Moon Cursed

by Lori Handeland

  Marty’s gaze was tortured. “Because the last thing Jamaica said before she lost consciousness was, ‘Save Kris.’”

  *

  Kris awoke with a nasty headache. If she got conked on the head any more she was going to wind up with brain damage.

  Except she hadn’t been hit. Not this time. This time she’d been drugged.

  Which was so much better.

  She was cold. No longer inside, but somewhere near the water, as she could smell the loch and … pine trees.

  Kris opened her eyes. It was still dark. She hadn’t been out that long. Unless she’d been out an entire day and most of the night. But she didn’t think so.

  She lay on the ground. Her hands were bound, but her feet weren’t, so she sat up, and then wished she hadn’t. Not only because of the increase in brain pain, but also because as soon as she did she saw that she wasn’t alone.

  “How are you feeling?” Dougal Scott asked.

  “Are you crazy?”

  Fury flashed in his eyes, and Kris wanted to bite her tongue. Obviously he was crazy. He was a damn serial killer. Pointing that out, however, probably not the best idea while bound and helpless.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d come,” he said, getting over his anger fairly quickly. “If you’d be up in the middle of the night again and see the e-mail in time.”

  “I—” Kris broke off. “How did you know I’m up in the middle of the night?”

  “Your lights. I could see you moving about behind the curtains.”

  He’d been watching her. No wonder she’d felt so … watched.

  “What if I hadn’t seen the e-mail?”

  “I’d have come to you.” He shrugged. “But it was easier if you came to me.”

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

  “I need them off my back.”

  “Them?”

  “The Jäger-Suchers. Interpol.” He took a few steps toward her. “Clever to send you. I didn’t suspect. Not until I found your silver knife.”

  Hell, she’d known that was going to bite her on the ass.

  He tilted his head. “But are you J-S or Interpol?” He continued before she could deny being either one. “Doesn’t matter. I was mad.” He wagged a finger at her. “You fooled me. I thought you liked me. Still, I shouldn’t have used your knife on that girl.” His face fell. “I never meant for her to be found. But she got caught in the damn lock. And that put a crimp in what I’ve been trying to do.”

  “Which is?”

  “Don’t play stupid!” His shout echoed over the silent loch. Would someone investigate? Should she hope they did or that they didn’t?

  He appeared to be waiting for her to answer. Considering his hair-trigger temper, she decided to humor him. “You wanted Nessie blamed for the killings.”

  “If they kill the Loch Ness Monster, or capture it, they won’t be looking for me anymore.”

  “You’ve been killing people all over the world using the MOs of the local legends.”

  Made sense. He’d been studying those legends for most of his life. He had a damn display in his museum. But—

  “I thought you didn’t believe in Nessie.”

  He made a derisive sound. “No, you didn’t believe in Nessie. I just wanted to get in your pants. I decided that was the quickest way. Then you decided to fuck the monster, and I decided you should die.”

  “Why would you want to kill people?”

  “Magic’s in my blood. Sacrifice brings power. But no matter how many I killed, the power never came to me. I couldn’t access the magic.”

  “If sacrifice didn’t work, why’d you keep killing?”

  “I liked it. I may not control the magic—yet—but the rush after I kill…” Dougal breathed in, and his chest expanded as if that power he wanted so badly, the power he’d killed for, had come to him at last. “Having command over life and death makes me feel—”

  “Crazy?” Kris muttered, then wished she’d kept her mouth shut when his eyes glittered with both madness and fury. How could she ever have thought his eyes were gentle, intelligent, and attractive? Hadn’t she learned by now that there were more ways to lie than with words?

  “Would a crazy person be smart enough to use the local legends as a cover?”

  In Kris’s experience crazy didn’t mean “stupid.” It usually meant “freakishly smart.” However—

  “The authorities knew what you were doing.” They just hadn’t known who was doing it. “They followed you to Drumnadrochit.”

  “I wanted them to. I needed a place where a real legend lived.”

  “In the other places there was no monster,” Kris guessed. “Except for you.”

  He cast her a narrow glance, then nodded. “I needed something I could blame, and they could kill.”

  “Why Nessie?”

  “I knew the Loch Ness Monster existed. My family was here when the legend was born. Or at least when the curse was.”

  Kris’s head ached. Her mouth tasted like dirt. Her mind wasn’t working as quickly as she’d like, but eventually she caught up. “You’re the witch’s ancestor.”

  “Aye,” he said sarcastically. “That I am.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kris managed. “Why would you want Nessie dead? Isn’t the monster cursed to eternal torment?”

  “He doesn’t seem too tormented to me. Why would he be? He gets to fuck you.”

  “He?” Kris asked. “Wouldn’t Nessie be a woman?”

  Dougal’s expression revealed how lame he thought her attempt to throw him off that scent.

  “I know that Liam,” he said the name with a sarcastic twist, “is Nessie. All my life I’ve heard over and over how that horrible thing murdered our golden daughter. How there must always be one of us here to make sure it was tormented for all time. I accepted the charge. I’m the last of my line.”

  Kris tried to wiggle out of whatever he’d used to bind her hands. She couldn’t make it budge a centimeter. No surprise. Dougal’d had a lot of practice binding his victims.

  “Imagine my shock,” he continued, “to discover the monster wasn’t tormented but treated like a god. The locals, as well as the tourists, worship the thing. Even my own granaidh, who’d also been charged, allowed it to walk freely among them like it was as human as it appeared. The creature has guardians to protect it.” His lip curled. “But they won’t once they see the film of their precious Nessie drowning a woman.”

  Kris blinked, remembering the video that had been playing at Jamaica’s. “Your victim is alive. Nessie didn’t hurt her; Nessie saved her, and she will say so.”

  “That isn’t the video I’m talking about.” Dougal’s eyes glittered madly. “It could have been if she’d died. Why did you have to know CPR?”

  “Sorry,” Kris muttered.

  “I wanted to show you what he was. I thought then you’d kill him, or have Edward do it. But you’re as dazzled by the creature as everyone else. I can barely get people in this village to say hello to me on the street, but that thing they revere.” He glanced toward the video camera and tripod partially concealed by the trees. “Not for long. You’ll be my new star, and you’ll die like you’re supposed to.”

  Kris had kind of figured her death was on his agenda. Why else would he trick her and drug her and drag her…?

  She glanced around. They were at a remote portion of the loch, backed by a craggy hillside, surrounded by thick trees, the water lolling past a tiny exposed portion of shore, barely big enough to land the small boat they’d arrived in. There were a hundred places like this up and down the loch.

  “He’ll never find us,” she murmured.

  Dougal glanced at the steadily lightening sky. “Give him time.”

  *

  Marty and Liam arrived at the coffee shop very close to dawn. Even though Liam knew he was pushing it, that he could easily shape-shift right in the middle of Jamaica’s shop and pretty much break everything into a thousand pieces, still he ran inside.

&n
bsp; Kris wasn’t there; he knew that, too. But they had to follow every clue, even if those clues eventually led to her body.

  Fury coursed through him. He would kill whoever hurt her. He would enjoy it the way that he used to. And if that turned him back into a creature unable to value human life, one the Jäger-Suchers would certainly destroy, then so be it.

  A piece of paper lay on the ground. At first Liam thought it had drifted from Jamaica’s overburdened desk. He picked it up, nearly put it back without reading it. But the large block letters caught his attention.

  DUNWAR.

  He shoved the sheet at Marty and ran.

  The Interpol agent was fast. He caught Liam as he reached the water. “What does this mean?” Marty demanded.

  “ ’Tis a point on the loch. Remote. The quickest way is by water.”

  Marty looked around helplessly. “We need a boat.”

  Liam’s gaze went to the sky. “I don’t,” he said just as the sun burst free.

  *

  Kris had to do something. Dougal planned to kill her, blame it on Nessie, then go about merrily murdering hither and yon once Marty and Edward believed they’d taken care of the problem.

  He’d screw up again, no doubt, and have them both back on his trail. But in the meantime, she’d be dead and so would Liam. Kris wanted to avoid that.

  Reasoning with him was out. Dougal had lost all reason long ago.

  So … She’d just have to kill him before he killed her.

  He’d need to get her in the water somehow. Maybe she could drag him in, too. Hold his head below the water with …

  Kris yanked again at the bonds on her hands. With what? Her teeth?

  “Time for a swim.” Dougal motioned to the loch with his gun. “Get in.”

  “I’m not going to be able to swim with my hands tied.”

  “No,” he said with a smirk, “you won’t.”

  “Won’t that be suspicious?”

  “A serial-killing kelpie bound your hands? What a wicked, wicked creature.” He flicked the barrel at the water. “Go.”

  “I … uh … No.” She stood. “You want me to drown. You’re not going to shoot me.”

  “No?” He lowered the weapon and fired. Dirt flew up a few inches in front of her. Kris couldn’t help but scoot back.

  Dougal followed. “Get in.”

  Kris lifted her chin. “I won’t.”

  Bam!

  Earth exploded centimeters from her right toe. She stumbled into water just past her ankles. Kris tried to inch forward.

  Bam!

  Water sprayed to her left. This time she held her ground, gritted her teeth, refused to move, though she did flinch. Bam, right. Bam, left. Right. Right. Left. Left.

  He reloaded so fast and fluidly, she only managed a single step forward before he shot again. Three in succession—to her right and left and right. Dizzy, ears ringing, she swayed.

  And the water erupted as Nessie broke the surface.

  The creature brushed past Kris, heading for Dougal, teeth bared. Dougal’s eyes bulged, the whites flaring in the bright morning sun. He fired, emptying his clip into the gray seal-like skin.

  Nessie flopped into the shallows like a beached fish and lay still.

  Kris’s mind froze as solidly as her feet already had in the icy waters of the loch. She stared at the massive bleeding dead lump that was Nessie.

  “Huh.” Dougal looked at his gun.

  “Th-th-that’s—” Kris’s teeth began to chatter.

  “Unfortunate,” Dougal finished.

  Kris had meant to say impossible, but obviously not. From what she could see, Nessie had already stopped breathing. Perhaps a descendant of the witch who created the monster was the only one who could end the monster. Who knew?

  Kris’s whole world shifted, and everything became clear—an instant too late.

  Seduction was one thing, love completely another. Great sex could not make you feel something you didn’t truly feel.

  Like the love she felt for Liam Grant.

  “Well.” Dougal slapped in a third clip. How many did he have? “I can work with this. Drown you, say she did it and I had to shoot her. Too bad about the video. I would have enjoyed it later, but sometimes you have to improvise.” He tossed the gun aside, grabbed Kris’s arm, and began to drag her into the loch.

  Kris struggled. Not that she cared about drowning. Not anymore. Liam had died saving her. He’d died believing she hated him. She’d wondered if she would ever feel again the way she felt about Liam. Now she knew that she wouldn’t, and the luster of life dimmed.

  However, she wasn’t going to let Dougal get away with blaming her death on Nessie. And the only way to ensure that was to live.

  So Kris fought. She dug in her heels; she struggled and screamed. Dougal yanked and scratched and cursed.

  Then he slapped her.

  Behind him, the eyes of the Loch Ness Monster opened.

  *

  On land Liam was slow and ponderous. But in the water he was king. So he played dead, and he waited for that murdering bastard Dougal Scott to get but a little closer.

  Crack!

  The distinct sound of flesh meeting flesh caused Liam’s eyes to snap open just as Dougal hit her again.

  Liam’s neck snaked out, his body already rolling into the water as his jaws closed on Dougal’s thigh, biting deep, tasting blood. Together they thrashed, but the man was no match for the monster. Dougal’s scream cut off as he was pulled beneath the surface.

  “Liam, no!” Kris cried, but it was too late. The instant Dougal had marked her for dead, he had marked himself as well.

  Together Liam and Dougal sank into the frigid depths of Loch Ness.

  CHAPTER 27

  “Kris!”

  Her brother ran out of the woods. His gaze went to the water. But only a few swirls, a few bubbles, remained. Still, one look at his face and Kris knew he’d seen the whole thing.

  “I won’t let you hurt her,” she said.

  “Kris—”

  “I’ve never asked anything of you in my life, Marty, but I’m asking this. Don’t call Edward. Just let Nessie stay Nessie. Let Dougal stay dead. Make up whatever the hell you have to. Forge whatever you have to forge; I don’t care.”

  He lifted his hand to her face. “Dougal hit you.”

  Kris shrugged. She was getting used to black-and-blue.

  “I’d have killed him, too,” Marty muttered. She looked at him suspiciously. “You really think I’d turn Liam in to Edward?”

  Ah hell. He knew.

  “How do you—?”

  “Dougal left a note telling us where he was. I’m not sure why.…” He looked around, saw the camera in the shadows of the trees. “Hmm,” he said, brain obviously percolating. “Anyway, Liam became Nessie and got here a lot quicker than me.”

  “Not that much quicker,” Kris muttered. “Did you break the land speed record?”

  “Nearly.”

  “Will you leave Liam alone, even though he just killed a man?”

  “Dougal was more of a monster than I’ve seen in a long time. Creepy, sneaky bastard. I’d have had to hire the ‘fix it’ guy to kill him anyway. Way I see it, Grant just saved me the trouble.”

  “What about Edward?”

  “I’ll tell him I took care of the problem.”

  “And if he finds out you’re lying?”

  Marty winced. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t.”

  Kris felt terrible asking her brother to lie, and to Edward Mandenauer. But what choice did she have?

  “We could tell him the truth,” Marty ventured.

  “Which is?”

  “Benign lake monster. No reason to kill it. Like you said: Let Nessie stay Nessie.”

  “You think Mandenauer will go for that?”

  Marty sighed. “Probably not.”

  “Then keep this to yourself.”

  “All right. But Kris—”

  Kris stared at the water, waiting for the familia
r dark humps to appear, but they didn’t.

  “You can’t have any kind of life with him.”

  Kris forced herself to look at Marty. “Why not?”

  “He’s a monster.”

  “You just said yourself—Dougal Scott was the monster. Liam’s just…” She glanced back at the loch. “Liam.”

  “Hell!” Marty muttered.

  “What?” Kris’s gaze flicked around the clearing; she peered into the trees, half-afraid she’d see Mandenauer coming out of them.

  “You’re crazy about him,” Marty said. “No going back now.”

  “No.” Kris watched the water again. “There isn’t.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Love him,” she said. “It’s all I can do.”

  *

  Marty cleaned up the scene. He seemed pretty good at it. Really, there wasn’t all that much to take care of. He retrieved a few shell casings, along with Dougal’s camera and tripod.

  “I doubt anyone’s going to come along anytime soon. If they do…” He shrugged. “It’s not like we have a body to dispose of.”

  “What about Dougal’s disappearance?”

  “He’s a serial killer. No one’s going to care.”

  “No one knows that.”

  Marty’s face hardened into one she didn’t recognize. No longer the brother she remembered or even the man she was coming to know, but the Interpol agent who dealt with crap like this every day. “They will when I get done. I’ll say I pieced the truth together, then confronted him. He flipped, tried to kill me; I shot him, and he fell into the loch.”

  Kris had thought to keep everything quiet, but loose ends were better tied up. It wasn’t as if they’d be blaming an innocent man for crimes he hadn’t committed, and the victims deserved justice; their families deserved to know what had happened to them.

  Together Marty and Kris made their way to his rental car. It wasn’t an easy trip. Through the trees, down a nasty slope, across a craggy hill, Kris was leaning on her brother heavily by the time they reached what constituted a road in this part of the loch.

  He helped her into the passenger seat and she must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, Marty had rounded the bend near the cottage. Alan Mac sat on the porch. Kris groaned. All she wanted was to go back to sleep.