MOON FALL

by Tamara Thorne

  "I- I'm afraid he's escaped," she stammered, fear growing in her eyes.

  ''How?"

  ''The window in the bathroom by your office. He said he was sick, and-"

  Dashwood stood, drawing himself to his full height. ''What about the girl and Bibiana?"

  "They're ready. Basil-Bob is guarding them."

  He nodded. "I'm very disappointed in you, Regina."

  She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."

  "You will be flogged for this."

  "I know," she replied softly.

  "Go quietly into the church and fetch three of the girls from the back row to help search for him. Then go back to the infirmary and guard the sacrifices yourself. Do you think you can do that without fouling things up?"

  ''Yes, Doctor."

  ''Good. Apprise Boullan of the situation. Tell him to use any means short of death to recapture the boy. We need to bring him and the others into the chapel in exactly fifteen minutes."

  "What if we don't find him?"

  He studied her. "Then you will answer to Mother Lucy, and she will be far more severe in her punishment than I."

  Regina fled the room and Dashwood followed, walking out into the night. Of the three sacrifices, the male was the least important. It was not a gift for the Beast, but a sacrifice that was more truly for the orchards and for Lucy's pleasure. The ceremony could continue without him, but Lucy would be enraged, and Regina wasn't the only one who would suffer her fury. She couldn't punish him, as she would anyone else, but she was a vindictive bitch, fully capable of making his life miserable.

  "Damn it." He walked into the dark cemetery, his eyes darting among the moonlit gravestones, hoping to see movement. First Kelly Reed escaped, then Sara Hawthorne, and now the boy. The sisters were getting very sloppy, and he and Lucy would have to do something about it. More new blood, perhaps.

  A twig cracked and be turned to see Marybeth Tingler, in her red robes, picking her way around the gravestones.

  ''Doctor Dashwood?"

  "Yes?" He moved to join her. "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be inside."

  "I-I know, but I thought I should tell you something."

  ''And what would that be?"

  "I think I saw her. Miss Hawthorne, I mean."

  He took her shoulders. "Where?"

  ''In there." She nodded toward the chapel.

  "When?"

  "When we were ... during my initiation. She was in the second pew from the front, on the right." She hesitated. "I'm not positive, though."

  ''Why did you take so long to tell me?"

  ''It was the first time I could get away without being noticed."

  He kissed her forehead chastely, then let go of her shoulders. "Thank you, Marybeth- I mean, Sister Mary Elmo. I won't forget this." He smiled beneficently. "Go back inside now, and try not to draw attention to yourself. I'll take care of everything." He drew a small notepad from a pocket in the robe and wrote a short note to Lucy, apprising her only of Mark Lawson's disappearance. "Give this to Lucy when you can," he said, folding the paper and handing it to her.

  "Yes, Doctor."

  Still smiling to himself, he watched her disappear into the chapel, where the chanting was rising to monumental proportions as midnight approached. When he wrote the note about Mark, he considered alerting Lucy, but the thought of surprising her had been far more appealing. There was a chance, too, that the girl was wrong, but he doubted it; he didn't believe Sara had been able to leave the grounds, and what better place for the prey to hide than under the hunter's nose? It required courage, something he admired.

  He strode across the lawn to the school building and downstairs to the infirmary, where he found a cowed-looking Sister Regina watching the two female sacrifices like the proverbial hawk. He told her the procession would begin shortly, boy or no boy, then went into his office and prepared a syringe of mild but fast-acting tranquilizer to jab Sara with when the procession began.

  One hundred-ten

  Kelly Reed hadn't moved from her hiding place in the bushes on the north side of the chapel. Once she was safely hidden, she didn't know what else to do. People had come and gone constantly, and she'd seen several robed figures prowling the grounds, perhaps looking for her. She had little doubt that Mark was here, perhaps in the chapel, and that he needed her help, but what could she do?

  She rested her elbows on her knees, her brow on her hands. Hot, silent tears cascaded down her cheeks, and she gave up trying to stop them.

  ''Kelly."

  Thinking she only imagined Minerva's whisper, she lifted her head. Minerva stood before her and Kelly flinched, thinking of the revenant. Then she realized that she could barely see her in the darkness. "You're real," she whispered.

  Minerva folded herself down in the bushes next to Kelly. ''This is Father Paul," she murmured.

  Startled, Kelly saw the blond man who stood in the shadows. He joined them, kneeling on the ground, and for an instant, Kelly thought he had a hunchback, then realized it was a knapsack when he swung it onto the ground.

  "He's a Catholic priest, Kelly, not like Dashwood."

  "I was here on a night like this many years ago," he told her. "I'm here to help save Mark."

  "What are you doing here?" Minerva asked, and Kelly quickly explained about the phantom of Mark that had led her into the woods.

  Minerva nodded."Have you seen anyone coming or going since you've been here?"

  ''Yes. Some of them are prowling around like they're looking for someone. Dashwood and Boullan are both out. Dashwood just went into the school building. Minerva, what's going on?"

  ''At midnight, they call their god into this world to feast on human flesh."

  "Satan," added the priest.

  "It's an evil force, whatever its name," Minerva said. "Father Paul and I are going to try to banish it before another innocent is killed."

  ''What should I do?" Kelly asked.

  "It's not safe for you to leave, so for now, stay here with us. Sheriff Lawson will join us soon, hopefully, with Mark. I believe Sara is here, too. You've seen no sign of her?"

  Kelly shook her head. Within the chapel, the voices rose to frenzied levels.

  One hundred-eleven

  John had slipped into the school building and downstairs to the infirmary without being seen, but finding the exam room containing the entrance to the basement had been far more difficult.

  The infirmary was not deserted; Dashwood's prune-faced nurse had been sitting in one room with the lights on and the door ajar. With her were two people- a woman and a girl dressed in white robes. He hesitated long enough to make sure it wasn't Sara under all the makeup, then whisked past the door successfully, hoping the basement entry was not in the occupied room.

  There were four more doors, all closed. The first, he knew, was to Dashwood's office. The next door yielded a restroom, and he noticed that the window over the toilet was open far enough for a man to climb through. It was something to keep in mind, he thought, as he opened the next door. It was an exam room, but the door inside led only to a linen closet.

  One door left. John slipped inside quickly as voices sounded down the hall. He crossed to a door similar to the one in the previous room. Opening it, he felt a surge of relief. The closet was empty, without shelves. He stepped inside and quickly found a small latch on the back wall. He depressed it and the door opened.

  After closing the outer door, he made his way down into the darkness, cursing his dead penlight. Halfway down the stairs or so he figured- he halted and listened. ''Mark?" he called. ''Mark? Are you here?''

  Only the echo of his own voice answered him. He called louder, but still there was no reply. The only thing he could see was the glow of his watch face when he lifted his sleeve: ten minutes until midnight. Without light, there was no way John could explore the basement, so he turned and carefully made his way back up the stairs and into the closet.

  He exited the closet and crossed to the door, then paused, li
stening. Silence. He slipped into the hall. Light glowed from the exam room where the woman and the girl were waiting. The door leading to the front waiting area was shut, just as he'd left it. He paused, wondering if he should try to get the women out now; then the waiting room door opened and the decision was made for him. Before he could move, a half dozen robed figures came in, led by Dashwood, his cowl thrown back. The doctor saw him and started running.

  John opened the door to the bathroom and ran in, leapt onto the toilet, and shimmied through the tight window, pulling free just as Dashwood entered. John crashed through the bushes and ran across the back of the building, not slowing until he reached the end.

  He had to make it to the chapel, but it was impossible because the doors were wide open and robed figures were filing out. He crouched in the shadows of the bushes and checked his watch. It was only a few minutes until midnight.

  The figures formed into two rows lining either side of the chapel doors. They began to chant and their voices carried eerily through the night air.

  Something rustled in the bushes behind him. Turning, he aimed his gun at the sound. ''Come out or I shoot," he hissed.

  "Dad?"

  ''Mark?" He pushed between the bushes and came face to face with his son, who was hefting a football-sized rock, the sharp point aimed right at him.

  Mark's eyes opened wide and be set the rock down. "Dad!"

  "Shhh. They'll hear us." As he spoke, he stuck the gun in his waistband and pushed the rest of the way through the bushes, not caring about the twigs scratching his hands and face. He grabbed Mark and hugged him. ''Oh, God, I thought you were- "

  "Dead," Mark finished, as he returned John's hug with a near stranglehold. "I almost was. They drugged me. I got away through the bathroom window."

  "So did I," John said. "They'll be looking for us. Minerva's waiting by the chapel; we have to get to her."

  The boy nodded, then tensed as the door at the end of the school building opened, less than eight feet away.

  Dashwood and Mother Lucy came out and turned toward the door, raising their cowls. "Richard," Lucy hissed, "kill Lawson on sight. He can't disrupt the ceremony."

  "Don't worry, my love," Dashwood said softly, his tone irritated. ''Nothing can happen now. And I have good news for you, Lucy. Sara Hawthorne has been located."

  ''Really? Where?"

  "See the faithful waiting for us outside the chapel?"

  Lucy nodded.

  "She's among them. I'll inject a tranquilizer as soon as I pass her. Then we can give her to the Beast, or keep her for ourselves, whatever you desire."

  "Richard," she purred. "I'm impressed. Here they come."

  John watched as the pair stepped back and two more stepped out, supporting the white-clad girl between them. They were followed by another duo, these guiding the woman in white. Finally, the third pair exited. John shivered, knowing that if things had gone their way, they would be bringing Mark to the altar.

  Lucy and Dashwood started across the lawn toward the chapel, the others following at a stately pace. John knew he couldn't get to Sara before Dashwood did, but at least the doctor had said he was only giving her a tranquilizer.

  One hundred-twelve

  Minerva and Paul entered the chapel from the rear as soon as the congregation had filed out, and now Minerva saw that Paul was staring in shock at the inverted cross, the black altar, and the gargoyles lining the walls. "Come, Paul," she whispered. "Begin your rites. We don't have much time."

  The priest nodded. He now wore a large crucifix around his neck- his own sort of amulet, Minerva thought- and held an open vial of holy water. Speaking softly in Latin, he began sprinkling the water. When some hit a gargoyle mounted near the chancel, it sizzled.

  Minerva began her own ancient rites. The chapel was charged from the sisters' magic, and as she spoke, she felt as if she were breathing cold oil into her lungs, not oxygen. Her ears rang and hurt from the changing air pressure in the room. She approached the gargoyle that had sizzled and put her hand on its ugly muzzle. It was ice-cold, but the eyes, dull and reddish, began to glow crimson. It was stone ... living stone.

  One hundred-thirteen

  Kelly edged nearer the front of the chapel, keeping to the shadows, careful to make no sound. The nuns and chosen students stood on either side of the doors, their heads turned toward the school building. A small procession carne out the door, led by Dashwood and Lucy, and slowly began walking across the lawn.

  Trying not to worry about Minerva inside the building, she tried to see some of the faces, soon recognizing several of the nuns, plus Buffy Bullock and Marcia Crowley. Marybeth Tingler wore a red robe and a smile. For an instant, she saw a flash of face from under a cowl, and she jumped, thinking she recognized Sara Hawthorne. She kept her eyes on the woman, and finally, she showed her profile for a split second. It is Sara!

  One hundred-fourteen

  Sara shivered as she stood in the line of Satanists watching as Dashwood and Lucy approached. She strained to see the white-clad figures being brought behind them and as they neared, she nearly sighed with relief. Mark wasn't among them. He'd escaped.

  Or had he? Had he made it home and alerted John? Her eyes darted as she searched for him in vain. Where was he? Where was Minerva? Maybe the nuns and Dashwood had gotten to both of them. Maybe they were all dead. Don't think like that!

  Sara turned her gaze back to Dashwood and Lucy, and her heart skipped a beat. Lucy was walking slowly down the opposite line, pushing the cowls back to reveal the faces beneath.

  Dashwood was doing the same thing on her line and was quickly approaching. Her mind raced. She had to get away, and her only choice was to run. She swallowed hard, wondering if she could make it into the woods. Her chances were small, but if she didn't run, they were nil.

  Suddenly, Dashwood moved straight to her, skipping the two women before her. He grabbed her cowl and yanked it back. ''Did you know, my dear Sara, that fear has an odor? I can smell it on you." He grabbed her arm with one hand and raised a hypodermic with the other.

  ''No!"

  Sara heard Kelly's cry and saw the girl racing toward her. Dashwood grunted and slammed into her, the syringe flying from his band.

  "Come on!" Kelly yelled, trying to yank her out from under Dashwood, but the man shook her off and pinned Sara's wrists.

  Sara heard Kelly scream, saw movement behind her, heard more shrill cries. Dashwood pulled Sara up, twisting her arm behind her, almost breaking it. Then he put a knife to her throat.

  Lucy had Kelly in a similar hold, minus the knife. ''It's time!" she called out. "All of you, line up and enter the chapel. Now!"

  Sara and Kelly struggled in vain while the Satanists filed into the chapel. Last came the sacrifices; then she and Kelly were alone with Dashwood and Lucy.

  "What shall we do with them?" Lucy asked.

  "Bring them in. There's no time."

  One hundred-fifteen

  Minerva had hurried Paul out of sight behind the drapes framing the inverted crucifix as soon as they'd heard the screams. She knew they had Kelly and Sara.

  The church bell began to chime, heralding midnight. She glanced at Paul, wondering how much good they'd done. He smiled tightly, sweat beading on his forehead despite the preternaturally chill air.

  She beard the congregation returning, heard their feet, their soft chanting. The air began to thicken and electricity lifted the hairs on her arms and neck as the bell chimed on. The Beast was on its way.

  One hundred-sixteen

  John cringed at the sound of Kelly Reed's scream; his stomach clenched when be heard Sara's voice. For a moment, be saw nothing; then the robed figures moved into the chapel, and he saw Lucy holding Kelly's arm and Dashwood standing behind Sara.

  It was time to strike. "Wait here, Mark."

  "No way! I'm going with you. You have a gun."

  He couldn't argue with that. "Stay behind me."

  He drew his gun and dashed out of the bushes, runnin
g straight across the lawn toward the chapel.

  "Let them go!" he ordered. Dashwood and Lucy both stared at him, Lucy's face a scowl, Dashwood's amused. He pressed the knife against Sara's neck. and John saw a crimson bead seep from her throat.

  "It seems, my dear Lawson, that we're at a stalemate," the doctor said smoothly.

  Suddenly, Kelly moved, and John saw her foot come down hard on Lucy's. The nun cursed and Kelly was free. She ran at Dashwood. "Let her go!"

  "Kelly, no!" John yelled, and the girl stopped short of tackling Dashwood, paralyzed like a deer caught in headlights. Lucy lunged at her and John turned his gun on the nun. "Stop, or I'll shoot!"

  "Fuck you!" Lucy screamed, as she wrapped her hands around Kelly's neck and began to squeeze.

  John squeezed the trigger. Blood spurted from Lucy's head and she went down and lay still. He'd scored a direct bit.

  Then something began to happen to her body. Under the black robe, it moved, the legs drawing up and disappearing beneath the cloth, followed by the arms and head.

  Suddenly, a nightflyer shrieked. The black robe flapped and then was thrown aside to reveal a creature, hideously ugly from its lizardy tail to its mouthful of sharp teeth. It flapped its wings, shrieked again, then took off, flying up to the top of the chapel cross. Awestruck, John watched it, and realized that some of the gargoyles were missing from the chapel roof. Most of them, in fact.

  Dashwood was laughing, though it was hard to hear above the frenzied chanting. "Where else would Lucy roost?" He laughed harder. "Good shot, Lawson, and thank you. I was tired of her tyranny. And now, if you'll excuse me, Sara and I are late for a date with the devil."

  Dashwood turned, backing toward the church, using Sara as a shield. John watched helplessly, Mark and Kelly beside him.