It Lives Again! James Dixon Paperback

  BLOOD Cerise BIRTHDAY

In the whole terrified city of Los Angeles no i could explain the Davis baby.

No reason was credible for the infant'due south monstrous forcefulness, its animal cunning, its hideous appearance. Ripped from the womb it came killing into the world—and was soon destroyed without understanding.

Some believed it was on evil aberration, a creature sent from Hell they prayed would never come up again. Others felt it was the adjacent footstep in man'south evolution and in that location would be more like information technology. No one could yet exist certain.

Only in the metropolis of Tucson the Scott family was having a baby shower . . .

WATCH OUT FOR It . . .

Information technology LIVES

AGAIN!

THE AIR HUMMED WITH A DEAFENING SILENCE.

Frank Davis knew so well what the man and woman were feeling now. Eugene Scott, merely moments before a proud and happy fatherhoped-for. Jody Scott, a radiant expectant mother, stunned past the dreadful implications of what they had just heard.

Davis finally broke the silence. "I wish in that location was some other way I could have done this to brand information technology less painful for you, merely we oasis't that much time. Yous said yous were due in a week or ten days. But if it is one of these children, it'll come early, unexpectedly. They're prepared for that. The team arrived the day before yesterday."

Scott was puzzled. "What team?"

"Specialists," Frank replied.

Scott looked rapidly at his wife who sat there incoherent, staring, then back at the grim Frank Davis.

"Are yous saying people came downward for the specific purpose of killing our baby?"

"If it'south like mine when it'southward born," he answered, ". . . yes!"

Warner Bros.

A Warner Communications Company

presents

A Larco Production

It LIVES Again

A Larry Cohen Pic

Starring

FREDERIC FORREST • KATHLEEN LLOYD

JOHN P. RYAN equally Frank Davis

JOHN MARLEY

EDDIE CONSTANTINE

ANDREW DUGGAN

TECHNICOLOR®

Written, Produced and Directed by

Larry Cohen

Copyright © 1978 by Larry Cohen

All rights reserved nether International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the U.s. past Ballantine Books, a sectionalization of Random Firm, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada past Ballantine Books of Canada, Ltd., Toronto, Canada.

ISBN 0-345-27693-0

Manufactured in the U.s.

First Edition: June 1978

CHAPTER ONE

It was July. Tucson, Arizona. Beautiful skies. A urban center of nigh perpetual sunshine where one beautiful solar day follows another. A identify where people vacation in order to escape the winters or the humidity back East. Or, if they're really lucky, they selection up and motion at that place, just similar that.

Jody Scott was just such a person. Jody, young, lovely, and talented, was first violinist with the Tucson Symphony. She and her hubby, Eugene, an attorney and partner in his own police force house, Foster and Scott, moved to Tucson from Chicago ii years ago, and at present they felt equally if they had never lived anywhere else.

In their dwelling only outside Tucson, tastefully furnished in Spanish decor, twenty or so friends of the enormously, first-time pregnant Jody Scott were giving her a surprise infant shower.

Throughout the Scotts' living room were scattered open up boxes from the best stores of Tucson and Phoenix. Jody, in the heart of all this, was opening the final of the presents.

At the same time a tall, nervous-looking woman was busy apologizing every bit Jody took off the concluding of the wrapping. Obviously the nowadays was from her.

"I actually couldn't think what to get since I didn't know if it'd be a boy or a girl," she fussed.

Another adult female, fat, drinking vino, as were all the women at the shower, shouted, "Yeah, well, mind, Myra, we were all in the same fix," evoking a chorus of laughs from the balance of the women.

Jody now had the box undone, and from the expect on her face she simply loved the present. Carefully she picked it out of the box—a tiny violin.

"Oh," the women gushed. One of them, her phonation almost a shriek, cried, "He's going to be another Heifetz, I simply know it!"

"Oh, thank you," Jody said, "give thanks you."

She tried to go to her feet; no luck. She was likewise large to manage information technology easily.

"Hither we go." A dozen helping hands lifted her up.

"Cheers," she said over again, smiling. "Oh, I must show Eugene."

Jody waddled off across her lovely living room and headed for her husband.

Eugene Scott, dark, handsome, stood talking with 2 men past the bar. There were a few other men scattered throughout the room, virtually of them anxiously waiting for their wives to requite them the bespeak to leave.

"Eugene," she said, "wait what Myra gave us!"

"That's great, honey, keen," he said, pulling her close, and brushing upwards against her ear, he whispered, "When are they going to leave?"

Jody kissed him back. She whispered in his ear, "I know, I know."

The Scotts were not well acquainted with baby-shower protocol, certainly non Tucson, Arizona, baby-shower protocol, because if they had been, they could have rested easy. As soon as the last gift was opened, the pacesetters among the women were rounding up their purses and their husbands and shouting their delighted "Oh, nosotros had a wonderful time, promise you have another i existent soon" and making their jerky way toward the door.

Several lagged behind for one concluding drink or another piece of block, for which Jody was just likewise pleased; after all, what was she going to do with all that food? The mode the baby was kicking, she might be in the hospital any time at present.

"Doesn't everyone want some of this cake?" Jody pleaded. "It's just a shame to waste it."

The fat woman piped upwards, downing all the same more vino, "I'll accept the cake if you lot throw in those little sandwiches in that location, besides."

Jody laughed. "Information technology'southward a deal. I'll put them in a little bag."

"No, no," the woman protested. "Exit them right there, I'll have them right on the plate. That way I'll wash the dish for you, salvage yous all kinds of work."

Jody laughed. She'd had some wine herself. "You're a genius, you lot know that?"

"You know," said the adult female, "I recollect you're correct. Abner," she called. An ascetic-looking admirer with a beaming red face up appeared at her elbow. "Nosotros're taking these," the fat woman instructed him.

Without a word the man picked up the tray of tiny sandwiches and the plate with the remaining cake and started for the door. His wife followed closely backside, making sure he didn't miss annihilation.

All this just nearly convulsed Jody equally, holding on to the tabular array for support, she tried to get her husband's attention. "Eugene, look!" she called.

When she reached the door, the fat adult female turned around and called back into the room, "So long, Eugene, don't forget to telephone call united states equally shortly as she goes into labor."

Her husband, near out the door, leaned back into the room, as if this were his parting joke. "Nosotros'll meet you at the hospital. Who knows, it might fifty-fifty exist a baby," he laughed.

That said, he and his married woman were out the door.

Jody was still laughing, looking around to run across if Eugene had caught whatsoever of this. Eugene, however, was having problems of his ain. Another woman, feeling very little hurting, insisted on kissing the begetter-to-be adept-farewell while her husband stood there telling Eugene that in no fourth dimension at all Jody would be back with the orchestra and he'd be doing diapers instead of filing briefs.

Eugene laughed dutifully at the homo's niggling joke, at the same time bending to be ki

ssed by the gushing married woman. Will this ever end? he moaned to himself. Jody, seeing his discomfort, smiled gently in his direction.

Happily at present, anybody had just about left, except Lydia, of form. Lydia was Jody's best friend. She planned the infant shower, making sure Jody was out of the house all day then that the food could be brought in and everything could be fabricated set to surprise her when she came abode.

As well Lydia, there was however one other invitee. Or was he a invitee? He seemed to be going nowhere, as if he were lingering. During the party no 1 seemed to know him. A placidity human who somehow projected a feeling of danger, he watched everybody, especially Jody, but talked to no i.

Lydia, the friendly neighborhood divorcée, who considered every unescorted male up for grabs, had tried to speak to him earlier, but this strange human being had deliberately crossed the room to get away from her.

Now Lydia was set to get out, kissing Jody fondly on the cheek.

"Oh, Lydia," said Jody, actually appreciative, "give thanks you. Actually. How can I ever cheers plenty?"

"We did it, didn't we?" Lydia said, including Eugene, who had come to join them. "Nosotros really surprised you, didn't we, Jody?"

"You certain did," said Jody, "you sure did." Jody would never admit to her dying day that 2 weeks agone she had picked up the telephone and heard Eugene, on the extension, making out the guest listing with Lydia. Consequently, today she practically had to fall down on the floor in mock surprise when she walked in and all those people started jumping out from backside every bachelor piece of furniture, yelling, "Surprise!"

"Nosotros got you, dearest," said Eugene. He gave Jody a big hug. "God, I thought they'd never leave." Then, remembering Lydia, "Of course, I didn't mean y'all," he added gallantly.

"Oh, don't worry," said Lydia. "Now that I have a few drinks in me, I thought I'd try that new singles joint in the shopping mall anybody's talking about."

"Skillful thought," said Eugene. "I'll become my coat."

"Funny," said Jody scornfully, giving him a friendly whack.

"I thought I'd latch on to that friend of yours over at that place," said Lydia. She gestured toward that aforementioned human, who now stood silently by the front window. "But he avoided me like the plague."

Eugene looked over at the man, noticing him actually for the first time.

"Who is he, anyway?" Lydia continued.

Jody and Eugene exchanged questioning glances.

"Well, anyway, discover out if he'southward queer. I'd merely like to know." Lydia smiled.

"Can't stand rejection, huh?" Jody laughed.

"That'south just about it," Lydia answered with a fake pout every bit she started off with a flounce, down the forepart walk.

Lydia gone, Jody and Eugene turned to face the human, standing in the corner of their living room. He was now nervously smoking a cigarette.

"Who is that guy?" Eugene asked, thinking out loud, as if he should know him from court; from somewhere.

"Damned if I know," said Jody. She turned from closing the door and squinted through the semidarkness of the late-afternoon light at the man.

"Well, there'southward merely ane thing to do, get and ask him," said Eugene, turning to Jody with a tight smile. "Later all, this is our firm, correct?"

Jody smiled back. "You're absolutely right. Besides, I never heard of a party crasher at a infant shower, anyway."

Just as they started to cross the living room to the stranger, who actually seemed to be waiting for them, another woman, who had been, undoubtedly, in the bathroom, struggled toward them, dragging her half dozen-year-erstwhile child behind her. The kid, on the verge of tears, was whining at his female parent.

"Leggo!"

"When I get in the automobile, I'll let become, and put that down," his mother screamed back. In his hand the child held a smeary fistful of chocolate mints.

Jody tried to intercede. "It'due south all right, he can have them," she said, trying to be helpful.

"Oh, sure," snapped the adult female. "And allow him be sick all over the auto? Boy, are you lucky," she added equally she dragged the child closer to the front end door. "You don't have to worry for another five years. When they go to school, that's when they turn rotten. Dirty mouths and drugs. Yous'll see!"

While Jody was leading the distraught adult female and the child to the forepart door, agreeing with her all the way, Eugene approached the uninvited guest who seemed to accept crashed, of all things, their babe shower.

Closer, Eugene peered at the homo in the fading light, asking himself whether he just didn't recognize him.

"Hi!" Eugene smiled, hoping that might trigger something from the man.

"How-do-you-do," said the man, non giving Eugene much aid.

"I'thousand sorry we didn't get to talk," Eugene connected, feeling him out.

"I didn't want to interfere. You accept so many skillful friends." The human smiled. The smile was an endeavor on the astringent, gaunt face.

"Yes, we exercise. This is kind of embarrassing," answered Eugene, sure at present that he didn't know this man, "but could I inquire what you're doing here?"

By way of an explanation, the man looked at Eugene with sad dark eyes and said, "I flew down from Los Angeles."

Eugene nodded, not certain what that had to do with anything.

"I'm sorry," the man continued, "my proper noun is Frank Davis."

Eugene nodded once again, yet lost as to who this man might exist.

The man looked at Eugene, unbelieving. "You mean you've never heard of me?" he asked.

"Should I have?" Eugene shrugged, suddenly weary of this game.

Mr. Davis looked over Eugene's shoulder. Eugene followed his gaze. Jody had entered the living room, and under the guise of picking up a few dishes and stacking them, was trying to mind to the conversation.

Eugene, a bit annoyed at his married woman's obvious charade, called over to her, "Honey, this is Mr. Davis from Los Angeles."

Jody, only also willingly, came over to join the conversation as Eugene asked, nigh irritably, "I hope, after all this, you lot're not selling insurance or encyclopedias, Mr. Davis, or anything similar that."

"No, Mr. Scott," said Davis evenly. "I'k non trying to sell y'all anything, believe me."

Eugene turned to his wife, who stood at that place still holding ii soiled dishes in her hand. "Look, dear," he said, "why don't you take care of what yous have to in the kitchen? We'll work this out."

Jody gave him a wait, telling him what she thought of that suggestion, and stated merely, "The kitchen tin expect. I'd like to hear what the gentleman has to say."

"It's about your baby," said Davis, jumping in earlier Eugene could answer, addressing the remark to Jody, as if trying to convince her she must stay.

When he said, "It's about your baby," a sudden chill passed right through Jody'due south body. The manner he said it. The way he'd been looking at her. She had seen him looking at her during the baby shower. Only with all the confusion, all the activeness going on, she had just allow it pass, forgotten about it. Now she must face information technology and she couldn't; she wanted to alter the subject. "Would you like java or something?" she asked, in a tone her female parent would have been proud of.

"Come on," said Eugene, annoyed at this sudden civility toward this human being, "permit'due south finish this playing-hostess nonsense. This human being barges in here and waits around all afternoon, and now he won't tell us what he wants."

Frank stood his basis, as if he'd been through this before. "I take told you," he insisted.

"Will you lot let him speak?" cried Jody, for some inexplicable reason suddenly on this stranger's side.

Eugene, not quite understanding what had come over his married woman, reacted sharply. "Who's stopping him?" he nigh shouted. "And what'south got into you?" he asked his wife.

"Look," said Jody, ignoring her married man. She looked squarely at Frank Davis, as if convinced now that she must face it, whatsoever it was. "If there'southward something abo

ut my infant, then go ahead and tell me. You're making me very nervous, Mr. Davis."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Scott," said Frank. "Actually, I am."

"Just tell me what it is," said Jody, close to tears for some reason, "merely tell me what it is."

Frank steadied himself. All business, he looked directly at Jody Scott. "Your obstetrician is Dr. Fairchild—Edward Fairchild of this metropolis?"

"Yes," said Jody.

"Oh, come on," interrupted Eugene. "We know her doctor is Dr. Fairchild."

"Please, Factor," his wife pleaded, not taking her eyes off Frank Davis. "Go ahead, Mr. Davis."

"I don't know if yous're aware, Mrs. Scott," said Frank, "that doctors all over the country have been alerted past the federal authorities and asked to report what they consider to be any aberrant pregnancies." Turning to Eugene, Davis asked, "Were y'all aware of that, Mr. Scott?"

"No, I wasn't," answered Eugene coldly. "Likewise, that hasn't annihilation to exercise with united states of america. Jody has had a very uneventful pregnancy. Everything'south perfectly normal."

Frank looked again at Jody. "Didn't your doc, Dr. Fairchild, put yous through an extensive series of tests just final week?" he asked.

Jody nodded. "Yes, yes, he did."

Eugene looked at her questioningly. "You didn't tell me anything about whatever new tests."

Jody, as if she hadn't heard her hubby, looked at Frank Davis, puzzled by something he'd said earlier. "You said aberrant pregnancies?"

Frank nodded. Then, compassionately, "The baby's very large, isn't it?"

"Oh, my God," Jody moaned. She knew now! "Wait a infinitesimal," she gasped. She turned to her husband. "I know who he is!" she cried. "Yous call up? Nosotros read about it, last year in some magazine! Time, I think, and even the newspapers—the newspapers had pictures of him and his wife! Frank Davis!"

Eugene stared at her, still not connecting the name.

"Frank Davis," Jody repeated. "The Davis babe? They even had that thing on CBS, that special news plan!" She turned to Davis. "You wouldn't let yourself be interviewed, isn't that right?"

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