by A. I. Nasser
Alan kicked out at Cole, trying to break free of the grip on his neck, but the man would not budge. “It’s been six months, Cole. You’ve been here for six months!”
Daniel suddenly let go of Alan’s neck and sat back, his eyes wide as he searched Alan’s face for any sign of deceit. Alan simply stared at him, massaging his neck.
“Six months?” Daniel stammered.
Alan nodded. Apparently, time had a different pace here.
Daniel Cole ran a hand through his white hair and scratched the back of his head, contemplating the new information he was hearing.
“How did you even do it, Carter?”
“A girl,” Alan answered. “There was a girl, and she showed me a door. Or at least I think she did. I can’t remember.”
“What girl?”
“Allison Carter.”
Daniel nodded. “Of course,” he whispered, smiling to himself. “How did I never think of that? It had to be Allison.”
“How so?”
Daniel sighed as he pushed himself slowly to his feet and slumped down into his chair. “She was the first,” he said. “The first child Copper had brought here. It’s understandable; if this place had a back door, it would be in Allison Carter’s room.”
“Do you know how to find it?” Alan asked.
Daniel finally looked up at him, and now Alan could see the age had crept back into his face. His lines were deeper, his eyes sunken, and he looked like a man that carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Rachel Adams told you, didn’t she?” Daniel asked. “She filled you in on everything.”
Alan nodded.
“You freed him, you know?” Daniel said. “Copper was bound by blood until you denied him. Now he’s hauling children in by the bucket load. I controlled him. I had him on a leash.”
“Forgive me if I don’t empathize with the man who offered my sister to that monster.”
“Oh, drop it already,” Daniel hissed. “None of this would have happened if it weren’t for your family. None of us would be in this position. My ancestors just pulled the trigger. It was the Carters that brought hell upon this town.”
“It was the Council,” Alan shot back. “Don’t blame this on my family.”
“If Abigail Carter hadn’t framed Copper for her daughter’s disappearance, no one would have burned that man alive!”
Alan frowned in confusion, hearing this for the first time.
“Of course you didn’t know,” Daniel said. “You learn things when you’re stuck in this place, things you wish you had never known. Copper never kidnapped those children. That woman out there, the woman in red? She’s the one who should have been hanged. And you want to know the funny thing? Jeremiah Carter had actually investigated her. He was so caught up in his own theory, had convinced his wife of it even, and he completely looked past it.”
Alan pushed himself to his feet, angered that Daniel was trying to throw blame on his family for the mess he knew the entire town was responsible for.
“Copper took Allison first, of course, along with her kidnapper,” Daniel said. “There was a boy, too, but he was dead by the time Copper was coming for the children of Melington.” Daniel leaned forward and pointed a shaking finger at Alan. “Your family started this, and I hope every last one of you burns in hell for it. I’m happy I offered your sister in the blood binding. I’d do it again if I had the chance!”
Alan rushed at him, a surprise lunge that didn’t give Cole any chance to react. The punch echoed in the empty hospital hall, and Daniel crashed to the ground in a heap. Alan dove for him, grabbing him by the collar and raising his fist to land another blow when the door behind him suddenly flew open.
Alan felt hands grab him by the shoulders and pull hard, and before he knew what was happening, he was flying out of Daniel Cole’s room back into the corridor beyond.
***
Deborah slapped Alan again, this time harder. She was beginning to panic, Alan’s face set in a deep scowl as he thrashed and kicked on the couch. She was going to lose him; she could feel it as surely as she had known this whole thing was a bad idea to start with.
Deborah slapped again, and before she could raise her hand for a fourth blow, Alan’s eyes flew open and he sat up with a start, gasping for air.
“Daniel!” Alan cried out. “Daniel’s in there. Your mother was right, Debbie. The children are alive. They’re all alive!”
Deborah felt a sudden relief wash over her, only then realizing that she had unknowingly been hoping it were true. She grabbed Alan by the arms and looked him in the eye as she saw tears swell up there.
“Did you find her?” she asked. “Kathrine. Did you find your sister?”
Alan shook his head. “But I think I know how I can.”
***
Rachel Adams woke up to the sound of her cell phone, quickly reaching for it and silencing its shrill tone. She looked at the caller ID and immediately sat up, answering quickly.
“We have a serious problem,” Fiona Bright’s voice came through the line.
“What is it?” Rachel asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she reached for the glass of water she usually kept on her night stand.
“There’s a reporter from New York in town, and he knows a lot about the missing children,” Fiona said. “He’s been asking questions, and until today, no one’s really been paying any attention to him.”
“So, what changed?”
Fiona hesitated. “He’s reached one of the missing children’s parents, a man named Stanley Turk. Stanley’s gone public, and now we’re the center of attention.”
Rachel felt her heart drop. “How bad is it?”
“The other families are rounding up and taking his side,” Fiona said. “We’re also the most talked about town on all social media outlets.” Fiona waited for a reply, but Rachel couldn’t bring herself to speak. “I hate to be the one to say this, but I told you so.”
“I’ll call for a Council Meeting tomorrow,” Rachel said. “We’ll find a solution to this.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a very good idea,” Fiona said.
“Why not?”
Fiona didn’t reply, and Rachel almost broke the glass in her hands with fury.
“Sheriff!”
“One of the family members’ grandchildren was taken last night.”
Rachel let the glass slip through her hands and crash on the floor by the bed. She felt a sudden chill race through her, and her eyes instinctively shifted to the closet door.
“Impossible,” she whispered.
“At this point, Chairman, I wouldn’t go as far as saying anything’s impossible.”
Fiona hung up without waiting for a reply, leaving Rachel alone in the dark.
Six Months Ago
Michael Cole knew something was wrong the minute he parked his car in front of his parents’ house.
For starters, his mother’s Toyota was not in the driveway, which was strange this time of the night. She usually slept early, mostly to avoid talking to his father, although she often used her age as an excuse. Even when she visited one of his sister’s, they usually came to pick their mother up and drop her off.
Besides that, the lights inside the house were all out, and that bothered Michael a lot more than his mother’s missing car. His father never left the house in this much darkness, especially when he was home.
Michael frowned in worry as he exited his BMW and made his way briskly to the front door. He rang the bell, twice, and when no one answered, fished for the spare key buried in the small pot by the door.
The first thing that struck him as he stepped into the darkness was the dreadful smell. It was as if the house hadn’t been aired for weeks. He felt the air heavy around him, and a soft chill against his skin. He flicked the light switch on, but nothing happened.
“Dad?”
His voice echoed through the house, but no one replied. Michael pulled out his cell phone and turned the flashlight o
n, shining the light across the walls and hallway as he made his way into the living room. His feet crunched and he moved the light’s beam to his feet, lifting his leg to see what he had stepped in. His shoes were caked with mud.
“Dad!” he called out, louder this time.
Michael walked into the living room and stopped cold when he saw the silhouette sitting completely still on the couch.
“Jesus, you scared the hell out of me!” he cried out. “What the hell are you doing in the dark?”
The lights suddenly came on, and Michael felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the dead stare in his father’s eyes. The man was staring out into space, not even registering that someone had come in. Michael dropped his phone and raced to his father, shaking him by the shoulders.
“Dad, are you okay?” he asked, frantic. “Dad!”
Daniel didn’t respond, his eyes staring at a point beyond his son, as if looking straight through him.
Michael grabbed his phone off the ground and dialed 911.
Chapter 10
“First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for showing up here, tonight.”
David Whelm was on a natural high. The bar was full, the tables all occupied with grim faces and deep scowls that promised something extraordinary. Stanley Turk was standing at the helm of it all, a few stools away with his back to the bar, looking out on the families that had gathered tonight after his call for action video.
Stanley Turk was a celebrity now.
David had made sure he was the most talked about person on the internet. There had even been some reluctant calls to a few renowned bloggers he despised, offering them enough incentive to comment about Stanley’s video to make sure it stayed trending. The video had hit almost a million views on YouTube, and someone had even set-up a Kick-starter project called ‘Save the Melington Children’ to collect funding for search parties and investigation.
Stanley Turk’s call for action promised to be one of the most extraordinary events on this side of Connecticut, and David made sure he was right there documenting it all. He had already made plans to call a few producers, maybe work in a movie deal, or at least a documentary. Things were starting to look up, and David had a strong feeling that his world was changing for the better.
“This is a very important issue for me, as well as all the other families who have lost their children to the ineptitude of the Melington police. Even now, with all our concerns and allegations, Sheriff Fiona Bright fails to even answer our calls!”
A few grumbles here, an incoherent shout there, and Stanley could see he was surrounded by friends. One particular family sat closest to him, a young couple that had also recently moved here, and last night, had returned home to find their eleven-year-old son missing. They had filed a missing person’s report and had gotten pretty much the same response Stanley had, which added to the grief and fury of what was already going on in the media.
David was beyond himself. The kidnapping could not have happened at a better time, and he had made sure the family had posted a video of their own, of course with a little help from Stanley. The Sheriff would be forced to issue a reply soon, and David waited patiently to rip her apart when she did.
“This has gone on for far too long. Last night, we’ve had another kidnapping, and the Sheriff is doing nothing about that either. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the time we took things into our own hands. This is the time when we declare that justice will be served by the people!”
Cheers rose in reply, and the seriousness on Stanley’s face was all the families needed to feel they had a voice for their cause. They had found their leader, and would follow him to the gates of hell. David watched in amusement, the small camera in his hands rolling as he recorded everything, his body shaking in excitement.
***
Rachel Adams was surprised to see the Sheriff waiting outside the Council meeting room. Fiona was sitting on the couch to one side, legs crossed and smiling smugly at Rachel as she walked into the small vestibule and paused in confusion in front of the double glass doors.
“What are you doing here?’ Rachel asked. Something told her Fiona’s presence here was not a good sign.
“The Council called me in,” Fiona said. “They asked me to attend the meeting.”
“I was not told about this,” Rachel said.
Fiona shrugged. “You know now.”
Rachel could sense the underlying tone of defiance in the Sheriff’s voice, and made a mental note to put the woman back in her place once the meeting was over. She would also have to see who had called Fiona Bright and requested her presence, a blatant overstep in the hierarchal line. Rachel gave the Sheriff a long, scrutinizing stare before pushing her way into the meeting room.
The Council members sat solemnly at the elongated meeting table, only a few looking up at Rachel as she walked in and set her purse down beside her chair. She could feel the tension in the air, could see the looks of accusation on their faces as they waited for her to sit. Their eyes darting between each other as if they shared a secret they hoped she would not find out.
Since the absence of the Carters and Coles at the table, the Adams had become the oldest founding family in the Council, and Rachel the obvious choice for Chairman. Now, as she gazed out at their scrutinizing faces and the scowls they failed to hide, she knew that her leadership was already in question.
“I think you all know why I have gathered you this early in the morning,” Rachel began, trying her best to ignore the air of aggression seeping from the other members towards her. She could easily sense their contempt, and it would only be a matter of time before allegations and accusations would be flying around. “It has been brought to my attention that plights to control our ongoing problem with history are slowly falling apart.”
Rachel heard the doors behind her open and turned in time to see Fiona Bright walk in the meeting room, smiling wide and seating herself on one of the chairs near the windows. Rachel gazed at her for a few seconds before shifting her attention back to the Council.
“Now, this issue needs to be handled quickly and discreetly, and it is our duty to make sure that the problem does not grow into a colossal disaster we cannot control,” Rachel said.
“You’re joking, aren’t you?”
Rachel turned to William Brewster, the old man squinting at her angrily as he clutched his hands together to control their shaking. Rachel remembered that he had recently been diagnosed with a mild form of Parkinson’s, but she knew the shaking had more to do with his feelings towards missing a grandchild. Rachel had hoped to touch upon this subject much later, but it was apparent William would not let her do that.
“William, I heard, and I am truly sorry,” Rachel said. “I assure you, we will talk about this as soon as we’ve settled on an action plan for our current threat here in Melington.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass about Melington, Adams!” William bellowed, and Rachel could see the other members slowly nodding their heads in agreement. It was apparent that today, they had turned to him for leadership. “I care about controlling the monster that took my grandchild!”
“We won’t need to control it if we can’t control our own citizens!” Rachel shot back.
“I don’t think Stanley Turk will be a problem,” Fiona interrupted. “He’s only a voice, a concerned parent we can easily handle.”
Rachel glared at Fiona Bright angrily and scoffed. “And what do you propose we do, Sheriff? Handle him the way we used to handle the other families when we still had the blood binding?”
William slammed a hand on the table and pointed a shaking finger at Rachel. “Don’t change subjects, Adams. We’ll handle that boy one way or the other, even if it means burning him and his followers alive.”
“And then Copper Tibet will have a nice little army to join him on his midnight escapades,” Rachel said. “You’ve lost all your senses, William.”
“I think what William is talking about is the blood binding,” Elizabeth Gardiner
said, a fiery redhead that looked like her father, albeit lacking his common sense and a lot more rash. “We need to bring Michael Cole in and find out how those bindings were done; it’s the only way to solve all our problems.”
Rachel shook her head angrily. “No, I am not going to allow the blood binding to be restored,” she said firmly.
“I don’t think that’s really much of a choice anymore, Chairman,” Fiona said.
Rachel swung towards the Sheriff, eyes ablaze. “You keep your mouth shut, Bright,” Rachel spat, “or I’ll make sure whatever sacrifices need to be made, you’ll be the first.” She turned to the rest of the Council, visibly infuriated. There was no stopping this now. “Who the hell invited her?”
“I did,” William said, and he stared back at Rachel with the same challenging glare she shot him.
“That was not your place to do, William,” Rachel hissed. “I want her out.”
“No,” Elizabeth said, adding her voice to William’s.
Rachel looked at the woman in surprise, and as she quickly scanned the faces of the other Council members, it was suddenly clear to her what they were all thinking.
“I’d like to motion for a vote,” William said, a smile creeping onto his face as he said this. “I would like a vote for a new Chairman.”
From the corner of her eye, Rachel could see the smile on Fiona Bright’s face.
***
“Are you sure about this?”
Alan sighed as he took in the worried look on Deborah’s face. They had spent most of the afternoon discussing their options. He had filled her in on everything he had seen on the other side, and although she had her reservations, knowing there might be a chance to find and save Kathrine had brought Deborah around.
“What if your plan doesn’t work?” Deborah asked. “It’s a bit of a long shot, Alan.”