by Ron Ripley
A young woman stood near the port side. She was pretty, but her eyes were closed, and it looked as though she had been crying as well.
Something’s wrong, George thought, squinting.
Oh, he realized, I can see through her.
Right through her.
She took a step forward and he crab-walked backward until he bumped into the starboard side.
Her eyes looked deflated, and her neck was bent oddly to one side.
“There’s no service here,” the young woman said. “None. It’s why we couldn’t get any help. There’s no way to get in touch with anyone.”
“What happened to you?” George whispered.
“Me?” she asked, smiling. “Oh, Dorothy happened to me. She put out my eyes and broke my neck.”
“Why?” George asked, his voice barely audible.
“Why not?” the young woman asked, shrugging. She stopped a foot away from him and said confidently, “I will tell you this, though.”
“What?”
“This is how it felt,” she whispered, and before George could move she grabbed hold of his head.
Frozen thumbs worked their way up to his eyes and pushed.
George screamed.
Chapter 52: Then There Were Two
A loud, horrified scream jerked Shane’s attention away from the unconscious Amy. As he and Courtney looked to the door, he said angrily, “Damn it!”
Courtney didn’t ask why.
Both of them could see George was gone.
Shane kept a tight grip on his temper, and he stood up and went to the door. He glanced around and saw movement on the defunct boat.
Eileen stood over George, her hands on his head.
“What’s she doing?” Courtney asked, fear thick in her voice.
“Killing him,” Shane said. He put his hands gently on Courtney and turned her away. George’s screams ended abruptly. Shane shook his head.
“It’s too late,” Shane said softly. He and Courtney sat down slowly.
For several long minutes, they were silent.
And then Amy let out a grunt, rolled from her side onto her back, and opened her eyes. She blinked several times, the camping light close to her and shining brightly.
“Hello, Sunshine,” Shane said softly.
Amy’s eyes focused on him, and her face paled. She went to move her arms and couldn’t. Shane watched the color drain from her lips as she pressed them tightly together. The dark, dried blood on the side of her face stood out boldly.
Amy looked at him, wet her lips and said, “Hi Shane.”
“Courtney,” Shane said, “this is Amy. Amy, this is Courtney.”
“A pleasure,” Amy said, forcing a smile. “I don’t suppose you’d do a girl a favor and untie me?”
“No,” Shane said. “You’re all trussed up, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Why?” she asked, feigning ignorance. “Why would you keep me tied up?”
“Who do you think hit you with a rock?” Courtney snapped.
“You did?” Amy asked, glaring at Courtney.
“I did,” Shane said, correcting her. “I have more than half a mind to drown you, Amy, but I don’t want to add another body to this damned place.”
“That would be murder,” Amy said. She focused her attention on him.
“And so it would,” Shane agreed. “I’d sleep alright. You, Courtney?”
Courtney nodded.
“So, you know where we stand on the whole murder issue, Amy,” Shane said. “I know where you stand on it, too.”
“Shane,” she said, her voice low and seductive. “You don’t think I could have had anything to do with murder, do you?”
“Amy,” Shane said, leaning closer. “I have something I want to tell you.”
“What?” she asked, smiling at him.
“I guarantee you I will beat the brains right out of your head,” Shane said coldly, “if I think, even for an instant, that Courtney is going to die here.”
Amy sat back sharply. “She’s going to kill all of us.”
“Dorothy?” Shane asked.
Amy nodded.
“I think you’re mistaken,” Shane said sincerely.
Amy looked at him, confusion on her face.
“I already told you,” Shane said, “I’ll kill you. Not Dorothy.”
“You don’t understand!” Amy shouted.
The sudden violence in her voice caused Shane to recoil briefly.
“What don’t we understand?” Courtney asked, her knuckles whitening as she tightened her grip on her cudgel.
“My family,” Amy said, a mad gleam creeping into her eyes. “This island is ours. This lighthouse, it is ours. All of it. Even the dead. It is our purpose, our divine mission, to ensure the light forever shines. By controlling the light, we decide who lives, who dies upon the seas, and who will drown within the depths.”
“Each death grants Dorothy strength. With each soul trapped on the island, her power grows. And the more dead upon the island,” Amy continued, grinning, “the stronger my great-grandmother becomes. Soon, she shall be able to leave the island, to travel freely to the land, where her power will grow ten-fold. Thus, we ensure the safety of the light.”
“And what about me breaking it?” Shane asked, taking out a cigarette.
Amy sneered. “A mere speed bump in our goal. The Coast Guard will come out. They will fix it. We will guard it. Dorothy will see to it.”
Shane blew streams of smoke out of his nose, grinned at her, and said, “Are you planning on being alive for this whole deal, or are you expendable, too?”
“She won’t sacrifice me,” Amy spat. “I brought the lighthouse back into our family. I returned her children to her.”
“Her children?” Courtney asked, looking at Shane. “Dorothy had children?”
Shane nodded.
Courtney switched her attention to Amy. “Why does she need her children?”
Amy smiled and remained quiet.
“Now, you decide to shut up?” Shane asked. “No. I don’t like that.”
“And what will you do about it, Shane?” Amy asked softly, laughing. “Will you torture it out of me?”
“Yup,” Shane said, nodding. “I hate how sweaty I get, but I’ll deal with it.”
Amy’s eyes widened. “You’re joking.”
He shook his head. “Not in the least little bit. Courtney?”
“Yes?” Courtney asked.
“I’m going to ask you to turn around and watch the doorway for me. I’ll gag the murderer here, but you’re still going to hear some things,” Shane said apologetically.
Courtney looked hard at him, hesitated, and then nodded. “Alright.”
She turned around and faced the doorway.
Shane took his cigarette out of his mouth, slipped his shirt off, and smiled at Amy. He returned his cigarette to its proper place, twisted the shirt into a tight length and got to his feet.
Amy pushed herself backward as far as she could go.
“Stay away from me!” she snarled, jerking her head from side to side as he got closer. She kicked at him, but the blows were weak, bouncing impotently off of his shins and knees.
He extended his arms, and as the shirt neared her mouth Amy screamed, “Wait!”
Shane stopped. The shirt was only a few inches from her head.
Panting, Amy glared at him.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Shane asked softly.
She nodded.
“Well?” he said.
Amy closed her eyes and whispered, “She needs to have the children placed at the cardinal points.”
“Of the compass?” Shane asked.
“Yes.”
“Why?” Shane said.
“It locks the power in,” Amy replied. “All of the strength Dorothy’s gathered over the years. All of the deaths. The fear and horror. It feeds her. With it, she’ll be able to power the lighthouse’s lantern even if there’s no power
in the solar batteries. Even if the backup generator has been run dry. She’ll be able to keep the light shining.
“She’ll be able to save the ships,” Amy whispered, finally opening her eyes again.
“Well,” Shane said, unraveling his shirt. “She’s more civic-minded than I thought.”
“God told her what to do,” Amy said, the fervent gleam returning to her eyes. “It is our mission, Shane. You can’t stop it. You mustn’t.”
He shrugged, finished his cigarette, and stubbed it out on the stairwell. Sighing, he slipped the shirt back on and said, “Courtney.”
“What’s up?” the young woman asked, stepping away from the doorway.
“We need to go down to George’s boat, together,” Shane said. “There should be some emergency supplies, a flare gun, and all that good stuff.”
“Okay,” Courtney said. She switched the cudgel from one hand to the other.
“Why do you need the flare gun?” Amy asked.
“So we can signal the Coast Guard,” Shane said. “If they’re not on their way already, the flare gun will definitely light a fire under them.”
“You can’t,” Amy said, horrified. “She’s not ready yet.”
“Perfect timing then,” Shane said with a grin.
“You can’t!” Amy shrieked.
Shane winked at her, turned away, and said to Courtney, “Ready?”
Courtney nodded, and together they left the lighthouse. Behind them, Amy screamed furiously.
Chapter 53: Waiting for Dorothy
Amy dropped her chin to her chest and sobbed. She was enraged.
They’ll try and ruin it all, she thought. They’ll destroy every last bit of it. Everything!
The temperature in the lighthouse dropped and the locket around her neck grew cold, her breastbone aching painfully from the touch of the metal.
Amy whimpered and forced herself to look up.
Dorothy stood in front of her. Beside her was the shattered remains of a man. Amy kept her eyes focused on her great-grandmother.
“Amy,” Dorothy said.
“Yes?” Amy’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“You came back to finish off George?” Dorothy asked.
“Yes.”
“But you did not,” Dorothy said.
Amy couldn’t respond. She shivered with fear.
“One of the new children did,” Dorothy said after a moment. “The one named Eileen. She took care of George for us.”
Amy looked up at her great-grandmother, unable to contain her surprise. “She did?”
Dorothy nodded.
“What about Shane?” Amy asked fearfully. “What about the girl, Courtney?”
“What of them?” Dorothy asked. “We’ve only to slay them both. He will look like a murderer, and then another suicide. It is a task which is easy enough to manage.”
“And what about me?” Amy asked. “Will you untie me?”
Dorothy shook her head. “You must stay bound. Perhaps for a day, perhaps less. You need to be found as you are. Only then will you be able to play the role of victim. The deaths of the man named George, his colleagues, and those from the yacht. All of them can then be laid at the feet of Shane. It is he who will be the suicide victim this time.”
Amy nodded. “So I wait.”
“So you wait,” Dorothy agreed. “Now this one and I must carry out the rest of the task. Be at ease, child; you have done our family proud.”
Amy blushed with pride. Dorothy and the mutilated man vanished. The locket on around her neck grew warm. Soon the chill of the room was replaced by the warm June air.
Smiling, Amy closed her eyes and did her best to ignore the discomfort of her arms and wrists.
Chapter 54: A Missing Light
Chief Petty Officer Al Arsenault looked out at Squirrel Island.
The lighthouse was dark. The signal from the island’s service program was correct. Something was wrong with the lantern.
He turned away from the window, picked up the phone and called Captain Root at home. Al quickly informed her of the situation, and the Captain responded in the same fashion. In less than two minutes, the phone call was over, and Al turned to Seaman Mauser.
“Mauser,” Al said.
The young man looked up from a battered paperback. “Chief?”
“Call down to Zucci, let him know we need the patrol boat readied,” Al said, sitting down at his desk.
“Aye, Chief,” Mauser said.
Al took a drink of his coffee. Mauser made the call, then he looked over at Al and said, “Zucci wants to know who we need?”
Al put his mug down and said, “We’ll need at least a two-person tech crew. Light’s out on Squirrel Island. May be just a couple of wires, or it may be the lantern itself.”
Mauser nodded and relayed the information, then hung up the phone. “Anything else, Chief?”
“Yeah,” Al said, finishing his drink. “Put another pot on, will you, Mauser? Looks like it’s going to be a long night.”
“You got it, Chief.” The young man got up and left the office. Al went to the window again and looked out at Squirrel Island. He’d been there a few times, and each occasion was something he’d rather forget.
The place was cold.
Bad luck, Al thought. A Jonah’s place if ever there was one. Nothing but death there. The quicker this is done, the better.
Mauser returned a short time later. “Coffee should be ready in about five, Chief.”
Al nodded his thanks, but he didn’t move away from the window. The lighthouse was a dark silhouette against the stars. The sea had calmed down, the waves no longer rough.
Al yawned, and the phone rang. Mauser answered it and said, “Zucci says the boat’s ready whenever you are. The crew is already aboard.”
“Good,” Al said, turning away from the window. “Tell Zucci I’ll be down there in five minutes.”
Mauser nodded and relayed the message.
Al took his travel mug off of his desk and brought it into the staff room.
Well, he thought, let’s get this done with.
Chapter 55: Strange News
Marie Lafontaine sat in her chair, a glass of wine in her hand as she watched the ten o’clock news. She was only half listening, more focused on whether or not she could finish her drink before she had to go to bed. The day had been long and frustrating. A witness had recanted their statement, and another person had overdosed on heroin.
In the tot-lot playground on Ash Street, Marie thought, shaking her head.
The words ‘mysterious disappearance’ were spoken by the newscaster and caught Marie’s attention. She listened as the reporter talked about how a gatekeeper at a marina in Maine had disappeared from work.
The news station used a stock photo of the marina. Beyond the docked boats and wooden pier, Marie caught sight of something which sent a bitter fear through her. The Squirrel Island lighthouse formed part of the backdrop.
Marie picked up her cellphone and called Amy. It went right to voicemail. She ended the call, got up, and walked over to her laptop. Marie did a quick search for more information on the disappearance, but she received nothing more than the man’s name and basic history.
She frowned and then searched for information on the empty yacht which was found. The articles she found all agreed on one particular point.
No bodies had been found. No lifeboat. No distress signal sent out.
The crew was still missing.
Did Amy get this guy to bring her out to the island to check on Shane? Marie wondered. But wouldn’t he have told someone?
Something’s wrong, Marie realized. Terribly wrong.
She knocked back the last of her wine, put the empty glass on the desk beside the laptop, and made her way to the bedroom.
It was time to drive to Maine.
Chapter 56: Slipping Away
Although Courtney felt better to be with Shane, she wasn’t naïve enough to believe all of her troubles would be
solved by being with him.
Mom always told you to rely on yourself, Courtney thought. Don’t expect a prince to come and rescue you.
Courtney looked at Shane and grinned.
No, she thought, he’s no prince. More like a hired gunman than anything else.
And Courtney liked that about him.
As they made their way towards the pier, she forced herself to pay attention. George’s boat was still visible, still partially submerged.
And still completely useless, she thought, sighing.
They reached the pier and Shane led them swiftly to the boat. At its side, he paused, turned, and said, “Stop here, Courtney.”
“Why?” she asked, halting a few feet from him.
“Because it’s bad,” he said. “Terribly so.”
“I can help,” Courtney said, the words coming out quickly.
“You do help, and you will,” Shane said, not looking away from her. “I just don’t think you need to see any more bodies.”
“More bodies?” Courtney asked. “I thought it was only George.”
“And the man who brought Amy here this morning,” Shane said.
“What about him?” Courtney said.
“She blew his brains out,” Shane said. “Bullet to the back of the skull. Exit through the front. His brains and skull are everywhere.”
“Oh,” Courtney said. She glanced at the boat, but she didn’t try to look in it. “You’ll be able to find what you need without me going on board?”
“Yes,” Shane said. “Stay here, and stay safe.”
She nodded. Shane stepped forward, embraced her, and then stepped away. She watched as he climbed up onto the deck. Soon he was gone, and she could hear him rummaging through the interior of the boat. Long minutes passed, and she shifted her attention constantly from the boat to the pier, from the pier to the lighthouse, from the lighthouse to the cabin, and then back again.
“Got it!” Shane called up.
Courtney heard his feet on the ladder and in a second, he was back on the deck. He had an emergency kit in his hands. She took it from him, and he climbed down to stand on the dock. They sat down, opened the kit, and looked at the materials inside. Among the emergency supplies, they found a small strobe light, emergency rations, a flare gun, and a compressed emergency raft with instructions on how to inflate it. It even had a collapsible paddle.