Hell Bound (Seventh Level Book 2)

by Charity Parkerson

  The shock of hearing Justice refer to Kylie as if she were still alive was immense. It was one thing for the man to know Liam, but Kylie, that was different. “Tell me,” Mark demanded.

  “Anne. We can save Anne’s soul.”

  Mark wanted to call him a liar, but he could see he was telling the truth. “Do you know where Anne is? Is she okay? She just disappeared and it was almost as if she never existed. Everyone in New Orleans claimed she’d returned to Nashville and everyone in Nashville claimed she’d moved to New Orleans.” He didn’t say his heart felt as if it had been cut in half ever since. Even though they had only known each other a short time, he had fallen in love with her.

  Justice seemed to understand he needed some time, so he watched and waited until he had Mark’s full attention again. “She’s safe, in a manner of speaking. She offered herself to Septem to save Kylie from a terrible fate.” Mark opened his mouth to point out Kylie met a terrible fate when she was murdered, but Justice cut him off. “There are worse fate’s after death than mankind can fathom. For Kylie, having her soul used to hurt Liam would have been the ultimate eternal punishment.”

  Although Mark had always known Justice was Liam’s inside man with Wade, he’d been afraid to thoroughly the question him since he was unsure of how much Justice knew about Liam. Not to mention, Mark seeing a dead Kylie very much alive and sitting in his kitchen would sound crazy to anyone who’d not seen it with his own eyes. However, now that Justice was the one to open the subject, Mark wanted to know what he knew.

  “Before Anne disappeared, she said Kieran had killed Kylie.”

  With a slight dip of his chin, Justice confirmed Anne’s words. “He did.”

  Mark scrubbed his hands over his face, and when it didn’t help clear his mind, he threw his hands up. “I don’t understand what’s going on. Ever since the first moment I heard the Trace sister’s names, I have been floundering in a world I don’t know anything about and no one explains. What the hell is going on? How does Kieran, a man who, for all appearances, is nothing more than the owner of a nightclub, fit into this whole thing? I mean, it’s seems only fair for someone to tell me what I’ve been pulled into.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  Mark growled. “No fucking shit it’s complicated. I’d worked as much out for myself.”

  Justice glanced up at the sky as if seeking answers before sighing heavily. “Kieran is Liam’s father.”

  “Huh,” Mark said for lack of anything more intelligent.

  A mirthless laugh fell from Justice’s lips. “You landed in the center of the ultimate family battle. To make a long story short, if Anne hadn’t sacrificed herself for Kylie the entire world would have suffered for Liam’s loss. But,” he added with a smile. “Anne did even more than she realized. She gave Liam the key to saving Cole and herself.”

  Hearing there was a way to save Anne was enough for Mark.

  “Okay. What do we need to do?”

  Justice flashed an approving smile. “We need Liam.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Did you do all of the necessary background checks?”

  Both Mark and Wade looked over at Liam at the same time. If the man in question noticed all of their attention was suddenly directed on him, he didn’t return their interest. Liam stood like a statue guarding the front door just as Mark had instructed him to do an hour earlier.

  Fortunately, Wade and Morgan had been too busy chasing Cole and unpacking for Wade to ask why Mark felt the need to hire an extra security guard, until now.

  “He came highly recommended.” Mark consoled his conscious by telling himself his answer wasn’t exactly an outright lie. Liam had—at one time— been one of the best detectives on the New Orleans’ police force. There was no point in bringing up the fact he was now one of their ten most wanted fugitives.

  Wade turned and looked Mark square in the face for several uncomfortable minutes before finally saying, “Okay. I trust your judgment, but when this thing with Pamela is over with, I want to cut back on some of the security personnel. It feels more like a prison than a home around here.”

  Mark nodded. “I agree.” He waited a heartbeat before adding, “I wouldn’t have added another man if I hadn’t felt like the situation warranted it.” He cleared his throat. “Pamela showed up here again Saturday night.”

  Mark’s statement snagged Wade’s full attention. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “It didn’t seem necessary. I got rid of her and she hasn’t been back since, but it did show me we were sadly lacking on manpower outside the house. One incident was all I needed to realize I couldn’t keep an eye on things inside and outside round the clock. Kathy left to pick up a few things to bring back here. I sent Peter with her, so I was a man short, and I was trying to keep an eye on Cole while watching the security cameras. Cole decided to play a game of hide-and-seek. With our manpower stretched too thin, Pamela used the opportunity to get onto the estate grounds. She made it as far as the pool before I intercepted her.

  Mark waited an uneasy moment while Wade absorbed the information. He knew it was likely Wade might decide to fire him for allowing Pamela to get close to his son. There was no doubt in Mark’s mind if Wade knew how close Pamela had been to Cole, he would be thrown out with his luggage before he had a chance to say a word in his own defense.

  “You did well then. We can’t let Pamela get near Cole or Morgan. She’s obviously insane. The next time she trespasses, call the police. If she won’t listen to reason, then we’ll use the law to protect ourselves. I’m tired of her games. I finally have the woman I love and a beautiful son. I’m not risking their lives or happiness over some delusional nut I picked up early in my career. I want her completely out of our lives.”

  Mark clapped a hand onto Wade’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about Pamela. She’ll have to come through me to get to you or yours.” He nodded toward the house. “Go be with your lovely bride and son. I’m on top of things out here.” He stayed rooted in place while Wade walked over and spoke briefly with Liam before heading back into the house. As soon as the door closed, Mark indicated to Liam he was going to take another walk around the grounds. As brave as his words had been while attempting to reassure Wade, he had an uneasy feeling all morning something wasn’t quite right.

  The only weak spot in the security was behind the recording studio. It worried Mark the out-of-date gate had been removed without first ordering a new one. It had been hauled away by the contractor before Mark or Wade realized what had been done. Mark posted a guard in the area full time while they waited for a new one, but it was a boring job. More than once, he found the guard with his feet propped up and fast asleep. Ever since the first incident of finding the space unguarded, Mark had taken to keeping a camera zoomed in on the guards working in that zone. He also personally walked back to check on them at least once an hour to make certain they weren’t sleeping.

  As many times as Mark stressed the importance of being alert, he assumed everyone understood his policy on the matter, but what he discovered during this check surprised him. The guard was nowhere to be found.

  “Damn it! I told them over and over if they needed to go to the bathroom to radio for a replacement.” He kicked the plastic chair and sent it flying through the air. It bounced off the back of the studio and finally landed several feet from where it had once sat. Mark slipped his two-way radio out of its holder. “Peter, where the hell are you?” He waited a few seconds for a reply, but there wasn’t one, so he headed to the studio. The closest bathroom was inside. Peter probably thought he could slip in and out without anyone being the wiser. Such blatant disregard for orders was the very last straw. As soon as he located the man, he was going to fire him.

  Once inside, he switched all the lights on. “Peter! Get your sorry ass out here!” He waited a few moments for a reply, but when none came, he stormed through the building to the restroom. It was easy to see even from several feet away the door was standing wide open and
no one was inside. Just in case he was wrong, he headed over, flipping on the light, and looked around. Peter wasn’t there.

  A loud crash coming near the front of the studio had Mark running in its direction, but when he reached the door to the entrance, there was nothing there to indicate anything had been disturbed. It wasn’t until he released his breath he realized he had been holding it. A cold breeze caressed Mark’s cheek and a high-pitched giggle filled the air. He made a three-sixty turn and scanned the studio. He was on his second turn when he spotted Pamela seated in the chair Wade usually sat in.

  She crossed her long legs and smiled his eyes shifted to her exposed thighs. She crooked her index finger at him. “It’s just me and you. I could show you such a good time. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” She uncrossed her legs and left them spread open so he could see she wasn’t wearing any panties. Not missing a beat, she pulled her skirt up higher so he could see her more clearly. Inserting a couple of fingers inside herself, she leaned back and closed her eyes. “I haven’t been with a real man in a very long time.”

  Mark stepped backward closer to the door. As if sensing his retreat, Pamela opened her eyes. She stood and slowly glided in his direction. Watching her progression with trepidation, Mark reached behind him and grabbed the doorknob, but before he had a chance to turn it Pamela was pressed herself up against him. From across the room, she looked stunning, but up-close her skin was flaking and peeling and she smelled like death.

  She must have noticed when he wrinkled his nose at the scent. “You have no idea what a woman has to do to stay this beautiful.”

  He stepped backward but the move only played into her hands because now he was flat against the door with nowhere else to go. She hemmed him in by pressing her chest into his and placing each hand onto the door by each side of his head. “You’re keeping me from something I want very much. It is rightly mine. Wade signed the contract of his own free will. I will have the boy.”

  The smell emanating from her was overwhelming and sickening, but in spite of it, Mark tried to remain calm. “You’re welcome to go with me up to the house and discuss the situation with Liam. I understand you’re both working for the same boss. Surely the two of you can work it out to everyone’s satisfaction. Liam tells me he’s more than willing to call his father in to mediate the disagreement.” Mark felt around behind him and finally found the doorknob again. He turned it and pushed Pamela away at the same time.

  She grabbed the front of his shirt to hold him into place. “Do you really think you can threaten me? You have no idea who you’re playing games with.” Her face quivered and all of her muscles rippled and trembled. She let out a long painful moan. When she jerked straight as a rod, her fingers released Mark’s shirt. He took the opportunity to open the door and was about to run outside when Pamela’s skin pooled onto the floor as if all of her bones had been removed.

  Mark was too horrified by the sight to notice the dark entity leave her body and float through the ceiling and out of the studio. When he stepped forward to get a closer look, her skin disintegrated into black flakes of dust and blew away. He pulled his two-way radio out of its holder and held down the button. “Liam. Come down to Wade’s studio. You’re not going to believe this shit.”

  * * * * *

  Trying to put off going to sleep for as long as possible, Mark took a hot shower and then channel surfed for over an hour. For more than a week now, his eyes had felt as if they were filled with sand and he had the headache from hell. It was all because he couldn’t stay asleep once he finally dozed off. Sleep was no longer his friend. The nightmares were getting worse and always left him feeling depressed and helpless. In each one, Anne begged him to save her from Septem, but before Mark could figure how, Septem would intercede and wake him up. The last thing Mark would see before opening his eyes would be the black, seven-horned demon enveloping Anne until all that was left was her long, beautiful red hair.

  Knowing he couldn’t put off the inevitable, Mark switched off the TV. He needed to get some rest if he was going to keep Wade, Morgan, and Cole safe from Septem. Even though Mark had tried to convince himself the dreams were nothing more than nighttime illusions, his gut was overruling his reasoning. It felt too real to be a simple trick of his mind, and ever since his first meeting with the demon, Mark knew when dealing with evil, all things were possible.

  Mark tossed and turned for over forty-five minutes. The harder he tried to go to sleep, the farther away it seemed to be. But just as he decided to give it up as a lost cause, exhaustion won. Within in seconds of drifting off, he found himself deep in the middle of a dark forest, desperately running toward the sounds of Anne’s despondent cries. But it was like running in quicksand because no matter how fast he tried to get to Anne, he didn’t feel as if he was making any ground. It didn’t help when every two steps his bare feet would become entangled in vines and underbrush. To keep from falling over, he needed to remove them from around his ankles.

  “Mark! Please help me.” The haunting plea was followed with the sounds of long drawn out sobs echoing into the air around Mark leaving him confused about which directions the cries originated from.

  After a moment of listening, it seemed as if the sobs were coming off toward his left, so he turned and ran as fast as the heavy underbrush would let him. He was only able to run a few feet before his legs entangled in vines and he went crashing to the ground face first. He reached down in order to remove the vines from around his ankles, but as soon as he wrapped his fingers around them, they wiggled and squirmed. He quickly realized, instead of vines he held a handful of black snakes. One of the serpents slithered up his arm and another wrapped itself around his wrist. Without stopping to think, he swiped them all off and jumped to his feet. He made the mistake of looking down to see if there were any other snakes in the vicinity. The ground was covered in them. The sight was enough to make him start running again.

  A voice in the back of his head screamed for him to wake up. It couldn’t really be Anne crying and he wasn’t running barefoot across thousands of black snakes.

  “Mark.” This time Anne’s plea was a soft whisper. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck. It was as if she was right next to him, so he stopped and turned around. “Save me.” The sensation of a finger running across the back of his neck froze him dead in his tracks.

  Turning, he strained to see in the darkness, but could only make out the trunks of the nearest trees. In spite of the panic trying to close his throat, he screamed, “Anne! Anne!” He spun full-circle, and listened for her reply, but heard nothing. Unwilling to give up, he tried again. “Anne!” Motionless, he held his breath.

  A crackle of leaves drew his gaze toward the ground, but before he could see what made the noise, two hands grabbed his ankles. An unnatural force pulled with such strength he fell face-first. He hit the ground with an impact that knocked all the air out of his lungs. A sharp pain in his chest made it almost impossible to inhale and when he finally managed to draw a breath, damp leaves and dirt filled his mouth and nose. The scent of mold and decay permeated the air. The awful scent was so overwhelming, he gagged. He tried not to throw up, but in spite of his best attempts, steak and baked potato came spewing out of his mouth and nose into the dead leaves and bushes nearby.

  Mark used the back of his hand to wipe the puke from his mouth. When he attempted to stand again, the sounds of giggling gave him the strength needed to get back onto his feet. The high-pitched snickering was coming from every direction. If things weren’t disturbing enough, hot puffs of air touched his arms and face. He swiped at the area around him, but found nothing. With his concentration locked eye-level at the blackness surrounding him, he was startled when something tugged on pant legs. His first reaction was to kick out in an attempt to dislodge whoever was holding on, but all his kicks only hit empty air.

  “Wake up. This is only a dream. Just get up and everything will be okay.” Mark closed his eyes and tried to regain control over his
panic. He was asleep. All he had to do was shake himself awake and everything would be fine.

  A sinister voice came from behind him, “Don’t be stupid. Just because it’s a dream doesn’t make it any less real. There’s nothing more powerful than the mind.”

  His eyes shot open and he whipped around. Mark tried to scream but nothing came out.

  His mother’s rotting face was stretched into a wide grin. Pieces of decomposing skin broke off and fell onto the front of the dress he and his grandmother had buried her in eight years earlier. “You can’t help Anne. She belongs to Septem. He’ll never let her go.”

  It was impossible to look away from his mother’s decaying flesh, but when she reached out and touched his cheek, he took two steps backward. It would have been farther but a tree blocked his retreat.

  “Save me instead.” She stepped toward him. The stench of her hot breath fanned his face. Even though his stomach was empty from where he had thrown up a few minutes earlier, he gagged.

  The rough bark of the tree bit into his exposed flesh. Since stepping backward was now impossible, Mark stepped sideways. With the reek of putrid breath no longer clouding his mind, he tried to reason out the situation. It was only a dream so there was no reason to be afraid. His dead mother wasn’t standing in front of him and Anne wasn’t sobbing nearby. All he had to do was wake up and he would be in his own bed inside Wade’s house.

  “Don’t. This is our chance to rescue Anne.”

  Mark was surprised to hear Liam’s voice, but he eagerly turned toward the welcoming sound. His old partner clapped a hand on his bare shoulder. “Is this a dream or something else?”