by Gerri Hill
“Let’s check these rooms first,” CJ said.
The first was completely empty, including the absence of drapes. A huge spiderweb crossed the window, evidence of the room’s non use. CJ went to the next one and Paige crossed the hallway, opening a door on that side. She was expecting another empty room and nearly gasped at what she saw when her flashlight scanned inside. It was a child’s room, the furniture small and nondescript. On the bed lay the skeletal remains of a young child, dressed only in a white shirt and shorts.
“CJ,” she said. “In here.”
CJ peered over her shoulder, then gently moved her aside as she went into the room. Paige hesitated, flashing her light back into the hallway. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t alone.
“I would guess maybe six or eight years old,” CJ said.
“You think it was Ester’s child?”
“I don’t know. I can’t imagine her as a mother. Can you?”
Paige tilted her head, hearing a welcome sound in the distance. Helicopters. “Listen,” she said.
CJ looked up, smiling. “Backup. About damn time.”
“Let’s check the other rooms,” Paige said. “I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”
The other two rooms in the hallway were both empty, like the first. There was no sign of Ester’s bedroom, leading them to think the decorated door at the end of the hall was hers. Paige stood back, nodding as CJ turned the knob. The door swung open and a rank smell hit them immediately. They both went inside, their lights casting shadows in the room. It was large, much larger than a bedroom. Lined up in a neat row, eight evenly spaced beds dominated the room.
“Jesus,” CJ murmured as she walked deeper into the room.
Paige shone her light on each bed, hardly believing what she saw. All eight beds appeared to be hand-carved. The woodworking was exquisite. However, only one bed was empty.
“What the hell is this?”
CJ went to the end, her light shining on the names carved into each bed. “Estaline, Naomi, Opal, Velma, Eustice, Estelle, Rosaline...and Ester.”
“Fiona said that things here had always been this way,” Paige said. “Do you think these are the reigning Hogans?”
“And when they die, they bring them here? God, can you imagine living in this house with these...these women up here?”
“They’re dressed in some sort of ceremonial gowns,” Paige noted as her gaze traveled across each skeleton. “If I didn’t know better, it looks almost like a wedding gown.”
CJ looked up to the ceiling; the helicopters seemed to be right upon them now. “Okay, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Where do you think Ester’s bedroom is?”
“I imagine downstairs somewhere. Come on.” Just then CJ’s phone rang, Ice’s familiar tone sounding in the quiet room. “Hey, baldy. About time.”
***
“Where the hell are you?” Ice asked.
CJ followed Paige back down the stairs. “We’re in Ester Hogan’s house. The two-story one.”
“Yeah. I see it. It’s goddamn dark out here,” he said.
“They’re off the grid, remember? How many agents?”
“Six of us. Howley included.”
“Okay. There are about forty residents, we think. Ester Hogan has been eliminated. She’s got a bodyguard. Huge guy. Belden. Be careful of him. The rest I don’t believe will pose a problem.”
“We’re checking the houses now.”
“We’ll be out in a second,” she said, disconnecting. She stopped Paige before they went out into the study again. “Hey.”
Paige turned around, looking at her questioningly. She seemed to understand CJ’s hesitation and killed her light. They embraced tightly, and CJ closed her eyes, feeling her insecurities surfacing again. They’d weathered the tunnel, Belden, Ester Hogan and even the creature that lived in the cave. But now they had to face Ice, Billy and Howley. They’d changed. They’d both changed. Ice and Billy would notice immediately.
“We can do this,” Paige said. “We’ve played this game a long time.”
“They’re going to know.”
“They may think they know. But they won’t really know.” Paige cupped her face tenderly, her thumb caressing her chin. “We have a lot to talk about, CJ, but now is not the time.”
CJ nodded. God, she’s going to break my heart, she thought. But she smiled good-naturedly. “Okay. Let’s get out of here.”
Through the study and out into the main room, they found the front door. The hinges protested as it was opened and she assumed Ester rarely—if ever—used the door. One thing she found odd was that nothing was locked. You’d think that as much as they liked to keep themselves isolated, they’d have everything locked up tight.
The air outside was only slightly cooler than inside the stagnant house, but only slightly. She took her cap off, running her hands through her damp hair before putting it back on again.
“Lights over there,” Paige said, pointing to the house next door. They were intercepted by Howley before they could get inside.
“What the fuck happened here?” he demanded.
CJ stared at him. “Yeah, we’re okay. A little beaten and bruised, but okay,” she said sarcastically. “Thanks for asking.”
He ignored her, turning to Paige instead. “They’re dead.”
“They who?”
“Whoever the hell lives here. Dead. I specifically said—”
“Not to shoot anyone,” CJ finished. “Ester Hogan was a casualty. It couldn’t be avoided. The others, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We haven’t encountered anyone other than Ester and Belden,” Paige said.
“Who is Belden?”
“He’s like her bodyguard,” CJ said.
“Two more bodies in this house,” Ice yelled.
“Jesus. It’s Jim Jones all over again,” Howley muttered as he headed in Ice’s direction.
CJ and Paige followed. It was an older man and woman, both slumped against the wall. CJ stared at the yellow cloth held tightly in the man’s hand. She turned a circle, her light scanning the room, landing on an old grandfather clock, the pendulum stopped.
“Holy shit,” she whispered.
“What is it?”
“The clock.” She turned to Howley. “Show me another house.”
The one next door was the same. Two men. One on the floor, the other slumped on the sofa. Again, a grandfather clock, this one still ticking the time away. CJ turned to Paige.
“The phrase Fiona told us to use. The one that sent Belden into a trance. Yellow rock in the clock.”
“It was a suicide trigger,” Paige said. “But Belden was the only one who heard it.”
“He was saying it over and over again as he left. That must have been part of it. To alert the others. They passed it on.”
“Okay, what the hell are you talking about?” Ice asked.
“It was this phrase—”
“Oh my God, CJ. We forgot about Don,” Paige said. “And Avery.”
“Yeah, where is Avery?” Howley asked. “I can’t reach him.”
“Us either. He and Chief Aims were going to detain Richard Barr, the guard identified from the gate logs,” she said. “We left him at the school. Don was left at our place.”
“We’ve got to go,” Paige said, tugging on CJ’s arm.
“We don’t have a car. And I’m not going back through the woods.”
“We’ll take Fiona’s car,” Paige said, looking around. “That is, if we can find it.”
Howley held his hands up. “You two, hang on. I need to know what the hell’s going on here.”
“There are tunnels under the houses that lead to an underground chamber,” CJ said.
“A cave,” Paige added. “That’s where we’ve been. That’s where you’ll find Ester Hogan’s body. I shot her.”
“Unless he came back and took her,” CJ said quietly.
“Oh. Yeah. That’s a po
ssibility.”
“He who?” Howley asked.
Paige and CJ looked at each other. “You want to take this one?” Paige asked.
“Not right now, no. We need to get to the school.” She turned to Howley. “With your permission, of course. We need to find Avery and Don.”
“I knew not to let you go in by yourselves,” he said. “I knew something like this would happen.” He let out a frustrated breath. “Okay. Take Ice and Billy. And don’t do anything stupid.”
CJ paused. “Speaking of that...don’t go into the tunnels. It’s a maze. And whatever you do, don’t go into the cave.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
The guard shack was lit up but unoccupied. Avery’s car was still parked on the side next to Richard’s.
“They must be in the chief’s car,” CJ said as she drove slowly past.
“I got a bad feeling,” Paige said. She glanced in the backseat where Ice and Billy sat quietly. “How was the flight?”
“Fast,” Billy said.
“So what is it you’re not telling Howley?” Ice asked.
She glanced at CJ, then back to Ice. “Something lives in the cave. We’ve heard it at night a few times. A primal scream. I can’t really describe it. We saw it tonight.”
Billy leaned closer. “What is it?”
“We don’t know,” CJ said. “Some...creature.”
“You making this shit up?” Ice asked.
Paige grinned. “I wish. So, you miss us?”
“Yeah, we missed you. You miss us?”
“Of course. This one,” she said, pointing at CJ, “is no picnic to live with.”
“Like you are,” CJ chimed in. “You wouldn’t believe all the rules she has,” she said, looking in the rearview mirror at Ice. “But she’s a pretty good cook.”
Paige looked at her affectionately, then caught herself, rolling her eyes dramatically for effect. “Then why did you constantly complain about my cooking?”
“Because you’re trying to turn me into a vegetarian.”
“You?” Ice laughed. “She eats steak twice a week,” he said.
Paige glanced back at Ice. “She’s into soy now.”
“Soy my ass,” CJ mumbled. “Where to? Avery’s place or ours?”
“Ours. If they were looking for Don, that’s the logical place.”
“Who is they?” Billy asked.
“We have to assume Chief Aims and Richard.”
“Don’t forget the two robes we saw in the woods with Belden,” Paige reminded her.
“That’s right. So possibly four men,” CJ said.
“What two robes?” Ice asked.
“Two men in black robes,” CJ explained. “We saw them on the trail heading to the school. Spooky stuff.”
“What were you doing in the woods?” Billy asked.
“Trying to get to the tunnels,” Paige said. “It’s too much to explain now.” She turned to CJ. “I think you should kill the lights. We probably need to approach on foot.”
“Yeah. I agree.”
CJ pulled the car to the side of the road and stopped. Paige turned in her seat, addressing the guys. “The houses are fairly close together, but staggered. We’re the first house on the road. Fiona was across from us.”
“What happened to her?”
“She...she died.”
“She killed herself,” CJ said. “She set Ester Hogan up for us.”
“It’s a long story,” Paige added as she opened her door.
“Yeah. And when we get back to Houston, I’m thinking beers at the bar while you tell us this long story,” Ice said as he too got out.
They walked single file on the side of the road. The moon was still high, giving them enough light to see by. Paige let the guys go in front of her as she brought up the rear. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a twig break in the woods not far from them. She jerked her head around, scanning through the trees and seeing nothing.
“What is it?” Billy asked.
“I thought I heard something,” she whispered.
CJ stopped and looked back at her. “Okay?”
Paige nodded, although she kept a wary eye on the woods. CJ led them around the back of their little house, past the bedroom window. She ducked below the glass, the others doing the same. It appeared dark and empty. They’d left Don inside with instructions to wait for them.
CJ held up her hand, motioning for them to stop. She turned the knob on the kitchen door, finding it locked. She looked over at Paige with raised eyebrows. No, Paige hadn’t locked it. Like the others, they’d gotten in the habit of not locking their doors.
“I don’t suppose we have a key,” CJ whispered.
“Why don’t you have a key to your own house?” Billy asked.
“We don’t lock the doors,” CJ said as she moved to the kitchen window, cupping her face next to the glass and peering inside. She took her flashlight, shining it through the window. “Shit. Kick the door in,” she said quickly.
With one blow of Ice’s foot, the flimsy lock gave way. She and CJ went in first, their lights landing on the prone figure lying on the floor.
“Oh God,” she murmured.
CJ turned him over. It wasn’t Don. It was Avery. His hands were cuffed behind his back. A single bullet to his forehead had blown off the back of his head.
“Jesus,” Billy whispered. “Who is it?”
“Avery.”
“They’ve got Don,” CJ said. “Apparently both Chief Aims and Richard were loyal to Belden.”
“But why?” Paige asked. “What was in it for them? I can’t see money exchanging hands.”
“Maybe fear,” CJ said.
“Or threats,” Paige added.
“Okay, I don’t know what you guys are talking about, but what’s the plan? We need to call Howley. We have an agent down,” Ice reminded them.
“Chief Aims is armed. Richard was a guard, he wasn’t issued a weapon. The two guys from Hoganville, the two in the robes, we need to assume they are involved as well,” CJ said.
“What’s with the robes anyway?” Billy asked.
“Remember the story you found about the sheep guy? The men were in robes.”
“So are they a cult or what?”
Paige and CJ exchanged glances. “I think if you’re going by the mass suicide we just witnessed—Jim Jones style—then yes. But I don’t think that was the original intention,” she said.
“We’ll probably never know for sure.” CJ walked to the front door, about to turn the light on when she stopped. “A lot of blood. He was shot here.”
“Yeah. So?”
“So Suzette and Becca would have heard the shot,” Paige said, completing CJ’s thought.
“Call Howley. Let him know what’s going on,” CJ said to Ice.
“Yeah. It would help if I knew what was going on though.”
“We’re just going to check next door,” Paige said. She looked at Billy. “Stay here.”
She and CJ went back out through the kitchen door. There were no lights on next door but the next house—where Val and Ella lived—was lit up.
“I don’t suppose we care about our cover being blown,” CJ said. “Seeing as how we’re dressed and all.”
“You think the thigh holsters might give us away?” Paige asked with a smile.
They stopped at the back of their house, peeking in through the windows. There was no movement or sound.
“Kinda early to be in bed,” CJ said. “You think?”
“I don’t know their habits, but yes, I think so. Besides, surely everyone here at the school heard the helicopters land. You’d think they’d be out looking to see what’s going on.”
“I agree. Let’s check next door. Maybe Suzette and Becca went there if they heard a gunshot.”
“Do you think maybe Chief Aims and Richard just left the compound?”
“You mean after they killed Avery, they spooked?”
Paige shrugged. “Maybe. But would they h
ave taken Don?”
CJ shook her head. “Regardless, I don’t think this is going to end well.”
“It already hasn’t. Fiona is dead,” she reminded her.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. I know you haven’t—”
“What? Processed it all? You’re right. I haven’t.” Paige took her cap off and shook out her hair. “This assignment has sucked, hasn’t it?”
“Well, it hasn’t all been bad,” CJ said. “Come on.”
They kept to the edge of the woods, hidden in the shadows. The blinds were down on all the windows. A peculiarity, to be sure. She and CJ had rarely closed their blinds, taking a cue from their neighbors. To find Valerie and Ella’s house shuttered was a surprise.
CJ pulled her deeper into the woods. “Call Billy. Tell him and Ice to get over here. I’m going around to the kitchen. See if I can hear anything. Or maybe see inside.”
Paige nodded as she pulled out her phone.
***
CJ moved closer, glad the moon had finally sunk lower in the sky. The pines were blocking out some of its light, making the shadows longer and easier for her to hide in. She listened, hearing a male voice. It sounded like Aims, but she couldn’t be certain. She crept closer, her movements slow and measured, her eyes locked on the kitchen window. The mini blinds were pulled down past the windowsill, but she could see along the edges. She hugged the outside wall now, holding her face against the window.
Son of a bitch.
She could see Suzette and Becca sitting on the floor against the wall. Both of their hands were tied, their eyes wide with fright. There was a body lying on the floor, but she couldn’t identify it.
“Belden should be back by now.”
“Shut up,” Aims said.
“You heard the helicopters, man. We need to get out of here.”
“And go where? Run into the woods like those other two idiots? No thank you. We stay here. We have hostages. It’s our best bet.”