“You need me to find that entrance,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “I know where it is.” She was determined to argue her point. That scream they’d heard definitely wasn’t paranormal and could be Lisa.
“You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t dare keep silent and leave your friend down there and you know it. If it’s even her.”
“You know as well as I do it’s her. Please don’t send me away. She’ll need me, and you’ll need to get whoever’s doing this.”
Noah closed his eyes for a brief second. “I can’t do that if I’m having to watch out for you as well, Alana.”
“Accept it, Noah,” she snarled as she raised her chin in stubborn defiance. “I’m going with you.”
He drew in a deep breath through his nose and pointed his finger at the tip of hers. His eyes were dark and angry. She would pay for this later, she had no doubt. But it would be worth it. She couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
“I swear,” he snarled menacingly. “If you get in my way, I’ll have your head.”
“Deal.”
She turned and started running her palms down the wall, looking and feeling for anything that appeared out of place.
“It’s here?” Noah asked.
Before she could even nod, he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way. He ran a finger down the edge of the door frame and something clicked free in the wall. It popped open and Alana stared in surprise.
“It’s right in the seam of the wallpaper,” she whispered. “Clever.”
“Stay behind me,” he ordered as he pulled the door open and stepped inside the darkened passage.
Alana glanced around quickly, looking for something she could use as a weapon. She snatched a heavy candlestick from one of the hall tables and wiped the cobwebs away as she followed Noah into the passage.
Chapter Twenty-three
Aiden sprinted up the front steps and almost ran into Tray as he stepped out the front door. He jumped back and searched the entry hall behind Tray for Alana. When he didn’t see her, his heart almost stopped. He’d been worried sick since Lisa had disappeared, and they hadn’t been able to get hold of Alana by phone.
“Where is she?”
“They went into the passage. I was told to wait here for you so I could show you where they went,” Tray responded.
“What passage?”
“Long story.” Tray turned and waved his hand for them to follow.
“What’s going on, Tray?” John asked as he followed Aiden into the entry, three other cops behind him.
“We heard a female scream from somewhere in the house. Alana and Noah think it might be Lisa.”
Aiden took a moment to study Tray. His pale face showed every emotion, every worry, every fear. He tried to hide it, tried to appear brave, but Aiden knew how hard that could be. He reached out and patted Tray’s shoulder.
“If it’s Lisa, we’ll get her out,” Aiden assured him.
Tray nodded but remained silent.
Aiden followed him up the stairs, John and the other officers close on their heels. They made it midway down the hall when Tray stopped and pointed toward the wall. “They went in here…I think.”
With a frown, Aiden studied the solid wall. The only thing to indicate anything was a thin seam in the wallpaper. That was it—the seam.
He rushed forward and ran his fingers down the seam. The doors were set to close on their own, so if they went in here, the door shut behind them. He would have to find the mechanism to reopen it.
He felt with growing frustration. Where was it? Noah knew these tunnels much better than he did.
“How did they find this?” Aiden asked as he slid his fingers along the wainscoting.
“We saw someone enter it on the infrared camera we’d left running the other night.”
Aiden turned and looked at him in surprise. “Are you serious? It wasn’t paranormal?”
“No.” Tray nodded toward the door. “Could you hurry, please?”
Aiden shook his head and once again began running his fingers along the wall toward the closest door frame. “So whoever this is was here the whole time we were in the house.”
“So it would seem.”
“How the hell was he getting around?” John asked.
“The passageways,” Aiden replied as he slid his fingers up the outside of the door frame.
“I thought Noah went through all of them.”
“He went through most of them. We couldn’t find the entrance to the second floor, and it’s cut off everywhere else. He told me he believed the passages have been changed but couldn’t remember enough about them to know where.”
“Changed?” Tray asked, worry in his voice. “Who would change them and why?”
“Good question.” The mechanism clicked, forcing the door to pop open. “Bingo,” Aiden said with a smile.
He started to step into it, but John grabbed his arm, holding him back. Aiden turned to look at him, and John held up his gun. “Cop. I go first. You go second.”
“I don’t care who goes where, just go.”
John nodded and stepped into the very narrow and dark hallway. He held up his flashlight, pointing the light toward the end. He motioned with a tilt of his head for the others to follow as he stepped inside.
“It’s a tight squeeze, guys, so go slow.”
“Fuck slow,” Aiden mumbled.
* * *
Alana followed behind Noah as they made their way down a set of stairs so narrow, she had to turn sideways to get down them. They creaked and groaned under their weight to the point she became nervous and grasped the thin railing down the side of the wall. The beam of light from Noah’s flashlight illuminated the corridor below them. Dust floated through the beam like dancing fairies. There was so much dust, she had to resist the urge to sneeze.
Noah held up his hand, indicating she should stop. He stopped as well, and she held her breath, wondering what had made him come to a halt. He shut off his flashlight, and her stomach jerked at the darkness around them. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed a dim ray of light making its way down the hall, softly illuminating the rock walls and dirt floor at the bottom of the stairs.
“Where’s that—”
“Shh,” Noah hissed harshly as he placed a finger in front of his lips.
Alana bristled at his tone but quickly realized he’d been right to use it. She should be quiet. She should know better, but she was so worried about her friend all she could think about was finding her. The danger around them hadn’t really even entered her mind…until now.
The cold hand of dread worked its way up her spine, and she shivered. Wrapping her arms around herself for a brief second, she tried to listen to the soft noises coming from somewhere in front of them.
This was the third set of stairs they’d gone down. Apparently, the passageways continued well underground beneath the house as well as the barn a few yards away in a nearby field. They were extensive and winding like a labyrinth. Noah moved through the maze as if he knew where he was headed, and she’d followed behind, keeping quiet and trying to pay attention. Despite that, if she had to find her way out, she doubted she’d be successful. She was beyond lost. And, at the moment, beyond terrified.
“What is that?” she whispered as soft music filtered down the hallway toward them.
He shook his head. “I don’t know, but stay behind me.” He glanced back at her with a menacing scowl she believed had more bark than bite. “I mean it.”
“I get it,” she mouthed and waved her hand, indicating he should continue on.
Her fingers tightened around the candlestick as she followed Noah to the bottom of the stairs. He left the flashlight off so as not to warn anyone of their approach. Alana just hoped they hadn’t already tipped someone off.
She swallowed and glanced back up the stairs. She stiffened as she imagined someone up there, staring down at them through the darkness. She squinted, almost convinced she could actually see something or someone. Shaking
it off, she turned back to Noah and walked down a step.
The wood creaked beneath her feet, and she froze, fearful it had been too loud. Noah waved her on. There was no point stopping now. They’d come too far. Her heart beat faster as fear-backed adrenaline flowed through her veins. She’d faced ghosts head-on, even overzealous male dates, but never anything like this.
They were potentially about to face a killer. A man who preyed on women. A man who did God knows what to his victims.
Was this the same man who’d been responsible for the disappearance of all those girls on Noah’s computer? And what had happened to those girls?
As they went farther down, the damp air took on a putrid smell that made her stomach turn. She winced and put her hand over her mouth. The air smelled of rotting animals and urine.
What in God’s name was that?
Noah glanced back at her with a worried expression as they hit the bottom, then went around the corner as the tunnel took a turn to the right. It seemed to never end, going into what felt like a complete circle, sloping downward as they went. The light became brighter and the music louder as the circle straightened out.
They stood in the hall, just outside the light from the numerous candles burning inside the room. At the far end, Alana could see a spiral staircase that she assumed led to the barn above them. Aiden had told her about the passages that led to the barn when he’d initially told her about the house and its history, but it had been so long since they’d been in them, they hadn’t been able to rediscover the entrances.
“I should’ve done what I first thought about and ripped that damn barn down,” Noah growled softly.
“Do you see anything?” she whispered.
Noah shook his head. Her nerves rattled her entire body, making her shiver. She must have been temporarily insane to come along. She wanted to help her friend, but she wasn’t a cop. She wasn’t trained for this. Her fingers tightened on the candlestick for what must have been the fifth time since coming down the stairs.
Noah leaned to one side, trying to see inside the large room. Candlelight flickered off the damp rock walls. A scene that might’ve been pretty was ruined by the stench filling the air. She shuffled slowly forward and leaned so that she could peer around Noah’s shoulder. To the left of the room was a wooden table with tools, clothes, and jars half full of various items. Stains covered the clothes, the deep brown color either dirt or dried blood.
Alana cringed at the idea.
She moved to the other side, peeking around Noah’s other shoulder. He moved in front of her, blocking her view, and she shoved at his back.
“Don’t scream,” he said, his voice tense.
Alana stiffened as he shifted, allowing her to see what his body blocked. Her eyes widened as a scream climbed her throat. She put her hands over her mouth to try to hold it in, to keep the cry from escaping.
Who could do something so morbid?
A female body hung on the wall to the right, her arms held over her head by a pair of rusty shackles. Her body ghostly white and lifeless, the only color was the blood that had dried on her skin. It was everywhere, covering every inch. That had to be the smell.
My God. How long had she been down there?
“Where’s Lisa? Do you see her?” Alana whispered.
“Not yet.”
Tears streamed down her face as she imagined what might’ve been done to her friend. Would whoever this was mutilate her like he’d done that poor woman hanging against the wall?
“We need to find Lisa,” she pleaded, her voice cracking from fear.
Noah didn’t acknowledge her, but the stiffening of his body indicated he’d heard her. His hand grasped hers as he nodded toward the far right of the room. Alana shifted trying to see, but became frustrated when she didn’t see anything other than two feet and calves.
Whoever it was appeared to be lying on the dirt floor, motionless. A lump rose in Alana’s throat as she imagined all sorts of morbid things. She swallowed it back down, determined to be brave for her friend. She had to be. Noah might need her help.
A noise sounded from above them, and Alana jumped, searching the darkened stairs behind her.
“Would Aiden have gotten here that fast?” she whispered.
“Possible,” Noah replied and motioned for her to follow him. “Be careful and keep your eyes open. I don’t see any indication he’s in here, but just be cautious nonetheless.”
Alana nodded and swallowed down another lump of fear that threatened to choke her.
They moved forward slowly, Noah with his gun raised, his body tense and ready. Alana moved behind him, her hands shaking and nausea threatening to consume her.
Alana moved slowly toward the body, her heart breaking as she got closer and realized it was Lisa. She’d hoped it wasn’t her, that somehow her friend had gotten away. Her lips trembled, and she clamped her hand over her mouth before rushing forward to check on her lifeless friend. She knelt on the floor and brushed Lisa’s hair aside to better see her swelling face. Lisa was unconscious, her clothes ripped, blood drying on her cheeks and neck from her busted lip and broken nose. Alana touched the side of her throat and felt frantically for a pulse.
“Is she alive?” Noah asked.
Alana nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. “Yes. But she’s out cold. How are we going to get her out of here?”
She turned to look at Noah, who stood a few feet behind her studying all the tools lying on the far table. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure move from the shadows toward Noah. She screamed, alerting him, but he turned too late.
Alana’s scream sent ripples of terror through Noah. He turned but didn’t see the face of the man who slammed into him, shoving him against the rock wall.
The back of his head bounced off the rock with a sickening thud. Pain sped down his spine and lightning flashed behind his eyes. He struggled to keep conscious as darkness threatened to consume him. He blinked, then widened his eyes, trying to hold on to the moment and keep himself in the present. Alana couldn’t fight this guy. He was strong and had shoved Noah against the rock with enough force to take his breath.
He looked forward, and what he saw made his heart stop. Alana had stood and was creeping toward them.
“No!” he yelled just as the man who’d attacked him turned and backhanded her across the face.
“Alana!”
She grunted and fell sideways, landing on the ground with a groan. Even with his blurring vision he could see the blood oozing from her lip and nose.
“I’ll kill you, you dirty son of a bitch,” Noah growled, blinking to try to clear his eyesight.
The man turned back to him, and Noah gasped. His face was contorted in rage, his eyes a weird shade of amber, his lips snarling and cracked. Burns had scarred his flesh, leaving him grossly deformed. No wonder Lisa had said he wasn’t human that first night.
The man stared at Noah, and the color of his eyes changed, going back to a softer brown. He shook his head as though inwardly fighting against something. His breathing was harsh and shallow. As Noah watched him, he realized there was something about him that was familiar. It was the eyes.
Quick as a flash, the eyes turned back to amber, and he snarled. Whatever he’d been fighting had appeared to win as he stepped forward with a growl of rage and placed his hands around Noah’s neck before Noah could even respond. This guy moved with superhuman speed and held his grip with a strength Noah struggled to fight against.
Noah lifted his hand, placing his palm just under his attacker’s chin, and tried to force it up. As he did, there was something about the way his attacker looked at him that sparked a memory. He gasped as images began to pour back into his mind.
He was a teenager and had gone into the barn late at night, when he should’ve been in bed. Gram and Aiden were out of town. He’d decided to stay behind. While trying to get some sleep, he’d remembered he’d left something in the barn earlier and had gone to retrieve it.
He
’d walked in on something very similar to this—a deranged man, a battered woman, and blood everywhere. Noah’s eyes narrowed as he stared into the rage-filled eyes of his attacker. Despair unlike anything he’d ever felt raced through him, and his chest shook with a soft sob of disbelief.
This man had tried to kill him then, years ago, in the barn directly above them. He’d been in this same position, his hands around his neck, recognition tearing his heart from his chest.
It was his father!
“Noah!” Alana yelled.
“Get out,” Noah shouted hoarsely. “Alana, get out!”
His attacker turned back to Alana briefly, and his fingers loosened around Noah’s neck. “Look at me,” he snarled at his father. “Look at me. You know me.”
He turned back to Noah, a look of confusion in his eyes as the amber again began to fade. Noah didn’t believe in the paranormal, but there was definitely something going on here. Karen had always talked about the veil of evil within the house. Had that evil somehow taken over his father? Was his father somewhere inside this beast who had him pinned to the wall?
Behind his father Noah could see the wavering image of the same woman he’d been seeing ever since Alana arrived. Were they right? Was she his mother? And was she here to help?
His eyes widened as more memories came rushing back. She’d been there that night. She’d helped him, protected him. She’d done something to him, made him different. What had she done?
Noah let go of his father’s face and put the backs of his hands against the wall. He concentrated hard, keeping his gaze on his mother just over his father’s shoulder. In his mind, he envisioned shoving his father. It’s what his mother had told him to do that night, and it had worked. It had saved him, allowing him to get away.
Noah shouted as he concentrated harder. His father’s hands fell away from his neck, and he flew backward with a gasp as though something pulled him from behind. Noah stared in shock as his father flew over twenty feet, landing against the far wall with an inhuman squeal of pain.
He glanced down at Alana’s startled expression and felt a pain deep in his chest. There was fear in her eyes. Was it fear of him?
Darkness Falls Page 21