“I will take a bath while you nap,” she said.
“Fine,” he said.
Taking off his ancient dress shoes, he lay down on Sam’s bed. His scarecrow limbs made him look like more like a coat hanger person than the demon he was. When he closed his eyes, she went into the bathroom. She filled the tub with warm, rose scented, foamy water then stepped in. When her entire body was in the tub, she dared to reach for the bathroom telephone. As silently as she could, she picked up the receiver.
No dial tone. Johansen must have cut the lines. She’d never used a cell phone. Jacob bought her one but she couldn’t figure out how to use it. It sat, uncharged, on her dresser. She cursed her stupidity.
For the first time, Delphie gave into her hopelessness. She slipped below the suds and wept.
~~~~~~~~
Friday afternoon — 3:40 P.M.
Lipson Construction
“Sorry, honey, I can’t join the party,” Tres yelled to Tanesha over the loud music in the background. “It’s awesome, really wonderful news.”
“So why aren’t you joining us?” Tanesha asked. “Heather and Blane are taking care of Molly’s kids today. She won’t be there.”
“It’s not that,” Tres said. “My brother needs some help moving in. He’s going to stay with me for a while.”
“Enrique?”
“Yeah,” Tres said.
“But I thought he owned his house,” Tanesha said.
“He does,” Tres said. “He’s ending it with Calvin. Calvin said he’d move out at the first of the month. Enrique doesn’t want to throw him out…”
“Like he did Blane?”
“Well, yes, that’s exactly what he said,” Tres said.
“Huh.”
“Huh is right,” Tres said. “He quit his job today too.”
“Wow, better find out what’s going on with him.”
“That’s what I thought,” Tres said. “Sorry I’ll miss the party.”
“It’s all right,” Tanesha said. “I have to work at seven anyway. I think they have a family dinner this evening. I just thought you’d have fun if you came.”
“I would have,” Tres said. “Thanks for the invite. I’ll be with Enrique the rest of the night.”
“Ok, I’ll catch you tomorrow,” Tanesha said.
“Tomorrow.”
Tres smiled when he set down the phone. Since they’d had their big talk, he and Tanesha seemed to be closer, more honest. She was becoming his best friend, maybe the best friend he’d ever had. Grabbing his coat, he went out to his car.
What the hell was going on with Enrique?
~~~~~~~~
Friday afternoon — 4:45 P.M.
19th Avenue Medical Building
“I told you, Nash! I’m going to have a sister,” Noelle’s loud voice echoed off the elevator.
“No!” Nash yelled back. “We just didn’t get to see. He’s shy. Like me!”
The kids had gone back and forth since they left the doctors office.
“You tell her Sandy. I’m right aren’t I?” Nash said.
Not wanting to get in between the arguing kids, Sandy put one hand on Noelle’s shoulder and the other on Nash’s shoulder.
“Sandy?” Noelle asked.
“I don’t know,” Sandy said. “I was so excited that the baby was healthy. Did you see its little fingers?”
“The baby was sucking his thumb,” Nash said.
“Her thumb, Nash,” Noelle said.
“I’m kind of glad we don’t know,” Sandy said. “Will you be terribly disappointed if she’s a girl, Nash? Will you be terribly disappointed if he’s a boy, Noelle?”
“No, but…” Nash said at the same time Noelle said, “I’m still right.”
“You are not!” Nash said.
“What if you’re both right?” Sandy asked. Laughing, she added, “What if it’s a girl AND a boy?”
“Ewwwww!” Nash said while Noelle screamed in horror.
Sandy laughed. The elevator came to a stop in the lobby.
“Can we get ice cream?” Noelle asked as they left the elevator.
“Of course,” Sandy said. “But not a lot. Just a single scoop. Ok. Remember we have a big dinner tonight?”
“Mrs. Valerie’s coming home and Mike too!” Noelle said.
“Mr. Mike?” Sandy asked.
“He just likes to be called Mike,” Nash said.
“Ok,” Sandy said. “Ice cream, then we get ready for our dinner party.”
The children burst from the building and ran to the car. Sandy trotted after them. Smiling, she drove to Liks for ice cream.
~~~~~~~~
Friday evening — 5:25 P.M.
The Castle
Valerie stopped walking when she reached the side door of the Castle. Tipping her head to the side, she puzzled. Mike came up behind her carrying their bags and his hockey gear.
“Would you like me to carry you over the threshold, my bride?” he asked. Setting their bags down, he moved to lift her into his arms.
“No,” Valerie said. Her hand touched the glass of the security door. “Something’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Mike asked.
“Delphie always meets me at the door. I’ve never come home and had her not open the door when I’m standing right here,” Valerie said. “Something’s very wrong. I can almost smell it.”
“She probably burned dinner,” Mike said. “Come on.”
Mike used his key to unlock the security door, then the original solid oak door underneath. He held the door for Valerie. Still unsure, Valerie hesitated. He gave her a little shove and she stepped inside. He set their bags next to the living room closet.
He followed Valerie as she meandered through the silent living room and into the kitchen. By the time he reached the kitchen door, Valerie had turned. She was shaking her head.
“No cheesecake? No dinner?” Valerie asked. “My heart is pounding. I’m terrified something awful has happened to Delphie.”
Mike spun in place. He took the stairs two at a time. Running down the hall, he burst into Delphie’s apartment.
Only settling dust and silence.
He was almost to the stairwell when he heard Valerie scream. He pounded down the stairwell to find Valerie slumped against the kitchen counter.
“Babies,” she gasped. “Contractions.”
Sensing movement, he turned to see a tall thin man dragging Delphie by her hair. He was ready to jump the scrawny man when Valerie screamed again.
“No, Mike! Don’t do it, Mike!” Delphie screamed. “Stay with Valerie! He will kill us all!”
Mike dropped to Valerie’s side. Valerie screamed again.
“NO Marlowe will survive this day,” the man said.
~~~~~~~~
Friday evening — 5:40 P.M.
Jacob helped Jill out of the back of MJ’s SUV. When Jill turned to get Katy and Paddie from their car seats, Jacob went to the driver’s window to talk to MJ.
“We’ll see you Sunday?” Jacob asked.
“SUNDAY!?” Honey leaned over to ask Jacob.
“I have a little surprise,” MJ said. “Jake helped me find a little place in the mountains. I thought maybe a weekend away.”
When she didn’t respond, MJ got nervous.
“J-j-j- just us. I th-th-thought i-i-it would b-b-be nice.”
Honey gave a little cheer. She kissed his cheek and MJ looked relieved.
Feeling movement, Jacob leaned down to pick up a tired Katy. He looked over at Jill as she lifted a sleeping Paddie into her arms. Their eyes held for a moment. They were a little loose, happy and looking forward to spending naptime in each other’s arms.
“Have a great time,” Jill said.
She leaned in to kiss MJ’s cheek. Honey blew her a kiss. Standing in the driveway, they waved to Honey and MJ as they drove off. Jacob leaned over Katy to kiss Jill’s lips. They began to walk toward the Castle.
“You think we…” he said.
&nbs
p; Jacob stopped walking. His face stiffened from smiling to serious, almost deadly. Jill touched his arm to make sure he was all right. When he looked up, he gave a terse whisper:
“Wake up Paddie. Jill! Do it now.”
Jacob ran around the back of the Castle to the foot high stained glass windows of Delphie’s chapel. Without hesitation, he kicked out the antique glass from one of the windows.
“Jacob! No,” Jill said. “Those are irreplaceable!”
He nodded to her then went back to work kicking out the window. When the window was gone from the space, he laid his coat over the ragged edges of the frame.
“Go down there,” he said to Katy.
“I don wan to, Daddy,” Katy said. “I’m really tired.”
“Katherine Marlowe, you will get down there this instant,” he said.
Stunned and terrified by his tone, Katy began to cry. She squirmed out of his arms and hid behind Jill’s legs.
“You’re scaring her,” Jill said. “What’s going on?”
“Something terrible. That’s what’s going on,” Jacob said, his voice somewhere between despair and rage. “Katy and Paddie are in danger. Katy in particular.”
“Let me go with them,” Jill said. “Get them settled.”
Jacob nodded. He hadn’t thought of Jill going with the kids. That was a better plan. She would be safe. If he died…
Rather than finishing the thought, he took a groggy Paddie from her. He set Paddie on the ground. Holding her hands, he guided her through the tight space. He dropped her to the ground. She ran to a pew and dragged it under the broken window. Standing on a pew, she took Paddie from him.
He picked up Katy and kissed her cheek.
“I’m sorry, Katy,” Jacob said. “I got scared and…”
“You scared me when you were like my old Daddy,” Katy said. “I thought you hated me.”
“Never,” Jacob kissed the girl’s cheek. “I can only, always, love you. Even if I’m scary.”
“Don’t worry, Daddy,” Katy said. “Your Mommy explained everything.”
“Celia?”
“I call her Naomi,” Katy said.
The little girl threw her arms around Jacob.
“I love you, Daddy,” Katy said. “Just remember, you’re stronger than him because you can love. Love will kill him. I don’t know what that means but that’s what your Mommy said to tell you.”
Jacob kissed Katy’s head. He helped her through the opening to the chapel and into Jill’s arms. Jill set Katy down then returned to the opening.
“I love you, Jacob Marlowe,” she said. “You come back to me.”
He leaned down to kiss her.
“I love you,” he whispered.
He stroked her cheek then watched Jill take the kids toward the pillows near the back of the chapel. With one last look, he ran toward the side entrance of the Castle. Holding open the security door, he let out a breath.
This was it. This was the moment he’d spent the last months preparing for. He was fit and strong. His mind was clear. His mental and psychic capacities had grown with steady practice. He was as ready as he would ever be.
For a moment, he wished he was somewhere else, someone else. He wished he didn’t have to open this door and fight to the death with a man he barely knew. He wished for a hundred more quiet mornings and sunlit summer evenings. He wished for the children, his children, he might never meet. He longed to see Katy married and happy.
But Jacob was never one to waste a lot of time on wishes. The moment passed and he was ready again.
Nodding to himself, he opened the oak door and walked inside.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
The psychic battle
Friday evening — 5:45 P.M.
Jacob stepped through the doorway and listened. He could hear Valerie screaming in the kitchen. Valerie’s pain and terror threatened to overwhelm his little brother self. He had to stay focused. He pushed away everything other than his singular focus – Johansen.
Cloaking his mind, he slipped off his boots and jacket. He knew he had only a few minutes before Johansen would be on him. He had to be ready for whatever came in his direction.
Then, as if placed there by some friendly god, he saw Mike’s hockey gear. With his eyes on Johansen, he picked up Mike’s hockey stick. He crawled forward to the bag. When Valerie screamed again, he opened the front pouch of Mike’s bag. He breathed a sigh of relief. Three pucks. With a silent prayer of thanks for Mike’s compulsive nature, he slipped a puck into each of the back pockets of his jeans.
Johansen sniffed.
“SHOW YOURSELF!”
Jacob hopped to his feet. In one fluid movement, he tossed the puck up and hit it hard with Mike’s stick. The puck flew through the air and hit Johansen in the forehead. When Johansen fell backwards, Delphie crumpled to the ground clutching her head. Johansen’s hold on her tore at her mind.
Rooting himself into the foundation of the Castle, Jacob used his power to push Valerie deeper into the kitchen. As Mike scrambled after her, Jacob slammed and locked the kitchen door. Slowly moving his right hand, he attempted to create a shield vortex around Delphie to protect her. Johansen asserted his hold over Delphie and she began to scream in pain. Jacob’s vortex collapsed onto itself.
“Mom!” Jacob called to Celia. He pointed to Delphie. “Go!”
Celia went to comfort Delphie.
Johansen was on his feet. He sent energetic tendrils around Jacob. Johansen’s mind searched Jacob’s body and soul for any weakness. Sloughing him off, Jacob dropped the hockey stick. He fought back with his mind.
Their battle began.
~~~~~~~~
Friday evening — 5:45 P.M.
“Mommy?” Katy asked.
“Yes, Katy-baby,” Jill said.
They were snuggled together in the pillows near the back of the chapel. Paddie was curled up next to Jill. With Katy’s head lay on Jill’s lap, they spoke in quiet, intimate tones.
“Do you have a special power?” Katy asked.
“No, baby, I’m hopelessly normal,” Jill said.
“How come Naomi says you have a special power?” Katy asked.
“Naomi must be mistaken,” Jill said.
“But she says when you were my age you could heal things,” Katy said. “She told me when I was sick. She said you didn’t heal me when I was sick because you forgot you could do it.”
“Do what, Katy-baby?”
“Heal people. Animals. Stuff like that,” Katy said. “That’s what you’re doing when you help me with the dreams. You heal me. Daddy too. That’s why he’s gotten so strong.”
“I just love you Katy-baby. Daddy too,” Jill said. “When you have a dream, I love you back to me. I loved you when you were sick too.”
“Are you sure you never loved little animals, birds and squirrels the same way?” Katy asked. “Even when they were dead?”
Jill didn’t respond. Instead, she caressed Katy’s head hoping she would fall asleep.
“Mommy? Why won’t you tell me?”
“Oh,” Jill sighed. “It was a long, long time ago and I did something really bad. I promised myself I would never do that again. Never ever.”
Katy was silent for a while. They heard a something crash against the floor upstairs.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, Katy-baby,” Jill said.
“Why won’t you do it now? You did it when I had the bee sting. Remember when we were at that store and I was really sick? You did it for Auntie Honey. By her bedside.”
“If it happens now, it’s just a mistake or an accident.”
“But you would do it to save me?”
“I don’t think I can do it by choice. When you grow up Katy…”
“Naomi says you can. Would you do it to save Daddy?”
“Katy…”
“Would you do it to save Delphie? Or Auntie Valerie? Or Grand Mommy? Because Naomi says that you’re the only one who can save all of us.”
&n
bsp; ~~~~~~~~
Friday evening — 5:55 P.M.
When the kitchen door slammed closed, Mike jumped to his feet. Pulling and tugging, he dragged the solid maple kitchen table to block the door. He closed and locked the door to the apartment stairs. He pulled an armoire over to block the door. Certain they were safe as safe as he could make them, he turned to Valerie.
Valerie writhed on the floor. Unsure of what to do for her, he wrapped himself around her. He closed his eyes and willed his strength into her.
Until he saw blood.
“You’re bleeding,” he said.
“Babies, Mike. Babies are dying.” Valerie grunted.
Mike scowled. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed 9-1-1. No response. His phone wasn’t working. He shattered the phone against the wall. From his position on the floor, he snatched at the kitchen phone on the wall.
One try. Missed.
Another try. Miss.
Finally, he had the phone in his hand. No dial tone.
“Mike save my babies,” Valerie said. She passed out.
Mike lifted her into his arms. He carried her to the security panel. With his precious bundle in his arms, he was able to open the tunnel door. There was only one person who could fix this now. He only hoped she was hiding in the Chapel.
He carried Valerie into the tunnels.
~~~~~~~~
Friday evening — 6:06 P.M.
Sandy pulled into the Castle driveway. Always vigilant, Sandy noticed the dogs didn’t come to greet her. Uneasy, she pulled forward to park behind Jill’s Lexus. At least everyone was here.
“We must be late,” Sandy said.
“Nah, dinner is at seven,” Nash said. “Bet Mrs. Valerie is already here. They’re probably already celebrating. She makes the party.”
“I don’t mind being late! I love love love love ice cream!”
Laughing, Sandy got out of the driver’s seat. She scanned the backyard for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing stood out. She went around the car to where the kids waited for her. They moved across the driveway toward the Castle.
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