," he said.

　　"So concerned," the Stranger said, voice gritty. "I can taste it in the air, the fear. I can smell it in your breath. So helpless, all of you, helpless against what's coming."

　　Jake instinctively moved closer to his grandmother, and Eben could see how terrified his younger brother was of the prisoner.

　　"He's just trying to freak us out," Stella reassured the frightened boys.

　　"It's working," Jake said.

　　Eben approached the holding-cell. "What's coming?" he asked, receiving nothing but laughter from the prisoner in response.

　　"Thirty days of shitting in a bucket, that's what's coming for him," Stella said.

　　"Well, we've got better things to worry about now. I'll check on Gus, find out why comms are down," Eben said, grabbing his coat and beanie and throwing them back on.

　　"Check on Gus," the Stranger spoke much louder this time from where he lay on the coat, looking at them. "Board the windows. Try to hide. They're coming and this time they're gonna take me with them, honor me for all I've done."

　　"'They'?" Eben asked. "Who're they?"

　　"Well you might ask. They been here long before us, lawman. God made 'em to . . . thin the herds." A smirk crept onto his face. "Now they're here."

　　Eben put a threatening hand on his pistol. "You need to shut up right now."

　　The Stranger grinned, his black teeth showing, and then he turned away to look up at the ceiling again.

　　"I'll hit the generator," Jake offered, rushing off before the prisoner could frighten him anymore than he already has.

　　Eben nodded, watching as his brother left the room. Jake came back a few moments later, and as he re-entered the room, a dim set of lights kicked on and there was some small amount of heat that followed. Eben looked to his son, who was still scared but not as much as before now that Jake got the generator working.

　　"I'm heading for the cell tower," Eben announced. "Gus may need help."

　　"Help doing what?" Stella asked.

　　"Fixing things," Eben replied.

　　"We have to stay here with him?" Jake asked, glancing at the prisoner.

　　"Sure," Stella nodded. "We can sit here and mock him. Like, who's he trying to look like in that coat? Some ugly extra from The Matrix?"

　　Jake smiled at her words, which eased the tension in the room a bit.

　　Eben pulled on his winter gear. "Helen, as soon as the lines are up, get Billy over here. Stay on the walkie-talkie with me till the power's back. And don't let Freya leave again when she gets back. I don't want anyone out there until I know what's going on."

　　Helen nodded.

　　Noticing how frightened his son looked, Eben walked over and pulled him into a quick hug. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? Stay here with your Grandma Helen until I get back. Don't leave her sight."

　　"I don't want you to go," Ben cried, tightening his arms around his father and burying his face into Eben's chest.

　　"I know," Eben sighed. He reluctantly pulled away and leaned down, kissing his son on the head. "But I have to go. Just . . . be good, okay?"

　　Ben nodded in response and then his grandmother pulled him back into her lap. With scared brown eyes, he watched as his father walked out the door, before he turned and rested his head on Helen's shoulder. She held him tight, rubbing his back affectionately.

a/n: uh-oh, freya isn't back from the warden home yet and we all know what is coming 😟 do you think she'll be able to make it back in time or will she be stuck out there and separated from her family when the attack happens?