“I trust that you’re loyal, brave and giving.”
My cheeks burned under the praise.
“I also trust that you act before you think, you talk before you think and you jump in with both feet rather than testing to see if sharks are in the water,” Jack added. He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to meet his gaze. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t.” I meant it. I had no intention of making him regret any of this. “We’ll find Chris. This is our best shot.”
“I know. Just make sure we don’t lose you in the process, okay? That’s not a trade I’m willing to make.”
MILLIE AND I HEADED straight for the hotel. I lingered by the front door long enough to offer a reassuring wave to Jack before disappearing inside. I headed straight for the shared wall, furrowing my brow as I studied the ragged wood.
“I don’t see how a door can be hidden there,” Millie offered after watching me run my hands over the dilapidated wood for a few minutes. “There are no hinges or seams.”
“No, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a door somewhere around here,” I said, shifting my attention to the back of the lobby. “Like behind the staircase.”
Millie followed my gaze. “Oh, I get what you’re saying. It would make more sense for Hooper to hide the door in a place people would be less likely to wander.”
“Exactly.” I gripped my flashlight tighter as I headed in that direction, biting off a sigh when Jack’s voice came over the radio.
“Are you two okay?”
I looked to Millie and gave her a silent order to answer while I focused on slowly running my light beam over the wall behind the staircase.
“We’re here and we’re fine,” Millie said. “Charlie is searching the area underneath the staircase right now.”
“That’s probably smart,” Jack said. “Do me a favor and knock on the wall so I can listen to determine if it’s hollow. This place is a total wreck, and I doubt very much anyone has been walking around here. It’s almost dangerous with how weak the floor is in some places.”
“I’ve got it.” Millie left me to continue my search and walked about ten feet away. “I’m between the front door and the staircase. Give it a listen.”
“Got it.”
Millie rested the radio on the floor and then rapped on the wall. She listened intently until someone knocked on the other side, repeating the process three times before reclaiming the radio.
“That sounds as if there’s nothing between your wall and mine,” she said.
“I think so, too,” Jack agreed. “The room isn’t here. Charlie has a good idea about it being behind the stairs. Make sure you watch her. If you find the room call us right away. Don’t go looking inside on your own.”
“I heard that,” I grumbled. “Make sure you watch me, Millie.”
Millie grinned at my annoyance, the simple act lightening the mood. “I’ll watch her, Jack. We’re not far away. Remember that.”
“You feel far away,” Jack said as a rumble of thunder rolled. “We’re going to spend another ten or twenty minutes checking every wall over here. After that we’ll be over to help you. I think this storm is going to be a doozy, so keep your eyes open.”
“Got it.”
Millie fastened the radio to her belt and watched me run my hands over a specific spot for what felt like the fifth time. “Do you feel anything?”
“I don’t know.” I reached further. “Come here. I could be imagining it, but I almost believe there’s a seam.”
“Really?” Millie scurried over, placing her fingers where I indicated and widening her eyes as she traced the spot. “It’s the size of a small door.”
“You feel it, too?” For the first time since arriving a burst of hope rushed through me. “It’s odd, right?”
“It is.” Millie drew her eyebrows together as she lifted her flashlight and worked around the seam. “It’s clearly here, yet … there aren’t any hinges.”
“No handle either,” I noted. “I still think it’s something.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Stay there and watch. I’m going to see if I can find something by the counter over there to use as a tool.”
“Okay.” Millie kept her fingers busy tracing the seam as I picked my way through a pile of debris in the corner. There didn’t look to be anything useful, but I wasn’t ready to give up. “While you’re looking, why don’t you tell me about your nap with Jack?” Millie suggested.
I glanced over my shoulder and found her grinning. The simple act of finding something irregular on the wall clearly had her feeling better, too. “It was innocent,” I replied, turning back to my search. “The maid was cleaning Jack’s room and he needed some sleep. I worried he was going to fall over or something because he was so tired. There was nothing to it.”
“The sad thing is that I can’t decide if you’re trying to convince me of that or yourself. I hope it’s me. If you’re trying to convince yourself, you’re even dumber than I thought.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, Charlie, it wasn’t meant as an insult,” Millie said.
“It sounded like one.”
“That’s because you’re emotionally worked up where Jack is concerned. You like him. The sooner you admit it, the better it will be for everybody.”
“I most certainly do not like him. I mean … he’s a good security chief. He’s a nice enough guy. I like him as a friend. But I don’t like him any other way.”
That was mostly the truth.
“I think you’re trying to convince yourself of that, and it’s a little annoying,” Millie said. “I don’t have time to mess with it now, but we’re going to have a very long talk about you ignoring very blatant signs as soon as we find Chris.”
Signs? Something about the way she said the word niggled at the back of my brain. “What signs?”
Millie didn’t immediately answer. Apparently she decided to play coy.
“What signs?” I repeated, straightening. When I turned my attention to where Millie stood only moments before, she was gone. There was a gaping hole in the wall right behind the staircase. I could see only part of it from my vantage point, but it was clear that Millie found our door. “Seriously? I can’t believe you found it.”
I hurried over to poke my head inside, hoping beyond hope that I was about to find Millie and Chris in the middle of a well-deserved reunion. Instead, I found a dark room with zero lighting and no sign of either of my friends.
“Millie?”
No answer.
“Chris?”
Still nothing.
I reached for the radio affixed to my belt, my heart thudding, and pressed the button. I felt mildly numb as thunder roared hard enough to shake the building. “We found a door. Millie is missing. I … I have to go look for her now.”
My delivery was flat, but it took everything I had to force out the words. My inner danger alarm pinged with nonstop warnings and my ears buzzed as if I was about to pass out. I knew turning back wasn’t an option.
“What?” Jack’s tone was incredulous. “You lost Millie?”
“We found a door. It’s right behind the staircase. I … it’s dark.”
“You stay right where you are,” Jack ordered. “We’re on our way.”
“I can’t wait.” I swallowed hard. “I have to look.”
“You don’t have to look.” I could practically see Jack’s panicked expression in my mind. “You wait right there for me. Do you hear me? You wait!”
“I can’t. I have to go now. Whatever happens, Jack, don’t think it’s your fault. This is how it has to be.”
“Charlie!”
My mind drifted to the vision, and I swallowed hard. Jack was here. I was here. The storm was here. Everything I saw in my head was about to converge.
“This is always how it was meant to be.”
I said the words and then released the radio button. I briefly pressed my eyes shut, chastising myself for
being an absolute idiot. Then I stepped inside the room and embraced what I was certain was my fate.
Every road was meant to lead here, after all.
27
Twenty-Seven
I gave my eyes a moment to adjust to the gloom before stepping completely inside the room. My heart pounded, the thunder rolled and my knees felt weak as I slipped inside. It was small. That’s the only thing I registered before the door swung shut behind me, plunging me into absolute darkness.
I reached for my belt, looking for the flashlight I thought I’d secured there as I tried to keep from panicking. It was gone, and it was only then that I realized I left it sitting on the floor next to the spot where I’d been looking for a tool to pry open the hidden door.
“Welcome to the party.”
I jolted at the new voice, my blood running cold. I turned slowly, deliberately, and stared into the stale and murky darkness where the door used to be. “Zach?”
A flashlight switched on, illuminating a chilling face. Zach, his smile smug, offered me a haughty look.
“You figured it out, Charlie,” Zach said in mock congratulations. “I’m so proud of you.”
His tone told me pride wasn’t the emotion rolling through him. I could feel what was coiling beneath his shiny veneer, and it most certainly wasn’t pride. It was something I got a rare glimpse of a few times before, something he managed to shutter quickly. He didn’t bother hiding it this time, though. That probably didn’t bode well for me, because all I sensed was abject evil.
“I guess I should’ve realized it was you.” I was proud I managed to speak without my voice shaking. “It only makes sense.”
“Really? I thought I played the game with superb intellect.”
“And I think you’re not nearly as smart as you think you are,” I shot back. “Where is Millie?”
“She’s … around.”
“And Chris? Is he still alive?”
“My, my, my. You’re full of questions, aren’t you? I always knew you were a curious sort. Do you want to see your friends?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“No, but I don’t really care how you answer,” Zach said. “Move that way, please.”
His voice was so pleasant it set my teeth on edge. I tracked the flashlight beam and realized there was a set of stairs in the room. They were back in the corner, extremely narrow and frightening to look at, but I had no doubt he expected me to climb them.
“And when we get up there … what happens?”
“I guess you’ll have to wait to find out.”
“And what if I don’t do what you ask?”
“You don’t have a lot of options here, Charlie.” Zach adopted a pragmatic tone. “If you want to be difficult I can kill you here. Do you want to die before you have all your precious answers?”
I licked my lips as I debated how to respond. Jack was coming. He’d be looking for us. He knew we were searching for a door behind the staircase, so that’s where he would start looking. A cursory glance toward the door told me the hinges were only visible from this side. Jack would have to tear through the wall to get to us. I had no doubt he would – and would most likely succeed – but it would take time.
It was time we most likely didn’t have.
“Fine.” I stepped toward the stairs. “If Millie and Chris are hurt … .”
“You’ll do what?” Zach was back to being haughty. “What exactly are you going to do, little girl? You don’t have the power here. Quit pretending you do.”
I understood why he felt that way. But there were a few things he didn’t know. “You’d be surprised what I’m capable of.”
“Oh, you’ve left me surprised on more than one occasion, Charlie. But I don’t think it’s for the reasons you think.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see, huh?”
“I guess we will.”
I rested my hand on the knotty bannister. It was so weak it threatened to give way before I even started my ascent. “We have other people with us. You know that, right?”
“Yes, your precious Jack is with you,” Zach said. “He’s been with you since the start. Every single time I tried to isolate you, Jack has been there. Except for this time. You really shouldn’t have separated from him, Charlie.”
“And you really shouldn’t underestimate me.”
“You’re the least of my worries.” Zach took me by surprise when he groped at my waist. At first I thought he was trying to get a free feel. Then I realized he was confiscating the radio. “I don’t think you’ll be needing this.” He stared at it disdainfully for a moment and then hurled it to the floor. “Jack won’t be able to save you this time.”
“I also wouldn’t underestimate Jack. Of course, I don’t need him to save me.”
“Bold talk.”
“I guess I’ll have to follow it up with some action.”
“That will be interesting.” Zach’s eyes were keen as they locked with mine. “You should see your face. Your expression is priceless. You had no idea it was me.”
“That’s not entirely true,” I argued. “I knew there was something wrong with you. That story you told about the Chupacabra, it was a complete fabrication, wasn’t it?”
“I was simply playing to my audience.”
“You knew the body wasn’t Dominic Sully the whole time. You had to play it cool. Did you steal his identification to buy yourself time?”
“Do you want to chat or get this over with?” Zach challenged. “I’m sick of chatting. That seems to be the only thing you do.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” I grumbled, tightening my grip on the railing. I could hear the storm raging outside, although it felt as if I was listening from a great distance. The inner sanctum of the hotel was well constructed and protected.
“Move, Charlie.” Zach poked his finger into my ribs. “You won’t like it if I have to move you.”
“You won’t like it regardless,” I snapped. “You have no idea what’s coming your way.”
Zach snorted. “I like your fighting spirit.”
“You won’t in a second.”
I started climbing, keeping one hand on the bannister as I gathered my magic. It took everything I had to keep from letting it loose before it was time. I managed to keep it together until I hit the top of the stairs, and then I cast a dark glance over my shoulder and locked gazes with Zach. “You can’t win.”
“It’s funny, but I was just going to tell you the same thing.”
“Yes, but you don’t have all the information.”
“And what information is that?”
“That I’m done playing around.” I released the magic, bolting upward as it punched behind me. After gathering it for so long, pouring so much energy into the corral, it was like letting a herd of horses break free to stampede the town. Zach widened his eyes at the brief flash of light accompanying the power and then let loose a howl as the magic shoved him over the railing. He seemed to fall forever, and then I heard a sick thud when he hit the ground. I paused at the top long enough to listen, for the first time hoping my magic managed to do real harm to a person.
Zach groaned somewhere in the darkness. He was back on the first floor, I could tell that by the way the sound bounced around the room, but he wasn’t dead. “What was that? I … what was that?”
“Retribution.”
I turned my back to him and felt for an opening at the top of the stairs, finally discovering a handle and pushing it. I expected to pop into the room on the second floor – the one from my vision – but instead I found myself in another small room. This one was dark save for a battery-operated lantern hanging from a hook on the wall. I was curious and confused, but not alone.
“Millie?” Relief coursed through me as I saw her resting on the floor with her back against the wall, Chris’ head in her lap. She looked angry, blood running down the side of her face as she glared. “Are you okay?”
“They got you,
too?” Millie was furious. “I’m sorry. I wanted to warn you, but he hit me before I could.”
“Don’t worry about him.” I pressed my hand to Chris’ forehead. He was far too warm. “We need to get him out of here.”
“Yeah, but … .” Millie gave me an odd look. “What do you think is happening here?”
That was an interesting question. “What do you think is happening here?”
“This isn’t over,” Millie supplied.
“Of course not. But Chris has a fever. He might have internal injuries, for all we know. At least he’s alive. We need to find a way out of this room. Jack should be downstairs. I called him on the radio before … well, before I got sucked into the same trap you did.”
“But … .”
“But what?”
A shadow moved from the corner, giving way to a set of extensively detailed cowboy boots. I opened my mouth to issue a warning … or maybe even scream … but it was too late. Our new guest was already speaking.
“But what about me?”
I swiveled quickly, prepared to put up a fight. That inclination all but evaporated when I recognized the woman standing above me. “Naomi?” She’d been hidden in the shadows when I entered. I couldn’t see her. Of course, to be fair, I didn’t search very hard. I thought Zach was working alone. That was a stupid assumption.
“You’re certainly quick today, huh?” Millie shot me a dumbfounded look. “Did you really think I’d be sitting here doing nothing if I were alone?”
I hadn’t considered that. “Oh, well … .” I pressed my lips together as I straightened, regaining my footing and positioning myself so I was between my friends and Naomi. For her part, the daughter of the rancher looked both frightened and annoyed. It was an interesting combination. “So … what’s up?”
“Oh, geez.” Millie slapped her hand to her forehead. “I can’t believe you’re our saving grace.”
I was having trouble wrapping my head around that, too. “I guess I’m behind, huh?”
Millie made a sarcastic face. “I guess so.”
I absently rubbed my cheek to give myself a moment before focusing my full attention on Naomi. “And how are you involved in this … cluster of crap?”
The Chupacabra Catastrophe Page 24