“I like dogs, but I won’t hesitate to put a bullet through his head.”
The conversational tone struck a note of recognition. . . and disbelief. Surely the hooded figure couldn’t be—
Barney barked low in his throat and bared gleaming teeth.
“Don’t hurt him!” Leah stepped closer on shaking legs. “Come here, Barney.” Her voice rose when her dog hesitated. “Now!”
Ryan pushed her behind him and lunged forward to grab Barney’s collar. Turning, he unzipped her backpack and yanked out a leash, then tied the still growling dog to the nearest tree. “This doesn’t have to end badly. If you let us go—”
“You know far too much to let you walk away. Any threat to the Brotherhood must be eliminated, but I’d prefer to wait for the others to get here to decide how to handle this.” He waved the gun. “However, if you don’t cooperate, I’ll shoot first and figure it out later. Understood?”
Ryan grabbed Leah around the waist and pulled her close to him. “We’ll cooperate. Maybe the others will listen to reason.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” He pointed with the revolver. “Both of you, over to that big fir.” He bent for something behind the stone and straightened holding a coil of rope. “Leah, I want you to tie Ryan up nice and tight. I’ll be checking to make sure you do a good job, so don’t waste time trying something stupid that will only make me angry.”
She caught the rope he tossed her way. They left Barney whining and tugging against his leash to approach the tree he indicated. Her hands shook so badly, she fumbled to unwind the rope.
“Easy, babe. Just do what the doctor says.” Ryan’s voice was barely above a whisper. “We have to stay alive long enough for Stannard to get here.”
“You recognized Dr. Carlton’s voice?” Her lips practically touched his ear as she looped the rope around him and the tree.
“He used that same calm tone when I was a kid getting a shot. Obviously something seriously twisted has been going on in Siren Cove for years.”
“How did he know we were coming up here?”
“Sloan Manning and Edgar Vargas both heard us talking about taking a hike. One of them could have figured it out,” he whispered.
“I can’t believe—”
“Quit talking and get the job finished.” The doctor’s voice slashed through the falling darkness.
“I’m trying.” Leah pulled the rope tight and knotted it. “There, Ryan’s secure.”
Carlton set his weapon on top of the pentagram. “I’m going to tie you up now. If you make any attempt to escape, I’ll shoot your boyfriend. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.” She stood perfectly still while this man she’d always liked and admired tied her next to Ryan. “Can I ask why you’re doing this?”
He checked to make sure the rope was tight without cutting into her arms, then stepped back. “I don’t mind satisfying your curiosity since the information won’t leave this spot.” He picked up the gun and dropped it into a bag he pulled out from behind the rock, then laid a knife with a long, serrated blade on the pentagram in its place. “By the way, that pistol shoots pellets. At close range, it might have injured you. Nothing more. I don’t believe in firearms, but I figured it would be a handy way to contain you.”
“Shit.” Ryan’s frustration gave the single word an ugly undertone.
The doctor lifted a container of lighter fluid out of the bag and squirted streams onto the pyre. Stepping back, he tossed a lit match, and the piled branches exploded in flames.
“The others should be here shortly, but back to your question. The Brotherhood was organized by the group of men who founded Siren Cove a hundred and fifty years ago. They were the sole survivors of a massacre on the trail west, and witnessed their fellow travelers die in agony as the savages scalped them.” Carlton’s voice hardened. “Our ancestors renounced God that fateful day and promised their souls to Satan in exchange for the lives of their families going forward. We’ve all prospered ever since.”
Leah stared at him in horror. “Surely you don’t believe devil worship is the reason for your success.”
“Oh, I believe. Once every decade we offer up a sacrifice to Satan, and our families continue to thrive. In order to keep our numbers strong, we’ve brought a few carefully vetted newcomers into our ranks over the years, but the core group is still the male descendants of those original men.”
“That’s sick.” Ryan’s words rang out, echoing through the forest. “Twisted and ugly.”
A burning lump filled Leah’s throat. She wiggled her hand until she could just touch his fingers and held tight.
“Twenty years ago we were nearly found out, but thankfully our current leader was able to neutralize a suspicious cop. He picked up the knife and turned it over as the firelight gleamed along the blade’s length. “With a little help from me. The right drugs will mimic a heart attack every time. After that, we stopped photographing the ceremony. Too risky. I’m happy to say our sacrifice last decade went off without a hitch. Too bad this year you insisted on digging up that damn time capsule where the film was buried.”
“Sorry to inconvenience you.” Leah’s voice rose. “You and your brotherhood are nothing but a bunch of sick—”
The doctor held up his hand and turned as lights flashed and voices carried on a gust of wind. “Your insults don’t faze me in the least. Here come my brothers now.”
The bushes parted, and a robed figure entered the clearing carrying a naked woman. Long, dark hair streamed over the sleeve of his robe, and her mouth hung slack, eyes open mere slits.
Carlton spoke up to be heard over Barney’s barking. “And so the tradition continues with a sacrifice to appease our lord and master.”
“Oh, my God.” Leah breathed hard through her nose as the world swayed around her. “I saw that woman on the news. Is she dead?”
Ryan shook his head and spoke in a low tone. “Maybe just drugged for the trip through the woods. I have a feeling they’ll want her alive for whatever perverted ritual is planned.”
Six more hooded figures followed the man carrying the unconscious woman. The final member of the group wore a black robe instead of gray.
Ryan squeezed Leah’s hand. “He must be the head of this freak show. I’d sure like to know who he is.”
“I’d like to know who they all are. It’s too dark to see anything that isn’t directly in the firelight.” She shivered and pressed closer against Ryan’s side. “I wonder why Barney stopped barking. One of those men is standing next to him. If he hurts my dog—”
“Barney looks okay. The guy isn’t doing anything, but if Stannard doesn’t get here soon . . .”
“They’ll kill that poor woman and us. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe our town has been harboring this kind of evil. To think Dr. Carlton and—”
“Pete.” Ryan let out a harsh breath. “The one to the left of the leader. See how he stands with his arms akimbo. I’d swear that’s Pete Brewster.”
“Then I’d bet money his father is in the group, too.”
She stiffened when Dr. Carlton raised the knife in both hands in some kind of salute before sheathing it in the folds of his robe. With a grunt, the man holding the unconscious woman lifted her onto the rock. One of her arms dangled limply over the edge as she let out a low moan.
“She’s definitely all drugged up. Damn, the head freak is looking this way.” Ryan tugged harder against their restraints. “I’ve got a tiny bit of slack going on the rope binding you. Can you slide your hands free?”
Leah pressed back against the tree and wiggled one wrist. “No, but almost. Keep working on it.”
Ryan’s breath brushed her cheek. “Look, the man who was near Barney is arguing with the one in black. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.”
“. . . can’t just kill her.” The words fell into a sudden silence.
“Shit. Definitely not good.” Ryan twisted harder against the ropes. “Try now.”
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The hemp dug into her wrist, but Leah barely felt the burning pain as she wrenched her hand free. She couldn’t breathe through the tightness in her chest. “That’s Brock.”
Ryan stopped moving. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Her voice broke. “Oh, God.”
“Leah.”
She stared across the towering fire at the man she’d once loved, and her stomach convulsed. She swallowed hard against the hot bile.
“Leah!” Ryan’s voice was low but sharp. “Work your other wrist loose then untie the knots holding me. Keep your hands behind you so they can’t see what you’re doing. The firelight doesn’t reach this far, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
She nodded and forced back the surge of nausea. Gritting her teeth, she went to work on the knots. With numb fingers, she picked at the rope, loosening it a little at a time. When the hooded figures formed an organized circle around the woman on the makeshift altar, and the leader held up his arms, a whimper slipped from her throat.
“Where the hell is Stannard? He should be here by now.” Ryan pressed his lips to her ear. “Forget about me, scramble out of these ropes and run like hell.”
“No, I won’t leave you.” She sniffed back tears as the first knot came loose.
“You damn well will.”
“Reveal yourselves to our lord and master as we let the blood of our sacrifice.” The leader’s voice rang out before he slowly lowered his hood.
Ryan’s breath left in a rush. “Shit.”
“What?” Leah’s whisper was fierce. “Who is he?”
“No one will be coming to save us. The head freak is Detective Stannard.”
The lump in her stomach grew heavier as each man lowered his hood and revealed himself: Arnold Dorsey and Judge Reardon, Waylon and Pete Brewster, the manager from the bank, Brock . . . Her heart pounded so hard, she could barely breathe. “Dr. Carlton has his knife out again . . .”
“Now, Leah. You have to get the hell out of here while they’re focused on their . . . sacrifice.” Ryan’s tone was unyielding. “We can’t wait any longer. Try to get out of the ropes without drawing attention this way.”
The blade of the knife glinted in the firelight as the group chanted softly, their voices rising in unison.
Her tears fell faster. “I won’t leave you here.”
Carlton held the knife high before bringing it slashing down to pierce the woman’s thigh. A shrill scream echoed through the trees, ending on a sob as the doctor passed the bloody knife to the man beside him.
“Oh, God, I have to help her.” Leah worked the ropes down her arms.
“There’s nothing you can do for her, and I won’t watch them carve you up, too. I love you more than my life. Please, go.” Ryan’s whisper was harsh against her ear. “Please.”
She jerked her arms free and shimmied out of the rope. When another shrill scream rang through the night, she glanced toward the sick ceremony, met Brock’s feverish gaze, and froze. When he didn’t so much as blink, she dived behind the tree.
“Damn it, Leah. Run!”
“No!” Ignoring Ryan’s quiet cursing, she worked at the knots binding him to the tree.
“Stop her! That bitch is free.” Waylon Brewster’s voice rose in a shout.
“Leah, go!”
With a cry, she spun around and slammed into a solid chest as men ran out of the woods. Shots echoed, and a hard shove pushed her to the ground as all hell broke loose. Crawling to her feet, she threw herself against Ryan, wrapped her arms around him, and prayed.
Chapter Twenty-nine
“Mr. Alexander! Mr. Alexander!” The reporter shoved a mic toward his face as he reached the top of the stairs leading up from the beach. “What was it like being tied to a tree, believing you were about to die?”
“What do you think it was like?” Ryan held tight to the leash as Barney growled at the man. “This is private property, and you’re trespassing. Back off.”
“Are you aware Crossroads’ stock has plummeted since word broke you were involved in the situation with the satanic cult operating out of your hometown?”
“I don’t have any comment.” As the dog strained forward, Ryan practically sprinted the final few yards to Leah’s porch and ran up the steps. When the front door opened, he shot through behind Barney and turned to slam it shut.
“Wow, you’re a whole lot braver than I would be.”
He leaned against the door as Nina unhooked the leash from the dog’s collar. “More like stupid. I thought I’d be safe going for a walk on the beach. Turns out I underestimated the persistence of the press.”
“When I was at the grocery store, I ran into a TV crew out of Portland who somehow learned I was friends with you and Leah. Talk about piranhas scenting blood . . .”
Ryan followed her into the living room where Paige stood beside the window, peaking out through the blinds. Leah sat on the couch with her phone clamped to her ear. She gave him a quick smile before returning to her conversation.
“Yeah, one of them is on my property now. If you could . . . okay. Thanks, Chris.” She laid her cell on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch cushions. “How’d the walk go?”
“Barney seemed to enjoy himself. I think he likes barking at reporters.” Ryan took a seat beside her and picked up her hand.
Leah looked worn to the bone. Dark circles marred the skin beneath her eyes, and her hand shook as she hooked a strand of hair behind her ear. He knew she hadn’t slept well the last few nights, probably because he’d been awake, too. In the dark, they’d clung to each other in an effort to hold back the nightmares.
“Besides promising to chase off the reporter out there, Chris also gave me an update.”
“Do tell.” Nina sat opposite them.
Paige left her post at the window to drop down onto the rug beside Barney. “I’m almost hoping for some kind of natural disaster to distract the media’s interest away from Siren Cove.”
Leah’s grip on his hand tightened. “I know what you mean. Every time I turn on the news, they’re replaying footage of some of our most esteemed citizens being loaded into patrol cars in handcuffs. While I have no trouble believing Waylon and Pete Brewster were part of that sick cult, it still kills me to think Doctor Carlton was a member, that for years he condoned—”
“Try not to think about it.” Ryan bent to press a kiss to the top of her head.
“The whole town is in shock. I heard Dr. Carlton’s wife packed her bags and left to go live with their daughter in California,” Nina said.
Paige stroked Barney’s ears when he laid his head in her lap. “Is it any wonder the rest of the men involved are currently divorced? Even if their wives didn’t know the specifics, they must have felt something was seriously wrong.”
“Except for Rodney Long. The guilt of what they’d done probably contributed to his stroke. If he hadn’t turned on his ‘brothers’ and confessed to his son when he did . . .” Leah broke off, and her whole body quivered as Ryan let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her.
“Seems like Chris was the only male offspring the group didn’t try to indoctrinate.”
Leah met Nina’s thoughtful gaze and nodded. “Probably because the man’s morals were evident from an early age. I’ve never been more thankful than I was when he and Chief Stackhouse and the rest of the department ran out of the woods to save us along with that poor woman.”
Ryan held Leah a little tighter as another tremor shook her. “You mentioned you had new information?”
“I do. Chris said Yvonne Ames is scheduled to be released from the hospital tomorrow and is expected to make a full recovery from her injuries.”
“That’s good news, at least.”
“She was the lucky one, unlike the others they killed over the years.” Paige’s tone was somber.
“Knowing they buried their sacrifices up there makes me ill just thinking about it, but at least those families will have closure once the remains are i
dentified.” Leah let out a long sigh. “Merry Bright was one of them. I guess Leonard Wilkinson, the manager from the bank, went a little crazy and started shooting his mouth off before his lawyer shut him up. He ratted out Arnold Dorsey, who was behind the attacks on me.”
“I wonder what’s going to happen to them.” Nina spoke quietly. “The manager closed the Poseidon Grill after the police arrested George Dorsey at the airport, so who knows when the restaurant will reopen. Is there any news yet on recovering your grandma’s money from that scumbag?”
“Earlier, I talked to the attorney Magnus hired for Gram. Once the warrant finally came through, the bank froze George’s account. What with all the elderly victims he’s fleeced over the last couple of years, her lawyer expects her share will be about half of what he originally stole.”
Ryan frowned. “That sucks.”
“Yeah, it does, but we discussed the situation, and she and Magnus are both happy to be cohabiting. They moved the last of Gram’s stuff into his apartment yesterday.”
“Go, Evie!” Paige pushed up off the floor. “Seems like she made the best of a bad situation. I hate to take off, but I need to get back to my shop. If that idiot reporter is still out there, I intend to give him a piece of my mind. Haven’t you both been through enough without all the added media harassment?”
“You’d think.” Pressing down on Ryan’s thigh, Leah rose to her feet. “Thanks for coming over to keep me company.”
“You bet.”
Nina followed them into the entry. “I should go, too.”
Ryan stayed where he was, figuring Leah could use a few minutes alone with her friends. Both Nina and Paige had been solid bulwarks of support since the minute he and Leah had emerged from the woods, shaken and more than a little traumatized.
Has it only been three days? It seemed like a lifetime.
The women’s voices carried from the entry, breaking through his thoughts. Or maybe it was a single name that had caught his attention. He mouthed an obscenity.
“Have you heard from Brock?” Paige’s voice was hesitant.
“He actually called me and broke down crying. He said he didn’t know what Pete and George were getting him into. They were drunk and all hopped up on something when he agreed to join their sick cult. Then he was afraid to back out once he sobered up.”
Buried Truth Page 28