Page 173 of Demons Dig Donuts

“What the fuck?”

“It’s loose!”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-THREE

“Loose?” Mr. Heiss snarled.

“Yes! Loose! The opposite of contained!” Gammy shouted back. “The wards on the doors! I wasn’t sure why they were so tricky, but it’s because they are actually pillars for a protective prison and—”

“We broke them.” Mr. Heiss swept Indy into his arms. He turned to bark at the others, commanding, “Go! Get everyone out of here that you can! Now!”

Tanze and Underwood vanished in a poof of swirling red smoke and Azazel took off down the hallway on foot. Another tremor erupted, and there was more screaming in the distance as the lights went out.

Mr. Heiss transformed, the crown between his horns offering the only illumination as he stormed toward the back door. “We’re getting the fuck out of here right now and don’t you dare—”

“I’m not going to dare anything!” Indy protested. “I am not Skeletor! I do not want to fuck with a dragon!”

“Are you sure? Because sometimes you have extremely poor judgment—”

“Oh my God, you’re doing this right now?”

“Look out!” Gammy screamed.

The tiles under their feet cracked and imploded instantly, and Indy screeched as they dropped into pitch-black darkness. They were falling, falling, and he didn’t want to let go of Mr. Heiss to attempt summoning Dill. This was going to be a really crappy way to die. If they survived hitting the bottom, then they were probably going to get eaten by a dragon.

Whoosh.

Mr. Heiss soared back up through the hole with a big flap of his wings, landing them safely on solid ground.

“Are you okay?” Gammy wheezed as she clutched at her chest.

“Right.” Indy giggled nervously. “Forgot he could do that.”

Mr. Heiss snorted. “Hold on.” He flew over to the back door, kicking it open so he could then soar through it into a large gravel lot. He resumed his human guise as he jogged around the side of the building, saying firmly, “Now, you’re going into the limo and I will have it take you home—”

“Got it. Going to get out of the limo and come help.”

“No, you are staying in the limo and—”

“Coming to help!”

“Dammit, Indy!”

“You’re about to go fight a dragon! I can help!”

“So can I!” Gammy shouted from behind them.

“Listen to me very carefully,” Mr. Heiss warned as he turned the next corner. “You are going home right now and I am not going to—”

The patrons were still actively trying to flee the club, all of them screaming in panic and racing to their vehicles. There was already one wreck where two cars had tried to flee at the same time and crashed right into each other, blocking the road and effectively trapping everyone in the parking lot. Some had chosen to abandon their vehicles and flee on foot, and the surge created a massive stampede of people that knocked some to the ground and left them there to be trampled.

It was absolute chaos.

The limo remained where it had been parked before, but the very asphalt beneath it rippled and rose like a wave. It cracked, crumbled, and the entire limo vanished into a giant hole trunk first.

Mr. Heiss seethed, gently setting Indy down and pushing him behind him. “Tanze, Underwood!”