by Matt Juhl
She threw all of her weight against Gage and knocked him backwards. As his balance wavered over the handrail, Tonya finished lifting him over the ledge and pushed him off the balcony.
During his frightening thirty foot fall, Gage roared all the way down. His arms and legs helplessly swung in the air until his rock hard body smacked against the unforgiving marble floor. The impact sounded like a building collapsing, echoing through the vacantness.
Tonya trembled from the thunderous sound. She waited in the haunting silence for his revival, a final moment of terror. However, she leaned over the railing and nothing happened.
Through all of her exhaustion and injuries, Tonya mustered the strength to traipse down the grand staircase. She nervously approached with her gun draw, uncertain of his fate.
Gage was motionless. He landed on his back and his head lay in a large pool of blood.
Staring at his body felt like a hollow victory, but Tonya was relieved, knowing with absolute certainty that he was dead…
She turned her attention from Gage and checked on Leland. “Brown, are you all right?”
Leland mumbled a few inaudible words between helpless groans.
“C’mon Brown, stay with me. I’ve dispatched backup and an ambulance. We’ll get you some help soon, just hang on, partner. I’m staying with you until they get here.”
He muttered another phrase she didn’t understand.
“What’d you say?”
It took a few moments, but Leland whispered, “Did you…get…him?”
“Look for yourself.” Tonya pulled the flashlight out of his holster and pointed it at Gage’s lifeless body. “I wouldn’t let you down.”
Leland winced, but through his pain, forced a half-smile. “I knew…you’d get his ass. You’re…The Hunter.”
His realness made her smile.
“Where’s Harper?”
“Traci’s got her somewhere. I haven’t searched the rest of the house yet.”
“Go…find her.”
“Not ‘til we get you some help. I need you to stay with me, Brown.”
“No. I’m fine.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Save that…sweet girl.”
“But---”
“Outta here!” he growled. “Now.”
“But what if—“
“Go!”
Tonya clenched her lips together. For the first time in her life, she took orders from Officer Leland Brown and feverishly searched the house for Harper and Traci.
THIRTY
Despite strict orders from Tonya, Nik bolted away from the squad car and snuck into the yard, hoping to catch a clearer glimpse of the strangers wandering across the stormy beach.
The ruthless cold was staggering and the snow made it challenging to decipher much, but curiosity overwhelmed him.
As Nik moved closer, it became more evident that the individuals were both women, and that one of them was being controlled by the other.
The shadowy figures entered the lighthouse door, illuminated only by the pale glow of a lantern.
It only took a few more steps for Nik to fully grasp the terror unfolding in the near distance. He blinked to ensure his overactive imagination hadn’t been playing spiteful tricks. However, no matter how many times he tried to renounce it, Nik knew something was gravely wrong.
He stumbled over his feet and slid down the icy hill. There wasn’t time to consider the repercussions for defying Tonya. Instead, he pumped his arms with every ounce of energy his strong body could muster and chased after them, realizing with absolute certainty that the woman being coerced into the tower was Harper…and the aggressor was Traci.
Nik quietly cried Harper’s name to himself while dashing towards them, certain if he didn’t get to Harper that he may never see her again.
The arctic air inside the lighthouse was equally as unforgiving as it’d been on the terrifying walk there, to the endpoint of the excursion.
Harper froze in place, glaring up the windy, menacing staircase she’d scaled many times. Returning to her safe haven under such distress was bitterly ironic. She never thought she’d be afraid of the lighthouse.
“What the hell are you waiting for? Move!” Traci jabbed the pistol into the small of Harper’s back. “Keep climbing.”
"Please, if you let me go, I’ll never tell anyone. I swear—”
"Shut up!” Traci’s harshness echoed through the vast desolation. "Look down. If you lift your head again, I'll blow it off.”
As strong of a woman as Harper was, traipsing through the darkness to an uncertain fate shook her lingering courage. Through the entire ordeal, she hadn't wept until then. While it started with a few tears, Harper reached a point where she could hardly breathe. She felt totally helpless.
“Why are you doin’ this? I never did anything to you.”
"Are you blind? You made me look like an imbecile.”
“I’ve been honest with you from the beginnin’ about how I feel.”
Traci walked quietly behind Harper.
“It ain’t too late…”
Still—she kept her silence.
“I won’t tell a soul about any of this. I’ll leave town, whatever it takes.”
“You know too much, just like Kendall. That’s why she’s gone.”
“Gone?” she asked.
“You heard me.”
“What’d she do?” Harper’s face turned pale, thinking of poor Kendall’s fate.
“I caught her eavesdropping on a private conversation between Gage and me. It’s really too bad, she used to do whatever I asked without questioning my authority, but she changed. You made her different. She became defiant and untrustworthy. That’s why we took care of her.”
“Where is she?”
“You really wanna know?” Halfway up the stairs, Traci shoved Harper’s face against the window. She pointed to the thrashing lake. “Where no one will ever find her again.”
Watching the violent waves made Harper’s stomach churn and her head spin. “What are you gonna do to me?”
“You’ll see.” Traci smirked. “Keep walking.”
“But—”
“But nothing, go!”
“Please, spare me…”
Traci’s wicked cackle filled the unnerving silence. "Your words are terribly ironic. It’s like déjà vu. You beg the same way your mom did when her life was in my hands. Of course she had a bag tied around her head, so her cries were slightly muffled.”
"Stop talkin’ like that!” Harper screamed.
"I wish you understood why I had to kill your family.”
“’Cause you’re insane—”
“It still doesn’t make sense. You came from nothing, and I gave you everything. I wanted to be the one who saved you from a shitty life. I would’ve done anything for you, but I should’ve known you’d abandon me.”
If she didn’t have a gun pressed against her back, Harper would’ve turned around and strangled Traci.
Once they reached the top of the tower, Traci shoved Harper through the door like a rag doll. “It sucks that you can’t trust anyone in this world. I guess both of us learned that lesson the hard way.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this.”
“You don’t love me, Harper, so that makes you useless. If I let you go, you’d run right to the police. You were probably the one who told them to follow you here tonight, weren’t you?”
“I didn’t, I swear. If you let me go, I won’t say anything!”
“You keep saying that, but I think you’d burn me again. Besides, I couldn’t live knowing that you were with Nik. And if I can’t have you, I’m gonna make damn sure no one else can either.”
The ghastly winds blew falling snow in Nik’s face, creating an unprecedented amount of opposition. He anxiously leapt through the gritty beach as fast as he could, tumbling several times. His cheeks were raw, and his feet were frozen.
All he heard was the sound of his over-worked heart beating like a snare drum. Its ache
was unmatched. He was fearful that he may not make it in time. However, he’d vowed to never let Harper down again and was not about to break that promise.
Nik yanked on the heavy door to the lighthouse and quietly stepped inside. He cautiously stared up into the opening of the spiral staircase. Chills raced down his spine as he watched the shadows of Traci and Harper, drifting into the watch room.
Adrenaline coursed through his chilled body. Through the blackness, Nik quickly topped the stairs, relying on the boisterous winds to disguise the sound of his footsteps as he waited outside the door.
"Sit down,” Traci ordered.
"Where?"
She shined her flashlight in the middle of the room. "There."
As Harper followed the instructions, she watched Traci move across the room and illuminate the lanterns lining the floor. However, the comforting glow of the flickering candlelight contradicted the heated tension between the women.
Traci feverishly tied Harper's hands behind her back. The excitement of the moment was undeniably riveting, fueling her twisted mind. Her face tingled with joy as she watched her evil scheme unfold.
With her back to the door, Traci turned to Harper's chair and knelt down so they were face level with each other. Then she lifted her frigid hand to Harper's delicate cheek. “Ironic, isn’t it?” she whispered with a sinister smile. The malevolence in her scowl had an unsettling tenderness.
"What's ironic?”
"The two of us here, being so close that we can feel each other's warm breath. It's just like the first day we met…when you came to my salon."
“How?”
"I remember seeing you standing outside under the awning to keep shelter from the rain. I couldn't take my eyes off of you." Traci bit her finger, suppressing her emotions. “The moment I saw you, I knew that I had to have you. Doing your make up and touching your porcelain skin was exhilarating, but it wasn’t until your innocent eyes caught mine at dinner that I could tell you wanted me.”
"That’s a lie. You tried forcin’ yourself on me.”
"You’re in so much denial it’s sickening.”
Harper whimpered in despair.
“You never saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“Everything that was in front of us—you threw it all away. Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me?”
“I didn’t do anything!”
“Yes you did! You’ve been twisting a dagger in my heart since you ran away. I haven't slept an entire night since you've been at Nik’s. I practically smoked every cigarette in Oceana County and deliriously watched the sun rise and set, wondering why the hell you don’t want me.”
"You’re a murderer. Who would ever want you?”
“Don’t piss me off, bitch!” Traci howled, firing a warning shot into the window.
Harper closed her eyes and flinched. The ricochet of the bullet made the moment terribly real.
Suddenly all she could think of was Nik. Her head throbbed, realizing she may never again know the satisfaction of being in his calming presence, or feel the excitement of his arousing touch.
She lingered in the comforting memory of being entwined in his strength, pressed against his warmth. Losing that was beyond comprehension.
“Nik,” Harper whimpered.
At that same moment, he waited anxiously in the dark shadows outside the door, watching Traci storming across the floor. His heart jumped as Harper looked in his direction. For a moment he swore she saw him.
“Shut up!” Traci screamed and back-handed Harper’s face. “Enough already. He can’t save you. I’m so tired of hearing his God damn name.”
Harper winced, feeling the harsh sting across her frozen flesh.
Trying to delay the inevitable, Harper tried stalling her. “Is the reason you hate Nik so much ‘cause his father ran off with your mother?”
Unrestrained fury flooded Traci’s veins. “Don’t you dare bring up that bastard!”
“You can’t hold Nik responsible for Patrick and Andrea’s actions.”
“Don’t act like he’s so innocent. Nik took you away from me just like Patrick stole my mother.”
“You keep forgettin’ that I was with Nik before I even met you. He had no control over what Patrick and Andrea did. Besides, why does it even matter? They both drowned. ”
Traci nodded and burst into laughter.
“What’s so damn funny?”
“You—you’re incredibly naïve. Do you really believe they drowned?”
“That’s what you said happened…”
“My well-respected mother blindly took off, debauched by Patrick’s influence.” Traci ran her shaking finger down the glass, entranced by her haunting memories. “She was so ignorant, thinking I’d just accept their perverted lifestyle. She even had the audacity to try cutting me off, threatening to take the house away. No way was that happening. I was at my breaking point—it was all too much. Mother needed to be stopped.”
“You didn’t—” Harper gasped.
“I knew I’d never get her back. Patrick drove an irreparable wedge between us. I couldn’t lose my house too.” Traci paused and grinned. “God, Gage was so stupid back then, almost as gullible as you.”
“What does Gage have to do with anything?”
“Everything.”
Harper studied Traci’s odd expression while quietly attempting to loosen the ties around her hands.
“He was their handyman—until he began working for me. God, I’ve been playing Gage for so long it’s almost comical. Sure, he’s got that strong, virile thing going on, but he’s so oblivious. I knew he’d never catch on.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“I framed him, made it look like he stole from Mother. Not only was he fired, but they had him arrested. A few days later, I posted his bail. The time he spent behind bars, along with some coaxing from me, was enough to plant a deep seed of fury within him. I had Gage exactly where I wanted him. I knew he’d listen to whatever I said. Of course it took a little extra bribery on my end with some monetary incentive, but he did it.”
“Did what?” Harper hesitantly asked.
“Killed them—all of them.”
Traci’s composure was chilling.
Harper couldn’t believe how nonchalantly the words rolled off her tongue. It was as if death didn’t carry any weight in her diluted mind. She was remorseless.
“It was last October. Gage waited on their deck in the rain while Nik’s father slept on the couch. It was almost too easy. He broke in using the lower level door and then crept up the stairs into the living room. Then he walked around the couch and attacked. Their fight was so loud it woke Mother. She came downstairs and watched Gage shoot him dead in the living room. She tried running away, but he chased after her.”
Harper closed her eyes, disturbed by the confession.
“Apparently she put up a good fight. I didn’t know she had it in her, kinda made me wish I would’ve been there to see it. Unfortunately, she was no match for Gage. He overpowered her and killed her too. Then he buried both of their bodies. I reported Mother missing. I said she’d been boating earlier that evening. Of course we made certain to destroy their boat so there was no uncertainty. Those idiots at the Port Vista P.D. never questioned a damn thing.”
Harper was distraught. She hadn’t grasped how demented Traci really was until that moment.
“Don’t look so shocked, Harper.”
“But you told me y’all were very close.”
“That bitch had it coming. She betrayed me. The only person who hasn’t is Gage. He’s the only person I’ve been able to trust. That’s why he came to Silver Shores in the first place—to help make sure you moved in with me.”
“What the hell does that mean? I asked if I could stay with you.”
“Do you think it was a coincidence that Bill Winston hired some strange drifter as a farmhand right after you and I met? I put his ass there to keep an eye on you and your family, to study
your every move. That way we’d know when to strike.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Who do you think planted the large bag of needles to ensure Mindi was caught? You remember that day, the big battle where Gage helped Faye fight your mom off?”
“You didn’t.”
“Sweetie, you said you’d lived with your aunt several times before because of your mom’s antics. It seemed to me like Faye was kind of a softy. So we needed to ensure that staying with her was no longer an option. For the same reason, we took care of Mindi. If you had nowhere to go, the only choice you had was to stay with me. That’s how it was supposed to go, but you ruined it.”
Harper couldn’t believe Traci’s shocking confession. It felt as if she were in a bad dream. “Everything was a setup?”
“Yes,” she confessed.
“You ruined my life!”
“I didn’t ruin anything. I fixed it. Only problem was Nik. After setting Faye’s house on fire, Gage went to hide the gas can in the woods. Low and behold, there was Nik. We thought he was out of town. He almost spoiled everything. That’s why we set it up to make it look like he assaulted Gage. Once he was in the squad car, I convinced Nik that you were scorched in the fire. Then his ass sat in jail. Not long enough if you want my opinion.”
“I don’t wanna hear any more. You put him through hell!”
“So? I needed more time to make you love me. I thought if I could help you grieve, it’d bring us closer. Turns out I was wrong. I went through all of that just to be left behind again.”
While blocking out Traci’s psychotic rambling, Harper quietly fought to hide her relief. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Nik, standing in the door frame.
He quickly motioned a finger to his nose.
"I thought you’d understand my mother’s selfishness better than anyone. You two were so alike.”
As much as she didn’t want to hear Traci’s lunacy, all Harper could do was keep her talking. Meanwhile, she held her breath and tried not to draw attention to Nik.
Anxiety washed over her body as their fate hung in the balance. She watched Nik slowly inch his way into the room. The howling wind caused the entire lighthouse to creak.