“I saw you at the football field. A monster, just like my mother,” he said, the gun trained between her eyes. Lily’s head buzzed like it was full of a thousand bees. “I started to feel something after our fight at Liu’s studio. At first, I thought it was your scratch that precipitated the change. That you infected me. All the steroid treatments Hitomi had given me started to strengthen me, but it was after the studio that I was able to block Hitomi from invading my mind. Then I thought of Phillip who was a Vestige too and had gotten treatments. You bit and clawed him, but nothing happened.”
Lily struggled with the net some more. She actually was making some headway with her teeth, breaking the chinks in the chain mail. She stopped when he leaned down. “It was difficult with your friends of the Atlanta Homicide division swarming the place, but I managed to procure your grandmother’s letter and get it translated. You need to tell me about the crucible and how it works. Otherwise, I’ll shoot different parts of Mr. Liu until he bleeds out.”
Lily growled.
He laughed. “With your grandmother’s necklace, I can finally be who I was meant to be—the First Born.”
Lily refused to meet his eyes. She looked off toward Barbara Miller. Miller’s keening from the bullet wound had given way to whimpers, but now she was silent, curled in the fetal position against a rock of the fire circle, still clutching her rifle. Lily’ heart lurched when she saw Mr. Liu worming his way toward the woman’s leg.
Lily looked at Gates, but it was too late. He sensed the movement behind him and turned to shoot. Lily wrapped her paw, net and all, around his ankle as rage and pain coalesced into her vortex and drew the evil into the spinning hole with her.
Chapter 53
The Summit
At 10:30 a.m., the temperature hit ninety-two degrees. Sweat rolled down Caldwell’s neck, tracing the path of his spine. Not a twinge of Lily had hit him since the cabin. They had notified Helen PD that they were apprehending suspects in the park. The local police were not part of the team going in much to Caldwell’s relief. He had no idea how to explain to anyone else what they might see. However, local officers were assisting in blocking off the area to traffic and another team was on standby if they required back up. Agent Mercer was in the chopper making passes of the area overhead. Scott had rejoined them and stood by their side holding a sniper rifle, her huge eyes intense.
“Shoot to wound,” Lake said.
Caldwell bit the inside of his cheek. “Lieutenant?”
“If it’s Ernie, know he’s a good shot.”
Scott nodded. “Barbara Miller’s not a bad shot either. She won the Dixie National Rifle contest three years in a row as a teenager.” Scott’s brows rose. “‘Course, she’s fifty now, but that doesn’t mean she’s lost it.”
Caldwell looked to her in question.
“I mean lost her skills. Can’t speak about her mental stability.”
“I know she’s real pissed off about her son,” Caldwell said, shifting his weight. They stood around the hood of Lake’s unmarked. They had a short, but steep hike to the summit. Visitors at the Bison View Lodge reported shots fired close to thirty minutes ago. He looked at Scott then at the Lieutenant. He wanted to trust them, but he knew they were considering the circumstances of Lily Moore’s disappearance and the fact that technically she had been on the run.
Lake knew the details of Caldwell being captive inside the Quinn cabin, Scott didn’t. Caldwell didn’t want to wait a second more, but he wanted Scott to understand. “Lily Moore has some special abilities.”
Scott turned to him. “Simms, you think I’m a complete dumbass. I can put things together. I’ve seen some freaky shit. Don’t patronize me. I watch Fringe. I’ve studied the forensic reports including the ones from the wildlife lab.”
He nodded once and took the lead, gun drawn. He turned around once more and looked at both of them. “Don’t hurt her.”
Lake rolled his eyes. “Simms, cut the shit or I’m leaving you in the car—handcuffed, windows up, no air.”
Caldwell charged toward the summit with Lieutenant Lake. Scott brought up the rear, stopping and scanning the area with her scope. Caldwell arrived first, pulling up short. Lake almost ran into him. Greenery encircled the apex that was no more than a ten by twelve foot stepped rock floor. The only thing visible was the sky. Without communicating, the three performed an awkward side-step, searching the space and the dense surrounding shrubs.
Nothing.
“Shit!” Caldwell said.
Scott took off for a break in the foliage, a rocky path descending the back of the mountain. Caldwell didn’t let her get far before taking the lead. They walked single file down the narrow path lined by dwarfed and gnarled oaks. Eight minutes later, they came upon a campsite with a raised wooden shelter. A slumped figure in jeans, boots, and a blood-soaked camouflage shirt lay against a rock.
Lake and Scott scanned the trees, looking into the shadows as Caldwell crept closer, his adrenaline shooting through his veins like a speedball.
They drew up to her calling out their credentials.
When Caldwell reached the rock, he squatted down to check her pulse. Sweat and mud matted a mess of blonde hair. Smoker’s lines radiated out from her mouth in a sunburst pattern. Someone had used a sock for a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding. Lake radioed for emergency personnel.
Barbara Miller opened one eye.
“Mrs. Miller, you’re going to be okay. Paramedics are on their way,” Caldwell said. When he looked up, Scott was vigilant, scanning up and down in the trees and shrubs.
“Shot me,” Miller said, voice hoarse.
“Who?” Caldwell asked. Lake and Scott stood with their backs to him facing the trees.
“The demon freak,” spat Miller. She scrunched her face into one tan wrinkle. Caldwell waited. “Lily Moore.”
“Where is she?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” she retorted, resting her head back down against the rock.
“Hang in there, Mrs. Miller. We need your help,” Caldwell pleaded. “Is Ernie here?”
She lifted her head slightly and glared at him. “She took him away through the air. You believe that shit?”
Caldwell heard Scott shouting behind him. “Drop your weapon.”
He turned and stood up. A man stumbled; his slight build wavered drunkenly, holding the side of the shelter to steady himself.
“Li?” called the lieutenant as he took off toward him. The man sat down hard on his behind, finally surrendering to his body’s will. Bending over, Lake surveyed his condition. Caldwell pulled up next to him while Scott attended to Miller. Bruises bloomed all over his face and arms. His left eye closed to a slit.
“She’s gone,” he rasped. “He’s got her!” Tears streaked down Li Liu’s battered face.
Chapter 54
From the Lost Notes of Peter Marx
August 20, 2010
Something has gone incredibly wrong. When I came into Dr. H’s lab this morning, the place was trashed. I read in her notes that Subject V1 has homicidal thoughts and the doc is concerned he is planning to hurt someone. She’s refusing to issue any more steroids to him. I’m sure he can find anabolic steroids from another source.
I waited outside Dr. H’s home tonight. Subject V1 showed up and they argued. He left around 9:30 p.m. and got into a blue Suburban. I couldn’t see his face—he wore a baseball cap.
I followed him so I could figure out who he is.
He pulled up in front of MY house and waited outside for an hour. I didn’t think he saw me, but he must have. When he finally left, I tried to follow. He ran a red light and sped off, but I got his license plate number.
As I returned to the house, it occurred to me that I might not be his target. Perhaps, the target is my neighbor, Subject T.
I’m worried about my safety, my neighbor’s, and Lily’s. Tomorrow, I’ll confront Dr. H so I can learn his identity. Maybe then I’ll have some idea what to do.
—Peter
Chapter 55
Murder
A backwash of pigment spread across the water forming thick tentacles that probed the lake’s surface then sank down seeking the silty bottom.
Her head throbbed from pressure mixed with pain. Lily’s eyes trained on the tentacles following their path until she hit the wide-eyed stare of Ernie Gates. Memories came flooding back. Bile burned up into her nose as she retched into the water.
Gates lay shipwrecked on a rock—his lower torso still in the water. Blood oozed from his head, trickled to the stone, then dispersed into the water creating the bloody oil slick. Head wounds bleed a lot. She knew that first hand.
Panic jolted her as she detected his faint heartbeat and shallow breaths. She scanned the brush, trees, and footpaths as a rush of human sounds assaulted her ears. Lily thrashed toward Gates. A series of convulsions rather than swim strokes carried her across the inlet. Her side felt like someone had taken a soldering iron to it. Shot. Again. By the man she dragged under the wooden footbridge with her.
A child’s high-pitched voice carried through the still air. A family walked and babbled as their feet pounded on the wooden slats overhead. She held her breath hoping she had stirred up enough mud from the bottom to mix up the blood. When they were out of range, she released her breath and looked into the eyes of a killer.
He blinked. His mouth moved. She tilted her head as he whispered into her ear.
Ten minutes later Lily still hid under the bridge. She recognized her surroundings—Unicoi Lake where Smith Creek came into the body of water. The pain in her side caused her to examine her wound. The bullet had traveled clean through and her preternatural body was using the powers of the crucible to begin healing. The locket’s power couldn’t quell the queasy feeling overwhelming her though. She gathered that had more to do with the now dead man next to her.
Judging by the height of the sun in the sky, it had to be early afternoon. She considered curling up with the corpse and waiting until dark before moving. She doubted police helicopters and search teams would spread out from Tray Mountain to this location for some time. However, someone’s friendly canine could easily root her out. Them out.
She hadn’t intended to mortally injure Gates, just stop him from hurting Li Liu anymore. Relief mixed with the cesspool of fear swirling in her gut. At least it happened naturally, with a rock and all. If that’s considered natural—crashing down to earth like a meteor. She had only teleported a few times and always with a strong intent in her head. This time she just leapt thinking of water. It’s a wonder she didn’t wind up in the middle of the Atlantic.
The stench of fish, mold, algae, and blood permeated her senses as Lily considered what she must do to survive the rest of the day and night. She did the only thing she could—she turned into a ShihTzu.
Chapter 56
First Born
Sarah Clemens sat at her vanity brushing her soft, white hair. Lily watched through the swing-hinged window that hung open to the milder temperatures. Clemens stopped her grooming and turned her attention to the 10:00 nightly news. Lily followed her gaze to the TV screen.
Detective Caldwell Simms looked mighty fine in a navy blue suit as a reporter interviewed him about the discovery of a body at Unicoi Lake. Lily sighed through the screen as she rested in the branches of a mimosa tree just a week after her encounter on Tray Mountain. The mosquitoes didn’t dare come near her.
“Yes Ma’am, that’s what I said. At 6:30 yesterday morning, a fisherman discovered the body that has been identified as that of Ernie Gates. Next of kin have been notified,” Simms said.
The reporter shoved the microphone back into his face. “But wasn’t Gates an employee of the APD?”
“He was a Search and Rescue handler who contracted with various organizations including ours.”
“What was the cause of death?”
“The Medical Examiner has yet to make the final determination. Authorities retrieved a vehicle from the water as well. There’s a possibility Mr. Gates was driving at a high rate of speed and crashed through the guardrail on Georgia 356.”
Lily grinned. Genius, really. Staging it to look like he crashed with her in the car. She planned to resurface in a week or so claiming amnesia.
“There are reports that he is responsible for the kidnapping of a retired officer, Li Liu and is also tied to the murders of Peter Marx and Gates’s biological mother, Mona Sinclair.”
“This is an ongoing investigation. I can’t comment further at this time.”
“What about the Moore girl?”
Clemens huffed and strode across the room in her white cotton nightgown to turn off the TV. “Liars,” she hissed.
Lily protracted a claw to slice the screen so she could slip in with ease. She really had wanted to hear what Detective Hottie had to say about her. She wore a lovely new green sundress she’d found on someone’s clothesline. A pink pom-pom from the Dr. Seuss tree perched behind her right ear. Other than the skunky roots she had, she thought she looked darn fine for a presumed dead girl.
Clemens turned and shrieked. “Jesus Christ!”
“Not even close, lady.”
Clemens scrunched her nose in disgust. “I’m calling the police.”
“Go for it. They would love to hear this story.” Lily said.
Clemens backed up and sat at the vanity. Her hand travelled back toward the grooming paraphernalia and a gaudy broach on the surface.
“Uh,uh,” Lily said. The woman pressed her lips together in a tight line as she released the sharp pin.
“What do you want?”
“Retribution for Peter and Mona.” And even Frank. He may have been racketeering, but he didn’t deserve to die. Lily’s anger kept the tears at bay.
Clemens cocked an eyebrow, setting off the fine wrinkles of her face.
“Your nephew and I had a heart-to-heart. I know that you told him about his biological mother when you discovered the true story about Mona’s twins. I know you were aware of Dr. Hitomi working with shapeshifters and you steered him to her—thinking she could help him. I know you hated your sister because she was beautiful and powerful even though she wasn’t the First Born. But you are. Yet, you’re not able to shapeshift. Are you?”
Clemens clasped her delicate hands in her lap as she glared at Lily.
“And I know you pulled all the strings including paying off Frank Harding to hide Peter’s notebook in a safety deposit box after Ernie killed him since Peter had discovered Ernie’s plans to murder Mona.” Lily took a breath and smoothed down the creases in the front of her dress.
“You are really troubled like they said. I thought your brother had issues. But you definitely need some jolts to the synapses.”
“Or possibly a few bullets would help me. Huh, Bonnie? Nice shooting at the Quinn cabin. Next time don’t ditch the car. I’m sure they’ll find some trace evidence when they finish processing Ernie’s car.”
“Miss Moore. I knew your father. Your grandfather knocked up my sister and created this mess in the first place.” Her brow wrinkled as she looked down at her nails. “Actually I believe your mother’s family started the trouble. But your grandmother’s dead now, isn’t she?”
Sarah Clemens turned back to the vanity and began to brush her hair again.
Lily clutched the fenghuang locket and averted her eyes as she thought of Waipo. It became impossible to swallow. She reminded herself to breathe as tears filled her eyes. The crucible glowed red sending its reassuring waves to wash over her. Lily welcomed the tremendous freedom of her stomach dropping before she teleported. She had said her piece.
Chapter 57
Aftermath
Caldwell rested against an overturned rain barrel at Li Liu’s ranch. Liu sat on a shoeing stool next to him, his bruised temple exhibiting a yellow starburst pattern. His haunted eyes remained on his mare, Rosie. Caldwell swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched early morning haze circle the base of the white pine trees in the distance.
“Nothing?” he asked Li as he looked across to a hobble containing Rosie’s saddle and an enormous white cat with bobbed tail. The cat didn’t blink, but stayed seated in the saddle as if taunting him.
Liu answered, his voice devoid of emotion. “She’s out there. Considering the injuries she’s suffered over the last month, my guess is she’s trying to remember who she is and what happened.” Liu rested his chin atop his hands propped up by a cane.
“Sarah Clemens is in custody. We found trace evidence on the car she drove to Helen. We also found Peter Marx’s notebook in her possession.” Caldwell sighed as he looked to the cat. In the dirt beneath the hobble rested an ankle monitor. Caldwell didn’t make an effort to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “Really? Can’t you even pretend while I’m here that it’s effectively keeping you in state until the hearing?”
Seth the cat leapt down, leaned back and put his back leg through the device before shifting into human form. Caldwell averted his eyes as Moore slipped into a pair of shorts he retrieved from the ground.
“Sorry,” he said softly.
Caldwell shook his head. Seth had apologized quite a bit, but it didn’t change the circumstances. The captain had placed Caldwell on administrative leave while the department investigated and decided his fate.
Seth was cooperating with the authorities. The judge had released him with the ankle monitor into Li Liu’s supervision until the next hearing. The DA was working a plea bargain for Seth. He most likely would get community service as long as he testified regarding Dr. Hitomi and her research.
Caldwell didn’t really care about anything else right now. Sure, he worried his career was in the crapper, but until he saw Lily again, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep or rest or concentrate on anything else. She was out there somewhere.
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