by Bryan Smith
Jordan’s eyes went wide.
Fuck.
It all came back then, all the madness of the night before. The tortures she’d been forced to endure. The depravity. The cannibalism. She’d eaten bits of her next-door neighbor. Her stomach fluttered again and she thought she would be sick. But then she remembered how it had all changed, how the tables had turned. How powerful she’d felt while killing Angela. That unnatural energy thrumming within her as she ripped the bigger girl apart with the knife. And then there was the matter of Bridget’s crazy claims about her true nature. About her true mother.
Lamia.
She shook her head as the memories unspooled like a forgotten reel from a long-lost film. “No. No way. Nonononononono. A lie. A big fucking lie. All of it.”
But it wasn’t.
In her heart, she knew it was all true.
And now she remembered the rest of it. How she’d left Todd’s apartment in search of her mother, with no destination in mind. On foot. Hunting by instinct. She had walked the streets of Rockville for hours, that unnatural energy awake and alive within her the whole time, steering her relentlessly toward Lamia. She’d felt the connection between them, a sort of spiritual tether that was as real and palpable to her as any physical object. A connection so intense she couldn’t understand how she’d gone her whole life without being aware of it. She walked for miles and miles, the minions accompanying her the whole way, reverted as they were now to an animal form so as not to unduly alarm the clueless citizenry. Her winding path took her out of the upwardly mobile part of town surrounding the Rockville Community College campus to the farthest outskirts of the community until she’d arrived here.
The Zone.
And she remembered how the power had swelled within her as she’d entered the streets of the sprawling old neighborhood. Her flesh tingled. Her whole body felt like a live wire. But it wasn’t a wild energy. She sensed she could focus and control it. Direct it. Shoot bolts of electricity from her fingertips if she wanted. It sounded particularly fanciful, but she’d really believed she could do it. And even now she believed it.
But something had stopped her.
Some…presence.
She shivered as she recalled how it had invaded her mind. She’d felt it initially as a darkness stealing into her mind. A malign tendril slithering into her psyche. This was followed by an overwhelming sensation of cold. Freezing cold in the near-summer heat. And within moments that incredible power had deserted her, and the connection she’d felt with Lamia began to wane. But she soldiered on, continuing for a time in what she felt was the right direction.
Until an implacable voice spoke in her mind: STOP.
She obeyed immediately and without question. Whatever this presence was, it was many times more powerful than she. Defiance was not an option.
The voice spoke one more time: IT IS NOT YET TIME. NOW YOU WILL SLEEP.
The minions took over then, guiding her to the backyard of an uninhabited house, where she had spent the night. Jordan looked beyond the circle of animals and surveyed her surroundings. She saw the back of a small, one-story house. Some of its windows were boarded over. The barren backyard would need to be reseeded should the next owner wish to have a proper lawn. A sagging chain-link fence surrounded the rear of the property. The gate through which she and the minions had entered stood open. Another German shepherd crouched near it like a guard. No. Not like a guard. It actually was a guard. Jordan felt certain it would have ripped to shreds any intruder during the night. She wondered about this. Lamia didn’t want to see her, not yet, but she wanted her to be safe.
I came here to stop her.
Maybe to kill her.
So why not just kill me?
Maybe the answer was as simple as maternal love. Maybe Lamia did care for her in some twisted way. She supposed it was possible the creature did not relish the prospect of a confrontation with its daughter, one in which it might be forced to harm or possibly kill her. Jordan wasn’t at all certain this was true. It didn’t feel quite right. Whatever the truth was, she was left now with the matter of what to do next. And where to go.
She looked at the big golden retriever. Its grin widened and its tongue slopped out the side of its mouth. She sensed a genuine joy from the creature at her attention. A strong intuition told her this was the animal form of the beach ball creature from last night. She sighed at the thought. This whole situation was miles beyond fucked up. She couldn’t imagine a possible future beyond this day. Couldn’t imagine how she might slip back into her old life, the one devoid of strange creatures and grounded in everyday reality, a world that now seemed as distant and unreachable as the gates of heaven. But there was an odd comfort in knowing that this creature felt this simple, stupid love for her. That she was being looked after, guarded and kept safe.
She held out a hand and the dog came to her eagerly, smiling broadly as she patted its head and scratched its neck. “You’re a good boy. Christ, what am I saying, you’re not…look, could you do me a favor and stay in dog mode full-time? No offense or anything, but I really like you better this way.”
The creature’s only answer was to lick the back of her hand.
“Good enough.”
Time to get rolling.
Jordan still didn’t know what her next move should be, but she did know she couldn’t stay here all day. So she got to her feet and brushed herself off. She started toward the open gate and her new entourage followed her. The German shepherd guarding the gate greeted her with a friendly bark. She paused a moment to scratch the animal behind its ears, then continued through the gate.
A moment later she was standing in the middle of a narrow residential street. She saw a few cars parked in driveways and at the side of the street, but other than the distant buzz of a lawn mower there was little evidence of human activity. Of course. The kids were in school and the adults were at work. The emptiness creeped her out a bit. Knowing the reason for it didn’t help at all. After the shrieking madness of the night before, she craved the company of normal human beings. Stranger or friend, it didn’t matter. She’d be happy to encounter absolutely anyone unconnected with Lamia and her sick schemes.
She caught a flicker of movement in one of the parked cars. The Oldsmobile was parked a house down on the other side of the street. She moved a few steps toward it and was able to make out a human shape behind the wheel. It was hard to tell more about it because of the glare of the sun on the windshield. She couldn’t swear to it, but she was almost certain there’d been no one there a moment ago. This was a little strange, she supposed, but she wasn’t too worried. Nothing too bad could happen in broad daylight. Besides, she was tired and not up for another long walk back across town. Maybe she could hitch a ride. As she continued slowly toward the car, another shape popped up in the backseat and leaned through the gap between the seats. She still couldn’t make out much, but the person in the backseat seemed to be speaking in an animated fashion, gesticulating wildly for a moment before pointing a finger straight at Jordan.
Jordan began to feel a little afraid. She stopped moving toward the car. The golden retriever and one of the German shepherds sensed her fear and moved into position in front of her. Jordan’s heart hammered as her head filled with lurid visions of abduction and rape. How stupid she’d been to think nothing like that could happen in daylight. It happened all the time. Newspapers and A&E true crime shows were filled with such stories. She was suddenly very happy to have the minions arrayed around her. Then she remembered how she’d dealt with Angela and the sound of her own laughter startled her. She felt the power stirring within her again and knew she had nothing to fear from mundane human predators.
The Oldsmobile’s engine started and the black car rolled slowly toward her.
Jordan stood stock-still with her hands splayed before her, feeling that strange, potentially deadly energy crackle in her fingertips.
“Bring it on,” she whispered.
By now she almost hop
ed these guys really were would-be rapists. She was kind of curious to see what exactly she could do with this power.
The car rolled to a stop next to her. The driver side window slid down and she saw two skinny teenage boys staring at her with wide, frightened eyes. The boy in the backseat pointed a gun at her. The dogs snarled and leaned toward the car, readying to leap through the open window. Jordan touched the backs of their necks to calm them.
She looked at the boy with the gun and said, “Put that away, child. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”
The boy gulped. His hands started to shake, but he kept the gun aimed at her. “No. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
The word “them” was invested with such contempt that Jordan knew at once what he meant. “I’m not one of Lamia’s followers, if that’s what you’re asking me.”
The driver frowned as he scanned the faces of the agitated animals. “We saw them follow you. All those animals. Like they were escorting you. You must be one of them.”
Jordan sighed. “Who the fuck are you guys?”
The boy in back laughed, but there was no real mirth in the sound. “We’re dangerous outlaws.”
“Right. Look, can you guys give me a ride?” She forced a smile. “I promise you have nothing to fear from me. I’m not one of them. I want to stop them.”
The teenagers conferred in whispers for a few moments. Then the driver cleared his throat and said, “We’ll give you a ride, but those animals are staying behind.”
Jordan considered this for a long moment before nodding. Then she went to a knee and whispered in the golden retriever’s ear. “I’m going away for a while. I’ll be okay. And I have a feeling you can find me again if I need you. Am I right?”
The dog answered with a single, emphatic bark.
“Good boy.”
Jordan stood and got in the car.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
The first several minutes of the ride back from the Zone were very tense. Jake didn’t talk and Kristen allowed him some mental distance. He was grateful for both her company and her sensitivity. A lot of women he’d known would have pressed him to talk about what had happened right away. Her first overture was nonverbal. A hand on his leg. A gentle, reassuring squeeze. Jake let out a huge breath and felt some of the tension drain out of him.
He spoke in a soft monotone: “I guess there’s nothing more I can do.”
“That’s not what you were saying back there.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “You didn’t sound like a guy about to give up.”
Jake’s laughter was bitter. “You don’t know me as well as you think you do. I give up on shit all the time.”
Kristen shook her head. “I don’t think so. You’ve got an inner strength most guys lack.”
“You’re wrong about that. But I don’t want to argue about it. The situation is what it fucking is. For some reason I don’t understand, the local law’s sided with my mom. The reality is there’s not a damn thing I can do about that. I think it’s time to say fuck it, pack my bags, and head home.”
Kristen took her hand from his leg and folded her arms beneath her breasts. The atmosphere in the car changed. “You could really do that, couldn’t you?” Her voice sounded tight, strained, each word thick with a barely contained fury. “You could just walk out on me like I was some kind of one-night stand. A casual fuck-buddy you hooked up with for your triumphant return home. You know what, Jake? Fuck you.”
Jake didn’t say anything at first. His first instinct was to confirm her worst fears. He and Kristen couldn’t be good together over the long term. It didn’t take a genius to see that their mutually self-destructive ways were a recipe for disaster. The smart thing here would be to make a relatively clean break. Just say nothing and allow this new rift to grow of its own accord. Hardly more than an hour ago he’d been certain that getting away from her was the smart thing to do. And now she’d provided him with the perfect opening. He only had to let it happen.
And yet…
Admit it.
Okay. He didn’t want to be alone. Too much had happened. Too much had changed. Too much fucking drama in too short a time. Alone he’d be more vulnerable than ever. Perhaps he’d even be a danger to himself. It wasn’t until this thought struck him that he was able to face the real truth lurking beneath his fears. The self-destructive part of him—the part he’d worked so hard to suppress in the past—didn’t want to break it off with Kristen. That part of him wanted her more than ever. It was selfish and stupid, but Jake recognized it as fact. And in the aftermath of the morning’s disasters, it was too easy to allow that part of his psyche to rule the other.
At least for a while.
He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it. “I’m sorry, Kristen. That’s not what I meant. I couldn’t leave without you. Hell, maybe you could even leave with me.”
Oops.
Where the hell did that come from?
The words had just popped out of him. He felt more like a thoughtless idiot than ever. He wanted to retract the impulsive offer, but knew he couldn’t. That was the thing about words. Once they were out there, you couldn’t take them back. And of course he knew what she would say. There was a strange sense of the course of his life proceeding along a predetermined path. He knew now what was next on that path and there was no longer anything he could do about it.
So he just waited for her to say it.
And she did.
“Okay.”
Jake nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”
She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “You won’t be sorry.” Her breath was soft against his ear, and he began to feel a stir of arousal. “We’ll be great together. I promise.”
Jake swallowed a lump in his throat and shifted in his seat. “Yeah. I think so, too.”
He didn’t believe it. Not really. But maybe if he said it and thought it enough times, it would come true.
Kristen’s cell phone buzzed in her purse. She sighed and nipped lightly at his earlobe. “Let me see who this is.”
She retrieved her purse from the floor, fished out her slim little phone, and looked at the number on the screen. “It’s my uncle. What the hell does he want?”
She flipped open the phone and said, “What’s up?”
There was a long moment of silence as she listened, but there was a dramatic change in her demeanor at once. Jake looked at her and frowned. Her eyes were bright with sudden tears. Her mouth hung open and her jaw quivered. She slapped her free hand over her mouth in shock. Jake dimly heard the caller’s voice, but couldn’t make out what was being said. It was obvious, though, that it was something very, very bad. His stomach clenched as he waited to hear the bad news, whatever it was.
Her voice quavered as she said, “Yes, I heard you. Yes, I understand. I know, I know. I’m sorry. I love you, too.”
She snapped the cell phone shut.
And then she screamed.
She smashed the cell phone against the dashboard. The broken phone slipped from her hand and she bashed the dashboard with her fists. She screamed again, a sound that shifted to an anguished wail. Then she was crying and hugging herself, rocking on the edge of the seat. She shook her head and plaintively said the word “no” over and over.
They were out of the Zone now. Jake spied a convenience store and pulled into its parking lot. Kristen gave no sign of realizing they’d stopped. She buried her face in her hands, tucked her head between her legs, and wailed. Jake watched her and said nothing. He was afraid to ask her what was wrong. He tried to think of what might be horrendous enough to affect her this way. He still didn’t know her very well at all. It could be anything. Thinking this, he again felt a stab of doubt. He had to be out of his mind to get in so deep with her so soon. But the doubt gave way to guilt as he heard her sobs.
Stop being an asshole, he thought.
He laid a gentle hand between her shoulder blades and for a moment the strength of her sobs only increased. Her whole body quive
red. Then she came to him and he took her in his arms, stroking her hair and whispering reassuring nonsense into her ear as she cried against his neck. After maybe ten minutes of this, she eased out of the embrace and looked at him through red-rimmed eyes.
She wiped moisture from her flushed cheeks and sniffed. “Stu’s dead.”
The news hit him like a hard blow to the gut. His chest felt tight. He couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. He thought about Stu’s kindness in offering him a place to stay. Christ. Stu dead. It made no sense. And then it hit him that he’d scarcely known Stu any better than he knew Kristen. It was a shock, yes, but the anguish he felt was more intense than it should have been. Part of it was the guy’s giving, generous personality. He’d just been an all-around good guy. You didn’t have to know the man in and out to see that. The world became a darker place every time someone like that died. And Kristen had known and loved him over the course of a lifetime.
He at last found his voice and somehow managed to keep it steady. “I’m so sorry, Kristen. What happened?”
Her face crumpled at the question and fresh tears streamed down her face. She swiped at them furiously and said, “Some piece of fucking shit murdered him. My poor brother. Oh, Jake…”
Then the sobs came again and again he held her.
In a while she was able to tell what she knew of the story. Someone had invaded the mountain cabin during the night. Stu had been tortured and murdered. Lorelei was missing and presumed dead or abducted. A massive search was underway for two suspects fingered by an anonymous caller. The same tipster had alerted authorities to the crime. Police were urging the caller to come forward again, but so far it hadn’t happened.