by Gerri Hill
Paige did as she was asked, stopping with a gasp. “Jesus. Is that what I think it is?”
CJ turned on her light too, joining Paige’s beam. She walked slowly toward it, her flashlight snaking across the ground. The white skull glowed brightly, the eye sockets, dark and hollow, looking right through them. The gaping mouth seemed to be frozen for eternity in a silent, soulless scream. If she had any lingering doubt about Fiona’s story, it vanished quickly into the night air.
“Yeah. It’s what you think it is.”
She squatted down beside it, brushing the leaves away. There were no other bones visible, nothing to indicate a body was buried here. There was only the skull, nestled snuggly against the roots of the large oak. Maybe it had been dragged there by an animal...or something. She stood up, shrugging off the feeling of being watched.
“Come on,” she said. She flashed her light along the trail, walking faster.
The woods were alive with sounds now, drowning out their own footsteps. Frogs, crickets and cicadas all singing in deafening harmony. The screech of an owl nearly caused her to stumble, then Paige again stopped her with a tug on her arm.
“Kill the light,” Paige whispered urgently.
CJ did, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. She tilted her head, hearing running not far ahead of them. She ducked farther back into the woods, pulling Paige with her. Up ahead, they saw three shadowy figures nearly jogging along the trail. She crept deeper into the forest, hiding them behind a giant oak. Maybe Fiona was right. Maybe Ester Hogan could see things. Maybe she knew they were coming. She recognized the hulk of Belden, which was being followed by two other men. One of the men brandished a flashlight. All three wore dark robes.
She quietly unsnapped her holster, hearing Paige do the same. But the men ran past them, back along the trail from where she and Paige had just come, heading toward the school.
“They know,” Paige said quietly.
“They know something, yes.” She holstered her weapon again, then shoved on. She navigated without the light, continuing on to Hoganville...and the tunnels.
Only fifteen minutes later the dark shapes of the houses came into view. She held the light close against her, pulling out Don’s notes.
Circle around to the left. The boarded up stables will be the fifth building.
She snapped the light off, motioning for Paige to follow. There was no trail to lead them now, and she stepped carefully over fallen limbs. No matter how muted she tried to be, she felt as if each stride was resounding. She silently counted the buildings as they passed, then felt Paige again still her movements.
“Jesus. Now what?”
Back along the trail from where they’d come, a lone figure walked, slowly now, no longer jogging. It was Belden. She tried to make herself as small as possible as she froze in place. There were no trees large enough to hide behind, even if she’d chanced movement. He paused, looking down the trail toward Hoganville, then turning and looking back behind him. He appeared to be alone. He couldn’t have made it to the school and back. The other two must have gone on to the school without him. If they went to their house, Don would be a sitting duck. But why would Belden come back?
Belden finally moved, jogging now to the nearest house, then around it. Once he hit the shadows, she could no longer see him. She listened, the sound of his footsteps disappearing as well.
She swallowed nervously, just now aware that she’d been holding her breath. She pulled Paige closer, her mouth against her ear.
“We should call Avery. Don may not be safe.”
Paige nodded. “Let’s get into the stables first.”
She waited a few more seconds, making sure Belden was indeed gone. When there was no movement or sound, she pressed on, cringing as a twig snapped in two with her weight. She kept to the shadows, holding a tree limb out of the way for Paige. The stables were as Don had described them. The boards on the back windows were old and worn, easily pulled out. However, with Belden possibly on the lookout for them, she didn’t want to take the chance of announcing their presence with creaky boards and nails.
She crouched low, feeling Paige do the same. She hurried now, along the side of the building, pausing every few feet, listening. When she got to the front corner, she leaned against the wall, the shadows hiding them. She chanced a peek around the corner, seeing no movement. She took a deep breath. It was now or never.
She used her shoulder to try to push the door open. It didn’t budge. She used more force, feeling it give way, hearing a loud scraping as the door slid open.
“Shhh,” Paige hissed.
CJ pulled her inside and closed the door quickly. It was black dark inside, all the windows boarded up. She waited, the sound of their breathing loud to her ears.
She turned the flashlight on, going to the back stalls where Don said the tunnel could be found.
There’s hay piled up. Move the top two bales. You’ll see the trap door.
“There,” she said. It was as he described it. She and Paige each grabbed an end of the bale and rolled it to the floor, doing the same with the next one. There was a door cut into the wall, not much larger than a small window. She pulled the handle, the rusty hinges nearly screaming in protest as it opened. That gave credence to Don’s assertion that the stables were never used. She would assume this door hadn’t been opened in more than a decade.
A dank, moist smell hit them. She turned away from it, taking a deep breath. At that moment, the very last thing she wanted to do was to crawl into the tunnel.
Paige stepped back. “Let me call Avery first.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
CJ flashed the light into the tunnel. Spiderwebs decorated the entrance and stairs dropped down into the cold, dark earth.
“I hate spiders,” she murmured.
“No answer,” Paige said, holding up her phone. “I have a bad feeling.”
CJ nodded. “I do too. But we can’t worry about Avery right now. Hopefully he and the chief have secured everything.”
“It’s Don I’m worried about. We promised Fiona.”
CJ looked back into the tunnel, suddenly overcome with a near desperate anxiety. Yeah, they’d promised Fiona a lot of things. She thought Howley was going to have a coronary when she’d told him of their plans. He damn near ordered them to stand down. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if he had. Paige had her mind made up. Right now, Paige was in protect mode. Neither of them knew what Fiona had planned, but the look in her eyes told CJ that Fiona had no intention of giving birth. CJ had seen that hopeless, desolate look before in her own sister’s eyes. Paige, however, made no mention of it. Her focus right now was getting in there and protecting Fiona from whatever horrors Ester Hogan had planned for her.
She turned to Paige then, pulling her quickly into a tight hug.
“What?”
CJ glanced at the tunnel entrance. “I feel like we’re going down into hell.”
“I know. I would say let’s go and get it over with, but we don’t really know what we’re getting into.”
“No. And even with the guys coming in helicopters, it’s still at least another hour before we’ll get some backup.”
Paige took a deep breath. “Then let’s do it. I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”
CJ leaned forward and kissed her, then pulled her into another hug.
“Listen, in case something happens, I just want you to know that this...well, this isn’t some cheap affair. You’re not just a notch, as you once said.”
Paige stared at her. “Now? You want to talk about this now?”
Embarrassed, CJ looked at the tunnel entrance again to avoid having to look at Paige. “No. Hell, what was I thinking?” Yeah, what were you thinking? She took a step forward, knocking the spider webs down with the flashlight, only to have Paige stop her progress with a hand on her arm. She turned back around, eyebrows raised.
“I don’t do cheap affairs.” Paige tilted her head. “You know that, right?�
�
In the shadows, CJ met her gaze. She finally nodded, relieved by what she saw there.
“Then let’s get this over with, baby.”
“And don’t call me baby,” Paige murmured behind her, and CJ recognized the smile in her voice.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Fiona grabbed her stomach, taking short, quick breaths. She almost wished she’d taken the pain pill Don had offered her, but she knew she must have her wits about her. No doubt Mother Hogan already knew something was wrong. Had Don been missed yet? If so, Fiona would be the one they turned to for answers.
Her mother met her at the door and by the look in her eyes, Fiona knew Mother Hogan had already questioned her.
“You’re late.”
Fiona tried to keep her voice even. “Had test papers to grade,” she said, a lie she’d made up on the drive over.
“Mother Hogan was concerned. She said you were not feeling well.”
Fiona swallowed. “How would she know that?”
Her mother nearly gasped. “You question her? Child, she knows all.”
And you know so very little, Fiona thought. Even now, her mother had no clue as to what Fiona’s fate was. Did she think Fiona would give birth? Did she have any idea of the...the thing she carried? Was she not worried? No. All her mother was worried about was displeasing Mother Hogan. Nothing else.
“If she knows all, then I guess she knows I’m going to the chamber. I suppose I’ll see her there.”
Fiona headed into the kitchen where the door was that would take her down to the tunnels. Her mother stopped her, holding her arm.
“What is wrong with you? You’re acting strange.”
“Strange?” Fiona pointed to her stomach. “No. This is strange. Yet you make no mention of it. Why?”
“It is not for us to question,” her mother said simply.
Fiona drew in a sharp breath as a jolt of pain hit her. “No. Good sheep don’t question, do they,” she murmured. She glanced at the old grandfather clock that ticked the seconds away quietly, as it had been doing her whole life. Her gaze followed the length of the pendulum, seeing the faded, yellow cloth folded neatly at the bottom of the case, knowing nearly every house had the same clock with the same yellow cloth tucked away there. Would Paige be forced to use the trigger phrase? She glanced at her mother, wondering if that would be the best outcome for her. Death? Or most likely being locked in an asylum for her remaining years. It would be so easy to utter the phrase now, to watch her mother go into a trance, watch as she blindly fumbled with the cloth, pulling out the hard capsule that Mother Hogan had stashed in each clock.
Yellow rock in the clock. Tick. Tock. Yellow. Rock.
But in the end, Fiona couldn’t say it. Her own fate might be sealed, but she couldn’t be the one to send her mother to her death.
“Goodbye, Mother,” she said, wincing as she held her side. “I have a date with Mother Hogan.”
“She hasn’t summoned you.”
“No. I’m doing the summoning this time.”
Again, her mother gasped. “You talk like that, you’ll bring her wrath,” she warned.
Fiona found the strength to laugh. “That’s the plan. Now, shouldn’t you be starting supper?”
Her mother nodded. “Yes. Of course. I’ll do that now.”
Fiona watched her for a moment, her movements slow and measured, so as not to have a misstep. No one ever wanted a misstep. She sighed, knowing she would never see her mother again. Strangely, that thought did not make her sad.
She turned, opening the door to the tunnels, glancing back once again, but her mother paid her no mind.
***
Ester paced slowly, back and forth, the opened window letting in the warm night air. It was so still, so humid, she felt perspiration dampening her skin. Fiona was back. She knew that. But something wasn’t right. She couldn’t see her, couldn’t feel her. Not like she should. Maybe this pregnancy was disrupting her energy flow. Or maybe it was something else.
She listened, hearing footsteps on the stairs. She recognized Belden’s heavy step, and she waited for him to knock.
“Yes. Enter.”
He looked flushed, his skin glistening with sweat. “Mother,” he greeted, his voice sounding slightly out of breath.
“Don?” she asked simply.
He shook his head. “But we’ll find him. I have other news, I’m afraid.”
She frowned, feeling out of sorts. News? What news could he have that she didn’t already know? “Go on,” she said.
“Director Avery is a phony,” he said.
“A phony?”
“He is an FBI agent.”
The words were like a blow to her chest, and she reached out, a claw-like grip closing on Belden’s arm.
“How do you know this?”
“He tried to have Chief Aims arrest Richard. Something about the gate.”
“He must be eliminated,” she said quickly. “We can cull him like the others.”
Yes, that was what she would do. Cull him. Make him go away. Then things could get back to normal. After all, Fiona was about to give birth. It was time to celebrate. She didn’t have time to deal with the FBI.
“There’s more,” Belden said, his eyes shifting away from hers nervously.
“Tell me.”
“The two women who befriended Fiona. They are also with the FBI.”
This news did not startle her. She knew they were not who they claimed to be. It was of no consequence. “They will be culled as well. Bring them and Director Avery here. Tonight.”
“That is the problem,” he said. “I believe they are already here.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Paige hesitated at the top of the stairs, pausing to look back over her shoulder. She didn’t know what she expected to find. The door was closed and the windows were boarded up. Still, she felt like something was watching her, and she nearly shivered with it.
“Come on,” CJ said urgently from down below.
Taking a deep breath, Paige took the next step down, pulling the trap door closed behind her. Even though she’d seen CJ breaking up the spiderwebs, she imagined hundreds of spiders lying in wait, ready to jump on her as she crept past.
She took CJ’s offered hand, her feet finally hitting the dank earth. She held tight to CJ for a long moment, her eyes adjusting to the semi darkness.
“According to the map,” CJ said, holding it under her light, “we should be safe using the flashlights until about here.”
Paige followed the progress of CJ’s finger, seeing an L-shaped turn that would take them to the chamber. She tried to remember Don’s words about the maze of tunnels, but it was all a blur now. She just knew they needed to hurry. It seemed liked hours since they’d parted with Fiona.
“Let’s go,” she said. “I’m right behind you.”
“Oh, sure. Now she wants me in the lead,” CJ murmured.
Paige smiled, thankful for CJ’s attempt to lighten the mood. She kept her own light zipped in her thigh pocket, instead following close behind CJ as they slowly crept deeper into the earth. The tunnel was small, with barely enough room for them to stand upright. The tunnel had been reinforced with boards, but the quick glimpse she had been able to take suggested they were old and rotting. She had seen horrors before in her job, but nothing could compare to what she was feeling right now. Her fear was genuine, but it wasn’t something she could put her finger on. Was it just that they were going into the bowels of the earth, on guard against some creature that might or might not live there? Or was it the unknown powers that Ester Hogan might or might not possess? Was it Belden who was most likely on the hunt for them? Or was it fear for Fiona’s fate? Could they save her? All those questions vied for center stage in her mind, pushing down the physical fear she had, the fear of being in the damp, dark tunnel they were attempting to traverse, the fear that it might cave in on them.
They came to a junction, and CJ stopped, pulling out the map again. Pai
ge peered over her shoulder, trying to make sense of the drawings.
“I think we’re here,” CJ whispered.
“You think?”
“No. I’m pretty sure.”
“Give me that,” Paige said, taking the map from CJ. It was loosely drawn and obviously not to scale, but she assumed Don would only include the tunnel they needed to take. She turned a circle, trying to get her bearings, but in the dark tunnel she had no idea which direction to go. She silently handed the map back to CJ.
“I don’t have a clue.”
“See? That’s why I’m in the lead.”
“Then lead on, tiger. I’m starting to get claustrophobic.”
“Yeah. Could they have made this just a little bigger?” CJ murmured as she continued on.
When they came to the sharp L-shaped turn, both stopped quickly and CJ turned off her flashlight. The darkness was cut by a faint light up ahead. Paige blinked several times, adjusting to the muted light. CJ tugged at her arm, motioning for her to follow. Their steps were slower now, careful, and Paige could hear the blood pounding in her ears. She took short, even breaths, trying to quell her nervousness.
As they neared the corner, CJ pressed tight along the wall, moving silently to peek around the edge.
“It looks like an old-fashioned torch,” she whispered. “I don’t see anyone. The tunnel continues.”
Paige nodded, moving forward too. The tunnel appeared to be bigger now, and there was another, smaller tunnel that joined the one they’d come to. The torch was as CJ described, something you might see in an old movie. She wondered what they used for fuel. And on the heels of that thought, she wondered if they were in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. She smiled at her thoughts, knowing that was the least of their worries right now.
“I’m starting to think this was a terrible idea,” CJ said as she walked on.
“I know. But it wasn’t like we had a lot of options.”
CJ took out the map again, holding it up to the torch. Don had drawn in the other tunnel, so they knew they were on the right course. Only a few more turns and it would open up into what Fiona and Don had called the chamber. The actual cave was beyond that.