He stood, drawing her into an embrace. He could tell she knew that wouldn’t happen. He knew by her tears as they soaked into his shirt. The moon came out, illuminating the sand, shining brightly on the confused young sweethearts being torn apart by forces bigger than themselves.
*
Abby reviewed the details of the rescue from her study. They planned to start very early in the morning, hoping to catch everyone unawares, before the volunteers or tourists arrived. Peter had just left. He came alone to update her. Nothing much had changed, the update was unnecessary. Her curiosity piqued, she wondered why he had thought it was needed. Ginger Mae had always been the one to run messages since Abby preferred to have the information in person, not over the cell. You never knew who might be listening. Funny, Peter hadn’t really said much of anything. So unlike him. The assignment must have taken a toll on him. Or could it be the effects of the implant? He looked bad. Tired and wrinkled. Just not himself.
She made a note to drop in on them tonight. Maybe it was time to reveal herself and remove the implant. Once they saw the urgency, she was sure they would fall into line, anxious to save themselves. And Daisy, of course. Daisy hadn’t been over to see Abby in quite a while. Tapping her finger on her writing desk, she realized that was out of the ordinary too.
She glanced at her watch, anxious to call Jose, who had finally located Mama Diaz and the girls. He had been delayed while one of the girls finished participating in an event at school, proud she could show off to Jose. Inadvertently, the event had played into her plans, keeping them from getting underfoot while she planned the rescue.
Now the time had come to break the news to Jose. She couldn’t afford to let him return home. She called the airline, cancelling their flights to Florida. Change of plans. She wanted Jose to take them back to the house on Lily Pond Road where they could wait safely. Dialing Jose’s cell, she heard him pick up. Taking a deep breath she started to talk.
An hour later she turned off her cell. Jose had agreed to return to Lily Pond Road. They were willing to await her explanations when she herself arrived. Jose hadn’t taken it well. Actually, he hit the roof. Somehow, she had convinced him of the urgency, concluding with the surprise that she planned to bring other people with her. That had really stumped him. Especially when she told him she had disclosed their condition to the Cobbys. That had rendered him speechless. Wasting no time, she had concluded their conversation with a quick, “I love you,” and said goodbye, checking off one more worry.
Pausing to rub her back where her wings were aching, she wondered where she could find Echo. The enigmatic creature had become her greatest source of comfort these last few days. She didn’t need to pretend with Echo but found moral support. Echo helped prop her shoulders up when they desperately wanted to sag. Well, I can’t put it off any longer. I better get the visit to Peter out of the way.
Crossing between the two houses, she ducked under the palms. She stood on Peter’s doorstep, ringing the doorbell. Where is he? She could see light and shadows moving through his leaded glass doors. She rang again. Finally, the door opened.
“Hi, I just dropped by to make sure we’re ready to go.”
Peter bounced back and forth between his feet like a child trying to hold his urine. “Go? Where we going?” He took her hand and pulled her into the room, shutting the door.
“Coffee? Is there something I can do for you?” Peter noisily dragged a Frank Lloyd Wright chair to the living room sofa, leaving obvious scratches in the imported Brazilian hardwood floor. Abby stared at the scratches.
“No, thank you.” Abby frowned, taken aback at the formality of the question. They had talked about nothing but the rescue for weeks. What’s wrong with him? Looking closer at Peter, she saw sweat beading on his forehead. His Oxford shirt showed damp sweat rings. An odor redolent of moldy wet hay clung to him. Is he sick? Peter did not appear to be listening. His focus seemed to be out the window, overlooking the lawn currently being mowed by Louis, their Latino groundskeeper, fully engrossed in gyrating his torso to the silent tunes on his earphones.
“Peter!” Reeling his attention back inside the room, he stared slack-mouthed at Abby.
“What’s the matter with you?” Abby stood up, disappointment and concern in her voice. “If you’re sick, call a doctor. Pull yourself together. Take a shower for God’s sake and call me later.”
“Now, now, Abby, don’t be so hasty, I—”
“No, Peter, I’ll see you later.” Abby slammed the front door, letting her body language speak for her. She wondered if she had made a mistake about Peter. Her mind reeled with the implications. This was so unlike him. Was something wrong? Was this a result of Ginger Mae’s effect on him? Or was it the implant? I better go find Echo.
Chapter 11
Peter followed Abby; his eyes bleary from the sidelights flanking the leaded-glass double doors. Holding his breath, he said a desperate prayer asking God to help him get out of this alive. From the kitchen, he heard the click of a gun being cocked. Exhaling, he turned around, knowing exactly what awaited him.
There Armoni stood on the black porcelain floor, perfectly at home wearing Peter’s silk dressing gown; a knife he called ‘Kelly’s favorite baby’ in one hand, a shiny new Austrian semi-automatic Glock in the other.
“You did good for a little faggot. Now get your swishy fag ass in here.”
Peter hurried into the kitchen where Daisy and Ginger Mae sat strapped to chairs. Ginger Mae had taken the brunt of Armoni’s psychotic anger. Her swollen face, turned black and blue, bore a deep knife slash from her forehead to her lip, which hung partially detached from her face. Crusted blood dripped from her neck to her waist. Since last night, no one had been allowed to sleep. The whole sordid story had come out about Ginger Mae and Armoni. He had held a knife to Daisy’s throat while he forced Ginger Mae to recite to Peter every vile sexual act she had done for him.
Daisy was in bad shape too. When Ginger Mae had refused to cooperate with Armoni, he had turned to the child, backhanding her across the face. He had knocked her into the corner of a heavy metal table and she had lain unconscious on the floor. Peter tried to make her as comfortable as possible while Armoni railed at Ginger Mae. She had come round after Peter applied a compress to her head wound, but hadn’t uttered a word since. She just sat apathetically, tied to a chair next to Ginger Mae. Peter feared she might have a concussion.
He had recognized Armoni as soon as he got a good look at him. You didn’t forget a face like that. He remembered the appalling moment.
“You’re the one who came into my office, hassling my secretary, asking about Abby and Jose.”
“Yeah, and I’m the one that fucked her too.” He leered at Peter, oblivious to the saliva spraying from his mouth.
“What? What do you mean? She’s dead.” A sickening feeling developed in his stomach.
“Yeah, sorry about that. How’d ya think I found out where you were?” He cackled as Peter’s stomach dropped to the floor. At that point, he realized they might not survive this.
It had soon became clear what Armoni wanted. He seemed to have a grudge against Abby. And the gold, of course. I guess it always comes back to money.
“Pay attention, college boy. I asked you if you’ve figured out how to get access to their bank accounts?”
“Do you mind if I take a seat?” Peter wobbled visibly, unsteady through lack of sleep, food or water. He thought he heard a click from the foyer. Attempting to draw Armoni’s attention from the front of the house, he moved to a chair against the wall, away from Daisy and Ginger Mae. His heart thudded maddeningly with the slim hope that the sound might represent salvation. He prayed it might be Abby, even as he worried about drawing her into this. Maybe she had caught onto something when she visited before.
“What’s it going to be, college boy? Or am I going to have to show you how serious I am?” Peter notice a golden glow coming from the foyer. He had to distract Armoni.
“You sure th
ink you’re the big man with that gun in your hand, don’t you?” Peter stood as Armoni started to laugh. He reached out, punching Peter in the stomach.
“You’re just lucky I need you right now, faggot, or I’d be having a party with Kelly’s favorite baby all over your stupid face.”
Peter coughed from the blow, trying to get his breath. In the haze of his clouded vision, a tiny funny looking creature with eyes that sparkled with swirling colors appeared, entering the kitchen from the foyer. It sported antlers that caught the light like pieces of red and black crystal. Then Abby stepped into his view. She was unarmed. No, oh my God, what’s going to happen now?
Armoni must have sensed something. Turning, he started with welcome surprise.
“Well, well, aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes. Now I won’t need this dumb shit anymore.” He raised the Glock and took aim at Peter.
In a split second, all hell broke loose. The creature’s antlers split open, spilling out a blood-red swarm of something that hit Armoni right in the face. Before their eyes, Armoni’s flesh melted down to the bone, organs and all. His skeleton teetered before crashing to the floor, still covered by the blood-red substance. When it was clear there was nothing left but bone, the substance formed into a swarm again, returning to the creature’s antlers, which melded seamlessly together. A stunned silence followed.
Abby carefully walked into the room, her head turning from one to another, horror forcing her to her knees, trying to hold back dry heaves. The little creature rushed to her side as if to console her. Peter turned to Ginger Mae. She was so out of it, she probably didn’t know Armoni was dead. He forced himself onto his wobbly legs, feeling like his bones had turned to liquid. With a pitiful effort, he made it over to Daisy, struggling with her restraints. She lolled passively without a sound. He picked her up, struggling with her weight, trying to contain his own adrenalin. Getting her to the sofa, he laid her down gently, collapsing at her feet as his chattering muscles gave out.
“We have to get them a doctor.” He reached for Armoni’s cellphone lying on the sofa table.
“No.” The command came from Abby. “Put the phone down, Peter.” He stared at her as if she had just said Armoni’s skeleton wanted to make a call first.
“Are you out of your mind? They need a doctor. You don’t know what we’ve been through. Did you know that man?” He could hear himself getting hysterical, the shock of what had happened finally setting in. “He was going to kill us. He was a fiend. And what the heck is that creature you have there? Where did it come from . . .? Abby, please, we need some help . . .” His voice trailed off weakly, his body slumped, burned out.
“It’ll be okay, Peter. I’ll see to everything.” She sounded achingly tired. He watched as she got up and rummaged for a bottle and glass in his liquor cabinet. Filling it, she brought it to Peter.
“Water, please?”
She returned to Peter with the water.
“Do you think you can sew up her lip?” She gestured over to Ginger Mae. Peter looked her over, pursing his lips.
“Abby, I’m not a doctor. She needs a plastic surgeon. Why can’t we call a doctor?” Abby patted his hand wearily, then dragged herself over to look at Ginger Mae. She removed her restraints and tipped her head back to see her swollen face. Peter winced at the damage caused by Armoni. Abby went to the sink, then returned with a cold cloth. As she rested it on Ginger Mae’s head, she moaned. Abby wiped away the obvious blood on her face. Her lip was in bad shape but could be stitched. No one would ever refer to her as lovely again, Peter could see that. “She’s coming round.” Abby got up to get her some water.
“Her bruises will fade. You can stitch her lip.” She fed some water to Ginger Mae and was rewarded with a demand for more. Letting her hold the glass in her unsteady hands, Abby sat down. She looked very tense, her nervous hands constantly going to her head to run her fingers through her thick white-gold hair. He saw her glance at the strange creature in the foyer. It just stood there, watching Abby. What the heck is it?
“Come here, Echo.” The creature made its jerky way over to Abby where it climbed up her chair, turning its head halfway around its body to give him a quick look before settling itself on Abby’s lap. She put her arm around the creature and hugged it. Her lips brushed the creature’s head tenderly. Together, they turned and looked at him. Abby gave him an inscrutable smile. He suddenly felt like an ant sizzling under a magnifying glass.
“Peter, this is Echo. She’s an important part of our family. She just saved your butts. That fiend who was going to shoot you? That’s his skeleton over there. The doctors and the cops are not going to understand when you try to tell them it beat up Ginger Mae. They’ll think you did it. And they’ll still want to know where the skeleton came from. I’ve no doubt one or all of us will wind up in jail. So I’m going to give you a choice. The cops and jail, or stitch her lip so we can get on with it. One more detail. If you choose to call the cops I can guarantee that you will die, along with the cops and everyone else in this state. Your only chance is to come with me.” Taking off her glasses, Peter gawked. Abby’s eyes assailed him with the same swirls of golden color as the creature’s eyes. My God, what is this?
Peter thought his mind risked breaking. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He heard a crash and saw Ginger Mae’s glass, broken on the floor, her eyes ready to pop out of her sockets. Her swollen mouth emanated meaningless sounds. Struggling to her feet she made her way to the sofa next to him and Daisy. From the foyer they heard a knock and a man’s voice called out for Abby.
“In here, Cobby.” Captain Cobby entered, calmly surveying the room. “When I realized something was amiss here, I called the Captain. I filled him in and he agreed to be on standby if I needed his assistance convincing you to do what was in your own best interests.”
She added gently, “If you want to survive, that is. Captain Cobby will stay and answer all your questions. Echo and I need to get back to the house. Peter, I trust you ordered the extra cash for tomorrow’s rescue?”
He nodded, slowly. “It’s in the safe in the attic. What do we need the cash for?” Peter realized he was already calming down and coming to see the merits of her suggestion. Not hard, with a human skeleton lying in the middle of the floor.
“Bribes.” Abby rose, the creature in her arms. Echo, he repeated the name to himself. “I will see you early in the morning, as we planned. Have Ginger Mae pack you all a bag with enough clothes for a few days. You may bring one sentimental item with you. And may I suggest a book? Take the bags down to Captain Cobby on the boat. We’ll be leaving sometime after noon. Be ready or we must leave you behind. I’m going to put you in good hands. Cobby will explain further.”
She rose from her seat, slipping her glasses back on. When she passed Captain Cobby, Peter watched them hug, Abby appeared to be sobbing in his arms. Straightening, she left. Captain Cobby moved into the room, making himself comfortable in the chair vacated by Abby.
“Well, my boy.” Captain Cobby’s voice broke with husky emotion, “How ‘bout you giving us all a double shot of whatever you have in the house? It’s going to be a long story and you look like you could sure use it.”
Chapter 12
Abby rolled out of bed at the same time as the sun decided to yawn its rays over the eastern horizon. The stomachs of the butterflies in her stomach fluttered with their own butterflies. She got dressed and ran down the hall to wake Scotty. Echo was all ready to go, her little fanny pack strapped firmly around her waist. Abby could tell Scotty hadn’t slept well, his fur was matted and ratty. His face looked as bad as a child who has discovered the fairy had forgotten to leave a dollar under his pillow after taking his tooth away.
“Come on, kiddo, up and at ‘em. You look like your best friend died. We’ll get through this.”
*
After letting out the posse, Scotty fed them and lined up leashes on the terrace with boxes of dog food. He decided the posse could use Penny’s doggy bed to
sleep on. He didn’t know how comfortable it would be for them on the boat. Returning inside for the doggie bed, he saw Chloe had left Teddy’s old afghan in Penny’s bed. Tossing it aside, he thought, no time for that now. Abby entered, carrying two bags with their clothes and a few photos of their mother. The supplies would be picked up by Kane and taken to the boat. They decided to use Scotty’s Jeep for the rescue. It could hold an extra animal or two, if need be.
“Can you drive or are you too nervous?” Abby ran her hand up and down his arm for encouragement.
“I’ll be okay. I can drive.” Scotty met her eyes with his own. “I just don’t understand how we’re going to get the bears and cats to load themselves on the trucks. We need experts to handle this. What are we going to do? Say pretty please, jump on these trucks and come with us?”
“Actually, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” She smiled securely at Scotty.
“Ab, I don’t think this is the time for jokes and I am sorely not in the mood.” He kicked their waiting bags in anger, his eyes blazing.
Poor Scotty, she thought. This can’t be easy for him, having to leave Chloe behind. She had done her best, trying to protect him by keeping him out of the loop. He knew nothing about what had happened at Peter’s house. She could fill him in about that later, but she had better give him a few details to calm him down.
“Do you see the substance floating in Echo’s antlers?” Scotty nodded. “You understand the substance had something to do with Tomas and Kelly’s death?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Well, with Echo’s help, I can isolate individual particles and direct them into any living creature. They enter the brain through the ear canal. They’re able to interfere with the brain signals that regulate comprehension and free will. It makes them calm and easy to direct. You can control them. After Echo sends out the implants, the animal will just calmly mount the backs of the trucks and then the boat. The implants will stay in until I feel it’s okay to release them. It could be years.”
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