Frozen Statues, Perdition Games

by L E Fraser

  “Lisa, I need you to do what I say,” she said quietly. “Can you do that?” Sam pinched her friend’s chin between her thumb and index finger, forcing Lisa to focus on her calm voice. She squeezed her shoulder with the other hand and gave Lisa a gentle shake. Her head bobbed but her eyes didn’t focus.

  “Look at me,” she whispered.

  Slowly, Lisa’s eyes cleared and she blinked. She jerked against Sam’s grasp.

  “Don’t scream,” Sam said. “Stay very quiet.”

  “What was that?” she whimpered.

  “A person wearing a costume.”

  Lisa was shaking her head. “No. The smell. Sulphur.” She started to cry in gasping snuffles.

  Sam pulled her into her arms. “A container broke. The odour is from the chemicals they store here.”

  Lisa hiccupped against her shoulder. “It’s a demon,” she hissed. “It has cloven hooves.”

  “Shh, it’s a costume.”

  From the other side of the centre skids, the thing was calling for her. It was time.

  She pulled away from Lisa, keeping a strong hold on her shoulders. “When I tell you to, run for the door. When you get out, get to the main road. The jammer won’t have that far a range. Call the police.”

  Lisa’s eyes widened. “Leave you with—”

  “I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

  “We’re going to die.” She cried harder.

  “We aren’t dying here today.” Sam gripped her chin and forced Lisa’s face up, so she could hold her eyes. “On my signal, you’re going to run.”

  Sam glanced around the pallet racking. He wasn’t there, but he could jump out at them. Doubt paralyzed her.

  Music blared, a heavy metal song, the screaming vocals indecipherable against the pounding bass. Lisa cried out and cringed.

  The music would cover any noise her friend made. “Do you trust me?” she asked.

  Lisa nodded.

  “Run.” Sam shoved her.

  Lisa stumbled, tripped, and staggered to her feet. Crying, she outstretched her arms and shuffled along the dark, narrow passage. Halfway down, she staggered into the side of the racking and a box fell with a bang.

  “I hear you,” the animal howled. Pounding footsteps ricocheted, headed to the front of the warehouse.

  Lisa was moving too slowly. Their captor would intercept her. There was only one way Sam could guarantee her friend’s escape.

  She dashed between the racking and burst into the centre of the warehouse behind the creature. “I’m right here,” Sam screamed. “Come and get me.”

  The monster growled laughter and lurched toward her. Seconds that felt like hours passed. She stood motionless, hoping he didn’t turn and see Lisa.

  A burst of light flooded through the open door. The creature twisted and roared, swinging the axe against the cement in frustration. Sparks flew from the point of impact.

  Sam fled into the dark belly of the warehouse.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Eli

  ELI FINISHED SCANNING the final file into his new database. There were still a few tasks to accomplish. The interface wasn’t user friendly and the functionality had to be beta-tested. But he was ahead of schedule. Meaning Sam and Reece could terminate his employment. Not that he would blame them. He’d messed up. Worse, Danny was still at risk. When his father received parole, he’d come for her. Nothing would stop the murderous bastard.

  Last night, Danny had told him it wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t trust Sam. They’d find another way. There was still five months until his father’s parole hearing. Until they figured out how to keep him in prison, she promised to stay home. No one could breach the high security and get to the penthouse undetected. Everything Eli had done was to prevent her from losing her freedom. He’d failed. Danny was a prisoner in their home. It was the only way to keep her safe.

  His cell tweeted and he opened Sam’s text. Nothing but an address. It tweeted again.

  Meet me at twelve-thirty at that address if you want to keep your job.

  Bewildered, Eli attached his Taser holster to his belt and put on his jacket. He did want to keep his job, but the tone of her text wasn’t hopeful. He locked the office and hurried downstairs to grab a cab.

  As they drove, Eli read the text again. He scrolled through her other messages, and his brow furrowed in puzzlement. The tone of this one was different. Maybe it was a joke. He often missed the nuances of sarcasm and banter.

  The cabbie pulled into a gravel lot outside a huge warehouse. Eli reached for his laptop bag. It wasn’t there. He’d left it at the office and would have to go all the way back to get it after he met Sam. Irritated, he gave the driver fifty dollars and opened the car door.

  “Want me to wait?” the cabbie asked.

  “No thanks. Keep the change.”

  Eli got out and surveyed his surroundings. There were two vehicles in the lot—a grey sedan and a minivan—but the heavy security door was latched. There must be a bell. He strolled across the gravel yard just as the door burst open. Startled, Eli stumbled back and a tall woman with long black hair crashed into him.

  She screamed and thrashed against his chest. Confused, Eli stepped back and raised his hands. He recognized her. “Lisa, right?”

  Crying, she ran to the minivan and frantically tried to activate the fob to unlock the driver side door.

  Eli had no clue what was wrong with her, but he could help her get in her van. “I’m Eli Watson, remember?” He took the keys from her trembling hand. “We met at Brandy’s funeral.” He unlocked the door and held it open. “What’s wrong?”

  She spun and her wide brown eyes stared at him. “You have to help her.” Her fingers gripped the doorframe so tight that her knuckles turned white. “Something’s in there with her,” she screamed.

  Eli glanced over his shoulder at the warehouse. She must mean Sam. He shoved Lisa into the driver’s seat of her van. “Lock the doors and call the police.”

  “It’s… it’s not human.” Lisa sobbed louder.

  Eli tugged his Taser from the holster. It stuck and he had to yank on it. “Call the cops.” He slammed her door shut.

  He sprinted to the warehouse and stepped through the open door, cradling his left hand under his right and wrapping his finger around the Taser trigger. Hours of practice hadn’t prepared him for this. His legs shook as he took a tentative step inside.

  Blaring music came from his left. With his heart hammering in his chest, Eli crept along the exterior wall to the corner. He kicked something and bent down to look. A Marshall Stanmore speaker, about the size of a shoebox. Tucking the Taser back in its holster, he reached for his cell and clicked the light on. He examined the speaker’s knobs and then turned it off. Silence.

  Even with the door open, there was minimum light, which increased his fear. He wrestled the Taser out of the holster but the weight of the weapon did nothing to reassure him. “This is not good. This is very bad,” he muttered and his hand grew moist against the Taser grip.

  Tall skids of heavy boxes lined the middle of the warehouse. To the right of a large forklift lane were rows of towering shelves. He walked toward the racks. The heels of his boots clicked against the cement. At the first row, he peered down the aisle. Empty. He continued moving stealthily, pausing to peek down each row. Halfway to the back, he heard a faint shuffle.

  If Sam was hiding from whoever was after her, he needed to call out to let her know he was the one skulking around.

  “Sam?” His voice cracked and he swallowed. “It is Eli. I have a weapon.” He infused his voice with confidence. “You can come out. I will shoot anyone but you.”

  Reality was not always better than fantasy was, because Eli didn’t like the dark warehouse one bit. This was nothing like a video game. He slunk to the next row, his back tingling and vulnerable.

  “I have a gun,” he yelled into the gloom.

  If he used his cell to light the way, he feared he wouldn’t be able to control
the tremors in his right hand. He had one chance to fire. He’d have to reload a fresh cartridge if he missed.

  Pounding footsteps approached him from the darkness. Arms shaking, Eli spread his legs and aimed in the direction of the noise.

  “This is not good,” he mumbled. “This is very bad.” The mantra did nothing to stop his twitches.

  A figure emerged from the shadows. He prepared to fire and pulled back at the last second. It was Sam. Her arms pumped as she sprinted.

  “Run!” she screamed.

  Less than a metre behind her, something was chasing her.

  Eli gawked at a ghostly figure in a glowing robe. A hand reached for Sam’s shoulder.

  “Hey! Over here!” Eli dashed forward.

  Sam’s arm swung as she tried to stop him. He brushed passed her, shoving her behind him.

  Eli took aim. The monster lifted an axe. Eli froze, staring into a pair of stone-cold dark eyes behind an ugly mask. His finger slipped off the trigger. Panicked, he lowered his head and charged, hitting the figure in the gut with the crown of his head. His left hand grappled at the robe. His fingers squeezed a mound of flesh. He pinched and twisted it.

  The monster grunted in pain and lurched back. The mask shifted and he glimpsed brown hair. Eli lost his balance and faltered. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glint from the sharp edge of the axe as it swung toward him.

  Sam tackled Eli around the knees. They fell in a heap and she rolled. The Taser tumbled from his hand. The steel head of the axe clanged onto the cement beside his head. Sparks flew across his face.

  Sam jumped to her feet. The axe swung again. She leaped back and ducked. The blade whistled over her head.

  Eli crawled to the Taser and seized it. Shifting to a crouch, he inhaled a steady breath and pulled the trigger as he exhaled. The metal probes flew through the air and plunged into the costume at chest height. The axe fell and the monster pitched back but didn’t fall. The phosphorescent fabric of the robe was too thick for the probes to embed in the skin and disable their attacker.

  Sam was tugging on his arm, trying to lift him. Eli scrambled to his feet, fumbling to remove the spent cartridge from the Taser. He could reload. He had time.

  Grunting, he stepped backwards but Sam twirled him around. Her hand was a vice grip on his upper arm.

  They ran to the front door and Sam slammed it shut behind them, yelling at him to get in the car. He jumped into the grey sedan. The driver’s side door flew open and Sam dived behind the wheel. Gravel showered the windows from the spinning tires as they raced out of the lot.

  Cruisers sped by them, sirens blaring. She slammed on the brakes, swung her arm across his headrest, and reversed the car. She whipped into a U-turn. The back end fishtailed as she wrenched the wheel and followed the cops back to the warehouse where she slid to a stop behind a squad car. Yanking the key from the ignition, she leaped from the car and dashed over to a group of uniformed officers. Eli stepped out of the sedan and trailed behind her with his arms glued to his sides.

  The minivan pulled in and Lisa jumped out. She ran over to them and embraced Sam. Two cops unholstered their guns and headed into the warehouse. After a short conversation with Sam, three more cops went inside.

  “Give me a minute but don’t leave,” the last officer said to Sam. He marched to his cruiser.

  When they were alone, much to Eli’s shock and discomfort, Lisa hugged him.

  “You’re a reckless idiot,” Sam said to him as he squirmed away. “But your timing couldn’t have been better. He almost had me.”

  “Uh, you mean she almost had you.” He snapped the elastic on his wrist. The sharp sting squashed his impulse to babble.

  Sam sobered. “It was a woman? Are you sure?” Her eyes drilled into his.

  “Yeah, I grabbed a… well, a breast.” Warmth bathed his face and he snapped the elastic hard. “When I charged her, I mean.” He cleared his throat and concentrated on subduing his flapping arm. “I reached up to pull off the mask, but I was too low.” His eye twitched uncontrollably. “Either it was a skinny dude with giant man-boobs or a woman.”

  Two officers walked toward them. Sam blocked Eli from their view. “Keep that Taser hidden.”

  “The cartridge is in there,” he said, inclining his head at the warehouse.

  “I’ll handle that. You weren’t inside, understand?” She turned to Lisa. “Everything happened exactly as it did, but Eli got in the van with you.”

  Lisa didn’t appear happy but she nodded. Sam went over to intercept the cops.

  “I am sorry you have to lie,” Eli mumbled.

  Lisa shrugged. “She’s protecting you. That’s what Sam does for her friends. Are you allowed to carry a Taser?”

  “No.”

  “I called Reece.” Lisa gazed down the road. “He should be here soon.”

  “I do not know why she would protect me. I am a big fat liar. I lied to Sam and Reece about my biological father,” Eli blurted, anxiety whirling around him. “He is in Millhaven. But I have never been there. I do not know Incubus. My asshole father killed my mother. He is going to kill my foster sister. I am a millionaire and I live in a penthouse.” He gasped for breath.

  Lisa stared at him with an odd expression that he couldn’t read.

  “I did it again.” His shoulders slumped. “I do not have great social skills.”

  She burst out laughing. “Then you and Sam will get along just fine.”

  Reece pulled up and joined them. After they explained what happened, Sam walked over.

  “The cops didn’t find anyone inside,” she told them. “He… I mean, she went out the loading dock door. Officers are searching the area but she’ll be long gone.” She blew her breath out and put her hands on her hips.

  “It had to have been the Frozen Statue Killer,” Reece said.

  Sam nodded. “And we have our connection to Incubus.”

  “The demon costume,” Reece said.

  Lisa shuddered. “I want to go home and hug my kids.”

  “Are you okay to drive?” Reece asked. “An officer can take you. Jim and I can pick your car up tonight. I want to talk to him about upgrading your home security.”

  “Please—my husband will hire bodyguards.” She tried a smile but even Eli could tell it was an effort.

  Lisa hugged Sam. “Call me later, okay?”

  Sam promised and Eli gazed after Lisa as she drove away.

  “Why was Lisa here?” he asked.

  “She received a text to meet me but I didn’t send it,” Sam said.

  Eli didn’t get it. He was missing something. “Why involve her?”

  “When Lutz wrote me, he said ‘You would sacrifice your life to protect your friend.’ He told whoever he’s working with to use her as bait.” Sam’s face was grim. “What worries me is that whoever did this knows I take Kira, her daughter, on adventure days. I’ve been under surveillance for over a month.”

  “Where is your cell?” Eli asked.

  She checked her pockets. “It must be in the car. Why?”

  “You have been hacked,” he said. “The false text messages prove that. But they could be listening to you through your phone.”

  “And Lisa and I talked about adventure day when I was at her house,” she said.

  “Can your sister determine where the messages originated?” Reece asked.

  Eli shrugged. “We can try. If it is possible, Danny can do it.”

  “What I don’t understand is why bring Eli here?” Sam asked Reece.

  “She planned to kill you and Lisa and take me,” Eli said with absolute certainty. “She is running out of frozen statues.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Sam

  AT ELI’S GRAND penthouse, it was obvious from Danny’s surly expression that she wasn’t happy to see them clomping down the stairs from the private elevator.

  She made a strange growl in the back of her throat. “What’s she doing here?”

  Eli ignored her and
fluttered around Reece and Sam. “Would you like something to drink or a snack?”

  “This isn’t a party.” Sam stood beside Danny’s sophisticated workstation. “We need your help.”

  “Then you’re out of luck.”

  “The Frozen Statue Killer targeted your brother this afternoon,” Sam stated bluntly.

  Danny’s mouth dropped open. She spun her chair and gawked at Eli. “What?”

  “I am okay,” he said.

  Danny leapt to her feet, knocking over her chair. She hugged her brother and a sob caught in her throat.

  As Eli showed his sister the text message he’d received from Sam and explained what had happened at the warehouse, Sam flipped her disabled cell between her hands. Her eyes drifted to a red parka on the sofa. Shocked, she marched over and grabbed it.

  She waved the jacket at Danny. “I knew it! You have been following me. Why?”

  Eli held his sister at arm’s length. “Danny?”

  Sam was livid. “You stole my phone last time I was here and deleted a picture because it proved you were following me.”

  Reece turned to Danny. “Is that true?”

  She cringed and moved closer to her brother. “I wasn’t following her,” she muttered to Eli. “I just wanted to talk to her.”

  “About what?” Sam demanded.

  Danny shuffled over to the protection of her desk, righted the ergonomic chair, and plopped into it. Her domain gave her confidence and her back straightened, but her eyes were wary when they flicked toward Reece.

  “She went to a coffee shop,” Danny said to Eli. “I was gonna go in, get a java, and talk to her. That’s it.” She scowled and pointed at Sam. “But she went psycho and ran across the street like a crazy person. It scared me so I took off.”

  “What did you want with Sam?” Eli asked.

  “You yak about her all the time,” Danny muttered. “I got sick of it.”

  Sam could not believe that this mousy girl had terrified her. “You were jealous?”

  “It’s not like that,” Danny retorted. “I didn’t trust you to take care of my brother. When you showed up here last time and accused me of following you, well…” She trailed off.