Chapter 149: The Slither

"Please, urgently call Jon! And while we're at it, may I have your personal contact number as well? That way, should there be any difficulty in reaching Jon, I'll have the means to get in touch with you!" Luke implored with a sense of urgency that was hard to miss.

Nancy acknowledged with a nod, extending her business card towards him. As the firm's sole representative, it was only natural for her to be equipped with one.

Just as Nancy was about to dial Jon's number on her cell phone, the sound of footsteps approaching the door caused her to pause.

She set the phone aside and offered a wry smile, "Seems like... fortune is smiling on you today."

"Who owns the vehicle outside, Nancy? What's happening?" Jon's voice, tinged with concern. His return was not expected so soon, as the Hodgson family had been insistent on his presence for dinner. Yet, after his unsettling encounters with Valak and the Crooked Man, he discovered a barrage of over ten missed calls on his phone, all originating from Luke.

Luke's calls were never frivolous; they were a signal of dire circumstances. As a lawyer of exceptional caliber, Luke was adept at navigating most challenges with finesse, rarely necessitating Jon's involvement. When Jon attempted to return the call, he was met with the disheartening reality that Luke's phone was disconnected to the network.

This anomaly prompted Jon to suspect that an urgent matter had arisen, compelling him to hasten his return.

Upon his entrance, Jon was greeted by the sight of Luke engaged in earnest conversation with Nancy.

"Luke, what's happening? I received your message, but upon trying to reach you, your phone was off," Jon inquired, his voice steady yet laced with concern.

"Jon, happy to see you man!" Luke exclaimed as he rose to his feet, his enthusiasm palpable, "My phone hit on the pavement, a casualty of those monsters!"

"Monsters? Can you be specific?" Jon pressed, his frown deepening as he took note of the blood staining Luke's attire.

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Luke proceeded to relay the harrowing events to Jon.

"Jon, it's a must that you witness the situation firsthand; the horror is indescribable. Should this menace spread beyond the confines of that town, the consequences are unfathomable!" Luke's voice trembled with anxiety.

Jon remained silent, his expression contemplative.

The narrative Luke provided conjured images in Jon's mind of a classic horror film titled "The Slither," bearing a striking resemblance to the ordeal Luke described.

Jon was well aware that the parasitic worms and the humans they infected were under the thrall of an extraterrestrial entity, a monstrous being that had endured for eons, lying dormant within the body of an affluent entrepreneur known as Grant.

Yet, Jon couldn't help but consider the monster from the year before last, with its eons of accumulated malevolence, would serve as a veritable banquet for the Spirit of Vengeance.

"Very well, lead me to this locality known as Wheelsy," Jon declared, his tone resolute as he pivoted to exit the room, casting a backward glance at Nancy, "Regrettably, Nancy, our tutorial session must be deferred for today."

"Just be careful!" Nancy called out after him, her concern evident.

Luke remained motionless for a brief moment, a perplexed expression crossing his face as he murmured to himself, "Hold on, when did I disclose the town's name to him?"

He was certain that he had not mentioned Wheelsy to either Nancy or Jon. In the throes of his panic, even he had momentarily forgotten the name; it was Jon who had jogged his memory.

But he quickly dismissed the puzzle, attributing Jon's knowledge to his seemingly omniscient nature.

"Your vehicle won't suffice; we'll take mine. Guide me there," Jon instructed, effortlessly unlocking his car with the remote.

Luke's surprise was palpable as he gestured towards his vehicle, prompting a young man with a disheveled appearance to emerge.

"Who might this be?" Jon inquired, his brow furrowed in curiosity.

"This is Killer. He helped my escape from the town," Luke introduced.

"Killer?" Jon echoed, his surprise evident in his tone.

Killer, quickly picking up on the bewilderment his moniker elicited, clarified, "Yes, that's my name. I'm a butcher by trade; my father spent his life working in a slaughterhouse. But... are you the specialist that Luke spoke of?"

Killer eyed the unassuming young man before him with a hint of skepticism.

"Perhaps you were expecting someone more... seasoned? An elder with sunglasses and a flowing beard?" Jon quipped with a light chuckle before sliding into the driver's seat of his car.

Killer's eyes widened at the sight of Jon's sleek sports car, the likes of which had never graced the streets of their town—not even Grant, the wealthy businessman turned monster, had possessed such an extravagant vehicle.

He couldn't shake the thought that perhaps Jon was some affluent heir of a wealthy family, masquerading as am exorcist of some sort.

Despite his reservations about Jon, Killer's thoughts were with his family, compelling him to return to the fray, regardless of the risk.

"Time is of the essence. We must reach the town within thirty minutes, or we'll be too late to contain the outbreak!" Killer implored with urgency.

"Thirty minutes? I assure you, we'll be there in ten," Jon boasted confidently, the engine roaring to life as he pressed the accelerator to the floor.

Luke and Killer, unprepared for the sudden surge of speed, scrambled to fasten their seatbelts.

"Mind the speed limits!" Luke cautioned, his voice tinged with alarm.

"Do you truly believe that's my concern at this moment?" Jon retorted, his focus unwavering as the car sped forward.

***

In a mere seven or eight minutes, Jon's vehicle pierced the boundary of the town. A pungent odor of blood assailed their senses upon entry, a grim testament to the chaos that had transpired.

Simultaneously, an overwhelming aura of sin enveloped them. Even Jon, accustomed to confronting the malevolent, felt an icy shiver run down his spine as the Spirit of Vengeance within him began to stir with anticipation.

Slowing the car to a cautious pace, Jon navigated a turn and proceeded into the heart of the town with deliberate slowness.

"Doesn't the silence here strike you as ominous?" Luke voiced, his tone laden with foreboding.

"Our town has always been a haven of tranquility, but this... this is very unusual!" Killer remarked, his voice tinged with a chill that matched the air around them.

"It seems we're left with one grim inference: the majority of the townsfolk have fallen prey to the creature's influence," Jon deduced, his voice steady yet carrying the weight of the situation.

Killer felt a cold dread settle in his bones at Jon's words, a stark contrast to the warmth that once filled the streets of his hometown.

Suddenly, a group of shambling figures emerged into their field of vision, their movements unnatural and disjointed.

"We are late! The monster has claimed them all!" Killer's voice cracked with despair.

Jon's lips curled into a mirthless sneer. With a decisive thrust of his foot against the accelerator, the sports car lunged forward like a predator.

In a fleeting moment, marked by the gruesome sound of rending and the splatter of crimson, Jon's car plowed through the bodies with a grim determination.

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