Hikers - The Collection (Complete Box Set of 5 Books)

by Lauren Algeo

‘No idea,’ Brewer shrugged. ‘Could be two, could be twenty. Depends what the Master…’

  He stopped speaking abruptly and sucked in a breath. He’d been trailing the gun sight across the windows of the house, looking for any sign of life and something, or rather someone, had caught his eye through the downstairs patio doors.

  There was a hunched over, elderly man moving slowly across his line of sight. For a split second, the man looked exactly like the Grand and his heart jolted, but then he peered closer and saw this man was slightly taller, with less wispy, white hair, and he was older.

  ‘Oh my god,’ he breathed.

  Everything suddenly became clear. The Master wasn’t some rogue son of the Grand; he was even older than that. He had to be a brother, judging by how similar they looked.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Mitch demanded.

  He edged closer, itching to see what had captured Brewer’s attention.

  ‘We had it wrong,’ Brewer said, still staring through the sight. ‘The Master is the Grand’s brother. Older brother, to be precise.’

  ‘Let me see.’ Mitch took back the gun and aimed it towards the house. ‘That old guy is the Master? He looks ancient!’

  ‘Don’t be fooled by his appearance,’ Brewer warned. ‘If you think the hikers so far have been powerful, he’s ten times worse.’

  ‘He’s right by the patio doors,’ Mitch said, lowering the gun. ‘We could try and go in through there while the other hikers are distracted by something at the front of the house. Maybe we could set a fire or something? Get them all out of the way.’

  ‘Will you knock it off!’ Brewer’s patience ran out and he yelled the words. ‘Stop suggesting stupid things that will get us all killed. You want to set a fire with Ellen somewhere inside? She might not even be in that room with the Master. She could be tied up somewhere, unable to free herself, and you kill her with your ridiculous fire!’

  ‘It was just an idea,’ Mitch sulked. He went to stuff his hands in his hoodie pockets then changed his mind, to Brewer’s relief, and folded them in front of his chest instead.

  ‘We have an idea,’ Brewer said exasperated. ‘One that might actually see us walk away from here.’

  ‘Yeah, I just have to trust you on that.’ Mitch looked away and Brewer saw how tense his face was.

  It dawned on him that Mitch wasn’t being purposefully difficult with all of his alternative suggestions, the kid was terrified and he was just trying to delay the inevitable.

  ‘You know we have to go down there now.’ Brewer’s voice softened.

  ‘I know,’ Mitch nodded, defeated. ‘I know Mrs Mac needs us. I’m just scared… more scared than I thought possible. I don’t know whether to cry or throw up!’ He barked a laugh. ‘I guess you’re in the same boat.’

  ‘I’m scared too but it will all be fine.’ Brewer wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure Mitch or himself. He didn’t have a clue if they could actually pull off his crazy idea.

  He took the gun from Mitch’s hands and walked round to the boot of the car. He loaded the tranquiliser gun with one of the insulin darts and left it lying in the boot with the other two, pre-filled darts alongside it. Brewer got into the driver’s seat and a few seconds later Mitch settled in beside him.

  ‘This is it, huh?’ Mitch’s voice sounded shaky but Brewer knew from past experience that the kid wouldn’t back down.

  He’d run directly into danger at the gym, and when the hiker was going for Ellen at the high school. Brewer had to trust that he would carry this plan out with him. His life depended on it.

  ‘If anything happens to me, or if anything goes wrong in there, I want you to grab Ellen and get the hell out of there,’ Brewer said. ‘Don’t hesitate or stop to think about it, and don’t try to help me. If you see an opportunity to save yourself and Ellen you take it, understand?’

  Mitch nodded gravely. ‘Only if something goes wrong.’ He sounded more serious than Brewer had ever heard him. ‘Otherwise I will be doing whatever you tell me.’

  Brewer gave a taut smile. ‘Good. I’m counting on you.’ He started the engine but paused before setting off. ‘I know I haven’t been the easiest person to get along with, and I’m sorry if I’ve been hard on you at times, but you’re a good kid, you know. I think you’ve got a lot of strength and I really appreciate all your help. Thank you.’

  Mitch blinked in surprise at the sincerity of the words. ‘Umm, thanks. Don’t mention it. You’re not too bad yourself, old man.’

  The sentimental moment passed and Mitch gave a wide grin. ‘So are we ready to kill this old bastard and get Mrs Mac back or what?’

  Brewer inhaled deeply and hit the accelerator. ‘Here goes nothing.’

  Chapter 33

  The Master heard the distant sound of a car approaching and temporarily released his crippling hold on the woman’s mind. A delicious shiver surged through his body. They were here.

  ‘Guard her,’ he instructed his older son, Lucas, who immediately took a position in front of the armchair.

  The Master moved as briskly as he could through to the front of the house. He stood at the wide bay window in a darkened room to the left of the front door, a room that had no purpose. He could see a large car approaching, its headlights illuminating the area in front of it and preventing him from seeing who it carried. As it drew closer, he could make out two silhouettes in the shadows of the front seats. The car was silver and looked like a family car. He knew it belonged to the woman.

  The car pulled up in front of the porch and the sound of the engine died. The headlights went out and for a long moment nothing moved. The Master held his breath, waiting to see the man who had murdered Charles. The driver’s side door opened first and someone stepped out.

  The light from the porch reflected off the side of the man’s face. His cheeks were gaunt and bruised, and covered in dark stubble. He was tall but thin, and the jumper he was wearing hung loosely from his frame. There he was.

  ‘Scott Brewer,’ the Master whispered out loud.

  His aging body tingled. He had been waiting for this moment. His visitors had travelled fairly rapidly from Pennsylvania but not fast enough for him. He couldn’t wait to have his sweet revenge.

  Scott Brewer walked slowly around the car with his arms raised above his head. He was showing that he was unarmed. The Master’s lips curved into a smile. He had been correct in his rationalising; these people didn’t want anything to happen to their precious woman.

  Scott Brewer stopped next to the passenger door and waited for the second guest of honour to get out. The Master was far less interested in this other man. Mitchell Baines, he recalled the name Joseph had told him. He was of no great importance. He had not directly killed any of his valuable assassins. Mitchell Baines would, of course, die this very night too, but the greatest pleasure would come from the ending of Scott Brewer’s life.

  The two men moved cautiously towards the porch with their arms still raised. There would be no attack out there.

  The Master tore himself away from the window and shuffled back along the hallway to his study. His daughter, Rebeccah, would show his visitors in, and he would be fully prepared when she did. He passed his other son, Michael, on the way. He had been instructed to assist his sibling in case there were any complications.

  The Master was breathless by the time he retook his stance in front of the armchair but his mind was on fire. It crackled with excited energy and he longed to unleash the full heat of his power on Scott Brewer.

  First, there was a more important task at hand. Lucas moved back to the doorway and the woman in the armchair gazed up at him through bleary eyes. He’d removed the bonds from her hands and she was rubbing subconsciously at her red wrists. There had been no further need for restraint.

  It hadn’t taken him long to break her; you just had to find the right buttons to push. In her case, it had been her young, lost daughter, who one of his trusted sons had made commit suicide, in front of her. Then these people
had killed him.

  It had pained him to lose such a bright child, who’d had so much murder left to give. No matter, the woman would pay soon enough.

  ‘Your friends… have arrived,’ he announced.

  The flicker of hope on her face was most amusing. Didn’t she know there was no saving her now? That they could never overpower him.

  ‘It’s time for you… to get up,’ he said.

  She stayed stubbornly still in a last act of defiance. The close proximity of her allies had given her a false confidence.

  ‘Come along.’ The Master dipped deftly into her mind to take the reins.

  She fought against his presence but she was too weak and traumatised. He plucked up the strings to her limbs and forced her to move to his will, like the puppet that she was.

  The woman got unsteadily to her feet, jerking sideways as she still tried to resist him. Now he was deeper inside her mind, he could feel the full force of her fear. The rawness of her emotions filled him with joy. He would relish the moment her life was extinguished. After dealing with Scott Brewer, of course.

  He could hear numerous footsteps on the wooden floor of the foyer, echoing down the hallway to his eager ears. His visitors were inside the house. He could picture them being led single file along the corridor by Rebeccah, with Michael bringing up the rear of the procession. Lucas was waiting by the study door, ready to open it as soon as the footsteps halted outside.

  He walked the woman forcefully towards him and pivoted her body until she was standing by his side, facing the door. He wanted her to be the first thing they saw when they entered the room. Scott Brewer would see how he had broken the woman that he cared so deeply for. The pained expression on his face would be instantaneous and he couldn’t wait to watch it.

  The footsteps neared agonisingly slowly then at last they stopped, one after the other, outside the study door. There was one sharp rap of knuckles on the solid wood. The Master’s heart was pumping ferociously and he felt more alive than he had in years. This was what he’d been longing for.

  He cast his gaze to the woman at his side. Ellen MacIntosh would be put out of her misery soon enough, but she had a bigger part to play beforehand.

  ‘Come now,’ he spoke low to her. ‘Smile for our guests.’

  He delved into her mind and manipulated the muscles in her face until they were stretched into a wide grin.

  ‘That’s better.’ He nodded towards Lucas, who in turn reached for the door handle.

  The Master paused for a beat, steeling himself for the tantalising pleasure ahead. ‘Enter.’

  Chapter 34

  Ellen was the first person Brewer saw when the door in front of them opened. Her eyes were completely black. His heart plummeted at the unexpected sight. She was standing next to the ancient man, who looked almost exactly like the Grand but wasn’t him. In some ways, he was now worse.

  Ellen was positioned awkwardly; with her back poker straight and her arms rigidly by her sides. Her mouth was twisted into a grotesque, fake smile that was more like a grimace. She was staring directly at them but there was no recognition on her face. The Master had taken control of her completely.

  Brewer hated to imagine what she had been subjected to over the hours since they’d taken her from the motel room. How hard the Master must have worked to break her. He tried to stem his rage and turned his attention to the man who had caused all this pain.

  The Master was gazing steadily back at him. He was wearing a light coloured shirt and dark trousers, and holding onto a walking stick. He looked as though he was waiting for an outward reaction to what he had done. Brewer defied him by keeping his composure. Mitch, on the other hand, wasn’t so restrained.

  ‘Ellen!’ he cried as soon as he set eyes on her over Brewer’s shoulder.

  He tried to rush towards her but Brewer stuck his arm out to prevent him from getting past.

  ‘Stay back,’ he murmured.

  They walked into the room and stopped several feet away from the Master and Ellen. The two hikers who had led them through the house came in behind them and closed the door firmly. It was then Brewer noticed the third hiker, who had opened the door but been hidden from view behind it. It was a second male.

  Were there only these three in the house? Or were there more hiding somewhere? He wanted to ask Mitch if these were the same three from the motel, or if the hiker who had stayed behind to torture him was missing, only he couldn’t. It didn’t really matter anyway; the number of hikers wouldn’t affect his main plan.

  Brewer stood silently and waited for the Master to speak first. He could feel Mitch’s anguish radiating out from beside him. He knew the kid was fighting every instinct he had not to run over there and try to help Ellen. He willed him to keep his head. When the time came, he’d need him to focus and ignore what was going on around him. The three hikers in the room worried him a little in regards to how Mitch would react, but if it all went smoothly he would never have to deal with them.

  ‘Welcome,’ the Master finally spoke. His voice was rusty but there was an underlying strength. ‘Thank you… for coming.’

  Like we had much of a choice, Brewer thought.

  His eyes kept flicking across to Ellen’s face, searching for any sign that she was in there, being held captive just below the surface. She might be able to regain control of her body if the Master was distracted with them. Mitch was twitching by his side, shifting his weight from foot to foot. The kid was clearly rattled by seeing Ellen in this state.

  ‘Don’t mention it,’ Brewer said evenly.

  The Master raised an eyebrow at his words. ‘A smart mouth… will get you nowhere.’ His dark eyes were trained on Brewer’s face. ‘I trust you have come… unarmed, so as not to endanger your… friend any further?’

  ‘Of course,’ Brewer said, raising his empty hands then patting at his sides and pockets. ‘Nothing to kill you with here.’

  The Master’s jaw clenched tightly and Brewer knew his amiable tone was infuriating him.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind… if I see for myself?’

  ‘Go ahead,’ Brewer shrugged as nonchalantly as he could.

  He let one truth swell to the front of his mind and pushed his real intentions as deep down as he could. He repeated the thought: he had no guns or knives on him. They were in the car, as were the loaded tranquiliser darts. He felt the Master’s bony fingers poking at his mind and he allowed him in on the top-most level. The Master saw exactly what he intended and gave a satisfied nod. He retreated immediately from Brewer’s mind.

  The Master shifted his focus to Mitch, and Brewer prayed that he would be strong. He saw Mitch wince as the Master entered his mind; the odd sensation was still new to him. The Master gave a small smirk and Brewer had the awful thought that he’d discovered something about what he was plotting.

  The Master left Mitch’s mind with a vocal chuckle. ‘You should choose your acquaintances more wisely… this one is very weak.’

  Oh god. Brewer could feel his palms sweating. What had he seen in Mitch’s mind?

  To Brewer’s surprise, the Master adopted Mitch’s Philly accent and mimicked his higher voice. ‘I don’t know what to do! How are we going to save Mrs Mac? What the hell was Scott thinking!’ The Master broke off, rasping a laugh.

  ‘You son of a bitch!’ Mitch yelled angrily.

  He made to move forward again but Brewer grabbed his arm tightly and held on.

  ‘Those are the thoughts repeating in the mind… of the man you chose to help you on your… mission,’ the Master grunted. ‘I feel he will be no good… to your cause.’

  Brewer ignored those comments. ‘I trust you’ve seen that we are unarmed?’

  He was doing everything he could to mask his relief that Mitch had seemingly given nothing away about a plan.

  ‘Yes,’ the Master nodded, leaning heavily on his stick. His head creaked around to look at Ellen. ‘She is very… grateful.’

  He reached out one withered hand and sm
oothed some strands of hair away from her face. Brewer bristled and clenched his hands into tight fists. The Master had retreated from her mind a little to talk to them so Ellen’s eyes were brown again, but she still seemed paralysed in one spot. Her gaze was fixed vacantly on a point somewhere behind them. The Master trailed a finger down her flushed cheek. It was obvious to Brewer that she had been crying recently.

  ‘Don’t touch her,’ he snapped. He couldn’t bear to see that monster’s hands pawing at Ellen when she was helpless to do anything about it.

  The Master turned to face Brewer quizzically. ‘Does it offend you… when I touch the woman you… love?’

  The words stung and Brewer felt his throat constrict. You can’t let him get to you, he scolded himself. He’s playing with you, trying to toy with your mind.

  ‘Yes, it does,’ he said out loud.

  ‘Good,’ the Master spat and one of the male hikers sniggered behind them.

  The chilling sound sent the hackles rising at the back of Brewer’s neck. Mitch kept turning to look at the three of them. They were poised in the shadows of the room, waiting to pounce. Brewer knew they wouldn’t do anything without the Master’s command but Mitch wasn’t so sure.

  ‘You committed the gravest offense… of them all,’ the Master carried on. ‘It’s time you paid… with your life.’

  ‘And what sin was that?’ Brewer asked, even though he knew in his heart what that was.

  The Master narrowed his eyes. ‘You know now… who I am?’

  Brewer hesitated. Had the Master just been reading his face or trying to catch his thoughts? He hadn’t felt him inside his mind so that couldn’t be true. He nodded once as an answer.

  ‘Then you know full well… that you murdered my… brother.’

  Brewer had suspected it, but it still felt strange to hear it confirmed. The Grand had been his brother, two brutally sadistic killers from the same family tree. He wondered what on earth their parents had done wrong to produce such hideous offspring. What genetic mutation had occurred during the conceptions or pregnancies? Unless one, or both, of their parents had been hikers too?